Today was the day Xiao Hei took the medicine!

I forgot!

Chu Zhaoyou shouted, “Quick, I need to change and leave the palace immediately.”

As he bent down to put on his boots, he mentally repeated the curses he had just uttered.

The He Xin Gu Gu had infected him, and he must have been infected with stupidity!

If the medicine was delivered to the Regent’s residence, he would be exposed immediately. The Regent had no intention of seeing him, and he didn’t want to go and face his scolding.

It was too late to find Lu Huai now. The only chance was to wait at the Regent’s residence.

The outskirts of the capital were quite far from here. If Lu Huai’s men had set out in the morning, they probably hadn’t arrived yet.

Cui Geng, who had been recording the lazy lifestyle of His Majesty for the past month, saw Chu Zhaoyou run faster than a rabbit for the first time.

…

At the Regent’s residence, Xiao Heng sneezed several times in his study.

Xie Chaoyun sighed, “I’ve suggested that you install a dragon vein in your study as well, but you insist on carrying it yourself. You got caught in the rain and didn’t change your clothes immediately. You insisted on sending His Majesty back to the palace first. Are you catching a cold?”

“Someone openly insulted me,” Xiao Heng asserted. He knew that Chu Zhaoyou hated being woken up after being covered with a blanket.

“Who dares?” Xie Chaoyun asked, and then realized, “Insulting you would make them lose a piece of flesh.”

Although he couldn’t turn against Chu Zhaoyou, he didn’t mind helping out with such trivial matters.

“Am I supposed to punish him?” Xiao Heng asked.

“That’s the impression you’re giving,” Xie Chaoyun replied.

Xiao Heng fell silent. Chu Zhaoyou had been trying to pry information from him in various ways over the past few days, thinking that he was hiding his thoughts well, but he was no match for Xiao Heng.

The poison used on Madam Wu didn’t come from the Empress Dowager, but was purchased from a merchant in the South Seas after she left the palace.

Xiao Heng deliberately misspoke.

Chu Zhaoyou took the bait, claiming that he had heard it from the Empress Dowager.

He briefly explained this to Xie Chaoyun.

“The Emperor saved me, that’s for sure, and it’s also true that Madam Wu wanted to harm him,” Xie Chaoyun analyzed. “Perhaps the Emperor has some hidden secrets? For example, someone told him, but for some reason, he can’t reveal this person?”

“Let’s consider that for now,” Xiao Heng tapped the table. “Investigate the people around the Emperor thoroughly.”

He wouldn’t allow anything to exist around Chu Zhaoyou that he didn’t know about.

Xiao Heng was confident that if he were to confront Chu Zhaoyou with this information, the Emperor would quickly come up with a plausible explanation.

Unwilling to hear lies but reluctant to conduct a harsh interrogation, Xiao Heng could only bide his time.

“Is there any way to get him to speak voluntarily?” Xiao Heng asked. “It has to be willingly.”

Xie Chaoyun suggested, “Speaking the truth after drinking?”

Xiao Heng instinctively felt it was inappropriate. “Drinking harms the body.”

Xie Chaoyun silently looked at him, thinking, You can say that too.

“Why do I feel like I’m the one being tested?” the Regent asked.

Whenever he encountered Chu Zhaoyou, the Regent acted foolishly. After some thought, Xie Chaoyun hinted, “I think His Majesty seems very interested in the person you’ve found… or rather, he seems confident that the person can be found.”

This also aligned with their previous speculation that someone was secretly passing information to the young emperor.

Otherwise, the young emperor wouldn’t be able to accomplish these things alone.

The first person Xiao Heng thought of was the notorious kidnapper who had taken Chu Zhaoyou out of the city. He had exceptional lightness skills and had managed to break through Qian Shicheng’s defenses.

But would a kidnapper catch someone and then willingly release them?

Judging by his own standards, if he had caught someone, he wouldn’t have let them go.

Could the kidnapper not see that Chu Zhaoyou was intelligent, clever, and beautiful?

Chu Zhaoyou was well-liked, and perhaps with just a few words, he could persuade the kidnapper to work for him.

Just like Lu Huai, Xie Chaoyun, and Xie Chaoyue.

“Crack—” The Regent accidentally broke a piece of wood carving.

Xie Chaoyun glanced at him and noticed that the Regent’s complexion seemed a bit green.

…

Chu Zhaoyou hurriedly rushed to the front of the Regent’s residence.

The Regent’s residence was quiet and simple, with solemn guards. Chu Zhaoyou walked around but didn’t find any signs of recent visitors.

He couldn’t ask. What if Lu Huai hadn’t arrived yet? Asking would only cause trouble for himself.

Walking along the Regent’s residence towards the city gate, Chu Zhaoyou, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, stood out.

The people consciously made way for him.

“His Majesty is really handsome!”

“No wonder, with the palace’s food and environment, eating bird’s nest and shark’s fin every day, how could he not look good!”

Chu Zhaoyou was harmless and good-looking, but he didn’t have much authority in the Great Chu Empire. The people’s whispers revolved around his appearance.

The guards were worried that Chu Zhaoyou might feel offended and looked at him inquiringly.

“It’s okay,” he said, quite pleased.

A rider in white approached, and Chu Zhaoyou keenly noticed the emblem of the Lu family on his clothes. Fearlessly, he reached out and stopped him.

After all, he had his guards with him, so he wouldn’t be in any danger.

The horse reared up, and Lu Bo urgently pulled the reins, realizing that the person blocking the way was the young emperor.

Chu Zhaoyou reached out. “General Lu, do you have something to give me?”

Lu Bo hesitated for a moment. General Lu had said that these things were to be handed over to the Regent.

But then he remembered that before leaving, General Lu had muttered to himself, “I don’t know if His Majesty forgot or what, but you should act accordingly. If something is amiss, report back to me immediately.”

Lu Huai was afraid that Chu Zhaoyou hadn’t come to collect the items because he had been detained by the Regent.

Chu Zhaoyou frantically hinted, “General Lu said you could have delivered these two days ago. Did you forget to give them to me?”

Hurry and give them to me.

Lu Bo readily complied, “There have been many military matters recently, which delayed it for two days. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”

Chu Zhaoyou took the small package and swiftly tucked it into his chest.

“Thank you for your hard work. Why not stay in the palace for a few days?”

“I have official duties to attend to and cannot stay for long.”

Chu Zhaoyou nodded. “There are a few things I’d like you to convey to General Lu.”

Chu Zhaoyou walked a few steps with Lu Bo, and when the guards tried to follow, Chu Zhaoyou gave them a stern look.

Afraid that the guards might have sharp hearing, Chu Zhaoyou spoke half of the message and wrote the other half in the palm of his hand, as if guarding against thieves.

The guards felt that they would be scolded by the Regent when they returned.

…

Having successfully retrieved the Seal of Authority, Chu Zhaoyou carefully joined the two pieces together and straightened his back.

The  Imperial Dragon Guards, mine.

He tucked it back into his pocket and looked at the remaining packet of medicine, feeling troubled.

How could he administer it to the Regent?

Invite him to the palace for a meal?

Just as he was worrying, the Regent arrived uninvited in the evening, demanding an explanation.

Chu Zhaoyou dared not waste any time and discreetly dropped it into the teacup, pretending to be calm as he sat at the table.

“You left the palace today, Your Majesty?” Xiao Heng asked directly, not beating around the bush.

He even dared to write in the palm of the general men’s hand?

Chu Zhaoyou: “The last time I sent General Lu a food box, he mentioned that the persimmon cakes in the outskirts of the city were delicious. It was a way of returning the favor. We agreed that he would bring some today, and I almost forgot.”

Xiao Heng didn’t believe Chu Zhaoyou’s nonsense. He noticed that Chu Zhaoyou was keeping more and more secrets, as if trying to break free from his control.

“Sorry, I finished it all and forgot to save some for the Regent. How about you have a cup of tea to calm down?” Chu Zhaoyou offered a cup of tea with a smile.

The Regent’s expression changed slightly as he pushed away the tea offered by Chu Zhaoyou, as if he had seen through Chu Zhaoyou’s little trick.

In his mind, a scene from seven years ago flashed back, when the old emperor was gravely ill and summoned the young prince Chu Zhaoyou and Xiao Heng.

“From today, Xiao Heng is your tutor. He will be your teacher for a day and a father for life. Kneel down, Zhaoyou, and pay your respects to your teacher with a cup of tea.”

“Teacher.”

The young prince handed a cup of tea to Xiao Heng, who drank it all in one go.

“Wei is gaining power. Xiao Heng, I entrust the crown prince to you. If there is any disrespect, feel free to punish him.”

“I will do my best!”

It turned out that the Gu was in the tea.

Few people knew that among the various official titles Xiao Heng held, he also held the title of tutor.

Xiao Heng himself was unwilling to acknowledge it.

Today, as Chu Zhaoyou once again picked up a cup of tea, his demeanor gradually resembled that of seven years ago.

Xiao Heng’s pupils contracted, and the hatred he had gradually buried resurfaced.

Xie Chaoyue knocking over his brother’s tea was a cause for both relief and envy for Xiao Heng.

Seven years ago, no one stopped that cup of tea for him, and everyone in the room watched it happen.

There was no one he could trust; he had to rely on himself.

Xiao Heng raised his hand, grabbed the teacup, and threw it to the ground with a resolute and fierce determination, as if he wanted to shatter the absurd loyalty from seven years ago.

Chu Zhaoyou’s face turned pale with shock. He lunged forward and caught the teacup with both hands.

Even if he didn’t drink it, he didn’t want it to be smashed on the ground. Had he been late by a few hours, and Xiao Hei had another episode?

Xiao Heng paused, looking at Chu Zhaoyou in disbelief, his eyes filled with intense tremors.

This tea???

Chu Zhaoyou dared to pull this shit a second time?!

He sneered and coldly placed the teacup back, then grabbed Chu Zhaoyou’s delicate neck. “Does His Majesty even deserve to offer tea to me?”

A teacher imparts knowledge and education, and the entire Chu family is not worthy of using that word.

Chu Zhaoyou was stunned by this turn of events. Why did he have a feeling that he would be sent to the imperial tomb in the next moment?

And what was Xiao Heng’s cryptic remark about?

Shocked to the core, Chu Zhaoyou only belatedly realized that Regent Prince was actually choking him!

“Cough, cough, cough…” Chu Zhaoyou retched continuously, his cheeks turning red and tears welling up.

If he pities the Regent again, he’s just a fool!

Xiao Heng, seething with anger, released his grip, sneered, and walked away.

Chu Zhaoyou leaned on the table, gasping for air, large tears splashing onto the tabletop. Trembling, he pulled out half of a Tiger Tally from his sleeve and fiercely hurled it at Xiao Heng’s back.

The Regent Prince’s head suddenly throbbed as he grabbed a concealed weapon.

It took a great effort to persuade himself to find another place to calm down. Chu Zhaoyou dared to poison him and then throw something at him?

He raised his hand, his gaze suddenly fixed.

Half of the seal of authority.

Not Chu Zhaoyou’s half, but his own.

Chu Zhaoyou stood up straight, a smile not reaching his eyes, and threatened, “Regent, you have to drink it today, even if you don’t want to.”