In the magnificent yet empty palace, a wisp of white smoke emerged from a small incense burner, swirling and dissipating, its delicate fragrance refreshing and soothing.

Xiao Lingshou sat in the hall, with a chessboard in front of him, the black and white pieces locked in a stalemate.

There was no one opposite him, yet he frowned and looked at the chessboard in front of him with a troubled expression. After a while, he sighed, turned around and looked elsewhere, his gaze unfocused, his sorrow only deepening.

The magnificent embroidered robe weighed heavily on his thin shoulders, and his slightly pale face seemed to be shrouded in frost with sorrow. His cold voice asked indifferently, "How is... Miss Chang?"

Seeing that Xiao Lingshou had been frowning ever since he heard that Chang Lili had been imprisoned in the dungeon, Lan Lan finally couldn't help but ask about it, but Lan Lan was obviously unwilling to answer.

"I heard she was tortured in prison, but thankfully she had some backbone and didn't confess," she said reluctantly.

Xiao Lingshou's usually cold gaze flashed with a hint of ferocity: "Torture? They really dare to do anything. Deal with those prison guards."

"Your Highness!" Lanlan called out, frowning.

The latter readily agreed, saying, "We can't just do nothing and watch Miss Chang be tortured into confessing."

Lanlan said in frustration, "So what? The Emperor won't believe her!"

Xiao Lingshou seemed to have heard something amusing, a cold smile flashing across his face: "I'm afraid even if Miss Chang doesn't confess, Father Emperor won't think I'm innocent."

“His Majesty has already issued an edict to execute Chang Lili. His Majesty naturally trusts Your Highness and does this because he doesn’t want Your Highness to be criticized by villains.” Lan Lan tried her best to persuade Xiao Lingshou.

But she was not as insightful as Xiao Lingshou. He was the only prince, and even if the emperor disliked him, he could not really do anything to him.

After a long pause, he said expressionlessly, "I really can't see through Father's actions. I don't know if he wants to save me or harm me. But it doesn't matter. Send someone to investigate Consort Lan's miscarriage."

Lanlan said urgently, "Your Highness, Her Majesty told you not to get involved in this matter. She also said that the best course of action right now is to remain inactive. Otherwise, if you are not careful, you will be unable to clear your name even if you jump into the Yellow River."

Xiao Lingshou, however, disagreed and said calmly, "Perhaps the Empress Dowager is right, but I don't think so. If we take the initiative, we might have unexpected gains. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. If we find out the truth, we might be able to deal with Consort Lan without having to do it ourselves."

Lanlan hesitated, but after a moment's thought, she realized that what he said was true and had nothing more to say.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, the atmosphere was tense. The Emperor sat there with an indescribable gloom on his face, while Meng Yuxiu stared directly at him without any fear.

Only Hu Pin stood to the side, watching with amusement.

Suddenly, the Emperor stood up abruptly, staggered, and almost fell. Eunuch Guangde rushed forward to support him, breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Meng Yuxiu, how dare you speak so arrogantly! Now you dare to point fingers at me? I can see clearly who is innocent and who is not, I don't need you to tell me!" the Emperor said angrily, panting.

Hu Ping stood to one side, gloating.

Meng Yuxiu's face turned cold uncontrollably. Before he could speak, he heard the Emperor continue shouting, "Get out of here and go back to the General's Mansion. Without my permission, you are not allowed to step out of the mansion!"

Hu Pin was overjoyed, but he bowed slightly, feigning fear.

Meng Yuxiu knew that this couldn't go on, so he calmed down, suppressed his anger, and said in a gentler voice, "Your Majesty, Chang Lili and I are in love and have already pledged our lives to each other. She is already mine, and I have decided to marry her. I am already making preparations for the wedding."

"You..." The Emperor was at a loss for words. After all, Meng Yuxiu had refused to marry Xiao Shuer more than once, and it was said that not long ago he had Chang Lili publicly humiliate Xiao Shuer.

Hearing this, he only felt more angry and annoyed.

"Meng Yuxiu, Meng Yuxiu, Chang Lili has committed the heinous crime of murdering a royal heir. Why do you insist on wading into such muddy waters and jumping into a fire pit?" The Emperor laughed in anger.

Meng Yuxiu exhaled and said firmly, "Before this, I never expected such a thing to happen, but now that it has happened, I cannot sit idly by. However, I believe that this was definitely not done by Chang Lili. I ask Your Majesty to give me some time to find out the truth and the real culprit."

Hu Pin's face showed disdain; he didn't understand Meng Yuxi's thoughts.

He felt that a man should naturally marry someone like Xiao Shuer, who was noble and beautiful, and could bring him power and wealth.

However, Meng Yuxiu did the opposite. After Chang Lili was imprisoned, he not only failed to distance himself from her immediately, but also became more determined after the setback.

For example, at this moment, Meng Yuxiu blurted out: "Please give me seven days, Your Majesty, to find out the truth of the matter. If I still cannot find out after seven days, I will resign from my position as Grand General and retire to my hometown."

Upon hearing this, Meng Yuxiu clearly noticed the Emperor's hesitation, while Hu Pin, who had been bowing his head slightly, raised it slightly to look at Meng Yuxiu, seemingly unable to believe it.

He hadn't expected Meng Yuxiu to be so resolute and to make such a huge gamble, and neither had the Emperor.

They were all tempted. Hu Pin, however, was acting out of self-interest, naturally wanting to see Meng Yuxiu fall into misfortune.

The emperor, however, pondered deeply and devised a plan to secure his rule over the country.

He had witnessed Meng Yuxiu's talent firsthand; the title of Yun Kingdom's number one general was well-deserved.

Despite his remarkable achievements, he also became too powerful, overshadowing the emperor. Although he was a great general who protected the country and was highly regarded by the emperor and loved by the people, he was also feared by the emperor.

In this peaceful and prosperous era, with no external threats, Meng Yuxiu still holds considerable military power, which makes the emperor feel that there is internal trouble.

However, Meng Yuxiu was law-abiding and had a high prestige in the army, so there was no excuse to weaken his military power.

Now that he himself is making such a offer for a woman, it's truly tempting.

Since Consort Lan's miscarriage has already occurred, how Chang Lili handles it is not that important. However, if she can use this incident to resolve her inner turmoil, wouldn't that be a win-win situation?

The emperor was eager to try and had already agreed in his heart, but he couldn't agree too readily, otherwise he would be suspected of having ulterior motives.

Fortunately, there was still a brainless Hu Pin in the hall. Seeing this, he put on what he thought was a look of pity and sighed, "Your Majesty, I did not expect that General Meng is not only wise and brave, but also a devoted man. I think you should give General Meng a chance, otherwise it would be really unreasonable!"

Meng Yuxiu remained calm and composed, his gaze indifferent yet composed as he looked at the Emperor.

Before long, as if afraid that he would change his mind, the emperor finally agreed without much hesitation.

But his face showed helplessness and sorrow: "I promise you, I will give you seven days. I have already given you many chances. If you insist on doing so, I will not stop you. But if you do not find the real murderer after seven days, then you will have to suffer the consequences and fulfill your promise."

Meng Yuxiu replied neither servilely nor arrogantly: "A word spoken is like a horse let loose; it cannot be taken back."