After flirting with the aloof prince, the concubine ran away pregnant.

These words only fueled the commotion around them.

Everyone knows that the pair of luminous pearls were tribute items, priceless treasures.

Using a pair of luminous pearls to gamble on a maidservant is quite a bold move.

Xie Xun stopped wiping the sword.

He finally raised his eyes and looked at Li Heng, his gaze as cold as ice.

"It's already mine, why should I gamble with you?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears. His tone wasn't one of rejection, but rather a statement of a self-evident fact.

bet?

Why would someone gamble away their own possessions with someone else? That in itself is a provocation against ownership.

Li Heng's smile froze.

The surrounding noise gradually subsided.

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Song Yan, who was seated at the head of the table, immediately came over with a wine cup. "Young Master Li, you've had too much to drink again. This deer blood wine is extremely precious, and everyone is waiting to get a share. You can't come up with this kind of scheme to prevent us from drinking it just so you can have it all to yourself."

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere immediately eased.

Song Yan personally took the large bowl from Li Heng's hand and gestured for the servants to bring small cups, which were then served to the main guests present.

"Come, come, come! Such a fine thing is for everyone to have a share. Let's all drink together!"

A glass of wine was quickly brought to Xie Xun.

Xie Xun was naturally hot-tempered and had never liked such hot and spicy things. But since Song Yan had personally handed it to him, he couldn't refuse.

He glanced at the contents of the cup, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but he still picked it up and drank it all in one gulp.

The spicy liquor mixed with the warm, sweet-smelling deer blood slid down my throat, and a surge of heat instantly rose slowly from my lower abdomen.

Halfway through the banquet, Song Yan, holding a wine cup, approached Xie Xun, dismissed everyone else, and said solemnly, "Brother Xie, may I speak with you in private?"

The two walked to a secluded corridor. A gentle evening breeze caressed their faces, dissipating some of the smell of alcohol.

Song Yan stopped and bowed deeply to Xie Xun: "It's for my younger brother Song Yu's case."

Xie Xun gave a faint "hmm," signaling him to continue.

Song Yan straightened up, his eyes red-rimmed, his voice heavy with sorrow: "Everyone's saying my brother went missing by accident and was eaten by wild animals. But if it really was an accident, how could my personal servant have vanished into thin air? And why was his usual mount replaced with a wild horse?"

He took a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Xie Xun, his voice trembling slightly: "This is the last letter from my servant, which I searched for three months to find. It states that someone changed horses and scattered animal-attracting spices. My brother was murdered! I beg Brother Xie to investigate!"

Xie Xun glanced down at the letter, but didn't take it, his fingers remaining still.

After a moment, he spoke slowly, his tone indifferent: "Young Master Song has likely been misled by someone with ulterior motives."

Song Yan's expression froze: "Brother Xie, why do you say that? This is my servant's own suicide note, every word written in blood and tears!"

"The servant has been missing for three months, his body has not been found, and his handwriting cannot be compared," Xie Xun said calmly. "How can a letter without any evidence overturn the conclusion of the case file?"

His gaze fell on Song Yan's face, discreetly observing her grief-stricken appearance.

This letter appears to be irrefutable evidence to overturn the verdict, but in reality, it contains no verifiable corroboration.

Song Yan's attendance at the banquet and his private delivery of the letter today were not to investigate the cause of his brother's death, but to steer the case toward "murder by outsiders" in order to cover up the corruption within the Prime Minister's residence.

It goes without saying who benefited the most from Song Yu's death.

Song Yan's face drained of color, his expression one of utter despair at being completely rejected: "Brother Xie... does this mean that my brother's wrongful death can only be settled hastily, with no one left to investigate?"

As Xie Xun watched his superb acting skills, a chill began to creep into his heart.

He investigated the case for three months, and all the subtle clues eventually pointed to the power struggle within the Prime Minister's residence, but there was no substantial evidence.

Although Song Yu was born to a stepmother, he was exceptionally talented and deeply favored by the prime minister, his prominence subtly overshadowing that of the eldest son, Song Yan. With Song Yu's death, the greatest beneficiary was none other than the elder brother who had just lost his younger brother.

He still had some doubts and was not sure.

Today's tearful account, this false testimony, and this misleading statement have completely confirmed his suspicions.

"The Dali Temple judges cases based on concrete evidence, not on suicide notes from the deceased who have no way to corroborate the facts."

Xie Xun withdrew his gaze, his tone turning colder. "I have been investigating this case for three months, and there is no conclusive evidence to overturn the conclusion of the accident. The case closure document will be submitted tomorrow. If Young Master Song has any solid evidence, he may submit it to the Dali Temple court himself."

These words were both a warning and a gesture of respect.

All factions in the court are closely watching this case, and it is not advisable to stir up trouble rashly. He also wants to see what flaws Song Yan will reveal next.

Song Yan held the letter tightly, his knuckles turning white. The grief in his eyes faded, leaving only a deep shadow of gloom, before he quickly returned to normal.

He sighed softly, feigning helplessness: "Since that's the case, I'll have to insist. Thank you for your frankness, Brother Xie."

In reality, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Xie Xun resolved the situation, at least the fighting was not brought back to the Prime Minister's residence.

Xie Xun said no more and turned to leave.

As Xie Xun walked back, his mind was still racing with thoughts of Song Yu's case; he couldn't investigate Song Yan too deeply at the moment.

If Song Yanruo's relationship with his father is confirmed to be strained, a bloody storm is bound to erupt in the Prime Minister's residence. If the Prime Minister falls, the situation in the capital will likely descend into chaos once again.

As he was thinking this, the suppressed heat in his lower abdomen began to surge up again.

The aftereffects of the deer blood wine were even stronger than he had imagined.

The heat flowed rapidly through his meridians, spreading throughout his body, igniting a fire wherever it went. His throat began to dry, and his breathing became heavier.

Xie Xun paused, his brows furrowing tightly.

He quickened his pace, wanting only to get back to his courtyard as soon as possible, take a cold shower, and suppress this burning desire.

The courtyard gate was ajar, and light shone from inside.

Xie Xun pushed open the door and entered, a rich fragrance of cosmetics wafting towards him.

He paused, then looked up.

Two alluring maids stood in the room, dressed in gossamer-thin gauze robes, posing seductively in front of him, their eyes sparkling with flirtatious charm.

The bedding on the bed was in disarray, clearly having been carefully arranged.

Afu, however, was nowhere to be found.

Xie Xun's face instantly darkened.

He didn't even need to think to know who was behind it. Besides that good-for-nothing Li Heng and Song Yan, who was eager to curry favor with him, there was no one else.

What did they take him for?

The fire ignited by the deer blood wine instantly transformed into a raging inferno.

"Get out."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was chilling, instantly freezing the seductive smiles on the faces of the two beautiful maids.

They were terrified when they saw Xie Xun's face, which was as black as the bottom of a pot, and his eyes, which seemed to want to kill. They trembled all over and ran out in a panic, forgetting even to bow.

Xie Xun stood in the center of the room, his chest heaving violently.

The cloying scent of perfume mixed with the smell of alcohol in the room made his stomach churn. Instead of easing the burning sensation within him, the smell intensified it.

He didn't want to stay here a moment longer.

Xie Xun turned around and strode out of the room, heading straight for the west wing, the room where Afu lived.

There was only one thought in his mind.

He wanted to smell that familiar, clean, refreshing scent of soapberry, not this nauseating powdery smell.