Since Xiao Changtai was unaware that Ye Wantang had fallen into her hands, why would he enter the capital? It could only be that Xiao Huayong had misled him into believing Ye Wantang was in Xiao Huayong's grasp, with the aim of luring Xiao Changtai to the capital while making him lower his guard during their meeting, so that he could strike at this very moment!
"Fourth Sister-in-law is in my hands." With just this one sentence, Li Yanyan could make the clever Xiao Changtai understand the intricacies of the situation.
"Foolish woman, you've ruined me!" Xiao Changtai abruptly slammed the table and stood up. In that moment of rage, he suddenly felt his limbs go weak. He hurriedly braced himself against the table, staring at Li Yanyan with disbelief and hidden ferocity.
"What are you..." Li Yanyan, initially angered by Xiao Changtai's insult, hesitated as she watched his sudden change. Growing concerned, she tried to rise and inquire but found herself weak and limp. She quickly called out toward the outside, "Someone, come..."
The emotional turmoil accelerated the effects of the poison he had unknowingly ingested. Xiao Changtai immediately realized this and forced himself to calm down. Li Yanyan's calls for help went unanswered.
They had been meeting in secret, neither bringing many people to the location. Xiao Changtai had come alone, completely unaware that the place had long been exposed. Sensing the paralyzing effects of the drug lessen, he drew a dagger from his waist.
A flash of cold light made Li Yanyan pale with fear, collapsing onto the stone stool. Xiao Changtai fixed his gaze on her, raised his hand, and instead plunged the dagger forcefully into his own arm. The pain instantly cleared his fading consciousness and seemed to grant him a bit of strength.
Gritting his teeth, he turned and stumbled away, supporting himself against the pavilion pillar.
Li Yanyan, untrained in martial arts, had even less resistance to this Western Regions' muscle-weakening drug. She slumped over the stone table, gasping for breath like a fish out of water. Her increasingly blurred vision watched Xiao Changtai retreat into the distance.
Suddenly, there was movement in the courtyard. A figure swiftly appeared before her. Struggling to open her eyes, she recognized the familiar, resolute face: "A'Tian..."
Xiao Changtian looked down at her, his gaze slowly shifting to the bloodstains on the ground. As he tried to resist arrest and leave, Li Yanyan, with a burst of inexplicable strength, grabbed his sleeve: "A'Tian..."
Just then, officers from the Capital Prefecture stormed in, claiming they had received a report of a murder in the residence.
Seeing Xiao Changtian and his wife, along with the bloodstains, they immediately followed the trail of blood. It led them to a study, where the bloodstains disappeared at a wall. Everyone knew there must be a secret passage, but despite an extensive search, they could not find it at first.
"Your Highness, there is a secret passage in the Qian residence. The Fourth Prince has escaped." Tianyuan relayed the news to Xiao Huayong as soon as he received it.
Xiao Huayong had already returned to the Eastern Palace. To avoid suspicion, he would remain in the palace regardless of what happened next. Since he could not take action personally, his location made no difference: "Bring me the layout of the Qian residence."
They had thoroughly investigated the Qian residence, even infiltrating it with their own people, yet they had still failed to uncover the secret passage.
Tianyuan unrolled the layout of the Qian residence before Xiao Huayong, who asked, "Where is the entrance to the secret passage?"
"This room." Tianyuan pointed to the map with two fingers.Xiao Huayong's gaze swiftly scanned the area as he contemplated the location of the Qian residence and the adjacent streets. Turning around, he faced a massive map depicting the entire capital's layout. After a few moments of contemplation, he raised a slender wooden rod and pointed to a specific spot: "Send Luling with a team to intercept here."
"Acknowledged."
After Tianyuan withdrew, Xiao Huayong stood before the carved window, beyond which blossoms flourished, tree shadows swayed, and waves of fragrance drifted in.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he absently rubbed the Five-Colored Thread on his wrist, though inwardly he felt that Xiao Changtai would likely escape once again.
Shen Xihe was preoccupied with concern for Shen Yingluo, leaving no attention to spare for Xiao Changtai's affairs. Meanwhile, the Capital Governor had brought Xiao Changtian and Li Yanyan before the emperor, recounting the entire incident to the Youning Emperor.
The Youning Emperor immediately recognized this as another clash among his sons. "Lady Li, why were you at the Qian residence? Whom did you meet there? Whose bloodstains are these?"
"Your Majesty, this humble daughter-in-law does not know. I left the manor today to refresh my spirits, but someone drugged and abducted me. I awoke in the Qian residence," Li Yanyan kowtowed from her kneeling position.
"As a princess consort, how could you venture out without attendants?" the Youning Emperor coldly stared at her.
"I prefer tranquility and only brought one maid," Li Yanyan explained.
The Youning Emperor glanced at Liu Sanzhi, who bowed and called toward the entrance, "Bring them in."
Soon, two men were escorted in by guards—one was the gatekeeper from the Dai Prince Manor, the other from the Qian residence.
"Repeat what you confessed earlier," Liu Sanzhi instructed.
The Dai Manor gatekeeper prostrated himself, trembling. "The princess consort often dismisses her guards and goes out alone with Lady Xiao'e—sometimes during the day, sometimes late at night."
The Qian residence gatekeeper followed haltingly, "This lowly one didn't know she was the princess consort. She frequently visited the residence."
"For what purpose did the princess consort come to your residence?" Liu Sanzhi pressed the Qian gatekeeper.
Terrified, the gatekeeper stammered, "I'm merely a gatekeeper. I only know the residence's owner bears the surname Qian—I've never even seen his face. I assumed the princess consort was... was Master Qian's lover..."
This wasn't a lie. They were ordinary caretakers of the property. Master Qian rarely visited, but whenever he came, the princess consort would appear too. What else could they assume? They and Old Zhangtou from the kitchen all believed the same.
They'd kept tight-lipped about it, thinking it was merely some wealthy gentleman's romantic affair. How could they have known it would involve the imperial family?
The Youning Emperor's expression grew increasingly grim. Liu Sanzhi signaled the guards to remove both gatekeepers.
"Lady Li, what excuses remain for you?" the Youning Emperor demanded.
Utterly unruffled, Li Yanyan curved her brightly rouged lips. "Your Majesty, there's no need to hastily accuse me of adultery. As the saying goes, 'To catch adulterers, you must find them in bed.' Whether I've committed adultery or not—Your Majesty need only ask your son to know."
"Lady Li!" Her indifferent attitude enraged the Youning Emperor.
Unperturbed, Li Yanyan lifted her head to gaze at Xiao Changtian kneeling beside her. "Do you also believe I've been unfaithful?"
Dai Prince Xiao Changtian turned toward her somewhat numbly. Their eyes met—his were bloodshot, their depths unreadable. After staring at her for a long moment, he slowly turned back and kowtowed to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, your son believes her. She would not betray me."
"You—!" The Youning Emperor, infuriated by Xiao Changtian's response, snatched up a paperweight and hurled it at him.The paperweight, polished from jade, could cause bleeding at best or instant death at worst if struck on the head. Seeing this, Li Yanyan immediately tackled Xiao Changtian to the ground.
The paperweight flew past them and struck a pillar in the hall, leaving a dent that seemed to pierce Li Yanyan's eyes.
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