In just over a month, the third prince was deposed and then assassinated by his own wife. Emperor Xiaoxuan looked exhausted. When the crown prince brought medicine into the bedchamber, he specifically instructed:

"Yuanbi, Father's health is deteriorating day by day. In the future, you should consult your uncle more often on matters of state, and respect and rely on him..."

"Father, you are in your prime. As long as you follow the doctor's advice, you will surely recover soon." The Crown Prince's brows showed signs of fatigue after what had just happened.

“Yes, Your Majesty, don’t say such unlucky things,” Zhou Xuance said, coughing twice.

"Xuan Ce, you are not feeling well, you should go back to your residence and rest early."

Emperor Xiaoxuan gave him many more instructions, saying that Shen Zhi was loyal and righteous, and that she did not hesitate to beat the Dengwen Drum to seek justice for him. He hoped that the couple would live in harmony.

After Zhou Xuance left, Emperor Xiaoxuan finished his medicine and forced himself to get up.

"Father, please lie down and rest." The Crown Prince frowned.

Emperor Xiaoxuan had already taken his hand, "Yuanbi, your father is getting old. After this injury, his recovery has been slow, and his condition is not as good as before..."

"Father, you are the supreme ruler, blessed by Heaven. You only need to take good care of yourself..."

Before the Crown Prince could finish speaking, Emperor Xiaoxuan stopped him, saying, "You should know that this throne will belong to you sooner or later."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince was stunned and hurriedly knelt down, saying, "Father, I only wish for your good health."

Emperor Xiaoxuan simply smiled, "But there's something you need to know. It was easy for your father to pass the throne to you, but it will be very difficult for you to hold onto this position. Duke Zhenguo, your imperial uncle..."

"Too much power!"

Upon hearing this, the crown prince felt a chill run down his spine.

The meaning of Father's words is already very clear:

he,

They wanted to get rid of the Shen family;

Even the Imperial Uncle!

Why would he do this? He had always felt that his father loved his uncle very much, even more so than his own sons.

Seemingly noticing the surprise and hesitation in his son's eyes, Emperor Xiaoxuan continued, "Yuanbi, you must remember that to sit on this throne, there is no one you cannot give up, no thing you cannot discard, only power is eternal."

"You are of mediocre talent. With someone to assist you, you can become an emperor who achieves nothing. I have already found someone to assist you."

The crown prince asked in surprise, "Who is it?"

"It was originally supposed to be your former teacher."

Mr. Wen?

He withdrew from the court due to poor health, but his father did not allow him to return to his hometown, instead keeping him in the capital.

Could it be...?

Did Father Emperor intend to leave him to me from that time on?

"I just didn't expect that his daughter would marry into the Shen family. And the Shen family's daughter was originally married into a low-ranking marquis's family, which would have put my mind at ease. I don't know where things went wrong, but the person who was originally devoted to Song Yuxiu suddenly changed his mind."

"He even went through many twists and turns before finally entering the royal family."

"And she just so happened to marry your royal uncle."

"But your royal uncle has been intelligent since childhood..."

“If he is determined, you can’t defeat him! Besides, the Wen family, the Shen family and the Regent’s Palace are now considered one entity, so none of these three families can be allowed to live.”

The prince was alarmed by these words.

It was probably the medicine that worked, because Emperor Xiaoxuan soon fell into a deep sleep, and only then did the Crown Prince leave the palace.

——

Zhenguo Duke's Mansion

Shen Zhiyi had just returned to the mansion with her father and brothers when her father summoned her to his study.

"Sound the petition drum?" Shen Chongde took a deep breath. "What are you thinking, girl? Is he really that important to you?"

“Father…” Shen Zhiyi poured a cup of tea and handed it to him. “It’s hot, drink some water.”

"I'm not thirsty!"

"Then I'll drink it myself." After Shen Zhiyi finished speaking, she picked up the cup and pretended to drink the tea in one gulp. Shen Chongde frowned, then snatched the cup and took a big gulp of the cold tea.

"Father, this is just a play we put on to cooperate with him, you should know that."

"I have no idea!"

"If you didn't know, why would you have sent your second brother to meet me?"

"..."

Shen Chongde snorted and took another big gulp of cold tea.

"You and Zhou Xuance knew about the Empress's assassination attempt on the Emperor long ago, didn't you?" Shen Zhiyi pondered the events of the past few days, including the siege of the Regent's Palace, and how she had managed to escape the siege by returning home that day. By carefully considering all the events, she could always find clues.

"You've used all your tricks on me!" Shen Chongde sneered. "That Zhou Xuance is no good; he actually dared to put you in his trap!"

Shen Zhiyi just smiled.

I recalled the letter of divorce that Zhou Xuance had written when I visited him:

He explicitly wrote that after Shen Zhiyi left, she would be ambushed, allowing her to escalate the situation, and striking the petition drum would be the best way to do so.

The servants of the Regent's Palace

The Empress's maid

Hiding weapons

Collecting letters

...

All of these things cannot be accomplished overnight.

Especially the weapons and crossbows found in the Empress's palace. The Empress is so cautious, how could she possibly keep these in her own palace? The only possibility is that she was framed.

The person who framed him couldn't possibly imagine...

Zhou Xuanze!

When exactly did he begin to suspect the Empress?

Was it after the emperor was assassinated, or after he was falsely accused, or even worse...?

Was the plot orchestrated before the emperor was assassinated?

When Shen Zhi realized this, she felt a chill run through her body.

But whatever the circumstances, it is enough to show that even while imprisoned, he can still strategize and win battles from afar, which will definitely arouse the emperor's suspicion and murderous intent.

The Emperor will take action against him sooner or later!

As the father and daughter were talking, a servant announced that the regent had arrived.

A servant led him into the study, and Zhou Xuance politely bowed to Shen Chongde, saying, "Father-in-law."

"What brings Your Highness here?"

"Now that I have proven my innocence regarding Your Majesty's matter, I have naturally come to take my wife home."

"Zhiyi, you go out first. I need to say a few words to the Prince."

After about a cup of tea, the two came out of the study. Shen Zhiyi had been staying at the Duke's mansion for several days, and it was reasonable for the Regent to want to take her back to the mansion. However, Xu Yunyi was reluctant to part with her and asked the two to stay for dinner before letting them go back.

“Mother-in-law, if you miss Yiyi, I will often bring her back to the Duke’s Mansion.” Zhou Xuance rarely referred to himself as a prince in front of the Shen family.

But Shen Muzhi seized on one point: "Yiyi?"

This title...

How can it be so cloying and nauseating?

"A married daughter shouldn't come back to her parents' home so often; it's disrespectful." In Dagan, it's considered taboo for a married daughter to frequently return to her parents' home.

Because the Shen couple disliked Song Yuxiu, Shen Zhiyi rarely returned to her parents' home after marrying into the Marquis's family. In addition, the couple spent most of their time on the frontier, so they had even fewer opportunities to meet.

Xu Yunyi was thinking that she would be returning to northern Xinjiang after the Mid-Autumn Festival, and as the date approached, she felt even more reluctant to leave.

Zhou Xuance simply smiled and said, "There aren't so many formalities in the Prince's mansion. If my mother-in-law misses it, I'll accompany Zhiyi back to the Duke's mansion for a few days in a few days."

Outsiders say the regent is cold-hearted and heartless, but after getting to know him, he seems like a nice person.

Polite, courteous, and well-mannered.

Xu Yunyi observed that he was several times better than Song Yuxiu from before.

It's just a pity about this body...