CROWN PRINCE'S CONCUBINE

470 The Culprit

He was almost on the verge of attacking his own son again if it wasn’t for Xi Tou stepping forward and holding his sword.

“Brother, what are you doing? Did you really going to kill your son?” he shouted holding Xi Lei’s sword with his sharp-edged small long spear, which was his mainstay weapon.

Xi Lei pushed Xi Tou’s spear with his sword.

“This brat must be taught a lesson, how can he defend the enemy in front of everyone!”

The weak Ye Lu couldn’t get any closer, seeing his young master trying to get up from his fall.

Xi Hu wiped the blood that was on the edge of his mouth, looking at his father sharply.

“Father’s accusations are baseless, Ye Lu is indeed from the Gao Shan valley but he has stayed with us all this time, do you still doubt all the sacrifices he has made so far?”

Xi Lei was annoyed to hear his son’s exclamation.

“Rotten kid! What’s baseless! The box is clearly in his room, what more evidence do you want to see?”

.....

Xi Lei tried to hold his breath he was gasping for air from being annoyed, and he turned to Ye Lu who was limping at the side standing with the others, Xi Lei’s eyes widened, raised his sword and shot toward Ye Lu.

“I’ll just kill him!” he exclaimed.

Xi Hu’s eyes widened, he tried to stand up to see his father who shot with a sharp sword at Ye Lu.

“No Father!”

Xi Lei stomped his foot pointing the sharp tip of his sword at Ye Lu who was still frozen in place, the young man could only wait in resignation for Xi Lei’s attack on him, he closed his eyes.

Xi Hu tried to get up and stop his father.

“No! don’t do that father!!”

He couldn’t, Xi Hu was late because his father’s position was much closer to Ye Lu than he was, his father’s sharp sword would really stab Ye Lu when something hit him.

“Ting!”

Made the soft sword thrust before it hit Ye Lu.

Prangg!

The force was so great that it even pushed Xi Lei’s body away from Ye Lu and fell heavily against a tree.

Everyone held their breath. Even Xi Hu’s eyes widened because he thought Ye Lu had become a victim of his father’s anger, but instead, he saw his father was thrown into a tree and fell.

“Ah!”

Xi Tao turned his head around, about to attack who had attacked his brother, but, everyone fell silent, apparently, it came with the Crown Prince who had come with Bei Yau behind him. The blow was from Bei Yau’s sword which was even still in its scabbard.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!” exclaimed Yue Yang’s little guard.

General Lin Mo and others lowered their heads to welcome the Crown Prince who joined in the garden, later Xi Tou and Xi Lei and everyone there lowered their bodies to see the Crown Prince who was walking calmly with two hands behind his waist towards the seat in the centre, where Chen Ming was still sitting quietly beside him.

“Your Majesty” Xi Lei tried to get up and kneel down, Bei Yau glanced at Lin Mo who was closest to him to help him.

Luo Xiang sat on his chair and saw Ye Lu who was sitting on the ground after being unable to stand up due to his internal injuries, Xi Hu who was also injured approached him and helped Ye Lu up.

“Lu er”

“Young master”

The Crown Prince looked at Xi Lei, as well as Xi Tou in turn.

“Did you guys find the box in Ye Lu’s room?” he asked General Lin Mo.

Lin Mo nodded.

“That’s right Your Majesty, the soldier found it under the blanket on the bed”

Luo Xiang looked at Ye Lu who looked helpless, lowered his head trying to endure the pain from his internal wound, it didn’t seem like a light wound, he almost fell over from it.

“Master Ye, are you the culprit? Do you really intend to harm Bai Ying?” Luo Xiang asked.

Ye Lu raised his head, opened his eyes wide, he immediately lowered his body back to his knees on the ground.

“Please forgive me, Your Majesty, I am willing to die for the Viceroy, I swear I did not do it! Servant’s innocent.”

Xi Lei who saw Ye Lu kneeling clenched his fists.

“Insolent child” he could only mutter in a small voice, but Luo Xiang clearly heard it.

“You heard that Chief Xi, he said he didn’t do it. And you think, why would he give the butterfly poison to the Young King? Did you find the motive?” asked the Crown Prince.

Xi Lei stuttered, he couldn’t answer.

“Eh, that’s, because, eh Ye Lu is Du Gu San’s son, and, they are mastering in poison, that’s, not impossible Your Majesty”

Luo Xiang thought, he nodded his head.

“Em, that’s true, but, if you’re just saying it without any evidence, then Ye Lu might not be the culprit, and that means, the real culprit is still out there, I don’t want you guys to catch and kill randomly but let whoever the real one goes”

Xi Lei stuttering, he swallowed hard, the old man admitted he was too emotional. He looked at Ye Lu and his son who were looking at him sharply and annoyed.

“Eh, that’s right Your Majesty.”

The Crown Prince turned to Bei Yau beside him.

“Bei”

The personal guard understood what Luo Xiang’s glance meant, he nodded at general Lin Mo.

“General Lin, please take Ye Lu into temporary custody, young master Ye, hope you cooperate, as long as the real culprit hasn’t come out please understand.”

Ye Lu nodded his head at Bei Yau.

“Yes, Guard Bei”

Immediately two Yue Yang soldiers helped Ye Lu up and led him away, Xi Hu stuttered, he looked at the Crown Prince, lowered his head excusing himself to follow Ye Lu.

“Servant will excuse me, Your Majesty.”

Luo Xiang nodded.

“Please young master Xi”

After Ye Lu and Xi Hu disappeared behind the building, Xi Lei clenched his fists in front of his head, bowed deeply before the Crown Prince.

“Please forgive me, Your Majesty, but, may I know, what made Your Majesty trust Ye Lu, even though Your Majesty knows that he is Du Gu San’s son?” Xi Lei asked.

Luo Xiang looked at Xi Lei for a moment, it’s true what people say, if the Cold Water clan master is not as cold as his name, he is too hot and fiery.

“Heh, your son trusts him, chairman Xi, do you doubt your own son?”

Xi Lei held back his anger.

“Eh, that rotten brat doesn’t know how cruel the world is yet, he is still too innocent”

Luo Xiang looked at Xi Lei for a moment.

“But I believe in Bai Ying, he trusts Ye Lu a lot, I don’t want him to be sad when he wakes up to find out that you killed the person he trusted, and also, I also don’t want to, whoever is responsible behind this incident laughs at us, because you are so quick to draw conclusions.”

Xi Lei swallowed hard. The stubborn man looked helpless in front of the Crown Prince, he lowered his head again deeply.

“Servant really doesn’t think logically, Your Majesty is indeed wise.”

Luo Xiang looked at General Lin Mo.

“General, find out anyone who is known to have entered Ye Lu’s room, ask all the maids who cleaned his room, the box should have been there since a few days ago, if it is true that Ye Lu kept it so carelessly in his room, he must have put it in since a few days ago,” said the Crown Prince.

Lin Mo lowered his head nodding.

“Ready Your Majesty, I will carry it out”

Luo Xiang turned at Mu Chun.

“Advisor Mu, what is the sign of people who open the box when the butterflies were in there?”

Mu Chun stroked his beard, thinking.

“Hemh, from what I read, Your Majesty, the box will become so hot when there’s something in there, and cause anyone who opened will have some bruises on their fingers as if it burned”

Luo Xiang nodded.

“So, the fingers with slightly burned bruises, Bei you heard that”

Bei Yau lowered his head again.

“Yes Your Majesty”

On the other hand, Yue Huan who looked a bit strange was getting ready to retreat when no one saw him, the young prince slipped among the people and ran back to his room.

Before long, in Prince Yue Huan’s room. The young prince put all his belongings and gold and some that he found into a cloth bag that had been prepared on the bed. His face looked pale, he broke out in cold sweat and occasionally looked at his bedroom window, afraid that someone might see him. He takes a look at his fingers which were slightly burned, he was the one who opened the box.

.....

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