The Crazy Emperor's Pampered Cousin

(The previous chapter has been revised, please go and take a look again.)

Xie Yanzhao first deftly put on a black outer robe, the dark patterns embroidered with gold thread flowing in the candlelight.

Then he patiently dressed Shen Tinghe.

As I held her slender ankle and slipped on her stockings, my fingertips gently caressed her ankle bones, intentionally or unintentionally.

As he tied the belt around her waist, he reached out and pinched her still-blushing cheek, whispering in a hoarse voice filled with satisfaction and helpless indulgence.

"Yuan Yuan will probably stay in bed again tomorrow."

Shen Tinghe was exhausted and let him serve her, only softly pushing his arm to urge him on.

After the two finished getting ready and stepped out of the tent, a biting night wind immediately hit them.

Shen Tinghe shrank back slightly and snuggled even closer to Xie Yanzhao.

He pulled her into his arms, wrapping most of her body in his thick black cloak, practically half-embracing and half-carrying her, as they walked toward the brightly lit camp where voices could be faintly heard.

A number of people who had been alerted had gathered at the scene, all dressed in slightly hasty attire and with expressions of surprise and uncertainty.

In the center of the crowd, the situation was immediately clear.

Ji Yunzhan collapsed to her knees on the cold ground, her hair disheveled, a few strands of black hair clinging to her tear-streaked cheeks, making her look even more pitiful.

Her silk robes on her arms and back were torn in several places, revealing bright red whip marks underneath.

Guan Yi knelt half a step behind her, his face ashen.

Xie Jiayu stood to the side, holding a gold-inlaid and jade-embroidered riding whip, her beautiful face still showing anger mixed with undisguised disgust.

His eyes were like poisoned knives, slicing cruelly at Ji Yunzhan on the ground.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review had already arrived and was sitting in the temporary main seat with a solemn expression.

Upon seeing the arrival of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, everyone bowed and paid their respects, their voices converging in the night.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Crown Princess."

Xie Yanzhao's gaze, as cold as the night, slowly swept across the entire room.

"Rise."

The eunuch had already cleverly brought over a cushioned chair and placed it next to the main seat.

Xie Yanzhao helped Shen Tinghe sit down. From beginning to end, their hands never separated, their fingers intertwined, resting peacefully on his lap.

This silent intimacy was understood by everyone present.

His Highness's affection for the Crown Princess is indeed profound and he makes no attempt to hide it from others.

Only one person was present, his gaze fixed on that incomparably noble figure with a look of adoration and resentment.

There was no one else in Ji Yunzhan's eyes.

It has been far too long since she last caught a glimpse of the man she had admired for over a decade at the palace banquet.

He has come here in person at this moment. Why should the Crown Prince be bothered with such a chaotic matter?

Did he... come for her?

This thought, like wildfire, suddenly ignited a faint yet burning hope in her heart, which was full of wounds and humiliation.

Ji Yunzhan crawled forward half a step on her knees, raised her tear-streaked face which only made her look more pitiful, and cried out in a mournful voice:

"Your Highness, please do me justice! Tonight... tonight my husband and I had arranged to go to the back mountain to watch the stars and admire the moon. But when we reached the edge of the cliff, we ran into Young Master Guan, who was also out for a night stroll. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Her Highness the Third Princess suddenly appeared..."

"Without explanation, Her Highness the Princess accused me and Young Master Guan of improper conduct and uttered harsh words... I was speechless with grievances. My husband tried to step forward to explain, but Her Highness... in her fury, she accidentally pushed my husband off the cliff!"

She cried out the last sentence with almost all her might, then collapsed to the ground, covering her face and sobbing.

She did indeed look pitiful.

Some onlookers showed expressions of mixed reluctance and suspicion.

"You're talking nonsense!"

Xie Jiayu was so angry that she trembled all over, and the anger that had just been suppressed instantly flared up again.

"You're spouting nonsense! I clearly saw that you were the one who tried to meet with Guan Yi in secret, and when Song Yisheng caught you, you desperately killed him to cover it up, and now you're trying to frame me? You vicious woman!"

Hsieh Chia-yu's chest heaved violently.

Unable to sleep at night, she caught sight of Guan Yi going out alone and, suspicious, secretly followed him.

She followed him all the way to the cliff edge behind the mountain, but only heard a short scream. When she rushed forward, Song Yisheng had already disappeared, and only the wind howled like weeping at the edge of the cliff.

Guan Yi and Ji Yunzhan stood there dumbfounded. The next moment, Ji Yunzhan turned around and saw her. As if grasping at a lifeline, she instantly put on a look of utter despair and shrieked that she was the murderer.

Xie Yanzhao only glanced at the emotionally agitated Ji Yunzhan, his eyes calm and unwavering, not even lingering on her for a moment longer.

There was no protectiveness in that gaze, nor the impatience of someone in a superior position with the farce; it was merely an almost indifferent scrutiny, as if looking at an object that had nothing to do with oneself.

It was this one glance that sent a chill down Ji Yunzhan's spine, making her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave, as if she had been clinging to a sliver of hope.

Yes, how could she forget how heartless the man in front of her was?

His tenderness and focus were always reserved for the Crown Princess by his side.

In his eyes, my behavior was probably no different from that of a clown jumping around.

Xie Yanzhao turned to the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review: "How is the investigation going? Tell me in detail."

Tonight, Yuan Yuan showed a rare hint of curiosity, wanting to know about this sudden turmoil. Naturally, he wanted to explain the whole process to her.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was a sensible man; he immediately bowed and reported the matter, speaking cautiously.

"Your Highness, both sides have conflicting accounts. Young Master Guan and Lady Ji both claim to have witnessed the Third Princess accidentally pushing Young Master Song off the cliff during their argument. The Third Princess, however, insists that she only followed Young Master Guan out of curiosity after seeing him walking alone late at night, and by the time she reached the cliff edge, Young Master Song had already fallen. She only saw Young Master Guan and Lady Ji standing on the cliff edge."

He paused briefly before continuing, "Your Majesty, I have sent men down the cliff to search, but the night is deep and the cliff is steep. So far... we have not found any trace of Young Master Song, nor have we found any other conclusive evidence."

In the wilderness, on a cliff, late at night, there were only three people present.

In such a situation, obtaining evidence is extremely difficult.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review had already begun to lean towards the latter.

After all, Guan and Ji corroborated each other's statements, and the Third Princess has always been arrogant and fierce, so it's not impossible that she accidentally injured someone...

He dared not say it outright.

Xie Yanzhao nodded, signaling him to continue the investigation.

Then, he gently squeezed Shen Tinghe's soft hand resting on her knee with his hand under his sleeve, and turned his head to give her a look, as if asking: Are you satisfied with what you've heard?

Shen Tinghe remained upright, her eyes fixed straight ahead, and did not respond to his small act of affection.

In front of outsiders, she is the elegant and poised Crown Princess, and naturally she must maintain her composure.

Xie Yanzhao's lips curled up slightly.

Yuan Yuan's feigned composure and calmness are also quite adorable.

Everyone was focused on the perplexing tragedy, but he alone was preoccupied with the people around him.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review's voice rang out again: "Your Highness, both Young Master Guan and Madam Ji are now testifying against you. I wonder if Your Highness... could provide any other clues or evidence to prove your innocence?"

All eyes in the hall once again focused on Xie Jiayu, whose face was pale and whose fists were clenched.