A few days later, she received a message from the palace—
With Consort Rou's birthday approaching, His Majesty plans to hold a grand celebration, which all officials of the fifth rank and above are welcome to attend, and she is among those invited.
Shen Tangning stared at the post with her eyes down, remaining silent for a long time.
Seeing this, Xueqing hesitated, "Miss, do you not want to go?"
"Go." She composed herself, a barely perceptible sneer appearing on her face. "Put it away."
...
After nearly three months of recuperation, Yan Xingzhou's injuries have mostly healed.
A cold, sneer surfaced in his eyes: "Father Emperor so easily pardoned him for such a crime?"
Those below dared not utter a sound, knowing that the person he was referring to was the Crown Prince.
After the Crown Prince was released from confinement as a result of misfortune, Yan Xingzhou remained uneasy: "I think he clearly orchestrated this whole thing; he might have started this fire!"
Otherwise, with such a large fire, how could there have been no casualties in the Eastern Palace, and how could Yan Huai have gotten such a great advantage?
There's something strange about this, but Father Emperor just won't investigate. What about all the suffering he endured?
A dark anger welled up in his eyes as he recalled Emperor Chongde's indifference these past few days, and his pent-up emotions surged even higher.
His father verbally agreed that he was the emperor's preferred successor, but what was the reality?
Not only did he not gain any benefit, he was also forced to lose his status and had to hide like a rat in a gutter, as if he couldn't stand the light of day!
Is this really for his own good?
Someone cautiously explained, "It's not surprising, really. His Highness the Crown Prince is the heir apparent, and His Majesty can't keep him locked up forever."
This remark caused a major blunder. Yan Xingzhou glanced at him and said, "Just because he's the Crown Prince? Does that mean I'm inferior to him in every way?"
The man turned pale and knelt down with a thud: "Your Highness... I had no such intention!"
He was shouting so loudly that Yan Xingzhou glared at him and said, "Shut up!"
The man dared not utter a sound, shrinking his head to minimize his presence.
Someone else chimed in, "Your Highness, is the plan for the palace banquet a few days from now still in effect?"
"Everything as usual." Yan Xingzhou's face was somber.
Someone bowed as they entered: "Your Highness, Huo Xian has arrived."
He frowned immediately: "Why is he here at this time?"
He quickly remembered something. That's right, Chi Yan left the capital today.
Huo Xian entered with his head bowed and respectfully greeted, "Greetings, Your Highness."
Yan Xingzhou raised his eyes and stared at him, his expression slightly impatient: "What is it?"
Huo Xian raised his head, his eyes slightly hesitant: "Your Highness instructed me to keep an eye on Chi Yan's movements, and I have noticed something unusual."
Upon hearing this, Yan Xingzhou perked up and looked at him suspiciously: "What's wrong?"
Huo Xian stepped forward and took out a secret letter from his pocket, presenting it to him: "This is what I found in Chi Yan's study. The contents of this letter..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yan Xingzhou impatiently tore open the letter, quickly scanned its contents, and immediately gasped, blurting out:
"What is he investigating me for?"
The document contains detailed records of his life and past, as well as those of several officials who were very close to him…
In a flash, many guesses flashed through his mind—
Could it be that Chi Yan had already discovered he wasn't dead?
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