The next day at Shenshi (3-5 PM), Xiao Yi arrived alone at the place Tao Wanniang had mentioned. He pushed open the door, called out to someone, but only heard an old man's voice.

"Are you the Prince Rui's heir, sir?" the man asked. "Please go to the window ahead. I have been entrusted to convey a message to you. Before that, I ask that the Prince Rui's heir swear that he will never pursue my identity."

"Don't worry, sir, this matter has nothing to do with you. I can agree to your request." Xiao Yi became a little nervous. What exactly did Tao Wanniang hear that made such a show of force?

"Please listen, Your Highness." After Xiao Yi reached the window, a very familiar voice rang out, and Xiao Yi's expression immediately turned to one of utter shock.

After hearing the rest of the words, Xiao Yi retreated repeatedly, his face turning deathly pale. Impossible, this is impossible! But how could anyone know the Emperor's voice if they hadn't heard it with their own ears?

"Father-in-law..." Xiao Yi's voice trembled, but there was no sound behind the window.

Tao Wanniang used a voice changer to transform into a man's voice, then played back what she had recorded that day with a voice recorder. Before Xiao Yi could react, she ran away. Although it was disloyal, she didn't know how to face Xiao Yi!

Unable to get a response, Xiao Yi walked out dejectedly and bumped into Ling Yunzhou.

"Xiao Yi, what happened to you inside?" Ling Yunzhou had been keeping watch for a while, and no one except Xiao Yi had gone in or out.

"Take me back to the Prince's Palace." Xiao Yi was in a state of turmoil. The one who had plotted against him was the current emperor, the emperor who had constantly given him merits and treated him like a brother.

"Xiao Yi, what exactly do you know? Who made you lose your composure like this?" Ling Yunzhou had heard everything yesterday and knew that someone had been coveting Xiao Yi and had killed three of Xiao Yi's wives. So he really wanted to know who it was and wanted to avenge Xiao Yi.

"Don't ask, don't ask anything," Xiao Yi said absentmindedly. "Back to the Prince's Mansion!"

Ling Yunzhou quickly escorted Xiao Yi back to the Prince's residence, where they happened to run into Prince Rui and his wife.

"What's wrong with Yi'er?" Prince Rui asked immediately. "What happened?"

“Xiao Yi knows who has been harming him, but he refuses to tell me,” Ling Yunzhou said seriously. “Xiao Yi and I are brothers, and I will never let the villain behind this go unpunished.”

"Ling Yunzhou, you can't interfere in this matter. Go back!" Xiao Yi returned to the palace and, having regained some composure, immediately put on a stern face upon hearing Ling Yunzhou's words.

"Why? Is there someone that even if you and I join forces, we can't defeat?" Ling Yunzhou was very confused.

"Please leave!" Xiao Yi said solemnly, his eyes filled with unwavering resolve. "If you utter another word, we shall sever all ties!"

Ling Yunzhou was stunned. Xiao Yi actually said such a thing. He wanted to speak again, but was interrupted by Princess Rui.

"General Ling, you should go back first. Yi'er has something on his mind. He can talk to you about it after he has thought it through."

“Yes, Ling Yunzhou, go back to your General’s Mansion.” Prince Rui urged as well. For his son to say such serious words, the person behind him must be someone of extraordinary status.

Ling Yunzhou felt a pang of sadness, but he wasn't stupid. He could only look at Xiao Yi with concern and say, "I'll go back first. If anything happens, have someone look for me."

Xiao Yi nodded, but didn't say anything more.

"Yi'er, what exactly happened? You didn't even tell Ling Yunzhou." After Ling Yunzhou left, Prince Rui immediately asked.

"Yes, how did Lingyunzhou know that we are investigating the person who harmed you?" Princess Rui asked worriedly.

"Father, Mother, dismiss everyone. What I have to say must not be known to anyone else." Xiao Yi's expression was stern. If the Emperor had such despicable intentions, he could not hide it from his parents, lest they be used by him.

Prince Rui and Princess Rui exchanged a glance, then led Xiao Yi into the study and dismissed the others.

"Yi'er, you can speak now," Prince Rui asked somewhat eagerly.

“It’s Zhao Zhe!” Xiao Yi said through gritted teeth.

"How could this be!" Princess Rui exclaimed in surprise. "That's the Emperor!"

"I heard it with my own ears: he harbors... lustful thoughts towards me!" Xiao Yi said cryptically, the words themselves making him feel disgusted.

"Covet? Covet what?" Princess Rui didn't react for a moment, but when she realized what he meant, her face turned bright red. "How could he do this? He's your cousin!"

Even Prince Rui nearly lost face. While some powerful and dissolute young men did keep male prostitutes, Xiao Yi was the only son of Prince Rui's family, the heir apparent. To even have such thoughts about him was considered an insult!

But then, Prince Rui realized the contradiction. "Yi'er, you say you heard it with your own ears, how could you have heard it with your own ears?"

Xiao Yi didn't want to involve Tao Wanniang, but now he had no choice but to tell the truth: the Emperor went to Zhaixing Tower and Tao Wanniang overheard it.

"The eldest princess used this matter to blackmail the emperor into granting her a marriage to Lingyunzhou, but she fell seriously ill. There's something fishy about this..." Princess Rui thought about it carefully and felt a little alarmed. She then looked at Prince Rui. If the emperor was targeting the eldest princess, it was indeed possible that he was also after her cousin.

“Yi’er, since it was Manager Tao who relayed the message, how can you say that you heard it with your own ears?” Prince Rui asked cautiously.

"I...I don't know what method Sister Tao used to let me hear the Emperor's voice." Xiao Yi thought for a moment and decided not to mention his ventriloquism!

"This matter is unusual, and we still need to confirm it with Manager Tao again," said Prince Rui. "If Zhao Zhe really has such despicable intentions, and has harmed your three wives and unborn child, I will storm the Golden Palace and demand an explanation!"

Xiao Yi really didn't want Tao Wanniang to get involved, but to accuse a king, there had to be more concrete and irrefutable evidence!

"There are too many people and too much gossip at Zhaixing Tower, so let's invite Manager Tao to the Prince's Mansion instead!" said Princess Rui. "If this is true, we will owe Manager Tao another favor." Princess Rui already believed it in her heart. Her son was so handsome, and if it weren't for the Emperor's intervention, would all the fortune tellers in the capital have said that her son would bring misfortune to his wife?

"Go and invite her immediately!" Prince Rui did not want to delay for even a moment. After thinking it over carefully, he also thought of going to Princess Rui. If it were not for imperial power, how could the high monk of Xiangguo Temple utter falsehoods?

Helpless, Xiao Yi could only ask Cheng Feng to invite Tao Wanniang over.

Before the evening market even opened, Tao Wanniang was invited to Prince Rui's residence. She sighed and lamented, "The more I try to hide something, the less effective it becomes!" Wasn't the ventriloquist's excuse perfect? ​​It was clearly no longer enough to convince Prince Rui.

After being invited to Prince Rui's residence, Tao Wanniang was taken directly to the study. As soon as the door closed, she met the scrutinizing gazes of Prince Rui and his wife.

"Manager Tao, I wonder what method you used to let Yi'er hear the Emperor's voice?" Prince Rui asked bluntly.