Chapter 237: Chapter 237 Meeting the Prince

Chapter 237: Chapter 237 Meeting the PrinceThe young eunuch lowered his head and said: "Master Xu first went to Princess Lin'an's Shaoyin Garden. The two talked for a long time behind the rockery. When they came out, Princess Lin'an's eyes were red and she seemed to have just cried..."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yuan Jing frowned and interrupted: "What are they doing behind the rockery?"

The old eunuch glanced at Emperor Yuan Jing's expression and knew that His Majesty was displeased. The princess and Xu Tongluo arrived behind the secluded rockery, and then the princess appeared with red eyes.

This is really fascinating.

"Tell the truth." The old eunuch glared.

"Yes... it's because Princess Lin'an came out with a knife. When Xu Tongluo saw him, he hid behind the rockery. It was the servant who told Her Highness the Princess that Xu Tongluo was hiding in the rockery." The little eunuch explained quickly, I was so trembling that I didn't dare to hide it.

The old eunuch immediately looked at Emperor Yuan Jing. Seeing that the glare in His Majesty's eyes had subsided, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Continue talking."

"Then Mr. Xu and the princess entered the hall, and the slave was kicked out. His Highness and Mr. Xu talked in the hall for two quarters of an hour. The slave did not know the content of the conversation." The young eunuch said this and finally expressed his feelings. Wronged:

"This slave is not derelict in his duties. It's just that Mr. Xu's attitude is too tough."

After speaking, he carefully glanced at Emperor Yuan Jing out of the corner of his eye.

To his disappointment, Emperor Yuan Jing showed no expression, so the young eunuch had no choice but to continue: "Then Mr. Xu took his servants and Princess Lin'an to see the body of Concubine Fu.

"During the process, Master Xu wanted to touch the body of Concubine Fu. The servant tried his best to stop him, but failed and even got a kick from him."

Otherwise, the little eunuch would keep that kick firmly in mind, waiting to give Xu Qi'an some eye drops.

Sure enough, Emperor Yuan Jing frowned.

The old eunuch who had been with him for decades asked on behalf of his master: "How did you test it?"

"I just touched it repeatedly for a long time." The young eunuch replied.

He didn't dare to exaggerate, because if Emperor Yuan Jing was angry, he only needed to find someone to check and question Xu Qian, and the lie would be exposed immediately. A young eunuch would not dare to commit the crime of deceiving the emperor.

The old eunuch asked: "What then?"

"Then... he left." The young eunuch said, "But Mr. Xu told Princess Lin'an that there was something fishy about Concubine Fu's death." Sёarᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Is there something fishy?" Emperor Yuan Jing finally spoke again. He sat upright, leaned forward slightly, and stared at the young eunuch.

"Sir Xu said that a normal fall would be on the face, not the back, but Concubine Fu did die on the back. It was most likely that she was pushed down."

The young eunuch recounted Xu Bai's analysis of whoring to Emperor Yuan Jing.

The one who was pushed down and fell to death... Emperor Yuan Jing squinted his eyes, looked up at the ceiling, pondered for a long time, and said:

"Back off."

The young eunuch resigned and left.

The old eunuch smiled flatteringly and said: "Xu Qian's reputation is indeed well-deserved. The Three Law Departments have been investigating for many days and are unable to do anything. As soon as he came, he immediately discovered the clues. The time to solve the case is just around the corner."

Emperor Yuan Jing snorted coldly: "It's not that the Sanfa Division doesn't know how to handle cases, it just doesn't want to handle them. However, Xu Qian does have some abilities."

He was still satisfied.

After a pause, Emperor Yuan Jing said: "Pass it down to me and ask the cabinet to draft an edict to restart Xu Qian's ennoblement."

The old eunuch took the order and left the palace. Instead of going to the cabinet immediately, he called for the young eunuch who was supervising Xu Qi'an's handling of the case and gave him a slap in the face.

"Godfather?"

The little eunuch covered his face in grievance.

"Since when are you still playing tricks on me? Do you think His Majesty can't hear it? Do you know that you just walked through the gate of hell." The old eunuch said sternly:

"Your Majesty is agitated about Concubine Fu. At this time, you are playing tricks in front of His Majesty. It is simply because of your luck that nothing happened to you today.

"If you are asked to supervise Xu Qi'an, you should supervise it well and don't bring in private goods. The people he contacts in the harem and the things he does involve concubines, princesses and princes. You can't have any bias or opinion., otherwise it will be a disgrace." His Majesty will judge for himself what Xu Qian has done. The little eunuch instills his own personal belongings, that is, he cares about the emperor's family.

The young eunuch lowered his head and said tremblingly: "My son knows."

The old eunuch snorted: "Master Xu kicked you out for your own good. If you really listened to something you shouldn't have heard, your head will be on the ground when the case is

concluded."

The young eunuch was stunned at first, but after a few seconds, he figured it out. His face suddenly turned pale, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.

The grudge against Xu Qi'an's kick disappeared.

.....

dusk.

Xu Qian was sitting on the back of a horse, with his beloved little mare trotting "da da da da". He squinted his eyes, facing the orange sunshine, and hummed briskly:

"You are walking the path of the world; you are carrying the flag against the wind. If you do not engage in prostitution or corruption, you will be a good official. You will be in the hearts

of the people..."

The little mare clicked into the alley of Jiaofangsi.

After entering the alley, Xu Qi'an dismounted and threw the reins to the young man in Tsing

Yi who was guarding the alley, along with a piece of silver.

The courtyard door of Yingmei Pavilion is closed, and it is closed down?

Xu Qian glanced at the afterglow in the west and thought to himself that at this hour, the workshop manager should be open for business.

"Pa bang bang..."

He raised his head and knocked fiercely on the door of Yingmei Pavilion. Not long after, the door opened. As soon as a crack was exposed, the young man in green clothes inside said: "Yingmei Pavilion no longer accepts drinkers. Guests should go to other courtyards..." When the courtyard door opened, the young boy in green clothes saw Xu Qi'an. He was stunned for a moment and stammered: "You, you are..."

"I am your wife's high-ranking official." Xu Qian raised his eyebrows.

"Ghost!"

The boy in Tsing Yi screamed and ran away. His legs moved very fast, and then he found himself standing still, with Xu Qi'an holding him by the collar.

"What are you screaming for? I'm still alive." Xu Qian raised his other hand, gave him two

painless but loud slaps, and asked:

"Is my slap warm?"

The hot touch made the boy in Tsing Yi believe that the Xu Qian in front of him was alive, but he was surprised that his appearance changed drastically and he was still wearing a mink hat. "You are back, Mrs. Fuxiang sheds tears every day. She is depressed and unhappy, and the number of people has decreased a lot." The young man in Tsing Yi quickly improved his favorability for his master.

Although he was very curious about the reason why Xu Qi'an came back to life, he didn't dare

to ask.

"I'll go and tell her that you're back."

"Just tell her that there are guests and ask her if she can come out to accompany the guests."

Xu Qi'an said.

The young servant in green hurried into the deep courtyard and stood in the courtyard outside Fuxiang's bedroom, shouting, "Madam, there are guests. I want to ask if you can come out to accompany the guests."

Fuxiang didn't answer, and the maid's scolding came from the room: "Madam is not feeling well and won't accompany the guests. Who asked you to open the door? Do you want to?"

Xu Qi'an coughed, "Madam Fuxiang doesn't want to accompany the guests, so I'll leave." The room suddenly became quiet, and then Fuxiang's trembling voice came: "Xu Lang?"

His voice changed so much that Fuxiang didn't dare to confirm it for a while.

Xu Qi'an smiled and said, "It's me."

There was a "ping-pong" sound from the room, as if something had been knocked over, followed by the maid's exclamation: "Madam, slow down..."

The next moment, the door opened, and Fuxiang, wearing a white long skirt, bare white jade feet, and black hair casually scattered, pushed the door open and rushed out roughly.

One person stood under the eaves, and the other stood in the yard, and the scene seemed to

freeze.

Xu Qi'an said helplessly: "It's cold outside, go back to the house."

Fuxiang wailed, threw herself into his arms, and cried bitterly.

.....

"This is how it happened. Not only did I not die, but I got a blessing in disguise and benefited

a lot."

Xu Qi'an sat at the table, drinking the fine wine from the Jiaofang Bureau, and explained to Fuxiang the ins and outs of his resurrection.

Fuxiang sat on the edge of the bed, her skirt split, revealing a pair of long legs like a white

python. There was a bruise on the white skin of her calf, and the maid helped to apply

ointment.

This was because she ran too fast just now and got hit.

Fuxiang's mood is very complicated now. There is both the joy of regaining what she lost and

the sadness and palpitations that are difficult to hide. Her heart is always empty.

"As long as I think of Xu Lang's death, my heart is still empty."

"It's okay, you will feel bloated later."

When the sun completely set, a line of maids brought in a table full of delicious food, flying in

the sky, swimming in the water, and crawling on the ground.

The two sat at the table drinking, and the topic was casual and there was no theme.

"In fact, many scholars in the Confucian Academy of Beijing admire Xu Lang very much. Yesterday, the maid heard the news of your death from the guests of the Jiaofang Department. Those scholars sighed and said that if God did not allow Xu Ningyan, it would mean the future

of the poetry world in Dafeng."

"Speaking of which, I did write a poem when I faced thousands of rebels and fought alone. When I was exhausted, I did." Xu Qian'an held the wine glass.

Fuxiang's eyes sparkled, and her face bloomed with a bright smile, and she was extremely expectant: "I want to hear Xu Lang's new work."

I always feel a little ashamed to be a plagiarist... I am indeed an upright man... Xu Qian'an said

this in his heart, but when it comes to pretending, he will never be vague.

He was silent for a few seconds, letting his temperament become calm, and slowly said:

"The young man is chivalrous and makes friends with the heroes of the five cities. He is brave

and brave, and his hair stands up. In the conversation, he is willing to die and live together, and a promise is worth a thousand gold."

Fuxiang looked at him infatuatedly, the water light in her beautiful eyes was charming and

blurred.

She savored the poem in her heart. Although it was an incomplete poem, the scene of him facing thousands of rebels and dying bravely flashed in her mind.

She became more and more obsessed with this man and could not extricate herself.

"Don't just stare blankly. I tell you it has a purpose." Xu Qiyan tapped the table with his

fingers.

"Purpose?"

Fuxiang came back to her senses and responded with a blank look.

"Help me spread it out. The Jiaofangsi is the most suitable for spreading these glorious

deeds."

Governor Zhang did not add his poem to the memorial he submitted. It was really confusing. As a result, the officials and scholars in the capital have not read his masterpieces until now.

How anxious they must be.

"...Oh."

After dinner, the maid boiled hot water and prepared to serve Mr. Xu to take a bath.

"You can leave." Xu Qiyan sent the maid away, leaving Fuxiang alone in the room.

After Fuxiang stepped into the bathtub with a veil on her head, Xu Qian'an tore off the mink hat on his head.

His bald head was like a big boiled egg.

"Puff..."

Fuxiang couldn't help laughing out loud, lying on the edge of the bathtub, laughing so hard

that her body:

What's so funny? Although I'm bald, I'm also stronger... Xu Qian'an glared at her.

It will probably take him half a year to grow his hair back.

Fuxiang's chest is not a chest. When Xu Qian'an rests his head on it, it becomes a brain pad

wave.

If Xu Qian'an turns over again, it will be called facial cleanser.

After taking a bath, the two people lay on the bed and talked. Fuxiang felt a little stuffy and

had difficulty breathing. She pushed the big bald head on her chest away with a pout.

"Puff!"

Xu Qian'an ejected a breath and extinguished the candle.

The next day, after getting dressed with the help of the courtesan, Xu Qi'an said goodbye to

Fu Xiang, who was reluctant to leave but had dark circles under her eyes.

The maids in Yingmei Pavilion watched Xu Qi'an walk out of the courtyard gate and

whispered:

"Mr. Xu is so amazing. I think the bed in my wife's room should be changed."

"Yes, it makes a noise when you sit on it now. It's almost falling apart. My wife has worked so

hard."

"Go and boil water. My wife wants to take a bath. Also, prepare some loquat paste. My wife's voice is hoarse."

After leaving Yingmei Pavilion, the spring was chilly. The cold current that hit him cheered up Xu Qi'an and he walked towards the stable. Suddenly, he stepped on a hard lump and looked down. It was a purse.

After entering the realm of refining spirit, did he upgrade to picking up purses directly...Xu

Qi'an was a little happy. He naturally bent down to pick it up and planned to put it in his arms.

He was suddenly stunned.

This purse is exactly the same as the one hanging on his waist, with fine stitches and embroidered with a pine and cypress, which was sewn by sister Lingyue. Second uncle?

As the thought came to his mind, Xu Qiyan saw a young man in a Confucian robe running

hurriedly from the direction of the stable. The young man had red lips, white teeth, eyes like stars, and handsome features. He perfectly inherited his mother's excellent genes. I really didn't expect this... Xu Qiyan said in his heart.

The handsome young man's eyes kept floating on the ground, and finally floated to Xu Qiyan,

and then he was stunned.

Xu Qiyan's mouth twitched, raised his hand and greeted: "Morning."

... Xu Erlang looked at him and moved his lips: "Morning..."

The two brothers looked at each other in silence. After a moment, Xu Qiyan took the initiative

to break the awkward atmosphere, walked over, and returned the purse to Erlang:

"Be careful, luckily I picked up the purse."

Xu Erlang took it calmly and nodded, saying, "Thank you, big brother." The two brothers couldn't find a topic for a while, so they had to walk side by side to the

stable, lead their horses, and walk out of the Jiaofangsi.

It was just dawn, and there were few pedestrians except for vendors and peddlers.

"Yesterday with my classmates..." "Yesterday with my colleagues..."

The two brothers said in unison.

Xu Qian'an looked back at the Jiaofangsi alley, squinted at his younger brother, and said,

"Where are my classmates?"

Xu Xinnian looked forward and said lightly, "Where are my colleagues?"

The two brothers ran out of topics again.

Xu Qian'an remembered that when he was released from prison and returned home, Xu

Xinnian died socially because of "Dafeng is like a long night forever", and pretended to be unconscious out of shame.

Now, he was caught in the Jiaofangsi, but he didn't change his face.

I am not the only one who is growing up. Erlang has also become much more shameless... Well, maybe he has died too many times in front of me, so he has become accustomed to it...

Xu Qian'an saw someone selling green tangerines on the roadside and hurriedly pulled the reins: "Wait a minute."

Xu Xinnian also pulled the reins and looked at him in confusion.

Xu Qian'an bought a pound of green tangerines and asked Xu Erlang to get off the horse. While

peeling and wiping his clothes, he said:

"The girls in the Jiaofangsi have too strong a smell of powder. Use green tangerine peel juice

to cover it up. Even the most sensitive women can't smell it."

Xu Erlang did it swiftly, and took the opportunity to turn on his poisonous tongue and

taunted:

"Brother, you are very smart. It's a pity that you don't go to school." Xu Qian'an glanced at him and said, "The method my second uncle taught me."

Xu Xinnian seemed to say nothing. He lowered his head and carefully smeared his clothes

with green tangerine peel juice.

After finishing the work, Xu Qian'an handed the green tangerine to Xu Xinnian and said, "I'm going to the palace to investigate a case. You take the tangerine home." Erlang frowned and said, "Investigate a case? What case are you going to investigate?"

"You've heard about the case of Concubine Fu. The old emperor threw it to me." Xu Qian'an

explained.

"Why are you interfering in this shitty case?"

Yunlu Academy has a special information channel. What happened in the capital can't be

hidden from the eyes and ears of the academy.

"I can't shirk it again."

Xu Xinnian sneered, "You let your father hit you with a club, and then use the excuse of

recuperating from the injury, so the case will naturally be shirked. Besides, this case must be difficult to investigate."

Erlang is really suitable for officialdom. The degree of black belly meets the standard... Xu Qian'an smiled and said, "In fact, the cases in the palace are the easiest to investigate." Because there are many masters in the palace, it is the old nest of Emperor Yuan Jing, and those fancy systems cannot interfere. The case of Concubine Fu was probably the most

"normal" case he had handled since he came to this world.

Xu Xinnian nodded and looked at the green tangerines with disdain: "Green tangerines are sour and astringent, no one in the family will eat them."

"Don't waste them if you buy them, give them to Lingyin."

"Good idea."

......

Dali Temple.

At the gate of the magnificent yamen, Xu Qi'an sat on horseback and glanced at the three

gilded characters "Dali Temple".

The Dali Temple is in charge of the trial of criminal cases, which is equivalent to the Supreme

People's Court in Xu Qi'an's previous life. Together with the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the Ministry of Justice, it is called the Three Law Departments. Usually when encountering major cases, the emperor will let the Three Law Departments work with the night watchmen to try. This shows how powerful Wei Yuan, who is in charge of both the night watchmen's yamen and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, is. Emperor Yuan Jing used only him to check and balance the civil and military officials. Similarly, it can be seen how lucky Xu Qi'an was. He happened to join the night watchmen and

was appreciated by Wei Yuan. From a quick hand in Changle County, he became a person who

could walk sideways in the capital.

"Go to the Dali Temple quickly and ask him to come out to see me." Xu Qi'an showed his gold

medal and said to the yamen runners on duty at the gate of the yamen:

"If he doesn't come out, I will go to the palace to complain to His Majesty, saying that he

deliberately made things difficult and obstructed the investigation."

The yamen runners hurried in.

A quarter of an hour later, the Dali Temple came out with two junior officials and a group of

Dali Temple officials.

"Lord Xu, I am sorry for not welcoming you from afar, I am sorry for not welcoming you from

afar." The Dali Temple came out with a smile.

Xu Qi'an got off the horse and greeted him enthusiastically: "Oh, how did I disturb Lord Pei to

come out in person? I am ashamed, ashamed."

Xu Qi'an asked the Dali Temple to come out to meet him, just to embarrass him and cut his face. As one of the Nine Ministers, he personally went out of the gate of the government office

to meet a small bronze gong. He lost face... Everyone has a grudge. How can he not make good

use of the opportunity to make things difficult for him?

"It's my duty, it's my duty."

The Minister of the Dali Temple led Xu Qian'an inside and said, "It's just right that Lord Xu is

back. The case of Concubine Fu is yours. But I have to remind Lord Xu that this case is

dangerous, so don't get too involved."

This is gloating.

If the Concubine Fu case is handled successfully, it will offend the prince's party. If it fails, it

will offend Emperor Yuan Jing.

At least I got a viscount in exchange, so what's the big deal about offending the old

emperor...Xu Qi'an said with a smile:

"It's okay, before I get into trouble, I must take those annoying old guys away. Anyway, I

have the gold medal in my hand, and I have the power to execute first and report later. It's a

waste not to use it."

The Dali Temple Minister narrowed his eyes, "Master Xu is really a joker."

"Master Xu came to the Dali Temple this time for the prince?"

"That's right."

Xu Qi'an met the prince in the "prison cell". The so-called prison cell is actually a clean and

tidy room. The decoration is not luxurious, but it is small but complete. The prince was imprisoned in the room and could not leave until the case was investigated.

He is worthy of being the prince. Being in prison is different from ordinary people...Xu Qi'an

said to himself.

After the clerk who closed the door left, he clasped his fists and said, "I am Xu Qian'an, your humble servant, and I am honored to meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." "You are here to interrogate me, right? Did the Emperor ask you to preside over this case?"

The Crown Prince sat at the table and looked at Xu Qian'an.

"The three judges prevaricated and refused to intervene in this matter, so they had no choice

but to find me, a tough guy. Anyway, I have offended enough people." Xu Qian'an shrugged,

sat down at the table, and poured himself a glass of water.

All his actions were seen by the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, please describe what happened that day in detail."

The Crown Prince nodded slightly, and after a moment of hesitation, he slowly said, "When

the Japanese palace finished lunch at my mother's residence, the snow had not yet melted. I returned to the East Palace with my guards. On the way, I met a maid next to Concubine Fu. The maid said that Concubine Fu invited me to come over for a chat. "So I followed her to Qingfeng Hall, which was Concubine Fu's bedroom. After entering the

Qingfeng Palace, the maid led me to the attic and asked me to wait in the outer hall, saying

that Concubine Fu was changing clothes.

"I drank too much wine at the time and was very thirsty, so I drank the tea on the table to

quench my thirst, and somehow I fell asleep in a daze.

"Then I was awakened by screams. I didn't expect that Concubine Fu fell to her death, and I

became the biggest suspect."

Xu Qiyan asked expressionlessly: "There was no maid in the attic at the time?"

"There was no maid in the outer hall, and I don't know who was inside." "Where is the maid?" "She disappeared."

Missing... Xu Qiyan's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he supported his arms on the table,

staring at the prince: "How did His Royal Highness know that the maid was missing?"

For a moment, the prince was actually shocked by the sharp momentum of this little copper

gong.

"Although I am in prison, I have my own way to find out what is happening outside. "The

prince said coldly.

He was angry at the shock he had just felt.

Considering the prince's calm performance when he saw him, Xu Qian'an believed his words.

"Does Concubine Fu usually interact with the prince?" Xu Qian'an asked.

"Of course not."

The prince denied it outright. As the East Palace, it was impossible and should not be possible

for him to have any private interactions with the emperor's concubine. "Then why did Concubine Fu send someone to invite the prince, and the prince went to the appointment without even thinking about it?" Xu Qian'an hit the nail on the head. "I...drank too much at the time and didn't think it through. "The prince looked a little

unnatural.

Bah, it's just because he's greedy for her body.

In fact, as a man, Xu Qian'an understood the prince's psychology very well. Concubine Fu was

a beautiful woman with good looks and temperament, and the prince might have had

fantasies in the past.

It happened that he drank too much wine that day, and it was a wine that was good for strengthening the kidneys... People who have been tipsy know that in that state, people are

very floating. Things that you dare not think about at ordinary times, you dare to do them

now.

directly Things that you dare not say at ordinary times, you blurt out as soon as you open your mouth.

It happened that Concubine Fu invited him, or even without an invitation, and he went over it

as soon as his mind moved...

"It sounds like someone is setting a trap for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Xu

Qian'an

analyzed.

"Of course someone is framing me, Lord Xu thinks so too." The prince breathed a sigh of

relief.

"No, no, no, you can't be so subjective when handling a case. I just explained one possibility,

there is another possibility. "Xu Qiyan leaned on the table again, leaned over to the prince,

and said word by word:

"That day, the prince drank too much and was distracted. He couldn't help but think of the concubine Fu who he had coveted for a long time. Anyway, His Majesty is obsessed with cultivation and doesn't like women. The prince was lustful and went to Qingfeng Palace to try

to defile the concubine Fu.

"Unexpectedly, the concubine Fu was chaste and unyielding. She refused to obey until death. During the dispute, you accidentally pushed her down the attic and she died. Then you sent

someone to secretly eliminate a palace maid and pretended that you were framed."

"Nonsense!"

The prince slammed the table and stood up, furious: "Xu Qiyan, you dare to slander me, you dare to frame me."

"Don't worry, your highness, this is just my guess. The truth remains to be verified." Xu Qiyan

flattered with a smile on his face.

Tsk, the prince's scheming is still not deep enough, is he too concerned about the position?

How can he be the emperor in the future with this level?

The prince and Lin'an, the brother and sister, are not extremely smart people. Xu Qi'an

became more and more suspicious that Emperor Yuan Jing made his eldest son a prince for

other purposes.

After the prince calmed down, Xu Qi'an asked again: "Has the sorcerer of the Si Tian Jian come

to see your highness?"

"This matter involves this palace, Concubine Fu, and the foundation of Dafeng. Do you think

your father believes the sorcerer of the Si Tian Jian?" The prince sneered and asked back.

Xu Qi'an nodded. After being in the capital for so long, he can also see some ways.

Although the Si Tian Jian has to rely on the royal family and the dynasty's fortune, this can be

seen from the fact that Chu Caiwei needs the "recognition" of the people in the capital to be

promoted

to the sixth rank.

But the first-rank supervisor is too strong, so the Si Tian Jian is not a pure vassal, but a more

cooperative relationship with Dafeng. Emperor Yuan Jing may not trust the Imperial Observatory for a case involving the crown prince. And the Imperial Observatory may not be willing to intervene in such a mess. "I still need to check the health of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I hope His Royal

Highness the Crown Prince will cooperate."

Xu Qian'an grabbed the Crown Prince's hand and checked his wrist, arm, and then his neck...

There were no claw marks or scratches.

"I will find out the truth as soon as possible. If the Crown Prince is wronged, I will naturally

clear your name." Xu Qian'an stood up and clasped his fists.

"Wait!"

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince stopped him and said in a deep voice: "Are Lord Xu and

Lin'an too close?"