"Your Honour, you must promise to keep it a secret," Yun Xi Asked. Yan Ling chuckled softly, then casually said,
"I know. Don't worry. Besides, I'll be here tonight. I won't meet anyone until tomorrow's event, right?"
"You're staying the night? Haven't I already told you the secret?"
"What does staying in my wife's room have to do with telling the secret?"
Yun Xi was at a loss for words.
Finally, that night, the Crown Prince really did spend the night in the peach pavilion.
Yun Xi had just laid down on her comfortable, soft bed. She had to sleep well tonight so that tomorrow she would have enough energy to destroy the reputation of Liu Qin Mei and her evil servant.
At that moment, Yan Ling had just entered the room, half-wet from having just finished bathing.
He was indeed very handsome. Yun Xi had to admit it. He was very tall and muscular. His height was definitely over 6.5 feet. His skin was very beautiful, although there were scars in some areas that seemed unlikely to fade. His jawline was very sharp, like a sculpted statue. He had at least ten six-pack abs, and his lower body...
"Hey!!! Wang Yun Xi, you idiot, wake up!!!"
Yan Ling was startled when Yun Xi suddenly shouted.
"What's wrong? What happened to you?" asked the man as he approached, his face slightly panicked.
Yun Xi felt very embarrassed about what was in her mind just now, with a silly smile, she said, "Ah, I'm not-, I mean, I'm fine, I just suddenly thought of something useless, hahahaha, forgive me, Your Highness, don't worry about it."
Yun Xi nodded politely and immediately lay down with his back to his husband.
Yan Ling was stunned. He then walked a little further away to dry his body. Shortly after, the man lay down beside Yun Xi.
Instinctively, Yun Xi moved away a little, but the man seemed to get even closer until Yun Xi could feel his warm breath. Considering the considerable difference in their heights, was Yan Ling currently sleeping in a curled position?
All of Yun Xi's thoughts immediately flew away when she felt a large hand encircle her waist. Yun Xi felt so angry that she wanted to slap this man, but her intention immediately subsided when she heard his soft snoring from behind her.
"He's already asleep? That fast?" Yun Xi pursed her thin lips as she continued to think until she finally fell asleep as well.
The next morning,
Everyone was getting ready to attend the third prince's inauguration, including Yun Xi. Meanwhile, after breakfast, Yan Ling asked for permission to leave the Rose Pavilion, where his beloved wife was staying. Perhaps Yan Ling had promised to leave with her.
Yun Xi did not care at all. All she could think about at that moment was that she hoped everything would go according to plan today. Even though everything had been prepared very well, Yun Xi could not shake off the nervousness that came over her.
Sumi saw her mistress's anxious face and said calmly,
"Everything will be fine, ma'am. Trust me."
"Hm, I hope so too," Yun Xi smiled. Sumi held her mistress's cold hand tightly, trying to comfort her.
Upon arriving at the banquet hall, all the members of the imperial family had already arrived. Yun Xi seemed to be the last to arrive. On the throne, which was the seat of the Emperor and Empress, Yun Xi also saw the Queen Mother, who had been ill for a long time and had been confined to her room all year. She did not look well.
After paying her respects, Yun Xi sat next to Yan Ling, who had been staring at her intently since she set foot in the hall.
And it turned out that the clothes she was wearing had the exact same pattern as Yan Ling and Consort Liu Qin Mei.
'Ahhh, how annoying, if I had known, I would have just worn my old clothes!' Yun Xi grumbled to herself.
"Next time, I'll make it different. I'm sorry," Yan Ling said suddenly. Yun Xi felt her heart sink. She looked at Yan Ling, who was winking at her.
"No way, he... can read my mind?" Yun Xi muttered. She tried her best to refrain from saying the strange things in her head.
The event was about to begin.
It started with the opening ceremony, followed by the handover of the mandate, and continued with the tea Pai* ceremony. Everyone raised their tea cups enthusiastically. The third prince glanced at Yun Xi, who nodded, then calmly drank all the tea in his cup.
Yun Xi began counting down in her heart. While the imperial official who was the master of ceremonies was delivering his speech and announcing the next item on the agenda, the third prince suddenly coughed and vomited blood. Everyone there was shocked, especially the third concubine, the third prince's mother.
"My son! Yan Che!" The emperor's third concubine immediately rose from her seat and rushed to her son, who was lying unconscious.
Yan Xiao rushed to help the third prince before the palace physician could move.
"He has been poisoned!" Yan Xiao exclaimed. He then put a pill into the third prince's mouth. A few moments later, the third prince slowly opened his eyes.
"Quickly take my son to his room, quickly!!!" The third concubine shouted in panic, as did the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
"Everyone is forbidden to leave here!!! Close the gates, don't let a single person leave this hall!" shouted the Emperor, his face red with anger. It was clear that he was now very angry!
Yun Xi glanced at the Empress standing there, her face completely expressionless. Even a fool would know that it was not appropriate for an empress to act so indifferent when she saw the emperor's son being poisoned right before her eyes.
Meanwhile, Yan Che, who was now being carried by several guards, still managed to smile slightly at Yun Xi. Secretly, Yun Xi felt that his behaviour was a little childish.
"Oh my, how could this happen, Your Majesty, who would have the heart to do such a cruel thing to the third prince on his important day?" Qin Mei said in a weak and trembling voice, as if she was deeply shocked.
'You poisoned him, you snake woman!
Yun Xi thought to herself. She felt like vomiting at Qin Mei's excellent acting. Liu Qin Mei should have been an opera actress!
"After I examined it, the tea drunk by the third prince contained poison from a poison dart frog. The dose was quite high, but fortunately I am accustomed to carrying an antidote for all poisons wherever I go, otherwise..." Yan Xiao paused, trying to build a dramatic atmosphere while observing the expressions of the people who were suspected of planning all this.
The Empress.
Liu Qin Mei and her maid.
"That tea... wasn't it tea from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's first concubine?" said one of the maids. Judging from her clothes, she seemed to be a maid from the palace kitchen who was in charge of serving tea today.
Everyone now looked at Yun Xi with different expressions, but most of them looked at her with suspicion.
(*Tea Pai is a tea ceremony that is usually performed after the welcome speech at a banquet)