"Though both of you are unmarried—one a man, the other a woman—your behavior has been utterly improper! To carry on like this in Prince Zhao's residence..." Xiao Huayong was clearly furious, but as the refined Crown Prince, he could not bring himself to utter vulgar words. He could only fume, "Outrageous! Truly outrageous!"
Unexpectedly, Bu Shulin knelt before Xiao Huayong, clasped his hands respectfully, and declared solemnly, "Your Highness, I beseech you to uphold justice. I was ambushed, and were it not for Lady Xiao... I fear I would have been in mortal danger!"
His words struck like a thunderclap, silencing all the murmuring bystanders. The crowd's gazes toward Xiao Changmin grew subtly accusatory.
"What does the Worldly Son mean by this? Were you drugged?" Xiao Changmin immediately interjected.
He had certainly not drugged Bu Shulin—he had only lit some aphrodisiac incense.
"After rescuing the Fourteenth Prince, I was brought here to change clothes. My servant has been gone for a long time, and my robes were soaked. I dared not leave in disarray, lest I offend the unmarried young ladies, so I waited in the room. Yet, for some reason, I gradually grew feverish and my mind grew hazy. By the time I realized what was happening, it was already too late..." Bu Shulin gritted his teeth.
"When the door was flung open just now, a fragrance wafted out—among it was the scent of Three-Branch Nine-Leaf Grass," Shen Xihe added.
Three-Branch Nine-Leaf Grass is an aphrodisiac; its scent incites lust. Only those with some medical knowledge would recognize it, but most present did not know, while a few understood—yet all grasped the implication.
"Tianyuan, fetch the incense burner," Xiao Huayong commanded.
"Why was Lady Xiao here?" Shu Fei inquired as Tianyuan went to retrieve the evidence.
As a woman, Xiao Wenxi should have been with the other ladies, yet she had come alone to seek out Bu Shulin.
"The Worldly Son once saved me. When I heard he had dived into the water to rescue someone, I came to check on him..." Xiao Wenxi's voice was soft, carrying a hint of maidenly shyness that charmed listeners.
But then she suddenly lifted her head, her eyes blazing with indignation: "Yet I stumbled upon someone sneaking about, and there wasn't a single servant in sight. I followed the figure into the room and found the Worldly Son slumped over the table, weak and flushed. So I picked up a vase and knocked him unconscious..."
The noblewomen who had followed Shen Xihe into the room recalled that a vase had indeed been shattered inside, but no one had been seen. Someone couldn't resist asking, "Where is the person?"
"The person... is hidden in the cabinet," Xiao Wenxi whispered.
"If Lady Xiao discovered someone plotting against the Worldly Son and even injured them, why did you not cry for help?" Xiao Changmin pressed.
"When I found the Worldly Son, he had already begun bleeding from his seven orifices. With no servants around, had I abandoned him to seek help and something happened to him, I would have lived with regret and guilt for the rest of my life," Xiao Wenxi replied, bowing her head.
The root cause, after all, was the absence of anyone in the courtyard. Those who had found Xiao Changmin's earlier explanation plausible now began to harbor doubts—especially when Tianyuan not only brought out the incense burner but also carried out an unconscious woman. Laid on the ground, her disheveled hair brushed aside, she was revealed to be Yu Sangning's cousin!
This cousin shared the Yu surname, but her father and Yu Xiang were not brothers—they were cousins from the same grandfather. She and Yu Sangning were cousins within the five degrees of mourning.
At this, even Xiao Changmin's face paled.Just as Shen Xihe had anticipated, even if Bu Shulin needed to change clothes, it would be difficult to succeed whether by sending someone to ambush or promptly exposing her. Thus, Xiao Changmin devised a plan to trip up Bu Shulin.
He arranged a "caught in the act" scenario, lighting an inconspicuous incense in the room—one that, once detected, would be too late to counteract. The incense had aphrodisiac effects, and a maid was assigned to serve Bu Shulin under the guise of assisting with changing clothes, leaving no room for suspicion.
If Bu Shulin were a woman, her identity would be exposed. If Bu Shulin were a man, being caught in a lustful act with a maid in his manor would still put Bu Shulin in the wrong.
Unexpectedly, such a subtle fragrant spice—which even numerous perfumers he consulted failed to identify—was detected by Shen Xihe with just a sniff. Moreover, Bu Shulin, aided by Xiao Wenxi, narrowly escaped disaster and turned the tables by replacing the maid with a distant female relative of the Yu family!
"Second Brother, how do you explain this?" Xiao Huayong demanded.
The incident occurred in his manor, and the one attempting to climb into bed was none other than his newlywed wife's cousin. A charge of colluding with a feudal prince could easily be leveled against him.
Why would an ordinary prince collude with a feudal lord?
Almost everyone who considered this couldn't help but glance sideways at Xiao Huayong.
It was widely said that the Crown Prince wouldn't live past two cycles. At twenty-three, he had only a year or two left. So, was Prince Zhao growing impatient?
"Oh, Second Brother, what is this about? Worldly Son Bu is the sole heir of the Shu Southern Royal Manor, destined to inherit the peerage. If anything were to happen to him here, how would you answer to the Prince of Shunan?" While others dared not speak, Xiao Changying had no reservations.
His mention of "sole heir of the Shu Southern Royal Manor, destined to inherit the peerage" was deliberately ambiguous, sparking wild speculation.
After all, securing Bu Shulin would mean gaining the support of the Shu Southern Royal Manor, wouldn't it?
Xiao Changmin's expression darkened, but since Xiao Changying hadn't explicitly accused him, he couldn't admit guilt unprompted. He could only say to Xiao Huayong, "I beg the Crown Prince to grant me some time. I will surely uncover the truth and give Worldly Son Bu an explanation."
Before Xiao Huayong could respond, Shen Xihe interjected, "This matter involves Prince Zhao, General Yu's residence, the Shu Southern Royal Manor, and the Eldest Princess's residence. How could the Crown Prince override Your Majesty's authority? If Prince Zhao has anything to say, he should seek an audience with His Majesty."
With that, Shen Xihe somewhat forcefully pulled Xiao Huayong to turn away. Xiao Huayong seemed caught off guard, nearly stumbling before quickly adjusting his steps to keep up with her.
With the Crown Princess dragging the Crown Prince away, no one else dared stay to watch the drama unfold. Yet, the situation was clear enough: Prince Zhao had attempted to use his wife's sister to win over Worldly Son Bu. With the Crown Prince still alive, such ambition could no longer be concealed!
What should have been a lively wedding banquet was disrupted by this scandal, forcing the groom to follow them to the palace and plead for forgiveness.
Having just finished the day's court affairs without a moment's rest, the Youning Emperor heard the news and was so enraged that he hurled the teacup in his hand to the ground, frightening the eunuchs and palace maids in the Hall of Diligent Governance into kneeling uniformly.
When the parties arrived, the Youning Emperor fixed an oppressive gaze on Xiao Changmin. "How do you explain this?"
"Your Majesty, I harbor no improper intentions. I am not a fool—even if I were to engage in such acts, I wouldn't do so during my own wedding, in my own manor," Xiao Changmin naturally pleaded innocence.He could only cry injustice for the time being. He still hadn't figured out where things had gone wrong and couldn't grasp any opportunity to turn the situation around.
"Which other residence would be more convenient to operate from than one's own?" Xiao Changying remarked coolly. "Succeed and you're the victim; fail and you can still cry foul."
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