Who put the yellow robe on me?

Jiang Chen frowned slightly when he heard this. Although he had expected it, he still felt a pang of pain when he heard the news in person.

There was a flash of coldness in his eyes, like frost and snow in winter, which made people shudder.

"It's just as I expected." He whispered to himself, his voice filled with a hint of sarcasm and helplessness.

Seeing this, Jiang Sirou couldn't help but stand up, her face flushed and her chest heaving violently, obviously angry at the news.

She slammed the table, and a few drops of tea in the cup splashed onto the table.

"This is sheer nonsense!" she said angrily, her voice trembling slightly. "How could Ninth Brother slander Sixteenth Brother like this! I've been with Sixteenth Brother since the Western Expedition. How could there be talk of a fake Sixteenth Prince?"

Her eyes blazed with anger, her fists clenched, and her voice echoed through the room with uncontrollable indignation.

He Xiaowei sighed, her fingers gently twisting the handkerchief, looking a little helpless and anxious.

"Sister Sirou, I'm also very angry." She whispered, her voice choking with sobs, "But the Ninth Prince's words are so convincing that they have aroused the suspicion of many people."

She raised her head, her eyes filled with worry and uneasiness. "Many court officials have begun discussing this matter, and some have even suggested a thorough investigation of His Highness the Sixteenth's identity."

Jiang Chen reached out and gently pressed on Jiang Sirou's shoulder, feeling the tension and trembling of her body.

His palms were warm and strong, seeming to convey a sense of stability.

"Thirteenth sister, don't get excited yet." He said gently, his eyes full of concern, "We are treading on thin ice right now. We need to be cautious at every step."

Jiang Sirou turned her head and looked at him, her eyes filled with anger and confusion. "Sixteenth brother, are you going to tolerate their slander like this?"

There was a slight tremor in her voice, and she obviously found it difficult to accept this situation.

Jiang Chen smiled faintly, his eyes tilted upwards, a look of wisdom and composure in his gaze. "It's precisely because they're framing me that they're starting to get impatient," he said slowly, his tone a calm analysis. "The enemy is in the open, I'm in the dark. We're not completely hopeless."

He walked to the window, opened it, and the cool night breeze blew in his face, carrying a faint scent of flowers.

The moonlight shone on his face, casting a stern shadow. He took a deep breath, as if trying to expel the annoyance in his heart.

"So what's our next plan? Are we just going to sit there and wait for death?" Jiang Sirou was still a little unwilling. Her brows were furrowed, and a hint of anxiety flashed in her eyes.

Jiang Chen turned around and looked at her firmly. "Of course not." His voice was filled with unshakable conviction. "The most important thing right now is to know what the ministers in the palace think."

He turned to He Xiaowei, with a hint of expectation in his eyes, "Miss He, what about Prime Minister He now...?"

He Xiaowei nodded, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes.

"Grandpa, although he holds a high position, has always been loyal to the Emperor." She said softly, a hint of pride and trust in her tone. "Grandpa absolutely does not believe in the story of the fake Sixteenth Prince."

She paused and continued, "However, Grandpa has also come under some pressure. Many people in the court have begun to doubt you, and some have even tried to sow discord between you."

Jiang Chen pondered for a moment, gently stroking his chin, his brows furrowed slightly. "Prime Minister He's attitude is indeed crucial, but we also need more intelligence. We can't let the enemy know."

His voice was low and steady, as if he was weighing the pros and cons. His eyes were as deep as the unfathomable waters of a lake, leaving no room for comprehension.

"I understand. I'll continue looking for opportunities to discuss the situation with Grandpa," He Xiaowei said, a flicker of determination in her eyes. Her fingers clenched into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, yet she was oblivious.

Jiang Sirou calmed down at this point. She took a deep breath, slowly sat back in her chair, and sighed softly. "Sixteenth brother, what should we do next?" she asked, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Jiang Chen looked at them, his eyes gentle yet firm. "First, we need to understand the situation of the other ministers in the palace," he said slowly, his tone steady. "Second, we'd better find this fake Sixteenth Prince and confront him face to face to prove that the Ninth Prince is a fraud."

"But we have limited manpower in this area. How can we accomplish this?" He Xiaowei asked worriedly. There was a hint of helplessness in her voice, and her brows furrowed slightly, appearing somewhat anxious.

Jiang Chen smiled faintly, a hint of confidence flashing in his eyes. "This isn't difficult. I'll arrange for Dianzhang to infiltrate the palace and investigate. He used to work there, so he should be able to find out some information."

There was a firm conviction in his voice, as if everything was under his control.

At this time, the atmosphere in the room eased a little.

Jiang Sirou looked at Jiang Chen with a hint of relief in her eyes. "I hope everything goes well." She said softly...

Jiang Chen walked to the window, looked at the starry sky in the distance, with a lot of thoughts in his mind.

His hand gently stroked the window frame, feeling the warmth of the wood, and he took a deep breath, feeling the coolness brought by the night breeze, which seemed to make his thoughts clearer.

"Sixteenth Prince, what are you thinking about?" He Xiaowei's voice sounded behind him, with a hint of concern.

Jiang Chen turned around and smiled. "I was thinking, maybe we can start with Mother." He said softly, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Empress Defei?" He Xiaowei was a little puzzled. "She has always lived in seclusion and rarely appears in public."

"Because of this, she may know something that we don't know." Jiang Chen said with a deep look in his eyes.

He Xiaowei shook her head and said softly, "I heard that Concubine De is in poor health and has been staying in the deep palace. Few people see her."

Jiang Chen nodded, frowning slightly. "Perhaps, we need to find a way to contact her."

He Xiaowei looked a little hesitant, as if she wanted to say something, but swallowed it back.

Jiang Chen noticed her strangeness and looked at her gently. "Miss He, is there anything else?"

He Xiaowei raised her head, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. She took Jiang Sirou's hand and held it tightly, a thin layer of sweat already on her palm.

"Sister Rou, I heard... I heard..." Her voice trembled a little, as if she was hesitating whether to say it out loud.

Jiang Sirou looked puzzled. She gently patted the back of her hand and said soothingly, "Xiao Wei'er, what's wrong? Is there something serious?"

He Xiaowei bit her lower lip and finally mustered the courage to speak: "I heard that your Majesty's health is very poor and getting worse day by day."

When Jiang Chen heard this, his heart was shocked and his expression changed slightly.

"what?"

There was a hint of surprise and worry in his voice.