After her mind was read, the spoiled brat became the darling of the whole group.

Xie Jiaojiao glanced at the crowd on the ground, her lips moved slightly, and then she said, "Today, Xing'er and I were playing in the pavilion when this Young Master Gu came and said he wanted to take us out for a walk."

"I got separated from Xing'er inside Yunyan Pavilion."

"I know nothing else."

Now that she knows the whole story, Xie Jiaojiao is still shaken.

She glanced at Gu Jinzi kneeling on the ground and couldn't believe that someone so young would think of teaching someone a lesson over such a small displeasure.

The hall was completely quiet.

After a long silence, Madam Xie frowned and said, "Mingzhu is so kind, she would never do such a thing."

"They're all one family."

Xie Xing was not surprised.

Jun Lanjin chuckled, a sound that seemed to carry a strange sense of irony.

Madam Xie was embarrassed. She glanced at the three men kneeling on the ground and said coldly, "The General's Mansion will not let this matter go so easily."

"We've been out long enough today, let's go."

Madam Xie pulled Xie Mingzhu up and started walking out.

As she reached the door, she turned to Xie Xing and asked, "Aren't you coming over?"

Xie Xing smiled and said, "Mother, you should go first. The Prince helped me today, so I should treat him to a meal."

Upon hearing this, Grand Tutor Gu realized what was happening and hurriedly said, "We owe this to Your Highness. If Your Highness doesn't mind, please have your meal here and then leave."

"No need." Jun Lanjin stood up and said, "I was just watching the show, I'll be leaving now."

With that, he left the Grand Tutor's mansion.

Luo Hanfeng also stood up and said, "Grand Tutor, farewell."

He raised his hand, bowed, and then left.

As soon as everyone left, Grand Tutor Gu's face darkened.

He looked at the two people kneeling on the ground and said coldly, "Go kneel in the Buddhist hall. No one can bring you food without my permission!"

Both Gu Shuyang and Gu Jinzi were dejected.

On the way back home.

It was quiet all the way.

When they arrived at the gate of the Xie residence, seeing that Xie Xing was about to return to his own courtyard, Madam Xie called out to him.

Xie Mingzhu followed behind her.

"Xie Xing, I know you've been wronged, but this matter is extremely important to a woman's reputation, so don't make it public."

"As for those three beasts, I will deal with them."

Xie Xing's expression was indifferent: "Yes, Mother."

Xie Jiaojiao followed behind the two, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

……

Aside from suffering a loss in front of Jun Lanjin, Xie Mingzhu managed to minimize the damage and let the matter drop, with no one bothering her about it.

Xie Mingzhu felt conflicted.

A few more days passed.

At dinner time, the Xie family ate together.

Suddenly, Madam Xie said, "The Fifth Princess is looking for a study companion, and I plan to have Xie Xing and Mingzhu go together."

"Now that Xie Xing and Mingzhu's marriage has been called off, entering the palace will allow him to make more connections."

The autumn imperial examinations are just around the corner, and the emperor has been paying close attention to these matters lately.

The Xie family can't possibly know nothing.

Xie Mingzhu nodded in agreement: "Yes, Grandmother."

She then turned her gaze to Xie Jiaojiao, who was standing to the side, and suddenly asked, "Jiaojiao, aren't you going?"

Xie Jiaojiao smiled gently: "I'm past the age of being a study companion, and besides, I have to stay home to take care of my grandmother."

Xie Ansheng said with delight, "Being in the palace allows me to interact more with the princes, and even women should read some books."

“Xing’er, especially you.”

Xie Ansheng looked at Xie Xing.

Xie Xing, however, seemed somewhat distracted.

She counted down the days; it was almost the 15th, but she still had no clue about the antidote. What could she do?

"Xing'er?" Xie Ansheng frowned and called out again when she didn't respond.

Xie Xing snapped out of his daze and immediately nodded: "Yes."

Although he said that, he felt a little melancholy inside.

These thoughts naturally reached the hearts of the three Xie brothers.

Xie Yuhe lowered his eyes and pondered.

Gu Jinglin had clearly brought in a renowned doctor to examine her, but they couldn't find the cause of her illness. Would Shiwu really suffer a relapse of the poison?

What if the poison really takes effect?

Dinner ended.

On his way back to the courtyard, Xie Xing was stopped by Xie Yuhe.

"Xing'er."

"Big brother?" Xie Xing tilted his head and looked at Xie Yuhe in confusion.

Xie Yuhe said, "Today is the day of the courtesan election. Would you like to go out for a walk?"

Xie Xing was about to refuse when the system's voice suddenly sounded in his mind: "Go ahead, there seems to be something important in the storyline today."

[It'll be lively tonight. Luo Hanfeng stole something from a certain minister and is currently hiding in a brothel, injured. Going there will give you a chance to raise some hatred points, and you might even be able to get the antidote.]

Xie Yuhe fell silent after hearing this.

Xie Xing's eyes lit up.

But finding an antidote is also a top priority.

Perhaps only by following Xie Xing can one learn some things that were previously unknown.

Thinking this, Xie Yuhe asked again, "Is Xing'er coming?"

Xie Xing immediately said, "Big brother, I'll go."

Xie Yuhe smiled gently at her, "I'll wait for you."

Fearing he would miss the chance to get the antidote, Xie Xing immediately returned to the courtyard to change his clothes.

When they arrived at the backyard gate, they found that besides Xie Yuhe, there was only Xie Yuze in the carriage, but Xie Mingzhu was nowhere to be seen.

Xie Xing was puzzled again: [Strange, why isn't Xie Mingzhu brought to this kind of occasion?]

Xie Yuhe and Xie Yuze, upon hearing these thoughts, feared that Xie Xing might notice something amiss.

He said calmly, "Mingzhu is not feeling well today, so it's just the three of us."

Xie Xing responded with an "oh".

The capital city is also very lively at night.

Xie Xing originally thought that the courtesan was chosen in a brothel, but he did not expect that it would be on the lake.

The riverbank was brightly lit with candlelight, and many ships were floating on the lake, with faint, melodious tunes drifting through the air.

Xie Xing followed behind Xie Yuhe and Xie Yuze, looking around curiously, and found that there were many people on the shore.

These people couldn't afford to take a boat, so they could only watch from afar on the shore.

A servant from the Xie family brought a small boat and ferried the three of them onto the large steamship.

"Miss Yue'er!"

"Miss Yue'er!"

As soon as we boarded the ship, shouts and cries could be heard.

Xie Xing looked up and saw a veiled woman with a graceful figure descending slowly, guided by a rope, amidst the falling peach blossoms.

Like a fairy descending to earth, her beauty is beyond compare.

The screams below grew louder, and countless silver notes were thrown up at it.

At that time, in a cabin on the second floor of the ship.

Hua An stood beside Jun Lanjin and whispered, "Your Highness, they are about to make their move."

Jun Lanjin stood in the shadows, dressed in a dark black robe and wearing a ghost mask. He covered the mask with his fingertips and said coldly, "Catch them all in one fell swoop."

Ever since hearing Xie Xing's thoughts that day, Jun Lanjin had been prepared and secretly arrested several officials who wanted to treason.

But instead of catching them all at once, he planned to trap them like turtles in a jar.

Today, amidst the hustle and bustle aboard the ship, it's the perfect time to keep a low profile.

The spies from the south then tried to take advantage of this opportunity to exchange the information they had obtained.

At this moment, Xie Yuhe and the others entered a side room, and looking down from the window, they could see everything below.