This person was naturally someone she had sent, but she couldn’t let others trace this person. She spoke this way to test, hoping Ding Jue would investigate. If Ding Jue couldn’t find anything, the matter would end there. If Ding Jue did find something, it would only mean she hadn’t cleaned up her tracks thoroughly enough.

Ding Jue’s gaze fell on Yu Sangning’s delicate hand gripping his arm.

Yu Sangning suddenly realized her impropriety and quickly released her grip, explaining, “This is an heirloom from my ancestors, it cannot be stolen by others. In my urgency, I have offended the Young Master. I ask for the Young Master’s forgiveness.”

Ding Jue smiled carelessly, “Second Lady need not worry, I won’t take offense. Since this is Second Lady’s ancestral possession that was stolen, I’ll help you with this matter, however…”

“Whatever Young Master wishes to say, please speak freely,” Yu Sangning steadied her nerves.

“This is a rare and valuable item. If I help the Second Lady uncover the truth, would the Second Lady be willing to join me in turning this into a profitable venture?” Not asking for benefits would arouse Yu Sangning’s suspicion.

Hearing this, Yu Sangning felt relieved, and her wariness toward Ding Jue lessened considerably, “Once Young Master discovers the truth, we can discuss how to cooperate…”

“Second Lady is forthright. I will certainly investigate thoroughly, hoping to soon plan our fortune together.” Ding Jue closed his fan, his eyes bright.

Being an unmarried man and woman, they didn’t linger long. After quickly arranging how to exchange messages, they parted ways. As soon as they left the teahouse, Xiao Changmin’s trusted aide departed with a gloomy expression.

Just as they exited the teahouse, they happened to see several cheerful young men enter the brothel across the street. The brothel naturally belonged to Xiao Changmin, and nothing that happened there could escape his knowledge.

Xiao Changmin’s aide also learned about a type of fragrant pill in the brothel, and a clever girl had secretly kept one. After obtaining the item and hearing some things he shouldn’t have, the aide immediately rushed to the Second Prince’s residence.

“Your Highness, your servant obtained this in the brothel!” Xiao Changmin’s aide presented the fragrant pill, whose appearance and scent were all too familiar to Xiao Changmin.

It was exactly what his concubine had given him that day. He wasn’t one to carelessly consume things, and when his concubine first presented it, he had it examined by a physician. Only after confirming it was a harmless aphrodisiac did he take it when his concubine mentioned it again that day as if possessed.

Who could have known it would lead to such a disaster?

“Your Highness, today your servant saw the Yu woman and the Hereditary Prince of Zhenbei… meeting in secret!” The aide was furious, “Their behavior was intimate, certainly not a chance encounter. Many say privately that this medicine came from the Hereditary Prince of Zhenbei…”

“What did you say!” Xiao Changmin abruptly stood up.

Without the aide needing to be more explicit, just these few sentences were enough to make the already conspiracy-minded Xiao Changmin suspect the worst.

This fragrant pill had caused him to take a massive fall!

The fragrant pill had circulated from Ding Jue’s hands, Yu Sangning was entangled with Ding Jue, and they couldn’t wait to meet secretly within the month!

Didn’t this suggest that Yu Sangning had long been intimate with Ding Jue, that she simply thought he had lost power and had already found her next patron?

How could an imperial son tolerate such disrespect? So to escape from him and run to her lover, Yu Sangning had struck such a vicious blow?

It must be said that in an instant, Xiao Changmin had guessed almost everything correctly, except for the part about Ding Jue!

Thinking about how this incident had caused His Majesty to strip him of everything, making him endure endless rumors, Xiao Changmin wanted to tear this adulterous couple to pieces!

They had caused his complete disgrace, so he would make sure they died without burial!

“Go, have people watch this pair of adulterers closely!” Xiao Changmin ordered through gritted teeth.

Catch them in the act – he would personally tear off their faces and avenge his humiliation!

As Xiao Changmin’s people monitored Ding Jue and Yu Sangning, Xiao Huayong held all information in his hands.

During this time, Ding Jue met with Yu Sangning several times under the pretext of investigation progress, which in Xiao Changmin’s eyes confirmed the affair between Yu Sangning and Ding Jue.

On this day, the people from the Shunan Prince’s mansion finally arrived in the capital. Besides submitting the memorial for Bu Shulin’s inheritance of the title, they had another task – to escort Xiao Wenxi, who was five months pregnant, back to the Shunan Prince’s mansion for a family reunion.

Xiao Huayong had chosen the day for Xiao Wenxi’s departure. On the night before this day, Ding Jue and Yu Sangning had another “secret meeting.”

The meeting place was an estate that Yu Sangning had received in her divorce settlement from Xiao Changmin!

The moment Yu Sangning and Ding Jue had stealthily arrived at their meeting place, Xiao Changmin immediately surrounded the estate’s front and back gates with his men.

After waiting outside with a dark face for a moment, Xiao Changmin waved his hand and broke in. Xiao Changmin had brought many people, and both the Five Cities Command and the Imperial Guard came along, worried about major trouble.

However, when they rushed in, they didn’t find Yu Sangning and Ding Jue but instead discovered someone else in the room. When the Commander of the Five Cities Command and the General of the Imperial Guard saw this person’s appearance, they instantly turned pale!

This person looked exactly like His Majesty!

Several years ago, after seeing the bone-reshaping technique, Xiao Huayong had jokingly told Shen Xihe they should make someone look like His Majesty for fun.

Shen Xihe hadn’t taken it seriously at first, because the Emperor was the Emperor – even if someone looked identical, they couldn’t possibly imitate his bearing, tone, and experience!

Trying to substitute the Emperor this way was purely a fantasy, but Xiao Huayong was enthusiastic and found someone among Xiao Juezong’s people who were willing to be reshaped to look like His Majesty.

This person’s family had been executed by His Majesty, and Xiao Juezong had taken him in. Now with a chance to get close to His Majesty, whether he could successfully assassinate him would depend on his fortune, and he naturally wouldn’t let this opportunity pass.

Coincidentally, Sui Axi also believed he could be reshaped to look like His Majesty. Although their heights differed slightly, it didn’t matter – Xiao Huayong didn’t need to replace His Majesty, he just needed that face!

In the Qinzheng Hall, Emperor Youning stared intensely at the person brought before him, whom even the guards dared not bind or push due to his face. His fury could no longer be contained, and he grabbed the inkstone from the table and smashed it against Xiao Changmin’s forehead!

Xiao Changmin dared not dodge, and the blow left him dizzy, with blood instantly covering half his face!

“You! How dare you keep such a person, your treacherous ambitions are clear as day, do you still consider me your sovereign father!” Emperor Youning ground out each word through clenched teeth.

“Your Majesty, I wouldn’t dare! This person isn’t someone I kept! If I had such a person, how would I dare to publicly lead people to search!” Xiao Changmin shouted his grievance, ignoring the pain – this was a capital offense! “I went to catch adulterers, yes, the Yu woman conspired with her lover to harm me!”

“Catch adulterers?” Emperor Youning let out a cold laugh, “Summon Yu!”

The Emperor’s reaction made the panicked Xiao Changmin sense something was wrong, though he couldn’t say exactly what.

At this moment, Xiao Huayong stepped forward from the side: “Your Majesty, Second Brother is filial and brotherly. I cannot believe he would commit treason. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly.”

The already anxious Xiao Changmin felt no joy at Xiao Huayong’s words, but instead felt even more despair…