"Regarding the evening meal, you should ask Chief Eunuch Li about that."
"Chief Eunuch Li, is the evening meal ready? I'm so hungry."
Wei Shuxuan summoned Chief Eunuch Li. The chief eunuch politely smiled and said, "I'm really sorry, Young Master Wei. The kitchen is already preparing it. Please wait a little longer, Your Highness the Prince and Young Master Wei."
"Alright. Thank you for your trouble, Chief Eunuch Li."
"It's no trouble at all. It's an honor for this servant to serve Your Highness the Prince and Young Master Wei."
After the evening meal, Xin Zizhao summoned his men. The one leading them was a tall and honest - looking man. "I want you to help me monitor and investigate the new maids and eunuchs sent to Father Emperor's side. As soon as there's any news, send someone to inform me immediately."
"This subordinate obeys the order!" The man clasped his fists and then leaped away, disappearing in an instant.
Wei Shuxuan looked at Xin Zizhao curiously. "Who was that person just now?"
"He's a guard who follows me. Usually, he protects me in secret, just like your secret guard. Also," Xin Zizhao squinted his eyes and looked at Wei Shuxuan. There was a glint of danger in his eyes. "Don't you think you should tell me something about your secret guard?"
Seeing Xin Zizhao's expression, Wei Shuxuan couldn't help but be startled. Then she sighed inwardly that what was coming finally came. "Actually, he found me first and told me about my family's affairs. But I told him not to follow me, but he just wouldn't listen. I had no choice but to let him follow me, but I couldn't let you find out..."
"Why couldn't you let me find out?"
"Isn't it because... Look, as soon as I tell you, you get so angry. How could I dare to tell you? Moreover, at that time, you were only willing to take me in. How could I dare to ask you to take in one more person?" The more Wei Shuxuan talked, the more aggrieved she became. Not only was her face full of grievance, but her eyes were also full of it.
How could Xin Zizhao blame her when seeing her aggrieved look?
He just waved his hand casually. "Forget it. I owe you. From now on, you can let him show up and just let him follow you. If he keeps hiding in the dark and is discovered by the imperial guards in the palace, he'll surely be arrested as an assassin."
"I understand. Thank you, Xin Zizhao." Then Wei Shuxuan immediately called Wei Wei out. "Wei Wei, come out quickly and thank His Highness the Fifth Prince."
In the blink of an eye, a black figure quickly entered from outside the house. Wei Wei knelt on one knee. "Thank you, Your Highness the Fifth Prince, for taking me in. Wei Wei is extremely grateful."
"By the way, was it you who went to call Xin Zizhao to save me today?" Wei Shuxuan turned around and looked at Wei Wei.
"Yes, Miss. This subordinate saw a brief eye - contact between the Empress and Concubine Tong. So this subordinate boldly guessed that the charge of defiling the harem this time was a baseless slander against Miss by Concubine Tong and the Empress. But with this subordinate's own strength, I couldn't rescue Miss. So I had to go and find His Highness the Fifth Prince."
At that time, Wei Wei, hiding in the dark, saw that the Empress ignored Wei Shuxuan's defense and only listened to Concubine Tong's one - sided words. She insisted on punishing his young lady. And at that moment, Wei Wei's sharp eyes caught the Empress and Concubine Tong looking at each other. The look in their eyes was rather ambiguous. But he couldn't just let things go on like this. Otherwise, Wei Shuxuan would definitely be executed by slow slicing by the Empress.
So he went to Lingxiao Palace to find Xin Zizhao. At that time, Xin Zizhao was in Lingxiao Palace, feeling Emperor Jinzheng's pulse and treating him. He sensed the presence of another person outside. The person's movement was light, so he must be a master. Xin Zizhao reached into his sleeve and accurately felt the silver needles, planning to paralyze the person outside.
Wei Wei flipped in through the window. As soon as he looked up, he saw several silver needles flying straight towards his face. He quickly dodged and blocked them. All the silver needles landed in the window frame behind him.
"Who's there?" Xin Zizhao's cold voice sounded.
"I pay my respects to His Highness the Fifth Prince. I'm Wei Wei, the secret guard beside Miss Wei, that is, Young Master Wei Luo. I have something to ask of you now."
"...Speak."
"Miss is now in the Empress's Ningshou Palace, captured by Concubine Tong. They say she came to the harem to defile it under the pretext of investigating a case. The Empress wants to punish her for this crime and says she will be executed by slow slicing. I had no choice but to come and ask Your Highness the Fifth Prince for help!"
"Why should I believe you?" Xin Zizhao slightly lowered his eyelids, and his eyes fell on Wei Wei.
"As a secret guard, I would never joke about Miss's life. Please, Your Highness the Fifth Prince, make a clear investigation!" After saying that, Wei Wei looked at Xin Zizhao.
One could tell from his eyes that they were bright, clean, and a bit anxious. Xin Zizhao knew that the man in front of him wasn't lying. "Alright. Let's go to Ningshou Palace first."
Xin Zizhao looked at Emperor Jinzheng who was still sleeping on the bed. Fortunately, his father hadn't heard what they just said. Otherwise, it would surely be very troublesome. During the treatment just now, he had applied several needles to Emperor Jinzheng, making him fall into a deep sleep.
He quickly pulled out the needles. Seeing that Emperor Jinzheng showed signs of waking up, he said to him, "Father Emperor, Wei Luo has been framed by Concubine Tong. Your son has to go to Ningshou Palace first to save him."
"Um... Go, Zizhao."
Emperor Jinzheng was so quick to let Xin Zizhao leave because he knew a bit about Concubine Tong's character.
"By the way, Xin Zizhao, were the silver needles you took at that time poisonous?" Based on Wei Shuxuan's understanding of Xin Zizhao, she thought they were.
"They can't really be called poisonous. They just paralyze a person's nerves all over the body so that he can't move."
Sure enough! Even if they weren't poisonous, there were still ways to make a person unable to break free.
"You're really scary."
"I'm just protecting myself."
At Wei Shuxuan's request, Xin Zizhao also sent people to monitor Concubine Jie and Concubine Tong. As for the Empress, he left it to Wei Wei to monitor. After all, the imperial guards around the Empress must be masters, so this task must be done by a master.
Actually, at first, Wei Wei was reluctant to go and monitor. After all, they were now in the deep palace. If something happened to Wei Shuxuan in the palace and no one knew about it, how could he be worthy of the late master?
"Come on, Wei Wei. I won't fall into the same trap a second time. Do you even dare not listen to my order? Moreover, Xin Zizhao has also sent people to follow me. So there won't be any problem. You can completely rest assured."
"But, Miss..." Wei Wei still hesitated a little.