How can you rule the world if I'm just a substitute for you?

"presumptuous!"

Lin Xuan immediately shouted to stop him.

"The Crown Princess has already retired for the night!"

"You are now sending troops to storm my inner chambers and disturb the Crown Princess. What has become of the royal family's dignity? What has become of my reputation?"

"When the Eastern Palace was searched just now, I didn't say a word! But I absolutely will not allow anyone to break into the inner chambers and disturb the women of the palace!"

Lin Fu was convinced that something was amiss and stubbornly insisted on his innocence.

"Father! This concerns the authenticity of the Crown Prince and the grave crime of deceiving the Emperor! I beg you, Father, to search the palace!"

Lin Xuan retorted with a cold laugh:

"You think you can determine whether I'm telling the truth or not just based on a few words of yours?"

Even if I am the worst off, I am still the Crown Prince of the Great Qian Dynasty!

"You're pressing me so relentlessly; you clearly don't take me seriously at all!"

Emperor Qian's face was extremely gloomy as he quickly weighed his options.

He had already wronged the Crown Prince once regarding the secret letter, and knew that someone was secretly framing the Crown Prince.

However, the Third Prince was always cautious and would never dare to spread rumors in court unless he was certain of his success.

If we forcibly break into the dormitory to search now, we will find nothing in the end.

That would be a public slap in the face to the Crown Prince and the royal family!

Even if the crown prince is deposed, he is still his son and the current heir apparent.

But if we let it go, the doubts remain, and we can't let it go.

Emperor Qian remained silent for a moment, then gave the order in a deep voice:

"Immediately seal off the entire Eastern Palace!"

The Crown Prince's palace is under heavy guard; no one is allowed to enter or leave! A thorough investigation will be conducted tomorrow morning!

Upon receiving the order, the Imperial Guards immediately surrounded the Eastern Palace, sealing it off from both inside and out.

Lin Fu felt somewhat relieved.

The Eastern Palace is completely locked up; there's absolutely no way for anyone to escape.

It's just one night, it doesn't matter.

The truth will be revealed as soon as it gets light tomorrow.

After everyone left, Lin Xuan returned to the Crown Prince's palace alone.

At this moment, the entire Eastern Palace is under martial law, with imperial guards stationed everywhere.

Inside the palace, candlelight flickered.

Shen Qingyi had no desire to sleep.

Anyone would be unable to sleep if something like this happened to them today.

Hearing footsteps, she immediately got out of bed and, seeing Lin Xuan approaching, asked urgently:

"How did it go? Has the scheme been exposed?"

She was only wearing a close-fitting nightgown, loose and thin, which showed off her figure, making it even more visible under the light.

Lin Xuan had spent his entire life on ruthless missions and amidst gunfire in his previous life; he had never seen anything like this before.

For a moment, I was slightly stunned.

Shen Qingyi instantly noticed his gaze, her cheeks flushed, and she hurriedly raised her hand to tighten her clothes, cursing inwardly.

What time is it? This person is still thinking about that kind of thing. What a lecherous scoundrel!

Lin Xuan immediately snapped out of his daze, coughed awkwardly twice, stepped forward, and lowered his voice.

"Don't panic, everything will be fine tonight."

"However, Emperor Qian has already issued an order to thoroughly investigate the imperial bedchamber first thing tomorrow morning."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingyi's face turned deathly pale, and she completely panicked.

Her voice trembled with anxiety: "What do we do! The Crown Prince's body is still in the dungeon! If they investigate thoroughly tomorrow, it will definitely be exposed! Then we'll both be dead for sure!"

Seeing her flustered and disoriented appearance, Lin Xuan remained calm and composed, showing no sign of urgency.

He spoke calmly, his tone brimming with confidence:

"rest assured."

"It only takes one night."

"I have a way to make the people in the dungeon disappear without a trace."

"Even if they dig three feet into the ground tomorrow, they won't find a single trace."

Shen Qingyi stared at him blankly, feeling flustered and confused, yet inexplicably calmed down by his composure.

Lin Xuan looked at her, his tone resolute: "Now, we only need to do one thing."

Shen Qingyi asked instinctively, "What is it?"

"sleep."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Xuan reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her down onto the bed with him.

Shen Qingyi froze, then struggled in panic, shouting, "What are you doing?!"

Lin Xuan lay on his side looking at her, his expression calm and natural, his tone casual:

"What else can we do?"

"My beloved concubine, go to sleep."

Shen Qingyi struggled desperately, trying to break free from Lin Xuan's embrace.

"Let me go! Let me go now!"

But Lin Xuan's arms were strong, and he held her firmly in his embrace, making it impossible for her to break free.

"Don't move."

Lin Xuan whispered in her ear:

"If you want to live, you'd better obey."

"I am the Crown Prince, and you are the rightful Crown Princess. Tonight, something must happen between us."

These two short sentences instantly brought Shen Qingyi to her senses.

She instantly understood Lin Xuan's intention, feeling both flustered and ashamed, and gritted her teeth to warn him:

"I'm warning you! Don't you dare do anything inappropriate to me! Don't you dare do anything rash!"

Lin Xuan helplessly spread his hands, his expression calm, his tone exceptionally dignified:

"I didn't want this to happen, but the current situation forces me to take a stand."

"Look outside, the entire Eastern Palace is surrounded by layers of imperial guards, and Emperor Qian has countless spies hiding in the shadows."

"Everyone in the court and the country knows what kind of person the former crown prince was. He was licentious and lustful, and indulged in revelry every night."

"If we don't do it tonight, Emperor Qian will definitely become suspicious, and then the two of us will surely die."

After saying that, Lin Xuan flipped over and pinned her down.

The reasons were frank and the excuses were plausible, leaving no room for criticism.

Shen Qingyi's body stiffened, and her heart was pounding wildly.

Seeing her tense expression, Lin Xuan continued softly:

"Besides, I already knew that."

"We've been married for three years, and that good-for-nothing crown prince has never touched you."

"He told me in private that he thought you were too dignified and composed, and didn't know how to flatter. He said you were not as open and fun as his concubines."

Upon hearing this, a wave of humiliation and bitterness instantly welled up in Shen Qingyi's eyes.

For three years, she was the Crown Princess, holding the title in name only, but living like a widow in reality. Only she knew the bitterness she endured.

She bit her lip hard, feeling utterly helpless.

She didn't know if Lin Xuan was telling the truth or not, but now there was no turning back.

The two were in the same boat; their fates were intertwined.

If they reveal a weakness tonight, tomorrow morning will be the end of them, and it will also implicate the entire Shen family.

That's it.

Shen Qingyi closed her eyes and gave a bitter smile to herself.

Let's just say... I was taken advantage of by a pig.

There is no other choice now that things have come to this.

Inside the bedchamber, candlelight flickered.

Before long, intimate sounds filled the room, with the bed shaking and the sounds continuing.

The imperial guards standing outside the palace heard everything clearly.

They looked at each other awkwardly, covered their ears, and dared not listen or speak.

Everyone was secretly complaining to themselves.

As expected of the Crown Prince, even at such a critical juncture, he still has the mind to do this. It's utterly absurd.

A full hour.

The noise inside the house gradually subsided.

Lin Xuan got up, straightened his robes, looked down at Shen Qingyi on the bed, whose face was flushed and whose eyes were shy, and whispered his instructions.

"I'm going to the dungeon now to deal with the prince's body."

"Remember, every half hour, deliberately make a noise, shake the bed, the louder the better, to cover my tracks."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingyi's cheeks burned even hotter. She was both ashamed and angry, yet there was nothing she could do.

Since things had come to this, she could only nod in agreement.

Lin Xuan said no more, turned around and walked to the corner of the wall, opened the hidden stone door leading to the dungeon, bent down and crawled in, silently entering the dark dungeon.

In the palace, only Shen Qingyi remained.

She gritted her teeth and, following Lin Xuan's instructions, deliberately shook the bed every half hour, creating a series of ambiguous sounds.

The imperial guards on duty outside the palace heard noises coming from inside the room time and time again, cursing under their breath.

This prince is incredibly audacious!

Despite facing imminent disaster, they still didn't know when to stop and actually caused trouble all night long!