"Mother, that woman was definitely not sent by me," Concubine Xiao and the third prince stepped into the inner hall of Changchun Palace and closed the door.
"The medicine given by my mother is still in the hands of the person arranged by me, and it has not been administered yet." The third prince said cautiously.
"Then this matter was most likely done by the eldest prince. He wanted to kill two birds with one stone, killing the prince and framing his son. Humph, what a good plan..." The third prince sneered.
"Pei'er, you should quickly send someone to investigate the identity of that girl, and also send someone to observe secretly to prevent any further trouble." Concubine Xiao said seriously.
"Yes, mother. I'll do it right away." The third prince said with a bow.
"Wait, there is one more thing. Rumors are spreading everywhere in the capital. I want to write a letter to your grandfather and ask him to make plans as soon as possible so that we can have a response plan." Concubine Xiao continued.
"Yes, mother. I will do it right away. It's just a matter of writing a letter... Right now is the critical moment, and I'm afraid it will cause unnecessary trouble." The third prince said with some concern.
"It's okay. I know what to do. You just need to do as I say." Concubine Xiao waved her hand, indicating that the third prince didn't need to worry.
"Your son obeys your command!" The third prince responded respectfully, then turned and left the inner hall.
Concubine Xiao picked up a piece of paper and pen and wrote a letter in a flamboyant style. However, she did not know that at this moment, the letter she wrote could no longer leave the palace, let alone reach the hands of the person she wanted to send it to.
On the other side, the eldest prince was sitting alone in the sky prison. He slowly squatted down, put his lips close to Jian Die's ear, and whispered: "You have followed this prince for many years, and this prince has never treated you unfairly. This time is your last mission. Don't worry, I will send someone to take good care of your family. You just need to hold on to the third prince tightly." After the eldest prince finished speaking, he gently stuffed a pill into Jian Die's mouth: "This medicine can save your life for three days, but you will definitely die after three days. I hope you don't let this prince down." After the eldest prince finished speaking, he stood up, clapped his hands gently, wiped the blood off his hands with a handkerchief, and then turned and left expressionlessly.
The Emperor had already sent the Crown Prince back to the Eastern Palace. Zi Yan and Qi Yue were extremely worried because he had been unconscious and they didn't know when he would wake up. However, they were puzzled to see that the Crown Princess didn't seem too worried, but they didn't think much of it. She simply instructed them to take care of the Crown Prince herself for the next few days.
The next day, the Grand Court Minister reported to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, yesterday's notice in the capital was a rumour that someone was colluding with Xiliang to spread rumors detrimental to the Crown Prince. I have apprehended several of those who posted the notices. They were paid to do their work and were unaware of the other party's identities. A careful investigation has revealed that unidentified individuals have recently entered the capital, and they are likely spies from Xiliang."
The emperor frowned and said, "These spies from Xiliang are truly despicable! How dare they create chaos in our capital! Have you found any clues?"
The Dali Temple Minister replied, "Your Majesty, we have not yet found any concrete evidence, but I will continue to investigate and will not let any suspicious person go."
The emperor nodded and said, "Alright, I'll leave this matter to you. You must thoroughly investigate this matter and not let those Xiliang spies go unpunished! Also, regarding the Crown Prince's poisoning, we must intensify our investigation and uncover the mastermind behind it."
The Minister of the Dali Temple responded respectfully: "Yes, Your Majesty. I will do my best to solve the case as soon as possible." Then he left the palace and began to track down the whereabouts of the Xiliang spy.
A day later, the Third Prince had discovered Jian Die's true identity. Born in a remote village, Jian Die's family was extremely poor. She was a member of a family of six, including her parents and five siblings. Due to the heavy financial burden and immense pressures of life, Jian Die's parents decided to sell her to a seventy-year-old man, making her his twentieth concubine. This was a nightmare for young Jian Die, and she vehemently opposed the arrangement, but her parents pressed her. Faced with this predicament, Jian Die felt despair, believing her life was about to be ruined, and ultimately decided to jump into a river to end her life. Fortunately, the First Prince happened by and rescued her. Jian Die expressed her immense gratitude for the First Prince's life-saving grace and pledged to follow him for the rest of his life. However, she had no idea that another abyss awaited her.
Three days had passed, and the Crown Prince remained in a coma. The eldest prince informed the Emperor that Jian Die was willing to reveal the truth. The Emperor decided to interrogate Jian Die himself, his voice filled with authority and anger: "Tell me! Who sent you to poison the Crown Prince?"
Jian Die's life was hanging by a thread, her breath barely fading, yet she forced herself open, her bewildered gaze fixed on the Crown Prince. She gazed deeply into his gaze, her eyes seemingly filled with a thousand words. Yet, even that single glance sent the Crown Prince into a state of panic, fearing something unexpected might happen. Without hesitation, he placed his foot on Jian Die's back, urging her, "The Emperor is questioning you. Confess the truth now!"
Jian Die spat out blood under the First Prince's stomping, but a smile played on her lips. She raised her hand with difficulty and pointed at the Third Prince. Seeing this, the First Prince felt a heavy weight lifted from his heart. But at this moment, Jian Die used up her last bit of strength, pointed her finger at the First Prince, and said to the Emperor in a voice so weak it was almost inaudible, "Your Majesty, I poisoned His Royal Highness at the First Prince's behest. I am the First Prince's servant. Please, Your Majesty, have mercy and forgive my family..."
The third prince showed a smug smile. Fortunately, after he learned of Jian Die's identity, he secretly went to the Heavenly Prison and used his eloquence to tell Jian Die that the eldest prince had been using and sacrificing her all these years, and she did not know how to judge people well. Moreover, to be on the safe side, the eldest prince would definitely kill her family afterwards. He swore to protect her family, and fearing that she would not believe him, he specially let her meet her family.
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