Chapter 42 (Hehehehehehehehe)
He had only taken a few steps when a person suddenly rushed out of the hall, pushed aside the guards blocking his way, and knelt down in front of the Crown Prince with a thud. "Your Highness!"
It was Zhu Wu, Xie Huaichuan's personal attendant.
"You said that as long as I tell the truth and testify against the young master, you will give me the antidote and spare my life. Do you still keep your word?"
The Crown Prince looked at him with amusement: "Didn't His Majesty say that all those who know the truth should be executed on the spot? Not only did you know the truth, but you also acted as an accomplice, personally relaying messages between your young master and Consort Yu. Even if I wanted to save you, His Majesty would not tolerate you."
Zhu Wu's eyes were filled with panic and disbelief: "Your Highness, you promised to save my life, you can't go back on your word! I've already betrayed the young master for you..."
"For me?" The Crown Prince chuckled lightly. "Aren't you doing this for your own life?"
Although there was a smile on his lips, his tone was cold: "You must have heard how I dealt with those spies in the Eastern Palace. Why do you think I would save a traitor?"
Upon hearing this, Yun Kui glanced at him cautiously.
"Oh no, they're targeting me."
"Every few days, they warn me about the consequences of betrayal, as if they're afraid I've been bribed!"
Crown Prince: "..."
Zhu Wu's eyes were blazing with fury, and his back teeth were almost ground to powder: "Isn't Your Highness afraid that I will die from the poison in prison and that you will insist that Your Highness poisoned me and threatened me, and plotted to frame the young master?"
"When did I poison you?" The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh, you mean that Hundred Poisons Pill? I lied to you. It was just a hazelnut, peeled by my own maid. How was it? Delicious?"
Zhu Wu was instantly struck dumb, "Hazelnuts?!"
Yun Kui: "..."
"His Highness is truly... insidious, using a hazelnut to deceive people and claim it's a poison pill."
Zhu Wu clenched his jaw tightly, his facial features almost contorted.
He was outside the palace and had no idea when the huge poison pill was suddenly put into his mouth. Before he could even taste it, his jaw was violently lifted and the poison pill rolled down his throat.
The Crown Prince said it was a poison-free pill, and that the young master had been captured. He said that as long as the young master atones for his crimes by obediently pointing out his master's crimes, he could be given the antidote and his life spared.
It was just a hazelnut after all?! He'd been tricked!
Zhu Wu roared and angrily swung his fist at the Crown Prince, but before he could fully stand up, Qin Ge kicked him to the ground, and three guards with swords followed and detained him.
The Crown Prince glanced at him coldly, "You poisoned my concubine, and I haven't even settled the score with you yet. You dare to come begging me to save your life?"
Yun Kui looked at the Crown Prince with a slight daze.
"So it really was the heir of the Marquis of Ningde who poisoned me. Is Your Highness... avenging me?"
"Alright, I take back what I said earlier. His Highness the Crown Prince is not treacherous at all! He is a good person!"
Zhu Wu struggled helplessly, his right cheek hitting the ground, and cursed, "You're a liar, treacherous and vicious person, you'll die a horrible death!"
Before he could finish cursing, Qin Ge swiftly stuffed a piece of cloth into his mouth, hooked the scabbard around his arm, and twisted it sharply, crippling Zhu Wu's arm. The pain made him break out in a cold sweat, his veins bulging all over his body.
The crown prince seemed to have long been accustomed to such insults and curses. He withdrew his gaze expressionlessly and stepped out of the palace gate.
When Yun Kui saw that he had let go of her hand, she felt a strange sense of loss.
The cool night breeze brushed against the thin layer of sweat on her palms, making her shiver slightly.
"Are you angry again?"
"Why aren't you holding my hand anymore?"
Yun Kui caught up with him and saw his hands casually clasped behind his back, but hesitated to reach out.
"Forget it, who do I think I am? Daring to hold His Highness the Crown Prince's hand? Do I have a death wish...?"
She followed closely behind the Crown Prince, muttering under her breath, "Why is His Highness lying to people?"
The crown prince remained indifferent and ignored her.
Yun Kui pursed her lips and asked cautiously, "Your Highness, you just promised Consort Yu that you would protect the Ninth Prince's life and send him to the estate to be raised. You weren't lying to her, were you?"
The Crown Prince said coldly, "What do you think?"
Yun Kui lowered her head, "This servant does not know."
If he could trick Zhu Wu into revealing the truth about the Ningde Marquis's heir by using hazelnuts as poison, he could very well use the same method to trick Consort Yu into telling the truth.
Recalling the moment in the palace when the Crown Prince uttered the word "death by a thousand cuts," Yun Kui still felt a chill run down her spine.
Admittedly, the Ninth Prince had bullied her, and she disliked him very much, but she simply couldn't imagine such extreme torture being inflicted on a five-year-old child.
Ultimately, he did nothing wrong, nor did he have the power to decide who his parents were.
Yun Kui had been an orphan since childhood, and she knew the suffering of being without parents, let alone the Ninth Prince who lost his parents and his beloved father overnight. Not only was his status unacceptable according to etiquette and law, but he might even lose his life.
We remained silent the whole way.
On New Year's Eve, the inner palace was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new. It should have been the most lively day of the year in the palace. However, such a big incident happened in Chaoyang Palace, causing confusion among the imperial heirs and enraging the emperor. Countless people would lose their lives because of this.
There will probably be no fireworks or sky lanterns at Taihe Gate tonight.
Yun Kui recalled that when she worked in the Imperial Kitchen, every New Year's Eve, after finishing the palace banquet and taking a break, the cooks would bring up the leftover ingredients for them to cook hot pot.
The steaming hot pot meat dispelled the winter chill, and the group gathered together, laughing and chatting, celebrating that they had grown another year older. They had safely passed another year in this bloodless and treacherous palace, as if they had something to look forward to next year.
This year, she was assigned to work in the Eastern Palace. Although she managed to survive by sheer luck, it was much less lively than before.
Although it was New Year's Eve, there was no festive atmosphere at the Eastern Palace; it was quiet and deserted, just like any other day.
Your Highness the Crown Prince...
She couldn't help but look at his tall, dark blue figure embroidered with a golden dragon. Before she could think further, she had already reached the outside of Donghua Gate.
Two tall, slender male figures stood beneath the palace wall; one was robust and imposing, the other lean and upright.
Upon seeing the Crown Prince return to the palace, the two immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, we are humble servants."
The Crown Prince raised his hand indifferently: "No need for formalities."
The older military officer was none other than Marquis Wuning. He said with gratitude, "If Your Highness had not learned of Xie Huaichuan's plan in advance and rescued Qingci from dire straits in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
The Crown Prince nodded, then looked at Shen Yanyu: "How is Madam Shen?"
Shen Yanyu had just finished comforting his wife when the Crown Prince even saw a lingering lust in his eyes.
"Your Highness, fortunately, the transfer was timely, the poisoning was not deep, and the person has already returned to their residence to rest." Shen Yanyu bowed to the Crown Prince, "Thank you for your help, Your Highness."
The Crown Prince said, "Xie Huaichuan was trying to deal with me, but I am the one who caused her this undeserved disaster. There is no need for thanks."
Yun Kui silently followed the Crown Prince and overheard the conversation between the three, gaining a general understanding of the cause and effect.
It turned out that the heir of the Marquis of Ningde wanted to set a trap for the Crown Prince and this Lady Shen's wife, but the Crown Prince discovered it in advance and turned the tables on him, exposing his affair with Consort Yu and the birth of the Ninth Prince.
"If Your Highness hadn't discovered it in time, it would have been him and Madam Shen who were caught in bed together today..."
"Your Highness already has a bad reputation. If the Marquis of Ningde's heir succeeds this time, he might be infamous for eternity and become the most debauched crown prince in history..."
Crown Prince: "..."
Marquis Wu Ning and Shen Yanyu were discussing the matter of the Ninth Prince with the Crown Prince when they noticed that the Crown Prince was distracted and his eyes kept falling on the palace maid who was serving him in bed.
The two men exchanged a glance, cupped their hands in farewell, and said, "The palace gates are about to be locked, so we will not keep Your Highness from resting any longer. We will take our leave now."
The crown prince then sent them back.
Back at Chengguang Palace, the Crown Prince suddenly said, "You are not required to serve me tonight. Go back and reflect on your actions."
Yun Kui: "..."
He was still angry about Li Meng's matter!
"Fine, if I don't have to serve you in bed, I don't have to. As long as I'm not locked in a dark room, that's fine. What's the point of reflecting on my actions when I go back to my own room? I'd be a fool to even reflect for the blink of an eye!"
The crown prince stared at her coldly.
Yun Kui lowered her head, pretending to be obedient and submissive, and bowed as she retreated.
After washing up, I lay down on the creaky wooden bed and found it rather uncomfortable.
It's true that it's hard to go from luxury to frugality. Having gotten used to the large sandalwood bed in Chengguang Hall with its layers of brocade, sleeping on my own shabby little bed again is just not comfortable at all.
When she first moved here from the dormitory-style communal room, everything seemed spacious and comfortable. But in just over a month, her standards have become too high!
Yun Kui took out her large gold ingot from the bottom of the chest and placed it together with the ten taels of gold bestowed by the Empress on the bed. It looked like the large gold ingot had given birth to five smaller gold ingots. These were her treasures that she would check every time she returned to the side hall. They were her family members and her lifeblood.
If she ever gets the chance to leave the palace in the future, this gold can buy her a large courtyard house, enough for her to live comfortably for the rest of her life.
But when can we leave the palace?
She is currently feeling lost about the future, unsure of when the Crown Prince will abandon her or how the future Crown Princess will treat her.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Yun Kui, are you resting?"
The voice of Eunuch Cao.
Yun Kui quickly hid the gold ingots and got up to open the door. "Why are you here so late?"
Cao Yuanlu smiled amiably: "Today is New Year's Eve, why don't you go and keep His Highness company, young lady?"
Yun Kui was taken aback, and asked in a low voice, "This was your own idea, not His Highness the Crown Prince's decree, was it?"
Cao Yuanlu said, "What this servant has come to convey is Your Highness's inner thoughts."
Yun Kui pursed her lips, "But he's still angry with me."
Cao Yuanlu said in a gentle voice, "How could that be? His Highness is too fond of you to be angry with you."
Yun Kui thought for a moment and asked, "Eunuch Cao, do you know Li Meng? He's the guard who was punished with forty strokes of the cane by His Highness... He wasn't beaten to death, was he?"
Cao Yuanlu said, "Don't worry, Miss. His Highness is handling official business and will not use his position for personal revenge."
Yun Kui: "Personal grudge?"
Cao Yuanlu said, "Can't you see? His Highness likes you. He got angry because you were chatting and laughing with others and talking about His Highness's faults with the men next to you."
Yun Kui complained in a low voice, "He even took me to the side hall to see what happened to Consort Yu and the heir of the Marquis of Ningde. This is just making an example of them."
Cao Yuanlu was sweating profusely and had to say a few words in defense of his prince: "Tonight, the heir of the Marquis of Ningde sent someone to lure Your Highness over, claiming that you were having an affair with a courtesan and asking Your Highness to catch them in the act. Your Highness did not believe it, but fearing that the heir of the Marquis of Ningde might secretly harm you, he still sent guards to protect your safety."
Yun Kui was stunned. It turned out that the heir of the Marquis of Ningde had fabricated a charge of adultery against her!
Recalling everything that happened in the palace, Cao Yuanlu said, "Your Highness never expected that the Heir Apparent of Ningde and Consort Yu would commit suicide together. When Consort Yu took her own life, Your Highness blocked your view so that you wouldn't see that bloody scene. Don't you remember?"
Yun Kui blinked, as if there was such a thing.
"Then... Eunuch Cao, is it true that His Highness said he would execute the Ninth Prince by slow slicing?"
Cao Yuanlu said, "That is His Majesty's family matter, and it is His Majesty's decision. Your Highness has no reason to interfere."
Yun Kui: "So the death by a thousand cuts was just to scare Consort Yu and trick her into telling the truth?"
Cao Yuanlu reassured her, "These are all interrogation methods we're used to. Sometimes you can't get them to talk unless you push them a bit."
"I see." Yun Kui finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Thinking of Cao Yuanlu's purpose in coming here, she asked softly, "In previous years, did Your Highness always come alone on New Year's Eve?"
Cao Yuanlu sighed, "His Highness is either in the Northern Frontier Camp or alone in Chengguang Palace. He has been like this for so many years. Now that he has finally found someone he likes, please do me a favor and keep him company."
Yun Kui lacked confidence and hesitated before saying, "I met with Li Meng today and even talked about him behind his back. Going there now will only displease him. Tomorrow is the first day of the new year, so he must teach me a good lesson tonight, and then we can celebrate the new year..."
Cao Yuanlu: "...When has His Highness ever reprimanded you? Back then, you were on the Empress's orders and were poisoned by the Marquis of Ningde's heir. Even when you were in the torture chamber, His Highness let you off lightly. The only time he punished you by confining you, he carried you out before you even had a chance to sit down properly..."
Yun Kui thought about it and realized that he did look fierce, but despite all the times she had touched him inappropriately, he never seemed to have made any real moves. And today he even took her hand... Oh well.
She bit her lip: "Then I'll go with you."
Sleeping together allows her to touch his abs, so she's not at a disadvantage.
She went to Chengguang Hall with Cao Yuanlu, but did not see the Crown Prince.
Cao Yuanlu said, "His Highness is taking a bath in the clean room."
Yun Kui's pupils lit up slightly, and she said hesitantly, "Is the clean room still short of people? How about... I go and serve you while you bathe?"
Cao Yuanlu clicked his tongue. Just a moment ago he was extremely unwilling, but now he's more proactive than anyone else.
The clean room was filled with steam. The prince, with his eyes closed, was immersed in the water when he heard a slight knock on the door.
Then, a girl's extremely indecent giggles reached his ears.
"Hehehehehehehe"
"I've come to see your abs!"
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