Chapter 111

Emperor Wu Lie, sitting in the main seat, remained unresponsive.

The Fourth Prince Yan Wei, the Fifth Prince Yan Ying, and the Sixth Prince Yan Yu all put down their chopsticks simultaneously, occasionally glancing at their father and then thoughtfully looking at Yan Donghuang and Yan Ming. They wanted to know if Yan Ming had really poisoned someone. They also wanted to know if Yan Donghuang was framing him.

What did their father think about this matter?
If the poisoning charge was proven, Yan Ming would be doomed.
If Yan Donghuang was framing him, she would be guilty of harming her brother, and their father would not sit idly by.

“I have many things to deal with recently, I don’t have time to frame you,” Yan Donghuang said coldly. “You are a demoted prince. Why would I bother to frame you?”

“Since you know I have been demoted and am no longer a threat to you, you should understand that even if I poisoned you, it would be meaningless,” Yan Ming retorted defiantly. “The Marquis of Pingyang’s words are not credible.”

Yan Donghuang’s voice was cold: “If you hold a grudge, you have a reason to do it.”

Yan Ming angrily replied, “I resent you, but I’m not that stupid!”

Yan Donghuang’s lips curled into a mocking smile: “You may not be that smart either.”

Yan Ming’s face turned pale, and he gripped his chopsticks tightly.

The atmosphere became tense.

Sitting nearby, Consort Gui and Consort Xian were both pleased to see them fighting like dogs, yet couldn’t help but wonder if they were putting on a show.

If it were a show, the cost would be too high, involving the entire Chu family, with Consort De sent to the cold palace and Yan Ming demoted. It would be much harder for him to make a comeback compared to other princes.

If it wasn’t a show, how did the once-close siblings become bitter enemies?

They honestly didn’t know what had happened recently. They had secretly investigated for days but found nothing.

Yan Donghuang seemed to have suddenly changed as if possessed by something… Could she have been taken over by someone else?

Consort Gui looked at Yan Donghuang, deep in thought.

Emperor Wu Lie finally finished his meal, pushed away the small bowl, and Rong Chun immediately respectfully offered a handkerchief.

Emperor Wu Lie slowly wiped his mouth and looked at the two before him: “Have you argued enough?”

“Father, I know I was wrong,” Yan Ming said fearfully, immediately leaving his seat and kneeling. “I did have some disputes with the Crown Princess over the Chu family matter, and I accept punishment. But the poisoning by the Marquis of Pingyang has nothing to do with me. I swear on my life and my mother’s life, please investigate thoroughly!”

Emperor Wu Lie looked at Yan Donghuang: “Did Chen Shaoheng insist it was Yan Ming?”

Yan Donghuang nodded: “The Ministry of Justice has been interrogating him for days. From the beginning, Chen Shaoheng has consistently pointed to King Jing and has never changed his testimony.”

Yan Ming’s tone was intense: “Father, I am innocent!”

Emperor Wu Lie frowned: “In that case, go to the Ministry of Justice with Donghuang and confront Chen Shaoheng face to face.”

Yan Ming lowered his eyes: “I obey.”

He was willing to go to the dungeon with Yan Donghuang to prove his innocence and clear his conscience.

Even though today was New Year’s Eve, Yan Ming didn’t mind the dungeon’s bad luck.

Leaving Guangyang Hall, Yan Ming’s face turned cold: “You will stop at nothing to destroy me.”

Yan Donghuang raised an eyebrow: “You overestimate yourself.”

“You!” Yan Ming’s face turned livid. “If you didn’t frame me, why would Chen Shaoheng insist it was me?”

“You should ask Chen Shaoheng that question.”

Yan Ming’s expression was gloomy: “Even if Chen Shaoheng wasn’t instructed by you, Donghuang, I regret trusting the wrong person.”

“Likewise,” Yan Donghuang said indifferently. “I can correct my mistake, but you have no chance to recover.”

Yan Ming froze, almost losing control: “What did I do to wrong you? If you have the guts, say it out loud so I can die knowing why!”

He had meticulously planned for so many years, treated her so well, and thought he had done everything perfectly. What had he done to offend her without realizing it?

Yan Donghuang looked at him expressionlessly, unmoved by his anger.

She had all the time in the world to deal with him.
She wanted him to be confused, to rack his brains and still not understand what he had done wrong.
She wanted him to live and feel the pain and despair of being betrayed, to lose everything bit by bit, without any ability to change his situation.

Didn’t he think he was qualified to be emperor?
Then, let him show his true abilities and see if he could turn the tide.

Chapter 112

Yan Ming’s face looked grim, and he followed Yan Donghuang to the Ministry of Justice prison without saying a word.

Chen Shaoheng, covered in injuries, was curled up on the straw in his cell.
The sound of the prison door opening startled him awake. Seeing Yan Donghuang and Yan Ming walking in one after the other, hope flashing in his eyes, he jolted up. He struggled to get up instinctively: “Prince Jing! Prince Jing, save me! I acted on your orders. You said you could protect my life, Prince Jing—”

“Chen Shaoheng,” Yan Ming coldly interrupted him, “I did not order you to poison the Grand Princess, nor did I promise you anything.”

Chen Shaoheng froze: “Prince Jing, what… what are you saying?”

Yan Ming strode to the cell, angrily questioning: “I want to ask you, who gave you the poison? Why are you framing me?”

Chen Shaoheng stiffened: “Prince Jing—”

Yan Ming didn’t let him continue: “Who handed you the poison?”

“It was a servant from your residence,” Chen Shaoheng gritted his teeth, staring at him. “You said yourself that you hated the Grand Princess and that she must die. You promised to protect me if I succeeded… Prince Jing, I did everything according to your orders!”

“A servant from my residence?” Yan Ming sneered. “What did this servant look like?”

Chen Shaoheng hurriedly replied: “Tall, thin, about eighteen or nineteen years old…”

“If I bring all the servants from my residence here, can you recognize him?”

Chen Shaoheng froze, panic flashing in his eyes: “He… he came at night, dressed in black, with his face covered…”

Yan Ming’s voice grew colder: “Then how did you determine his age to be eighteen or nineteen?”

The Marquis of Pingyang was stunned, instinctively replying: “From his build and voice.”

Having walked too quickly earlier, Yan Ming felt intense pain from his back injury. He frowned, holding onto the cell door, his voice growing even colder: “So you didn’t confirm his identity at all, and just based on his words, you believed it was me who gave you the poison and ordered you to poison the Grand Princess?”

“Of course not!” Chen Shaoheng suddenly seemed to realize something, desperately shouting, “If he hadn’t had a handwritten order from you, how could I have believed him just based on his words while he was masked?”

Yan Ming coldly asked: “Where is this order?”

Chen Shaoheng’s face changed: “I burned it—” He didn’t finish his sentence, his voice cutting off abruptly.

Chen Shaoheng’s face became rigid, and fear and despair filled his eyes. He clearly realized the gravity of the situation.

If Yan Ming denied everything, he had no evidence, as he had burned it himself. Or if Yan Ming wasn’t the mastermind, he had been used as a tool, not even knowing who the real person was. He had poisoned the Grand Princess in confusion, dragging the entire Marquis of Pingyang’s household down with him.

“Yan Donghuang, what do you have to say now?” Yan Ming turned to Yan Donghuang, his face mocking. “Do you think you can condemn me based on Chen Shaoheng’s words alone?”

“If I wanted to condemn you, his words would be enough.”

“You—”

Yan Donghuang’s expression was cold: “Even if the Marquis of Pingyang wasn’t acting on your orders, your instructions to Sheng Jing’an are enough to ruin you.”

Yan Ming’s face turned deathly pale, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

“Grand Princess!” Chen Shaoheng suddenly knelt before Yan Donghuang, kowtowing repeatedly. “I know I was wrong! For the sake of Yushu, please spare me this once. I will change my ways, live well with Yushu, never neglect her again, never be used by others, and never do anything—”

“Attempting to harm the heir, with conclusive evidence, do you think you still have a chance?” Yan Donghuang interrupted him, her voice cold and ruthless.

Chen Shaoheng froze on the ground, his body cold, and his blood seemingly stopped, leaving only despair and regret.

Yan Donghuang turned and walked out.

Yan Ming slowly turned, following her. His gaze was like a snake’s, staring at her back, his hand at his side slowly clenching.

If he had a weapon, even just a dagger, he would want to kill her in the prison so she would never see the sunlight outside.

Ascend the throne?
Go to the underworld to ascend the throne.
But he had no weapon and was still injured. If he tried to act, he would be the one to die.

Yan Ming lowered his eyes, his gaze sharp and sinister.

Yan Donghuang.
I will live well, live to see when you are betrayed by everyone and die without a complete corpse.