The first thing the imperial physician saw after entering the room was Prince Yi lying unconscious in bed in his innerwear.
A beautiful young woman was sitting beside the bed and wiping her tears with a handkerchief. When she saw him coming in, she let go of Prince Yi's hand and stepped back to sit on a cedar chair. A maid stood behind her respectfully with her head lowered, looking like she didn't even dare to raise her head.
Yu Jian stepped forward and said, "Princess, this is Physician Xu. His Majesty sent him to examine our prince's injury."
"Yes, please do so. He… He's still unconscious…" Ning Xueyan looked up, her eyes still red. It was obvious that she had cried and her voice was hoarse, too.
The physician carefully observed Princess Yi. She was an exquisite beauty, if a little thin. She seemed to have suffered some congenital deficiencies. She lowered her head again after speaking, making it hard for him to see her expressi
Inside the hall, the high and mighty Emperor looked coldly at Physician Xu as the latter knelt. "He's really injured, and at a risky place at that? He nearly lost his life?""Yes, that's the case. I took care to examine it myself. The wound is close to his chest. If it were anywhere lower, Prince Yi might not be able to regain consciousness so easily."Physician Xu trusted in his medical skills, so he was able to speak with certainty."Is there really nothing odd about Prince Yi's Manor?" the Emperor asked, frowning. It seemed that he could stop suspecting Ao Chenyi of directing the assassination himself."No," Physician Xu said, but added upon second thought, "But… something seems off about Princess Yi."The Emperor didn't expect Physician Xu to bring up Princess Yi. He was momentarily stunned, but soon asked, "What's off about Princess Yi?""Prince Yi was unconscious when I was treating him, but I notice
Inside a gorgeous pavilion, lithe women decked in a colorful dress were dancing gracefully while two men watched from a platform. One of them was Wen Xueran, with his alluring smile and devastatingly handsome face. He looked even more beautiful than the dancers below.His black hair was draped over his shoulder, lending him an androgynous allure. His wide robe made him look like an ancient scholar, with a trace of languidness in its flightiness. Beside him was the elegant Hua Yunheng in a light-colored robe.The dancers were twirling around gracefully, their sleeves fluttering with every action, their dainty waists twisting from time to time, as they displayed their elegant figures. Instrumental music from both sides that accompanied the performance made them look all that more delicate and beautiful. Upon closer look, the musicians were all beauties themselves. But dressed in men's attire, they looked more dashing instead.However, these women
Chen Hexiang, being the plaintiff, was the first to arrive. Ning Ziyan was also brought to the court well in advance. Xia Yuhang, a reputable young nobleman and the son of Minister Xia, wasn't arrested and detained. Instead, the officers from the Ministry of Justice only brought him here today.Ning Xueyan stayed in the carriage, watching Xia Yuhang being herded through the crowd into the court. Someone pushed him just as he noticed her carriage, causing him to nearly fall. He was brought inside the Ministry of Justice, almost pathetically so, and the crowd soon filled the door.While the trial continued, Xinmei would return from time to time to report the development of the case. It wasn't an uncommon sight, for there were many people who found it inconvenient to leave their carriages. Many quick-witted servants and maids would run back and forth to deliver the latest news, so Ning Xueyan remained inconspicuous.Inside the court, Chen Hexiang
When Ning Xueyan regained unconsciousness, all she could feel was pain all over her body. She touched the back of her head, unable to recognize where she was at the moment. She seemed to be inside an old firewood shed with some firewood scattered on the floor. Underneath her was a large piece of firewood, so the surface was still fairly soft. She sat up and saw that she was all alone.The first impression the place gave her was that of an old firewood shed but the second, however, was a jail. It was a small room, with a tiny window high above. The whole place looked gloomy.Hearing the noise from inside the shed, two repulsive-looking burly men opened the door and walked in. "Hey, you woke up?" they said, looking at the woman sitting on the pile of firewood. It was apparent from their appearance that they were no gentleman.Ning Xueyan's gleaming eyes blinked as she asked calmly, "Who are you two?" The lady who attacked her was skilled and foll
Ning Xueyan's firm words made the two burly men hesitate for a moment. They exchanged doubtful looks. One went out while the other stayed behind, watching her with an unreadable expression. She leaned on the pillar beside her calmly and started closing her eyes as if she was taking a rest. She kept them partially open under her long lashes, with just enough space to keep a vigilant watch.The burly man who went out earlier returned shortly after and yanked his companion. They started whispering in the corner of the shed, though it seemed more like arguing instead. Now and then, they would point at Ning Xueyan. Although their voices weren't loud, their argument was getting tense.Ning Xueyan seemed relaxed, lying against the pillar, but in reality, her whole body was tense. All of her attention was on the two big men. In a situation like this, she couldn't afford any mistakes as a woman. Xia Yuhang was still in the Ministry of Justice, so the only one who co
Ning Xueyan stayed dazed for a long time after waking up. It took her a while to recognize that she was in a familiar place, the third floor of the Moon-embracing Tower and Ao Chenyi's room. Only then did the vigilance in her eyes fade."You're up? How are you feeling?" Ao Chenyi's voice reached her ears. It was a pleasant baritone voice that wasn't gloomy. If anything, it made her feel all soft on the inside.He had always been an introvert with great self-control. It was rare for him to show how he felt.Ning Xueyan leaned her head against him and said softly, "I'm fine. I just didn't expect Xia Yuhang and Ning Qingshan to be so crazy."She wasn't lying. She did think that Xia Yuhang would be desperate enough to do something to save himself but didn't anticipate how far he would go. Just to get Ao Mingwan to help him, he kidnapped her and tried to send her to Ao Mingwan's bed.The reason he colluded with Ning Qingsha
A commotion swept through the capital as soon as the sun rose as another major incident followed the discovery of Prince Xiang's concubine having an affair with other men. There were assassins infiltrating Prince Yi's Manor, Prince Xiang's Manor, and Prince Fu's Manor. It was said that quite a few were injured but the biggest number of dead bodies were found in Prince Yi's Manor. Prince Yi was so badly injured that he was still in a coma and the guards were left without a leader. The assassins were able to take advantage of the lack of leadership and exploited the loopholes.Fortunately, the three princes were well-protected and stayed safe.There was, however, another scandal. It was said that Grand Tutor Ya's granddaughter and Prince Fu's soon-to-be consort, Ya Moqin, was found beside Prince Xiang's bed. When the Emperor's men rushed to Prince Xiang's bed, they found Ya Moqin leaning against Prince Xiang's bed. What was most coincidental was that Prince X
Ya Moqin somehow got wind of the news that Ao Mingyu's life was in danger that day, so she sneaked out of the backdoor and headed to Prince Xiang's Manor. The guards at the manor knew her, and thinking that she had business with the prince, they allowed her in. She made it all the way to Ao Mingyu's bed using the same excuse. Right at that moment, Ao Mingyu happened to regain consciousness.While she was serving him with tea and water, the Emperor's men arrived.In one massive stroke of coincidence, this scene was witnessed by everyone."Forget about Moqin. Her scandal isn't a big deal. But Ning Qingshan…" Grand Tutor Ya was similarly irritated at the mention of Ya Moqin, but she was nevertheless his granddaughter. Now that her granddaughter had lost her position, he should at least have her give birth to the heir.In a rare display of disobedience toward Grand Tutor Ya, Honored Consort Ya said unhappily, "Father, how can I explain