I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

In a quiet secret room in the Prince's Mansion, the light was dim, with only a few candles flickering, casting mottled shadows on the wall, making the whole room filled with a depressing and mysterious atmosphere.

The walls of the secret room are made of thick stones, giving it a solid and inescapable feeling.

The interior was simply furnished, with nothing else except a long interrogation table and a few chairs placed in the center.

The Crown Prince and Chen Jue sat at the top with serious expressions. Behind them was a huge screen embroidered with majestic dragon patterns, highlighting the royal dignity and authority.

The prince was dressed in a dark brocade robe and a jade crown on his head. His eyes were deep and sharp, revealing an innate majesty and decisiveness. He sat upright on the chair, his posture was straight, his hands were naturally placed on the armrests of the chair, and his fingers were tapping lightly.

Chen Jue was dressed in a black official uniform with a golden belt around his waist, looking heroic. His eyes were full of anger and determination, staring at Wang Yuan who was kneeling below, as if he wanted to see through her.

Wang Yuan was wearing a plain dress, her hair was a little messy with a few strands falling on both sides of her cheeks. She was kneeling on the cold ground, her body trembling slightly.

"Wang Yuan, you and your cousin Wang Xia conspired to assassinate Chen Jue. Now that there is irrefutable evidence, why don't you confess the truth?"

The prince spoke first, his voice deep and majestic, echoing in the silent room.

The prince stared at Wang Yuan with a sharp gaze, trying to find a flaw in her expression and eyes.

Wang Yuan raised her head, glanced quickly at the prince, then quickly lowered her head, clenched her teeth, and refused to answer.

"Your Highness, as the Crown Prince's concubine, I have always been conscientious in fulfilling my duties. How could I have done such a treasonous act?"

Chen Jue sneered, "Wang Yuan, do you think you and Wang Xia did it perfectly? After more than half a year of secret investigation, we have already obtained sufficient evidence. We already know the correspondence between you and him, as well as the details of your assassination plan. It's no use for you to deny it now."

As Chen Jue spoke, he took out a stack of letters from his arms, stood up, walked to Wang Yuan, and threw the letters hard on the ground in front of her.

The letters were scattered all over the floor. Wang Yuan subconsciously glanced at them. Her face turned pale instantly and her body trembled slightly, as if these letters had hit her deeply.

"These letters may have been forged by you to frame me. Although I have had some contact with my cousin, they are all just family matters and there is absolutely no plot to assassinate me."

Wang Yuan pretended to remain calm, her voice raised a little, and she didn't dare to look at the letters anymore, but turned away.

The prince frowned. He knew very well that Wang Yuan would not confess easily, so he had to find a way to make her speak.

"Wang Yuan, you must know that assassinating an important official of the imperial court is a serious crime. Not only will you be severely punished, but your family will also be implicated. If you confess now, perhaps I can give you a lighter sentence."

The prince tried to impress Wang Yuan with the safety of his family. His voice softened a little, but still full of majesty. The prince stared at Wang Yuan closely, observing every subtle change in her expression.

Wang Yuan's body trembled slightly. "Your Highness, I am really innocent. I have never seen this evidence, and I don't know where it came from."

Chen Jue looked at Wang Yuan's stubbornness, feeling a little angry, and winked at the attendant beside him. The attendant understood and quickly brought in someone.

This person was Wang Yuan's trusted maid Xiao Cui. When Xiao Cui came in, she was so frightened that her face turned pale, her legs became weak, and she knelt on the ground, shaking all over.

"Your Highness, please spare me. Lord Chen, please spare me." Xiao Cui cried, her voice trembling and full of fear.

"Xiao Cui, tell me everything you know. If you hide anything, I will not forgive you."

The prince said sternly, his eyes turning to Xiao Cui, revealing a sense of majesty and oppression.

Xiao Cui glanced at Wang Yuan, her eyes full of fear and hesitation. Wang Yuan glared at Xiao Cui fiercely, "Xiao Cui, if you dare to say anything nonsense, I will not forgive you!"

Wang Yuan's voice was full of threats and her eyes revealed a fierce light, trying to stop Xiao Cui from telling the truth.

Xiao Cui lowered her head in fear and dared not speak. Seeing this, the prince said, "Xiao Cui, if you tell the truth, I can save your life and give you a reward. But if you protect Wang Yuan, you and your family will be implicated."

There was a hint of temptation and threat in the prince's voice. He tried to impress Xiao Cui with benefits and fear.

Xiao Cui was moved when she heard the prince's words. She knew she had no way out, so she mustered up her courage and said, "Your Highness, Lord Chen, actually...actually, Madam and Master Wang Xia did have a conspiracy. I once heard them discussing how to assassinate Lord Chen in the room, and they also said that they would get a lot of benefits after the success. Madam also asked me to pass on some information to them, and I...I was forced to do it."

After Xiao Cui finished speaking, she kowtowed continuously, tears streaming down her face, and her body trembled with fear.

After hearing Xiao Cui's words, Wang Yuan's face turned extremely ugly, and her eyes were full of anger and despair.

"Xiao Cui, you are talking nonsense!"

The prince looked at Wang Yuan and said, "Wang Yuan, even your trusted maid has pointed out you, do you still want to quibble?"

Wang Yuan slumped on the ground. "Your Highness, even if I had such thoughts, it was because I was bewitched by Wang Xia. What can I, a weak woman, do?"

Chen Jue sneered, "Wang Yuan, you still want to shirk responsibility. You and Wang Xia are accomplices, and neither of you can escape the blame. Do you think you can get away with it by pushing the responsibility onto others?"

The prince stood up and walked to Wang Yuan. "Wang Yuan, I will give you one last chance. Tell me the detailed plan of the assassination and the mastermind behind you. I may consider giving you a lighter punishment. Otherwise, you will be severely punished by the law of the country."

The prince's voice was cold and decisive. He was already impatient with Wang Yuan's stubbornness. He stared at Wang Yuan closely, waiting for her answer.

Wang Yuan lowered her head and remained silent for a long time. She knew she had no choice.

"Your Highness, I...I will confess."

Under the threat of the prince's family's safety and Xiao Cui's identification, Wang Yuan finally confessed the plan to assassinate Chen Jue.

It turns out that Wang Xia has always been jealous of Chen Jue's position and influence in the court, and believes that he is blocking his way to more power and benefits. Wang Yuan also resents Chen Jue because Chen Jue blamed her cousin Wang Cheng and because of Chen Jue's relationship with Chen Jia.

So, the two of them hit it off and decided to plan the assassination of Chen Jue.

They first secretly contacted some underworld killers, who were known for their martial arts and secretive behavior, but most of them would do anything for money. Wang Xia met with the killer leader in a remote tavern through an intermediary.

The pub was dimly lit and filled with the smell of stale alcohol. Wang Xia, wearing a hood that covered most of his face, was discussing in a low voice with the assassin leader at a table in the corner. He promised to give a generous reward after the task was completed, and paid a portion of the deposit in advance.

Then, they began to closely monitor Chen Jue's whereabouts. Wang Yuan used her connections in the palace to find out Chen Jue's daily schedule and travel routes. She often chatted with the eunuchs and maids in the palace on the pretext of caring about the prince's affairs, obtained information about Chen Jue, and then passed it on to Wang Xia.

After a period of observation, they found that Chen Jue would go to a temple outside the city to pray on a fixed day every month. The temple was located in the mountains, with rugged roads and dense forests around it, which was a good place to attack. So they decided to set an ambush on Chen Jue's way to the temple.

On the day of the assassination, Wang Xia led the assassins to hide at a bend in the mountain road in advance. They prepared strong crossbows and sharp blades, planning to shoot Chen Jue's guards with crossbows first, and then rush out to fight Chen Jue in close combat. Wang Yuan was anxiously waiting for news in the palace. On the one hand, she hoped that the assassination would be successful, but on the other hand, she was worried that the matter would be exposed.

When Chen Jue's convoy passed the bend, the assassins launched the attack as planned. Crossbow arrows rained down on the convoy, and Chen Jue's guards were hit one after another. However, Chen Jue's guards were well-trained and quickly organized a counterattack.

A fierce battle began, with swords flashing in the mountains and forests. Fortunately, Chen Jue's guards fought to protect him, and Chen Jue himself had some martial arts skills, so they finally managed to repel the assassin, but Chen Jue was also injured in the assassination.

After the assassination failed, Wang Xia and Wang Yuan were very panicked and quickly destroyed the relevant evidence and communication records in an attempt to cover up their crimes. However, they did not expect that Chen Jue and the prince had not given up the investigation. After more than half a year of efforts, they finally exposed their crimes.

After the interrogation, Wang Yuan was taken away by the guards, and a severe trial was waiting for her.