Three people

The only sound in the quiet garden was the woman's low sobbing.

"Husband, what should I do? Is he dead? I... he suddenly tried to harm me... I picked up a stone to block him... He is a prince, I... please help me."

The woman clung tightly to Xie Qi's narrow waist, sobbing incoherently.

Xie Qi let her hug him, glancing sideways at the guard.

One of the guards quickly entered the cave, crouched down to check Xiao Fan's aura, and then nodded to Xie Qi.

"He's not dead," Xie Qi whispered in the woman's ear.

Sensing that the woman had calmed down a bit, he then instructed, "The Fourth Prince has fallen and injured himself. Quickly carry him to a side room and find a doctor to treat him."

"yes."

The guards quickly carried Xiao Fan away, and in the blink of an eye, only three people remained at the rockery.

Xiao Xian looked at the woman leaning against another man's arms, his eyes filled with darkness. "Fei Wan, come here. He knows."

He reached out and grabbed the woman's upper arm, pulling her out of Xie Qi's arms.

The woman seemed still immersed in fear. When someone pulled her, her hands were still tightly gripping the fabric at Xie Qi's waist.

Xiao Xian pulled his long arm back, and the woman stumbled and fell to his side.

Xie Qi felt a void in his chest, frowned, but ultimately failed to take the woman back.

On the contrary, the woman who had just looked pitiful suddenly pushed Xiao Xian away and took a step forward back to Xie Qi's side.

Xiao Xian staggered back half a step after being pushed by her, her slightly reddened eyes looking at the woman in disbelief.

He took a deep breath and called out softly, "Wanwan..." but hesitated to finish his sentence.

The woman hid half of herself behind Xie Qi, her gaze towards Xiao Xian filled with determination. "Your Highness, I have already married into the Marquis's household and have nothing to do with you anymore."

Xiao Xian's chest heaved, and she asked in a low voice, "Fei Wan, are you blaming me?"

The woman lowered her head and did not answer him.

"laugh."

Xie Qi stood between the two and laughed disdainfully, "Are you two still acting out a tragic love story? Madam injured the Fourth Prince, and this time she is probably in big trouble. If His Majesty blames her, as an official, I am honest and cannot show favoritism."

He raised an eyebrow at Xiao Xian, "I wonder if this old friend of yours has come up with a way to protect her?"

I had already prepared an explanation: Xiao Fan injured himself, and since he had humiliated my wife, he would never reveal his evil deeds. How could Your Majesty possibly know?

Xie Qi was threatening him.

Xiao Xian looked up at Xie Qi, concealing the anger in his eyes, "Lord Xie holds a high position and wields great power, why do you have to use a woman to make a fuss again and again?"

Xie Qi toyed with a strand of the woman's dark hair that hung down to her chest with his long fingers, and slowly raised an eyebrow. "What, Your Highness is feeling sorry for her? It's a pity, she's my woman now. By the way, wasn't she offered up by you yourself?"

Unexpectedly, Xie Qi made his point so bluntly, and Xiao Cheng was momentarily stunned.

"Husband," the woman suddenly murmured, her eyes filled with grievance.

Xiao Xian forced herself to look away, closed her eyes to steady herself, and suddenly pulled Xie Qi's arm away from the woman.

Xie Qi glanced at the empty arm and laughed, "Madam can't keep up the act anymore. Yesterday you were so affectionate, saying you were devoted to me. What, now that your sweetheart is here, you've forgotten all those words?"

“Xie Qi!” Xiao Cheng frowned. “She had no choice, so why do you keep mocking her?”

"What a pair of star-crossed lovers. But since Your Highness is willing to let her marry me, it doesn't necessarily mean you have much genuine affection for her."

"You..." Xiao Xian was speechless.

Suddenly, footsteps approached.

The three looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Jiang Feiche.

"Greetings, Third Prince, Lord Xie, Sister, what brings you here..."

Jiang Feiche's gaze swept over the three of them one by one before landing on Li Wan.

"I just heard that the Fourth Prince was injured and the doctor in the front courtyard is treating him. Mother didn't see you at the banquet and was worried, so she sent me to check on you. Sister, are you... sick?"

Jiang Feiche frowned as he looked at the woman's flushed cheeks, which was how she looked every time she had a fever.

The two men beside her didn't notice anything amiss and left her standing in the freezing cold in just a thin layer of clothing.

Upon hearing this, Xie Qi and Xiao Xian noticed the woman's unusual behavior.

Just as Xiao Cheng was about to pick up the woman, his forearm was blocked by a strong force.

"We're still at the Marquis's residence, Your Highness, please don't lose your composure." Xie Qi pulled the woman over, picked her up, and carried her straight back to Yingyue Residence.

Xiao Cheng did not look away until their figures disappeared through the garden archway; the hem of his moon-white brocade robe fluttered in the cold wind.

Jiang Feiche glanced sideways. This prince, who was of extremely noble status and had top-notch talent and appearance, was now pale and haggard, showing no trace of his usual upright, composed, and strategic demeanor.

Was he worried about Jiang Feiwan, or was he jealous of the man who had Jiang Feiwan?

Jiang Feiche coldly raised his lips, "I still vividly remember the day I delivered the letter to my sister for His Highness. I never thought that today I would have to call someone else 'brother-in-law'."

Xiao Xian's eyes narrowed, and he looked at Jiang Feiche with anger, "I haven't even settled accounts with you yet, but you've already come looking for your own death."

"Oh? I wonder what matter Your Highness wishes to settle with me about?"

Xiao Cheng placed his large hand on Jiang Feiche's thin shoulder, his fingers slowly tightening. "Did you reveal my affair with Fei Wan to the Fourth Prince?"

Jiang Feiche's shoulder throbbed with pain, his face stiff, but his words remained sharp and confrontational. "So what if I revealed it? Since you knew that the Fourth Prince was using this to threaten her, you not only didn't help her but also fueled the flames behind her back. Isn't that tacit approval of me?"

Xiao Xian was hit where it hurt, and he tightened his grip. "I had no choice, but what about you? You're related to her by blood, yet you betrayed her. What were your intentions?"

Jiang Feiche's temples bulged with veins. He abruptly flung the large hand away, his eyes bloodshot, and stared at Xiao Qian, saying each word clearly, "Because I despise her being with you."

＊

After Li Wan's fever subsided, he woke up the following evening.

Xiuzhu served Li Wan a bowl of white porridge and a dish of stir-fried bamboo shoots, which helped her regain some of her energy.

Has anyone from the palace or the Court of Judicial Review come looking for me?

Injuring a prince is a serious crime. If Xie Qi is determined to expose her, she will definitely suffer the consequences.

She was relieved when Xiuhe said no.

What happened yesterday had a huge impact on her, and now she finally has time to sort it out.

In short, in this cannibalistic capital city, everyone is a beast in human skin.

Among them, the most despicable was the vicious Xie Qi.

Xie Qi outwardly agreed to work with her to plot the downfall of the Fourth Prince using a fake roster, but then betrayed her.

This Xie Qi, who couldn't distinguish friend from foe, truly deserved to be riddled with arrows three years later.

Of course, besides Xie Qi, there was also the hypocritical Third Prince Xiao Xian.

She had been mistaken all along; it turned out that Jiang Feiwan's lover was actually the Third Prince, and she had even lost her virginity to him.

No wonder Xie Qi disliked her and repeatedly insulted her with sarcastic remarks.

Xiao Xian! Li Wan gritted her teeth. How could there be such a despicable man in the world to give his woman away to someone else?

He even claimed he had no choice but to force his beloved woman to marry another man. Is that something a decent person would do?

Li Wan slowly clenched her fingers; she had to find a way out.

She was just a countrywoman. Her former self-righteous cleverness was nothing but a clownish performance in front of these shrewd and calculating people who were adept at navigating the political landscape. She only brought shame upon herself.

When she stood in front of the artificial hill yesterday, thinking she was about to be killed, the only thing on her mind was her family in Niutian Village.

She regretted staying in the capital. She couldn't be a heroine, nor could she save Jin Linjun. All she wanted was to go home, so that her father and brothers would no longer join the army, and for her family to live a peaceful and happy life together.

In an instant, she had the thought of committing suicide by hitting her head against a rock.

If I die, perhaps I can return to Niutian Village.

Unfortunately, they arrived before she could muster the courage.

Xie Qi hates her to the extreme, and might punish her for plotting to harm a prince.

She had no choice but to feign weakness and innocence, pretending to be deeply in love with him, and hide behind him to escape this ordeal.

Now that she had calmed down, she was also glad that she hadn't impulsively committed suicide. What if she hadn't returned after death? Wouldn't everything have been for nothing?

Now that Jiang Feiwan and Xiao Xian's relationship has been made public, how could Xie Qi, as a man, allow her to have an easy time in the Marquis's mansion?

Thinking of this, Li Wan felt a chill run down her spine and hurriedly asked Xiu He, "Did Xie Qi come by while I was unconscious?"

Xiuhe shook her head. "Yesterday, the Fourth Prince was injured at the manor, and you also fell ill, so the flower viewing banquet ended hastily. The Old Madam and Concubine Yang summoned a doctor for you and then went to see off the guests. As for the son-in-law, this servant... has not seen him for the past two days."

"It's good that she didn't come." It's best to treat her like she's invisible.

Before Li Wan could catch her breath, the curtain was suddenly lifted, and a tall figure strode in.

"My lord." Xiuhe bowed.

Xie Qi waved his hand, signaling her to step back.

With the two of them standing and lying down, the huge room suddenly felt oppressive.

Li Wan instinctively shrank back into the bed, looking at Xie Qi warily. "What is it, sir?"

When Xie Qi entered her room for the first time, he looked around with a hint of curiosity before sitting down on the edge of the bed and saying unhurriedly, "The Fourth Prince has passed away. I came to inform you, so you should make your preparations."

What!

Like a bolt from the blue, it shattered Li Wan instantly.

She's dead? How could she be dead? She only hit the ground a few times. She was still breathing when she was carried away. How could she suddenly die?

Xiao Cheng said yesterday that Xiao Fan had fallen and was injured. If it was just an injury, it could be barely covered up. But now he is dead! Dead!

He was the Empress's only son and His Majesty's most beloved prince. The court will definitely investigate his death thoroughly.

Murdering a prince is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family!

Li Wan panicked instantly. If she died, she might be able to return to the border, but what would happen to the people of the Jiang family?

Father, Madam Zou, Jiang Feiche, and hundreds of servants from the Jiang family...

Li Wan's lips trembled as she tried to speak, but she couldn't utter a sound for a long time. She stared intently at Xie Qi, trying to see the mockery in his face, but all she saw was his sarcasm.

He said to prepare, prepare what? Wash your neck and wait to be beheaded?

No, she cannot become a sinner against the Jiang family.

Li Wan suddenly sat up, threw off the quilt and tried to get out of bed, but was pressed back down by a strong hand.

"What, are you in such a hurry to find Xiao Xian to save you? What a pity."

Xie Qi's dry fingertips slid along the side of her face, as if admiring her fear.

"Unfortunately, the Fourth Prince died, and the Empress fell ill from the shock. His Majesty wept bitterly in court and ordered the Dali Temple to conduct a thorough investigation. That's why your Xiao Cheng was invited to the Dali Temple last night."

Even the Third Prince was arrested, so why wasn't she...? Li Wan suddenly looked up, "Xiao Fan had his accident at the Marquis's residence, so why weren't you arrested?"

Xie Qi's eyes darkened slightly. "What, are you disappointed that I'm alright?"

Li Wan was taken aback by his cold gaze, and lowered her voice, "I mean, why didn't you arrest me?"

Xie Qi smiled and said, "I was just about to tell you to get ready. The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is already waiting in the front yard."

Li Wan's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

Sure enough, they came to arrest her.