Chapter 137 - The Fox Is Devious

Xiao Yuan mumbled to himself, "My father...", and then threw his head back in a laugh.

Peng Rui remained on the floor, her fingernails digging into the polished wood. "Don't believe them your Royal Highness, they're just trying to poison you against me! Against his Majesty." She snarled up at Chu Yun. "Why would I kill my own child?"

Chu Yun smiled. "Because you can have others," his eyes flickered to Xiao Zai. "I'm sure the King reminded you of that, when he asked this little thing of you. Why would you care? I'm sure it stung, to see a beta become the Prince's First Wife, but the King promised to make it up to you, didn't he?"

She bared her teeth at him. The truth was that Chu Yun needed her to admit it, he was making conjectures, but he didn't have solid evidence.

He needed her to come out and admit to it in front of Xiao Yuan -- wipe away any doubt.

Luckily, his past conversation with Xiao Ziyi, and with Chu Hean long before that, made it so he knew just where to push.

"Here you are, an omega lady of nice breeding, reduced to being a mere concubine, who isn't even favoured, humiliated daily because your husband prefers a servant to you. And then you don't even get a title to show for it." Chu Yun shook his head. 

"Then, some beta upstart, from a family who is just a little bit richer than yours, just a little bit more well-connected gets to see their daughter marry into the royal family as the Crown Prince's main wife, become the Crown Princess and future Queen of Zui."

The corners of his lips turned downwards into an approximation of pity. "I don't know how you could handle it."

Finally, she cracked. Fat tears started spilling down her cheeks, her earlier rage turning into self-pity.

"It should have been me," she said quietly. "I did everything right, it should have been me."

"What did you do?" Xiao Yuan asked, advancing towards her with a furious scowl.

Xiao Zai stepped in front of him, preventing him from getting close to the crying concubine.

"What I had to! What his Majesty told me would be best for Zui," her sobs made her slender shoulders shake. "Of course I didn't want to drink the tea! But his Majesty promised, he said, that it would help Wuyuan!"

She glared at Xiao Zai. "He was right to say you needed to be removed, that you were a danger to Wuyuan and to the nation!"

Xiao Zai had no reaction to her words, his handsome face revealed nothing. Xiao Yuan on the other hand was almost shaking with rage. "You snake, you're lower than a dog!"

Chu Yun gripped Peng Rui under the arm and helped her to her feet. She stood up awkwardly, all her jewellery jangling. 

"Let's not be harsh, Rui-er only did what his Majesty told her, isn't that right?" he asked her.

She nodded fiercely, breaking into a huge grin. "That's right! I acted under his Majesty's orders, there's nothing you can do against me," she pointed a manicured finger at Xiao Zai, "and once I tell him of your treasonous plot my rewards will be even greater."

Chu Yun hissed, clasping his hands behind his back and turning on his heel to face Peng Rui. "Except you didn't stick to his Majesty's orders, did you?"

Peng Rui blinked, her expression blank. "Of course I did. I did everything his Majesty told me to!"

"I believe his Majesty told you to drink the abortive tea and have Xiao Zai framed for it, and I even believe he encouraged to get rid of Fan Jiang, but," he paused and gave her an accessing look. "I doubt he told you to kill the Crown Princess."

"I did no such thing! I never touched her!"

"You weren't at the hunt, though, you weren't watching from the tower with the rest of the First Prince's household."

"Because I was at home, convalescing."

Chu Yun hummed. "Convenient, you were at home alone at a moment when no one else was."

She had been shaking with hatred, now she shook with fear. "I didn't do it!" she turned to Xiao Yuan, her tone pleading. "Your Royal Highness has to believe me! I didn't do it."

"But you did poison Fan Jiang?" Xiao Yuan asked, his voice coming out raspy.

Peng Rui's chin trembled. "He holds you back! He's just a reminder of an unnatural attachment, a shadow of someone else! Darling, Rui-er is only worried about your future."

Xiao Yuan chuckled darkly. "What future?" He lowered his eyes and after a moment shouted. "Guards! Guards!"

Peng Rui panicked but seconds later three men entered the room, their hands ready on their sword hilts. "Lock this woman in one of the guest quarters, keep a rotation at the door. Don't let her out under any circumstances, don't let anyone in besides me."

The guards nodded as one, and two of them moved to grip a struggling Peng Rui behind the arms. They dragged her out, kicking and screaming, begging for Xiao Yuan's help. 

Xiao Yuan turned to Xiao Zai. "When do you want me to renounce?" he smiled sadly, "as you know most of my days are free. Father doesn't give me anything to do."

Chu Yun walked up to Xiao Zai, standing at his side. "We'll tell you when it's time." 

Suddenly, he had an idea. "Although, we would appreciate an account of today's events written by you."

Xiao Yuan didn't see the point of it, but he nodded all the same.

After it was done, Physician Song was allowed back into the room, and Chu Yun and Xiao Zai left.

Outside, Chu Yun gave the letter to Hua Nanyi. "Go back to the training facility and deliver this to the First Princess." 

She hid the letter beneath the folds of her waist sash and Chu Yun added, almost absent-mindedly. "Stay the night."

"What? How...What am I going to use as an excuse?"

He shrugged. "You're clever, so be clever about it."

---

They had barely entered their bedroom, when Xiao Zai pinned Chu Yun against the door. "You're devious," he said, nuzzling his nape, inhaling his scent. "You know she didn't kill the Crown Princess."

Chu Yun chuckled, letting Xiao Zai's hands roam over his body. "Someone did, it might as well be her."

She tried to have Xiao Zai incriminated for something he would never do.. Chu Yun thought it would suit her well to take the fall for a crime that was either orchestrated by his grandmother, or by his dam.