Xiao Jin looked at the pale face of the Fifth Prince and couldn’t say anything.
She spoke slowly, “Actually, even if you hadn’t told him the meaning of the sachet, blood jade, and Princess Qing’s preference for colorful flowers, if someone wanted to kill Prince Shen, they would still find other ways.”
The Fifth Prince whispered, “Yes, Third Brother, you’re right. When the ruler wants the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die.”
In the scorching summer, upon hearing these words, Xiao Jin’s palms were slightly sweaty. The Fifth Prince knew quite a lot.
However, Xiao Jin had to maintain her composure on the surface and stared into the Fifth Prince’s eyes as she asked, “Why does Father want to deal with Prince Shen?”
The Fifth Prince fell silent for a moment, lowered his gaze to his disabled left hand, and answered softly, “Because Prince Shen secretly allied himself with Aunt Zhao Yang. The implications are self-evident. Furthermore…”
“Furthermore?” Xiao Jin asked.
“Recently, there has been a rumor circulating in the streets…” The Fifth Prince hesitated for a while, as if finding it difficult to bring up, before lowering his voice and saying, “…saying that the Empress has been unfaithful to Father and had a relationship with Prince Shen in the past.”
At this point, Xiao Jin was speechless.
Why create suspense at such a critical moment? Can’t he just finish speaking at once?
Perhaps this rumor was too difficult to mention, and after much hesitation, the Fifth Prince finally said, “It started with one or two people spreading rumors, but in the past few days, it has been spreading more and more. It is said that the common people are discussing this after-dinner. However, someone took action to suppress it yesterday, and it gradually calmed down.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jin furrowed her brow because even though this matter might not be significant, it was not insignificant either.
However, Ye Suyu and Ye Juege hadn’t mentioned it to her.
Could it be that they were involved in spreading these rumors? If that were the case, and if Ye Suyu and Ye Juege were involved in fueling the rumors, it was probably to help her rather than harm her.
But being kept in the dark by her own people didn’t feel good.
Initially, Xiao Jin felt a bit upset about this matter. But then she thought that Princess Zhao Yang and the Ye sisters probably believed that she was on the Crown Prince’s side, so they concealed it from her in this matter.
If that were the case, it was understandable.
However, she still had a sense of being manipulated.
Considering this, Xiao Jin said indifferently, “So Prince Shen really has to die.”
The Fifth Prince sighed and a trace of hidden pain appeared on his face. “It’s a difficult order from the ruler. Although I cherish the kindness that Princess Shen showed me in the past, I can’t reveal too much to Prince Shen. I can only indirectly remind him that there are often wild beasts in the forest and he should bring more guards for his own safety.”
“He did bring guards, but they are all cowardly and useless,” Xiao Jin cut to the chase, speaking without any mercy.
Then, thinking that the Fifth Prince had revealed so much to her, she changed the subject slightly and offered some consolation, “By informing Prince Shen of the danger, you have done all you can. Don’t blame yourself too much.”
Little did she know, the Fifth Prince responded with a self-deprecating smile and whispered, “Even what you call a ‘noble act’ is part of the Crown Prince’s calculations.”
Xiao Jin was taken aback.
The Fifth Prince directly mentioned the Crown Prince without beating around the bush?
In fact, the Fifth Prince had been holding back for a long time, and the internal conflicts and pain within him were now expressed in his words. “Third Brother, in my childhood, my mother was not favored, and as a result, the people in the palace also looked down on me. At that time, Cocunbine Mu was highly favored, and even Fourth Brother would scold and treat me like a servant. Although I felt wronged, I never resisted.”
“Because I knew that some people are born superior, and people like me, even if we appear to be the same as Fourth Brother on the surface, both being the Emperor’s children, there is still a distinction between the noble and the lowly. We are not the same.”
Xiao Jin sneered, “Indeed, you are not the same. Compared to Fourth Brother, you are undoubtedly a thousand times better.”
[Ding! Favorability level with the Fifth Prince +30]
“…?” Hearing this mechanical sound and seeing the grateful look in the Fifth Prince’s eyes, Xiao Jin had a sudden suspicion. Did he misunderstand something?
She really wasn’t trying to console the Fifth Prince; she was just speaking the truth.
The Fifth Prince continued, “Thank you for comforting me, Third Brother. Actually, I’m not fixated on the past. I just hate my own cowardly nature.”
Xiao Jin looked at the Fifth Prince expressionlessly. “You don’t need to belittle yourself. Many people are more cowardly than you. You have already done what you can.”
After saying this, Xiao Jin suddenly felt a bit skeptical about life. What was she doing here? Wasn’t she here to fish for information? How did she end up giving him advice?
The fact proved that although the Fifth Prince possessed many good qualities of a normal person, he genuinely enjoyed having heart-to-heart conversations.
After a long preamble, he finally got to the main point: “The Crown Prince knows my temperament well and knows that I am not a brave person. If it had been a coincidence that Qing’er was scratched by a white tiger while holding flowers, I might not have suspected anything or gone to save Prince Shen.”
“But when I saw that white tiger chasing after Prince Shen, constantly trying to grab his sachet with its front claws, I finally understood that it was I who had caused harm to their family.”
After hearing this, Xiao Jin finally understood why the Fifth Prince chose to step forward and save Prince Shen at that moment. It was because only then did he realize that he had been manipulated.
What else could Xiao Jin say? She could only say, “Everyone has times when they are not in control. He used your guilt and kindness to manipulate you, so the fault lies with him, not you.”
In reality, she also wanted to criticize. Was this what a neglected child was like? How could he pour out so much to someone he just met? No wonder he was caught by the Crown Prince and used against her.
At the same time, Xiao Jin deeply missed Chu Shao.
If it were Chu Shao here, after hearing the Fifth Prince ramble on for so long, she would have probably grown impatient and pulled out her dagger to silence him.
Perhaps by passing on the annoyance to someone else, one could get rid of their own troubles.
The Fifth Prince had gained a lot of insight and forced a somewhat strained smile on his face, saying, “Actually, I understand that people are always like this. No matter what they choose, they will eventually regret it. So, I try not to think about the past anymore. Everything will pass.”
The Fifth Prince raised his right hand and brushed over the bloodstains on the bandages of his left hand. “Sacrificing this hand in exchange for a lifetime of peace and tranquility isn’t too much of a loss. Besides, I injured my left hand, so I can still read and paint with my right hand. It’s a fortunate thing.”
“…,” Xiao Jin remained silent, thinking that if I had known you were so accepting, why did I bother to console you?
The Fifth Prince smiled and continued, “So, the main reason I talked to you about all this is to tell you one thing, Third Brother.”
Xiao Jin asked, “What is it?”
“Third Brother, based on my experience, you need to be careful with the Crown Prince. He… is not a good person to associate with.”
“I know.” To the Fifth Prince’s surprise, Xiao Jin seemed to have been cautious of the Crown Prince for a long time and answered decisively.
The Fifth Prince was taken aback. Could it be that in these years, Third Brother and the Crown Prince had already had a falling out and were no longer as close as they used to be?
After years of campaigning on the battlefield, he always felt like he had missed out on a lot of things. But he couldn’t help but ask, “Has Third Brother already seen through the true nature of the Crown Prince? But when the Crown Prince ordered me to conquer the Quzhao Country, he entrusted the entire arrangement to you. At that time, I didn’t notice… uh, has a rift formed between the two older brothers?”
The Fifth Prince undoubtedly dropped a bombshell.
Xiao Jin furrowed her brow. “Are you saying that the plan to attack the Quzhao Country was the Crown Prince’s doing?”
The Fifth Prince was also taken aback and hesitated for a moment before saying, “At the time, I thought so, but if there is any other information, then I must have misunderstood.”
However, no matter how the Fifth Prince explained it, Xiao Jin finally understood everything.
No wonder even though she had no contact with the Crown Prince and disliked him, these people still labeled her as part of the Crown Prince’s faction and came to advise her not to trust him.
It turned out that the original owner’s character setting was deeply ingrained, and everyone even doubted that she would oppose the Crown Prince.
The Fifth Prince noticed that Xiao Jin’s expression was off and tried to smooth things over. “No wonder His Highness the Crown Prince has been investigating your leg condition recently. It seems like he has doubts about your legs, and it turns out that it’s not just the Crown Prince suspecting Third Brother, but you’re also wary of him.”
Boom!
Another bombshell fell from the sky.
Xiao Jin made an effort to maintain a composed expression and asked, “What doubts does he have about my legs?”
The Fifth Prince said, “Actually, it’s not just His Highness the Crown Prince who has doubts about your legs. Since your eye condition improved, even Father Emperor thought that perhaps one day your legs would also recover.”
“…,” Xiao Jin asked, “Does fixing a cabinet mean that she can definitely repair a broken mirror?”
This kind of associative reasoning was almost pushing the Earth to the edge of the moon.
The Fifth Prince sighed, “So, I speculated wrongly. During the hunting event, the position where Third Sister-in-law stood was arranged next to Qing’er, probably to test if you would reveal yourself in a moment of urgency to save the Princess.”
“Reveal myself?” Xiao Jin found it amusing. “Are you suggesting that they tested whether I would stand up from the wheelchair in a moment of urgency to save the Princess?”
The Fifth Prince remained silent.
Xiao Jin smiled. “I couldn’t stand up from the wheelchair, which truly disappointed Father Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince.”
The rumors among the common people were definitely false.
These two were so scheming that they couldn’t be considered father and son at all.
The Fifth Prince looked at Xiao Jin’s disabled legs and treated her as a destitute person. He moved his lips and whispered, “Third Brother, you need to be careful. The Crown Prince has been investigating someone recently.”
“Who is he investigating?” Xiao Jin asked.
The Fifth Prince replied, “The former head of the Royal Medical Institute, Bai Lidan.”
When Xiao Jin heard Bai Lidan’s name, she wasn’t too surprised.
After all, the old man had appeared multiple times, and she was now familiar with him. She just found a key phrase in the conversation: “Bai Lidan was the former head of the Royal Medical Institute?”
Bai Lidan had appeared on the stage during Emperor Taizong’s reign, and even the original owner might not have known that he was the former head of the Royal Medical Institute.
So Xiao Jin dared to speak up and ask.
The Fifth Prince nodded. “Cocunbine Mother told me that Bai Lidan was highly favored by Grandfather Emperor, but when Father Emperor ascended the throne, he replaced the head of the Royal Medical Institute with Bai Lidan’s brother, Bai Liyan. It was said that Bai Lidan excelled in poisons, while Bai Liyan excelled in medicine, making him more suitable for the palace.”
In the end, Emperor Qi’s behavior was a typical case of burning bridges after crossing the river.
Bai Lidan had indeed contributed to causing chaos in the Yao Country, but he was then expelled from the Royal Medical Institute by Emperor Qi.
In theory, Bai Lidan had already lost his usefulness.
Why would the male lead investigate him?
The Fifth Prince seemed to perceive Xiao Jin’s doubts and continued, “Third Brother, Cocunbine Mother also told me one thing… When the Empress was pregnant, it should have been Bai Lidan who was responsible for her prenatal care. So…”
After hearing this, Xiao Jin ran her fingers along the wheelchair’s armrest and laughed after a while. “I see. But even if the Crown Prince wants to find evidence against me through Bai Lidan, it seems highly unlikely.”
“Why do you say that, Third Brother?”
Xiao Jin smiled but didn’t speak.
Firstly, because she currently had Bai Lidan in her hands. Secondly, with the presence of the intelligence system’s intellectual suppression, even if the Crown Prince noticed something, no one would believe him.
It seems she needs to investigate Bai Lidan, this old man.
He must be extraordinary.
….
After leaving the tent, Xiao Jin didn’t see any guards around her. Only a unfamiliar little maid walked up to her, bowed, and whispered, “Your Highness, because you and the Fifth Prince were having a conversation inside, our Lady Consort withdrew the guards.”
Upon hearing the title “Lady Consort,” Xiao Jin initially thought that Chu Shao had sent someone to deliver a message to her, and she furrowed her brow, pondering what it meant to refer to someone as “our Lady Consort.”
When did Chu Shao become part of this maid’s family?
Then the maid clutched the edge of her skirt and spoke softly, “Also, our Lady Consort and the Princess went to gather materials for making lanterns, so they’re not here now.”
Xiao Jin was momentarily stunned. “The Princess left?”
The maid replied, “Yes.”
Xiao Jin sat in her wheelchair, staring blankly for a long time.
She still couldn’t accept the fact that Chu Shao had abandoned her and gone to play with other princesses.
Observing that Xiao Jin’s complexion was only slightly pale but her features were still beautiful, her elegant attire accentuating her slender and graceful neck, resembling fluttering frost and snow, the maid no longer entertained the sinister rumors from the outside world. She smiled and said, “Your Highness, don’t worry. The Princess wouldn’t leave just like that.”
Xiao Jin thought to herself, indeed, Chu Shao wouldn’t leave her alone. The maid giggled and said, “When the Princess left, she even called for Commander Ye, the sister who looks quite chic!”
What’s the use of calling for Commander Ye?
Moreover, the words spoken by this young girl seemed excessively cunning.
Feeling somewhat hurt, Xiao Jin’s tone also carried a hint of grievance. “Where is Commander Ye?”
The maid replied, “Commander Ye was just called away by Her Highness Princess Zhao Yang.”
“…”
Xiao Jin wanted to suppress her desire to laugh coldly, but she couldn’t hold it back. A light chuckle escaped her lips. “Well, now it’s just you left.”
Xiao Jin hummed with a tone word at the end, intending to create a contrasting effect.
However, upon hearing the coldness in the other party’s voice and the faint laziness conveyed by the ending tone, the maid suddenly felt a surge of excitement. In a daze, she didn’t even know what she had said.
When she snapped back to reality, the words had already slipped out of her mouth, “It’s alright, Your Highness. I’m here!”
As soon as the words fell, the maid turned pale with shock, her face turning white. How could she refer to herself as “I” in front of the Prince?
It turned out that her worries were completely unnecessary.
Because Xiao Jin didn’t pay attention to the maid’s self-reference at all. She was just silently laughing to herself, thinking, What use are you? What use is it to call me “Your Highness”?
The Princess doesn’t want me anymore.
Such a prominent princess, spending just a little time with someone, exchanging a few words, and in the blink of an eye, she runs off with someone else.
Xiao Jin lowered her eyelashes, her expression devoid of emotion, thinking to herself, how unjust she felt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator’s note: Hehe~~ You need to feel first how it feels to be abandoned so that when you abandon her, you will know what she will feel. 😌
TO BE CONTINUE…
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