"Your Highness, you are still injured. Please return to the estate for treatment at once."
He felt a deep ache in his heart for his master.
"Tell me, how much did she put in the dish? Enough to poison me to death instantly?"
The cat, perhaps because it was too small, or perhaps because she had held back, merely wanted to teach him a lesson.
Xiao Yi slightly parted his lips.
Eunuch Liu's face turned pale with fright. He immediately stepped forward to stop him, "Your Highness, you absolutely must not eat it!"
Xiao Yi's robes were already soaked with blood. He lowered his head and laughed, his laughter growing louder and louder.
Consort Liang felt restless tonight. The Crown Prince was incredibly busy, and she had sent people repeatedly to check on the palace where Tang Qingwan was resting, fearing unexpected complications.
Lady Zhao comforted her, "Your Ladyship, please rest assured. The Crown Prince has arranged for many people to guard the Crown Princess, so nothing will happen. Once the morning court assembly ends tomorrow and the Liu family falls, everyone will be happy."
"No," Consort Liang clutched her chest, "I just feel panicked, as if something bad is about to happen."
She didn't know why. The Liu family was clearly about to fall, the Tang family was damaged, and Yi'er was seizing the succession—it seemed he was what everyone hoped for.
But why was her heart still so uneasy?
"Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship!" A young maid rushed into the bedchamber in a few quick steps. "This is terrible, something has happened to His Highness."
When Consort Liang arrived at the side hall, Xiao Yi was leaning on a soft couch, covered in blood, his face terrifyingly pale.
"Yi'er, what happened to you?" Consort Liang was so frightened her breathing stopped.
"Imperial physician, summon the imperial physician quickly!"
"No need," Xiao Yi stopped her. "My injury cannot be known by others. There are spies in the Prince An Estate, so your son could only come to seek help from Mother."
Hearing this, Consort Liang didn't say another word and immediately had Lady Zhao find a palace servant skilled in medicine to treat him.
When the female physician took off his robes and exposed the wound, Consort Liang froze. All the speculations in her mind instantly vanished, and her brain went blank for a moment.
After the wound was treated and everyone had withdrawn, Consort Liang finally spoke, "In the middle of the night, did you go dig up the Cui family's ancestral graves?"
Or did you go assassinate Prime Minister Cui?
That girl Yunfeng is so timid and soft-hearted, yet even she managed to stab him.
Xiao Yi knew Consort Liang's temperament, which was why he dared to come to her palace without hesitation. He slightly closed his eyes, his face completely deadpan. "Mother, your son is a bit tired."
How could he not be tired? Tossing about for half the night, only to come back with a hole stabbed into him. If it were her, she would also feel exhausted and despairing.
He was her biological son after all, and Consort Liang still felt displeased in her heart. "That girl is truly too bold. If it doesn't work out, let's just cancel this marriage. Yi'er, a forced melon is not sweet."
"Your son has his own plans in mind, please do not worry, Mother."
He has plans? What plans?
"Your brain completely disappears whenever you encounter Cui Yunfeng," Consort Liang was furious, especially when she heard him say that the betrothal gifts would still be sent tomorrow as planned. She was so angry her soul almost left her body.
"Live or die, do as you please." She flicked her sleeves and left.
"I originally thought that the Crown Prince suffering a setback was a great opportunity for us..." Consort Liang shook her head and sighed. "Plans truly cannot keep up with changes."
Who could have thought that in just a few hours, her son would be carried back.
There is no murder worse than destroying the heart. Look at his half-dead appearance, where is there any grand ambition left in his heart? I'm afraid his biggest nightmare is being stabbed by someone with a hairpin.
"What sin have I committed to deserve this?"
Lady Zhao comforted, "The Empress is not doing much better than Your Ladyship. Perhaps tonight, Her Majesty is so anxious she cannot sleep either."
These words indeed comforted Consort Liang, "Her son is digging his own grave. If it were me, I would be anxious too."
After a night of turbulent undercurrents, the next day, before the time for the morning court assembly arrived, the space in front of the palace gates was already crowded with people.
The two factions, led by the Liu family and the Cui and Tang families, stood apart, rubbing their fists and glaring like tigers, ready to face the upcoming bitter battle.
"Does Prime Minister Cui think that by using such a bitter-flesh trick, he can drag this official down? He even sacrificed his own grandson. When it comes to ruthlessness, this official truly feels inferior."
Prime Minister Cui replied, "Lord Liu has found the wrong person. The one who will deal with you today is not this Prime Minister."
Minister Liu had spent all of last night dealing with Liu Wanting's affairs, inquiring into the twists and turns. He knew someone was investigating him, but naturally assumed this force belonged to the Cui family.
"What do you mean by that?"
Prime Minister Cui cast a cold glance at him, "It means that today, this Prime Minister is only responsible for dropping stones on someone who has fallen into a well and beating a drowning dog; I will not be wielding the knife."
Before Lord Liu could react, the palace gates opened. Following the eunuch's announcements echoing out, the civil and military officials entered the great hall one after another.
The Emperor sat on the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over everyone one by one. Following a call to dispense with formalities, the ministers began today's crusade.
With each memorial presented and each official stepping forward, the Liu family's foundations were almost completely dug up. Even the dirty deeds done in Minister Liu's ancestral hometown were exposed clearly.
Minister Liu thought today would be a tough battle, but he absolutely never expected it to be a situation like this.
He abruptly turned around, looking at those officials one by one, and then turned back to look at the Crown Prince standing at the front, his eyes full of disbelief.
The Emperor's expression, extremely gloomy, also fell upon the Crown Prince.
"Crown Prince, what do you think of what the beloved ministers have said?"
Xiao Chen replied, "As the Crown Prince, I naturally prioritize the foundation of my Great Liang. Your son believes that for Lord Liu's actions, he should be executed."
The atmosphere in the great hall froze the moment his words fell; even the sound of everyone's breathing was incredibly clear.
The Emperor's voice was exceedingly cold and heavy, "Do you know what you are saying?"
"Your son is merely discussing the matter as it stands."
He did not mention a single detail about Tang Qingwan being poisoned. The Crown Prince's faction risked death to remonstrate, demanding that the Emperor handle the matter impartially.
But if investigated deeply, which family was clean? Which minister did not deserve execution?
It was just that now, the ones whose unpresentable dirty deeds were dug up was the Liu family. It was the Crown Prince who, even at the cost of exposing his hidden pieces, wanted to eliminate him.
The Emperor's gaze was indescribably dark and cold.
"Crown Prince, are you certain?"
Xiao Chen ignored the threat in the superior's words.
Hidden pieces, the Liu family—this time, it could be said he was digging his own grave, but he had no regrets.
"As the heir apparent, it is your son's bounden duty to clear away the accumulated malpractices for the court and uproot the cancerous tumors for the common people. However, Lord Liu was single-handedly promoted by Imperial Father; even if he lacks merit, he has worked hard. Your son is merely stating his own view. As for the specific sentencing, it still depends on Imperial Father and the opinions of the other officials."
Single-handedly promoted?
"Are you speaking in such a sarcastic manner to accuse Us of being a poor judge of character?"
"Your son would not dare."
The Emperor had never thought that one day, the Crown Prince would dare to be so presumptuous.
When a young tiger fights back, its fangs and claws are indeed sharp.
Lord Liu said, "Your Majesty, although this subject is at fault, the crimes do not warrant death."
Having reached their current positions, who could say, who would dare to say they were completely clean?
Those minor faults would at most result in a salary deduction or a beating with a wooden board, how could they lead to death?
"We believe that execution is a bit too severe."
The Liu family could not fall. The Emperor absolutely could not let the Cui family dominate alone, but today, Minister Liu was clearly the target of public criticism.
"Imperial Father, your son has a memorial to present." Xiao Yi stepped forward.
"Yesterday at the Moon-Gazing Pavilion, your son was subjected to successive poisoning and assassination attempts. Subsequent investigations revealed that the culprits are all tied to the Liu family. Here are the witnesses and the physical evidence. I implore Imperial Father to uphold justice."
The Emperor's gaze fell upon the incriminating evidence held in Xiao Yi's hands, before his eyes, sharp as blades, shot toward Lord Liu.
To think he actually dared to attempt the assassination of an imperial prince.
