The heavy stone in Qiying’s heart finally sank, for she had already secretly placed the poison on Jiang Yiyun’s person and had no worries left.
But just as she fantasized about rising to become a consort, an abrupt voice shattered her beautiful dream.
“Reporting to the emperor, no poisonous substance was found on the imperial consort.”
“What?” Jia Yinger found it impossible to believe.
At the same time, another voice rang out. “How is that possible?” Qiying was also utterly perplexed. She had clearly placed the poison on her person, and she had not noticed anything.
“Emperor, since there is nothing on your subject and consort, may we continue searching the others?”
“Very well. I shall grant your request. If nothing is found on anyone else, you will still be unable to escape suspicion.”
After saying this, he ordered the palace attendants to search everyone one by one. Everyone spread their arms wide, and no one dared lower them, in order to prove their innocence.
When they reached Gu Hanjue, the palace attendants simply passed over him. How could they dare touch him?
Seeing that Chu Yinheng made no response, Jiang Yiyun could only suppress the indignation in her heart.
Although none of these people were the culprit, some were still trembling with fear. Intrigue and deception were common in the imperial palace; who knew who might frame them?
A loud clatter rang out, drawing everyone’s attention.
A porcelain bottle fell from beneath Jia Yinger’s feet and rolled back and forth across the floor. For a moment, her mind went completely blank.
This porcelain bottle was clearly supposed to have been placed on Jiang Yiyun’s person by Qiying. How had it ended up on her?
And when had it gotten onto her person? She had not felt a thing.
A white porcelain bottle with a blue stopper, exactly matching Qiying’s description.
Everyone was shocked. Was this not precisely the bottle of arsenic?
Jia Yinger sucked in a sharp breath and nearly cried out. She had not expected the situation to change.
“This... this isn’t mine. How did it end up on my person?” Caught completely off guard, her lower lip trembled.
The stolen evidence had landed precisely on the instigator. Jiang Yiyun looked at her with a mocking smile.
Gu Hanjue raised his brow slightly and glanced at the empress, who stood aloof from the world. An unreadable emotion crossed his face. He merely felt that this game was becoming more and more interesting, and the corners of his lips slowly curled upward.
“What is this object? How was it found on your person, yet you claim it isn’t yours?”
“I... I...” Jia Yinger’s mind was blank, and her eyes were vacant.
Chu Yinheng was stunned as well. He stared at the beauty beside him in disbelief, his brows drawn tightly together.
There was no way he could believe that his beloved person would do such a thing.
When one person completely trusted another, no evidence could make them change their attitude.
If they did not trust them, then even if the evidence was insufficient, they would cling to their suspicions.
That was the difference between Jiang Yiyun and Jia Yinger in that person’s heart.
“Reporting to the emperor, this contains arsenic. It is precisely the poison that afflicted Consort Chun.” After examining it, the imperial physician confirmed that there was no mistake.
Jiang Yiyun’s nose tingled slightly, and she said hoarsely, “emperor, this is the evidence you wanted. Your subject and consort asks only for justice.”
“Emperor, your subject and consort has been wronged. Someone must be trying to harm me.” Jia Yinger was unwilling to accept this. Tears came readily to her eyes without any need for preparation.
Chu Yinheng was about to speak. He wanted to convey two things: first, to tell Jia Yinger not to panic; second, to tell her that he absolutely did not believe what lay before him.
But before those words could leave his mouth, Jiang Yiyun interrupted. “Imperial physician, does this bottle contain any other clues? Have you examined it thoroughly? Do not wrong an innocent person.” When she said “innocent person,” she deliberately stressed the words and looked at Jia Yinger mockingly.
The imperial physician examined the bottle inside and out, then smelled it. His expression changed, seeming both surprised and afraid.
Seeing that the imperial physician had discovered something unusual yet remained silent, the empress dowager hurriedly said, “What exactly did you discover? Speak quickly.”
“Reporting to the empress dowager, the bottle gives off a fragrance. It is... it is...”
He raised his eyes timidly and glanced at Jia Yinger and Chu Yinheng before saying, “It is the unique Nether Lily Fragrance of the noble consort’s palace.”
“What?” Chu Yinheng was greatly shocked and once again stared at the beauty beside him in disbelief.
“Impossible. How could this happen?” Jia Yinger was horrified. Another round of evidence had struck her hard.
The empress dowager’s brows grew inscrutable. She narrowed her eyes at the person crying out that she had been wronged. Although she watched her for a long time, she ultimately said nothing and silently pondered.
“Younger sister, you truly have impressive methods. You even joined forces with the people under this palace to respond internally and externally from within and without against me. When it comes to ruthlessness, this palace truly cannot compare with you.”
Everything was ready, and all that remained was to deliver Jia Yinger a fatal blow on this day. But unexpected variables always liked to emerge; the slightest intervention in the situation could turn everything around.
“The empress has truly displayed impressive methods. To bring down Noble Consort Li, you put on such a fine performance with your maidservant. Do you take this seat for a blind man?” Gu Hanjue’s clear voice rang through the palace hall. His expression was gentle, yet all that could be seen was chill, causing Jiang Yiyun to tremble.
“What do you mean by that?” Jiang Yiyun demanded harshly.
“Heh. Was this seat not clear enough?”
“Lord Gu, you actually have the leisure to meddle in affairs of the imperial harem. It seems your Eastern Depot is rather idle.”
“This seat is meddling today. So what? Even the former emperor never spoke to this seat in such a tone. You are merely an empress. What qualifications do you have to treat this seat with such an attitude?”
Gu Hanjue appeared humble and courteous on the outside and never lost his temper while speaking. Even when killing someone, he remained that refined.
Yet today, he was extraordinarily abnormal. His displeasure was revealed far too directly, and he had lost his usual elegance. In everyone’s eyes, it seemed he was doing this for Jia Yinger.
“Do not keep bringing up the former emperor. The new emperor has Ascended the Throne, and the Dynasty has already Changed. In this day and age, you neither serve the new emperor nor make plans for him. Do you still intend to rely on your past achievements to draw your official salary from the imperial court and continue acting with impunity?”
“This seat carries the former emperor’s instructions. This seat is still capable of directing the realm. Whether the previous dynasty or the imperial harem, all of it concerns the imperial fortune. It is only right that this seat purge the imperial harem for the emperor, lest evil and treachery run rampant through the Six Palaces.”
“What? After meddling in the previous dynasty, you now want to meddle in the imperial harem as well? Heh, have you even considered whether a mere eunuch like you has the ability?” Jiang Yiyun smiled sarcastically, her words filled with provocation and mockery.
She was clearly implying that Gu Hanjue coveted the beauties of the imperial harem and was suspected of colluding with Jia Yinger—but unfortunately, he was impotent.
“...” Coldness flickered in Gu Hanjue’s eyes, sending a chill through everyone present. His aura pressure was overwhelming.
“Insolent!” After a moment of silence, he bit out the two words viciously.
The opposition between the two had been laid bare. The miscarriage incident had already made the situation grave, and now it had brought further chaos.
This was a dangerous signal. Chu Yinheng saw it clearly. At first, he suddenly felt a trace of admiration for Jiang Yiyun. Because he did not want to acknowledge it, he firmly suppressed it.
Seeing the situation before him, he suddenly felt a desire to protect her. Moreover, he had long wanted to eliminate Gu Hanjue as quickly as possible, and Jiang Yiyun’s actions placed her in the same camp as him.
Before he could speak, the empress dowager broke the stalemate. “At present, uncovering the truth is what matters most.”
Jia Yinger had already thought of a countermeasure. She cast a meaningful glance at the maidservant Liuying beside her, and the performance began again.
“Empress dowager, it must have been the empress who wanted to harm our imperial consort. Qiying approached the imperial consort several times today and even helped pour the wine. She must have acted on the empress’s orders and secretly placed the poison on the imperial consort’s person.”
This mistress and servant duo had made a fine move by turning the tables and accusing the other party. Regardless of how things turned out between the two sides, Qiying was ultimately a scapegoat. Her whole body trembled, and she could only hate herself for being so foolish as to choose the wrong side.
“Come to think of it, Noble Consort Li has always been dutiful and followed the palace regulations. She certainly does not seem like someone who could do such a thing,” Gu Hanjue said leisurely.
Although Jia Yinger did not want to stand with him, she now had somewhat more confidence.
“Elder sister, was it truly you?”