“Ugh…” Xie Ruizhi covered her nose, staring in shock at the indescribable thick liquid under Xu Zian’s legs, almost vomiting in disgust.

Xu Zian had actually shat himself!

In an instant, the people standing around him, including Xie Ruizhi, took several steps back.

She never imagined that the always elegant and refined Fourth Young Master Xu would publicly soil himself!

Her eyes widened, filled with disbelief and a sense of shattered dreams.

Thinking that a moment ago, Xu Zian had lunged at her, Xie Ruizhi even felt as if her clothes were stained with that disgusting excrement.

Xu Zian was also dumbfounded. He didn't know why he suddenly had diarrhea, and in front of everyone, those unbearable秽物 (hui wu – filth) flowed out of his crotch without warning.

For a moment, he was extremely embarrassed and on the verge of madness.

After a moment of stunned silence, he suddenly came back to his senses and glared resentfully at Xie Jin Yan on the throne, both terrified and angry. "You…you set me up. That bowl of medicine just now, it was that bowl of medicine, wasn’t it! You set me up! You set me up!"

Perhaps seeing that Xie Ruizhi had arrived, Xu Zian felt he had a backer and immediately became fierce, roaring at Xie Jin Yan at the top of his lungs.

Hearing this, Xie Ruizhi was even more confused.

Earlier, she had been very puzzled when she heard that Fourth Young Master Xu had been summoned by her imperial brother. She thought her imperial brother was calling Xu Zian to test him, but when she arrived at the East Palace, she saw a disfigured Xu Zian covered in injuries.

Before she could react, she was almost knocked unconscious by Xu Zian's incontinence.

And now, Fourth Young Master Xu was saying that his…shitting himself was a plot by her imperial brother.

Xie Ruizhi was filled with questions. Suppressing her shock, she forced herself to glance at Xu Zian, then looked at her imperial brother on the throne with a look of horror, stammering, "Imperial brother, what…what exactly is going on?"

"That's right, Your Highness the Crown Prince, why did you hurt my brother like this for no reason!" At this moment, Xu Fengxia, who was standing to the side, also came back to her senses. She was frightened by the scene, but relying on Xie Ruizhi's presence, she calmed down a lot.

Seeing her brother being tortured like that, she was even more furious.

After examining her brother Xu Zian with suspicion and horror, her gaze swept over Yu Qingwu beside Xie Jin Yan.

Soon, as if she had thought of something, she snorted coldly, "This humble woman understands. Your Highness must have been instigated by that妖女 (yao nü – enchantress). My brother is a legitimate son of the Marquis's mansion. Your Highness has tormented him like this for no reason."

"If we don't get an explanation today, our Xuanping Marquis's mansion will not let this go!" Xu Fengxia said with a face full of anger, as if she was about to file a lawsuit against the emperor.

With a crisp "啪 (pa)" sound, before she could finish her words, Feng Yuan suddenly slapped her.

Men were naturally stronger, and Feng Yuan had used all his strength.

Xu Fengxia was knocked to the ground by the slap, her mouth bleeding and her left cheek instantly swelling like a pig's head.

Burning pain, accompanied by tinnitus, Xu Fengxia was immediately dumbfounded. She covered her face, staring at Feng Yuan in disbelief, and opened her mouth to curse.

However, as soon as she opened her mouth, Feng Yuan slapped her again.

"Lowly thing who defies her superiors, what are you? How dare you question His Highness the Crown Prince!" Feng Yuan's face was cold and stern, his fierce and stern expression completely different from his usual cautious demeanor in front of Xie Jin Yan.

Seeing the ruthlessness in his eyes, Yu Qingwu was startled, let alone Xu Fengxia.

Xu Fengxia originally thought that with Xie Ruizhi present, no one would dare to touch her. She was still thinking about making the Crown Prince apologize and taking the opportunity to get some good things, but unexpectedly, she was slapped twice as soon as she entered the door.

She cowered on the ground, covering her face in horror, no longer daring to speak, only looking at Xie Ruizhi for help.

Xie Ruizhi was still immersed in disgust, horror, and confusion. Seeing Xu Fengxia looking at her, she finally came back to her senses and asked Xie Jin Yan with some anger and confusion, "Imperial brother, what exactly is going on? Why do you treat Fourth Young Master Xu like this?"

"You ask me why I'm treating Xu Zian like this? Then why don't you ask what Xu Zian did to your imperial sister-in-law?" Xie Jin Yan was already angry, and seeing that Xie Ruizhi still had the intention of protecting Xu Zian at this moment, his anger surged up.

He gritted his teeth, glaring fiercely at the Xu Zian siblings on the ground, and said word by word, "Xu Zian and his sister colluded with Consort Qiu Kui of the First Prince, intending to ruin the Crown Princess's reputation. Defying superiors, defiling the harem, 私相授受 (si xiang shou shou – illicit relations), multiple crimes punished together…"

"Younger sister, tell me…according to the laws of our Great Wei, what crime should they be convicted of?"

Xie Jin Yan put one hand on Yu Qingwu's shoulder and tapped the table in front of him lightly with the other. His eyes stared coldly at Xie Ruizhi, his eyes filled with unprecedented coldness and阴鸷 (yin zhi – sinister), and he used an unprecedentedly distant form of address.

And Xie Ruizhi, probably having never seen such a Xie Jin Yan, and shocked by the actions of the Xu Zian siblings, was stunned for a long time before looking at Xu Zian in disbelief and trembling, "Fourth Young Master Xu, did you really do that thing…"

"Sixth Princess, I'm innocent…"

"What? Are you saying I'm framing you?" Xu Zian had just opened his mouth when Xie Jin Yan interrupted him gloomily, then ordered Feng Yuan, "Take him down to change his clothes. What kind of thing is he, to lose control of his bowels after only a few tortures…"

In other words, Xu Zian was as timid as a mouse. He had done something bad and was frightened out of his wits by the torture, so much so that he shat himself.

This kind of Xu Zian no longer had the appearance of a gentle and润 (run – refined) young master, and was not even as good as a beggar on the street.

Sure enough, hearing her brother's words, Xie Ruizhi's eyes changed when she looked at Xu Zian. Vaguely, she no longer had her initial admiration, and even had a bit of disgust.

Naturally, she was disgusted. In the future, whenever she mentioned Xu Zian, Xie Ruizhi would probably think of the smell of feces in the room and his disgusting appearance of being disheveled and acting like a madman.

This was what was meant by a white moonlight turning into a cesspit.

In that instant, Xie Ruizhi felt that Xu Zian was no longer good-looking, nor did he have any ethereal air.

Looking at Xu Zian being taken away with complicated feelings, and seeing the palace servants cleaning the palace, she vaguely felt that there was still a disgusting stench in the air.

A moment later, Xu Zian was brought out again.

Although he had changed into clean clothes, had his hair tied up again, and had even bandaged his wounds, his previous appearance had been deeply imprinted in Xie Ruizhi's mind.

She didn't even want to see him anymore, but remembering Xu Zian's past kindness in saving her, Xie Ruizhi still questioned Xie Jin Yan, "Imperial brother, you keep saying that Fourth Young Master Xu colluded with Qiu Kui to harm imperial sister-in-law, but is there any evidence?"

"Ruizhi, when has your imperial brother ever judged a case without evidence?" Xie Jin Yan snorted and waved his hand at Feng Yuan, saying, "Bring them up."