*Palace*
By the time Chan Zian returned, the atmosphere in the crown prince's quarters became horribly unbearable. Right from the entrance, he could tell from the perturbed expressions on the guard's faces, that there was lurking trouble.
"You dared to step out without my permission, are you courting death?" The crown prince asked, pointing the sharp tip of his dagger to the other man's neck.
"Just where did you run off to with Treasury director Ming?" He pressed the cold blade against the side of his neck, whilst his free hand pulled his hair back.
Chan Zian felt his chest tighten, and wondered how the crown prince could easily make out the person of Ming Baozhai.
"Answer me!" His grip on Chan Zian's hair tightened, his impatient eyes were an indicator that he was not in a right frame of mind.
Just as Chan Zian was about to answer, the doors to the prince's hall bursted open, a messenger he sent to monitor the consort's activities flooded into the room.