Yan Jue slowly raised her eyes: "What do you want to say?"
He doesn't even care about his own life or death, so how could he care about the life or death of others?
Shen Tangning stared straight at him: "I had someone bring His Highness's wet nurse, Granny Yu, from Luocheng."
A flicker of emotion finally appeared on Yan Jue's calm face. He glared at her sharply and said, word by word, "Shen Tangning, you're courting death."
"Your Highness, rest assured, my men did not make things difficult for her, but asked her a few questions." Despite being looked at like that, Shen Tangning was not afraid at all; she even smiled.
"Your Highness has lived in Luocheng since childhood, and you must have heard many things about the past from Granny Yu, right? It's not surprising that Your Highness respects her, after all, she is an old servant of Your Highness's mother."
Yan Jue's face was cold and stern, his eyes devoid of any warmth: "What exactly do you want to say?"
Shen Tangning's smile faded: "What if, from the very beginning, Granny Yu was His Majesty's person?"
Yan Jue's breath hitched, and her eyelashes trembled a few times.
She had never met Granny Yu before. On the way here, she learned the general situation from Yuan Zhao, so she quickly deduced the general course of events by guessing and piecing together clues.
Even before the fourth prince was born, Emperor Chongde had already become wary of the Xie family. He personally planted this potential threat for the empress and the crown prince, showing a ruthlessness that belied his role as a husband and father, but rather that of a qualified emperor.
But how innocent are they?
She stood in the cold wind, the fierce wind blowing in through her collar, her forehead burning, her voice hoarse. She was actually feeling a little dizzy, but she still maintained her composure, gazing at Yan Jue with a subtle look of sympathy:
"Your Highness, you probably never imagined that even your hatred would be part of someone else's schemes, that even your hatred would be someone else's bargaining chip."
These words were cold and almost cruel, like a sharp knife piercing his heart.
Yan Jue took two deep breaths, barely managing to pull himself out of that suffocating state, and coldly looked at her: "Shut up!"
Shen Tangning paused, then lowered her eyes: "I just feel that Your Highness's life has been so difficult, at least... you shouldn't hate the wrong person."
——
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Yan Xingzhou lay on the ground, a sword wound in his chest inflicted by Yan Huai.
Knowing the situation was dire, he desperately took Emperor Chongde hostage, which prompted Yan Huai to make his move.
Emperor Chongde brushed the wrinkles off his shoulders, sat up straight, glanced at Yan Huai, and praised, "Well done."
He used to think that his eldest son was too indecisive. Even if they were brothers, if they threatened his personal interests, he should not hesitate to abandon them.
Yan Xingzhou stared in shock at his effortless movements, his heart filled with horror. It took him a long time to recover his senses: "You two teamed up to put on an act and deceive me?"
Emperor Chongde glanced at him as if bestowing a handout, his expression indifferent: "Xingzhou, people must pay the price for their actions. The victor is king, the loser is villain. What do you say?"
Yan Xingzhou's eyes were unfocused, as if he had already foreseen his fate, and he let out a few bitter laughs.
Emperor Chongde's gaze swept over Yan Mingyi, deepening, before settling back on Yan Huai: "Having gone through this test, your father believes you are indeed a qualified heir. Before your father passes the throne to you, you will face one last test."
Yan Mingyi looked up as if she sensed something, only to see her brother, the emperor, say without hesitation: "Kill her."
Following his gaze, Yan Huai looked at Yan Mingyi and slowly asked, "Father wants me to kill my aunt? But my aunt just helped me save His Majesty."
Emperor Chongde's face darkened: "The Eldest Princess harbors wolfish ambitions. Your Qianlin Guard is already on its way, isn't it?"
Yan Mingyi curled her lips in amusement, but before she could utter a sound, Yan Huai's warm voice rang out:
"If I kill my aunt, will I be next?"
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