Chapter 41 Are you implying that this prince has kidney deficiency?

Shen Chu scrambled to his feet, chuckling awkwardly, "If I said I was led here by someone, would Your Highness believe me?"

Pei Yuan crossed his arms, his expression indifferent. "Oh? Tell me more."

Shen Chu quickly opened the cabinet and dragged out the maid who had just been knocked unconscious.

"Yes, it is her. When I came out to change my clothes, I happened to see her acting suspiciously."

I followed her quietly, only to see her sneak into the room and attempt to stab Miss Xie to death.

At the critical moment, I rushed in and knocked her unconscious.

Just then, His Highness the Sixth Prince returned. Fearing I wouldn't be able to explain myself clearly, I led my men and hid inside the cupboard.

After giving his instructions in a few words, Shen Chu said, "Sixth Prince, if I had arrived any later, you would have had to collect Miss Xie's body."

Pei Yuan narrowed his peach blossom eyes and looked Shen Chu up and down. "So, this prince should thank Lord Shen?"

Shen Chu chuckled, "Shouldn't you thank me? If it weren't for this humble servant, Your Highness's confidante would have perished."

Xie Qingqiu's pretty face turned pale, and she leaned into Pei Yuan's arms with lingering fear. "Your Highness, Qingqiu is so scared."

At this moment, Pei Yuan stepped forward, leaned over and turned the maid on the ground over, seemingly unaware of Xie Qingqiu's actions at all.

Xie Qingqiu stumbled and lost her footing before regaining her balance, looking embarrassed.

Pei Yuan stood up and called Jin Bao in, "See if you recognize him?"

Jinbao peeked out and said, "It's someone from the manor's sewing room."

"Drag him away and interrogate him properly."

"yes."

Jinbao dragged the person away.

Shen Chu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, "This humble subject will not disturb the Sixth Prince's precious night any longer."

"Doesn't Lord Shen want to know who sent her?"

"This humble subject does not wish to."

No, you do.

Pei Yuan grabbed Shen Chu's arm. "This prince and Lord Shen will go to the study to discuss this. Someone, escort Miss Xie back to Qingfeng Tower."

"Your Highness." Xie Qingqiu chased after him to the door, feeling wronged, but only saw Pei Yuan dragging Shen Chu away.

She clutched the handkerchief in her hand, looking both aggrieved and disappointed.

She went to great lengths to persuade the Sixth Prince to agree to take her back to his residence, and she thought she could succeed tonight, but Shen Chu ruined everything.

She even said someone wanted to assassinate her. Pshaw, who knows if she's telling the truth?

This caused His Highness and her precious night to slip away in vain.

On the other side, Shen Chu found herself unable to break free from Pei Yuan's grasp until she was dragged into the study.

She rubbed her aching wrist. "Your Highness, please speak freely."

Pei Yuan glanced at her.

Shen Chu's wrist, slender and fair, was partially exposed outside her sleeve, with a ring of bluish handprints on it.

He frowned and scoffed, "Why do your arms look like a woman's? I haven't even used my strength yet."

Shen Chu tugged at his sleeve. "Does Your Highness not believe what I just said?"

"Should I, the prince, believe it?"

"Where is it unreliable?"

Pei Yuan scoffed, "Since you discovered the maid was acting suspiciously, why didn't you call someone instead of tracking her yourself?"

Or is it that Lord Shen is looking for something in this prince's residence?

Shen Chu sighed inwardly; Pei Yuan was indeed not easy to fool.

In such a short time, they quickly found the flaws in her logic.

"Your Highness, I do not understand your meaning."

Pei Yuan suddenly stepped forward, and Shen Chu unconsciously stepped back, only then realizing that Pei Yuan's figure was so tall that he almost completely enveloped her in shadow.

The imposing height made her feel uncomfortable, so she took another step back and heard Pei Yuan's cold voice.

"Chen Chu, what exactly are you looking for? Is someone behind this, directing you?"

This prince has no patience for interrogation. You'd better tell the truth, or you might find yourself unable to leave the Sixth Prince's residence today.

Shen Chu pursed her lips.

At this moment, Pei Yuan shed his usual frivolous and dissolute image, his face solemn, gently stroking the jade-bone fan in his hand, looking exceptionally cold and stern.

Shen Chu felt a chill run down her spine, and suddenly wondered if this was Pei Yuan's true form.

People used to think he was a free spirit, but now it seems that his free spirit was just an illusion. The real Pei Yuan was much more astute.

"Your Highness wants me to die in your residence?" Shen Chu chuckled, turning to look out the window, plotting his escape.

Outside, the setting sun was like blood, its last rays about to fade.

Night is approaching, and Pei Yuan will be unable to see. Perhaps she can take this opportunity to escape.

Pei Yuan clapped his hands, and Jin Bao brought in a pot of wine.

He put down the jade fan, picked up the wine pot, and poured two cups of wine.

"Of course I won't let you die here."

Chen Chu breathed a sigh of relief, and the next moment she heard Pei Yuan chuckle, "I was afraid you would dirty my residence."

Chen Chu...

Pei Yuan pushed one of the cups of wine toward Shen Chu.

Shen Chu did not answer.

"What? You're afraid to drink it? Afraid that I, the prince, will poison it?"

Pei Yuan raised an eyebrow and chuckled, then looked up and downed the glass of wine in his hand in one gulp.

Shen Chu guessed that Pei Yuan was waiting for the results of the maid's interrogation. She had been trying to stall for time, so she tilted her head back and drank the wine.

"Your Highness, I have come today on my father's orders to bring medicine and apologize to you."

Pei Yuan scoffed, "Your sincerity is just a bunch of aphrodisiacs?"

"The effects of Your Highness's medicine will wear off on their own after two days. Those medicines were just to replenish Your Highness's body."

Are you implying that I, the prince, have kidney deficiency?

Chen Chu.......

She silently drank another cup and suddenly discovered that the wine in Pei Yuan's mansion was quite delicious, even more mellow and palatable than Qiu Lu Bai.

She couldn't resist having another drink.

The two of them drank one cup after another, and in no time, a pot of wine was gone.

Pei Yuan suddenly lifted the wine pot and shook it: "You recognize this wine pot, right? It's called the Yin-Yang Pot. There's a small knob at the bottom that can divide the space inside in two, one side is poisonous and the other side is not."

He gently turned the button on the bottom of the pot, poured a glass of wine, and placed it in front of Chen Chu.

Chen Chu's heart sank slightly. This guy was really unpredictable. Could the drink he gave her just now have been poisoned?

Pei Yuan snorted coldly, "Don't worry, I, the prince, would never resort to underhanded poisoning like you. Even if I were to poison someone, I would do it openly."

The wine you just drank wasn't poisonous, but now it's time for you to taste the other side.

He picked up his wine glass and approached Shen Chu, a cold glint in his eyes. "If you, Lord Shen, are unwilling to try the wine on the other side, then tell me what you're looking for."

Forced by his imposing figure, Shen Chu retreated to the wall.

“What Shen Chu said is the truth, but the Sixth Prince does not believe it. Shen Chu is willing to die to prove his innocence.”

She reached out to take the wine glass, her fingertips trembling slightly, but Pei Yuan grabbed her hand the instant she flung it away.

Pei Yuan turned her hand over and saw the white powder between her fingers. He couldn't help but sneer, "Trying to drug me again? Ha, this prince will never fall into the same trap twice."

He gently flicked the powder from Chen Chu's palm, pinched her chin, and brought the wine glass to her lips.

"It seems that Lord Shen likes to refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."

A hint of annoyance flashed in Shen Chu's eyes.

She had long since mastered the art of drugging, but she never expected that Pei Yuan would see through her scheme.

“I came here on my father’s orders to apologize to Your Highness with the medicine. If I go back, I will die from the poison, and Your Highness will be suspected.”

"I am, after all, an imperial censor personally appointed by His Majesty. His Majesty has not yet ordered my execution, yet Your Highness has preemptively made the decision. What do you think His Majesty will think of Your Highness?"

Pei Yuan paused slightly.

Chen Chu smiled and pushed the wine glass away.

Who doesn't threaten others?

Judging from the fact that the emperor insisted on bestowing a marriage upon Pei Yuan, and Pei Yuan dared not refuse directly, Shen Chu vaguely guessed that the relationship between Pei Yuan and the emperor was not as simple as it appeared to the world.

Pei Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly and temporarily put away his wine cup. "You dare threaten this prince?"

Shen Chu smiled and said, "Your Highness doesn't believe me if I tell the truth, so I have to put it another way."

Unexpectedly, Pei Yuan sneered the next moment, grabbed her chin with one hand, and poured a glass of wine into Shen Chu's mouth with lightning speed.

Shen Chu raised her foot and kicked Pei Yuan hard, but her chin was held firmly in her hand, and the wine flowed down her throat.

Pei Yuan, I'm going to kill you.