Chapter 118 Entering the Palace (2)
When the guards saw Pang Shi enter the palace late at night, they quickly bowed and greeted him: "General Pang."
Pang Shi waved his hand: "No need for formalities, just do your job well." After saying that, he led Xie Dashen and Li Xiaoxiao inside.
He also had his own office in the Eastern Palace, but unlike civil officials, it was not filled with memorials and books. Instead, it was filled with various weapons such as swords, spears, and halberds.
He was about to ask Li Xiaoxiao to sit down when he spotted Xie Dashen standing to the side.
He casually pulled a key from his waist and tossed it to him: "This is none of your business. Go to my room and sleep. I'll arrange when you go out tomorrow."
Xie Dashen took the keys, glanced at Li Xiaoxiao discreetly, but didn't dare ask any more questions and left immediately.
There were two people left in the room.
Li Xiaoxiao calmly found a stool and sat down, then asked Pang Shi, "When do you plan to let me see the Crown Prince? Now, or wait until dawn?"
Pang Shi glanced at the water clock; it was already past midnight. The Crown Prince had been sleeping poorly lately, needing to drink strong calming tea every day to get some rest. This was the time when he slept most soundly, but he would often wake up again before midnight, unable to sleep until dawn.
He desperately wanted to tell the Crown Prince the news immediately, but he was afraid of disturbing the Crown Prince's rare peaceful sleep.
He hesitated, then said, "How about—"
Li Xiaoxiao stood up: "Why don't you take me to him directly? I think the news that the young master is still alive is more important than sleeping, and I also have something very important to tell him that I can't wait to tell him."
It's rare to see her so resolute.
Pang Shi gritted his teeth and stood up: "You wait here, I'll go ask Eunuch Wan first."
Li Xiaoxiao waited for him to come back inside the house.
Before long, a series of hurried footsteps approached, and Pang Shi arrived with Wan Quan.
When Wan Quan saw Li Xiaoxiao, his eyes lit up with excitement: "Miss Li?! It really is you! When General Pang told me, I couldn't believe it!"
Li Xiaoxiao stood up and bowed to Eunuch Wan: "Eunuch Wan, it's been a long time."
Wan Quan smiled and said, "It has been a long time. When we left Biyang County, Miss Li was too ill to get out of bed and couldn't say goodbye in person. We've always regretted it."
Li Xiaoxiao exchanged a few pleasantries with him, and seeing that he had no intention of taking her to see the Crown Prince, she cast an inquiring look at Pang Shi.
Wan Quan was a shrewd man, so he naturally knew that Pang Shi must have something important to say to the Crown Prince when he brought Li Xiaoxiao into the East Palace at night. But just as Pang Shi had worried before, this was the time when His Highness the Crown Prince was sleeping the most soundly, so Wan Quan would definitely not disturb him.
Pang Shi gently shook his head at Li Xiaoxiao. Li Xiaoxiao sighed. Since the two of them felt there was no rush, she couldn't just barge into the Crown Prince's bedchamber and tell him what she knew.
The three of them had no choice but to wait for dawn in Pang Shi's office. Wan Quan instructed the kitchen to prepare a midnight snack. The stove in the kitchen of the East Palace was never turned off, in case the masters suddenly needed water or food. Wan Quan was the head of the internal affairs department. He only gave one instruction, and soon the servants in the kitchen brought over three steaming bowls of noodles, along with five plates of exquisite snacks.
Li Xiaoxiao took a bite of noodles, her eyes widened immediately, and she exclaimed, "It tastes even better than what Mama Mao makes!"
Pang Shi almost choked, while Wan Quan wore a smug smile: "Miss Li, this is the Eastern Palace. Every bite of food you eat is made by the most skilled imperial chef in the world..." The county magistrate's cook can compare to the imperial chef? It's utterly laughable.
Thanks to Pang Shi, Li Xiaoxiao finally got to eat dishes made by the imperial chef, and they were really delicious!
She is someone who is generous with praise. Whenever she eats something delicious, she exclaims in amazement and finishes the whole plate, even drinking every last drop of the noodle soup.
Driven by her good appetite, even Wan Quan, who has the smallest appetite, finished a bowl of noodles.
Looking at the bare bowls and plates on the table, Wan Quan felt a little ashamed. How could this young lady eat so much? He tentatively asked again, "Would you like another bowl?"
Li Xiaoxiao looked up: "Is it okay?"
Would the Crown Prince's Palace be short of a bowl of noodles? Wan Quan immediately replied, "Sure, sure, three more bowls would be fine too..."
Li Xiaoxiao sighed, "Then let's have three more bowls."
Three bowls, those are huge bowls...
Wan Quan's lips twitched. Was she serious or joking?
Just as he was about to say something, a young eunuch rushed over: "Sir, His Highness has woken up and is furious that you're not here..."
Wan Quan's expression changed, and he immediately stood up and ran after the little eunuch.
Li Xiaoxiao glanced at the water clock; it was only the third watch of the night. They had been chatting and eating late-night snacks for only about an hour, and yet the Crown Prince had not only woken up at this time, but had also become furious because he found nothing amiss.
He's not a little baby who will get angry if he wakes up and doesn't see his mother; he's the crown prince.
The only reason for this situation is that he has a very bad temper and can't tolerate even the slightest thing that doesn't go his way.
Li Xiaoxiao said to Pang Shi, "Let's go take a look together."
But the Crown Prince is currently throwing a tantrum, and if Eunuch Wan goes back, he'll likely have to persuade him to sleep for another hour. If they go over now—
Before he could even voice his objection, Li Xiaoxiao had already followed Wan Quan away.
Pang Shi was startled and quickly chased after her, calling out, "Xiaoxiao, Xiaoxiao, wait a minute!"
Li Xiaoxiao didn't wait for him; she had something to confirm.
Wan Quan jogged ahead, unaware that she was following behind. When they arrived at the Crown Prince's bedchamber, it was brightly lit. The eunuchs and maids knelt down, and scattered odds and ends lay on the ground. Wan Quan was bowing and scraping as he apologized to the Crown Prince.
The prince, dressed in his undergarments with his hair disheveled and eyes bloodshot, saw Wan Quan return and a hint of malice flashed in his eyes. Suddenly, he reached out and pulled a sword from the bedside and held it to Wan Quan's neck.
Wan Quan's knees buckled, and he immediately knelt down: "Your Highness, please calm down!"
The Crown Prince said coldly, "Who gave you permission to leave? Didn't I tell you to stay in the bedchamber and not leave?"
Wan Quan broke out in a cold sweat, not daring to utter a single word in rebuttal.
The crown prince continued angrily, "Has my word lost its power? So you no longer take me seriously?"
Wan Quan hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. This servant had no such intention."
The crown prince roared, "Liar! You all appear respectful on the surface, but behind my back you're probably laughing at me and mocking my incompetence!"
The eunuchs and maids inside the room trembled, prostrating themselves on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly, begging for mercy.
The crown prince was furious, but he did not remove the sword that was pressed against Wan Quan's neck.
He was emotionally unstable, his hands trembled naturally, and Wan Quan bit his lip tightly, a trickle of blood already flowing from his neck.
Li Xiaoxiao coldly watched him lose his temper, her eyes darting around the bedchamber before finally settling on the Crown Prince's bedside.
When her suspicions came true, she breathed a sigh of relief, bent down to pick up a fruit from the ground, tossed it in her hand, and then threw it at the Crown Prince.
If we don't stop him, Wan Quan will be killed on the spot.
Pang Shi arrived a step too late, just in time to see Li Xiaoxiao make her move. He was taken aback: "What are you doing?"
But the fruit had already been thrown. The prince heard the sound of something cutting through the air and instinctively raised his sword, splitting the fruit in two.
Li Xiaoxiao smiled slightly. Her aim was not bad; it seemed that things had not yet completely spiraled out of control.
Although the crown prince chopped the fruit with his sword, he was even angrier. How dare someone lay a hand on him in his own bedchamber?!
His gaze shifted from Wan Quan to Li Xiaoxiao, who was standing outside the door, and he shouted in a deep voice, "Who is it?! How dare you lay a hand on me?! Do you have a death wish?"
Ignoring Pang Shi's attempts to stop her, Li Xiaoxiao strode into the Crown Prince's bedchamber and looked him straight in the eye: "It's me, Your Highness. Do you still recognize me?"
The prince's face still held a hint of hostility, but a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes. He brushed aside the disheveled hair in front of his eyes, looked at Li Xiaoxiao carefully, and said coldly, "Who are you?"
Li Xiaoxiao said, "Li Xiaoxiao."
The Crown Prince was visibly taken aback, and hesitated slightly: "Li Xiaoxiao?"
Li Xiaoxiao stepped forward to take his sword, but the Crown Prince immediately stepped back: "What are you doing? Who gave you permission to come in? Wan Quan, Pang Shi, are you dead? Since when has anyone been allowed to come and go as they please in my bedchamber?"
Li Xiaoxiao sighed. It seemed that this person was impossible to talk to properly.
She suddenly moved with lightning speed, grabbing at the prince's wrist. The prince was startled, seemingly not expecting anyone to actually dare to attack him. Enraged, he swung his sword back at her.
Li Xiaoxiao sidestepped the prince's sword and kicked his hand holding the sword.
The prince took a step back, staggered and almost fell, but his martial arts skills were still there. He stepped back to avoid Li Xiaoxiao's foot and thrust his sword at her again.
Pang Shi and Wan Quan were both shocked. How could Li Xiaoxiao lay a hand on the Crown Prince?
Especially since Wan Quan was completely unaware of the situation and thought Li Xiaoxiao had come to assassinate the Crown Prince, he disregarded the injury on his neck and immediately pounced on Li Xiaoxiao.
Li Xiaoxiao said in a deep voice, "Pang Shi, stop Eunuch Wan. Let me exchange blows with this Crown Prince first and see how much skill he still has!"
Pang Shi, for some unknown reason, instinctively blocked Wan Quan's path.
Wan Quan was shocked: "Commander Pang, what are you doing?!"
Pang Shi said urgently, "Eunuch Wan, please wait a moment. I believe Li Xiaoxiao will not harm His Highness."
Wan Quan screamed, "She's attacking His Highness! Didn't you see?"
Pang Shi took a deep breath and pressed Wan Quan's shoulder: "Eunuch Wan, if she really wants to attack His Highness, do you think we can stop her with our skills?"
Wan Quan was stunned. He recalled what happened in the dilapidated temple back then. She had defeated five men in black all by herself with ease. Now, seeing her fighting the Crown Prince, she was only dodging, testing, and trying to take the sword from the Crown Prince's hand.
He couldn't help but stop attacking Pang Shi, looking anxiously at the Crown Prince and Li Xiaoxiao fighting in the bedchamber.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince's bedroom was spacious, which allowed Li Xiaoxiao to hide relatively easily since she was unarmed.
But the Crown Prince saw things differently.
He had attacked Li Xiaoxiao more than ten times in a row, but he hadn't even touched the hem of her clothes. Instead, he was covered in sweat and was gradually losing strength. He wanted to slow down and recover his strength, but Li Xiaoxiao didn't give him a chance. As soon as he showed an opening, she would come up and take his sword. For the Crown Prince at this moment, having his sword taken away was like having his dignity taken away. How could he allow this to happen?
So his offensive didn't stop at all. After another twenty or thirty moves, he really couldn't hold on any longer. He was sweating profusely and was almost completely exhausted. This time, Li Xiaoxiao stepped forward and easily took the sword from his hand.
Having taken the sword, she casually tossed it to Pang Shi under Wan Quan's extremely uneasy gaze, then looked at the Crown Prince, who was sitting on the ground panting, and asked, "Your Highness, do you recognize me now?"
The prince, panting heavily and covered in sweat, finally calmed down from his frenzied state. He said in a trembling voice, "I... I remember now. You are the girl from the Biyang County Magistrate's household, and the one who saved me at the temple."
It seems he has finally regained his senses.
Li Xiaoxiao smiled slightly, reached out and helped him up, sitting down in the armchair beside her: "I am still the same as I was three years ago, but Your Highness is not the same person who bravely killed soldiers with a sword three years ago."
However, after swinging his sword thirty or forty times, he was panting like an old man, no longer the spirited prince he was three years ago.
A hint of sadness flashed in the prince's eyes; he had almost forgotten what he was like more than three years ago.
Wan Quan and Pang Shi both breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the Crown Prince had calmed down.
Although Li Xiaoxiao's behavior was somewhat offensive, it did bring the raging Crown Prince back to his calm.
Moreover, Wan Quan observed the Crown Prince's expression and felt that he could take another nap.
Only those who serve His Highness the Crown Prince closely know how bad his sleep has been lately.
If a person doesn't sleep well, their mental state can't be good. The Crown Prince's increasingly bad temper is largely due to his insomnia.
No matter how much calming soup he drank, he would always wake up before midnight and then be unable to fall back asleep, sleeping for no more than two hours a day.
During the day, he faced all sorts of impeachments, rumors, and attacks, yet he had to suppress his true nature and not let anyone see it, while so many things were happening in the Eastern Palace.
Wan Quan's greatest wish is that the Crown Prince can get a good night's sleep and sleep until dawn.
He tactfully stepped forward to wipe the Crown Prince's sweat, then gestured for Li Xiaoxiao and Pang Shi to go out so he could change the Crown Prince's clothes and let him get some more sleep.
Li Xiaoxiao didn't fight with him so he could sleep peacefully. She immediately stopped him, saying, "Eunuch Wan, please have everyone in the room leave. I have something to say to His Highness the Crown Prince."
Wan Quan knew that she must have something urgent to tell the Crown Prince since she came in the dead of night, but the Crown Prince was not in good spirits right now, so what could he do to help her? It would be better to wait until he woke up and was in a better mood before listening to her story.
He hurriedly gave Li Xiaoxiao a look, signaling her to leave, but Li Xiaoxiao didn't give him a chance to speak. Instead, she took something out of her bosom and placed it in front of the Crown Prince.
The prince was feeling drowsy, but when he saw the golden lock in her hand, his eyes widened instantly, all sleepiness vanished, and his eyes turned bloodshot, focused solely on the golden lock in her hand.
The back of the gold lock is engraved with a small character "恪" (Ke), and it is the gold lock that his son wears close to his body.
He felt a surge of heat rush from his chest to his head, and with a sudden movement, he gripped the golden lock tightly in his hand, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Li Xiaoxiao: "Where did this come from? Where did this come from?"
His eyes were as red as a rabbit's, and contained a hint of sorrowful tears.
Li Xiaoxiao glanced at the palace eunuch and the young eunuch who had not yet left the room, and whispered in his ear, "The prince is still alive. I saved him."
The prince's mind went completely blank, and he was completely unresponsive.
After a long silence, he finally spoke softly, "What did you just say?"
Li Xiaoxiao said softly, "He's doing very well now. He's staying in Biyang County. In the mornings, he studies with us adults and learns to read and write. In the afternoons, he plays in the mud with our second young master. He eats a full bowl of rice and drinks half a bowl of soup at every meal, and he's getting stronger and stronger. This time when we came to the capital, he cried and begged me to bring him back to see you and the Crown Princess, but I traveled alone and didn't dare bring him back. He's waiting for you to send someone to pick him up."
The prince smiled sadly, and tears streamed down his face.
Wan Quan stared in astonishment at the Crown Prince, who was weeping uncontrollably. Although he was not far away, Li Xiaoxiao had spoken right next to the Crown Prince's ear, so he hadn't heard what she said clearly.
He asked Pang Shi in a low voice, "What did she say to His Highness?"
Pang Shi thought for a moment. He knew he couldn't possibly keep such good news from Wan Quan, who was also a trusted confidant, and he was eager to share the good news with someone: "She must be saying that the Crown Prince is still alive..."
Wan Quan suddenly raised his head and said in a trembling voice, "You, you said, the young master, he, he's still alive?"
Pang Shi nodded and patted Wan Quan on the shoulder: "Otherwise, why would I have brought her in to see His Highness the Crown Prince overnight?"
Wan Quan immediately understood why the Crown Prince was acting this way, because he cried even harder and shed more tears than the Crown Prince.
He took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, covered his mouth, and burst into tears.
Li Xiaoxiao and Pang Shi waited quietly for the master and servant to calm down.
Finally, the Crown Prince regained his senses, wiped away his tears, and felt a tremendous sense of joy. He said in a deep voice, "Everyone else, get out of here. Close the door to the bedchamber. No one is allowed to approach within one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) of the bedchamber. Do you understand?"
The palace maids and eunuchs who had been kneeling on the floor outside immediately responded and filed out.
Pang Shi walked out of the bedroom and summoned two guards on duty, who stood a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) away from the bedroom: "No one is to be allowed to approach."
The guards obeyed the order and stood motionless a zhang away.
Pang Shi then returned to his bedchamber, where the Crown Prince was already eagerly asking how the Heir Apparent had been saved by Li Xiaoxiao.
Li Xiaoxiao repeated it to him again, taking out Aunt Qing's magnolia hairpin: "Back then, our master was afraid that the prince's identity would be exposed, so he had no choice but to burn Aunt Qing and Hang Wei's bodies early on, and buried their ashes at Zimu Peak in Biyang County. I kept Hang Wei's identity token and Aunt Qing's hairpin."
The Crown Prince accepted the magnolia hairpin, and Wan Quan said with a sorrowful expression, "This is Aunt Qing's favorite hairpin, which she always wore in her hair."
Aunt Qing is the daughter of the Crown Princess's wet nurse. She learned excellent martial arts from a young age. After being widowed in her youth and having no intention of remarrying, she was taken back by the Crown Princess and became the personal protector of the Crown Prince. Because she had no children, she regarded the Crown Prince as the apple of her eye, which is why she was willing to give her life to save him when he was in danger.
The Crown Prince said in a deep voice, "Aunt Qing, Hang Wei is a loyal and devoted person who has made great contributions. Please remember this, and I will reward them later."
Wan Quan replied in a low voice, "Yes!"
Having worked up a sweat from the fight and then hearing the good news that his son was still alive, His Highness the Crown Prince finally felt his tense nerves relax. A wave of weariness washed over him; he hadn't felt this sleepy in a long time and longed to close his eyes and go to sleep immediately.
But Li Xiao had only told half the joke, so naturally he couldn't let him go to sleep, and besides, his room wasn't suitable for him to sleep in anymore.
She raised her voice slightly: "Your Highness, I have another important matter to report to you. Perhaps you could listen to it before you rest."
The prince groggily tried to open his eyes: "What is it?"
Li Xiaoxiao took a bag off her waist, took out a square box from it, and opened the box. Inside was the lead stone.
The prince looked at the dark stone with a puzzled expression: "What's wrong with this stone?"
Li Xiaoxiao unfastened the clasp on the lead stone and poured out a sky-blue gemstone: "Does Your Highness recognize this gemstone?"
The prince was taken aback and subconsciously looked at the gold lock that he had placed aside. Shouldn't this sapphire be placed inside the gold lock?
Seeing his reaction, Li Xiaoxiao realized he recognized the gem: "May I ask Your Highness, besides the Crown Prince, do any of your other children possess such a gem?"
Seeing his puzzled look, she added, "Including those little princes and princesses who unfortunately passed away."
The Crown Prince was taken aback, his face changing color, showing that Li Xiaoxiao's mention of his pain from the loss of three sons had touched a raw nerve.
Seeing that Li Xiaoxiao wasn't making things up, Wan Quan glanced at the Crown Prince's expression and boldly said, "This was a gift from Her Majesty the Empress to all the young masters; naturally, everyone received one."
Li Xiaoxiao's guess was confirmed, and she sighed: "In that case, there must be no mistake, Your Highness. The three children of the Eastern Palace did not die from any ominous signs, but were killed by someone with ulterior motives."
Upon hearing this, the prince's drowsiness vanished completely.
His gaze was fixed on Li Xiaoxiao: "What nonsense are you spouting?! Li Xiaoxiao, don't think that just because you saved me and Ke'er's life you can talk nonsense. My three children were in trouble. My father and mother sent the Imperial Hospital to search almost every inch of the Eastern Palace but couldn't find anything unusual. You mustn't talk nonsense!"
Li Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows: "Is it possible that the Emperor, Empress, and the Imperial Medical Academy don't recognize this poison?"
She held the gemstone in her palm: "For example, this stone in my hand, you all think it's a sapphire, but its real name is fluorite. It looks very much like a sapphire, and its color is even more transparent than a sapphire. But it is actually a toxic mineral. If you come into contact with it for a long time, it will cause the body's organs to slowly fail and become weaker and weaker. But people can't tell that it's poisoned. Especially young children who are only a few years old, they don't have the ability to resist viruses like adults. As their bodies become weaker and weaker, even a small cold or cough can kill them."
A hint of pity flashed in her eyes: "Your Highness might consider this: weren't the three deceased princes and princesses always in good health before, but their health gradually deteriorated after they started wearing this gemstone?"
The prince was struck dumb, and the last trace of color drained from his face.
Even Pang Shi and Wan Quan, who were standing to the side, were so shocked that they couldn't say a word. Wan Quan, in particular, was in charge of the internal affairs of the Eastern Palace. After Li Xiaoxiao mentioned the gemstone, he quickly recalled when these gold necklaces and locks adorned with gemstones were bestowed upon him, and when the young prince and princesses wore them...
He suddenly straightened up, pushed Pang Shi aside, and walked out the door. A short while later, he returned with a booklet containing a record of the Emperor and Empress's bestowals. The booklet clearly recorded the time when the gold necklace was bestowed: four years ago, the year before the Crown Prince's assassination.
Wan Quan said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, the golden lock was bestowed upon us four years ago..."
Li Xiaoxiao said, "Fluorite won't be fatal to the human body immediately, but the younger the child, the weaker their resistance. That's why His Highness's youngest son was the first to die, while Aze was the oldest, so he survived until the end. But if I hadn't accidentally seen him wearing fluorite, even if he had escaped this pursuit, he would have eventually died slowly from organ failure and wouldn't have lived past ten years old."
The Crown Prince's gaze was like a deep, dark abyss, where waves were slowly rising. He stared intently at Li Xiaoxiao: "What evidence do you have to prove that this gemstone is poisonous? What makes you think this gemstone is poisonous? The entire Imperial Hospital doesn't know that this gemstone is poisonous, so why do you know?"
Li Xiaoxiao said, "If anyone in the Imperial Hospital knew that the stone was poisonous, they wouldn't have dug up the entire Eastern Palace and left such a large amount of orpiment and copper-uranium mica by your bedside, as if they were afraid you wouldn't go crazy fast enough."
Her finger pointed to a potted plant made of exquisite gemstones on the headboard of the prince's bed.
The top piece is a jade cabbage disguised as copper-uranium mica, and the bottom piece is a flowerpot made of orpiment. It is placed on the antique shelf by the bedside, and it is exquisite.
Li Xiaoxiao said, "With two such large poisonous stones placed by your bedside day and night, you still want to have children? You must not sleep here often, otherwise you would have gone crazy long ago."
The Crown Prince suddenly stood up, grabbed Li Xiaoxiao's collar, and said sternly, "I don't believe what you say! How can you prove it's true? These gems were bestowed upon me by the Empress! Are you trying to sow discord between my son and me? What are your true intentions?"
Li Xiaoxiao said, "I didn't try to sow discord between you and your son. We're not sure who the murderer is yet. Although the item was a gift from the Empress, the gold lock went through so many hands from her storeroom to the East Palace. Everyone involved is a suspect. I'll leave that to you to investigate. But it's easy to verify whether I'm telling the truth or not. Just find a jade craftsman and ask him if it's green jade or yellow jade. You'll know the answer in no time."
But when it comes to identifying jade, there is someone in the house who is even more professional than the craftsmen, and that person is Wan Quan.
Wan Quan had a passion for collecting jade, a fact known to everyone in the palace.
The moment the crown prince's gaze fell upon him, Wan Quan lowered his head: "Your Highness, these two pieces are indeed not genuine green jade and yellow jade..."
When he first received this "Jadeite Cabbage," he knew it was fake jadeite. But since it was a gift from the Empress, he assumed it was some other stone. Because of its vibrant colors and the beautiful sculpture it was made into, which his master liked, he placed it by the bedside.
The prince unconsciously took a step back: "Even if they aren't real green or yellow jade, you can't just say they're poisonous without knowing the facts, can you? I've never heard of jade being poisonous."
Li Xiaoxiao said, "Otherwise, you can find a veteran miner and ask him to come and identify the mines. Experienced miners will naturally know which mines can be kept at home and which cannot."
The prince unconsciously took another step back and collapsed helplessly to the ground.
Wan Quan and Pang Shi stepped forward together and helped him up, looking at the prince, who seemed to have lost half his life, with worried expressions.
Li Xiaoxiao knew that this incident was a huge blow to him, and he was unable to sort out his thoughts or accept the blow.
But she had said what she needed to tell him. Whether he would rise up and fight back or be defeated was his choice.
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