Chapter 61 Truly a Madman!

Chapter 61: He really is insane!

Jiang Shuning felt the same awkwardness as when she had been caught in her previous misstep.

She hurriedly explained, "I, your subject, was there to teach Princess Ronghua archery, not what Your Highness thinks!"

"Oh? Then what does Miss Jiang think I believe?" Xiao Lingchuan raised a slender eyebrow, his expression half-smiling, half-mocking.

Though it should have been a teasing look, his peach blossom eyes glinted with a cold, piercing light that made one afraid to look directly at him.

Jiang Shuning took a deep breath. "Your subject knows Your Highness does not wish for me to have contact with the Fifth Prince, but we merely happened to meet at Fulu Palace. There is truly nothing between us."

"Are you certain?" Xiao Lingchuan's gaze burned into her, the corner of his mouth curling into a mocking arc. "He fed you almond cakes—can that really be considered nothing?"

At these words, Jiang Shuning's cheeks flushed crimson, as if dyed by the evening glow.

How did he know?

Seeing her flustered and embarrassed expression, Xiao Lingchuan's expression grew even darker. A jealous fire seared his chest, igniting a fierce, oppressive aura around him.

"Jiang Shuning, don't take me for a fool! In this imperial palace, nothing can escape my notice!"

Xiao Lingchuan's furious demeanor made Jiang Shuning's heart turn cold. She instinctively clenched her sleeves, forcing herself to calm down.

Not only did he know she had met the Fifth Prince at Fulu Palace, but he was even aware of such trivial details.

This man was truly terrifying!

Since he already knew she was also reborn, he would never allow her to have any involvement with other princes.

She had knowingly crossed his bottom line.

If she truly became an obstacle on his path to the throne, he would undoubtedly dispose of her without hesitation!

At this thought, Jiang Shuning couldn't help but shudder, a cold sweat breaking out over her body.

She put on a brave face and said, "Your Highness misunderstands. The Fifth Prince did indeed offer the almond cakes to your subject, but at the time, I was hungry and focused only on filling my stomach. That's why I took a bite and didn't immediately realize how inappropriate the gesture was..."

Even she found this explanation feeble, but she had no other choice—she had to stall for now.

Xiao Lingchuan's lips curled into a mocking smile, his tone icy and piercing. "You knew full well that the Fifth Prince had taken a liking to you, and you knew exactly what consequences any entanglement with him would bring. Yet you still clung to a foolish hope, attempting to flirt and scheme with him right under my nose! Jiang Shuning, all your cleverness is used against me!"

He spoke each word through gritted teeth.

If Jiang Shuning hadn't been married to him for ten years in her past life, she might have almost believed he was deeply in love with her.

Shortly after marrying him in her past life, his aloofness and indifference made her realize she could never win his love in this lifetime.

She had once proposed a divorce, only to be silenced by his words: "There is no divorce—only widowhood."

He neither loved her nor was willing to let her go. Later, she gradually understood that this stemmed from his nearly pathological possessiveness.

He enjoyed controlling everything, including her.

Seeing Jiang Shuning remain silent, Xiao Lingchuan suddenly stepped closer. His deep peach blossom eyes were as cold and unfathomable as a frozen pond, pinned intently on her. "Jiang Shuning, I'll say it once more: I absolutely forbid you from having any involvement with any prince, especially Xiao Huaijin! If you dare to entangle yourself with him again... you know my methods."

Jiang Shuning's heart pounded like a drum, her palms cold and clammy with sweat.

Suppressing the fear in her heart, she quickly considered how to respond.

She had seen with her own eyes in her past life just how ruthless and cruel Xiao Lingchuan's methods could be. If he truly decided to kill her, she would have no chance of survival.

For now, the only option was to placate him and bide her time.

"The Fifth Prince... may indeed have some affection for your subject, but I have never entertained any improper thoughts. Today's incident was due to my lack of consideration. From now on, I will keep my distance from him and never repeat this mistake."

Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, presenting a pitiful, vulnerable appearance.

Seeing her so fragile and helpless, the raging fury in Xiao Lingchuan's chest subsided slightly.

He said coldly, "Standing here on the palace path, making a scene for so long—do you think the rumors about us aren't enough already? If you have something to say, we'll discuss it back at Jinghe Palace!"

Jiang Shuning initially wanted to refuse, but since Xiao Lingchuan had given her an out, refusing now would undoubtedly anger him again.

After a moment's thought, she had no choice but to silently follow him to Jinghe Palace.

Inside the warm chamber of Jinghe Palace, the two sat facing each other, the atmosphere momentarily tense and stagnant.

Xiao Lingchuan leisurely sipped his tea, saying nothing.

The black cat in his arms curled up comfortably, eyes closed, emitting a soft purring sound, appearing utterly content.

Jiang Shuning, however, felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles, extremely awkward. Yet she couldn't simply leave, so she forced herself to make conversation. "Your Highness, earlier I heard Imperial Consort Rong say that the cats in the palace are poisonous. Is that true?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingchuan gently stroked the black cat's head with his slender fingers and slowly replied, "It is indeed true."

He paused before continuing, "Over twenty years ago, after Nanyue was defeated in war, they sent the Nanyue Princess here for a marriage alliance. Along with her came over a dozen tribute women and numerous rare treasures, including a peculiar type of cat from Nanyue."

"The Nanyue cats had unusual appearances—sparse fur and short tails—but their temperaments were gentle, and the palace consorts all liked them. However, Nanyue had no genuine intention of maintaining peace with Daye. The Nanyue Princess and the tribute women were actually sent to assassinate His Majesty, and the cats they brought had been fed poison."

"On a night of the full moon, the poison in the Nanyue cats suddenly took effect and they bit many palace attendants. Their wounds festered, and no medicine could cure them. In the end, they all died in agony."

Jiang Shuning gasped, never imagining the Nanyue cats could be so terrifying.

No wonder the palace attendants had been so on edge upon seeing the black cat, eager to kill it immediately.

She instinctively hugged her arms tighter. "What happened afterward?"

"His Majesty was furious and ordered all Nanyue cats to be exterminated." Xiao Lingchuan's eyes turned cold, as if recounting an insignificant old tale. "But the imperial palace is vast, and some inevitably slipped through the net. Those cats hid and interbred with Daye cats. Their offspring still carried the poison and had violent temperaments. When Rong Hua was two years old, she witnessed a palace attendant whose face was bitten and torn apart by one of these hybrid cats, bleeding profusely. The sight terrified her so much she fell seriously ill."

Jiang Shuning's heart tightened, and she couldn't help asking, "Then... were all those cats completely eradicated?"

Xiao Lingchuan gave her a deep look, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile. "To eliminate the cats, His Majesty specifically raised a pack of hunting dogs in the palace to hunt them down. Over the years, cats in the palace have nearly vanished."

Jiang Shuning couldn't shake the feeling that what Xiao Lingchuan described wasn't just the fate of the Nanyue cats—it seemed more like the fate of those Nanyue women sent into the Daye imperial palace all those years ago.

Was his birth mother also one of those tribute women?

Was that why he had been neglected since childhood, ultimately growing into the deep, scheming, ruthless man he was now?

Noticing Xiao Lingchuan's gaze, she hurriedly averted her eyes, settling them on the black cat dozing comfortably in his arms. Without thinking, she blurted out, "Heibao definitely isn't a poisonous cat."

A grim smile crossed Xiao Lingchuan's face. "On the contrary, Heibao is precisely a descendant of a Nanyue cat and a Daye cat. Not only is its temperament fierce, but its teeth also carry poison. If bitten by it, death is certain!"

"What?" Jiang Shuning felt a chill run down her spine. "Your Highness, are you joking?"

Xiao Lingchuan looked at her coldly. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

"If Black Panther truly is poisonous... why would Your Highness keep it with you? Aren't you afraid of the danger?"

"I keep it close to deal with those who wish to harm me." Xiao Lingchuan's tone was as cold as ice. "They are the ones who should fear the danger."

Jiang Shuning believed it, all right—this was exactly the kind of thing a madman like Xiao Lingchuan would do!

Whether in her past life or this one, she had always felt close to this black cat, yet she had never imagined it carried such a lethal poison!

"Why did Your Highness tell me this?"

Jiang Shuning felt uneasy, unable to fathom what consequences might arise if others discovered Black Panther was poisonous!

Xiao Lingchuan slowly leaned closer to her, smiling meaningfully. "This way, we share a secret between us, heaven, and earth."

Jiang Shuning was speechless.

Xiao Lingchuan really was a complete madman!