Chapter 186 Becoming a Real Couple

"Who is the Crown Prince of Xiang trying to deal with?" Jiang Zhi asked him directly.

Xiao Yunheng gave Jiang Zhi a deep look, as if he was hesitating, but finally sighed and lowered his voice to say, "It is His Highness the Crown Prince."

Although Jiang Zhi had already guessed the answer, she was still quite surprised to hear him admit it himself.

"Does the Crown Prince of Xiang trust us so much that he tells us the truth?" Shen Ci'an also asked.

Xiao Yunheng gave a wry smile, "If you want to gain Lord Shen's trust, you should at least show some sincerity."

What does the Crown Prince of Xiang mean by these words?

Xiao Yunheng glanced at Jiang Zhi, "This matter is of great importance. I would like to ask Lord Shen to move to the study for a detailed discussion."

“It’s alright, there’s nothing my wife can’t hear about.” Shen Ci’an refused without the slightest hesitation.

Xiao Yunheng then smiled and said, "Lord Shen and Madam Shen are a loving couple; I was being narrow-minded."

Shen Ci'an had the servants serve tea again, dismissed everyone around him, and ordered someone to stand guard at the door before looking at Xiao Yunheng and asking, "What does the Prince of Xiang want to say?"

Xiao Yunheng's handsome face remained expressionless, but his tone was surprisingly serious. "I would like to ask Lord Shen to help me ensure that Xiao Xuanyou can no longer hold onto his position as crown prince."

Shen Ci'an's pupils trembled, and he quickly suppressed the shock on his face. "Does Your Highness know what you are saying?"

Xiao Yunheng curled his lips into a slight smile, maintaining his nonchalant demeanor. "Does Lord Shen know that Xiao Xuanyou has been coveting your wife?"

Jiang Zhi narrowed her eyes.

Shen Ci'an could no longer maintain her composure. Her Adam's apple bobbed stiffly in her neck, and her cold eyes stared intently at him.

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words! The Crown Prince is the foundation of the nation; how can you speak such nonsense?"

Xiao Yunheng knew that Shen Ci'an wouldn't believe him easily.

He raised an eyebrow. Because he had been pretending to be disabled for many years, his legs still couldn't stand for long, so he sat back down and continued slowly, "Does Lord Shen know that when the Crown Prince encountered danger in the hunting grounds, his anxiety was not for the Second Miss Li, but for your wife?"

“Impossible…” Shen Ci’an murmured.

Everyone knew that the second young lady of the Li family was in danger, which is why the crown prince risked his life to save her.

As for Jiang Zhi, it was just something he did casually.

Xiao Yunheng smiled and said, "Then does Lord Shen know that the men in black who came to abduct the bride on the night of your wedding were sent by Xiao Xuanyou?"

Shen Ci'an gripped his knuckles tightly under his sleeve, his usually composed face now filled with unprecedented shock.

He had actually been secretly investigating the person who abducted the bride that night, but the person came and went without a trace, leaving no useful clues. He was very meticulous in his actions.

He had asked the young lady about this, but she said she didn't want him to ask any more questions.

So he could only try his best to suppress his doubts.

But I never expected to get the answer from Xiao Yunheng today.

His probing gaze fell upon Jiang Zhi.

Jiang Zhi did not speak.

This is clearly an implicit agreement.

A sense of absurdity rose in Shen Ci'an's heart.

Xie Qi and Lu Yuan had many interactions with the young lady, so it's understandable that they admired her.

But Crown Prince Xiao Xuanyou had hardly ever interacted with her, so why was this the case?

Xiao Yunheng's voice continued, "Xiao Xuanyou is still the Crown Prince now, and there is still something to be wary of. But if he becomes the ruler of a country in the future, do you think you can still keep Madam Shen?"

Shen Ci'an almost crushed the teacup in his hand.

He wanted to argue, but when he opened his lips, he couldn't utter a single syllable.

Jiang Zhi has been worried about this matter since last night.

Originally, it was thought that given Xiao Xuanyou's possessive nature, now that she was a wife, he would not even think of touching her again.

But his body didn't react that way last night.

At this moment, Shen Ci'an sneered, "This humble official is of lowly status and carries little influence. I am merely a fourth-rank Hanlin Academy reader. How could I possibly influence the political situation in the court? Your Highness is giving me far too much credit."

Xiao Yunheng said, "I only wish to ask Lord Shen to support me when necessary to bring down the Crown Prince. As for who will ultimately take the position, that will depend entirely on their own abilities."

A look of hesitation appeared on Shen Ci'an's face.

Seeing this, Xiao Yunheng curled his lips and said, "Lord Shen, there's no need to rush to answer. I have enough patience to wait."

After Xiao Yunheng took his leave, Shen Ci'an stroked the teacup in his hand, remaining silent for a long time.

After a long silence, he suddenly asked Jiang Zhi, "What does Miss think should be done about this?"

Jiang Zhi was also considering the feasibility of Xiao Yunheng's words.

If Xiao Xuanyou could lose his position as crown prince, then the threat to himself would be greatly reduced.

However, this would drag Shen Ci'an into the factional struggle. He has no external support other than the emperor's trust, and he could easily become a victim of court infighting.

“I remember Master said that he only wanted to be a loyal subject, to relieve the people’s suffering, and to uphold justice without favoritism. I don’t want Master to get into trouble because of me,” Jiang Zhi said.

Shen Ci'an's eyes were moved.

It turns out she actually remembered what she had said.

But how can any of these compare to her?

"Please give me some time, Miss, so I can come up with a foolproof plan."

This way, she could protect Jiang Zhi without being controlled by Xiao Yunheng.

Unfortunately, to the surprise of Jiang Zhi and Shen Ci'an, things turned out to be far beyond their expectations.

With the name Chanyi, Xiao Xuanyou finally refrained from doing anything too extreme to Jiang Zhi, allowing her to have a peaceful and happy New Year.

Shen Ci'an specially invited the imperial physician to come and take Jiang Zhi's pulse. He learned that she was much better and could stop taking the medicine after finishing the next two days.

Shen Ci'an's gaze towards Jiang Zhi held a deeper meaning.

“Young Miss, we can be a real couple now.” His handsome face couldn’t hide his smile.

Although Jiang Zhi was shy, after sharing a bed for so many days, Shen Ci'an's gentleness and patience had gradually soothed her resistance to such things in bed.

On the contrary, I'm actually a little excited.

Meanwhile, the investiture ceremony for the Crown Princess will also be held at the Eastern Palace.

That evening, the main hall of the East Palace was brightly lit with candles, and thirty-six gilded palace lanterns hung from the beams.

Jiang Zhengting, the Minister of Rites, held the imperial edict and read it aloud before handing it to Li Jinyan.

Li Jinyan knelt down and kowtowed in gratitude.

A banquet was set up outside the Mingde Hall, with civil and military officials and their wives lined up on both sides, separated by screens.

Today, Xiao Xuanyou is even more in high spirits.

His tall, elegant figure was accentuated by the dark robe, exuding extraordinary majesty. A white jade sash hung at his waist, and his steps were steady and powerful, displaying a graceful and noble air.

After receiving the homage of the officials and noblewomen alongside Li Jinyan, the banquet began.

Seeing that Xiao Xuanyou was busy accepting everyone's congratulations today, and had drunk quite a bit of wine, his face was flushed.

Jiang Zhi felt a little relieved.

Today is Xiao Xuanyou's wedding night, he probably won't have time to care about her.

However, just as she was enjoying the special imperial kitchen snacks that she couldn't usually get her hands on, a commotion arose in the distance.

She looked up.

The sound came from a distance, through the screen, and was not very clear. It sounded like someone was shouting something like "Be careful."

Someone probably accidentally knocked something over.

Unfortunately, this idea didn't last long.

Soon, a panicked and shrill scream pierced her eardrums.

"Assassins! Assassins!! Protect the Crown Prince and Crown Princess!!!"

The scene immediately descended into chaos.