Ruixiang’s corpse lay on the ground. Qingfeng stepped forward, pulled out the sword, and without even bothering to clean it, sheathed it directly.
Then he looked at Xiao Yunting. “Your Highness, how should the body be handled?”
The Crown Princess was also looking at Xiao Yunting.
Xiao Yunting curled his lips coldly. “Send it directly to the main hall. Ask my royal father to deal with it. Tell him that this wretched woman poisoned the Crown Princess and was caught by this Imperial Grandson in the act. Her crime is unforgivable. Let him dispose of her.”
The Crown Princess trembled slightly.
Xiao Yunting sat beside her and comforted her in a low voice.
“Royal Mother, someone like this remaining by your side would have been the greatest hidden danger. Don’t be sad. Such a person isn’t worth your grief.”
He hardly dared imagine what the Crown Prince might have ordered Ruixiang to do to the Crown Princess if he had gone to the northwest and truly uncovered evidence favorable to the Lu family.
The Crown Princess naturally understood this as well. “I know.”
Though frightened, she still tried to keep her voice steady. “I’m only heartsick. I never imagined that someone who had accompanied me for so many years would also harbor other intentions.”
There was nothing strange about that.
Ruixiang was already so old and yet had never left the palace.
What the Crown Prince had used to entice her was obvious at a glance.
After a moment’s thought, Xiao Yunting said quietly, “Royal Mother, that’s only human nature. People’s hearts change. I’ll have the Empress send two palace maids from her palace. You must be extra careful.”
The Crown Princess nodded heavily.
Meanwhile, Qingfeng had already ordered people to carry Ruixiang’s body to the Crown Prince’s main hall.
The Crown Prince had been taking his medicine. The moment he saw the corpse, he froze, then abruptly sat upright in disbelief.
“What is the meaning of this?!”
What kind of stunt was this?
Qingfeng sighed. “Your Highness, this palace maid was outrageously bold. She actually attempted to poison Her Highness the Crown Princess and was caught red-handed by His Highness the Imperial Grandson. Such a person obviously couldn’t be allowed to live, so we dealt with her.”
The Crown Prince’s expression twisted.
Veins bulged one after another on his forehead.
Through gritted teeth, he asked, “Since you’ve already dealt with her, why bring the corpse to me?”
Qingfeng looked completely innocent. “Your Highness, naturally we’re asking you to uphold justice. Look at someone like her, she attempted to murder the Crown Princess, the consort of the heir apparent. Can her death alone settle the matter? We ask Your Highness to order a thorough investigation into whether she had accomplices. Furthermore, her clan should be severely punished to serve as a warning to other wicked servants.”
Wonderful.
This wasn’t about warning other wicked servants at all.
This was about warning him, the Crown Prince.
Good.
Very good.
That little beast Xiao Yunting.
That b*stard.
Excellent indeed.
His wings had truly grown strong.
Excellent!
The Crown Prince practically squeezed the words out between his teeth. “I understand. She will certainly not be treated lightly.”
Qingfeng cupped his hands. “Your Highness is truly fair and impartial. His Highness the Imperial Grandson will soon be traveling far away, so the Crown Princess’s safety will have to rely on Your Highness’s careful attention. After all, if even someone like this traitor could emerge from Her Highness’s own household, then with the Imperial Grandson absent, who knows how many more demons and monsters might appear…”
The implication was clear: the Crown Prince himself was the chief culprit.
The Crown Prince was so furious he almost laughed.
He desperately suppressed his emotions.
He knew his own condition better than anyone.
The earlier talk of a stroke had been somewhat exaggerated.
But the imperial physicians had indeed warned him that he must not experience excessive emotional fluctuations.
Otherwise, he truly could suffer a stroke.
He absolutely could not let this unfilial son anger him to death.
With a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, he said, “Rest assured. The Crown Princess is my lawful wife. Naturally, I will not allow anything to happen to her.”
Qingfeng immediately knelt and kowtowed. “Then many thanks to Your Highness. With that, our Imperial Grandson can travel with peace of mind.”
The Crown Prince endured it until Qingfeng left.
Then he suddenly smashed his medicine bowl to the floor.
How could a man be this unlucky?!
Were the Xiao ancestors biased as well?
Why was all their protection reserved for Xiao Yunting?
Why did everything he tried end in failure?!
Duke Cheng’s estate had been destroyed.
Wen Mingfeng and the entire Wen family had died cleanly.
Then Ren Ming had vanished without even a corpse remaining.
And now, even Ruixiang, the deepest spy planted beside the Crown Princess, had been uprooted with ease!
Who had done it?!
Xiao Yunting hadn’t discovered her for all these years, so how had he suddenly found out right before leaving?
At that moment, Qingfeng was also reporting the Crown Prince’s reaction to Xiao Yunting.
Then he quietly asked, “Your Highness, how did Miss Tian know about Ruixiang?”
It was truly frightening.
Ruixiang had been a spy, yet even Xiao Yunting hadn’t discovered it.
How had Tian Jinglan known?
Xiao Yunting had already considered the question. Hearing Qingfeng ask, he replied calmly, “Who in this palace is truly simple? Besides, she grew up beside Grand Empress Dowager Tian. Back when the Empress’s authority was little more than an empty shell, the Grand Empress Dowager effectively controlled the entire inner palace.”
Tian Jinglan had been favored by the Grand Empress Dowager.
Knowing some palace secrets was nothing unusual.
Still, the fact that she possessed such scheming abilities proved she was far from the detached, chrysanthemum-like woman she appeared to be.
He tapped his fingers lightly against the table. “Select a jeweled headdress from Royal Mother’s treasury and send it to Miss Tian. Tell her that Royal Mother likes her and is rewarding her with a gift.”
Qingfeng immediately relaxed. “Understood.”
Yes, yes.
It really was best to send it in the Crown Princess’s name.
That was the most appropriate approach.
When Tian Jinglan received the gift, she merely glanced at it before a faint smile appeared on her lips.
“Put it away,” she instructed her maid.
Ruhua looked puzzled. “Miss, His Highness the Imperial Grandson sent you such a valuable gift. Why don’t you seem very happy?”
“Silly girl.” Tian Jinglan laughed softly. “Though the gift is valuable, there’s no sentiment behind it. It’s merely a reward. Since it’s only a reward, what’s there to be happy about?”
A reward meant that Xiao Yunting was standing above her, looking down from a position of superiority and bestowing a reward upon her.
He did not regard her assistance as a personal favor.
Nor did he have any special feelings toward her.
This was simply repayment.
Why would she care about something like that?
Coldly, she repeated, “Put it away.”
It didn’t matter.
Everything had to be done slowly.
She had patience.
In life, intelligence wasn’t always the most important thing.
More often, the deciding factor was who possessed greater patience.
And patience happened to be the thing she had most of all.
This was only the beginning.
One day, she would make Xiao Yunting see clearly that she alone was worthy of his attention.
She would make him understand that Qi Yuan was not the only unique woman in the world.
There were women even more extraordinary than Qi Yuan.
Everything Qi Yuan could do, she could do as well.
And the things Qi Yuan couldn’t do, she could do too.
Just wait and see.
In the end, everyone would learn who was truly capable of standing beside Xiao Yunting until the very last moment.
Ruhua listened in confusion.
She didn’t fully understand what Tian Jinglan meant, but since her mistress had spoken, she hurried off to put the gift away.
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