Seeing him here, Shen Tangning inexplicably calmed down, her gaze settling on him:
"No, I'm here to see you, Fourth Prince."
Yan Jue's gaze froze, and he squinted at her, seemingly disbelieving: "Oh? What do you want with me?"
He didn't think they were that close.
She took two steps forward and said calmly, "I've come to persuade Your Highness to turn back from your misguided path."
Yan Jue pondered the word for a moment, then smiled enigmatically: "Does Madam Chi see herself as a savior?"
He looked up and saw that her expression hadn't changed. His gaze sharpened. "Tell me, what do you know?"
Several steps away, Shen Tangning looked up at him, calmly scrutinizing him: "I know that Your Highness and His Majesty have reached some kind of agreement."
Yan Jue's eyes showed a subtle change, and then she paused slightly, her tone finally revealing a hint of emotion, "Today, everyone will die here."
This includes the Third Prince, the Eldest Princess, and even... the Crown Prince.
All of this was a scheme set up by Emperor Chongde, and each of them was a pawn.
She should have realized this much earlier. Emperor Chongde was cautious and suspicious; how could he be easily controlled by the Third Prince?
That day, she sneaked into the Hall of Mental Cultivation and, while pouring out the medicine, noticed that the orchid leaves were withered and yellow, and she vaguely felt that something was wrong.
Looking back now, it's clear that His Majesty knew the medicine was problematic all along, and even if Shen Tangning hadn't thrown it away, he wouldn't have drunk it.
Furthermore, even with the Third Prince's spies everywhere in the palace, she managed to sneak into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, obtain Emperor Chongde's token, and the entire process went smoothly from beginning to end.
That was a token that could mobilize the garrison. She reached out and asked for it, and His Majesty gave it to her without the slightest hesitation, entrusting her life to someone else.
Of course, because he was in control of the situation from beginning to end.
Even if the Crown Prince brings in the garrison troops, so what?
They always obeyed His Majesty's orders.
Yan Jue scrutinized Shen Tangning for the first time, the smile on his lips fading: "You know quite a lot."
She looked at the fourth prince in front of her and gave a slight smile: "Unfortunately, it's still too late."
She failed to notice the connection between the Fourth Prince and His Majesty in time.
Under the emperor's nose, how could the fourth prince, who had been running Qingyu Workshop and developing his own power for so many years, not have been noticed by His Majesty at all?
She suddenly remembered the antique forgery case that had been left unresolved. Liu Yifu had originally planned to investigate it thoroughly, and with his abilities, he might have been able to trace it back to the Fourth Prince. However, a very hasty false accusation led to his imprisonment and removed him from the case.
As a result, the officials who took over the case later treated it perfunctorily.
Who has such great power to cover for the Fourth Prince?
Shen Tangning closed her eyes briefly, then opened them to meet Yan Jue's cold gaze: "You are indeed clever, but as you said, it's too late. Are you trying to shake a tree by being here like an ant?"
His tone carried a faint hint of mockery, as if he were mocking her futile struggle.
“How will we know if we don’t try?” She looked at him with a stubborn gaze. “Your Highness should know that each of us, including you, is a pawn in His Majesty’s hands.”
Her voice was slightly hoarse and cold, carried by the chilly wind, "But even a pawn has the right to know the truth."
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