Chapter 128 His wife fell in love with another man

"Your Highness, I am the top scholar appointed by His Majesty, and I am willing to serve the Great Zhou with my life! As for this collection of paintings, I only admire it in private and have never made it public. I don't know what I did to offend Your Highness?"

Xie Guidu's handsome face was gloomy, and he didn't care about the threat.

"Your Highness, I have no idea how this item ended up in your hands. A gentleman does not take what others cherish; I beg Your Highness to return it!"

Pei Siyan's face immediately turned cold, his gaze becoming even sharper. "Truly eloquent, twisting the truth. It is forbidden to paint a woman's portrait without permission. Doesn't even Prince Xie understand this basic legal common sense?"

"You're holding a grudge because of the broken engagement, are you trying to ruin her reputation?"

"The one who truly wants to harm her is probably someone else. Throughout history, whether it was Ehuang and Nüying or the two Zhou sisters, if two sisters shared a husband, the younger sister would always bear the infamy for all time!"

"Anyone would curse my sister, saying she's shameless and has willingly fallen into depravity!"

"How much consideration has Your Highness given to her?"

Xie Guidu was not intimidated at all. His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, ensuring that the person behind the screen could hear him.

Pei Siyan slowly got up, picked up the art book, and strolled around, flipping through it slowly.

He said sarcastically, "Young Master Xie's painting is just like him; it's almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Unfortunately, a fake is a fake and can't be taken seriously! Luckily, Yi'er has a discerning eye and naturally wouldn't be interested in such a low-quality forgery!"

As he spoke, he handed the art collection to Xie Guidu.

Xie Guidu subconsciously reached out to grab it, and the next moment, the painting collection fell straight into the bronze furnace next to him. With a few hissing sounds, the flames suddenly shot up high.

"you--"

"You don't need to worry about my affairs with her. Once she marries into the Crown Prince's palace, I will definitely send an invitation to Prince Xie to invite you to attend the ceremony! As for how I will consider things for her, just wait and see!"

"Your Highness, are you going to betray Miss Dou? She is your savior. Aren't you afraid of being scorned by the world?"

Pei Siyan lost his patience. "Anxi, see the guest out!"

He would naturally not let Dou Wenyi be criticized for no reason, and he would handle Dou Mingyan's matter properly.

——

After Xie Guidu left, an imperial edict arrived from the palace, ordering the Crown Prince to dine with the Emperor. Pei Siyan had no choice but to reluctantly let her go.

Dou Wenyi was not familiar with the route to the East Palace. She followed a young palace maid outwards, passing through a covered corridor and winding her way through several turns before finally exiting the palace gate.

Just as she was about to get into the carriage, she looked up and saw Xie Guidu standing nearby.

He looked irritated, as if he was deliberately waiting for her.

"Yi'er!"

Dou Wenyi frowned impatiently at his constant use of that form of address. "Young Master Xie, what can I do for you?"

Xie Guidu strode towards her, her delicate lips swollen terribly.

Once upon a time, she had only him in her heart, and they were a loving and harmonious couple. But now he witnessed her intimacy with another man. He couldn't imagine that they would ever again lie in the same bed, making love and indulging in passionate passion...

The jealousy in his heart spread wildly, taking over all his reason, driving him mad, and forcing him to make a choice.

He didn't want to wait a moment longer.

He wanted to pull Pei Siyan off the throne of the Crown Prince.

“Pei Siyan has a history of headaches and is violent and ruthless; he can hardly protect himself. The situation in the court is complicated, and His Majesty has always been wary of him. He has already considered changing the heir apparent. Yi’er, no matter what your status is when you marry into the Eastern Palace, you will be implicated. You should stay away from him!”

Dou Wenyi sensed something amiss; was he waiting for his chance to act?

"Xie Guidu, what do you mean?"

Xie Guidu looked around and lowered his voice, "You told him about the granary, didn't you? You had your servants hoard grain again recently. All you need to do is go to the rice shop to check who has hoarded rice recently. By carefully investigating, they will immediately suspect you."

"You must not get involved in the court's disputes again; it's too dangerous."

"The Tan family has suffered a severe blow, and Prince Rui will certainly not let it go. How can a small Dou family withstand his wrath? Even if you don't care about the other members of the Dou family, what about your grandmother?"

"Even if you are naturally vigilant and prepared, what about the rest of your Dou family? Can you guarantee they won't make mistakes or give others leverage against them?"

"Or do you think that no matter what major incident occurs, Pei Siyan can protect you?"

A chill settled in Dou Wenyi's eyes. "Prince Rui has already noticed me?"

Xie Guidu's expression was solemn. "If Prince Rui wants to deal with you, assassination is a minor matter. I'm afraid he'll try something else."

"Xie Guidu, you wouldn't have sided with Prince Rui, would you? He's a traitor, don't you know that?"

Xie Guidu was silent for a moment, a complex look flashing in his eyes, "It's not what you think."

He could choose to support Prince Rui or Prince Duan. As long as Prince Rui stopped colluding with the Northern Di, he could control the overall situation and change the course of history.

Pei Siyan harbored a deep grudge against him for stealing his wife; they were sworn enemies long ago!

There were times when he had no other choice.

"Are you crazy?" Dou Wenyi stared wide-eyed in shock, finding it utterly unbelievable.

A gust of autumn wind blew by, and she suddenly realized that her back was chilling.

Xie Guidu also has memories of his previous life. If he gets involved again and supports Prince Rui, Pei Siyan's situation will become extremely difficult.

"If you really encounter any difficulties, just tell me, and I will find a way to help you solve them." Xie Guidu had a faint smile on his lips, exuding confidence and refined demeanor.

At this moment, Dou Wenyi seemed to see again the sharp-witted and strategic chief minister from her previous life!

Dou Wenyi shook her head and glanced at him coldly. "Xie Guidu, you are so disappointing. I never thought you would be an accomplice to evil and help the wicked! Back then, who caused Tianning City to be besieged? How many people died needlessly because of Prince Rui and his selfish power grab?"

"How can you face the soldiers who fought alongside you, day and night, to defend Tianning City?"

Her clear, bright eyes were filled with disgust, and Xie Guidu felt increasingly tormented and conflicted.

He didn't want to side with Prince Rui, but he had no other choice.

"Yi'er, matters of officialdom are not black and white. Regardless of who is the ruler, it is our duty as subjects to advise the monarch."

"I will not let history repeat itself, nor will I allow Prince Rui to collude with the Northern Di and repeat the same mistakes. Tianning City will not be besieged again! Rest assured, I will never do anything to betray the Great Zhou."

"Xie Guidu, now that you've made your choice, why pretend to remind me? Let's see who has the best skills!"

Dou Wenyi thought that with the passage of time, her deepest hatred for Xie Guidu had faded, but she never expected him to be so disappointing.

However, Xie Guidu's words did remind her that Prince Rui had his eye on her, and what underhanded tricks he would use to deal with her.