I Became the Eye Candy: Four Bigshots Claimed to be My Dad?-Chapter 46: The Thief Cries Thief
"Seal off the rear courtyard. No one is to enter or exit. My father’s health is the top priority right now." After giving the order, Prince Helian turned to Xiang Minghou. "General Xiang, I will trust you for now. However, until my father awakens, you are the prime suspect. Please cooperate with the Prince Mansion’s investigation."
"You needn’t worry, Prince Helian," Xiang Minghou said coldly. "Even if the Helian Royal Mansion doesn’t investigate, I intend to find out exactly which reckless soul dared to frame me."
The Imperial Physician was administering acupuncture to the old Prince. The old Prince’s face was pale and his lips were black—clear signs of poisoning. The Imperial Physician inserted several needles, but there was no improvement. In fact, the old Prince’s hands were gradually turning a dark purple.
After a moment, the Imperial Physician rose, his expression grim. "Your Highness, the poison afflicting the old Prince is exceedingly strange. I have never seen anything like it and cannot formulate an antidote on such short notice. Moreover, this poison spreads with incredible speed. It will pervade his entire body in the time it takes an incense stick to burn. By then, not even the gods themselves could save him."
Prince Helian considered this for a moment. "Go! Bring the best Antidote Pills and the finest Imperial Physicians from the palace!"
"Yes, yes, right away!" The steward scrambled out of the room.
"My husband!" The old Princess Consort, having regained her senses, rushed into the room.
"Mother, Father will surely pull through," Prince Helian said, helping her to her feet.
The old Princess Consort let out a choked sob. Spotting Xiang Minghou in the room, she lunged at him like a madwoman. "My husband thought so highly of you! How could you do this? How dare you! Guards, seize him!"
"Mother, the matter still needs to be investigated," Prince Helian said.
"What is there to investigate? Your father only met with General Xiang today. Who else could it be?" The old Princess Consort was convinced Xiang Minghou was the culprit.
Ye Qianning heard the old Princess Consort’s words before she even stepped through the door, and her brows knitted tightly. ’Just spouting accusations without a shred of proof? How brilliant!’
"Dad."
Ye Qianning called out as she pushed through the crowd and entered the room, trotting over to Xiang Minghou.
The moment he saw the little girl, a flicker of panic crossed Xiang Minghou’s calm face. ’What is she doing here?’ He bent down and picked her up. "Why have you come?"
"To see who framed Daddy, of course," Ye Qianning said with a smile.
Xiang Minghou was taken aback.
"Framed? What nonsense! He’s the poisoner! Why hasn’t anyone arrested him yet?" the old Princess Consort shrieked.
Ye Qianning couldn’t help but chuckle. "Dad, don’t tell me this old woman actually saw you administer the poison with her own two eyes?"
"Of course not," said Xiang Minghou.
"Then why is she so certain it was you?"
"Because I was the only one in the study with the old Prince at the time." Xiang Minghou still couldn’t make sense of it himself.
"I don’t think so. Dad, have you ever heard the saying about a thief crying ’stop thief’?" When Ye Qianning had first heard about the incident, she hadn’t rushed to the scene. Instead, she had gathered testimony from a few small animals.
’And they were very important testimonies, of course. The implications seemed to be quite significant.’
At these words, everyone in the room froze, their minds racing.
The old Princess Consort’s face grew stern. "A mere brat dares to spout such nonsense here."
’A thief crying stop thief?’
Xiang Minghou mulled this over and realized something was indeed strange. He said in a cold voice, "I’m starting to think my daughter is right. The old Prince and I did have a disagreement just now. But as soon as he suddenly felt unwell, your men rushed in and surrounded me. Wasn’t that a little too fast?"
