Prince Li’s suspicions were well-founded, as earlier, the Crown Prince had sent assassins to target Huangfu Jingchen.

Thus, it was clear that any excellent imperial grandsons were his targets. Therefore, if this time he also had a hand in harming Huangfu Jingchen, it would not be surprising at all.

As for why the Crown Prince must eliminate those imperial grandsons, when Prince Li put himself in his shoes and combined it with the traits of those deceased imperial grandsons, he understood: those he wanted to eliminate were all the excellent ones; the mediocre were instead safe.

This was to eliminate hidden threats.

No, he didn’t just target Huangfu Jingchen, he also targeted his own Jinglun.

If Jinglun were still around, how could the position of Crown Prince fall to him?

Even the son of Prince Lian Cheng, who could no longer pose a threat to him, he could not tolerate; given that he had acted outside the Capital City, what was impossible about scheming within the palace? Perhaps he was not entirely innocent.

After all, it was a vendetta for the death of a child, irreconcilable under the same sky, so why would he be polite to the third brother?

Huangfu Hanyu shouted angrily, "Huangfu Qianhao, what do you mean?"

What do you mean by doing something so contrary to human decency and the heavens’ ways? What is this insinuating? Falsely accusing others! And deliberately stirring up Father Emperor’s suspicion, making him feel that this is more than just a twenty-year-old grudge, but the result of someone’s plotting?

This Old Nine, truly sinister, actually wants to drag him out!

His schemes were already shattered; if Father Emperor really grew suspicious and thoroughly investigated, and if any clues were uncovered, how would he cope? Father Emperor would surely punish him, might even depose him!

Huangfu Hanyu’s furious expression only elicited a light sneer from Prince Li.

Prince Li was not afraid of him, for he was also filled with anger from the implicating of Imperial Concubine Zhou. He said lightly, "What, did I accidentally hit a sore spot of someone’s by just speaking offhandedly?"

In recent times, the Crown Prince often tripped over Prince Li in court. Now, Prince Li’s momentum was growing stronger, and the threat was increasing. The Crown Prince already harbored resentment in his heart, and Prince Li’s words were like adding fuel to the fire. Moreover, the Crown Prince could not let Prince Li genuinely incite the Emperor’s suspicion, leading to further investigation. He simply acted out a scene of uncontrollable grief and rage after losing a son, rushing over intending to attack Prince Li.

Seeing as how the two brothers were about to come to blows, the Emperor shouted, "Enough!"

Saying so, he glanced at Prince Li. The Crown Prince lost his son; as brothers, could they not stop for a bit?

Prince Li reluctantly fell silent.

The Crown Prince was wrongly accused? Who knows what hidden facts lie within this matter? He himself was the one wronged! His mother, the imperial concubine, was the one wronged!

There, amid the dispute between the Crown Prince and Prince Li, King Kang promptly took Huangfu Jinxuan away, with Huangfu Jingchen following them.

This time, having received twenty strikes on his backside, Huangfu Jinxuan couldn’t ride a horse! King Kang was about to help Huangfu Jinxuan into his own carriage when Huangfu Jingchen said, "Uncle Kang, my carriage is quite spacious, and there’s a cushion inside; Jinxuan is injured, let me take him back to the mansion!"

King Kang thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I’ll leave it to you then!"

The Prince Kang Mansion and the Cheng Prince Mansion weren’t on the same street, but that didn’t matter; Huangfu Jingchen didn’t mind.

Huangfu Jinxuan winced in pain, twitching the corners of his mouth, and yet said, "Huangfu Jingchen, this disaster from nowhere is all because of you; sending me back to the mansion is the least you can do!" 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

King Kang looked at his son speechlessly, apologizing to Huangfu Jingchen: "Prince Jing, don’t mind this rascal, he’s just a scoundrel!"

Huangfu Jingchen responded, "This time, he truly saved my life, so taking him back to the mansion is just a small token of gratitude!"

Soon, Huangfu Jinxuan boarded the carriage of the Cheng Prince Mansion.

In the front carriage, Huangfu Rong appeared worried, "Father, is it alright for them to be in the same carriage?"

King Kang cast him a sidelong glance and said, "What else? Who do you not trust?"

Huangfu Rong: "..."

Is he saying he doesn’t trust Prince Cheng’s Heir?

Though he hadn’t interacted with that young man, knowing Prince Cheng and Aunt Cheng, the child they raised wouldn’t be bad.

Or is he saying he doesn’t trust his younger brother?

Now his younger brother couldn’t even sit; twenty strokes nearly cost him half his life.

He embarrassedly smiled and said, "No distrust, just saying it out loud!"

In the rear carriage, Huangfu Jinxuan lay on the soft cushion, looking around curiously, "In this weather, there’s no need for cushions, why do you have one in your carriage? And it just so happens that it’s soft enough for me to lie on?"

Huangfu Jingchen glanced at him, "Is it uncomfortable lying down?"

"Comfortable, very comfortable!" Huangfu Jinxuan said with a cheeky grin.

He touched the bruised spot on his face, grimacing, "Couldn’t you have been gentler? It really hurts!"

Huangfu Jingchen calmly replied, "If I left a bruise, who would think we’re at odds?"

"Why do you want people to think we’re at odds?"

"Isn’t that what you want? I’m just going along with you!"

Huangfu Jinxuan was momentarily speechless, "Hmm, that’s indeed the case!"

Huangfu Jingchen looked at him, his gaze growing more serious, "Did you know that the wine was poisoned?"

Huangfu Jinxuan squinted slightly, "And did you know or not?"

Huangfu Jingchen nodded, "I didn’t know if it was poisoned, but I knew something was wrong. When the palace maid poured the wine, her fingertip swiftly brushed the rim of the cup; although it might have been an unintentional gesture, I certainly wasn’t going to drink that cup of wine."

"Knowing you wouldn’t drink it, why should I bother being the villain?" Huangfu Jinxuan expressed with lingering fear, "Did you not see the Crown Prince almost gnawing at me in anger?"

"You knew the wine was problematic yet handed it to Huangfu Jing, no wonder the Crown Prince was furious!"

"That’s not quite right!" Huangfu Jinxuan laughed, "After all, knowing it was poison deadly enough to kill, I wouldn’t dare act so! Who would have thought that at a royal banquet, there would be an attempt on someone’s life? It’s truly deadly!"

He turned his head, "Do you know who wants your life?"

Huangfu Jingchen said blandly, "Initially, I didn’t know, later I did!"

Huangfu Jinxuan proudly proclaimed, "I know too!" He laughed, "So Brother Jing is both wronged and not wronged. Think about it, Brother Jing’s hands have many lives on them; who knew this would turn into a wrongful death? Maybe it’s the work of vengeful spirits!"

Huangfu Jingchen: "..."

Putting it that way is also a possibility.

He had no prior interaction with the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince’s expressions today, though slight, were noticeable after spending a long time honing his skills in Jianghu, alongside the clever Xia Wenjin, he was no longer the same inexperienced Prince Cheng’s Heir who had returned to Yunzhou from the Capital City with nearly no worldly experience last year.

At this moment, he felt that perhaps the court’s cunning conspiracies were even more treacherous and unpredictable than the deceit and betrayal in Jianghu.

Previously, he didn’t know where the assassins were sent from, but now he knew.