The news of the Emperor's late-night visit to the Princess's mansion spread throughout the capital city. For a while, rumors of the Princess's mansion being attacked by poison spread like wildfire, and everyone speculated on how the clever Ninth Princess would resolve this.

The beloved consort of the Ninth Princess, Chu Cefu, had passed away, leaving her heartbroken for several days.

To cheer up the Princess, her brother took her to the hunting grounds for a change of scenery. Before they set off, the brother suggested bringing me along, and as the Ninth Princess was fond of her brother at that moment, she naturally did not refuse.

At the hunting grounds, many people heard about the strange incidents at the Princess's mansion. The Princess, who was usually surrounded by people, now only had her brother by her side, causing everyone to keep their distance.

The Ninth Princess's expression was extremely unpleasant, and she sneered, "A group of sycophants seeking power and influence. I knew it, here, only power and influence are the best things."

"Princess, you are noble and esteemed, why bother getting angry with these people?" her brother gently comforted her, and the Ninth Princess's expression softened slightly.

It was said that during the time when the Ninth Princess had not yet gained the Emperor's favor, her attitude towards palace maids and eunuchs was extremely good. She naively spoke of "equality for all." However, after receiving the Emperor's favor, casually killing servants became one of her pleasures.

A woman whose eyes had been blinded by power and status, casting aside her original beliefs, or rather, harboring evil intentions deep down.

How could such a person possibly be the auspicious reincarnation spoken of by the Imperial Tutor?

I stood in a deserted corner, my gaze falling on the Ninth Princess and her brother not far away. At that moment, Chen Niannian appeared by my side.

"You two siblings are more anxious than the other, the Emperor is already investigating the matter at the Princess's mansion. If she finds out about you, it won't end well for you," she warned.

I smiled, "That's why we need the Seventh Prince's help. In exchange, I can tell you a piece of information. In half a month, there will be a sudden flood in the south, followed shortly by an epidemic spreading among the refugees. Hopefully, the Ninth Princess won't steal this credit from you."

Upon hearing my words, Chen Niannian looked surprised but didn't say much.

A terrified scream shattered the calm, and looking up, I saw a red-maned horse in the distance neighing uncontrollably, with Chen Qingqing on its back.

She was frightened by the sudden outburst of the red-maned horse, screaming repeatedly, unaware that her actions were only agitating the horse further. As expected, she was jolted to the point of almost losing hold of the reins.

"Ah! Help!"

With a cry, Chen Qingqing was thrown off, and a familiar figure swiftly leaped up, catching the falling Ninth Princess heavily on the grass.

With the Princess in trouble, everyone was terrified. Soon, the two unconscious figures were carried back to the Princess's mansion.

Physicians came and went at the Princess's mansion, while the Emperor sat with a stern expression on his face. He couldn't believe that someone would plot against the royal heir within the Imperial City.

"Investigate! I refuse to believe that the horse would lose control for no reason. Someone must be trying to harm my Ninth Princess!"

The guards below fell silent, quickly going to investigate.

At that moment, an old eunuch by the Emperor's side spoke up hesitantly, "Your Majesty, with all these unfortunate incidents happening to the Princess, should we seek the Imperial Tutor's guidance?"

The Emperor's expression remained dark, pondering for a moment before nodding slightly, "Once we find out who is plotting against Qing'er, it won't be too late to seek his counsel."

With that said, the Emperor couldn't help but cough heavily, causing the old eunuch to panic and suggest calling for the court physician, but the Emperor stopped him, saying:

"It's fine, it's just my old ailment. Saving the Ninth Princess is the priority."

When the Seventh Princess passed this message to me, I couldn't help but smile. Brother sacrificed himself in this scheme, and no one could possibly suspect him. A consort who risked his life to save the Princess, who wouldn't say 'love runs deep' after witnessing that?