The emperor's chief eunuch cried out in grief, "His Highness Prince Jin has passed away!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a large number of people knelt down inside and outside Nuanyuxuan.

The death knell tolled in the palace.

The Emperor of Great Yan tilted his head slightly, closed his eyes, and clenched his hands tightly behind his back to prevent himself from shedding tears in front of everyone.

He was an emperor, but he was also a father.

How could he remain unmoved as he watched his son die right before his eyes?

How could I not be sad?

As people grow old, they have to send off their young children.

He has already sent away several princes and princesses one after another, and now only these two sons and one daughter remain in his family. But now he has to send away another child. How can he not feel heartbroken?

What karmic debt did he commit that forces him to experience the pain of losing a child again and again?

No matter how sad he was, he had to maintain the dignity of the royal family.

The emperor lowered his eyes and glanced at Empress Chen, whose face was covered in tears. He coughed softly, reminding her not to lose face as empress in front of these officials and their families.

But Empress Chen was completely unaware.

This was the first time she had ever experienced the pain of losing a child; it was an unbearable agony. She cried until she was hoarse, clinging to Xiao Yunfei and refusing to let go no matter what.

Xiao Yunfei was her youngest son. She had no high hopes for him, only wishing that he would have a smooth and happy life. So she asked for Jizhou, a fiefdom only a hundred miles away, for him.

Even if she is made a king and relocated, she can still see Xiao Yunfei whenever she wants.

She paved such a good path for her youngest son, ensuring his lifelong comfort and wealth, so why did he die so young? Why!

"Your humble servants respectfully see off His Highness Prince Jin!"

As the mournful bell tolled, everyone prostrated themselves on the ground, bowing in worship in sync with the sound.

When the bell stopped ringing, the emperor glanced at Empress Chen and said, "Empress, have the people from the Imperial Household Department take Prince Jin to change and wash up. Don't let him leave covered in blood."

Empress Chen did not respond, but as the eunuchs came forward to drag Xiao Yunfei's body away, she let go of his body helplessly.

At this moment, Shen Yuan walked to Xiao Yunfei's seat, took off the silver hairpin from her hair, and put it into the wine cup.

A little wine remained at the bottom of the cup, and the dark hairpin, having only been touched by a tiny bit of wine, turned completely black at a speed visible to the naked eye.

She spoke up to warn them, "This wine really is poisoned!"

Upon hearing Shen Yuan's words, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy hurriedly took out a silver needle to test for poison. Seeing that the silver needle had turned black, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy dipped his fingertip in a little wine and sniffed it.

"It's highly poisonous, the poisonous plant known as 'heartbreak grass'!"

Everyone in Nuanyuxuan came to their senses. They recalled the words Xiao Yunfei had spoken to Xiao Yuncheng before his death, and their gazes towards Xiao Yuncheng instantly became incredibly complex.

Is His Highness the Crown Prince so narrow-minded that he doesn't even spare his own brother?

Before his death, Prince Jin said that the other princes and princesses were also killed by the Crown Prince.

It is common practice in the royal family for the Crown Prince to worry about other princes vying for the throne and to try to eliminate them first.

However, Prince Jin only loved traveling, writing lyrics and composing music. He had no intention of competing with the Crown Prince for the throne, yet he was still eliminated by the Crown Prince!

His Highness the Crown Prince is far too ruthless and heartless!

If such a ruthless and heartless person were to ascend the throne, he would surely become a tyrant, which would be a great calamity for the Great Yan!

The Imperial Censor immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I request that you thoroughly investigate the case of Prince Jin's poisoning, and thoroughly investigate the truth behind the deaths of the Third Princess, the Fourth Prince, the Fifth Princess, the Seventh Princess, and the Eighth Prince."

"Granted!" the Emperor said in a deep voice. "Until the matter is thoroughly investigated, no one present here today is allowed to leave Nuanyu Pavilion!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuncheng knelt on the ground guiltily: "Father, it wasn't me, it really wasn't me! I really didn't poison my sixth brother!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, one of Xiao Yunfei's guards stepped forward, staring at Xiao Yuncheng with even more grief and indignation, and said, "The last cup of wine that my lord drank was indeed poured by His Highness the Crown Prince himself."

"Besides, Miss Shen and the imperial physician have also examined it, and this cup of wine does indeed contain a deadly poison!"

"Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly! Give my prince justice!"

Upon hearing what Xiao Yunfei's guard said, Xiao Yuncheng impatiently retorted, "Nonsense! I never used the Heartbreak Grass. I only used aphrodisiacs, nothing else!"

"aphrodisiac?"

Everyone turned to look at Xiao Yuncheng, their expressions varied wildly.

His Highness the Crown Prince actually drugged his own younger brother with aphrodisiacs. What is he trying to do?

Xiao Yuncheng knew he shouldn't have exposed himself, but Xiao Yunfei's last words made it impossible for him to escape unscathed; his father would definitely investigate him.

It's better for him to confess honestly than for his father to find out.

At least administering aphrodisiacs is a less serious crime than administering poison.

To Xiao Yuncheng's surprise, the emperor flew into a rage after hearing his words.

"Even now, you're still lying?"

Xiao Yuncheng shrank back timidly and protested, "Father, I really didn't lie. I... I really only added a little bit of aphrodisiac to Sixth Brother's wine cup. I... I was worried about him not having a princess yet, so I played a joke on him. But... Sixth Brother's death really has nothing to do with me, Father! I don't know why he was poisoned!"

Shen Yuan lowered her eyelids and, taking advantage of everyone's attention being on Xiao Yuncheng, removed the silver needles that were stuck in the back of her neck.

Instantly, her cheeks flushed crimson, and she uncontrollably collapsed to the ground.

Shen Yuan's fall to the ground made quite a commotion, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

She frowned uncomfortably, pinched her leg hard, and said, "I...I think I've been drugged with some kind of unclean drug."

The head of the Imperial Medical Academy immediately stepped forward and took Shen Yuan's pulse.

"Miss Chen, you've been drugged with aphrodisiacs!"

"How could this be?" Shen Yuan bit her lower lip shyly, not daring to make her voice too coquettish. She looked at Shen Yunjin with a particularly aggrieved expression, pursed her lips, and said in a muffled voice, "I...I only drank one cup of wine. It was poured for me by a palace maid. How could...how could there be a problem?"

"Because the Crown Princess tampered with your wine, I personally saw the maid who poured it for you take something from the Crown Princess's personal maid. It must be that unclean drug! That's why I kept advising you not to drink!"

Cao Suian stepped forward at the opportune moment and confessed everything he had seen.

Shen Yuan was surprised that Cao Suian would step forward to testify on her behalf. She looked at Cao Suian gratefully and continued, "Could it be that the Crown Princess switched the aphrodisiac with mine? Did His Highness the Crown Prince take the wrong medicine and get poison instead? That's how he accidentally killed His Highness Prince Jin?"