18: Interrogation
Moonlight cascaded like water, spilling over the courtyard railings.
Qiao Shilian looked down at the red handprint on Fang Yaoyao’s face, a feeling of satisfaction washing over her, carried by the cool breeze.
Those almond-shaped eyes brimmed with tears, widening in shock upon recognizing the newcomer. Fang Yaoyao slumped on the ground, staring fixedly at Qiao Shilian, mumbling softly, “You…”
Before she could finish, Qiao Shilian raised her hand and delivered another slap. “How could I possibly be here, right?”
Betrayal from a past life, two instances of slander and false accusations—these two slaps are what Fang Yaoyao deserves.
Qin Shuo turned at the sound, staring in disbelief at the returned Qiao Shilian. Seeing her hair disheveled, clothes in tatters, and stained with blood, he called out with a trembling voice, “Shilian…?”
But he didn’t dare step closer.
Qiao Shilian naturally caught Qin Shuo’s reaction from the corner of her eye. She turned her head slightly, revealing the dried, crisscrossing bloodstains on her face, marring that flawless jade-like countenance. It appeared fractured, terrifying.
Seeing this, Qin Shuo stopped completely in his tracks, a flash of horror and a trace of disgust in his eyes.
Qiao Shilian took in every subtle change.
Heh. She inwardly sneered. She could have returned to her room, washed up, and then appeared, but she felt it unnecessary. With the rumors raging in the hunting grounds, she had already lost those so-called reputations of being dignified and proper. Why bother pretending for the sake of the world’s gaze?
Fang Yaoyao, having regained her composure, was furious. She had been slapped twice by Qiao Shilian!
But with Qin Shuo present, she pouted, tears pattering down, and spoke in a pitiful voice, “Sister Qiao… you… you were caught after failing to elope, why are you taking your anger out on me?”
It was evening, just after dinner in the lodge, and people were gradually returning to their rooms. The place where Qiao Shilian stood happened to be a thoroughfare. With such a commotion, quite a few people were already stealing glances from a distance, though, out of deference to the Crown Prince, they didn’t dare to openly crowd closer.
Seeing through Fang Yaoyao’s act, Qiao Shilian retorted, “Failed elopement? Evidence?”
Before Fang Yaoyao could respond, Qin Shuo stepped forward. “Enough.”
Qin Shuo held a long, soft object and threw it at Qiao Shilian’s feet, his voice tinged with anger. “This was picked up by a group of ladies from the path where you and that man fled. Shilian, what more evidence do you want?”
Qiao Shilian lowered her gaze. It was Zhou Shu’s diexie belt, the one she used when disguised as a man. It must have fallen off during the jostling on horseback, dropped on the ground and picked up by Fang Yaoyao.
Qin Shuo’s reaction was not unexpected to Qiao Shilian. In her past life, he had already abandoned her for the sake of his imperial power and interests, indirectly causing her death. Now, with rumors rampant and evidence seemingly conclusive, why would he believe her?
His anger wasn’t because she refused to admit to eloping. It was because she, as the flawless candidate for Crown Princess in his mind, had developed a flaw he couldn’t accept.
She had always been merely Qin Shuo’s capital for showing off, for displaying his ‘deep affection’ to the world.
The crowd gradually gathered. Soon, Qiao Shilian saw various officials standing behind her, their whispered discussions reaching her ears.
“Isn’t this… the second Miss Qiao?”
“Was she found by the Eastern Palace? But her appearance… doesn’t look like someone who eloped…”
“Didn’t they say she fabricated the assassination attempt? Perhaps she intentionally made herself look so wounded…”
…
Qiao Shilian listened, watching coldly. She addressed Qin Shuo, “Does Your Highness not want to know how I returned? Didn’t Your Highness already withdraw the guards searching for me?”
Qin Shuo, having been exposed, struggled to maintain face. The gathered crowd had assumed the Eastern Palace’s deep affection for Qiao Shilian, that losing her was like losing the Crown Prince’s own life, prompting a frantic search throughout the hunting grounds.
Little did they know, the Eastern Palace had long withdrawn its guards.
How laughable.
A vein pulsed at Qin Shuo’s temple. He asked her in a low voice, “Shilian… you eloped from the hunting grounds with another man. I chose not to pursue it and let you go. How can you now question me?”
Seeing his hypocritical demeanor, Qiao Shilian felt nauseated. Suppressing her discomfort, she asked, “How capable do you think I, Qiao Shilian, am to actually arrange for assassins within this heavily guarded hunting grounds? Doesn’t Your Highness find that strange?”
Hearing this, Qin Shuo’s gaze turned icy. He summoned a palace attendant who presented a paper with black characters, the signature at the bottom clearly reading ‘Qiao Shilian’. “This is the contract proving you hired the assassins. Even now, you still refuse to admit it?”
Qiao Shilian glanced at Fang Yaoyao, who was watching the scene unfold with leisure. So, this was the backup plan. She and Fang Yaoyao had been close for years. For Fang Yaoyao to obtain samples of her handwriting for forgery was effortless.
Now, it seemed the evidence was conclusive—from the eloping ‘man’ to hiring assassins—all set to cement the story of her failed elopement!
“Your Highness, this official has a report.”
Lu Sheng stepped forward. “Today, around dusk, at the southern cliff of Mount Jiunu, this official witnessed assassins attempting to kill Miss Qiao. Fortunately, I arrived in time, and Miss Qiao escaped harm. Moreover, Miss Qiao’s injuries are extremely severe, all sustained while fleeing pursuit, and are certainly not fabricated. Therefore, this official believes the assassins likely forged this contract to shift the blame onto her.”
Lu Sheng clenched his fist, held respectfully before him. He had promised Su Zhuoguang to protect Qiao Shilian. The current evidence was all pointing at her, putting her in an extremely unfavorable position. He could only hope his explanation would soften the Crown Prince’s heart a little and turn the situation around.
Qin Shuo looked at Lu Sheng. “I ask you, when you found Shilian… was anyone else with her?”
“In reply to Your Highness, there was no man with Miss Qiao.”
There was only a woman with her.
Lu Sheng silently withheld that part, thinking it didn’t count as deceiving the emperor.
Fang Yaoyao exclaimed in surprise, “Could it be that man abandoned Sister Qiao and left? But we saw it with our own eyes…”
Qiao Shilian coldly cut her off. “Fang Yaoyao, if one day you encounter danger and are rescued by a kind soul to escape, could I also loudly proclaim that you eloped with another man?”
Fang Yaoyao’s willow-leaf eyebrows shot up. “Sister Qiao, with both witnesses and material evidence present… how can you still fling mud at me?”
A flicker of uncertainty passed through Qin Shuo’s eyes. “Shilian, who is that man?”
Qiao Shilian pressed her lips together and remained silent.
She would not expose Zhou Shu, even if it meant enduring all kinds of suspicion from those present.
Qin Shuo stepped right in front of Qiao Shilian. “I just want to know who that man is. If you truly weren’t eloping with him, I can summon him for a simple question, and it will be clear.”
Qiao Shilian looked steadily at Qin Shuo, watching as he gave a self-mocking smile.
“Or… is that man more important than your innocence?”
Ji Chen’s voice came from behind: “Your Highness, if I may be so bold. Miss Qiao’s unwillingness to speak may be due to other hidden reasons. Consider this: if a person unconnected to the court rescued Miss Qiao, Miss Qiao should be grateful. Yet now, revealing that person’s identity could disrupt their peaceful life, which is akin to betraying their kindness.”
Qin Shuo closed his eyes, trying to calm his emotions. After Lu Sheng defended Qiao Shilian, it wasn’t that he didn’t trust her. It was that amidst such a storm, she was unwilling to name the man to protect him. He admitted it; he felt jealous and resentful.
Once suspicion took root, it was hard to contain. Even if Qiao Shilian truly had no other relationship with the man, as Ji Chen suggested, her protecting him in this way was intolerable to Qin Shuo.
How could her heart have room for another man?
Opening his eyes, Qin Shuo met Qiao Shilian’s unwavering, unyielding gaze. The jealous fire in his heart grew even harder to suppress. He pressed her coldly, “Shilian, answer me! Who is that person?”
Qiao Shilian stared back stubbornly, silent.
Qin Shuo’s patience was exhausted. A flash of ruthlessness appeared in his eyes. “You won’t say? Fine. Then I cannot protect you either. Hiring assassins to enter the hunting grounds and challenge imperial authority is a grave crime. If you wish to spend time in prison, I’ll grant your wish!”
He was determined to force Qiao Shilian to reveal that person.
“If Your Highness insists on this, I have nothing more to say.”
Qiao Shilian knew the contract with her forged handwriting was ironclad evidence. Convicting her would be all too simple. Unless Qin Shuo suppressed this evidence and cleared her name with the claim of forgery, no one could save her.
How ironic. In both lives, the one who ultimately buries her was Qin Shuo.
“The one who saved her and rode out of the hunting grounds with her is me.”
In a moment of profound silence, a voice, tough as brambles, pierced through, shaking off a piece of the night.
The crowd parted, revealing Zhou Shu’s tall, straight figure approaching step by step. She still wore the men’s attire from today’s hunt, the clothes bearing numerous slashes from blades. She had hastily put them on after waking in her room.
Qiao Shilian was stunned. “Ah Shu? When did you…?”
Before she could finish the words ‘wake up,’ Zhou Shu was already standing by her side.
Zhou Shu first gave her a reassuring look, then turned and bowed properly to Qin Shuo. “I heard Your Highness the Crown Prince is investigating Shilian’s incident in the hunting grounds today. Since I was also involved, I believe Your Highness questioning me as well would help clarify the matter.”
“Zhou… Zhou Shu? How…” Fang Yaoyao was already rendered speechless by this reversal.
From among the onlookers, Wang Lingxi finally let go of her mother’s hand and walked calmly before Qin Shuo. “This lowly girl also has words to report. The person we saw behind Miss Qiao in the woods today did indeed look just like Miss Zhou here—the clothing, the build, they were very similar.”
Earlier, when Qiao Shiqing had come asking about his sister’s whereabouts, Wang Lingxi had intended to tell him but was cut off by Fang Yaoyao. While she had seen two people on the horse, she wasn’t certain the other person was a man. Even though the clothing looked like men’s attire at a glance, based on the person’s build, the always meticulous Wang Lingxi found it hard to judge their gender.
When the rumors spiraled out of control, Wang Lingxi had wanted to tell the Crown Prince her doubts but was repeatedly stopped by her mother, who told her not to get involved in Eastern Palace affairs.
Given the current situation, as one of the eyewitnesses, she could not rest easy if she didn’t speak the truth of what she saw.
But Fang Yaoyao, having regained her composure, sharply refuted her. “We saw it together. The horse was extremely fast. How could you see so clearly?”
At this, Qiao Shilian let out a light laugh. “According to what you said, the horse was extremely fast. Yet, regarding the person behind me, you seemed to know perfectly well whether they were a man or a woman, and you were so certain?”
Her words made those present reconsider.
Wasn’t the rumor that ruined her reputation precisely about Qiao Shilian eloping from the hunting grounds with a man? If this ‘man’ was actually Zhou Shu disguised as a man, then the rumor was groundless. On the contrary, Fang Yaoyao, who started the rumor, now appeared suspect of deliberately framing Qiao Shilian.
Seeing the crowd subtly shifting towards Qiao Shilian, Fang Yaoyao panicked and tried to defend herself. “I only said what I saw… I never thought…”
But before she could finish, another voice, clear and cold as frost, cut through, shifting the situation once more.
**