Who put the yellow robe on me?

"drive!"

The hustle and bustle of the capital was crushed by the horse's hooves. The hem of Mu Shenru's purple robe was lifted by the night wind, revealing the darkly embroidered black bird pattern on the lining.

He glanced sideways at Lin Shigong who was riding alongside him. The imperial guards commander's black iron wristband shone coldly in the moonlight, just like his tense jawline at the moment.

"stop!"

Lin Shigong suddenly reined in his horse, and the black cloud under his crotch stepped on the snow with its front hooves raised, splashing a cloud of mud.

Mu Shenru's mount neighed in fright, and he hurriedly tightened his grip on the reins, only then could he see clearly the scene before him - at the end of the bluestone alley, a three-courtyard house was hidden deep in the shade of locust trees. The vermilion lacquered gate was mottled like clotted blood, and spider webs were entangled in the patina of the door knocker.

“Surround!”

Following Lin Shigong's order, twenty black-armored imperial guards flooded over the courtyard wall like a black tide.

The moonlight flowed on the blade, startling the crows perched on the eaves, and the flapping of their wings broke the silence.

When Mu Shenru dismounted, he stepped on a loose green brick. Dark red moss oozed out from the bottom, and the fishy smell rushed into his nostrils.

On the Eight Immortals table in the main hall, the Ru kiln teacups were still steaming.

Lin Shigong's fingertips lightly touched the wall of the teacup, causing ripples in the tea, reflecting his suddenly cold face: "There was someone here half a minute ago!"

"Main house." Before Mu Shenru finished speaking, he heard the sound of a pearl curtain.

Warm yellow candlelight shone through the window lattices of the west wing. Two overlapping figures were shaking violently behind the gauze curtain. The woman's soft moans mixed with the man's heavy breathing. The creaking sound of the wooden bed and the dinging sound of skin intertwined into an ambiguous melody.

The sound seemed to be mixed with the low moans and faint laughters of men and women making love, as clear as a silver bell, but with a hint of seduction, which made people feel strange.

Everyone's heart tightened instantly, and they exchanged meaningful glances with each other.

Mu Shenru's eyes darkened slightly, while Lin Shigong's expression was stern, and he gestured directly to a soldier beside him.

The soldier understood and went forward to knock on the door.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The sound of the scabbard hitting the door startled the audience, and the house fell silent.

"Who?" The hoarse male voice trembled with lust.

"By order of the Empress Defei." Mu Shenru took a deep breath, calmed himself, and deliberately remained vague.

There was a moment of silence from inside the door. After a moment, a slightly panicked voice rang out: "Wait... wait a minute!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the room seemed to be in chaos in an instant - first there was a burst of rapid and chaotic noises, followed by a burst of screams, and gradually it calmed down.

Then, rustling sounds were heard in the house, mixed with the rustling of clothes, rapid breathing and a woman's soft exclamation.

After a moment, with a creaky sound, the door finally opened slowly.

The wind brought by the door opening lifted Mu Shenru's official robe, and a strong musk scent hit his face.

……

The door slowly opened, revealing a faint candlelight illuminating a corner of the room. A man in a brocade robe, his clothes a bit disheveled, still had handsome features and a tall figure.

There was a heroic look in his brows, and he was surprisingly similar to the calm and serious Sixteenth Prince in the court.

However, upon closer inspection, the man's eyes were bloodshot and his skin was pale, as if he had been indulging in debauchery for a long time, and he was filled with the haggard feeling that is unique to excessive indulgence.

There were dark red scratches on his collarbone, and the corners of his eyes were grayish blue, a sign of excessive indulgence.

Mu Shenru's heart suddenly shuddered, and the sharp words that Concubine De had said in the court flashed through his mind. This person was exactly the "fake" Sixteenth Prince who was known to everyone as being dissolute, notorious, and licentious.

His eyes involuntarily swept towards the room, and he saw behind him, vaguely visible between the curtains, a beautiful woman in a bright red bellyband, dressing carefully. Her graceful figure was particularly enchanting in the dim candlelight, as if a touch of passion was burning in the cold night.

That enchanting look...?

Mu Shenru was shocked. That was clearly the concubine that Minister of Revenue Cao Shouku had married a few months ago!

Lin Shigong took a step forward and asked in a sharp and cold voice, "Who are you?"

The man's eyes swept over the crowd leisurely, a faint smile appearing on the corner of his mouth, as if he had already seen through everything. He slowly said, "Since you are here on the orders of my mother, you should know my identity!"

There was a confidence in his words, neither impatient nor humble.

Mu Shenru stared at him coldly and said vaguely: "Empress Defei did not say it clearly!" Although his voice was low, it revealed an unquestionable firmness.

The man looked calm and said calmly, "Oh? I am the sixteenth prince of Daliang, Jiang Chen."

These words struck like a bolt from the blue, a flash of lightning in the darkness outside the door. Everyone held their breath, and time seemed to have frozen throughout the house, and everyone's heartbeat seemed audible.

Lin Shigong clenched his knife handle tightly, his brow furrowed as he shouted, "How dare you! The Sixteenth Prince is already in the court, and you dare to pretend to be of royal blood?"

His words were full of anger and doubt. On the way here, Lin Shigong discussed with Mu Shenru that it was better to be cautious.

The man slowly stepped out, and with every step, everyone's nerves tightened a little. His steps were frivolous, as if he would fall at any moment, but his eyes were remarkably firm.

There was contempt in his voice: "Commander Lin, I have never impersonated anyone. On the contrary, it was the person in the court. Who is he?" This sentence pierced into everyone's heart like a sharp blade, immediately triggering murmurs and whispers.

"How dare you!" Lin Shigong shouted, his voice full of anger, the hilt of the knife in his hand trembling slightly because of his tight grip, "Do you know what you are saying?" Every word he said was like thunder striking the cold wind outside the house.

At this moment, the man reached out and took out a brocade bag, slowly opened it, and revealed an exquisite jade pendant with dragon patterns carved on it. It was the symbol exclusively for royal heirs.

The jade pendant flickered coldly in the dim candlelight, as if silently announcing his true identity.

Mu Shenru widened his eyes, a trace of doubt flashed through his mind, and his voice was low and suppressed: "This is..." Before he finished speaking, the scene before him had already made him tremble with fear.

This is a laminated jade unique to the royal family. He had seen similar craftsmanship at the coronation ceremony of the Sixth Prince.

Cold sweat slid down his spine, and he suddenly realized that the nine-phoenix hairpin on Concubine De's temples and the phoenix eyes were inlaid with this kind of gold.

The man sneered and said firmly, "My father will know my identity at a glance." His words were simple yet powerful, like a heavy hammer, shaking the hearts of everyone present.

Lin Shigong took a deep breath and exchanged glances with Mu Shenru. It seemed that what Concubine De said was true.

He pondered in his mind, "If this man is truly the Sixteenth Prince, then Jiang Chen in the court is an imposter. But if he's a fake, why would he have the dragon-patterned jade?"

"Your Highness, please follow us into the palace." Mu Shenru ordered in a low voice.

The man still had a faint smile on his face as he walked out. His steps were light but revealed a rebellious air, as if he had been waiting for this day to come.