The moment Wen Shuyu spoke, everyone around could immediately understand what had happened.
It was Miss Yun who had pushed the Princess into the pond, out of jealousy that the Princess had been staying close to the Crown Prince.
“You!” Yun Wan-shuang was furious, practically grinding her teeth. “You framed me! And now you jump in yourself?!”
Fuling immediately spoke up in defense: “What nonsense is Miss Yun saying? It was clearly your doing—you pushed my lady into the pond!”
“My lady doesn’t know how to swim, and after using the blood talisman these past two days, her body is even weaker. If she fell in carelessly, she could have died. You’re saying that my lady risked her life just to frame you? You overestimate yourself!”
Meanwhile, Xiao Jingchen continued examining the scraped, bleeding ankle of Wen Shuyu. After stopping the bleeding with a talisman, he commanded the eunuchs behind him to fetch the imperial physician, without even glancing at Yun Wan-shuang and Fuling’s bickering.
The attendants around began whispering and pointing at Yun Wan-shuang.
Her nails drew small scratches on her palms as a few tears fell from the corners of her eyes. She looked at Xiao Jingchen and pleaded, “Your Highness, we grew up together in the Xian League. You know me—how could I ever push her? Please, Your Highness, see the truth.”
“But Wen Shuyu,” Yun continued, her voice trembling, “she is vicious and arrogant, known by all in the capital. Today she clearly intended to scheme against me… I’ve been wronged.”
Wen Shuyu, still weak in Xiao Jingchen’s arms, coughed softly, lips pale, and looked up. “Y-Yes… I planned it…”
“I predicted that you would leave in the middle of the event, that you would appear in the rear courtyard, that you would come to the lotus pond to meet me, and even that you would try to push me. I also calculated that I wouldn’t die if you pushed me into the water. It was all my plan… Are you satisfied now, Sister Wan-shuang?”
Her tears fell silently as she buried her face into Xiao Jingchen’s chest, shoulders trembling with uncontrollable sobs.
“My arm hurts too, is it bleeding… it hurts so much.”
“Sister Wan-shuang said I’m a useless person who cannot even cultivate, said I shamelessly insisted on staying in the Eastern Palace, claimed she will be the future Crown Princess, and even scratched my arm…”
“You know I have no spiritual power. It was Sister Wan-shuang who insisted on taking me to speak privately… If Fuling hadn’t discovered it in time at the bamboo pavilion, I would already be dead…”
Fuling added quickly: “Indeed! Miss Yun came to the rear courtyard for no reason, insisting on taking my lady somewhere private to speak. It must have been premeditated. If I hadn’t realized in time, who knows what would have happened!”
Yun Wan-shuang, enraged, could barely contain herself. She couldn’t hit Wen Shuyu, but this shameless maid—surely she could.
Suddenly—
Her palm gathered spiritual energy far exceeding Fuling’s cultivation, slapping toward Fuling’s face.
With that strike, Fuling would have been lucky to survive with half her life intact.
A loud “BOOM” rang out—the collision of spiritual energies in the air. The massive pressure shook the plants, shattered nearby petals, and sent leaves flying down in a cascade.
Accompanied by a heavy splash, the pond water erupted, and Yun Wan-shuang was blasted backward, landing squarely in the lotus pond.
She struggled to get out, but an invisible barrier pressed down over the pond, preventing her from moving. Unable to withstand the spiritual pressure, she spat a mouthful of blood.
Everyone could see that the source of the overwhelming spiritual force was none other than the Crown Prince, who had lightly lifted his hand.
In the pond, Yun Wan-shuang, unable to accept what had happened, cried out in collapse:
“Your Highness… we’ve been friends in the Xian League for so many years. How can you treat me like this? Has that wretch bewitched you?”
“Your Highness, we met when we were five. Does a friendship of over ten years not compare to three years of relentless pursuit by that useless Wen Shuyu?”
Xiao Jingchen didn’t lift his gaze. He was carefully checking Wen Shuyu’s arm for real injuries.
In a low, measured voice that carried across to Yun Wan-shuang and everyone present, he said:
“I don’t remember us having any friendship. I don’t even know your name.”
The spiritual pressure from above forced Yun Wan-shuang to spit more blood. Overcome with injuries and fury, she couldn’t accept the truth and fainted, sinking into the pond.
Xiao Jingchen carried Wen Shuyu to the nearest Plum Garden, summoning imperial physicians to examine her thoroughly for other injuries.
The eunuchs and maids stood frozen, unsure whether they should try to retrieve Yun Wan-shuang from the pond. If she remained unconscious at the bottom, she might drown.
But without an order from the Crown Prince, no one dared to act.
By chance, the Emperor, Empress, and ministers arrived just in time to see Xiao Jingchen walking away with Wen Shuyu.
The Emperor of Chongguang sent people to pull Yun Wan-shuang from the pond. After learning the full story, he scolded General Yun, her father, for failing to educate his daughter properly.
Everyone knew that with the Crown Prince’s strike and the added spiritual pressure, Yun Wan-shuang’s internal organs were severely damaged. She likely lost a significant portion of her cultivation, and it was uncertain if she could awaken within a month.
The Emperor wanted to punish her further, but seeing she might not recover anytime soon, he waved his hand and let it go.
General Yun, humiliated, had no choice but to have his household carry the unconscious Yun Wan-shuang away.
The Crown Prince’s birthday banquet was abruptly halted. Attendants left in an orderly manner after receiving the Emperor’s approval. The matter of selecting the future Crown Princess was entirely interrupted by the Princess’s accident. Many officials’ daughters still hoped to vie for the position, but there was nothing they could do.
Before leaving, the Empress asked the Emperor in concern:
“This is strange. In all these years, have you ever seen Chench’er so anxious over anything else?”