"Why?!"
Su Qingcai was extremely anxious and tried to force his way in despite the guards' attempts to stop him.
The Prime Minister frowned and advised, "Ninth Prince, you'd better not act rashly. It's not that this old minister is unwilling to let you in, but your relationship with Miss Su is extraordinary. To ensure fairness, you absolutely must not go to see Miss Su at this time."
"Does that mean I can't do anything at all?!"
Su Qingcai slammed his fist into the stone pillar beside him. The guards' swords were firmly held against Su Xiaoning's door, filling one with despair.
The Prime Minister sighed and remained silent, not daring to provoke Su Qingcai any further.
An aura of despair enveloped Su Qingcai, and Meng Ruqiao felt a pang of pity watching him.
She stepped forward and comforted him, "Ninth Prince, don't worry. Since you're concerned about Miss Su, I'll go in and check on her for you, so you can be at ease."
As she spoke, she looked at the Prime Minister with a questioning gaze.
The prime minister nodded silently, which meant he agreed.
Su Qingcai remained silent, clearly not entirely at ease with Meng Ruqiao.
Just as the atmosphere was tense, a squad of dragon guards arrived.
Shen Jun happened to overhear Meng Ruqiao's words, so he stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Ninth Prince, I will go in with Miss Meng to visit Miss Su. His Majesty is very concerned about this matter, and he reminded you not to let concern cloud your judgment."
The arrival of the Imperial Guards signifies the Emperor's stance. The Emperor still intends to protect Su Xiaoning, so Su Qingcai shouldn't lose his composure at this crucial moment.
Su Qingcai's eyes dimmed. He understood the emperor's meaning and could only nod with difficulty before stepping aside.
Meng Ruqiao and Shen Jun both breathed a sigh of relief. They glanced at each other unintentionally, and their bodies trembled as if they had been hit. They quickly looked away and went into Su Xiaoning's room together.
Inside the room, Su Xiaoning lay quietly on the bed, her eyes tightly closed, her fate unknown.
A deep, indescribable pain welled up in Meng Ruqiao's heart. As Shen Jun searched the house, she came to Su Xiaoning's bedside and called out softly in a trembling voice.
"Xiao Ning... are you alright...?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Xiaoning on the bed suddenly opened her eyes and stared straight at Meng Ruqiao.
"Ah!" Meng Ruqiao was startled and fell to the ground. "How did you wake up?!"
She just wanted to call out Su Xiaoning's name for some psychological comfort, how did it develop like this?!
"Are you surprised?" Su Xiaoning blinked and quickly sat up from the bed, looking nothing like someone who had been poisoned.
Shen Jun, who was investigating, was also taken aback and looked at Su Xiaoning with a probing gaze.
Meng Ruqiao covered her mouth, looking extremely shocked: "You...you're not..."
"I'm not poisoned?" Su Xiaoning suddenly grinned. "Don't worry, I'm not actually poisoned. I already found out that the food was poisoned. I was just pretending to be poisoned to lure out the person who wanted to harm me."
She glanced curiously at Shen Jun not far away: "Did you come in to check on me?"
Meng Ruqiao nodded, and after calming herself down, she stood up from the ground.
She tilted her head slightly and glanced at Shen Jun. Shen Jun coughed lightly and turned around somewhat awkwardly.
A somewhat forlorn expression appeared on Meng Ruqiao's face. Su Xiaoning noticed this and knew that the two of them had unresolved issues. She tentatively asked, "You two..."
“We’re fine.” Meng Ruqiao interrupted Su Xiaoning directly, seemingly unwilling to mention anything about her and Shen Jun.
She gave Su Xiaoning a forced smile and said softly, "Let's not talk about my business. Your business is more important. The Ninth Prince is waiting anxiously outside. Should we tell him the truth?"
"Can't he get in?" Su Xiaoning stared intently at the door, as if she could see Su Qingcai anxiously waiting outside through it.
Meng Ruqiao shook her head: "My father wants to ensure fairness and impartiality. He has a special relationship with you, so he can't come in."
"I see..." Su Xiaoning lowered her head somewhat dejectedly, a bitter feeling slowly rising in her heart. "It's okay to tell him, but only he can know."
"I understand." Meng Ruqiao nodded. "It's getting late, we need to go out now. Is there anything else we can do for you?"
Su Xiaoning thought for a moment and said, "After you leave, remember to spread the word that I'm poisoned and about to die. That should lure the snake out of its hole faster."
"Okay," Meng Ruqiao replied, standing up and walking towards the door.
Shen Jun followed behind Meng Ruqiao without saying a word. The two did not exchange a single word, and the atmosphere was extremely strange.
As soon as they stepped outside, Su Qingcai rushed over and asked anxiously, "How is she?"
In front of the Prime Minister, Meng Ruqiao dared not reveal the truth. She could only feign grief and whisper, "Your Highness, please accept my condolences. Xiao Ning is in very poor condition and may not live much longer..."
"What did you say?!"
Su Qingcai felt as if he had been struck by lightning; his mind went blank.
A sharp hissing sound seemed to ring in his ears, and the pain slowly spread throughout his heart. Su Qingcai was having trouble breathing. He walked toward the door, his body trembling, his eyes vacant.
"No... I must see him..."
Seeing his appearance, the guards at the door looked at each other, unsure whether they should stop him or not.
Shen Jun frowned and immediately reached out to stop Su Qingcai: "Ninth Prince, you mustn't."
"What's wrong with that!" Su Qingcai roared. "She's about to die, and I can't even see her once?!"
Shen Jun pursed his lips, remaining silent, standing like an insurmountable barrier in front of Su Qingcai.
Su Qingcai's eyes turned bloodshot, and he threw a punch directly at the target.
"Get out of the way!"
"No." Shen Jun said coldly, accepting Su Qingcai's attack, and still uttered words that filled people with despair.
Su Qingcai completely lost her temper and repeatedly attacked Shen Jun. The two wrestled together, and those around them, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire, involuntarily moved away.
Seeing that no one was around, Shen Jun continued to respond while quietly approaching Su Qingcai and whispering in his ear, "Don't worry, she's fine."
Su Qingcai was taken aback and slowed down his movements.
Shen Jun continued his relentless attacks, showing no mercy. He said in a low voice, "She is only having us spread false information to lure out the snake from its hole and the person behind it. I hope Ninth Prince will not ruin things."
So that's how it is!
Upon learning the truth, Su Qingcai regained her rationality in an instant.
After Shen Jun finished speaking, his face returned to its usual cold expression. He distanced himself from Su Qingcai and continued to fight him.
Su Qingcai remained calm and pretended to accept the challenge. To outsiders, the two still appeared to be locked in a fierce struggle.
All of this was observed by Qin Sang, who was not far away.
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