Chapter 459: Framed
Lu Xiang sat in front of the window holding a teacup, looking at the boundless moonlit night, stroking his fingers gently. It was unknown what he was thinking about, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly with a faint smile.
"Are you thinking about me, that's why you're smiling so happily?"
A handsome face appeared in front of Lu Xiang without any warning, as if the whole person appeared out of thin air. Even though Lu Xiang was calm, his pupils shrank in fright.
"Why, why did you come here suddenly?" Lu Xiang covered his chest and leaned back subconsciously.
Chu Jinyan supported himself on the window sill with both hands, jumped lightly, and climbed in through the window.
His facial features were as sharp as a knife, his eyebrows were like distant mountains, his nose was straight, and his face was meticulously carved with great favor from God. Even a woman like Lu Xiang could not help but feel jealous when she saw it.
His temperament was aloof and cold, but his cold face was filled with a lively smile that captivated everyone.
Standing in front of Lu Xiang, he handed her a carved mahogany brocade box and said, "There will be a banquet in the palace on New Year's Eve. I'm afraid I won't be able to attend, so I'm here to give you a New Year's gift in advance."
Lu Xiang stared blankly at the thing in Chu Jinyan's hand.
Chu Jinyan opened the box, revealing a pair of crystal clear emerald green jade bracelets inside.
"My mother left me many good things, but some of them cannot be worn by you for the time being. This pair of jade bracelets is relatively low-key. Father said that my mother liked it very much back then."
"The things of the late queen are too valuable. I..."
Chu Jinyan didn't wait for Lu Xiang to finish, and forcefully took out the bracelet and put it on Lu Xiang's hand: "The jade bracelet she likes is worn on the hand of the girl I like. The spirit of the queen mother in heaven must like you very much."
Lu Xiang lowered her eyes, and a faint blush appeared on her pretty face.
She touched the jade bracelet gently. It felt cool to the touch, but her heart was burning.
After a while, she turned around and walked to the bed, took out a purse from under the pillow and handed it to Chu Jinyan.
Chu Jinyan's eyes lit up slightly, and he took the purse: "Did you make this yourself?"
The precious gold brocade is embroidered with green bamboo and outlined with silver thread. It is low-key yet exquisite.
Lu Xiang chuckled and nodded.
Chu Jinyan readily took off the purse on his body, put on the one Lu Xiang made for him, and curled his lips in satisfaction.
Suddenly, he said, "My belt doesn't seem to match this purse."
Hearing this, Lu Xiang glared at him helplessly and changed the subject: "Did you set the fire in the Imperial College tonight?"
Chu Jinyan sat down, took the tea from Lu Xiang's hand and took a sip.
Lu Xiang stared.
"No, Sheng Xian put it there."
Lu Xiang: “…”
Is there any difference?
"Your action is too risky. I heard that the emperor is furious this time. If he knew it was your plan, I'm afraid he wouldn't forgive you easily. Your Highness, it's not worth it."
Lu Xiang looked at Chu Jinyan with a hint of worry in his eyes.
He has the emperor's favor, which gives him the capital to compete with other princes. If he makes the emperor dissatisfied, it would be even more difficult for him to sit on the throne of the crown prince.
He has only been back in the capital for a year. Even if he has established a network of contacts, it is not as solid as the ones that the Second Prince and others have built up over the years in the capital.
For her, it's not worth it.
Chu Jinyan reached out and rubbed Lu Xiang's head hard, as if he was deliberately angry, and rubbed several strands of Lu Xiang's hair until they were frizzy: "Don't say such things again in the future. Whether it's worth it or not, I have the final say."
"Besides, Xiao Muheng is Prime Minister Liu's son-in-law and has such a close relationship with Prime Minister Liu. How could I let him get involved in the court? This is just the beginning. To suppress Xiao Muheng is to suppress Prime Minister Liu. This time, even the Imperial College's chief priest cannot escape unscathed."
The forces behind his brothers should not be underestimated. Among them, the Liu Party is the most powerful. Its disciples are spread all over the court, and even his father does not dare to touch him easily.
Moreover, he only burned down an empty school, which could be rebuilt after being destroyed. His father took the opportunity to extort money from Xiao Muheng, and he must be hiding somewhere and secretly enjoying himself now.
…
On New Year's Eve, the entire capital city was filled with the atmosphere of the Chinese New Year, and all the major mansions became busy from early in the morning.
However, there was a sense of low pressure in the sky above the Xiao Mansion. The servants in the mansion were all so tense that they even walked in silence and dared not make any sound.
There is no joyful atmosphere, only a gloomy atmosphere.
After a night of coma, Xiao Muheng woke up in the morning. When he moved, he pulled the wound on his back and gasped in pain.
The room was silent, no one was there.
"Someone come here." As soon as he spoke, his voice was hoarse.
A maid pushed the door open, glanced at Xiao Muheng lying on the bed, and without waiting for him to speak, she let out a scream, then turned and ran away.
Xiao Muheng: "..."
Then, the maid's voice was heard shouting: "Madam, Madam, the young master has woken up."
Soon, Liu Anyao walked into the room, her pretty face with a cold expression, and stood at the head of the bed looking at him: "My husband is awake, how do you feel?"
Xiao Muheng frowned and said, "Water."
Liu Anyao glanced at Shuhua, who turned around, poured a glass of water, and served it to Xiao Muheng.
After drinking a full cup, the dry pain in my throat was slightly relieved.
"Is my injury serious?" Xiao Muheng asked.
Liu Anyao said: "You were beaten by the Imperial Guards. You are lucky to be alive. It will take at least a month for you to get out of bed and walk. Your leg was crushed by the charred pillar. Although the bone is not broken, a large area of your skin is burned. It will leave a scar after it heals."
There was a coldness in Xiao Muheng's eyes, but he was not too surprised.
As long as he is not disabled, his injuries will heal sooner or later.
What’s hateful is that he was beaten and lost all his money, but he was still dismissed from office. He was also ruthlessly deprived of his fame and honor by Emperor Chengde and was never allowed to enter the court for life.
How could this make him such a high-ranking official?
Liu Anyao sat down on the embroidery stool beside her, looked at Xiao Muheng expressionlessly, and said, "What on earth is wrong with you? You actually made such a stupid mistake."
Xiao Muheng was filled with resentment and did not notice the impatience in Liu Anyao's eyes.
He pounded the bed with his fist: "I was framed."
Liu Anyao was suddenly shocked: "Who framed you?"
Xiao Muheng said, "I don't know. Think about it. No matter how ridiculous I am, I can't drink in the Imperial College. I even went to the academy on purpose. I was on duty last night, sorting out documents, and I don't know how I fell asleep. I was awakened by the pain. When I woke up, I was already in the fire. Because of my leg injury, I almost escaped death."
He also wanted to know who had framed him.
The man knocked him unconscious and threw him into the sea of fire, not caring whether he lived or died. If he had not woken up and escaped halfway, he would probably have been a charred corpse by now.
By then, no one would sympathize with him and help him find out the cause of death. They would just think that he deserved the bad luck.
"Who has the guts to burn down the Imperial College?" Liu Anyao looked at Xiao Muheng in amazement.
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