Moreover, He Liufeng had calculated that Zhou Wenli would not reveal that he had injured Zhou Wenli, because once it was revealed that He Liufeng was responsible, it would mean that this was no longer just a personal grudge between the two of them.
When it escalates to a conflict between the two countries, even without war, friction is inevitable. Others may not know the current situation in Zhou, but He Liufeng is very clear about it.
Zhou Wenli dared not take that risk at all.
"They were caught, but they all committed suicide by poison. No one was left alive. However, the Emperor's men discovered a wolf head pattern on the lower right side of the group of people. The Emperor has ordered people to investigate." Liu Shiqi explained from the side, while giving Zhou Wenli a wink.
Zhou Wenli and Liu Shiqi had worked together for many years, so he naturally understood Liu Shiqi's meaning.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhou Wenli struggled to get up, but the Emperor stopped him in time. "Fifth Prince, you don't need to be so polite. This is what I should do. The reason you got into trouble this time is because my people didn't make proper arrangements in advance. It was my oversight."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenli didn't stand on ceremony any longer. He had lost a lot of blood from his chest and simply didn't have the strength to get up.
"The Fifth Prince is injured and should rest properly. He should stay in the palace for the time being. I will arrange for the best imperial physicians to treat his injuries."
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I think it would be better for me to return to the post station." Zhou Wenli declined the Emperor's offer.
Very few of his men were able to enter the palace. He couldn't trust anyone from the Ling Dynasty. Besides, the palace had its own rules, and he wouldn't want to create trouble for himself.
"However, your injuries are still quite severe, making it inconvenient for you to move. These are all my men, extremely loyal, so don't worry. They will certainly serve you wholeheartedly," the Emperor said with a smile.
"It's precisely because they are all loyal to you that I, the prince, will not stay," Zhou Wenli thought to himself.
Of course, Zhou Wenli didn't want to stay, and the Emperor didn't want Zhou Wenli to actually stay in the palace either. Putting aside the fact that Zhou Wenli was an outsider, just because of his status as a prince, if he caused any trouble in the palace, the Emperor would regret it to death.
"It's alright, my health is quite good. As long as they are careful, everything will be fine. Your Majesty doesn't need to worry too much." Zhou Wenli forced a smile. If he stayed in the palace, his wounds would probably heal even more slowly. He was even worried that he might die from someone else's schemes.
"Since the Fifth Prince insists on this, then I will arrange for someone to send the Fifth Prince back to the post station." The Emperor pretended to think for a long time before reluctantly agreeing to let Zhou Wenli leave.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The banquet did not proceed to the next item, the Ling Dynasty's return gift to the Zhou Kingdom, because Zhou Wenli was injured, and the banquet ended early.
Xu Yanyan was also sent back to Princess Anping's residence to recuperate. However, Qu Qingxi also took the opportunity to tell Xu Yanyan about Zhou Chenguang's situation. Xu Yanyan was finally relieved. As long as Zhou Chenguang was not in Zhou Wenli's hands, she would no longer be threatened by Zhou Wenli.
The Emperor ordered that what happened at the banquet today be kept secret. He then summoned He Liufeng and asked him a few questions before letting him leave.
Qu Qingxi and Qingdai left the palace ahead of time and waited for He Liufeng in the carriage outside the gate.
Everyone else who attended the banquet had already gone home, so now only the carriages from the Prince of Nanqing's residence remained at the palace gate. Qu Qingxi was getting a little bored, so she lifted the curtain and looked outside.
He Liufeng appeared at the end of the palace road. Ling Mu had been assigned to do other things, so he was all alone and walked towards this place, looking somewhat lonely.
The driver of the carriage held a lantern and stood in front of the carriage, as if guiding He Liufeng.
He Liufeng seemed to have noticed something and looked up in this direction, only to see Qu Qingxi lifting the curtain and looking in his direction.
The distance was so great that He Liufeng could barely see Qu Qingxi's face, but he could sense the burning gaze in her eyes. He felt a surge of warmth in his heart and quickened his pace.
He Liufeng quickly reached the front of the carriage. Instead of using the stool prepared by the coachman, he jumped directly onto it, while Qu Qingxi still stared at him through the curtain.
"Aren't you cold?" He Liufeng asked as he stepped into the carriage, placing one hand on Qu Qingxi's hand that was on the curtain, and then lowered the curtain.
Seeing the situation of the two, Qingdai wisely got out of the carriage and sat with the coachman. Anyway, she had martial arts skills and her internal strength was not weak, so the cold outside would not have much of an effect on her. She decided not to disturb the prince and princess.
"It's okay, it's warm inside, and I'm wearing quite a lot of clothes."
He Liufeng placed Qu Qingxi's hand in his own. Her fingers were slender, but they looked quite small in his large hand. Her hand was clearly cold, yet she claimed it was warm. What a little liar.
"By the way, after Zhou Wenli woke up, did he say anything?" Qu Qingxi looked at He Liufeng curiously. Seeing He Liufeng's calm and collected demeanor, Qu Qingxi guessed that Zhou Wenli probably wouldn't reveal the truth.
While waiting for He Liufeng, Qu Qingxi noticed that many people were carrying a sedan chair out, followed by Liu Shiqi and others. Qu Qingxi knew that Zhou Wenli had woken up.
"No, he only asked about the situation of those men in black." Knowing what Qu Qingxi was worried about, He Liufeng reached out and touched Qu Qingxi's hair.
"Don't touch me like that, it feels like you're petting a puppy." Qu Qingxi doesn't really like people touching her head, including He Liufeng.
Because she used to have a small dog, and this is how she petted the dog.
"Really? I think I touched it before, so why didn't you say anything?" He Liufeng smiled slightly upon hearing this, but also lowered his hand.
"I was too embarrassed to say it before."
"I understand, I didn't mean that." Afraid that Qu Qingxi would misunderstand, He Liufeng quickly explained, even though he didn't know why he said that.
"Hmm, he only asked about the man in black, which means he didn't say that you were the one who attacked him. Why?" Qu Qingxi was a little confused.
If Zhou Wenli had told the truth today, the Emperor might have punished He Liufeng out of consideration for the situation in Zhou Kingdom. But why didn't Zhou Wenli tell the truth?
"The situation here is quite complicated. To put it simply, there are two points. First, Zhou Wenli is very concerned about his reputation. He absolutely will not allow others to know that he was defeated by me. Second, Zhou Kingdom is currently facing serious internal troubles. On the surface, the emperor dotes on me, his younger brother. If something were to happen between us, it could very likely trigger a conflict between the two countries. Zhou Wenli cannot afford to gamble on that."
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