Ji Yunhuan bit her lip, as if she was making a difficult decision.
Concubine Wu was not in a hurry and waited quietly. She believed that no criminal could resist such temptation.
"But His Highness doesn't trust me. If he finds out I poisoned her, I'll be dead!"
Ji Yunhuan's body began to tremble, and his face showed fear, as if he had thought of something particularly terrible.
Concubine Wu felt more confident. With the cruel character of the deposed crown prince, it was impossible for anyone to be completely devoted to him. Xiaoyun took good care of him only to save her own life.
Concubine Wu patted Xiaoyun's thin back kindly and said soothingly, "Good child, don't be afraid. How could I harm you? This isn't poison, it can't be detected."
Ji Yunhuan's eyes widened in surprise. "It's not poison? Then what is it?"
"The deposed crown prince has been poisoned for a long time. Ordinary poisons are ineffective against him and would only alert the enemy. This is a Gu from the northern border! Not only is it harmless, it can stimulate a person's potential, clear their blood circulation, and perhaps even allow him to stand up!"
"Unless the poison is activated in a specific way, nothing will be found. He will never discover anything. By the time the poison is activated, the whole thing will be done. I guarantee that you will not be harmed in the slightest."
Concubine Wu did not hide anything. She was not worried at all that Xiaoyun would reveal the matter. No one would believe the words of a criminal slave. As long as the matter was leaked, Xiao Yan would kill Xiaoyun without her having to do anything!
After a long time, Ji Yunhuan was finally convinced. She reached out and pinched the porcelain bottle, her eyes firm as she said:
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. I guarantee that the deposed Crown Prince will attend the New Year's banquet and will not delay Your Majesty's plans. Please keep your promise and set me free!"
Concubine Wu stuffed the banknote into Ji Yunhuan's hand, patted her hand and said soothingly, "Take it. I can't let you work for me for nothing. Don't worry, whether it succeeds or not, I will set you free!"
After Ji Yunhuan left, a secret door opened and the fifth prince came out.
The fifth prince was itching to watch in the dark room. He hated the woman for not submitting to him, but he also longed for this graceful body.
Xiaoyun has become a calamity in his heart because he can't get her. He has no sexual interest in other women now and only wants to get Xiaoyun.
"Mother, why don't you let me out? Since she agreed, she's ours. I can let go of her beating me, but she should at least serve me once so I can vent my anger."
Concubine Wu raised her eyebrows, a hint of anger on her gentle face, "Nonsense! She still wants to work for me. If Xiao Yan finds out that she has an affair with you, my plans will be ruined!"
The Fifth Prince hung his head, shaking Concubine Wu's hand. "Mother, please be kind to me. I've been holding it in for so long, and if I hold it in any longer, I'll be ruined. Do you still want to hold your grandson?"
Concubine Wu scolded, "You're already grown up, yet you're still acting like a spoiled child with your mother! She'll be yours sooner or later, so why are you so anxious? You can favor her, but you can't let a slave get pregnant with your child. It will be disgraceful if the news gets out."
"You should now focus on the former court and let the ministers know that your ability is no less than that of the former crown prince. Only then will they support you in ascending the throne sooner. Do you understand?"
The Fifth Prince nodded perfunctorily, "I understand, mother, please stop nagging me. Father values me so much, the position of Crown Prince is definitely mine."
After coaxing her son away, Concubine Wu's face darkened!
"This girl cannot stay! Peng'er used to be playful, but she has never disobeyed me like she did today and favored this sinful slave!"
The nanny beside her immediately understood and wiped her neck, saying, "I understand. After this is accomplished, I will help Your Majesty solve this problem! I will definitely not let Your Highness find out."
********
Inside the Eastern Palace, Xiao Yan had returned to normal, except that there were several deep sword-wounds on the dead tree in the yard, and broken branches and leaves were scattered all over the ground.
Xiao Yan was pushing his wheelchair to pack up, but before he finished, Ji Yunhuan came in and said straight to the point, "Your Highness, do you believe me?"
The sky had darkened, and the setting sun had sunk into the horizon, reluctant to cast a single bit of light upon the world. However, Xiaoyun's eyes sparkled, and there was a deep love in them. Through the dark days, someone finally reached out to him.
Xiao Yan held the delicate little hands tightly and whispered, "Of course I believe you."
A cool porcelain bottle fell into his palm. Xiaoyun pushed him into the house and said calmly, "That's good. I know that Your Highness has some capable people around him. Let's ask them to take a look at this poison. What should we do next? We still need to make a long-term plan..."
The days that followed were uneventful.
Concubine Wu sent people to invite Xiao Yan to attend the New Year banquet every day with great sincerity. The person who came that day was Xiao Shunzi.
Xiao Yan was as indifferent as ever and didn't bother to pay any attention to a small eunuch.
Ji Yunhuan half-knelt on the ground and massaged Xiao Yan's legs, serving him carefully.
Xiao Yan gasped in pain, and the teacup in his hand hit Ji Yunhuan's face. He shouted angrily, "Do you want to hurt me to death? Be gentle!"
Ji Yunhuan apologized timidly and allowed herself to be beaten and scolded, and finally coaxed Xiao Yan into calming down his anger. She breathed a sigh of relief, secretly glanced at Xiao Shunzi, and quickly looked away.
Xiao Shunzi said in surprise, "Your Highness has regained feeling in his legs? This is a great joy! He might be able to walk soon. At the New Year banquet, His Majesty and His Majesty will surely be delighted to see that Your Highness is well."
Xiao Yan snorted coldly, "I've already said I won't go! If you come to disturb me again, I'll kill you, don't you believe it?"
Xiao Shunzi wiped the sweat from his forehead. The deposed prince was indeed as cruel as the legend said. Xiao Yun was really pitiful. He had to be so cautious to have a chance of survival.
"Your Highness, calm down! I'll leave now."
Ji Yunhuan saw Xiao Shunzi off, closed the heavy palace door, and returned to Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan felt so distressed that he lowered his head and gently rubbed Xiao Yun's knees. "I told you to put a cushion under your knees, but you insisted on kneeling on the bluestone. It's now bruised. Does it hurt?"
Ji Yunhuan had been used to kneeling for many years and didn't think it was a big deal. But when someone touched him like this today, he suddenly felt a lot of grievances.
"It hurts, it hurts so much, Your Highness, you hit me! It's my first day in the East Palace and you hit me!"
Xiao Yan panicked even more. He reached out to touch Xiao Yun's face and asked nervously, "Are you okay? Where did you get hit? Are you burned?"
Ji Yunhuan was very tall, and Xiao Yan couldn't reach her face. In a hurry, he stood up from the wheelchair, but he lost his balance and fell to the side.
The two rolled into a ball, covered in mud and grass. With the warm and soft jade in his arms, Xiao Yan was very satisfied and smiled with his eyebrows curved. "Xiao Yun, are you okay?"
A white light flashed before his eyes, and Ji Yunhuan activated the "soul exchange"!
After a brief dizziness, Ji Yunhuan lay on the ground with Xiao Yan's body, with his own body lying on top of him.
Ji Yunhuan blinked her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering. She pushed Xiao Yan away and sat up, accusing him:
"Your Highness! Why have we switched bodies again? You can already move, so why are you still coveting my body!"
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