Xie Liwei had a good night's sleep, while many officials in the capital were like ants on a hot plate, anxiously pacing around in circles.

"What are those dead men in the Ministry of Rites good for! How could they make such a basic mistake!" The Prefect of Jingzhao slammed his fist on the table in anger.

“My lord, all the prominent families in the capital know about the disappearance of the fourth young master of the Peng family. The truth cannot be hidden forever. We can only submit a memorial to the Emperor truthfully. As for other matters, they are none of our concern. I believe the Emperor will investigate thoroughly.” The Vice Magistrate of the Capital sighed.

"This is outrageous! He was missing for nine days, and then he was imprisoned in the examination hall to take the exam. Is this even possible? He said he didn't even register for the exam and was forced in there. How did he pass the verification process?!"

Of course, this wasn't his responsibility anymore. Once the memorial was submitted, the Emperor might order a joint trial by the three judicial departments. It was uncertain whether the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review would preside over the trial. He could just slack off; this was a thankless task, and he wouldn't do it.

Seeing his superior backing down, the Vice Magistrate of the Capital said, "This case may seem small, but it involves a wide range of people and might even be a major case. If you, sir, can handle it successfully, you might be promoted two ranks! You might even be able to enter the Grand Secretariat based on this case in the future!"

Upon hearing this, the Prefect of Jingzhao's eyes lit up.

"You're right. If I can enter the cabinet and become prime minister based on this case, it will be my good fortune and I can't waste this opportunity!"

The Vice Magistrate of Jingzhao chuckled and said many more flattering things. He thought to himself, "If you don't get promoted, then I'll never have a chance to be promoted!"

The following day, the memorial from the Jingzhao Prefecture was delivered to the Grand Secretariat. After reading the memorial, the Grand Secretaries each had their own thoughts.

"That's utter nonsense! Let's not even talk about the fact that the students who can participate in the provincial examinations have all come from the provincial examinations. Having come this far, who would give up the opportunity they've worked so hard to get! Not to mention, the Ministry of Rites has very strict regulations and would never allow anyone to take the exam for someone else!"

"This case has many suspicious points; let's present it to the Emperor first!"

"But the Emperor is still in the hunting grounds."

"First, detain Peng Si and wait for the Emperor to return to make a decision."

"No, this matter involves many things. If we alert the mastermind and they find out that they've secretly targeted Peng Si, wouldn't we lose an important witness?"

"If you ask me, we should send someone out of the city right now to inform the Emperor!"

"The spring hunt signifies a bountiful harvest for the Great Chen Dynasty in the coming year; how can it be interrupted like this!"

"Nonsense! It's only spring, the breeding season for those animals. They've just emerged from hibernation and haven't even had a proper meal before being killed. How are they supposed to reproduce? I think the reason the hunting grounds have been getting less and less prey over the years is because of this! Spring hunting should be banned!"

"Are you openly defying ancestral rules?!"

"The Great Chen Dynasty has only been established for a few years, whose ancestors are you talking about! From the previous dynasty!"

Seeing the Grand Secretaries arguing fiercely inside the hall, Li Mang bowed and went out, whispering a few words to a young eunuch, who then hurriedly went to relay the message.

That afternoon, Yuwen Wuji, who was at the hunting grounds, learned of the matter. He squinted and scanned the accompanying officials, making them break out in a cold sweat.

This is no coincidence. Who did this?

Yuwen Wuji tossed aside his riding whip and asked, "Did the Carefree Prince go to the Jokhang Temple to worship Buddha?"

Li Wei bowed and said, "Your Majesty, yes, the Prince and Princess went together."

Yuwen Wuji turned his horse around and said to the officials beside him, "Let's go, come with me to visit the sick!"

The officials were puzzled, but they still followed the emperor to the Jokhang Temple in a grand procession.

Upon hearing this, the abbot of Jokhang Temple hurriedly went down the mountain to greet them, and even the imperial concubine came out.

When Yuwen Wuji arrived, the Jokhang Temple had already been cleared out, and the abbot and monks were there to greet him. To his left stood the Dowager Consort and the Prince of Xiaoyao and his wife.

Yuwen Wuji's gaze swept over them, finally settling on Song Yaozhu and Xie Liwei. Song Yaozhu's arm was linked with Xie Liwei's, who looked frail and sickly, seemingly relying on Song Yaozhu for support to stay upright.

"I came to visit you in your illness, how could a sick person like you come out!" He said reproachfully, and had someone help Xie Liwei into the side room. He then summoned the imperial physician to take his pulse.

In front of the Emperor, there was no longer any "pulse diagnosis by thread" to trouble the imperial physician. The physician placed his hand on Xie Liwei's wrist, examined it, and said, "Your Highness is deficient in both qi and blood, but you have recovered somewhat during this period. However, you have still caught a cold, and the cold in your body has not yet subsided. Allow me to prescribe another prescription to help you recuperate. However, you must still abstain from sexual activity and must not deplete your vital energy!"

After he finished speaking, all the ministers in the room raised their eyebrows slightly, their lowered eyes filled with amusement, trying hard to suppress the urge to laugh. Some even pretended to cough twice to ease the awkward atmosphere.

They never expected that visiting someone in the hospital would lead to some gossip!

Xie Liwei's face was tense beneath the mask as he gripped Song Yaozhu's hand tightly. Song Yaozhu met his scrutinizing gaze, forcefully pulled his hand off her wrist, and then took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

"Your Highness, let me help you inside to rest!"

Xie Liwei was pulled up by her, and the two embraced as they walked into the inner room. To the officials present, this scene was a picture of the carefree princess's unwavering love for the prince!

Little did they know, the two men, with their backs to them, had already started fighting.

Song Yaozhu gripped his hand tightly, saying fiercely, "It was your cousin who did it, not me! If you're angry, go find him!"

"Are you just going to stand by and watch him ruin your husband's reputation?!"

"What kind of reputation does Your Highness have? Don't people outside say that you've ruined many women? Isn't that even better? Because you're impotent, you're a pervert in bed, which justifies your behavior!"

Xie Liwei was furious. After entering the inner room, he forcefully pushed her down onto the bed, grabbed her wrists with both hands, and forced her to raise her arms. He squeezed one leg between her legs, and the two of them were thigh to thigh, in a very ambiguous position.

"You say I'm not good enough?" He practically squeezed the words out from between his teeth.

No man in this world wants to admit he's incapable!

"The imperial physician just said that you are currently deficient in both qi and blood..."

Before Song Yaozhu could speak, Xie Liwei had already leaned down and sealed her lips with a kiss.

When his dry lips touched hers, Song Yaozhu's pupils dilated suddenly, and her heart pounded wildly as if it had lost control.

What is Xie Liwei doing?!

Without thinking, Song Yaozhu bit his lip. He winced and looked up at her angrily, as if to prove that "he could do it".

Song Yaozhu didn't understand why he was so angry. Could it be that it was a matter of male dignity, and even Xie Liwei couldn't help but care about such empty reputation?

Just as he was wondering, he heard the imperial physician shout sternly, "Your Highness! Are you ignoring my words? Get off the princess immediately!"

The imperial physician who followed in to deliver the prescription was exasperated!

Yuwen Wuji outside immediately turned pale, and the officials fell silent, their hearts filled with a cacophony of emotions!