My Princess and Crown Prince Are Revived
Chapter 97: Chu Baihan Gives a Gift

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Chu Baihan Gives a Gift

"You became famous for your chess skills in the brothel, but these skills... ha, truly sullied my hands,"

Yan Xiao sneered coldly.

Immediately, a guard came over, presenting a basin of water and a towel.

He washed his hands over and over again, and then slowly dried them.

His actions suggested as if what he had just held had dirtied his hands.

That woman had already been dragged away.

Her heart-wrenching screams could be heard from the courtyard, yet there wasn’t a ripple of emotion in his eyes.

The guards beside him showed no change in expression either, after all... they had grown accustomed to it.

Since the Crown Prince was fourteen, he had such a temperament.

Gentle as jade in front of others, yet cruel and resolute behind their backs.

"I only wanted to find someone to accompany me in a game of chess, why is it so difficult?" he murmured softly,

His expression was as if he was the epitome of innocence.

Suddenly, he glanced sideways with sharp eyes at a guard, "What do you think of Nan Baihan’s chess skills?"

At his words, the guards could not help but twitch violently.

Was the Crown Prince eyeing the eldest Princess of Nanduan Kingdom?

They could kill any other woman, but that Princess... seems like she shouldn’t be killed so easily.

At that moment, his think tank, Song Qin, entered from outside.

"Your Highness, the weather has changed! We must trouble you to postpone your chess game to another day,"

Song Qin raised his hand in a salute, then lowered his voice with a serious tone.

"Oh? Has something interesting happened again?"

Yan Xiao turned and sat down, his gaze landing on the chessboard, casually asking Song Qin.

"Chu Hesheng was captured, and within less than three hours, someone poisoned him, and a token from the Liu Residence was found in the Sky Prison where he was held," Song Qin continued to report.

Yan Xiao, however, simply responded with a faint acknowledgment, without giving away his stance.

Song Qin, with a headache, continued to say, "Your Highness, this doesn’t look good. Both General Chu and the Grand Tutor Liu are your men. Is this act meant to make the Emperor reprimand Grand Tutor Liu? The Eastern Palace has already lost General Chu as its left arm, we cannot afford to lose Grand Tutor Liu, our right arm!"

Just as Yan Xiao picked up a chess piece, he heard Song Qin’s anxious words and placed the piece down, his voice low and inquiring, "In your view, is the person behind the scenes doing this to make my father blame Liu Cheng for Chu Hesheng’s poisoning?"

Song Qin nodded hastily, "Of course, that’s it!"

General Chu might currently be a "criminal," but the Emperor was still counting on using him as a scapegoat.

No one had the right to lay a finger on him before the Emperor had dealt with him.

Grand Tutor Liu’s action was plainly seeking his own death.

"Father is only aged, not foolish. Do you think that he can’t see through such a simple frame-up?"

Yan Xiao placed another chess piece, laughing coldly.

Song Qin hesitated, then gradually came to a realization.

"That’s true. But why would someone go to such lengths to poison General Chu? What is really on their mind?" he continued to inquire.

"It doesn’t matter whether Father believes Liu Cheng has harmful intentions. What matters is whether Chu Hesheng believes it!"

Yan Xiao stared at the chessboard, a smile playing at his lips while his slender eyes were filled with a cold light.

"This..."

"A man locked in the Sky Prison naturally becomes extremely irritable and distrustful. Suddenly confronted with poison before his eyes, he would naturally become suspicious..." Yan Xiao said slowly.

At this, Song Qin had an epiphany.

"I understand now, the person behind the scenes wants to pit General Chu against Grand Tutor Liu! What should we do if General Chu exposes Grand Tutor Liu’s secrets? The Emperor will demand accountability,"

Upon this realization, Song Qin became even more anxious.

By this time, Yan Xiao had already stood up.

Gazing at the chessboard that was once again under his control, he smiled.

After a long while, he murmured softly, "Nan Baihan, someone who was supposed to be unconscious, yet still calculated so much. This palace... has genuinely grown fonder of you."

What?

This was done by the Princess of Nanduan Kingdom?

Song Qin was even more confused.

He could guess that the Emperor’s blaming of the Chu Residence was her doing, but he couldn’t understand why a princess from Nanduan Kingdom, who was to marry a prince of Yan Country, would frame a subject at this time?

Moreover, she was clearly unconscious, even the Imperial Physician confirmed it, so how could she still scheme against people?

Could it be that she had set up the trap before she fell unconscious?

And, by the tone of the Crown Prince, it seemed like he had already been aware of something long ago.

But the Crown Prince...

Why only speak of it now?

Song Qin felt somewhat stifled in his heart.

The Crown Prince’s thoughts were much harder to guess than the Emperor’s.

Having followed the Crown Prince for nearly ten years, though carrying the title of Think Tank, he really couldn’t help the Crown Prince strategize, after all, the Crown Prince had his own ideas.

"Crown Prince, should we now enter the Imperial Palace to probe the Emperor’s intentions?" Song Qin continued to test the waters.

"Do you think Father Emperor would still allow anyone to enter the palace now? Ha, Father Emperor probably has long seen through someone’s intentions to set the Chu and Liu families at each other’s throats. But he doesn’t plan to stop it, after all, these two dogs belong to this palace."

Towards the end, Yan Xiao’s eyes flashed with a dead luster.

Father Emperor, no matter how many years have passed, you still refuse to trust your son.

Seeing him shrouded in gloom, Song Qin knew he must be thinking about the Emperor’s matters again.

At this time, it was better not to touch on his sensitive issues.

After a long silence, Yan Xiao looked down at his sleeve, his voice cold, "Someone, help me change clothes, these clothes... are dirty."

On that sleeve, there was a droplet of blood so small it was nearly invisible.

"Crown Prince, where are you going after changing clothes? Could it be to see Grand Tutor Liu?" Song Qin asked, puzzled and pushing his luck.

Yan Xiao coldly chuckled upon hearing this.

"If Father Emperor initially wanted to set them on each other, wouldn’t going to see Liu Cheng only deepen his suspicions?"

That makes sense! Song Qin nodded in agreement.

But if Crown Prince wasn’t going to see Grand Tutor Liu, who was he planning to see?

"The Princess has slept so long; this palace has yet to visit her and see if she... sleeps soundly?"

A cunning glint passed through Yan Xiao’s eyes as he spoke slowly.

The Crown Prince is going to the Princess?

Song Qin was startled but dared not question it.

Just then, a guard came in holding a box.

"Your Highness, someone just delivered this, insisting that you must personally open it."

Personally open it?

Yan Xiao’s eyes swept over the box, then he instructed the guard to open it.

Upon being opened, the box surprisingly contained a set of chess pieces, with an exquisite sandalwood chessboard underneath.

It was clear that the person who sent this gift was "thoughtful", aware of his fondness for chess.

"Your Highness, there is a letter here."

Song Qin found the letter and quickly retrieved it.

Yan Xiao took it, unfolding it.

There was a line of graceful yet imposing writing.

"Crown Prince, to reciprocate with the other’s methods, do you like my gift?"