The Reborn Princess Has Turned Evil

"Besides pregnancy, what else?" Emperor Jing asked, sitting down on a stool.

After observing Emperor Jing's expression, Imperial Physician Lou continued, "The noble lady's cause of death was suffocation, and the time of death should be two hours ago."

"Two hours?" Emperor Jing murmured to himself.

"Your Majesty." It turned out that Eunuch Wei had returned, accompanied by a maid with her head bowed.

Emperor Jing glanced at the maidservants, then turned to Eunuch Wei and asked, "What have you found out?"

"Your Majesty, Hongxi is Consort Xu's personal maid. When we found her, she had already fainted in Chunhua Palace for some time," Eunuch Wei replied.

Emperor Jing did not reply, but instead asked, "Eunuch Wei, when did Crown Prince Yelü return?"

"I asked Zhuoersa and the other palace servants, and Crown Prince Yelü returned before the banquet started, probably about two hours ago," Eunuch Wei replied after thinking for a moment.

In other words, all the evidence now points to Yelü Yuanxiu killing Consort Xu. At this moment, Emperor Jing suddenly saw the wine cup lying under the table. The guard Jiang Xing quickly picked it up and handed it to Emperor Jing.

"Imperial Physician Lou, please take a look." Emperor Jing then handed the cup to Imperial Physician Lou.

Doctor Lou took the cup, sniffed it, ran his index finger along half the inside of the cup, tasted it on his tongue, and then said, "This wine contains a large amount of Drunken Powder. If this is taken into the wine, it will cause people to be drunk for a long time and lose consciousness."

At this point, Emperor Jing finally understood what had happened. It turned out that Yelü Yuanxiu hadn't been drunk, but poisoned. Thinking of Consort Xu's pregnancy, he turned to his maid, Hongxi, and asked, "Do you know that Consort Xu is already a month pregnant?" His voice was full of menace.

Upon hearing this, the maid's legs went weak, and she knelt down, stammering, "Your Majesty, Hongxi understands."

She knew, of course, that the child was not Emperor Jing’s, but that of Consort Xu’s cousin. A month ago, Consort Xu went out of the palace to visit relatives, and soon after returning, she became pregnant with this child.

"Your Majesty, please spare my life!" Hongxi dared not hide anything and told him everything. The three people in the room, Eunuch Wei, Jiang Xing, and Imperial Physician Lou, heard it all clearly.

From Emperor Jing's stern expression, it was easy to see his suppressed anger. Hongxi knelt on the ground for a long time before Emperor Jing's cold voice finally rang out, "Jiang Xing."

"The humble position is here."

"Burn this maid and Consort Xu together."

"I humble my position and take orders."

Hongxi kowtowed desperately, begging for mercy, "Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me!" But before she could finish speaking, Jiang Xing knocked her unconscious.

"What happened today must not be told to outsiders." Emperor Jing's voice was somewhat low, and his emotions were unreadable.

"Yes," the three replied in unison.

Yongfu Palace.

It was already late at night, but Jing Anle had no intention of resting. She knew that if no news came tonight that Emperor Jing had imprisoned Yelü Yuanxiu, then her plan would have succeeded.

"Princess, please rest well." Seeing that it was so late, Afang couldn't help but worry about Jing Anle's health.

Jing Anle looked at Afang, who was already drowsy, and said with a smile, "Okay, I know. You should go to sleep too."

“No, I will only leave after I have seen the princess lie down,” Afang said stubbornly.

Seeing Afang's appearance, Jing Anle shook her head helplessly and said, "Alright, alright, I'm lying down now. You can rest assured." Jing Anle lay down as she spoke.

Seeing Jing Anle lie down, Afang left with peace of mind. After Afang left, Jing Anle sat up again, looking worried, and continued to wait for news.

Xiao Heng's residence was the Qingyun Palace.

"What's going on?" Xiao Heng stood with his back to the window, looking out at the night view from the second floor of Qingyun Palace.

Behind him was a tall, slender man dressed in black, whose face was obscured by a mask. His voice was as cold as ice. "Reporting to Master, a noble person has died in Yelü Yuanxiu's room."

"How did Emperor Jing handle it?" Xiao Heng continued to ask, but still did not turn around.

"Order someone to set fire to that nobleman and his maid," the man replied.

In just a few words, Xiao Heng had already guessed what was going on. Right after the banquet ended, he ordered his secret guard Xin Wu to check on Yelü Yuanxiu. Xin Wu hid in the palace above Yelü Yuanxiu's house to eavesdrop. Xin Wu's martial arts skills were so high that even Jiang Xing, who was by Emperor Jing's side, did not notice him.

"You go down."

“Yes,” Shenwu replied.

This Jing Kingdom is truly turbulent and unpredictable! Xiao Heng thought to himself. The bright moon outside illuminated his heart, and suddenly, he thought of Jing Anle again.

"Who?" Jing Anle hadn't fallen asleep when suddenly a stone hit her window. Her room was on the second floor, and the window was big enough for a person to fit through.

"it's me."

Under the moonlight, a man leaped in through the window and sat down on the stool. It was Xiao Heng. He was so skilled in light-footedness that even Mu Ping didn't notice him entering Yongfu Palace.

"Is the way Crown Prince Xiao visits guests so special?" Jing Anle asked, looking at Xiao Heng.

There were no candles lit in the room. Xiao Heng knew that Jing Anle was in bed, so he faced the window. In the clear moonlight, only half of Xiao Heng's face could be seen.

"I'm here to deliver a message to Princess Anle." Xiao Heng smiled, poured himself a cup of tea, and gestured to Jing Anle with the cup, saying, "Exchanging a message for a cup of tea isn't too much to ask, is it?"

Jing Anle squeezed the blanket for a moment, then released it, and said calmly, "The Crown Prince Xiao's voice is relaxed, which must be good news."

Xiao Heng finished his tea in one gulp and said, "Just as Princess Anle said, tonight will only be peaceful."

Both of them knew exactly what it was about. "There's one more thing I haven't asked you about yet," Xiao Heng continued.

"Speak freely." Jing Anle turned to look at Xiao Heng, while he turned to look at Jing Anle. The two gazed at each other in the night, their eyes blurred.

“The princess and I are now allies; she shouldn’t keep things from me,” Xiao Heng said softly. Before Jing Anle could reply, he continued, “If you ever need my help in the future, just ask. Don’t wait up in the night like you did today.” His voice softened instantly, without a trace of jest.

Jing Anle's breath hitched, but she quickly said calmly, "Crown Prince Xiao's words are quite unreasonable." She paused, then lowered her voice further, saying, "Thank you for tonight..."

For a moment, the two were speechless. Xiao Heng coughed lightly, as if breaking the silence, "Between you and me, there is no need for thanks. Besides, you are my savior. The door of Qingyun Palace will always be open for you." His voice returned to its light tone.

Jing Anle unconsciously curled the corners of her lips, but in the darkness, Xiao Heng couldn't see it at all, and replied, "Okay."

Upon hearing Jing Anle's agreement, Xiao Heng's heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, suddenly leaped in his chest. He turned to look out the window again; the full moon tonight was truly beautiful. He was about to say something when he heard a voice from the doorway, "Princess?"