The number one rebel of the Great Wu

Chen Changgeng's heart skipped a beat.

Xiao Lie followed him into the study.

He dismissed the servants around him, led Chen Changgeng into the inner room, waved for Chen Changgeng to sit down, and then slowly began to speak.

"Little Gengzi, I remember when my beloved concubine returned to Jiangxia, you went with her."

"You also caused a scene in Jiangxia Town, disciplining a few members of the Shen family's branch clan, didn't you?"

Chen Changgeng felt a slight tremor in his heart; in fact, things had come to this point.

He already roughly knew what the Crown Prince was going to say, but he still couldn't show the slightest panic on his face.

"That's right, Your Highness. Why did you ask about this?"

Chen Changgeng feigned suspicion.

"During your stay in Jiangxia Town, did the Crown Princess come into contact with anyone?"

Chen Changgeng frowned, resting his chin on his hand as he pondered deeply.

"I met with all the local gentry, officials, and the nephews and elders of the Shen family."

"There doesn't seem to be anyone among them who deserves special attention."

"Your Highness, what is it you want to ask? Why don't you give me a straight answer so I can think back?"

Xiao Lie paused for a moment, then glanced at Chen Changgeng several times.

Then he let out a soft sigh.

"You're so smart, you should have known what I was going to ask."

"Since you are not answering, it means you are still a member of the Shen family, not mine."

"Never mind, never mind."

Xiao Lie waved his hand.

"Your Highness, what are you saying?"

"I am now the head steward of the Crown Prince's residence. If I don't side with you, who else should I side with?"

"This... I really don't understand, what do you want to ask?"

Chen Changgeng could only put on a bitter face and continue to play dumb.

At this moment, he could neither leave nor bring the matter to light.

He could only follow Xiao Lie's lead and continue the conversation.

Moreover, it is necessary to dispel Xiao Lie's dangerous idea and make him completely believe that he is his person.

After all, things are different now.

My position between these two is becoming increasingly difficult.

"real?"

Xiao Lie frowned slightly, a sense of unease rising in his heart.

Could it be that Shen Qingci didn't even tell Chen Changgeng?

In Xiao Lie's view, Shen Qingci was very dependent on Chen Changgeng, his strategist.

However, this matter involves personal secrets, and if it were leaked, it could even shake the foundations of the nation.

It is indeed possible that Shen Qingci even told Chen Changgeng.

"Okay, then I'll tell you the truth."

"I feel that the child in Consort Shen's belly is not mine."

After a moment's thought, Xiao Lie also chose to erase the cause and effect and state the conclusion directly.

"Judging by the timeline, this child was conceived around the time Consort Shen went to Jiangxia Town."

"And as you know, during that time, I did not summon my beloved concubine to my bedchamber."

"hiss……"

Chen Changgeng was immediately shocked, and his face turned pale.

"Your Highness, don't scare me. Whose child could it be if not yours?"

"Although His Highness is usually rather cold to you, he doesn't seem like the type to betray you willingly!"

Chen Changgeng lowered his voice and spoke up for Shen Qingci.

The prince's lips twitched.

Of course he knew that Shen Qingci would not betray him; this was what he had requested!

But he couldn't say it outright!

"I said if it's not mine, it's not mine. Don't I know that?"

"I want you to think carefully about who she contacted when she returned to Jiangxia Town."

"You need to find this person for me. He can't live!"

Xiao Lieyuan couldn't go over there, and suddenly became a little anxious, his impatient nature rising up all at once.

Chen Changgeng immediately shrank back in fright.

Is this guy jealous?

That shouldn't be the case, right?

Chen Changgeng muttered to himself for a moment, then continued to lower his head, secretly observing Xiao Lie.

Seeing that Xiao Lie's face showed no jealousy, only anger and worry, she felt a little relieved.

It seems that Xiao Lie is worried that Shen Qingci didn't get rid of "that person" and that the news might leak out, which would be detrimental to his future.

"Your Highness, aren't you overthinking this?"

"Even if there really is such a person in the world, who accidentally... desecrated the Crown Princess's sanctity."

"Then Ru Shuang and Ru Yi would chop him into mincemeat."

Doesn't Xiao Lie know Shen Qingci's personality?

"I know that, but my concern isn't about this accident."

"It was intentional!"

"oops!"

Xiao Lie stomped his foot in anger, becoming irritated.

"deliberately?!"

Chen Changgeng deliberately raised his voice and shook his head like a rattle drum.

"Although I think it's impossible, according to my recollection..."

"His Highness does not appear to have met with anyone privately."

"However, I don't know what happened in the middle of the night."

"After all, it was Miss Ru Shuang and Miss Ru Yi who were keeping watch over His Highness in the middle of the night."

Chen Changgeng pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up.

"Oh, right, I just remembered something."

"On the way to Jiangxia Town, it seems that Her Majesty killed someone..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lie instantly turned his head sharply, his eyes flashing with light.

Is this true?

"It's absolutely true. I saw it with my own eyes. Miss Ru Shuang was carrying a corpse wrapped in a bed sheet."

"Bury it in that field! I thought I was seeing things because I wasn't fully awake!"

"After all, the corpse was carried out of His Highness's tent."

"Haha, good, good!"

Xiao Lie immediately grinned.

Although Shen Qingci's answer to Xiao Lie was that the person had been killed long ago.

But he still felt it wasn't safe and needed to ask someone else.

Ru Shuang and Ru Yi are not his people, so the answer is definitely not credible.

Now that he had received the answer from Chen Changgeng, he was naturally in a great mood.

"Alright, you can go now."

"By the way, you are not allowed to tell anyone about what I asked you today. Just pretend it never happened."

"Hey!"

Chen Changgeng nodded and withdrew.

……

At the same time.

The Third Prince's Residence.

Inside a secluded side room.

On the narrow path, a young eunuch with his head down and a furtive expression walked by.

He went to a window, knocked gently, and slipped a small note through a hole in the window.

Then he quickly left.

Inside the room, Lin Dequan, with disheveled hair, climbed out of bed.

He has been hiding here for quite some time now, and even now that the Third Prince is overseeing the country, no one has dared to let him show his face in public.

It seems that for the foreseeable future, he will be used as a secret weapon.

"The imperial physician examines the pulse; the Empress Dowager's pulse indicates she is pregnant."

Upon seeing the eight small characters on the note, Lin Dequan trembled all over.

He immediately sat down and did some calculations.

"Okay, okay, hahaha!"

"I never imagined that such a huge weakness would fall into my hands!"

Lin Dequan crumpled the note into a ball, swallowed it, and then walked towards the wardrobe.

Open the door and gently nudge it with your elbow.

Behind that was a secret passage leading down below.

Passing through the secret passage leads directly to a mysterious underground prison.

And there was a woman locked up there, her body covered in bruises...