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The atmosphere in the court was tense because Prince Chen shot the prince's horse in protest at the hunting ground.

At every morning court session, the Prince's Party and the Prince of Chen's Party impeached and slandered each other, and memorials fluttered to the Emperor's desk like snowflakes.

Chen Jie acted promptly and sent someone to pass on the news about Aunt Zhang to Mu Feng. A few days later, he received a handwritten letter of thanks from Mu Feng.

He made up his mind.

It was February, spring had arrived, the willow branches were green, the peach blossoms were bright red, but the palace was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere.

The emperor fell ill in mid-month, and the imperial doctors went in and out of the Taiji Hall, but his condition did not improve. At the end of the month, Crown Prince Chu Zheng presented to the emperor evidence of Prince Chu Xun's debauchery in the harem and rape of several ministers' wives.

The emperor just brushed it off and said he would discuss it again tomorrow.

That night, Mu Feng received a letter inviting him to a teahouse at night.

At midnight, the world was silent. Mu Feng arrived at a teahouse, went up the stairs, walked through the corridor, and was led to a side room.

Pushing the door open, the aroma of tea fills the air.

The man in blue clothes slowly made tea with the pot, and the charcoal fire on the copper stove was crackling. He has a calm expression and an elegant temperament. He does not look like a cruel official who kills people with a sword, but rather a humble and elegant scholar.

Hearing the voice, Shen Jie stood up to greet the guest, "Manager Mu is on time for the appointment. Shen has prepared good tea for you." He flicked his sleeves, "Sit down and try it?"

Mu Feng sat down and the door closed from the outside.

The guards stood cautiously outside the room.

Chen Jie pushed a cup of tea over. Green leaves rolled in the white porcelain cup, like dancing snow.

Mu Feng took a sip and was struck by the aroma, freshness, mellowness and sweetness.

He praised, "Good tea."

Chen Jie smiled and said, "The Junshan Silver Needle that I asked the Crown Prince for is a tribute from the royal family, how can it be bad?"

"Lord Shen came to me for more than just midnight tea?" Mu Feng rubbed the tea lid with his fingers.

Chen Jie picked up the kettle and politely added tea to Mu Feng again, "Thank you for the last incident, Steward Mu." Chen Jie was talking about the fact that Mu Feng helped him hand over the evidence that Prince Chen had raped someone else's wife for several years.

"Ruining someone's wife is not a good thing for a man to do." Mu Feng said truthfully.

Last time in the brothel, he was chasing the Censor's wife for Prince Chen and was caught by Chen Jie. He didn't show it on the surface, but he felt ashamed in his heart.

"Thank you for informing me about Aunt Zhang." According to seniority, Mu Feng should call Aunt Zhang.

Shen Jie asked, "Your distant cousin?"

"He died of his injuries."

The two were talking about Zhang Yu's son, a young man who was tricked by Prince Chen into a gambling house and had his arms chopped off.

"My condolences." Shen Jie was silent for a moment, took out a chessboard and spread it on the table, "Shen wants to play a game of chess with Manager Mu tonight."

"I'm not very good at playing chess." Mu Feng was ambiguous.

"No problem." Shen Jie patiently persuaded, using the black and white pieces to set up a strange endgame, "Manager Mu, are you willing to solve this chess endgame with me?"

Mu Feng concentrated and waited for what was to come.

The white pieces and the black pieces are facing each other on the chessboard. The white pieces seem to be at a disadvantage, but in fact they are in control. The black pieces seem to have the upper hand, but a closer look reveals that they are making a desperate attempt.

Chen Jie tapped the small table and thought, "The white and black pieces are like the power of the crown prince and the prince of Chen. The crown prince is wise and virtuous, and he is popular among the people, while the prince of Chen has done nothing and relies on the favor of the emperor and the protection of the imperial concubine."

He placed a black piece to block the white piece's path and said bluntly, "The Prince of Chen has long wanted to kill the Crown Prince. You must have heard about the horse shooting at the hunting ground last month. The Prince of Chen used the excuse of an unintentional mistake to try to make the Crown Prince fall off his horse and die."

Mu Feng knew that Prince Chen was impatient and domineering. He took a sip of the tea to calm his uneasy mind.