Chapter 436

After Xiao Jingran heard the Crown Prince’s stern voice, his expression wavered for a moment. However, he was consumed by the violence and anger in his heart, which ultimately led him to punch Baili Junyi.

A strong fist wind suddenly came in front of Baili Junyi. However, he looked calm. He gathered his internal force and reached out his hand to block Xiao Jingran’s punch!

Although Xiao Jingran was old, he was a general who had fought on the battlefield. His punch was strong and mighty. However, he felt hitting Baili Junyi’s palm was like hitting an iron armor. A sharp pain spread from his fist to his wrist and then through his entire arm. Soon, a loud cracking sound was heard. The sound of Xiao Jingran’s bones shattering even made everyone wince in pain.

At once, Xiao Jingran took six steps back to stabilize himself. He looked at Baili Junyi with surprise and disbelief. When did his martial arts skills become this powerful?

Baili Junyi brushed his arm as his eyes were filled with boundless iciness. “Crown Prince, this is disrespectful to me. What is the punishment for publicly assassinating a royalty in the main hall?”

Baili Jinyi frowned. “Fifth Brother, Old General Xiao just made a mistake. How is it an assassination?”

“Your Highness, why are you defending a mere minister rather than your own brother?” Baili Junyi said bluntly. Didn’t the Crown Prince care about his reputation? Baili Junyi was deliberately trying to taint his reputation and embarrass him.

Noble Consort Qi’s expression also became cold. “Crown Prince, His Majesty has always been fair when dealing with the court affairs. Your Highness, you should learn from him.”

Baili Jinyi’s expression changed, and anger flashed through his heart. “Old General Xiao, you must have been very busy these past few days. You should rest more in the mansion. Don’t worry about other things.”

Xiao Jingran suddenly opened his eyes widely and ignored the piercing pain in his arm. “Your Highness, Princess Zhaohua’s case has not been solved yet, and this case has been my responsibility. How can I rest if it is not solved?”

The Crown Prince growled fiercely internally. Xiao Jingran’s actions were extremely careless just now. How could he be so impulsive? He was now at a disadvantage because of Xiao Jingran’s punch.

Baili Junyi said, “It seems you won’t give up until you have convicted Ninghua for the crime. Old General Xiao, Noble Consort Qi has already proven that the Second Princess has hysteria and what she said can’t be considered evidence. Besides, those assassins are even more suspicious. Yet, you still want to convict Ninghua? What a joke!”

A sinister gaze flashed in Xiao Jingran’s eyes. His eyes were twitching due to anger, and he looked particularly ferocious. “Well played. Well played, indeed. Fifth Prince, you and Princess Zhaohua are unmatched! The assassins were evidently caught in your mansion and have already admitted their actions. All the evidence is present, but you are still trying to twist the truth. Crown Prince, I suggest announcing this matter to the public and letting our people decide how to deal with it!”

Noble Consort Qi frowned in disapproval. “This issue is the royal family’s private matter. No matter the truth, we can’t air our dirty laundry in public. Publicizing our matter for the public’s discussion is not something we should do as the royal family.”

Upon hearing Noble Consort Qi’s objection, Xiao Jingran became even firmer with his idea. “Your Grace, you shouldn’t put it that way. There is no such thing as a private matter for the royal family. The royal family is key to ensuring the peacefulness of the Da’an Kingdom, and every matter is crucial. Moreover, Shen Ninghua committed a great crime by assassinating the Emperor. This kind of crime cannot be merely decided within the family.”

Noble Consort Qi frowned and did not speak again.

The Crown Prince was quick-witted and thought about the pros and cons of this matter. He originally wanted to punish the Second Prince, Fifth Prince, and others while keeping his reputation. He would announce the matter to the world and then frame Shen Ninghua, forcing Baili Junyi and Baili Jinchuan to make a move. By then, they would become the most hated public figures. If Baili Jinyi made a move again, he wouldn’t be criticized. As long as the people were properly guided, it would only benefit him.

After weighing the pros and cons, the Crown Prince finally nodded. “Alright. Since that’s the case, let’s announce the matter as Old General Xiao said and see how the people view it.”

After Xiao Jingran left Chengqian Hall, he looked at Baili Junyi with hatred. “Fifth Prince, don’t cry if the people decide to execute Princess Zhaohua.”

Baili Junyi coldly glanced over. “Our people are not blind!”

“Sure. Let’s see if you can still smile in a few days.”

When they returned to the mansion, Xiao Jingran immediately called for a doctor. Xiao Fengjue rushed over and was shocked to see his appearance. “Father, what happened to you?”

Xiao Jingran angrily smashed the teacup on the table. “Baili Junyi, you are a cruel and evil person. We, the Xiao Family, have raised you for many years, yet you dare to attack me!”

Xiao Fengjue was shocked, and his eyebrows furrowed tightly. “Father, did you fight with the Fifth Prince?”

“Yes.”

Xiao Fengjue only felt a chill running down his spine. He had already told his father that it was a bad idea to follow the Crown Prince, but his father did not believe him. After the Crown Prince gained power, he became more arrogant. The assassins he captured a few days ago were all an act. He framed the Fifth Prince and helped the Crown Prince eradicate his dissidents. When did the upright Xiao Family become such lowly beings?

“Father, let’s not worry about this matter for now since Princess Zhaohua is in prison.”

Xiao Jingran suddenly raised his head. “You wouldn’t understand! If Shen Ninghua had been so easy to deal with, your sister, Huanxi, would not have died back then! Shen Ninghua is now in prison, but Baili Junyi is still free. Even Baili Jinchuan is secretly protecting her. Did you not see that Baili Jinchuan had even invited Noble Consort Qi to testify that his princess consort was crazy just to protect Shen Ninghua? Haha, what a scene… Therefore, I can never be at ease as long as Shen Ninghua, Baili Junyi, and Baili Jinchuan are not killed.”

“Father, the Emperor is only unconscious. The Crown Prince has not ascended the throne yet. If he fails…” As Xiao Fengjue spoke, he saw that Xiao Jingran was stunned, and a trace of madness flashed through his eyes.

“The Emperor is unconscious, so the Crown Prince cannot ascend the throne. What if…”

Xiao Jingran did not finish his words, but Xiao Fengjue was so shocked that his heart trembled. “Father, you can’t say such things!”

Xiao Jingran smirked and waved his hand impatiently, indicating for Xiao Fengjue to leave. Xiao Fengjue still wanted to reason with him, but a servant led in the doctor who came to treat Xiao Jingran, so he could only stop speaking.

The doctor treated Xiao Jingran with a solemn expression. “Old General Xiao, your forearm is broken. I will join the broken bones for you. However, you still need to rest for a few months. Otherwise, it will become a tedious injury in the future.”

Xiao Jingran frowned impatiently. “Hurry up and bandage up my arm. Leave to write the medicine prescription once you’re done. You don’t have to worry about anything else.”

The doctor gulped and could not help but shake his head in secret. After silently bandaging Xiao Jingran’s arm, he went away to prescribe medicine.

Xiao Jingran moved his arm and could not help but sneer, “Someone, inform the Imperial Clan Court’s guard to give Shen Ninghua special treatment!”

Xiao Fengjue slightly widened his eyes, “Father, what special treatment are you giving Princess Zhaohua?”

Xiao Jingran sneered, “The baby in Shen Ninghua’s belly is her life-saving talisman. What I am doing now is tearing her life-saving talisman in pieces!”

Xiao Fengjue clenched his fists. After leaving Xiao Jingran’s courtyard, he pondered for a while and finally wrote a note and had it sent to Baili Junyi.

Inside the Fifth Prince Mansion, Ye Yi sent the note to Baili Junyi. “Master, someone from the Xiao Family sent this over.”

Baili Junyi was stunned. After he received the note, ferocious light shone in his eyes. “Order the people from Imperial Clan Court to make their move. Replace the person responsible for the food first, and then we will plan the rest accordingly. We must ensure Ninghua’s safety.”

“Yes, Master.”

Baili Junyi suddenly crushed the note in his hand. “Xiao Jingran, I can’t believe you actually want to kill my child. This is unforgivable!”

Inside Imperial Clan Court, Shen Ninghua walked back and forth in the prison cell to relieve her sore back. She had been here for five days. Although she had been prepared, the dark and cold environment was still somewhat harmful to her body. The swelling on her legs and wrists became more serious, making her extremely uncomfortable.

Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps outside. The footsteps were fast and loud, as if the person was angry. She looked up and saw an angry Bu Yonghan charging at her with Nurse Wu.

After seeing Shen Ninghua standing in the prison cell, Bu Yonghan quickly pulled out the whip from her waist and hit her.

Shen Ninghua stood in place and did not move. The whip hit the bars outside the prison cell and snapped loudly. However, it did not hurt her.

Nurse Wu’s eyes widened in shock. She raised her head and met Shen Ninghua’s dark eyes. Her heart trembled wildly before she involuntarily took two steps backwards. Shen Ninghua’s eyes were clear as if she could see through one’s heart, which made people fear her involuntarily.

Shen Ninghua sneered, “Second Princess, how mighty you are!”

Bu Yonghan gritted her teeth. She retracted her whip and lashed out at the gap in the fence with the intention of hitting Shen Ninghua. Unfortunately, Shen Ninghua stood in a safe position. The whip did not touch her even after Bu Yonghan tried whipping her a few times. Instead, she exhausted herself and panted, “Shen Ninghua, you slut! What kind of bewitching spell did you put on Baili Jinchuan to make him fall head over heels for you!”

“Hah! Look at your flustered and exasperated appearance, could it be that Baili Jinchuan has divorced you?”

Bu Yonghan gritted her teeth fiercely. The veins on her neck were popping. Although Baili Jinchuan had not divorced her, he was close to doing so. He and Noble Consort Qi accused her of being hysterical. How could the royal family ever want a hysterical daughter-in-law?

“Could I be right?” Shen Ninghua looked up and glanced at Bu Yonghan briefly before looking at Nurse Wu. “You must be Nurse Wu, right? I’ve heard some things about you. Isn’t it tiring to follow such a master?”

Nurse Wu was stunned. She did not expect Shen Ninghua to know her. “Don’t worry about me, Princess Zhaohua.”

Shen Ninghua smiled. “You are a smart person. You should find a way out as soon as possible. The world is dangerous, so you have to be careful. Following a smart master can save you a lot of trouble. You can sacrifice your life for loyalty, but others may not appreciate it.”

Nurse Wu subconsciously looked at Bu Yonghan but found that she was looking at her with disgust and suspicion. “Nurse Wu, do you and Shen Ninghua know each other?”

“No. We don’t.”

Bu Yonghan’s face twitched, and she suddenly waved the whip in her hand. “It’s best if this is the case. Someone, open the prison door. I want to teach this slut who seduced my husband a good lesson today!”