Li Jiancheng smiled and pulled down her hand, “Rest assured, as your equal wife, I have already decided to take you in. Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, I will capture you and bring you back.”

This remark made Xin’an’s heart bloom with joy, and she pouted coquettishly, “Usually you appear so cold and aloof, but I never expected you to be so smooth-tongued. However… I like it.”

As long as she could stay by Li Jiancheng’s side, she believed that with her beauty and cunning, she would surely be able to firmly tie this man to her pomegranate skirt, making him devoted to her unto death.

After a moment of tenderness, Li Jiancheng said, “By the way, after you finish drinking the ginseng soup later, return to Daxing Palace.”

Xin’an’s expression froze slightly, and she said somewhat unwillingly, “That place is gloomy and makes one feel uncomfortable all over, and… you also know that the person who truly killed him was me. I… really don’t want to go.”

“But you are Yang You’s aunt. If you don’t go to send him off on his final journey, it will easily arouse others’ suspicions.” Seeing that Xin’an still hesitated, Li Jiancheng stroked her shoulder and said, “It’s only for two or three days. Just endure it and it will pass. Consider it for my sake.”

Xin’an reluctantly agreed, “Very well, I’ll listen to you.”

As she spoke, footsteps sounded outside. Li Jiancheng knew it must be Lüli returning, so he immediately stood up and moved to one side. After a while, he indeed saw Lüli enter carrying a golden lacquered tray. Upon seeing Xin’an awake, she said joyfully, “Princess, you’re awake?”

“I just woke up.” Xin’an pretended to be weak and said, “I’m truly useless. I only knelt for such a short while before fainting. I even had to trouble the Crown Prince to send me back. I feel terrible about it.”

Li Jiancheng bowed and said, “Princess, your words are too kind. I had Miss Lüli prepare a bowl of ginseng soup. Please drink it while it’s hot to nourish your body.”

Xin’an nodded, “The Crown Prince is so thoughtful.”

“Princess, please rest well. I shall take my leave first.” Saying this, Li Jiancheng withdrew from the sleeping chamber. The moment he turned around, the gentle smile on his face instantly disappeared, replaced by endless coldness.

Such a woman who would sleep with anyone also wanted to be his equal wife—it was simply wishful thinking. If she hadn’t drugged his tea that day, forcing him to have relations with her, he wouldn’t have even wanted to touch her. If not for seeing that she still had some use value, he would have killed her long ago.

However… that day would not be far off!

Li Shimin, now trapped in prison, probably couldn’t even dream that the one who had harmed him to such an extent was none other than his own elder brother.

Since Li Yuan had entered and taken control of Chang’an, Li Jiancheng had repeatedly advised him to depose Yang You and establish himself as emperor. But Li Yuan, mindful of his old feelings toward the Yang family, had been reluctant to depose Yang You, allowing him to continue occupying the dragon throne.

Since father was reluctant to act, let him, the son, do it for him.

He not only wanted to eliminate Yang You but also Li Shimin. For Li Jiancheng now, Li Shimin was no longer a brother, but a stone blocking his path forward—one that must be removed.

That day when he entered the palace to see Xin’an, he had told her of this plan. Who would have thought that Xin’an would drug his tea, thinking she could use her filthy body to bind him to her.

But this was also good—this way, Xin’an would be devoted to him and wholeheartedly help him accomplish great things.

He first arranged for Xiao Liuzi to use Yunyi’s name to lure Li Shimin into the palace. Originally, he had planned to act after Li Shimin entered Mingse Palace, but who knew the latter would see through the deception, forcing his arranged men to act early. Fortunately, nothing went wrong.

After knocking out Li Shimin and his companions, they carried them into Mingse Palace. The palace had few servants at night anyway, and with deliberate avoidance, no one discovered them along the way.

As for those in Mingse Residence, Yunyi and Ruyi had already fallen unconscious from the drugged evening meal he had secretly laced with sleeping powder, completely unaware of what was happening around them.

The remaining portions of that evening meal had been switched before being returned to the imperial kitchen, so naturally the imperial physicians could find nothing wrong.

After arranging all this, Xin’an quietly came to Mingse Residence, undressed Li Shimin and Yunyi, and arranged them in a compromising position. Even Lüli knew nothing of this—she thought Xin’an had stayed in Shuangyue Palace all night and never left.

At this time, someone else, also using Yunyi’s name, went to Daxing Palace to invite Yang You over. Under that person’s clever words, Yang You, who had never seen much of the evil in human hearts, went alone to Mingse Palace without even bringing any palace servants.

When Yang You stepped into Mingse Palace, what he saw was Yunyi and Li Shimin in disheveled clothing, unconscious on the bed. Before he could walk over, his chest suddenly felt cold—a dagger was inserted right in the center of his heart, and the one holding the dagger was his own aunt… Xin’an.

Yang You very much wanted to ask Xin’an why she was doing this, but that stab to his chest left him no chance to speak before he collapsed to the ground and stopped breathing, changing from a living person into a corpse that was growing cold. Only his eyes never closed.

Because Xin’an had held Yunyi’s clothing in front of herself beforehand, the few drops of blood mostly splattered onto Yunyi’s clothing, with only the hand holding the dagger getting slightly stained.

After doing all this, Xin’an returned to Shuangyue Palace without anyone knowing, washed her hands clean, and pretended nothing had happened. It wasn’t until the next day, when the officials waited in vain for Yang You to appear, that she put on an act of asking around before leading people to Mingse Palace to catch them “red-handed.”

Li Jiancheng knew that once this matter exploded, the first person people would look for would be Xiao Liuzi, so early this morning, he had sent Xiao Liuzi out of the city. Even if they searched all of Chang’an, they would never find him.

As for the others, they were all his trusted subordinates who would not and dare not betray him, including… the guards who had been responsible for watching the residence gates and palace gates that day.

Now the only thing he had to do was wait to watch Li Shimin be executed!

Thinking of this, his chest tightened. Li Shimin was, after all, his blood brother. For over twenty years they had gotten along well, with proper brotherly affection and respect. Moreover… looking back, aside from competing for achievements and trying to please their father, Li Shimin had never done anything to wrong him. On the contrary, he had even helped conceal the Liu Ye matter.

Looking at himself, he had repeatedly tried to put Li Shimin to death. It seemed he had gone too far.

No, it was Li Shimin who had competed with him for achievements first. He was merely a second son, yet he fantasized about replacing him to inherit everything from their father. Today’s events were his own doing—he had no one to blame but himself.

Thinking this way, the trace of reluctance in Li Jiancheng’s eyes disappeared completely, leaving only coldness and cruelty…

At this time, in Mingse Palace, Jixiang kept looking outside, but no matter how much she looked, the area was filled with Imperial Guards. If they made the slightest move, they would be discovered.