"Father Emperor, tell me this—if Crown Prince Brother wasn't trying to frame your daughter, then why would he drug his own dish in my restaurant?"
Yun Shu's words were firm, her tone brimming with righteous indignation. But just as Emperor Xuanwu was about to respond, she pivoted, voice thick with grievance:
"Though he is your most favored son, I have already taken the liberty of having the drugged dish quietly switched out. I never intended to stir up a public scandal over this."
She paused, expression tinged with quiet frustration, then added, "But this matter concerns our family. Behind closed doors, shouldn't you at least uphold justice for your daughter?"
"Who dares claim the Crown Prince my most favored son?"
That notion flashed through Emperor Xuanwu's mind, unbidden, but he didn't dwell on it. His gaze narrowed, instead locking on a key detail in her statement.
"You replaced the dish?" he asked sharply.
"If I hadn't, would I not have fallen victim to the Crown Prince's scheme?"
Yun Shu folded her arms and leaned forward slightly, her tone calm but sharp.
"Tian Waitian Restaurant was crowded today. Most of the court officials came, and even some foreign envoys were likely to make an appearance. If something had happened to the Crown Prince there, the consequences would've been disastrous.
What if you, Father Emperor..."
She trailed off, seeing the storm gathering on Emperor Xuanwu's face. Wisely, she swallowed the rest of her words.
But her eyes—glistening, subtly glancing at him in turns—spoke volumes:
What if Father Emperor takes the Crown Prince's side and sacrifices me to protect him?
Emperor Xuanwu: "..."
"This shameless little brat!"
When had he ever wronged her in favor of another?
And as for the Crown Prince...
Xiao Wu was still so young. If even she could understand how catastrophic it would be for this matter to become public, how could the Crown Prince not realize it?
No—he understood perfectly.
Which meant he had gone there intending to destroy her.
The Crown Prince, whom Emperor Xuanwu had nurtured with such care for years, had grown into a petty, narrow-hearted man incapable of even tolerating his own sister.
The more he thought about it, the more furious he became.
Meanwhile, Yun Shu, sensing his darkening mood, ventured cautiously, "Father Emperor, I brought the replaced dish with me. Perhaps you'd like to summon the Imperial Physician to determine what kind of drug was used?"
"Granted. Summon the Imperial Physician!"
Emperor Xuanwu agreed without hesitation.
He wanted to know just what kind of poison the Crown Prince had prepared for Xiao Wu.
The summons had barely gone out when the physician arrived. Unsurprisingly, it was an all-too-familiar face—an older man who had previously examined Yun Shu during her infamous "mystery illness," and had nearly pulled out all his beard hairs in frustration trying to understand her strange pulse.
Now, seeing Yun Shu again, the Imperial Physician's scalp tingled. Still, he approached, bowed low, and said:
"Your servant greets Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor. Long live the Princess."
"Enough. Examine this dish and tell Us what poison lies within."
Emperor Xuanwu's tone was clipped and cold. Clearly, his anger toward the Crown Prince had dulled any patience.
The Imperial Physician paled.
Poison? In a dish?
Was it meant for the Emperor? Or the Princess?
Why did he always get dragged into such life-threatening situations?
Trembling slightly, he stepped forward, opened the food box, and began his inspection. First, he sniffed it. Then, he plucked a small piece and placed it in his mouth.
Two seconds later, the old man's face twisted. He spat out the food and hastily rinsed his mouth with tea—twice.
At last, he looked up, face flushed with embarrassment and fear.
"Reporting to Your Majesty... this dish contains... Chunfeng Banquet."
Chunfeng Banquet?
Yun Shu blinked, completely confused.
She turned to the physician expectantly, waiting for clarification.
But the old man suddenly shrank into himself, head bowed low like a quail.
Even Emperor Xuanwu's expression turned unreadable—his face a blank mask.
Of course he recognized Chunfeng Banquet.
One of his former consorts had once tried to use that very drug on him... and ended up banished to the Cold Palace for it.
Truly, his brilliant Crown Prince had come prepared.
Using such a drug—something that overwhelmed the senses but left no lasting harm—was clearly meant to achieve two goals at once.
The scoundrel truly thought himself clever.
Emperor Xuanwu slammed his palm onto the table, rage boiling over.
Just then, a flurry of footsteps and commotion came from outside.
Li Dehai hurried in, head lowered, voice tight.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince, the Eldest Prince, the Sixth Prince, the Right Prime Minister, the Left Prime Minister... and the legitimate daughter of the Shen family request an audience."
So many at once?
Yun Shu froze briefly, then quickly stepped forward. She retrieved the tampered dish and placed it back into the food box, whispering, "Father Emperor, could the Imperial Physician wait behind the screen?"
Emperor Xuanwu immediately understood her intent.
He nodded once.
The physician, clutching the medicine case and food box, scuttled behind the folding screen without a word.
Only then did the Emperor allow Li Dehai to admit the others.
The Crown Prince entered first. Upon seeing Yun Shu already in the room, he paused, surprised.
Still, he said nothing of it, assuming she was there to report on the restaurant's opening.
His gaze swept over her briefly before turning to Emperor Xuanwu.
"Father Emperor, your son begs you to uphold justice!"
Yun Shu: "..."
That line sounded familiar.
She took several steps to the side, as the Crown Prince dropped to his knees before the Emperor.
A beat later, the Eldest Prince, Yun Chuhuan, and the others followed suit.
"Your subjects/sons/daughter greet Your Majesty."
Then someone—unexpectedly—spoke up.
"Father Emperor, the Crown Prince has behaved improperly and even sought to wrongfully accuse your son. I beg Your Majesty to do me justice!"
...Huh?
Yun Shu blinked in surprise and turned toward the speaker. Among the kneeling group, only one person's words didn't match the rest.
Her gaze sharpened with interest.
Emperor Xuanwu's expression turned cold as he barked, "Silence! What is this racket? Speak clearly. Yun Chuhuan, you explain!"
Eh?
Even with the Crown Prince, Eldest Prince, and both Prime Ministers present, Imperial Father had called him by name?
Yun Chuhuan's eyes lit up. He straightened with visible pride.
"Reporting to Father Emperor: your son had planned to dine with Fifth Sister, Cen Yiyi, and Liu Ziming in a private room at Tian Waitian Restaurant.
But then one of Fifth Sister's guards whispered something to her. She left in a fury, saying someone intended to harm her!"
===
New novel on work "Mom's Apocalypse Survival Log". You can find it on my webnovel profile.
Lan Jin thought she knew how the apocalypse would end—struggling to survive for two long years, only to be betrayed and murdered by her cheating ex-husband and his mistress. But fate gives her a second chance. Reborn three months before the world collapses, she's armed with a space ability, a burning desire for revenge, and one unwavering goal: protect her child at all costs.
This time, she won't be naive. Armed with a space that keeps her supplies fresh and a burning desire to never be a victim again, she's ready. She's stockpiling food, securing shelter, and building a small but loyal team—including a tough-as-nails gym instructor, teenager who should be in college but ditched it for a gap year, a no-nonsense trainer with her elderly grandmother, and, of course, a very good dog.
But the apocalypse isn't just about surviving disasters. Earth itself seems determined to wipe humanity out in the cruelest, most unpredictable ways. And when the final catastrophe hits? No one could have seen it coming.