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

"Shut up!"

The prison guard who brought in the inmates gave Xie Mingzhu a cold glare.

Xie Mingzhu, who was pampered and of noble status, had never received such treatment before.

She hugged herself tightly, covering her mouth and nose, and curled up in the corner.

The female prisoners lay motionless on the ground, as if they were dead.

A short while later, someone came in, observed Xie Mingzhu from a distance for a while, and then went back to report.

Prince Jin's Mansion.

In the study room.

“Your Highness, those female prisoners have no connection with Xie Mingzhu.”

The guards knelt at Jun Lanjin's feet.

At that moment, Jun Lanjin was lying in the bathtub, with wisps of steam rising. Jun Lanjin's handsome brows were slightly furrowed, and cold sweat beaded on his fair, jade-like skin.

He draped his arm lazily over the bathtub, his eyes cold: "Keep watching."

The guard was silent for a moment, then said, "The people from the General of the State's Mansion are looking for you, Your Highness, and want to release Xie Mingzhu."

Xie Tongchen had just made a great contribution, and Jun Lanjin arrested his sister. This was a huge disrespect to the Zhenguo General's Mansion.

Jun Lanjin's thin lips curled up, and in his intense pain, his voice took on a hoarse, sinister tone: "Is that so? Then let him go to His Majesty."

"I will not release you until three days have passed."

Secret guard: "Yes."

The guards darted out of the window.

"Bear with it. The poison has already seeped into your bone marrow. To completely remove the poison, you must take a medicinal bath every day."

After Ximen Zhu finished speaking, he clicked his tongue a few times and occasionally added a few medicinal herbs to the bathtub.

Jun Lanjin tilted his head back and rested it on the bathtub behind him, closing his eyes without saying a word.

Ximen Zhu, however, curiously leaned closer and asked, "Hey, did your own mother really give you this poison?"

"Even tigers don't eat their cubs, what was your mother thinking?"

Jun Lanjin opened her peach blossom eyes and looked at him with a half-smile: "You want to know?"

Only the dead can hear it.

Ximen Zhu awkwardly moved away: "It's just a question, can't I even listen?"

Ximen Zhu is a renowned physician in the martial arts world, but he is elusive and rarely seen. If it weren't for Jun Lanjin's connection with him, it's likely that no one would have been able to find an antidote.

This slow-acting poison is extremely cunning and vicious. In the early stages, it works like nothing is wrong, and you can't detect it at all.

But once the body is severely depleted, all the symptoms begin to appear.

At first, he was just physically weak, but later he became bedridden. When a tonic was added, he was too weak to tolerate it and it took his life.

Jun Lanjin closed his eyes.

Not to mention others, even he himself couldn't understand why.

He wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes today.

……

……

The next day.

Xie Xing got up very early.

Just as she finished dressing, the maid Caiyue's voice came from outside: "Miss, the eldest young master and the second young master are here to see you."

"Looking for me?" Xie Xing tilted his head.

But soon, Xie Xing realized that Xie Mingzhu had been imprisoned in the Shenxing Division yesterday. Given the Xie family's nature, they must have been extremely anxious long ago. The fact that they only came to find her tonight meant that they had tried everything last night but failed to rescue Xie Mingzhu.

Xie Xing thought for a moment, then lifted her skirt and went out, saying, "Where are my eldest and second brothers? Let's go see them."

At that time, in the backyard of Prince Jin's residence.

Xie Tongchen stood at the door with a dark face. "I, a dignified young general, am not even qualified to enter the Prince's mansion?"

"They actually made me wait at the back door!"

Xie Yuhe had been running all night and was now exhausted.

Because of Prince Jin's noble status, he can simply choose not to see you, and you don't even have the right to enter.

"Big brother, second brother?"

A short while later, Xie Xing jogged over.

The moment Xie Tongchen saw Xie Xing, his question was directed at her: "Xie Xing, what exactly are you up to?"

Xie Xing looked completely bewildered after being scolded.

"You were clearly by Prince Jin's side yesterday. Prince Jin wanted to severely punish Mingzhu, why didn't you plead for her?"

Xie Tongchen uttered a series of questions.

Xie Yuhe subconsciously felt that something was wrong with what Xie Xing had said, but when he opened his mouth, he didn't know what to say, so he stood quietly behind Xie Tongchen and waited to see what Xie Xing would say.

Xie Xing looked up at Xie Tongchen and said slowly, "I was on the boat at the time, and Princess De'an whipped me without saying a word."

"It was slapped in the face."

Xie Tongchen frowned. "What does this have to do with Mingzhu?"

Xie Xing slowly explained the reasoning: "Prince Jin wanted to punish Princess De'an, but Sister Mingzhu pleaded for her, which led Prince Jin to imprison both of them in the Shenxing Division. Originally, Princess De'an only needed to copy scriptures."

Xie Tongchen looked at Xie Xing with disgust: "Xie Xing, how can you be so vicious?"

“Mingzhu is kind and pleaded for Princess De’an, yet you blame her for the crime?”

Xie Xing was stunned for a moment, not expecting Xie Tongchen to say that.

She couldn't help but whisper to the system in her mind: "Does he not understand what I mean?"

The system comforted her: "[It's alright, they're all a bit mentally unstable, otherwise they wouldn't have all died such tragic deaths.]"

Xie Yuhe, who hadn't said a word but was still scolded and thrown in: "..."

If my second brother continues to say that, Mingzhu will never be able to get out.

Xie Yuhe spoke gently, "Stars..."

As soon as he opened his mouth, Xie Xing's eyes widened.

【Oh my god, System, did you hear that? He called me Star! Is he crazy?】

Xie Yuhe: "..."

His smile froze for a moment.

Xie Tongchen paused, his anger stirred up by Xie Xing, and gave Xie Yuhe a meaningful look with a slight upturn of his lips.

You've finally met your match.

Xie Yuhe pretended not to hear this thought and continued gently, "Xingxing, your second brother has a quick temper, and his words are bound to be unpleasant to hear."

"But Mingzhu is still your sister, we're all family. Can't you think of a way to help your older brothers?"

Hearing Xie Yuhe's words, even though Xie Xing was not the original owner, he couldn't help but feel sad and heartbroken for the original owner.

They are truly blind and deaf; they can't even see who their real sister is, and they even bully their own sister for the sake of a sister with no blood relation.

[Their fate, as depicted in the story, was entirely their own doing.]

Xie Xing felt a little annoyed.

She's always been good-tempered, but she clearly said that it was Princess De'an who bullied her first without any explanation. Xie Mingzhu was punished for pleading for Princess De'an who bullied her, and now she's being blamed for not pleading for her.

That's really unreasonable.

Xie Yuhe paused.

Xie Tongchen's eyes turned cold, and he sneered, "What? You feel unbalanced?"

“Mingzhu is our little sister whom we have always doted on since she was a child. To us, you are the one who has nothing to do with us.”

"If you want to stay quietly in the General's Mansion, you'd better be obedient."

Before Xie Yuhe could stop him, Xie Tongchen had already spoken.

"Second Brother, why do you think I can plead for Sister Mingzhu?"

Xie Xingqi laughed, tilting her head to look at Xie Tongchen, her voice soft: "When I was bullied by Princess De'an, it was Prince Jin who stood up for me. I'm just someone who came to repay a debt of gratitude, so what right do I have to plead with the prince?"