But as soon as Prince Xihuai straightened his body, it pulled at his wound, making him grimace in pain.

It had to be said that Xiao Rongyan possessed a kind of composed bearing that even he, a true imperial noble, didn’t have. He was refined and steady… and now he could no longer hide the aura of authority and decisive killing intent about him.

In the past, Prince Xihuai had thought… as a merchant, if Xiao Rongyan didn’t have some means and ability, how could he possibly become the world’s richest merchant? But now, if he connected Xiao Rongyan with Great Yan’s Ninth Prince Murong Yan, it suddenly felt rather thrilling and terrifying.

At this moment, Prince Xihuai looked at Xiao Rongyan with a moment of bewilderment, feeling that he had truly been stupid enough to be played like a puppet, not recognizing that Xiao Rongyan was Great Yan’s Ninth Prince.

“Your Highness…” Xiao Rongyan hurried forward, supporting Prince Xihuai, then looked toward the physician standing to the side, “Don’t just stand there, find a way to stop the bleeding!”

Prince Xihuai harbored suspicions in his heart and deliberately tested whether Xiao Rongyan was Great Yan’s Ninth Prince. Looking at Xiao Rongyan’s arm, he calculated the position and forcefully grabbed Xiao Rongyan’s hand: “Rongyan…”

Prince Xihuai used almost all his strength, yet saw that Xiao Rongyan showed no expression of pain, only turning his head to look at him, his gaze falling on his bloodied hand.

“What is Your Highness trying to prove?” Xiao Rongyan raised his deep, calm gaze to look at Prince Xihuai, then pushed up his sleeve, revealing his strong, powerful arm. “Want to see if there’s an injury on my arm?”

Prince Xihuai looked at Xiao Rongyan’s completely uninjured arm, then raised his eyes to look at Xiao Rongyan. His eyes reddened as he let out a low laugh, leaning his back against the red lacquered pillar, seeming to breathe a sigh of relief, and hurriedly said: “Quick… quickly have the physician help me stop the bleeding!”

The physician hurried forward, setting down his medicine box and kneeling beside Prince Xihuai to stop the bleeding. Prince Xihuai looked at Xiao Rongyan and spoke: “Don’t blame me, Rongyan. Someone told me that… you were Great Yan’s Ninth Prince, but how could that be possible? You’re such a clever person… if you were Great Yan’s Ninth Prince, how could you give yourself such a name!”

As soon as Prince Xihuai finished speaking, he gasped from the pain, then said to Xiao Rongyan: “You took so long to come, I even thought… You were Great Yan’s Ninth Prince, Murong Yan, busy bandaging your wounds! It’s good that you’re not! It’s good that you’re not…”

Xiao Rongyan’s lips moved slightly as he stared at Prince Xihuai’s pale face: “Today, Great Zhou’s female emperor returned to the capital. I went outside the capital to welcome her, but before I could wait for her, I heard you had assassinated Great Yan’s Ninth Prince and were captured alive.”

Prince Xihuai nodded: “Don’t blame me for being suspicious either. Some former Wei nobles said you were Great Yan’s Ninth Prince Murong Yan, and coincidentally, you came to the capital with Great Yan’s Ninth Prince this time. I couldn’t help but be suspicious. I consider you a brother, so I wanted to come see if this Great Yan Ninth Prince was you! But you and that Great Yan Ninth Prince do have very similar builds and silhouettes. I was indeed startled when I first saw that Great Yan Ninth Prince! But later… when I discovered Yue Shi wasn’t there, I knew it wasn’t you. Yue Shi never leaves your side!”

Hearing Prince Xihuai’s words, Yue Shi saw Prince Xihuai looking at him and quickly lowered his head.

Prince Xihuai sighed: “I just don’t know why Great Yan’s Ninth Prince wears a mask. Is he too ugly? Have you seen him?”

Xiao Rongyan shook his head: “The Ninth Prince never shows his true face to anyone. I heard it’s because he injured his face in his early years, leaving scars! But these are all rumors from others. This time I came with Great Yan’s Ninth Prince…”

As if afraid that Xiao Rongyan would feel guilty or misunderstand, Prince Xihuai hurriedly said: “No need to explain. I know you’re a merchant, and so many people depend on your Xiao family’s business to make a living. I can’t demand that you, as a Wei person, should hate Great Yan and help me kill Great Yan’s Ninth Prince! I also understand that you need to maintain good relations with Great Yan’s Ninth Prince, so that business will be convenient in the future. I don’t blame you! Really! You have merit with the Bai family and are the Great Zhou’s female emperor’s betrothed. If I were Great Yan’s Ninth Prince, I’d bring you along too!”

Xiao Rongyan pressed his lips together and didn’t speak.

“I wonder how this Great Yan Ninth Prince will deal with me…” Prince Xihuai didn’t dare look at his wound, his throat working as he asked Xiao Rongyan, “Rongyan, what’s your relationship with Great Yan’s Ninth Prince like?”

“I will plead for Your Highness. Your Highness needn’t worry. Stopping the bleeding is what’s important now!” Xiao Rongyan said.

“You truly are my good brother!” Prince Xihuai smiled at Xiao Rongyan, bitterness showing in his eyes. “I’ve reached this state, and others would avoid me at all costs, yet you still want to plead for me. Be careful not to implicate yourself!”

Prince Xihuai’s eyes reddened again as he spoke. He adjusted his sitting position, his voice hoarse: “Rongyan, do what you can. Don’t offend Great Yan’s Ninth Prince for my sake. If you can plead for my life, that would be best. If not… then plead for me to keep my corpse intact! Forget about white silk… I’m afraid I couldn’t bear being strangled to death. Just get some kind of poison wine, the kind that works particularly fast! You should have a way!”

Xiao Rongyan pressed his thin lips together, and only after a long while said to Prince Xihuai: “Great Yan’s Ninth Prince knows you were always just an idle prince who ate, drank, and made merry. Your reputation as a wastrel is already known to everyone. Even if he released you… You wouldn’t be able to stir up any great waves. Great Yan’s Ninth Prince won’t care!”

Prince Xihuai was amused by Xiao Rongyan’s words: “Being a wastrel… can save one’s life!”

Xiao Rongyan looked at Prince Xihuai’s appearance and gradually lost the smile between his brows, saying to Prince Xihuai: “I’ll send people to escort you away… find you a wealthy and peaceful place to settle down. This is also what I can do for you as a… friend, for the last time!”

“That won’t work…” Prince Xihuai’s voice was extremely weak. He glanced at the people surrounding them with an expression suggesting his words weren’t convenient to say. Seeing that the physician had finished bandaging his wound, he unhurriedly wrapped his clothes properly, wanting to change the subject.

“You all go out first!” Xiao Rongyan instructed Yue Shi, “Guard the door, don’t let anyone approach!”

“Yes!” Yue Shi led the physician and the guards into the room outside.

“Speak freely… as long as you’re not asking me to kill the Ninth Prince, I can handle anything for you!” Xiao Rongyan spoke from the heart. He felt guilty toward Prince Xihuai, and if he could compensate, he was willing to try his utmost.

“You can’t help me! And I don’t want to implicate you anymore!” Prince Xihuai’s bloodied hands trembled as he tied his garment’s sash. “When the Empress Dowager died, she entrusted my nephew to me, but that little nephew has great ambitions! Moreover, I’m already that little one’s only relative. If I can return alive, I’ll have to help him out, to be worthy of my imperial brother’s care and tolerance toward me all these years.”

If that little one weren’t his imperial brother’s child, calling him uncle, he might have run away long ago. But he was his imperial brother’s child, and for his imperial brother’s sake, he had to look after him…