Chapter 171

"Feng Shi?" Xue Jin'an was somewhat surprised; it was a name that was completely unexpected.

Yes, Feng Yinshou lost his official position because the eldest prince targeted the Ministry of Revenue, but that was all. Compared to Lin Ruofu, who was also a scapegoat for those in power, whose entire family was raided and exiled, and who also lost his life, Feng Yinshou was only demoted three ranks, still serving as an official in the capital, and his family was spared. He was already quite lucky.

Feng Shi betrayed his sister and defied his parents' wishes for the sake of the eldest prince, and even disregarded his own life. He should not regret it for such a price and should instead become the eldest princess's pawn.

Unless there's something else fishy going on.

Xue Jin'an almost immediately recalled what happened during the morning court session. Feng Shi was clearly able to shut the Second Prince up with his sharp words, but he had previously performed poorly, even appearing absent-minded and slow to react.

The questions the Fifth Prince asked the Fourth Prince did not seem to be just meant to frighten him.

Feng Shi's mathematical talent was evident from a young age, and it was said that he would surely follow in his father's footsteps and become a pillar of the Ministry of Revenue. Feng Yinshou was not a person who was ambitious and eager for quick success. Feng Shi's reputation was well-known, so his talent must have been recognized. As a mainstay of the First Prince's faction, he had even sacrificed his own sister. There was no reason for the First Prince to deliberately avoid him and seek out the Fourth Prince when he needed people.

There are only two possibilities: First, Feng Shi may have been a prodigy who failed to live up to his potential, a case of "the prodigy who failed to live up to his potential," his talent simply not matching the task; second, the eldest prince is wary of Feng Shi and cannot fully trust him to entrust such important accounts to him.

Xue Jin'an integrated all the data related to Feng Shi in his mind. After a period of analysis, he concluded that both were possible and likely to coexist. In addition, there was a note after the conclusion: If it is determined that the first and second reasons coexist, then the first and second reasons will support each other, and it can be concluded that the probability that the first reason was done by the eldest prince is 87%.

The note in this sentence basically says that the eldest prince, because he did not trust Feng Shi, used means to control Feng Shi, directly causing Feng Shi to "become a prodigy who failed miserably"—there is also a hidden information in it, that is, if the note is true, it can be basically determined that Feng Shi's brain has suffered irreversible damage.

Only the dead can keep secrets; only a fool would be completely ignorant.

This explains Feng Shi's seemingly unworthy and disastrous behavior – after all, logic may not apply in reality, but there is always a logical chain behind the various behaviors of people in novels, otherwise readers would find the characters flat and unconvincing.

However, given the Crown Prince's suspicious and cautious nature, and the fact that he had already taken precautions against Feng Shi, even if the Princess paved the way for him, Feng Shi's chances of success were not high.

The eldest princess is also the type who won't act until she sees a clear benefit. Her mind is full of twists and turns, and she strives for perfection in every plan. Take the palace banquet, for example. Xue Jin'an only understood the whole plan after the event had already occurred. Such a princess's arrangements for Feng Shi shouldn't be so simple, and what she can personally say is the least important.

Xue Jin'an had to admit that his mild curiosity had been piqued.

“Feng Shi is not the main character, or more accurately, Feng Shi is only the main character of the first act. In the whole plan, he is just a piece of the puzzle.” Xue Jin’an did not beat around the bush. He looked straight ahead, his eyes clearly imprinting the Princess’s facial expressions, recording every detail of the changes in her facial muscles.

Xue Jin'an asked, "What is your real purpose?"

"No need to test me. I know the saying 'the more you say, the more mistakes you make.'" The princess smiled gently as she poured Xue Jin'an a cup of tea with her delicate hand. Her words, half complaining and half teasing, carried a hint of intimacy. "I've learned my lesson. I've suffered so much at your hands. I have to improve myself to be worthy of being your elder sister, right?"

Xue Jin'an didn't respond. Seeing that he couldn't get any more information from the princess, he simply served tea and saw the guest out.

The eldest princess could only smile helplessly, with an expression that said, "I'm tolerant of my younger brother's ignorance," and soon got up and left.

Soon the day of the banquet arrived. Lingzhi went with Xue Jin'an. Before going, Lingzhi asked Xue Jin'an what kind of gift to prepare. Without thinking, Xue Jin'an simply picked up a gold ingot from the pile of things he had tricked from Teacher Xiao X.

"This one will do," Xue Jin'an said.

“This…” Lingzhi ignored the possibility that giving gold as a gift was too vulgar, and subtly reminded him, “Your Highness, this item is of dubious origin.”

Although Lingzhi didn't know what the Seventh Prince had done, or why his bed was always piled with gold and jade when he woke up after sleeping, none of that mattered. What mattered was that Lingzhi knew these things were not things that could be disposed of casually.

The palace masters are one thing, but there are items from the Qian Yuan Palace in here.

"Your Highness, it's best to be cautious," Lingzhi tried to persuade Xue Jin'an.

Xue Jin'an, however, said nonchalantly, "It's alright."

The emperor knows, so be it. He just treats Teacher Xiao X as him. There are more than just one or two people who think that way.

Moreover, the main plot of the struggle for the throne has already begun, and the emperor's days are numbered. Whether he knows it or not, whether he suspects it or not, he can no longer stop Xue Jin'an, who has been fattened up.

"This servant understands." Lingzhi took the gold ingot, put it in an elegant box, and carried it to the First Prince's residence.

The first banquet held at the Crown Prince's residence was quite grand, with gongs and drums resounding and firecrackers exploding. It was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, creating a harmonious and joyful atmosphere, even more festive than when the Crown Prince married his concubine.

Xue Jin'an had long guessed that the scale of this banquet would not be small. After all, this was a banquet with far greater political significance than others. Whether the eldest prince could win over the court officials and how many officials he could win over depended entirely on today.

To Xue Jin'an's surprise, the person in charge of organizing the banquet was actually the Crown Prince's wife, Feng Qian, the daughter of Feng Yinshou, who was forced to become a royal wife, and the sister of Feng Shi.

Xue Jin'an overheard many people talking as he entered:

"There are rumors that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess have a rift and don't get along, but it seems that today's news is just a rumor."

"No matter what, they have a blood relationship with the royal family. Now that the Feng family has fallen from grace, they need to find someone to rely on if they want to make a comeback."

"In the end, she is still a woman. She should obey her father at home and her husband after marriage. How much can she go against the three cardinal guides and five constant virtues?"

"..."

All of these things were relatively polite. However, a very few people with questionable manners actually brought up Feng Qian's appearance, saying that it was already a great blessing for her to enter the royal family and become a royal wife, so what was there to complain about?

In fact, Feng Hua's appearance is not bad, but she is not the bright, elegant, and plump type that is popular nowadays. The clothes and jewelry of noble ladies in Daqi are mostly gorgeous and colorful due to the production process. They follow the path of being elegant, grand and noble. If one's appearance is too plain and bland, one will not be able to carry it off.

The pursuit of a plump and graceful figure was partly due to the style of clothing, but more importantly, it stemmed from the limited medical conditions and incomplete understanding of physiology in ancient times. Childbirth was a perilous experience for women, and the infant mortality rate was high. As a result, people tended to choose wives who were fertile. A few hundred years ago, the best women to marry were widows who had given birth.

However, as Confucianism has tightened its grip, scholars have gone from being both literate and skilled in martial arts to being practically powerless. Meanwhile, the constraints on women have become increasingly severe. While it hasn't yet degenerated to the point of erecting chastity arches for widows, some Confucian scholars are already privately advocating for the idea of ​​chastity and fidelity.

To get back to the point, Feng Qian's appearance is completely out of step with popular trends, and even goes against the grain. In modern terms, she perfectly fits the description of "the epitome of pale beauty, fair-skinned, young and thin."

Feng Qian was probably aware of this, so she put a lot of thought into her clothing and appearance. She stood there looking frail and pitiful, and the words "gentle and quiet" seemed to be tailor-made for her, making her a role model for noble ladies from another field.

Xue Jin'an felt a sense of familiarity with her expression, but before he could think about it deeply, he found the answer in the fluctuating "Greetings, Princess."

The eldest princess and Feng Qian stood face to face, their gentle and graceful smiles and delicate postures seemingly cut from the same mold.

"Your sister-in-law is a respectable person." The eldest princess glanced at the eldest prince beside her, who had a stiff, smiling face, and patted Feng Qian's hand meaningfully.

The eldest prince's smile remained unchanged. He reached out and forcefully put his arm around Feng Qian's shoulder, then took the hand that the eldest princess was holding and squeezed it in his own. He urged her in a tone, "Eldest sister, please take a seat. I see that the third and fourth sisters have also arrived, and they seem a little uneasy."

Feng Qian was indeed a respectable person. Xue Jin'an clearly saw that when the First Prince reached out to hug her, her whole body stiffened for a moment, her facial expression turned sour, negative emotions filled her eyes and brows, and discomfort and disgust were almost bursting out, but she managed to suppress them.

Her body quickly relaxed, her expression returned to normal, and she even leaned against the Crown Prince's chest in a delicate manner, making them look like a perfect couple at first glance.

Her face changed so quickly that it was imperceptible to the naked eye, and no one noticed the problem. If it weren't for the slow-motion function of the camera, even if the database clearly recorded the result of her face change, Xue Jin'an would have suspected that the data was contaminated during the data entry process and thus inaccurate, and would have conducted a thorough investigation because of the flawless reproduction.

Humans can be quite remarkable sometimes; their acting skills can even fool the machine's self-checking code. They would rather doubt their own bugs than believe the data conclusions.

"Is that so? I understand." The princess did not expose the reason behind his eagerness to send the guest away. She nodded slightly and lightly dismissed the matter, walking away as he wished.

The eldest prince watched the princess walk away, and on the way, he bumped into the fifth prince. The fifth prince was holding a wine cup, which was full of clear yellow wine. Even though there was some distance between them, Xue Jin'an could still smell the aroma of the wine in the air. It was a very refreshing fruit wine, with some alcohol content but not enough to make someone drunk after just one glass.

The fifth prince staggered and nearly spilled the wine in his cup onto the princess's skirt. Fortunately, he was quick-witted and managed to steady himself so that not a single drop of wine spilled.

The Fifth Prince seemed to value the wine quite a bit. He immediately withdrew his hand to examine the wine inside the cup. His actions were obscured by the Princess's back, but it was clear that he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

The Fifth Prince immediately raised his eyebrows and, acting like a villain, accused, "Elder sister, watch where you're going. If you spill this cup of wine that I only have once in a hundred years, I'll make a scene."

"Don't worry, I can afford to pay for the wine." The princess gently retorted.

"Tsk." The Fifth Prince clicked his tongue, his old habit of not wanting to talk resurfacing, and simply walked past her.

The wine glass in his hand seemed to be protesting for its owner, shaking violently and hitting the glass. The clear yellow wine became somewhat cloudy. Xue Jin'an felt that the smell of wine in the air had become stronger, mixed with the crisp aroma of fruit wine, which seemed to have some familiar scents of nature.

Xue Jin'an found the nearest wine server, picked out the exact same wine from the tray, and gently sniffed it. He found that it not only had the taste of honey, but also a hint of herbal aroma.

The eldest princess didn't care about the fifth prince's bad attitude. After nodding slightly to the people around her, she continued forward without stopping and disappeared from sight.

Xue Jin'an withdrew his gaze. Just then, the Fifth Prince suddenly turned around and glanced at him seemingly unintentionally. He slowly raised the wine cup in his hand before leisurely swaying away.

Xue Jin'an knew the Fifth Prince too well and almost immediately realized that the Fifth Prince and the Eldest Princess had reached a cooperation agreement. This banquet was a joint effort by the two of them to disrupt things. This further confirmed Xue Jin'an's guess that Feng Shi was just an insignificant cog in the machine, and that the real person to be brought out was someone else.

After confirming the matter, Xue Jin'an did not linger and turned to walk inside.

The First Prince paid no attention to the Fifth Prince, and therefore did not see the brief silent exchange between the Fifth Prince and Xue Jin'an. He was lost in thought.

For some reason, even though the princess left without saying anything as he had expected, he felt inexplicably uneasy, as if something was slipping out of his control. He subconsciously searched for Feng Shi's figure in the room.

Feng Shi was inside, so naturally he couldn't find the other person.

Feng Shi was, after all, the young master of the Feng family, with official rank and title. It was impossible for him to arrange for someone other than the imperial attendant to entertain guests. If he were to do so, it would be an insult to the face of the Crown Prince's wife and the Feng family. No matter what the Crown Prince was thinking, he would never do such a thing, as it would be of no benefit to his reputation or his ability to recruit others.

Perhaps we should send someone to keep an eye on my elder sister…

As the eldest prince was pondering this, the person under his control struggled twice, and his princess consort's cold voice rang out: "Can you let go now?"

"I'm sorry." The eldest prince immediately released his arm from her shoulder, but did not let go of her hand. He simply moved his arm away rather considerately, changing from holding her fingers to gently holding her wrist.

"Thank you for keeping me company while I continue to receive guests." The eldest prince put on a very proper posture, his tone gentle and his expression soft. The apology and lingering affection in his eyes were clearly visible, making it seem as if he had fallen deeply in love with the eldest prince's wife.

“…I understand.” Feng Qian concealed the irritation in her eyes, turned her gaze away to greet a lady who had just entered, and casually pulled her hand away from the First Prince’s.

The eldest prince, being sensible, did not press the matter further and turned to greet the guests.

The two stood together to greet guests, looking like a loving couple, and no one could see their true, estranged nature.

With the Crown Prince having cooperated with the Emperor to purge the Ministry of Revenue, even ministers who had doubts about the Crown Prince would attend the banquet out of respect for the Emperor. They would all bring congratulatory gifts and arrive with beaming faces, as if they were genuinely happy for the Crown Prince.

This is the Crown Prince's brilliance; he is always adept at using the people and things around him to benefit himself.

When Xue Jin'an sat down, the Fourth Prince, the Sixth Prince, and the Ninth Prince were already seated at the table.

The four princes sat together, talking in hushed tones while reading "The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art." The fourth prince occasionally gestured with his finger on the book, while the sixth prince stared intently at the book and nodded frequently. It seemed that the sixth prince was asking the fourth prince a question.

Xue Jin'an remembered the year-end evaluations given to the Sixth Prince by the scholars of the Imperial Study: He was exceptionally talented in literature, liked books on craftsmanship and ingenuity, had good hands-on skills, and was quite self-aware, not letting his hobbies distract him from his studies. His only shortcomings were that he was shy about speaking up, lacked confidence, and was bad at counting.

The fourth prince was also holding a gift box in his arms. It wasn't very big, and the packaging was a bit old, but it was clear that it had been made with care. Xue Jin'an guessed from the dignified patterns on the packaging box that this must be a congratulatory gift that the fourth prince had brought for the first prince.

As for why the Fourth Prince didn't send out the gift, which was clearly a congratulatory present, Xue Jin'an understood after a moment's thought.

Since Chu Wenwan left, the Fourth Prince has been short of money, and the congratulatory gift he prepared can only be categorized as "a small gift with a heavy sentiment," which is simply not presentable.

If it were a private gathering, the Fourth Prince wouldn't be so secretive. But this is a public banquet, and there are people specifically announcing the gifts at the entrance. If his gift is too shabby, he will not only lose face, but it would be better not to register it publicly and just give it to the First Prince privately.

The Ninth Prince sat on the other side of the table, furthest from them, his face gloomy and somewhat neurotic as he bit his fingernails, completely immersed in his own world. He mumbled incomprehensible syllables from time to time, and even the sound of Xue Jin'an coming over and sitting down did not pull him out of his reverie.

Fortunately, as princes, their tables were placed in a particular way. Not only were they in the best positions, but screens were also placed to block the view of most people. The Ninth Prince's seat was also relatively secluded. Otherwise, Xue Jin'an might have heard rumors that the Ninth Prince was suspected of having a mental illness along the way.

In fact, what Xue Jin'an noticed first was not the Ninth Prince's frantic expression, but his slightly damp hair and the water stains on the sleeves of his clothes. However, the collar of his clothes was basically clean, making it look as if he had been forced to shove his head directly into the water, and the water on his sleeves was left from the struggle.

Xue Jin'an wasn't curious about who had done this to the Ninth Prince. Given the Ninth Prince's annoying personality, he would eventually learn his lesson without Xiao Shu's support.

Xue Jin'an wasn't curious, but he couldn't resist the Ninth Prince's gaze fixed on what was behind him. Following his gaze, Xue Jin'an discovered that the Ninth Prince was actually staring at the Eighth Prince.

The Eighth Prince wandered around the room, holding a wine cup and chatting and laughing with a group of military officers. Xue Jin'an actually recognized those military officers. Several of them were named when the First Prince proposed to supervise and investigate the Second Prince's party's accounts. They were generals who had been promoted from the Southwest Army and belonged to the Third Prince's faction.

To others, it seemed that the Eighth Prince, wanting to win over the Third Prince's supporters, would inevitably say things detrimental to the Third Prince. However, the truth was quite the opposite; Xue Jin'an read their lips and found that they were praising the Third Prince's bravery.

Since the Third Prince became lame, the Eighth Prince's attempts to please Consort Xian have increased day by day. He visits her every day to pay his respects, not only with sweet words but also with skillful actions. Even if Consort Xian only casually mentions the fragrance and sweetness of lychees, the Eighth Prince will bring lychees to present to her within a few days. Knowing that the Third Prince dislikes her, she avoids him to avoid making things difficult for Consort Xian. If she can't avoid him, she humbles herself and endures his beatings and scoldings.

The more domineering the Third Prince's words and actions were, the more pitiful the Eighth Prince seemed. But the Eighth Prince never took advantage of the situation to play the victim. Instead, he always smiled at Consort Xian with a bright and sunny expression, saying that he hadn't taken his Third Brother's words to heart and had long forgotten them. This made Consort Xian feel pity for him even though she knew that the Third Prince loathed him.

The Third Prince became even more enraged. Every time he went in, he would hold his breath and climb over the wall of Zhaoyang Palace. Once inside, he would not go looking for Xue Jin'an, but for Fuling to fight. Fuling would occasionally join in the fight, but most of the time she would hide. Her hiding skills became more and more proficient each day, almost reaching the level of the secret guards. Xue Jin'an now had to take two breaths to find her location.

According to the Third Prince, the Eighth Prince was not like this at the beginning. He didn't know how to please Consort Xian, so his first thought was to play the victim. After doing this twice, Consort Xian couldn't bear it anymore and told the Eighth Prince not to come to her anymore, so as not to make things unpleasant for both sides.

The Eighth Prince was so frightened that he quickly adjusted his strategy and dared not try to be clever in front of the straightforward Consort Xian anymore. Later, he gradually realized that the more cheerful, lively and indifferent he appeared, the more he would move Consort Xian. Moreover, the benefits he gained from approaching those military officers in this manner were far greater than before.

Previously, he would often mention the Third Prince's lameness intentionally or unintentionally, and the military officers' conversations would quickly fade away as they talked about things they knew as soldiers, leaving him embarrassed and unsure how to respond. But ever since he began praising the Third Prince extensively and showing his admiration for him, the military officers have all opened up and confided in him about many things inside the Southwest Army, which has greatly benefited the Eighth Prince. Occasionally, when he asks them to do something, it goes very smoothly without any obstacles.

Excessive praise and flattery of the Third Prince had another benefit: it disgusted him. Every time, the Third Prince would walk around them with a look of disgust and refuse to join the group.

While Xue Jin'an was observing the Eighth Prince, the latter also seemed to sense something and turned around. The moment their eyes met, the Eighth Prince paused very subtly, his fingers trembling as if in spasm, and after a while he pretended to be nonchalant and moved away.

It was a rather... subtle feeling. Xue Jin'an couldn't clearly discern the complex emotions that suddenly burst forth in the Eighth Prince's eyes during that brief moment of eye contact. There were many emotional data points that he hadn't recorded before. The only thing he was certain of was that the Eighth Prince cared about him.

—As for the possibility that the Eighth Prince might have emotional issues because he had been raped, Xue Jin'an completely ruled out this idea.

Xue Jin'an thought: A few cuts are nothing, how could the male protagonist not be able to withstand it? This is the male protagonist from the original story!

If the Eighth Prince heard his inner thoughts, he would probably collapse on the spot.

Unfortunately, he couldn't hear it, so Xue Jin'an didn't think there was anything wrong with his ideas and continued to analyze them on his own.

In truth, given the Eighth Prince's personality and his usual detached, almost invisible demeanor, he shouldn't have clashed with the Ninth Prince. Besides, even if the Ninth Prince no longer has Xiao Shu behind him, he still has Consort Zhuang. Even if the Eighth Prince were to truly confront the Ninth Prince, he wouldn't resort to overly drastic methods that would leave a mark. And the Ninth Prince shouldn't be sitting here staring at people without doing anything.

If they weren't enemies, then they were targets. Xue Jin'an roughly understood this, and stopped paying attention to the two of them.

The other princes entered one after another. In the porch, the Fifth Prince staggered and almost bumped into the Second Prince again. The Fifth Prince still accused the villain first, and even the words he uttered were the same. However, the Second Prince's temper and upbringing were far inferior to those of the Eldest Princess. With just a glance, he made the people behind him push the Fifth Prince away.

The Fifth Prince was also a reckless fellow. If anyone dared to push him, he would dare to pour wine on the Second Prince. Even though his men were quick enough, the Second Prince's clothes were still stained with a dark mark.

"Heh." The Third Prince, who was passing by, laughed without any politeness and stopped to watch with great interest.

Upon hearing the Third Prince's voice, the Second Prince's face darkened even further.

"Second Brother, I'm truly sorry, but as you know, I'm not feeling well and my hands aren't strong enough. If anyone's to blame, it's you, my attendant. If you hadn't pushed me, nothing would have happened." The Fifth Prince apologized verbally, but his demeanor showed no remorse whatsoever. Despite the Second Prince's livid expression, he handed him the half-spilled cup of wine. "Second Brother, consider this cup of unparalleled fine wine my apology, how about it?"

The second prince suddenly waved his hand, trying to knock over the cup, but the fifth prince dodged it.

"Second Brother, even if you don't like it, you can't waste this fine wine. It's all made from grain. Father is furious about the major case in the Ministry of Revenue. If he finds out, he'll probably get a beating." The Fifth Prince said, handing the half-empty cup of wine back to the Second Prince.

The Second Prince's gaze shifted from the wine glass to the Fifth Prince's face, his anger barely contained.

The Fifth Prince spoke up at the opportune moment, applying psychological pressure once again: "Even if I'm willing to cover it up for Second Brother, there are eyes everywhere, and it's impossible to hide it. Second Brother wouldn't bear to see his younger brother implicated by you—Third Brother, don't you think so?"

The implication was that the Second Prince had to accept the toast today, or else he would be impeached in court for extravagance and waste of grain. This wouldn't normally be a big deal, but the Second Prince had just lost a group of people and was now officially registered with the Emperor, and the Fifth Prince had even brought up the Third Prince, his rival, at the end of his statement. If this matter really caused a stir in court, someone might seize the opportunity to escalate a small matter into a major one.

The Second Prince's faction is known for its dirty tricks, and the Second Prince himself is no exception.

Although the Third Prince didn't understand why the Fifth Prince was causing trouble for the Second Prince, he was happy as long as the Second Prince was in trouble. He crossed his arms and nodded without hesitation, "Third Brother thinks you're right."

That one sentence is enough to express our stance.

The second prince gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with hatred as he looked at the fifth prince, wishing he could tear him apart. But he had to admit that the fifth prince had hit the nail on the head; he was now in a bind.

The second prince did accept the cup of wine, but it was only in his hands once before being taken by a servant and placed on a tray by a maid standing nearby.

"I don't like this kind of wine, so I won't waste it. I'll leave it for others." After saying this, the Second Prince couldn't help but mutter a rebuke in a low voice, "Get out!"

The Fifth Prince shrugged and stepped aside. The Second Prince hurriedly went down to change his clothes. The Third Prince gave the Fifth Prince an appreciative look, then walked around the Eighth Prince's area with disdain and headed straight for Xue Jin'an.

In less than fifteen minutes, the guests arrived and took their seats. The eldest prince and his wife gave a speech and toast at the head of the table, and the banquet officially began. Needless to say, the many exchanges that took place before the banquet were just appetizers.

Xue Jin'an watched Feng Shi closely and saw him drinking heavily in his seat. He looked somewhat depressed, and his bloodshot eyes followed the First Prince, making him look like a thug ready to erupt at any moment.

Xue Jin'an's already low success rate in his predictions dropped even further.

Suddenly, Feng Shi called out to a passing maid serving wine, picked up the two cups of wine, and stood up to walk towards the eldest prince.

"Congratulations, brother-in-law, on achieving your wish. I'd like to offer you a toast." Feng Shi toasted the eldest prince.

The eldest prince gave him a deep look, took the cup of wine, but didn't even take a sip as a formality. After Feng Shi finished his drink in one gulp, he smiled and said, "I can't hold my liquor, please excuse me."

Feng Shi watched as he placed the wine glass on the table, then leaned close to his face and said with a half-smile, "Brother-in-law, are you afraid I'll poison you?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" The eldest prince tried to brush the matter aside with a nonchalant tone.

Feng Shi persisted, saying, "Since you don't believe me, brother-in-law, then give me the wine glass, and I'll drink it to prove you right."

This is an obvious tactic. The eldest prince would never admit in public that he suspects Feng Shi. This would not only be a disgrace to the Feng family, but it would also make it clear that there is something fishy going on between him and Feng Shi. Therefore, he would never hand the wine cup to Feng Shi, so he can only drink it himself.

The eldest prince knew that Feng Shi was unlikely to poison him in public, but the eldest prince was always cautious and would not gamble even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance.

The eldest prince covered the wine cup with his palm, blocking Feng Shi's outstretched hand. His smile faded slightly, and his eyes held a warning. "If you're drunk, then rest well. There's some hangover soup warming up on the stove in the kitchen. I'll have your sister bring it to you."

The eldest prince paused after using the term "sister," his tone carrying a subtle warning.

"..." Feng Shi paused, his gaze falling on the silent Crown Princess. He froze for a moment, but quickly resumed his nonsensical arguing, "To put my sister's mind at ease, shouldn't I prove something?"

Feng Shi deliberately made things difficult for the eldest prince today. The eldest prince's smile faded, and his brows furrowed slightly. He genuinely began to suspect that something might have been added to the wine.

The atmosphere became slightly tense, and some people had already noticed something was wrong and looked over.

The eldest prince immediately smiled and tried to smooth things over: "Look at how much you've drunk, you shouldn't drink such strong liquor..."

As he spoke, he prepared to instruct someone to bring over some low-alcohol fruit wine. A maidservant emerged from behind Feng Qian, her etiquette impeccable, and knelt down, carrying a tray full of wine to a perfect position where one could easily reach out.

Xue Jin'an recognized the wine-serving maid as the one from the time when the Fifth Prince and the Second Prince had their dispute.

The eldest prince reached out to grab a cup at random, but Feng Qian, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up and said, "You're all so drunk you're talking nonsense, you should drink less."

"Don't worry, after he finishes drinking, have someone give him a good bowl of hangover soup, and he won't cause any trouble." The eldest prince said, but his hand subconsciously reached for the cup with the smallest amount. "After drinking this cup, he shouldn't cause any more trouble."

The eldest prince turned slightly to the side and whispered something. Feng Shi looked up at Feng Qian, his eyes surging with emotion, and tears welled up in his eyes, but he quickly lowered his eyes to hide them.

The prince's table had such a good view that even though the eldest prince's voice was so low it was almost inaudible, Xue Jin'an could still read his lips.

The eldest prince said, "Don't make your sister look bad."

Feng Shi seemed resigned to his fate, accepting the glass of wine with a rather dejected expression, and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry to my sister."

He then drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

He drank rather quickly, and the yellowish, cloudy wine soaked his clothes, leaving a stain.

"It's good that you've thought it through." The eldest prince smiled and reached out to pat him on the shoulder.

Just then, Feng Shi suddenly reached out and grabbed his chest, his face contorted in a grimace, as if he were enduring immense pain, and his body buckled under his weight.

"You—" The eldest prince was completely taken aback by this situation and instinctively reached out to help him up.

With a "plop," a torrent of blood gushed from Feng Shi's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The eldest prince was hit head-on, the stench of blood rushing from his nose to his head, his vision turning into a bloody mist, his ears ringing. He stared blankly at Feng Shi's wide-open eyes, his expression frozen in pain, and he fell to the ground, his hands slipping from his grasp.

Dali shoved him away from behind, and he fell to the ground. His screams and cries belatedly pierced his eardrums. Amidst the chaos and mess, Feng Qian held Feng Shi's body and wept bitterly.

I've been tricked. Who tricked me? The Second Prince? My father? Or someone else?

The eldest prince tried to calm down and think things through when a furious shout suddenly rang in his ears: "Xue Luowen, you are heartless and inhuman! You actually harmed my brother!"

Feng Qian grasped the dagger that had slipped from her sleeve and, before anyone could react, lunged at the Crown Prince, stabbing him in the waist.

The eldest prince groaned, the pain clearing his mind again. He almost immediately realized from Feng Qian's unusual behavior that she was also one of those plotting against him.

Feng Shi knew this person too well, so he never thought this person could successfully scheme against him. But unexpectedly, this person actually used death as a trap to ensnare him. What will happen next? Feng Qian will be killed by him in a moment of carelessness, making today's farce impossible to end. Then, taking advantage of his distraction, they will begin to purge his forces and dig up evidence of his crimes... Countless people will kick him while he's down. In the end, when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. He will have no more use, and his identity will remain in doubt. He will only have one path left: death.

No, this can't end like this.

The eldest prince gripped Feng Qian's hand tightly, preventing her from pulling out the dagger and stabbing him back. Ignoring all her struggles, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, burying her face in his shoulder to hide all her expressions.

His voice was unexpectedly calm and composed. His first words were to reassure and explain, "Don't be afraid, calm down. It wasn't me. This is my banquet. If I really wanted to do something, why would I choose my own banquet to kill someone in front of everyone? Because of your father-in-law's matter, he and I have a grudge, but we are concerned about you. How could it have come to this?"

“This is a frame-up.” He said it with absolute certainty, his vision already blurry and his consciousness drifting. He poured out all his thoughts in one breath, “Investigate, start with the wine, find out who touched it, that maid is suspicious, her manners are too good, she must be from the palace… Also, don’t do anything foolish, I will be very worried if I wake up and don’t see you.”

Before he could finish speaking, the eldest prince had already fallen into a deep coma. Even in his unconscious state, he clung tightly to Feng Qian and refused to let go. In the end, the two of them had to be carried into the room together.

No one saw how ferocious the Crown Princess's expression was when it was hidden; they were all moved by the deep affection between the two.

In reality, the Crown Prince's words weren't meant for Feng Qian, but for everyone present. Emphasizing "my banquet" was meant to prejudge people into suspecting that someone else was trying to clear Feng Qian of the charges against him. His questions about where to begin the investigation were directed at his subordinates. And his final words, seemingly meant to comfort Feng Qian and tell her not to do anything foolish, were actually a shackle. During his coma, Feng Qian would be kept under surveillance and wouldn't have a chance to leave his side.

The eldest prince succeeded; he single-handedly cleared his name in the shortest amount of time using only words.

This sudden poisoning incident caused chaos for less than a quarter of an hour before it was successfully resolved with a few words from the eldest prince.

Unfortunately, they went in the wrong direction. Xue Jin'an only realized this when Feng Qian's intentions were exposed. After sorting out the whole story in his mind, those strange points all became evidence, proclaiming one fact: the Fifth Prince and the Eldest Princess had somehow reached a cooperation agreement.

He died of heart failure with blood flowing from all seven orifices, and it seemed he had suffered great pain before his death... This familiar manner of death made Xue Jin'an almost immediately conclude that Feng Shi had died from poisoning by Gu.

Xue Jin'an immediately checked the wine cup. It was indeed the same cup that the Fifth Prince had taken earlier. Only a thin layer of wine remained. After the wine flavor faded, the grassy and woody aroma became clear. The sweet honey scent mixed in was wafting out. After removing the sweetness data, the data was infinitely close to the scent of insect pheromones that he had smelled before.

The Fifth Prince did not use Gu poison. Although the formula was different from that of Gu worm attractant, the similar scent indicated that there must be a connection. Xue Jin'an's data analysis also gave the judgment that it was probably some kind of drug that stimulated Gu worms.

Feng Shi died after taking this medicine, which means that the Gu worm was already in his body... This is probably how Feng Shi was controlled and his brain was damaged.

As for when the drug was administered, it was probably when the Fifth Prince met with the Eldest Princess. The two lacked trust and could only feel at ease when looking at each other face to face.

Later, the Fifth Prince picked a fight with the Second Prince because the Second Prince and the First Prince were political enemies. Once the Second Prince appeared on the suspect list, everyone's suspicions would subconsciously fall on him, which would serve to delay the situation and disrupt the flow of events.

That wine-serving maid was most likely arranged by the eldest princess. The eldest princess and the second prince are siblings, and their power is so deeply intertwined that it's hard to distinguish them. If that maid dies or goes missing, based on the superficial information we've gathered, the second prince will become a prime suspect.

As for the siblings Feng Qian and Feng Shi, although they cooperated with the schemer, their goals were completely different. The schemer took advantage of this to set up a smokescreen, misleading the eldest prince's thoughts to ensure that their ultimate goal was achieved.

Their ultimate goal was the Fourth Prince, or more precisely, the account books in the Fourth Prince's possession—this was the First Prince's biggest secret.

Xue Jin'an turned his head, and the camera scanned the scene, silently locking onto a corner through the crowd. The Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince were standing together, both speaking in very low voices, and Xue Jin'an could only read their lips.

"As expected of the eldest brother, he is truly remarkable. I underestimated him," the Fifth Prince said with a light laugh.

The fourth prince keenly sensed something, lowered his voice, and solemnly asked, "What do you mean by that? Could it be that you—"

The Fifth Prince glanced at him but didn't say much. He simply played with the jade thumb ring on his thumb and made a very simple and clear provocation, "Fourth Brother, do you see? This is what will happen to you in the future."

The fourth prince disagreed with the fifth prince's words and retorted directly, "My elder brother is not what you think."

"What did it look like? Fourth Brother, shouldn't you be the one who knows best? Do I need to remind you where all that money went?" The Fifth Prince raised an eyebrow, tracing the back of his hand with his fingertips. "Fourth Brother, doesn't the way Feng Shi died look familiar?"

The fourth prince stared at the invisible "ten" on the back of his hand, his pupils contracting, his eyelashes trembling like a restless butterfly stuck in a spider web.

Unbeknownst to the Fourth Prince, the Fifth Prince revealed a triumphant smile.

Xiao Shi's death implicated too many people, even his birth mother Chu Wenwan was unclear about it. This was a thorn in the Fourth Prince's heart, constantly piercing his soul, making him hesitant to even seek revenge against the Seventh Prince.

Whether it's beauties, private soldiers, or simply for pleasure... the Fourth Prince may not care where the First Prince's money goes, but he cannot tolerate the money's destination being related to Gu.

The poison killed his brother and mother, and destroyed everything he had.

The Fifth Prince knew his Fourth Brother's thoughts all too well: cowardly, impulsive, and timid; wicked yet still possessing a conscience; good yet driven by selfish desires; thus, he could neither obtain what he desired nor let go of what he wanted.

"Xue Xuanyue, open your eyes wide and don't become the next Feng Shi." The Fifth Prince's admonition, though nine-tenths scheming, also carried a tiny bit of genuine sincerity.

The fourth prince lowered his eyes and said in a strained voice, "I believe in my elder brother."

"Whatever." The Fifth Prince lost interest in speaking and turned to leave, leaving the Fourth Prince standing alone, silent as a statue, until the Sixth Prince approached and slowly broke free of his silence.

At that time, Xue Jin'an had already left the First Prince's residence and boarded the carriage to return home. Besides him, there was also the Fifth Prince, who was always stirring up trouble, in the carriage.

"Don't ask me anything, I won't tell you even if you do." The Fifth Prince was already experienced in dealing with Xue Jin'an, so he said this as soon as he came up, and then ate and drank with her as if she were an outsider.

"So you came here just to hitch a ride and free food and drinks?" Xue Jin'an held out his hand directly, "One tael of gold, thank you for your patronage."

The Fifth Prince nearly choked on his own vomit, rolled his eyes, and said, "Cut me up and see if you can sell me for a tael of gold."

Without saying a word, Xue Jin'an reached for the knife hidden in the table again.

The Fifth Prince reacted swiftly, blocking his hand with a palm strike to prevent him from pulling away further. He asked with lingering fear, "What are you doing?"

"I'll give you one chance to choose how you want to be filmed." Xue Jin'an very practically offered three options: "12, 206, or 639?"

"What do you mean?" the Fifth Prince asked curiously.

Xue Jin'an replied, "The human body has a total of twelve meridians, two hundred and six bones, and six hundred and thirty-nine muscles. Whichever number you choose, I will perform the slice treatment according to the corresponding plan. I suggest choosing six hundred and thirty-nine, as I have experience and my technique is more mature."

"..." The Fifth Prince's tone suddenly became polite as he spoke, "May I ask who helped you gain experience?"

"The Eighth Prince, Xue Liuguang," Xue Jin'an answered honestly.

The Fifth Prince, having confirmed the accuracy of the experience, was drenched in sweat.

"Don't worry, I have a steady hand, I'll definitely peel it off cleanly." Xue Jin'an gave a friendly smile.

The fifth prince felt his veins, bones, and muscles going numb inch by inch.

The Fifth Prince remained silent, simply holding Xue Jin'an's hand firmly to prevent him from pulling out the weapon.

The two struggled for a while, and just as the Fifth Prince was beginning to wonder if he was going to die here today, Xue Jin'an suddenly loosened his grip, allowing him to successfully push the knife back down.

"I was just joking with you," Xue Jin'an said seriously.

The Fifth Prince, who was covered in a cold sweat, said, "...Thank you, but I suggest we stop opening them in the future."

"We're almost at the palace gate," Xue Jin'an reminded him to speak quickly.

The Fifth Prince scratched his head, his expression darkening for a moment, before suddenly asking, "There's someone who had a close relationship with you, but treated you badly. In the end, she died a fitting death due to scheming. Now, there's a path to explore her past, fraught with thorns and difficulties. Do you think I should go?"

Xue Jin'an realized that the "she" the Fifth Prince was referring to was Xiao Shu.

Xue Jin'an did not answer the question, but said, "The answer you get from me is meaningless. Your body acts faster than your thoughts."

After Xiao Shu's death, the Fifth Prince had many options; he didn't have to fight to the death under Prince An. In the end, he was still unwilling to accept his fate.

The Fifth Prince refused to admit it, saying, "Bah, I didn't do it for her, I did it for myself."

Xue Jin'an did not refute it.

The Fifth Prince was silent for a moment, then inexplicably brought up a rumor circulating in the streets: "Xue Jin'an, I heard that Jiu Tianyi is protected by the gods, and that your wishes can be heard."

"Do you think He's powerful?" The Fifth Prince asked with his usual carefree smile, his tone flippant as if it were just a casual question, but his gaze toward Xue Jin'an was serious.

"That's just nonsense," Xue Jin'an denied.

"I see... Tsk, how boring." The Fifth Prince got up and prepared to jump out of the carriage and leave.

“Wishes don’t come true,” Xue Jin’an said. “As for burning paper money, it depends on the contents; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”

Xue Jin'an heard the Fifth Prince chuckle, "Where did this deity come from? He's got quite a personality."

The Fifth Prince left, and Lingzhi called out to Xue Jin'an from outside before quietly leaving as well.

The eldest princess wanted to drag the eldest prince into the mess because she intended to become the heir apparent, but the fifth prince never showed any interest in the heir apparent. There must be other purposes behind his stirring up trouble, and these purposes are most likely related to the thorny path he mentioned.

Perhaps this is why Prince An ultimately faded into obscurity in the original story.

Xue Jin'an's carriage was empty, and he was quickly checked and allowed to enter the palace. Following him was the Sixth Prince's carriage, in which he was holding a familiar gift box. He was very nervous during the inspection, but he passed through without incident.

He quickly climbed back to the carriage, clutching the gift box.

Xue Jin'an recognized the gift box; it belonged to the Fourth Prince.

It seems that the Fourth Prince's claim of trusting his elder brother was just lip service; he was actually being cautious and switched the account books with the Sixth Prince.

Xue Jin'an didn't take the matter to heart. He wasn't interested in what the Fourth Prince had. But he never expected that after just one night, not only would the account book and the Fourth Prince be in his hands, but when the First Prince faced being deposed and sentenced to death, Consort De would also come to him.

Consort De immediately said, "I have five thousand warhorses; can I exchange them for my son's life?"