Chapter 74 Weak Hands and Feet

Xie Qi rested his head on Jiang Zhi's shoulder, his entire weight on her. He gritted his teeth, finally managing to suppress the surging emotions within him for a brief moment, and his violently heaving chest calmed down a little.

He noticed something was wrong with his body and, with a grim expression, moved his lower abdomen slightly away from Jiang Zhi.

I don't know if she noticed it or not.

It made him feel utterly ashamed.

"Can you let go now?" Jiang Zhi asked impatiently.

She was trapped in his arms, the air thick with the expensive perfume from his clothes, so hot it made it hard for her to breathe and her body went limp.

Although she was conscious, she was still a woman and would have normal reactions. She was almost unsteady on her feet and only managed to avoid slipping thanks to the support of his arm.

Xie Qi gave Jiang Zhi a deep look, then reluctantly stepped back and left quickly without looking back.

He feared that if he hesitated even for a moment longer, he might really do something worse than an animal.

Jiang Zhi also breathed a sigh of relief.

With her arms and legs aching, she took the inner garment from the screen, dressed herself neatly, and then walked out of the hall.

After walking a few steps, they came to the Yao Guang Pool, where Xie Qi had submerged most of his body.

"What are you doing...?"

"Let me cool down here first," Xie Qi's voice was still hoarse. "I was extremely rude and impolite today. I will personally apologize after the banquet."

After being soaked in the pool, his senses returned to normal, and he realized that what he had just done was utterly despicable, shameless, and vile.

Miss Jiang was so angry that it wouldn't be an exaggeration for her to even want to kill him.

When the matter was brought up, Jiang Zhi showed no signs of unease.

Xie Qi's reaction was merely an impulsive one, influenced by the drugs. He would have acted the same way if it had been any other woman in the palace today.

Moreover, compared to what Xiao Xuanyou did to her after taking the medicine in his previous life, Xie Qi had already been very restrained.

"I've been away for too long and I'm afraid my family will worry, so I'm going back now."

"Okay, be careful."

Just as Jiang Zhi was about to leave, a young eunuch suddenly rushed over from a distance. He was stunned when he saw Jiang Zhi and Xie Qi in Yaoguang Pool, and then jogged forward.

"Young Master Xie, Miss Jiang, I've finally found you. Something has happened in the Imperial Garden, and it's now surrounded by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Everyone who left earlier will have to go back for questioning."

Xie Qi recognized the young eunuch as one of the Empress's servants and his expression tightened. "What happened?"

The young eunuch said, "The Crown Princess has been poisoned and is unconscious. His Majesty has ordered a thorough investigation, and no one is allowed to leave without permission!"

*

Inside the pavilion in the Imperial Garden, Li Jinyan, dressed in palace attire, lay unconscious on a couch with her eyes closed.

Curtains had been erected around the area, and everyone except the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince was waiting outside. The Imperial Guards stood with their swords drawn, their faces cold and stern, surrounding everyone.

"Imperial Physician Song, how is Jinyan?" the Empress asked immediately after the physician finished taking her pulse.

Imperial Physician Song shook his head. "Please forgive my incompetence, but I am truly unable to diagnose what poison the Crown Princess has been poisoned with. It seems that only by finding the person who poisoned her can we obtain the appropriate antidote and save the Crown Princess."

"This is unheard of! How dare they poison a palace banquet? What are the Imperial Household Department doing?"

Emperor Xuanzhao's usually imposing tiger-like eyes were now surging with a terrifying ferocity.

The eunuch supervisor knelt on the ground, trembling with fear, not daring to breathe, and repeatedly begged for mercy.

"Lu Qing, I'm entrusting this matter to you. You must bring that thief to justice."

Lu Yuan accepted the order, saying, "Your subject obeys."

He stepped out of the pavilion, his gaze sweeping over all the officials' families, and said coldly, "Are all the officials' families who came to the banquet here?"

Yu Jun came forward and said, "Boss, neither of the two young ladies from Minister Jiang's family are here. The eldest young lady fell into the water and her whereabouts are unknown. We are still sending people to search for her. The young lady from Vice Minister Wang's family, who also fell into the water, has gone to the dressing room. I have already sent someone to invite her."

Lu Yuan frowned, his face immediately turning extremely grim. "Fell into the water and disappeared?"

"I heard that Princess Chaohui's cat went mad and fell into the water in the chaos," Yu Jun wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. "I have ordered people to go into the water to search for it. I will report back immediately if there is any news."

Although Lu Yuan felt something was amiss, since his men had already gone to look for her, he had more important things to do. "First, summon all the palace maids and eunuchs who had been in contact with the Crown Princess today for questioning. Then, investigate all the officials' families who had been in contact with the Crown Princess today. We can't miss a single one."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Go find that cat and have the imperial physician check if it has also been poisoned."

Yu Jun immediately accepted the order.

At this moment, Wang Yuru was extremely anxious.

Originally, she planned to wait until Yun'er and Prince Xie had accomplished something before finding an excuse to lead everyone there.

Although Yun'er's reputation would be damaged in this way, under the watchful eyes of everyone, in front of the Empress and the Crown Princess, she wouldn't be afraid that Prince Xie would dare to abandon her after starting something.

Unexpectedly, the Crown Princess was poisoned and fell into a coma.

Everything is in chaos, and I don't know how Yun'er is doing.

Just then, the people who had left were also found and brought back.

As soon as Jiang Yunqian arrived, she burst into tears and threw herself into Wang Yuru's arms, crying, "Mother, I'm so ashamed to face anyone, waaaaah..."

Wang Yuru was startled and immediately asked her in a low voice how things were going.

Jiang Zhi returned at this time.

Seeing the crowd present, he knew that this matter was unlikely to end well.

“Those who left the room, come over here for questioning.”

The Imperial Guards came and took the group away.

Yu Jun's eyes lit up when she saw Jiang Zhi. She led her aside and asked, "It's good that Miss Jiang is alright. Where did you go just now?"

Jiang Zhi said, "After falling into the water, I panicked and couldn't tell which way to go. I drifted further and further away and eventually reached the other side. After getting ashore, I found a place to dry my clothes and then came back on my own."

Yu Jun was about to ask another question when a very authoritative voice suddenly came from behind her, "How could someone who can't swim reach the other side unharmed? Can anyone testify to that?"

Jiang Zhi looked up and saw Lu Yuan's cold, dark eyes that were scrutinizing her.

She took a deep breath, hesitating whether to tell him the truth about meeting the Prince of Xiang.

Just then, a gentle and clear voice rang out: "I, the Crown Prince, can bear witness."

His voice wasn't loud, but it drew everyone's attention.

The slender man in the wheelchair was slowly pushed over.

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? The Prince of Xiang has met Miss Jiang?"

"That's right, I pulled Miss Jiang out of the pool and took her to the Jade Balance Palace to warm herself by the fire and dry her clothes."

Lu Yuan remained silent upon hearing this.

Yuheng Palace was the palace where the Crown Prince of Xiang lived before he came of age, and it was indeed located near Yaoguang Pond.

When Emperor Xuanzhao came out and saw Xiao Yunheng, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed a little, and the chilling pressure emanating from him also lessened considerably.

But seeing his thin clothes, his brows furrowed deeply.

"Wearing so little, how are your servants treating you?"

Xiao Yunheng smiled faintly, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I've been feeling much better these past few days and I'm not so afraid of the cold anymore."