Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

"Are you going to Sichuan?" Xiahou Che asked as soon as he entered the room.

"Correct."

"Why?"

"Didn't the imperial edict say that this Crown Princess is moved by the Crown Prince's sentiments...?"

"You're kidding me!" Xiahou Che interrupted her, somewhat irritably. "If you felt sorry for him, why did you kill him?"

As soon as he said that, the entire room fell into a deathly silence.

Yan Zhen put down the book "Commentary on the Waterways Classic" wrapped in a storybook cover, and stared intently at Xiahou Che with his deep eyes.

Under her gaze, Xiahou Che lowered his head guiltily.

"Don't say such self-destructive things again," Yan Zhen said calmly. "From now on, you must be careful with your words in the palace, and never lose your life because of such a small mistake as saying something inappropriate."

Xiahou Che quickly asked, "Aren't you coming back?"

"I won't be able to come back anytime soon."

"Then, what should I do?" Xiahou Che asked anxiously. "You're not in the palace. What if I encounter something I can't handle?"

“If you encounter something you can’t solve, even if I’m in the palace, I can’t help you.” Yan Zhen raised an eyebrow. “The best way is to avoid encountering such things as much as possible.”

Xiahou Che's face was full of unease: "That's what you say, but..."

"But what?"

Xiahou Che lowered his voice: "But when you're in the palace, I feel like I'm not fighting alone."

Yan Zhen paused, realizing that Xiahou Che regarded her as his pillar of support.

Even if he was wary of her and didn't trust her, the help she, as his pillar of support, could provide was very limited. But in Xiahou Che's eyes, who was isolated and helpless, they were accomplices in the same camp.

It's enough that he can come over to her late at night like this and talk about the pressures that can't be shared with outsiders.

Yan Zhen stood up and walked to Xiahou Che.

He has been a prince for over three months now. He has grown taller during this time, having lived a life of luxury. He used to only reach her chest, but now he is up to her shoulder.

Yan Zhen patted his shoulder reassuringly and said softly, "Don't be afraid. You are so intelligent. I believe you can do it."

Xiahou Che looked up at her.

Their eyes met, and seeing the affirmation and encouragement in her eyes, he pursed his lips and said, "Okay, I know what to do."

-

After the date for Yan Zhen's journey to Bashu was set, Emperor Jin dispatched a contingent of soldiers under Xiahou Jin's command to escort him to Bashu.

No sooner had Yan Zhen left the palace with Hongyu and Ziying, escorted by more than 500 soldiers, than news came from Linzhi Palace that the eleventh prince, Xiahou Che, had been poisoned and was in critical condition.

Once the news spread, the atmosphere in the entire palace became tense.

Less than three months after the Crown Prince's death, Emperor Jin was already deeply saddened and his temper grew increasingly volatile.

If, at this critical juncture, his beloved eleventh prince were to also be poisoned and die, who knows what kind of catastrophe the palace would face.

Linzhi Palace.

Xiahou Che lay unconscious on the bed, his face pale, his lips bluish, and his breath weak.

All the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy were summoned. Inside the palace, palace maids and eunuchs kept carrying medicine bowls and wooden basins, bowing their heads as they went in and out, creating a tense and oppressive atmosphere.

As the Emperor of Jin watched this scene, a fierce anger surged in his eyes.

Before long, the commander of the imperial guards entered and presented a brown paper package: "Your Majesty, the person who poisoned us has been caught. It was the personal eunuch who serves the Eleventh Prince in the Linzhi Palace."

Emperor Jin narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Bring him in."

The young eunuch who was brought in was only eighteen or nineteen years old. When he knelt before Emperor Jin, he trembled like a leaf: "Your Majesty..."

The Jin emperor asked, "Who instructed you to administer the poison?"

The young eunuch was sweating profusely, his eyes darting around, and he cried out that he was innocent: "Your Majesty, I am innocent! His Highness's poisoning has nothing to do with me..."

The captain of the guards kicked him to the ground: "The poison we found in your room, and you still want to deny it?"

Upon seeing the brown paper package placed next to Emperor Jin, the young eunuch turned ashen-faced.

This thing...didn't he destroy it a long time ago?

Why is it here?

He did poison Xiahou Che, but that was two months ago.

Could it be that this medicine has a delayed effect, with the toxicity not taking effect for two months?

The young eunuch was filled with guilt and fear, his head bowed and cold sweat pouring down his face.

The Jin Emperor was incredibly astute; just by looking at the little eunuch, he knew that he was inevitably involved in this matter.

"I'm giving you a chance. If you confess honestly, I'll leave you with a whole corpse. If you're stubborn, I'll exterminate your entire family."

Upon hearing this, the little eunuch froze, lying on the ground unable to straighten up.

The guard captain noticed something was wrong and quickly stepped forward to drag the man up. The eunuch was bleeding from all seven orifices and was barely breathing.

The captain of the guards was shocked and quickly grabbed him by the neck, trying to force him to reveal the murderer before he died: "Speak! Who ordered you to poison him!"

The eunuch trembled all over, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Before long, his eyes rolled back, his limbs went limp and he died suddenly.

The captain of the guards hurriedly abandoned the corpse, knelt down, and confessed his guilt: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. It was my negligence that gave this man the opportunity to commit suicide out of fear of punishment..."

Emperor Jin closed his eyes and wearily waved his hand: "Drag him away. I'll give you three days. You must find out who instructed this person to murder Eleven."

"Yes!"

The eunuch's body was quickly dragged away. Emperor Jin looked through the screen into the inner palace, where Xiahou Che lay quietly on the couch amidst the mingled figures.

He clenched his fist in his sleeve; he couldn't afford to lose this son again.

-

After three days and three nights of emergency treatment, Xiahou Che's condition improved.

However, he was not fully conscious and would occasionally mumble "Father" while crying out in pain. Emperor Jin was so distressed that he spent all his time at Linzhi Palace with him, except when he was attending court.

A few days later, Xiahou Che finally woke up and learned that the eunuch who poisoned him had been dealt with, but the mastermind behind it had not yet been caught. He remained silent for a long time.

Since then, the people of Linzhi Palace have noticed that although the eleventh prince has recovered from the poisoning, his health has deteriorated. He is not only sensitive to cold, but also always listless and lacks energy.

He was not a talkative person to begin with, and after this incident, he became even more silent.

Emperor Jin listened to the palace servants' report and also noticed Xiahou Che's changes. After reviewing the memorials that day, he went to Linzhi Palace.

Upon arriving at the Linzhi Palace Library, the eunuch guarding the outside immediately knelt down to pay his respects. Emperor Jin gestured for him to remain silent, and he quietly entered.

Xiahou Che was practicing calligraphy, so focused that he didn't notice the arrival of the Jin Emperor at all.

Emperor Jin stood with his hands behind his back, glancing at the papers spread out on the table. Xiahou Che had already practiced on more than a dozen sheets, but the character "Jin" was written crookedly, and his pen-holding posture was also incorrect.

Thinking of how this son was raised in the Yeting Palace since he was a child, I wonder how much suffering he endured.

When she returned to his side, she surprisingly did not harbor resentment. Instead, she was quite fond of him and often looked at him with admiration. Moreover, she did not treat him with the same respect and fear as other sons, just because he held a high position.

Through this son, he experienced the pure father-son affection of an ordinary family.

"Che'er."

Xiahou Che looked up and saw Emperor Jin. He immediately put down his pen, picked out what he considered to be the best-written paper from the pile of papers, and presented it to Emperor Jin like a treasure.

"Father, these are the characters I practiced today. Do you think they've improved?"