Chapter 61: The Sickly Prime Minister, Poisoned to Death by Her Beloved

As Xiao Jinse stood up, all eyes immediately gathered on her. Her expression was stern and aloof, almost inhumanly cold, with an unusually somber air, yet her brows and eyes carried a hint of nearly bewitching red.

She said nothing, only fixed a chilling gaze on the figures high above, sending an abrupt chill through everyone’s hearts.

The Little Emperor felt as if thorns pricked his back under her stare and instinctively leaned backward.

—Right now, he was just a timid, incompetent, pitiful, and helpless fifteen-year-old puppet emperor, playing the role to perfection.

Xinyi and Jiang Changche grew anxious behind her. With the Prime Minister acting so out of character, if they didn’t stop her properly and something happened, how would they explain it once she sobered up?

“Prime Minister…”

Xinyi couldn’t help but tug at Xiao Jinse’s wide sleeve, but Xiao Jinse frowned and shook her off.

Her eyes were profoundly dark, staring fixedly at the two figures on the Ninefold Jade Steps without a trace of distraction, the depths of her gaze shrouded in obscurity.

The hall fell deathly silent; everyone could sense something was wrong.

At the Emperor’s Longevity Banquet, the Chancellor Xiao, who wielded supreme power over the court, suddenly disregarded decorum and rose to glare at the sovereign. Xiao Jinse’s brows furrowed even deeper, her complexion icy cold, radiating waves of chill that everyone around could feel.

The Little Emperor, useless at everything except selling misery, immediately cried out pitifully, “Aunt—”

Shi Qingyi’s temple vein throbbed. Xinyi looked at her pleadingly too, though she knew the Eldest Princess wouldn’t help the Prime Minister at a time like this, a sliver of delusion still sparked.

To prevent Xiao Jinse from losing it in front of everyone, Shi Qingyi had no choice but to steel herself and walk over. Xiao Jinse stood rooted there, unmoving, only her gaze intensely heavy as it followed Shi Qingyi’s steps.

Shi Qingyi walked quickly. When she reached Xiao Jinse, the latter hadn’t even reacted yet, just staring blankly at her with a hint of bewilderment in her eyes.

Shi Qingyi didn’t dare imagine what Xiao Jinse might do in a fit of madness before the assembled ministers. She grabbed Xiao Jinse and pulled her away. As they left, she meant to say something to the Little Emperor but was yanked back. Xiao Jinse gripped her hand tightly, her lips curling downward in clear disapproval.

—How could her Eldest Princess bow her head like that?

The Little Emperor wished they would leave quickly and hurriedly waved them off to smooth things over. “The Prime Minister is drunk; she should head back early.”

If Xiao Jinse truly went mad right there, his dignity and face as the ruler of a nation would be utterly lost. He couldn’t wait for this plague to scram—and ideally, never return.

Xiao Jinse was stubbornly temperamental; moments ago, she had struggled and glared at anyone who touched her, but now in Shi Qingyi’s grasp, she became docile, following obediently without a fuss.

The Eldest Princess in her deep purple gown and Chancellor Xiao in her violet official robes walked off hand in hand, inexplicably giving off an air of deep affection. For years, the Prime Minister had kept the Eldest Princess confined in her residence; this was a rare public appearance together.

The Prime Minister appeared refined, elegant, aloof, and proud, but was actually distant to all, the most unyielding and difficult to deal with. This was the first time anyone had successfully led her away in a rage, leaving the courtiers stunned.

Xiao Jinse followed Shi Qingyi all the way out. At first, she walked properly, but after a few steps, she started coughing and stumbled along behind.

Shi Qingyi walked fast. Xiao Jinse, with her frail body and old ailments, struggled to keep up but refused to let go, clutching her hand tightly, lips pressed thin as she forced herself onward.

Xinyi and her trusted aides trailed a few steps behind, neither daring to approach nor fall too far. Jiang Changche watched the Prime Minister stumbling anxiously, sweat beading on his forehead. He moved to rush forward but was pulled back by Xinyi.

“Thick-headed fool, don’t be stupid,” Xinyi whispered scoldingly. As he opened his mouth to retort, he saw the Eldest Princess, who hadn’t slowed, suddenly stop. Xiao Jinse, carried by momentum, collided straight into her embrace.

A sharp alcoholic scent hit her face. Xiao Jinse crashed into a soft bosom, where the fragrance of freshly delivered peonies from that morning lingered on the Eldest Princess. Her expression unchanged, she straightened her neck and pulled back, though the red at her eyes seemed even more pronounced.

“If you can’t keep up, why not stop?” Shi Qingyi’s voice carried anger, as if she were thoroughly displeased.

Chancellor Xiao’s face remained composed, but her mind was already muddled, unable to discern why her beloved was upset. After a dazed moment, she gripped her beloved’s hand tighter, her ear tips inexplicably reddening, yet she replied solemnly, “I’ll listen to you. I… listen to you.”

She spoke with earnest gravity, as if swearing a vow—though it seemed heaven itself refused to bless it. No sooner had she finished than thunder boomed, a silver serpent tearing through the dark purple sky in an instant.

— A torrential rain was coming.

It was too late to leave now without getting drenched. Shi Qingyi pondered briefly before gripping Xiao Jinse’s hand and turning toward the rear palace.

Shi Qingyi’s father emperor had her late in life and doted on her fiercely. He had assigned Mingse Palace for her residence early on, granting her a title before adulthood. Unable to bear parting with her, he hadn’t even built a princess manor. Later, when she left her fief, her imperial brother specially decreed she could return to the palace anytime, so Mingse Palace was kept ready for her every day.

Rushing just in time, they reached Mingse Palace moments before the downpour. Perhaps because she still lived in the Imperial City and might return anytime, the place wasn’t too neglected, though only a few servants remained.

Stubborn as ever, Xiao Jinse had shielded Shi Qingyi’s head with her hand at the first thunderclap. She only dropped it upon entering the hall, having protected nothing but gotten her official robes soaked herself.

She trailed Shi Qingyi step for step, going wherever she went, staring fixedly without a word.

Drunk, Xiao Jinse was unusually quiet. Even as Shi Qingyi went to freshen up, she followed. Finally, Shi Qingyi turned, covering her eyes. “Are you really drunk?”

Why did it feel like Xiao Jinse was tricking her?

The lofty Prime Minister outside was utterly obedient, nodding honestly, though her tongue stumbled slightly. “Drunk…”

Her long lashes fluttered like a fan against Shi Qingyi’s palm.

Drunk Xiao Jinse was exceptionally easy to coax—but only for Shi Qingyi. With anyone else, she would have turned icy and silent. In the end, Shi Qingyi had to lead her to wash up personally. Afterward, she sat primly on the bed in moon-white nightclothes, waiting properly for Shi Qingyi.

Shi Qingyi rarely did it herself, drying her hair while eyeing her suspiciously for a long time before leaning in closer. “You’ll really do anything I say?”

Xiao Jinse nodded, her eyes pure and sincere, nothing like the stern inaccessibility she had shown others in court.

“Then take off your clothes.”

She had only meant to tease Xiao Jinse, who didn’t seem truly blackout drunk but eerily composed. Yet no sooner had she spoken than Xiao Jinse reached to undo her nightclothes.

Perhaps from the alcohol, she undressed openly. The moon-white fabric slid from the bed’s edge, pooling in layers around her ankles. Outside, the storm raged, pounding the courtyard branches. Shi Qingyi blanked out for a moment.

Perhaps from chronic frailty and lack of sun, her body was strikingly pale, but it seemed…

She didn’t finish the thought. Xiao Jinse leaned in to hug her, teeth chattering as she whispered, “Your Highness, I’m cold…”

“…”

She wasn’t a saint; she couldn’t remain unmoved.

This time, the Eldest Princess was far gentler than before, deeply considerate of Chancellor Xiao’s feelings.

Toward the end, the usually compliant Xiao Jinse suddenly pushed at her shoulder. The Eldest Princess tensed and immediately stopped, brushing aside her disheveled hair to ask hoarsely what was wrong.

She truly feared even the slightest pressure might harm this sickly invalid.

Chancellor Xiao couldn’t speak. Panic rising, the Eldest Princess groped for clothes with one hand—face be damned at this point; she needed to fetch an imperial physician.

As she moved to rise, Xiao Jinse grabbed her arm weakly. Ashamed, her words stumbled, eyes squeezed shut. “C-C-Can’t… take it…”

The Eldest Princess blanked.

Then she heard Chancellor Xiao murmur, “Your Highness said… if you can’t take it, say stop…”

The Eldest Princess: “…”

No, back then, she had meant to say stop if walking too fast to keep up. What on earth was rattling around in Chancellor Xiao’s head all day?!

At midnight, the Eldest Princess rose. The person beside her pillow slept soundly. Fearing discomfort, once things inside quieted completely, Xinyi brought sobering soup. The Eldest Princess fed a few sips to the trembling woman before helping her lie back down—perfect time for sleep.

The Eldest Princess donned a robe, tidied casually, added a cloak, and headed to the rear. Mingse Palace had a secret passage straight to the outside. The long-unused chamber was dust-free, clearly pre-cleaned.

The passage was short; a quarter-hour’s walk led to the end. Outside, someone waited with an umbrella and bowed slightly to lead the way. Not far ahead by the lake stood a tall, slender youth in a black cloak. Seeing the Eldest Princess, he removed it, revealing an exceptionally handsome face.

—It was none other than the current Emperor of Great End.

The youth gave a wry smile and walked slowly toward the Eldest Princess, sighing. “Aunt, who would have thought that after years apart, even a few words between us niece and nephew would require such machinations.”

Shi Qingyi offered no courtesies, merely watching the youth approach impassively. Only the System panicked like an ant on a hot pan. “Host, trouble! The Prime Minister’s awake!”

—

A thunderclap crashed outside. Xiao Jinse jolted awake from her dream, throat aching terribly. She called out for Her Highness instinctively, receiving no reply, her hand unconsciously clutching the brocade quilt at her side.

The bed had gone cold; the person must have left some time ago.

She had left after all. Even knowing it in her heart, actually reaching this point hurt more than expected.

Hot tears traced slowly from her dry eyes. Nails dug into her palm, nearly drawing blood from the tender skin, her chest tight and breathless…

“When… did she leave?”

After a long while, she managed to choke out the question.

A hidden guard burst through the window, icy wind howling in, rattling the lattice. He hesitated before bowing his head. “The Eldest Princess left at the xu hour, first quarter.”

The xu hour first quarter—right after tricking her to sleep.