Upon hearing Xiao Jin utter the two words "I," the Crown Prince remained silent for a long time.
As the atmosphere in the hall became eerily quiet, he removed his fingers from the silver chopsticks and smiled, saying, "The affection between the Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law is truly enviable, like a harmonious melody that astounds others. It could be crafted into a legendary tale."
Xiao Jin didn't believe in the sincerity behind the Crown Prince's blessing and replied indifferently, "I appreciate the auspicious words, Your Highness."
The smile on the Crown Prince's face remained unchanged as he instructed a palace maid beside him, "Remove that chair and let the Prince Yan take a seat."
The palace maid quickly removed the chair and had Old Zhang, the steward, push Xiao Jin's wheelchair inside. While the palace maid was pushing the wheelchair, the Crown Prince casually glanced in Xiao Jin's direction and noticed that Old Zhang was holding a wooden tray with some clothes inside.
He asked, "What is it that the steward is holding?"
Startled by the sudden question from the Crown Prince, Old Zhang, feeling a bit nervous, bowed and replied, "In response to Your Highness, my lord considered that the Princess might have accumulated dust on her clothes during the journey, so she brought some garments for her to change into."
Upon hearing Old Zhang's words, Chu Shao looked at Xiao Jin, a faint smile forming on her lips, clearly in a very good mood.
However, the Crown Prince couldn't genuinely smile at the moment. He asked Xiao Jin, "Is the Third Brother blaming me for not being a good host?"
Xiao Jin glanced at Chu Shao, dressed in blood-red clothes, and thought to herself, Isn't this obvious? Not even allowing her to change her clothes and questioning her here, how is that considered thoughtful?
Of course, Xiao Jin had only overheard bits and pieces while eavesdropping outside the hall, completely unaware of the context and the fact that Chu Shao herself had no intention of changing clothes.
Thus, the words she spoke carried little goodwill, "Your younger brother doesn't dare. Your younger brother only knows that there are some stains on the Princess's clothes, so she should change."
The Crown Prince stared at Xiao Jin for a while, without intending to justify himself, and simply said, "I was negligent. Please, Third sister-in-law, enter the side hall and change."
Soon after, Chu Shao received the clothes presented by Old Zhang and before entering the side hall to change, she smiled and slightly bowed to the Crown Prince.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
A killing intent that strikes the heart, there is none more lethal.
Before Chu Shao came out after changing clothes, neither of the two men in the hall intended to speak first or utter a word.
The entire grand hall was deadly silent, with palace maids standing in their original positions, their heads lowered, focusing on their own shoes.
Old Zhang, standing by Xiao Jin's side, had cold sweat on his palms, desperately thinking of ways to ease the tension but finding none.
It wasn't until Chu Shao stepped into the hall that the Crown Prince took the initiative to break the deadlock, turning his head and smiling at Xiao Jin, "Third brother, it seems that I only need a single sentence to pronounce someone guilty."
However, this time, his tone lacked the sense of a warm spring breeze and faintly revealed a hint of threat.
Xiao Jin knew that Emperor Qi wouldn't live much longer, and it was only a matter of time before she and the male lead would have a falling out.
So she raised her head, met the Crown Prince's gaze, and responded calmly, "Feel free to give it a try."
For a long time, the Crown Prince stared into Xiao Jin's eyes and suddenly laughed, "Indeed, you still have such courage, Third brother."
Then his tone softened again, and he said in a gentle voice, "Actually, I invited Third sister-in-law to the Eastern Palace not to investigate any wrongdoing."
"It's just that I've missed our past interactions, and I wanted to see my younger brother. In passing, we can reminisce about old times as brothers."
Xiao Jin remained unmoved and asked, "Has Your Highness fulfilled his wish now that he has seen his younger brother?"
The Crown Prince paused and replied, "Of course... not."
"We used to have a good time drinking together, Third Brother. Unfortunately, ever since you went to war, we only had a drink together once in Qingzhou. And it didn't last long before it was disrupted by some ignorant assassins. I feel regretful about it," the Crown Prince continued.
Xiao Jin fell into silence. The "ignorant assassins" the Crown Prince mentioned... weren't they from the Blood Rain Pavilion? Although those people were probably not sent by the male lead, they were still his people.
The Crown Prince didn't notice anything amiss and kindly asked, "I wonder if Third Brother is interested in having a drink with me?"
While Xiao Jin was contemplating why the male lead had such a deep obsession with drinking, Chu Shao, who was sitting beside them, smiled and said, "Your Highness, your tolerance for alcohol is not great. This might pose some difficulty for you."
Xiao Jin remained silent, even though she believed she could hold her liquor.
Since it was Chu Shao who spoke, she didn't argue. The Crown Prince, sitting in a high position, smiled slightly and said, "Third sister-in-law is joking. Although alcohol is prohibited in the army, Third Brother still brings several casks of wine to let the soldiers enjoy. How could her alcohol tolerance be poor?"
At first glance, this statement didn't seem particularly offensive, but it sounded somewhat piercing to Chu Shao's ears.
It seemed like... the Crown Prince understood Xiao Jin better than she did.
Chu Shao maintained her smile, but Xiao Jin, driven by her strong survival instinct, coughed and tried to smooth things over for something she hadn't even done.
"I am indeed not good at drinking. Alcohol itself is bitter, and ordinary wine is usually bland and tasteless. It's better not to drink at all," Xiao Jin explained.
The Crown Prince looked at Xiao Jin and asked with a smile, "If ordinary wine is bland and tasteless, what kind of wine do you like?"
"I prefer strong liquor that can burn one's throat. Only then can I truly enjoy it," Xiao Jin replied calmly, casually making up an answer.
Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince chuckled and nodded in agreement. He instructed the palace maid by his side, "Very well, let's prepare some strong liquor according to Prince Yan's preferences."
Chu Shao sat in her chair, waiting for Xiao Jin's response. But she already knew what the answer would be.
As she expected, Xiao Jin showed little expression on her face, seemingly lost in thought.
After a moment of silence, Xiao Jin spoke to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, if you'll excuse me."
Although Chu Shao had anticipated this answer, she also knew that after dealing with the Crown Prince for so long, Xiao Jin must have wanted to extract something from him.
Yet, the growing restlessness in Chu Shao's heart made her realize that this game wasn't as enjoyable as she had imagined.
In order to continue being with Xiao Jin, Chu Shao felt like she was learning how to love someone else. Love was a simple matter, merely a combination of destruction and careful restraint.
Chu Shao couldn't believe she allowed someone who could easily manipulate her emotions to survive until now. Were each of her steps still her own?
But even if Xiao Jin died, Chu Shao couldn't bear the risk of losing her. And she wouldn't kill Xiao Jin either. Even for her own sake, Xiao Jin had to stay alive.
With a smile on her face, Chu Shao thought of many things in her heart, convinced that she had everything figured out.
However, when that person truly appeared before her and spoke in a gentle voice, the world in front of her suddenly became pure and harmless once again.
"Shao'er, I have something to discuss with the Crown Prince. Can you wait for me here for a moment?" Xiao Jin said, looking into Chu Shao's eyes.
After a moment, Chu Shao smiled softly and replied, "Of course, I will wait for you here."
"It's cold at night, Your Highness. Please don't catch a cold," Chu Shao added.
....
This was Xiao Jin's first time entering the inner hall of the Eastern Palace, but it was likely to be the last.
Although Xiao Yu held the esteemed position of the Crown Prince, the interior of the hall was overly simple. There were only a few calligraphic works and a couple of green and white jade screens as decorations.
A palace maid brought in a wine jug and poured green wine into the cups.
The Crown Prince raised his cup and introduced to Xiao Jin, "This wine is called 'Ji Huan(Endless Joy).' It's a famous strong liquor in the capital. It has a burning and spicy sensation when it first enters your throat. Third Brother should savor it slowly."
Xiao Jin didn't pay much attention to his words.
In her view, the alcohol content in ancient times was generally low, and even famous strong liquors probably couldn't compare to a bottle of erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor).
She lifted the wine cup, preparing to take a sip. But before she could drink, the Crown Prince smiled and spoke again, "Third Brother, aren't you afraid that someone might poison your drink?"
Xiao Jin's movement paused slightly, and she looked up at the Crown Prince. Then she withdrew her gaze and lifted the wine cup with her fingertips, drinking it all at once.
The Crown Prince was momentarily stunned, but then he laughed. "Indeed, it's no wonder Third Brother has no fear. Since I invited you to the Eastern Palace, how could I poison you at this moment?"
At this moment, Xiao Jin felt a bit regretful. Why did she gulp down the wine in one breath? Although it felt good to show off, the burning sensation from her throat to her stomach made her truly experience the taste of a double-edged blade.
But since Xiao Jin had a strong-willed personality, now that she had already finished the drink, it was impossible for her to ask the male lead for another cup of water.
Fortunately, after the Crown Prince took a few sips, perhaps finding the wine too strong, he had the palace maid bring lychee wine and strong tea to balance it out.
Although Xiao Jin wasn't accustomed to drinking strong tea, she managed to force down two cups to soothe her throat, under the stimulation of the spicy sensation in her throat.
When she raised the tea cup, Xiao Jin didn't notice the fleeting thoughts in the Crown Prince's eyes as he watched her drink the tea.
After Xiao Jin put down the tea cup, that insignificant trace of peculiarity vanished.
Xiao Yu was still the Crown Prince who was inscrutable in the original story. He dismissed the palace attendants around them and, with a gentle and polite smile, said to Xiao Jin, "Prince Yan, let me guess. You accepted my invitation because you have something to ask me."
Xiao Jin was surprised by the change in the Crown Prince's address from "Third Brother" to "Prince Yan." She also didn't understand why the male lead, who was always scheming, suddenly changed his approach and spoke openly.
But Xiao Jin wasn't very surprised. After all, Emperor Qi was nearing the end of his life, and the Crown Prince no longer needed to pretend to be friendly and respectful towards his brothers.
However, based on this alone, Xiao Jin wasn't convinced. Instead, she decided to meet his move with a countermove and asked, "If the Crown Prince thinks so, then what do you think your younger brother wants to ask?"
The Crown Prince smiled at Xiao Jin and replied, "I speculate that you believe the other poison in your body was administered by me."
The lights in the Eastern Palace were bright, making the subsequent silence even more conspicuous. Xiao Jin didn't ask the Crown Prince how he knew about the other poison in her body because it was obvious. Since the Blood Rain Pavilion's Master was Emperor Qi, it meant that the mastermind behind it all must be the Crown Prince.
In other words, the underground organization controlled by the Emperor and the Crown Prince probably knew most of Qi Country's secrets.
At this moment, Xiao Jin began to ponder. If the Crown Prince and Emperor Qi knew about such matters, did they also know that the original owner of her body was a girl?
Before Xiao Jin could dwell on it for too long, the Crown Prince uttered another sentence, "But it's a pity that the poison wasn't administered by me."
Xiao Jin was slightly surprised, but she didn't show any change on her face. "Do you know who poisoned your younger brother?"
"I have some speculations, but I'm not entirely certain," the Crown Prince replied.
The Crown Prince, who was usually mysterious and unpredictable, was surprisingly candid at this moment. "But when I do find out, perhaps by then, Prince Yan and I will have already met on the battlefield."
Xiao Jin looked at the Crown Prince and noticed that even when he mentioned seizing the throne, there was still a smile on his face.
As she looked at the face that bore some resemblance to the young Emperor Qi, Xiao Jin found it difficult to believe that the Crown Prince was not Emperor Qi's biological son.
The only difference between him and Emperor Qi was that although the Crown Prince had a deep scheming nature, he didn't inherit Emperor Qi's hypocritical demeanor. His voice was as clear as that of an ordinary young man in the capital.
"I often reminisce about the past, when you, the Fifth Brother, and I used to sneak out of the palace to play, looking at the moat surrounding the capital and the reeds and flowers growing on its banks," the Crown Prince said.
"Fifth Brother loved observing the guards standing on the city walls. He said he would serve the country in the future, becoming a loyal subject to the emperor. As for you, you only liked watching the river and said you wanted to take a boat and see the other side of the mountains."
Xiao Jin, as the current host, didn't have these memories.
However, she knew about an incident personally planned by the Crown Prince. "But Fifth Brother's arm is already disabled. He can no longer be a loyal subject to protect the country."
The Crown Prince knew that he was responsible for the injury to the Fifth Prince's arm, but he didn't show any remorse. Instead, he smiled. "Yes, childhood wishes are always beautiful. Unfortunately, later on, Fifth Brother lost his arm and could no longer serve the country. And you, who tried every means to cross that mountain, only ended up feeling disappointed because there was nothing on the other side except another mountain."
Xiao Jin looked at the Crown Prince, not knowing what he was feeling nostalgic about in regards to the culprit who caused the Fifth Prince's arm to be crippled. She couldn't help but sarcastically remark, "No need to feel guilty. The wishes of us younger brothers are insignificant. It's good that Crown Prince has fulfilled his own wish."
The Crown Prince took a sip of wine and shook his head. "Is that so? Unfortunately, I am like the Fifth Brother. I no longer have the possibility to fulfill my own wish."
Xiao Jin wondered how big the Crown Prince's wish was that he couldn't even achieve it when he became the Crown Prince.
Pondering this, she casually asked, "Why?"
The Crown Prince paused for a moment and smiled as he answered, "Because the person who could have helped me fulfill my wish is already dead."
Xiao Jin couldn't continue the conversation.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince continued, "My wet nurse once told me that if I had any wishes in my heart, I should go to the temple and tell them to the bodhisattva and Buddha. Only by speaking them out and being heard by the heavenly gods and immortals would they help me fulfill them."
"But unfortunately, I didn't believe in ghosts and gods at that time. I never burned incense, worshiped Buddha, or prayed to the gods. So, it fell through."
Xiao Jin, who also didn't believe in gods, calmly spoke, "Perhaps even if you had sought the gods, it would have been of no use. After all, the divine beings are high above and indifferent to mortal affairs."
The Crown Prince was momentarily stunned, then he laughed, "Prince Yan, you're right. Actually, I don't believe in the power of gods either. But sometimes, when there's no other choice, one tends to believe."
Xiao Jin didn't have the leisure to chat casually with the male lead and reminded him, "Crown Prince, you're digressing. If you insist on mentioning our past brotherly relationship, perhaps you can tell me your speculations and who you suspect."
The Crown Prince held the wine cup in his hand and remained silent for a long time.
It wasn't until the candlelight in the cup faded away and gradually dimmed that he smiled and said, "I've said before that I haven't completely figured out this matter. But if Prince Yan truly wants to understand the truth, there is probably another person who knows something."
"Who?"
"Aunt Zhao Yang."
Xiao Jin was slightly stunned. She didn't expect the Crown Prince to pass the buck to Xiao Shuang in the end.
And as the Crown Prince lifted the silver pot and filled the last cup of wine, the night outside the palace became colder and more desolate, while the scent of mint diffused in the room became more refreshing and rich.
Xiao Jin suddenly remembered that the Crown Prince had given the original owner a hundred pots of mint.
Half of them were piled up in the pavilion, and the other half were placed in the hall. Even the clothes worn by the original owner were infused with the scent of mint.
Although Xiao Jin knew that the Crown Prince was most likely not the legitimate son of Emperor Qi, which meant that the original owner and the Crown Prince were not blood siblings, Xiao Jin still felt a chill when she vaguely sensed something inappropriate.
But when she thought of another thing, Xiao Jin felt even more puzzled. If there was something between the original owner and the Crown Prince, it couldn't explain why the original owner would hide a portrait of Chu Shao in the pages of a book.
Xiao Jin reminded herself to stay clear-headed and maintain rational thinking.
However, the Crown Prince obviously didn't think so. He knew that Chu Shao had killed the person he had sent to monitor Tang Ling, so he deliberately brought up a certain topic.
"Third Brother, have you ever heard of a saying, 'Those who are not of my clan, their hearts will be different'?"
"Naturally, I've heard of it. What does the Crown Prince have to teach me?" Xiao Jin could vaguely guess what the prince wanted to say, but her tone remained indifferent.
The Crown Prince said, "There is nothing that I can teach you, Third Brother. It's just that I suddenly remembered a tribe called He Jue."
He Jue?
Xiao Jin found this tribe somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember if she had read about it in the original work or heard about it elsewhere.
So she nodded to indicate that she was listening.
The Crown Prince continued, "A hundred years ago, He Jue was just a small tribe with a shortage of food and few soldiers. They used to occupy the area between Qi Country and Yunqin Country. At first, they were quite well-behaved and actively learned the rituals and systems of Qi Country, offering treasures as tribute year after year and forming an everlasting alliance with Qi Country."
"But who would have thought that over time, the leader of He Jue would grow rebellious and secretly expand their power, betraying the alliance and attacking Yunqin Country, which was a vassal state of Qi Country."
"Just occupying Yunqin Country was not enough. They even harbored ambitions towards Qi Country and repeatedly invaded our borders, committing all sorts of atrocities. If it weren't for the Emperor and other countries uniting and leading the iron cavalry to drive He Jue out of the Central Plains, I'm afraid the Country would have changed hands long ago."
After hearing the history of the Hejue tribe, Xiao Jin roughly understood the Crown Prince's intention.
So it turns out he's implying Chu Shao.
However, Xiao Jin wasn't annoyed. On the contrary, she smiled and said, "It seems that Your Highness holds deep prejudice against other ethnic groups because of the Hejue tribe."
The Crown Prince shook his head. "I don't harbor dissatisfaction with other ethnic groups. It's just that, taking history as a lesson, I understand that if one easily lets go of their vigilance against other ethnic groups, it's like inviting a wolf into the house."
Upon hearing the phrase "inviting a wolf into the house," Xiao Jin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"According to Your Highness, Princess Roujia is not a citizen of Qi Country, yet she can always accompany you. Your actions, wouldn't they be considered as easily letting go of your vigilance against other ethnic groups?"
The Crown Prince fell silent.
Xiao Jin continued, "Moreover, the mother of your younger brother is also not a citizen of Qi Country. In that case, doesn't that make your younger brother an ethnic minority as well? Not only did your younger brother obtain a position in Qi Country, but she also has her own fiefdom. Doesn't that make your younger brother the very wolf you mentioned?"
"You are different," the Crown Prince said calmly.
"What makes me different?"
The Crown Prince's face remained calm and unchanging. "Qu Zhao has surrendered and admitted defeat. Naturally, he is now in the grasp of Qi Country, and his land can be considered part of Qi Country."
"If that's the case... Prince Yan, when did you start having the blood of an ethnic minority, and how can you be considered an ethnic minority?"
Xiao Jin had no words to respond because it was true that Qu Zhao's country had been taken over by the Fifth Prince. However, the logic the male lead used in his statement wasn't very convincing.
After all, if you followed this reasoning further, it would mean that Qi conquered Yao, so Chu Shao was no longer a citizen of Yao but had become a citizen of Qi.
Clearly, the Crown Prince was aware of this fact and realized that he had said too much unintentionally while under the influence of alcohol.
So, looking somewhat tired, he rubbed his temple and said to Xiao Jin, "That's all I have to say. Prince Yan, you may withdraw."
Another mention of Prince Yan.
Compared to the previous mention, this time his tone was much colder.
Xiao Jin didn't mind the Crown Prince's attitude towards her and maintained the formalities between a sovereign and his subject, raising her hand in salute. "Your younger brother takes her leave."
Xiao Jin didn't care about the Crown Prince's attitude towards her and maintained the formalities between a sovereign and his subject, raising her hand in salute. "Your younger brother takes his leave."
However, in the gap when the palace maid helped push her wheelchair, Xiao Jin suddenly discovered that it wasn't just the inner palace that had mint planted. Even the eaves and corridors of the Eastern Palace were adorned with many pots of mint flowers.
To the extent that when she passed by the Crown Prince, she could catch a faint scent of mint in the air. In an instant, the mint piled up in the pavilion and the lingering fragrance on her clothes seemed to blend with the current scent.
Xiao Jin suddenly felt that the burning sensation that had subsided in her stomach after drinking the strong wine was starting to surge up her throat again. She felt nauseous and wanted to burn all the clothes that carried the scent of mint from the original owner.
Just as her stomach was churning, she heard a voice coming from a distant place in the inner palace. "Prince Yan, when you cross paths with the lone soldier in the future, there's no need to show mercy."
Xiao Jin thought to herself, "Screw your mercy."
At this moment, she didn't care about the Crown Prince at all, nor did she think about those annoying conspiracies and schemes. Her mind was filled with the kiss between Chu Shao and her, the touch of lips on her fingertips, amidst the light scent of mint.
She already knew that Chu Shao was the female lead, a person who had lived more than once.
She already knew that Chu Shao liked her hand and the scent of mint on it... and the Crown Prince was the male lead, with the scent of mint on his clothes as well.
Xiao Jin gripped the wheelchair's armrest, her face showing no emotional fluctuations, but the joints placed on the armrest had already turned cold and stiff.
So... she wouldn't be treated as a substitute, right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator's note: No!, how can you be a substitute?! If that happens, I will declare war on Chu Shao. 🙂
TO BE CONTINUE...