The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince looked at each other and smiled.
"What do you two mean?" the eldest prince asked.
“Eldest brother, we only had suspicions before, but Second Brother’s actions were too obvious, it’s hard to ignore!” the Third Prince said.
"How come I didn't see that?" The eldest prince scratched his forehead.
"Maybe we have one more thing than our eldest brother!" the Third Prince teased.
"What is that?"
"Brother, did you leave your brain in Fujian while you were training troops there?" the Third Prince said, moving further away from the First Prince.
"How dare you say I'm brainless!" The eldest prince said, and started to chase after the third prince.
The Third Prince hid directly behind the Fourth Prince.
"Big brother, I was wrong! I shouldn't have said you were brainless!" the Third Prince pleaded. One punch from the First Prince had crippled his small frame.
"Big brother, Third brother didn't mean it, so don't take it to heart!" Fourth Prince also tried to persuade him.
"I'll let it slide for now, but I won't let you off so easily next time!" The eldest prince was just trying to scare the third prince; he didn't really intend to do anything to him. With Xue in her current state, she had no interest in anything else!
Of the four of them, he had spent the most time with He Xue. He genuinely felt that it was unsuitable for He Xue to marry the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince would become the Emperor in the future, and would definitely have a large harem like his father. He Xue was not suited for scheming and intrigue.
Looking at He Xue's pale face, the Crown Prince felt nothing but heartache and self-blame. He Xue had completely taken on his pain; if it weren't for her, he might have already been poisoned.
"He Xue, please wake up soon! Once you wake up, your Crown Prince brother will grant you whatever you want. If you want to see handsome men, your Crown Prince brother will find you lots of handsome men so you can see as many as you like!" The Crown Prince held He Xue's hand, praying that all the Buddhas and gods in the sky would help He Xue wake up quickly.
“Prince Zhi, Third Prince, Fourth Prince, and Aunt Nuanchun from the Imperial Noble Consort’s side have come to ask when Princess Hexue will return to Chengqian Palace?” He Zhu walked in anxiously.
At this moment, the crown prince also heard the commotion and came out of the room.
"Second Prince, does Mother Tong not know about He Xue's affair?" the eldest prince asked.
"I haven't had a chance to tell Mother Tong yet!" the Crown Prince said.
The Crown Prince thought for a moment and said to He Zhu, "Send Nuanchun back first, I will go to Chengqian Palace later!"
“Yes, Your Majesty, I will go right away!” He Zhu replied.
The Crown Prince looked at the Fourth Prince and said, "Fourth Brother, come with me to Chengqian Palace!"
"Okay, Second Brother!"
"Eldest brother, third brother, you should stay in Yuqing Palace!" The Crown Prince no longer trusted the people in Yuqing Palace.
"Okay, don't worry!" the eldest prince assured him.
Soon the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince arrived at Chengqian Palace.
When the Imperial Noble Consort saw Nuanchun return on her own, her unease intensified. It wasn't until she saw the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince enter, and the Crown Prince's gloomy face, that she became even more certain that something must have happened to Hexue.
"Why didn't He Xue come back with you?" the Imperial Noble Consort asked tentatively.
Without saying a word, the Crown Prince knelt before the Imperial Noble Consort.
The Imperial Noble Consort was startled. If people found out, who knew what kind of rumors would spread about her? The Crown Prince was the heir apparent and was not required to bow to the concubines in the harem. Why was he bowing to her so respectfully now?
"Yinzhen, quickly help the Crown Prince up!" the Imperial Noble Consort said to the Fourth Prince.
"Mother Tong, please let me finish!" the Crown Prince said.
“You can speak even if you get up!” the Imperial Noble Consort said.
“Yes, Second Brother, you should get up first!” Fourth Prince also advised.
"Let me put it this way!" the Crown Prince insisted. "Mother Tong, He Xue is in Yuqing Palace now. She was poisoned, but don't worry, the poison has been cured. It's just that He Xue hasn't woken up yet!"
"How could you be poisoned?" the Imperial Noble Consort asked anxiously.
He Xue went to Yuqing Palace, but now she's been poisoned. The Imperial Noble Consort asked incredulously, "Did someone poison Yuqing Palace?"
The people in Yuqing Palace were all personally selected by Emperor Kangxi, and they all came from respectable families. How could anyone poison the Crown Prince?
"This time, I've dragged He Xue into this mess!" the Crown Prince said remorsefully.
"Are you sure He Xue is alright?" the Imperial Noble Consort asked, still worried.
"Mother Tong, Xue will be alright!" the Crown Prince said confidently.
"Baocheng, let Hexue return to Chengqian Palace! It's not appropriate for Hexue to stay in Yuqing Palace!"
"Mother Tong, I want to marry He Xue!" the Crown Prince said with a determined look in his eyes.
The Imperial Noble Consort wasn't too shocked since she already knew. "Baocheng, is it because of today's events that you want to marry Hexue?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
