CHAPTER FORTY‑SIX — WHOM DOES HE OBEY?
If Zhan Shou truly was the murderer, then the question that chilled Tang Ke Xin to her bones was simple—
Whose orders was he following?
The thought alone made her stomach tighten.
"Tang Ke Xin, that is quite enough. Come back."
Ye Lan Chen, unable to bear watching her lean so close to the guard, seized her by the arm and pulled her back.
"What are you doing?"
The Empress had just stepped out of her chambers. Her brows knitted slightly. "Chen'er, be careful. Do not hurt Xin'er."
"Hmph. Better she be hurt than make a spectacle of herself," Ye Lan Chen muttered, glaring at Tang Ke Xin with a dark expression.
"What is going on?"
The Empress looked between them, puzzled but faintly amused, assuming it was merely another of their childish quarrels.
"Ask her," Ye Lan Chen said curtly, unwilling—or too embarrassed—to explain.
The Empress turned her gaze to Tang Ke Xin.
Tang Ke Xin opened her mouth… then closed it again.
She had no proof.
She could not tell them she had read Zhan Shou's micro‑expressions—no one would believe such a thing. And even if they did, it would not count as evidence.
Qiu Ju's death had been staged flawlessly.
Xiao Cui had been killed under heavy secret protection.
Whoever orchestrated this was meticulous, ruthless, and frighteningly capable.
This was no simple guard.
This was someone's pawn.
And now that Xiao Cui was dead, the mastermind would not act again so soon. She could not follow the trail any further—not yet.
But if such a person remained within Kunning Palace, the Empress was in constant danger.
And the most terrifying part—
She still did not know whom Zhan Shou obeyed.
A sudden, icy thought struck her.
The Emperor had personally selected the guards of Kunning Palace.
Her blood ran cold.
What if… it was the Emperor?
No.
No, that was too horrifying to contemplate.
The Emperor was the ruler of the realm, the man with absolute power. If he wished to harm the Empress, who could possibly stop him?
And worse—
He was her husband.
Her pillow‑side companion.
To discover that the man who shared your bed was the one plotting your downfall…
What could be more terrifying?
Tang Ke Xin forced herself to breathe.
The first step was to determine whether the Emperor was involved.
The second—remove Zhan Shou from Kunning Palace.
But she could not say any of this aloud.
So she chose another path.
Her eyes brightened suddenly, and she forced a shy, awkward smile.
"I simply think Guard Captain Zhan is very handsome," she said lightly. "I went over to speak with him. Is that so wrong?"
"You? Speak?" Ye Lan Chen spluttered. "You were clearly flirting! And the way you behaved just now—hmph!"
"Xin'er?"
The Empress stared at her, stunned. Her expression shifted rapidly—shock, disbelief, then something close to alarm.
"Zhan Shou is handsome, skilled, and dignified," Tang Ke Xin continued, blinking innocently. "He is truly the perfect man."
The Empress's face darkened at once.
"Esteemed Empress," Tang Ke Xin added sweetly, "is Guard Zhan married?"
Ye Lan Chen nearly choked.
"What does that have to do with you?"
The Empress pressed a hand to her chest, visibly shaken.
"Of course it matters," Tang Ke Xin said earnestly. "If he is not married, then I still have a chance."
The Empress's expression collapsed entirely.
Tang Ke Xin hid her satisfaction.
She understood people—especially the Empress.
The Empress adored her.
The Empress would never allow her to fall in love with a guard.
And she would certainly not permit anything improper to occur.
Thus, the Empress would act swiftly—
Zhan Shou would be removed from Kunning Palace.
And because he was the Emperor's personal selection, the Empress would have to speak to him directly.
Only then would Tang Ke Xin learn whether the Emperor was involved.
Just as she finished her performance, a cold, piercing gaze struck her from behind—sharp enough to freeze her blood.
She did not turn.
She already knew who it was.
Only the Third Prince possessed such a chilling aura.
But why was he glaring at her?
She had not offended him—had she?
Her mind flickered back to the previous night.
Heat crept up her neck.
"There is? What chance?" Ye Lan Chen stammered, oblivious to the danger behind him. "You—you really want to marry him?"
His words poured oil onto the Empress's already blazing panic.
"But whom does Xin'er wish to marry?"
A gentle voice drifted from behind them, tinged with amusement.
Tang Ke Xin stiffened.
The Crown Prince.
He had addressed her as Xin'er.
Did he know her so well?
She was not accustomed to such familiarity.
But she was the Empress's niece—his cousin—so the address was not inappropriate.
"Crown Prince, the Third Prince is here," the Empress said quickly, regaining her composure. She forced a smile. "This girl is merely being foolish. Please forgive her."
Ye Lan Chen opened his mouth, then closed it again.
"This son greets the Empress," the Crown Prince said, bowing. His gaze lingered on Tang Ke Xin—calm, unreadable, yet carrying a hint of something deeper.
"This son pays respects to the Empress," Ye Lan Jue said next, bowing with perfect composure. His face was expressionless, but the danger radiating from him was unmistakable.
Tang Ke Xin felt her heart tighten.
The Crown Prince soon departed.
The Empress, clearly unsettled, excused herself to leave the palace—undoubtedly to speak with the Emperor about Zhan Shou.
Tang Ke Xin remained behind, waiting anxiously for the outcome.
But she had not expected the Third Prince—who had just left—to return.
"Third Imperial Brother? Why have you come back?" Ye Lan Chen asked, startled.
"You. Out."
Ye Lan Jue's gaze swept over him, cold enough to make the air tremble.
"Third Imperial Brother…" Ye Lan Chen faltered.
"Do not make this king repeat himself."
The icy authority in his voice left no room for defiance.
Ye Lan Chen stiffened, glancing anxiously at Tang Ke Xin.
Would the Third Prince harm her?
"You may go," Tang Ke Xin said softly, giving him a reassuring look.
He hesitated, but obeyed.
The room fell silent.
Only she and Ye Lan Jue remained.
Tang Ke Xin lifted her gaze—and met eyes so dark, so dangerous, so suffocating that her breath caught.
He had dismissed Ye Lan Chen.
He had returned alone.
And he was looking at her as though he intended to strip away every secret she possessed.
A faint unease curled in her chest.
What… what was he planning to say?
Or do?