Emperor Mingxian's face turned cold: "Guards, take Princess Chen away first. I want to interrogate her myself!"
"Wait!"
☆、205、The Moon is Pregnant, the Imperial Concubine's Plan Fails!
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw the Empress Dowager walking in, dressed in a bright white phoenix robe, exuding nobility and majesty: "Your Majesty, first summon the imperial physicians to treat Consort Yun and Consort Liu Wan, and then investigate the cause of this matter."
Emperor Mingxian nodded. Fu Shun had already gone to take care of it. The Empress Dowager and Emperor Mingxian naturally went to Zhu Anle Hall. Even the Empress gave up her seat and sat down in a side seat. Soon, more than a dozen imperial physicians came from the Imperial Hospital. When they saw Liu Wanyi's miserable state and then looked at Consort Yun, they couldn't help but gasp. However, they dared not say anything and immediately sent people to carry the two of them out for treatment. Afterwards, they all came out with unpleasant expressions.
Emperor Mingxian had already asked, "How is it?"
The imperial physicians exchanged glances, and it was the most senior physician, Liu, who spoke first: "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, and Empress, Consort Liu's condition is quite serious; her internal organs have been damaged, and we are powerless to help. Consort Yun has lost too much blood, and the child cannot be saved. Even if Consort Yun can be saved, she will likely be very weak afterward..."
Physician Liu didn't finish his sentence, but everyone present understood perfectly well. Even from what they had seen before, Liu Wanyi's condition—with her intestines ruptured and her stomach chapped—meant she was likely doomed. Consort Yun looked slightly better, but she had a bloody gash in her abdomen and had lost a lot of blood; the baby was definitely lost, and she probably wouldn't be able to conceive again. This concerned the lives of a concubine and two princes or princesses. No matter what, plotting against a prince was a capital offense, punishable by the extermination of one's entire family. If this matter were settled, it would truly be a death sentence!
Emperor Mingxian stared coldly at Ouyang Yue, his eyes dark and gloomy: "Princess Consort Chen, do you plead guilty?"
Ouyang Yue's expression remained calm: "Father, Grandmother, Mother, your daughter-in-law is innocent and wronged. Please seek justice for her."
"You're innocent! The Second Princess and Consort Sun both testified that it was you, how could you be wrong?" Emperor Mingxian's expression grew even colder.
Ouyang Yue calmly replied, "Father, things were too chaotic before, so it's normal that the Second Princess and Consort Sun misunderstood and spoke carelessly. But their one-sided account is not enough to prove that this matter is related to the Imperial Daughter-in-law."
Emperor Mingxian looked at Baili Jing and Consort Sun: "What exactly happened just now? Why did you say that these things are related to Mingyue? Tell me the truth. If I find out who the ultimate murderer is, I will not forgive him, no matter who it is."
Baili Jing's eyes flickered slightly. Just now, Consort Sun had immediately accused Lan He of incense-making in the Empress's palace. Regardless, the Empress would likely suffer some consequences. So, Baili Jing, in a moment of inspiration, remembered that Xiao Bai had pounced on everyone except Ouyang Yue. She spoke up, successfully diverting attention and shifting the blame. Baili Jing coldly smiled, "Father, this is just my speculation. Xiao Bai suddenly pounced on me like a madwoman, then on my third sister, and then on my seventh sister-in-law. But after a brief standoff, she didn't pounce on her, instead jumping back and harming Liu Wanyi and Consort Yun. I find this very strange; I implore Father to make a decision."
This statement was essentially meaningless. With so many people in the room, why didn't Xiaobai pounce on Ouyang Yue? Wasn't that strange enough to arouse suspicion? Accompanying Emperor Mingxian were various princes and ministers, all of whom were now looking at Ouyang Yue with meaningful expressions. As a princess, if Baili Chen had any ambition, Ouyang Yue's actions would be understandable. The fewer princes and nobles there were, the fewer people would be vying for the throne with Baili Chen. Now, the fifth prince, who was the most likely competitor to the crown prince, was dead. The fourth prince was not much weaker than the seventh prince, but he was unloved by his father and had little power in court. Although the third prince was the seventh prince's half-brother, he had been transferred out of the capital for many years and had no power in court. The ninth prince was even less of a threat; given his personality, even if the third and fourth princes had a chance, it wouldn't be him. Therefore, the biggest variable in the crown prince's fate was likely the seventh prince. And if several more princes emerged later, it would be a problem for those vying for the throne. There was a reason for this action.
Consort Sun looked at Baili Jing and said, “Your Majesty, the Second Princess is right, but she deliberately overlooked one thing. The Empress mentioned to everyone that there is a palace maid named Lan He in Anle Palace who is extremely skilled in perfumery. Everyone was very interested in asking her to make perfumes, but as soon as she started, my little Bai went crazy and rushed out. Little Bai has been with me since it was a puppy, and I know it very well. It is a very intelligent dog, and it is usually very well-behaved. Your Majesty has seen Little Bai many times, and every time it has been very obedient. Today, it suddenly caused trouble while the people in the Empress's palace were making perfumes. It is really incomprehensible. Little Bai has always been lovely and loved by me. I treated it like my own child. Now it is dead. I feel like my heart is being torn apart, and I am in unbearable pain. Waaah.” As she spoke, Consort Sun's eyes were filled with tears, making her look pitiful.
Baili Chen walked towards Ouyang Yue, reached out and held her hand, and whispered, "How did things go?"
Ouyang Yue observed Consort Sun's demeanor: "Things are progressing smoothly, but where is the Miao King?" Baili Chen replied, "He just arrived in the capital and said he was feeling tired. Since the banquet hasn't started yet, Father Emperor told him to go and rest. He will come over when the banquet begins."
"Yes, Your Majesty. The incident happened so suddenly before. Consort Xiaobai has been raised for so many years without any problems. Why is she like this all of a sudden today? Could there be some kind of conspiracy involved?"
“That’s very true. How could things happen so coincidentally? I doubt anyone would believe it if word got out.” Several concubines immediately echoed Consort Sun’s sentiments. They were all from the Sun family or had kinship ties with the Sun family.
The Empress coldly looked at these people and said, "That makes no sense. If it was really caused by this incense, and if it was really my scheme, then why did that little white dog pounce on the Second Princess first? Look, even the Third Princess's hand was scratched by that beast. It pained me to see it like that. If this matter were related to me, I would not have allowed that beast to hurt my child."
"So, in the end, isn't it the Princess Consort of Chen who did this?"
"And she's completely unharmed?"
"Yes, but how did she do that?"
Seeing that the Empress was not taking advantage of the situation, Consort Sun was not in a hurry. What she wanted to do most right now was to deal with Ouyang Yue. If she could use this opportunity to bring her down, that would be great. She frowned and said, "Princess Consort Chen, how cruel you are! No matter what you want to do, you actually let this innocent child, Xiaobai, get involved. You have gone too far."
"Hmph!" Emperor Mingxian suddenly snorted coldly, pointed at Physician Liu and said, "Physician Liu, since Consort Sun said that this incense caused it, you should investigate it thoroughly to see if there is anything wrong with the incense. Guards, search Princess Chen!"
Emperor Mingxian clearly believed Consort Sun's words to some extent, while the Empress, Lan He, and Ouyang Yue's expressions changed slightly. Lan He had brought a wide variety of incense to demonstrate her perfumery skills, and it was normal for some of the incense to have a stimulating effect. Those who know about incense understand that stimulating incense usually contains some brain-stimulating ingredients, otherwise how could it be stimulating? This was a real problem.
Baili Chen frowned and said, "Father, it's unfair to search my sister-in-law Yue'er's body before the matter has been investigated." Regardless of whether Ouyang Yue did it or not, if she is searched today, will people think that Ouyang Yue is weak and easily bullied, and that anyone can frame her at will?
"This is none of your business, step back!" Emperor Mingxian looked at Baili Chen with cold eyes and expressionless face. Many people were secretly pleased. The recent incidents in the palace were all related to Prince Chen's mansion. Even if the emperor had a good personality, it seemed that he was starting to dislike Baili Chen. This was good for many people.
"Father!"
"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and do it!" Emperor Mingxian shouted at Fu Shun and Physician Liu.
Physician Liu immediately went to the perfume-making table to study the fragrance. Fu Shun, however, came over with a palace maid. Baili Chen quickly stepped in front of Fu Shun, who looked somewhat embarrassed. After all, Ouyang Yue was the mistress, and he was a servant. Fu Shun hesitated greatly, but Emperor Mingxian had given the order, and he dared not disobey: "Prince Chen, Princess Chen, this servant..."
"Granny Zhan, you may go with Eunuch Fushun." Just as things were at a stalemate, the Empress Dowager suddenly spoke. Fushun breathed a sigh of relief, and Baili Chen's expression improved somewhat. Granny Zhan was an old nanny in the palace. In the past, the so-called body searches were actually partly to check a woman's chastity. Ouyang Yue was already married to Baili Chen, but Baili Chen was afraid that Fushun would cause trouble if he brought people along. However, if the Empress Dowager's people were also involved, the two would keep each other in check. Apart from the body search, Ouyang Yue probably wouldn't have any problems. Baili Chen gave Ouyang Yue a deep look before letting her go.
Ouyang Yue followed more than twenty servants into the inner hall and arrived at a side room. The room was slightly dark. Then, under the direction of Fu Shun and Granny Zhan, two people were each sent to search her. Fu Shun stayed outside, while Granny Zhan stood at the door.
The four palace maids were all young, and they all kept their heads down as they began to remove Ouyang Yue's clothes, leaving her only in her underwear. However, after the four of them gently touched her and found nothing hidden, they began to carefully dress Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue noticed one of the girls dressed in yellow and green clothes. This girl had been keeping her outer clothes. After a while, Ouyang Yue changed her clothes again. Zhan Mama led the people out and exchanged a glance with Fu Shun. The two understood each other and went out together.
Back in the main hall, everyone craned their necks to look. Imperial Physician Liu was carefully examining various spices when Granny Zhan said, "Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, Princess Chen does not seem to be hiding anything. The only extra things she has are a handkerchief and a purse. Please have the imperial physicians examine these two items."
Ouyang Yue had been walking with her head down. Just as she turned to stand in front, she bumped into Baili Jing, who was standing to the side. "Ouch!" Baili Jing cried out. Ouyang Yue's foot, of all things, landed squarely on Baili Jing's foot, and it seemed as if she had even ground it down. Baili Jing's face turned pale instantly. "What are you doing!"
Ouyang Yue was taken aback and looked up at Baili Jing's drastically changed expression: "Oh dear, Second Princess, I'm so sorry. I was just walking with my head down and didn't notice you. Did you break anything? Let the imperial physician take a look."
Baili Jing was in pain from being stepped on. How could anyone tell if she was wearing shoes? Besides, she couldn't take off her shoes and socks in front of so many people! Baili Jing looked at Ouyang Yue with a grim expression. She knew that Ouyang Yue was doing it on purpose, but she gritted her teeth and said, "Seventh Princess Consort is too kind. My sister is fine."
Ouyang Yue reached out and stroked Baili Jing's arm, asking with concern, "Is Second Princess really alright?"
"It's alright, it's alright, Seventh Sister-in-law, don't worry about me for now. The most important thing is the matter of Liu Wanyi and Consort Yun. You should cooperate with Father Emperor's investigation first." Baili Jing's face was full of impatience. Ouyang Yue couldn't help but nod and say, "You're right." Then she turned around and took out the handkerchief and purse that Zhan Mama had mentioned on her. However, when she took out the purse, she heard a soft "hmm" sound. Ouyang Yue secretly looked over and saw that it was the little palace maid in the yellow and green clothes. At this moment, her eyes widened slightly, as if she was a little confused. Ouyang Yue squinted at her, and the little palace maid immediately lowered her head and dared not look up. Ouyang Yue sneered.
At this moment, the imperial physicians also began to examine Ouyang Yue's handkerchief and purse. However, upon seeing something, they started whispering amongst themselves. Consort Sun watched, her expression growing even colder. Ouyang Yue, this time you can't escape even if you want to.
The imperial physicians discussed among themselves for a while, until even Emperor Mingxian grew impatient: "You've been talking for so long, what's going on? What's the problem with that purse!"
One of the middle-aged imperial physicians with a black beard said, "Your Majesty, we still need to examine Princess Chen's pulse before we can make a diagnosis."
"Approved!" But this left Emperor Mingxian and the others somewhat puzzled, and Consort Sun was also confused. She had someone put stimulating flowers and herbs in the purse, which, when mixed with the things on the perfume table, would cause temporary mental instability. This would explain why Xiaobai suddenly went mad. But if these things were found out, they could just be explained directly. Why did they need to check Ouyang Yue? For some reason, Consort Sun felt uneasy at this moment.
The imperial physicians took turns carefully examining Ouyang Yue's pulse, each taking about half an incense stick's time. Then, they respectfully bowed to Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue, saying, "Congratulations, Prince Chen, your wife is pregnant."
"Ah!" Baili Chen was stunned, then looked at one of the imperial physicians in great surprise, and grabbed his hand excitedly, saying, "What did you say? Say it again."
The old imperial physician, ignoring the pain in his hand from Baili Chen's grip and not even having time to ponder how the previously frail and sickly Baili Chen could have such a strong grip, said with a smile, "Prince Chen, the Princess Consort is almost a month pregnant."
"Yes, Your Highness, all three of us have confirmed that the pulse indicates pregnancy!"
"Very good! I will reward you handsomely!" Baili Chen looked at Ouyang Yue with a smile, holding her hand tightly, but he didn't say anything more. Their eyes communicated everything without words.
Emperor Mingxian, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress were all taken aback. Unlike Baili Chen's direct joy, their expressions were somewhat complicated. Emperor Mingxian glanced thoughtfully at Ouyang Yue's belly, while Baili Jian looked on with delight. The Empress Dowager and the Empress looked slightly embarrassed. Several princes had already chosen consorts, but none of them had sent word. Ouyang Yue was the first, being Emperor Mingxian's first grandson. Naturally, the feeling she evoked in him was different. Otherwise, the Baili Lianxiang incident wouldn't have caused such a stir. The appearance of this grandson had caused everyone to overlook many issues. This first grandson, especially if he was a boy, would likely influence Emperor Mingxian's decision on choosing his future heir.
The Empress said coldly, "Mingyue really kept it a secret. She was pregnant but didn't tell me so I could be happy."
Ouyang Yue was also taken aback. She had indeed felt slightly unwell these past few days, but they were minor issues. Although she had undergone in vitro fertilization in her previous life, she hadn't felt anything after only a month. She was truly surprised. At this moment, she was filled with excitement. Looking at the Empress's expression, she immediately understood what she meant, but what did it have to do with her? "Empress Dowager, I only found out from the imperial physician. Please forgive me."
"Hmph!" The Empress snorted coldly, having nothing more to say.
The three imperial physicians who examined Ouyang Yuehe said, "Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, there is nothing wrong with Princess Chen's handkerchief and purse. However, the purse only contains some light dried flowers, three kinds in total. One of them is a wild flower, which is quite common and has the effect of calming the nerves and helping sleep. We took Princess Chen's pulse for her health."
Consort Sun frowned. What was going on? Shouldn't Ouyang Yue's purse contain something to stimulate the nerves? How did it become something to soothe the nerves? She said directly, "Are you sure you didn't make a mistake? Then why did Xiao Bai suddenly go crazy and rush out to bite people before?"
Ouyang Yue calmly looked at Consort Sun and said, "Your Highness, is Xiaobai's madness necessarily related to me? I haven't been sleeping well lately, so I had some calming herbs prepared. I haven't had time to deal with Xiaobai." She then looked at Emperor Mingxian and the Empress Dowager, saying, "Father, Grandmother, the Second Princess, Consort Sun, and others said it was strange that Xiaobai didn't attack Mingyue, but it didn't seem like anything. Xiaobai's madness was clearly caused by some kind of shock. Mingyue had some calming herbs on her, which probably calmed Xiaobai down for a moment. However, with the others attacking to capture him, Xiaobai was stimulated again and might attack. It's not Mingyue who caused Xiaobai's madness; it's more likely whoever is most seriously injured!"
The Empress sneered, "Would Consort Liu joke with her own body? Would she really harm herself and have her intestines rupture? Is there anyone in the world that stupid?"
"Whether it was Liu Wanyi or not, Mingyue doesn't know, but it definitely wasn't Mingyue. Mingyue would never do something so cruel as to carry something vicious and end up harming herself." As she spoke, Ouyang Yue gently stroked her belly, making it very clear: You all say I did it, but unfortunately I'm pregnant. Those things would all stimulate the fetus. Liu Wanyi wouldn't joke about her own body, and I certainly wouldn't. There's always a risk involved in doing such things, and no one would be foolish enough to joke about their pregnancy.
The Empress's face darkened slightly, and the Empress Dowager understood Ouyang Yue's words: "Zhan Mama, you and Fu Shun take people out to check on everyone who was injured or not."
Ouyang Yue was previously accused of being forced to undergo the examination. If her suspicions are now cleared up, but others are not treated equally, it would mean that Emperor Mingxian and the Empress Dowager are treating her differently. Now that Ouyang Yue is pregnant, it would be seen as them deliberately suppressing her. Emperor Mingxian is one thing, but the Empress Dowager and the Empress would be seen as jealous of Ouyang Yue and deliberately framing and suppressing her.
Since the Empress Dowager had given her order, who dared to disobey? Tie Mama and Fu Shun each led the people who had been in Anle Palace to conduct inspections, starting with the ladies and young misses. The inspections were quick, and then they went to the imperial relatives' palaces, including the concubines and princesses.
Baili Chen carefully helped Ouyang Yue sit down and said, "Yue'er, are you feeling unwell? Did the scene just now frighten you? Are you sure you weren't hurt by that little beast? Just to be safe, we should have someone take a closer look later."
Ouyang Yue shook her head slightly and said, "I know my body well, there's nothing wrong with me." Afterwards, several people congratulated Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue. As the first grandson of Emperor Mingxian, the significance was different regardless of gender. Just saying a few words might make Prince Chen and Princess Chen look at them with more respect, and no one would find it troublesome.
Consort Sun's face was extremely ugly, and she was burning with anger but had nowhere to vent it. That wretched woman Ouyang was pregnant, and the first among all the princes and nobles. What did this mean? She, being in the inner palace, knew perfectly well. If Ouyang Yue were allowed to give birth so peacefully, Baili Chen's chances of seizing the throne would probably be even higher. Her Jian'er was dead, but these people were allowed to live carefree lives. She absolutely could not agree to it!
"Your Highness Consort Sun, please come with me to investigate."
"Second Princess, Third Princess, please come with me to inspect."
At this moment, the final check came to Consort Sun, Baili Jing, and Baili Cai. Consort Sun was about to get angry, but when she saw that it was Fu Shun who had come to invite her personally, she forced down her anger. Fu Shun was a person close to Emperor Mingxian, and no one would be an enemy of Fu Shun unless they were extremely stupid. He served Emperor Mingxian every day, and sometimes even a seemingly unintentional remark could have an impact on Emperor Mingxian. Consort Sun looked displeased, and soon someone came in with three trays.
Meanwhile, Physician Liu had finished studying everything on the perfume table and said, "Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, I have discovered that there are a total of thirty-four kinds of perfumes on this perfume table, five of which have a stimulating effect. Two of them, when combined with the other perfumes, can cause temporary symptoms of madness in people's brains, possibly similar to the phenomenon that occurred with Consort Sun's little white dog."
The Empress's face darkened, and she suddenly looked coldly at Consort Sun. Consort Sun's suggestion to blend perfumes earlier was probably driven by malicious intent. Every ingredient in perfume blends is present, even some that can cause miscarriage. However, perfume blending is individualized; it won't harm a normal person. Of course, there will be invigorating ingredients as well—that's normal. These ingredients are always prepared for on-site perfume blending; it's unavoidable. It seems Consort Sun was trying to frame her with this. What a hateful, despicable woman!
The Empress was right; Consort Sun's original plan was exactly that. She had researched extensively and devised a method: a stimulating fragrance. Every woman loves beauty, and everyone often carries a sachet. This was the perfect opportunity to mix two fragrances together, triggering Xiao Bai's frenzied actions. Then, under the pretext of suggesting a body search, she would slip the fragrance onto Ouyang Yue, making Ouyang Yue culpable. However, things took an unexpected turn. Not only did Ouyang Yue not have the fragrance, but she was also found to be pregnant. This made Consort Sun feel utterly disgusted, as if she had swallowed a dozen flies!
Meanwhile, several imperial physicians discovered the reason for Xiaobai's madness and also searched Liu Wanyi and Consort Yun. They found that there were indeed substances that, when mixed, could stimulate the nerves. Moreover, Liu Wanyi and Consort Yun had quite a few spices on them, especially Liu Wanyi's. This is probably why Liu Wanyi's condition was more tragic.
"Your Majesty, the spices found in the sachets of Consort Sun and the Second Princess, when mixed, all have a stimulating effect on the human nervous system. I also examined Xiao Bai earlier, and its limbs were smeared with a strong spice, which has slowly seeped into its body. When it comes into contact with other spices, it will be greatly stimulated. Because Xiao Bai is small, the onset is even faster. So when someone was mixing perfumes, it smelled the scent and lost its mind. I believe that it was the spices smeared on Xiao Bai, combined with the stimulation from the spices on other people, that caused it to attack people." After a series of examinations, Physician Liu and several other imperial physicians finally reached this conclusion.
Consort Sun's heart skipped a beat, while the Empress and Baili Jing's expressions changed drastically. This meant that they were all suspects, and anyone who was attacked could be the one who had done the dirty work!
Baili Jing immediately cried out her innocence: "Father, I didn't know! My sachets and pouches are all taken care of by the palace maids. Apart from choosing incense, I don't care about such trivial matters at all. I would never do anything to harm Consort Yun, Liu Wanyi."
"Your Majesty is innocent..."
"Your Majesty, I am innocent..." everyone cried out, accusing themselves of being wronged.
Emperor Mingxian sneered, "You are all innocent. Do you think I would be the one to personally harm my own flesh and blood?"
At this moment, Baili Chen said, "Father, this is a case of the thief crying 'stop thief!' This matter has nothing to do with the Princess Consort. She was innocently implicated before. I think this matter is probably not simple. This mastermind is not only ruthless but also insane. She not only harmed two concubines in the palace but also my two unborn brothers or sisters. And that's not enough; she also wants to use this to frame the Princess Consort. I'm afraid this matter needs to be thoroughly investigated. Otherwise, if such a black sheep is kept in the palace, there may be other people to be harmed next."
"Ah, Consort Zhao, are you alright? Consort Zhao, wake up!" Just then, a cry of alarm suddenly came from the main hall. Fenyan, who had been surrounded by guards, suddenly fainted. Physician Liu and several others were covered in sweat. Today was probably the most tiring day of their medical careers. They had been examining her endlessly. Now, they rushed to Fenyan's side and busied themselves taking her pulse. This newly promoted consort was currently enjoying great favor, and they could not afford to be negligent.
"Your Majesty, Consort Zhao's heartbeat is rapid, probably due to some fright just now. However, the baby's position is stable and there are no problems, but it's best to avoid any frights for a while afterward," Physician Liu said immediately. Emperor Mingxian, who had been hesitating, now had a gloomy expression. "Prince Chen is right. We must not keep such a black sheep in the palace. Guards, thoroughly search the palaces of all the concubines and princesses who have unusual fragrances."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The Emperor was furious, and no one dared to be negligent. The Empress, Consort Sun, and Baili Jing all felt a tightness in their chests, sensing that something was amiss. About two incense sticks' worth of time later, a group of guards rushed in, each carrying a tray. The head guard said, "Your Majesty, no more stimulating spices were found in the palaces of Consort Liu and Consort Yun. However, several different sachets were found in the Second Princess's room, all containing stimulating spices. And in Consort Sun's palace..." The head guard glanced at Consort Sun, seemingly hesitant.
Consort Sun's heart skipped a beat as she heard the leader say, "Your Majesty, under Consort Sun's bed, there is a large bag of spices, which also contains many kinds of medicinal herbs such as safflower that can cause miscarriage." During the previous search, imperial physicians had accompanied the guards, and these items were naturally found by the guards and verified by the imperial physicians.
Consort Sun's face suddenly turned pale: "Your Majesty, no, I didn't do it, I absolutely didn't do such a thing! Someone is framing me! There's no such thing in my room!" Consort Sun immediately knelt down and begged for mercy, her face as white as snow. How could this be? Her plan was flawless, and she had been extremely careful. She had no idea when she had put aphrodisiacs in her purse, or when she had such a large bag of various harmful toys under her bed.
Consort Sun wasn't stupid. How could she let anyone find fault with her actions? After planning to frame Ouyang Yue, she destroyed everything else, ensuring no one would find anything related to her. But now, these things that should have disappeared have reappeared in front of her, and were even found in front of so many people. She was speechless and extremely anxious.
Seeing this, the Empress squinted at Consort Sun and said, "Consort Sun, you really shouldn't have done this. Although you are resentful because Jian'er just died, how innocent are the children in Consort Liu and Consort Yun's wombs? They are not even three months old and not yet fully formed. You killed them like this. Not only them, but also Consort Liu, who is as beautiful as a flower, will perish like this. How could you be so cruel? Consort Sun, I really misjudged you!" The Empress said with a face full of pain and indignation.
Consort Sun was furious. The Empress was actually kicking her while she was down. Consort Sun sneered, "Empress, don't make baseless accusations. I know nothing about these things, and I have no idea who deliberately framed me. If it weren't for the palace maids in the Empress's palace mixing perfumes, this wouldn't have happened. Besides, the Empress holds the Phoenix Seal and is the mother of the nation. The harem listens to you. If the Empress wanted to do something, it wouldn't be difficult at all."
"Consort Sun, the evidence is irrefutable! You still want to spout nonsense and confuse the public? How could I do such a thing? What other excuses do you have? That Xiaobai is your dog. You know best how much you cherish it. I would even avoid it if I saw it in the palace. You didn't put perfume on it. Who else could have done that? And you found these things in your room. With so much evidence, do you still want to deny it? Consort Sun, do you think everyone in this hall is a fool?" The Empress shouted angrily.
Consort Sun sneered, "Empress, are you speaking so loudly because you're guilty? How could the Second Princess have so many stimulating perfumes in her room? If you say the Second Princess just brought them along for fun, I don't believe it. Even if you, Empress, are being discreet, if you want to frame me, I won't just sit here and wait to die. Empress and the Second Princess, you really have some clever tricks up your sleeves. First, you made everyone notice that Empress's skin is better recently, and she looks even younger. Those in the hall who love beauty naturally couldn't resist their curiosity and asked if it was because of the perfumes. Of course, they suggested mixing perfumes on the spot, and then Xiaobai was stimulated and lost control, resulting in this tragedy. Empress, don't say that Xiaobai has always stayed by my side and I haven't been able to get close to her. It's common for Xiaobai to run away occasionally. Didn't you bring Xiaobai back a few times before? If Empress says you didn't have a chance to do it, I'm afraid no one will believe you." Consort Sun said sadly, "Sister, you both entered the palace one after the other and have served the Emperor for many years. I have always respected and loved you very much, but how could you do such a thing to frame your younger sister? This is too heartbreaking."
"Consort Sun, you're still spouting nonsense! This is just your sophistry. Those spices are all normal spices. No matter who mixes the perfume, they will all contain these spices. You've calculated this perfectly, and now you want to pin it all on me? How dare you!" The Empress was also quite angry. She was completely innocent in this matter, but Consort Sun was making it seem as if she was the one who did it. A cold, sinister look flashed across the Empress's face.
"Alright! Stop arguing!" The Empress Dowager suddenly frowned and called out. The Empress and Consort Sun glared at each other coldly, but dared not utter a word.
Emperor Mingxian's face was cold and gloomy. Today was supposed to be a banquet for the Holy King of Miaojiang, but who would have thought that his two pregnant concubines would suffer such a serious injury? And the high and mighty Empress and his favorite concubine were arguing so fiercely in front of so many people, their faces red with anger. The more they got involved, the more unclear their explanations became. If he didn't stand up for Consort Yun and Consort Liu, he was afraid he would chill the hearts of all the concubines in the harem. But he couldn't just punish both of them at once.
Emperor Mingxian squinted at Consort Sun. Compared to Consort Sun's irrefutable evidence, her accusations were clearly just baseless, and the Emperor could hardly provide any substantial evidence: "Consort Sun, what else do you have to say!"
Consort Sun, who had still harbored some illusions, suddenly felt them shatter. She knew that the Emperor had decided she was the murderer and was going to convict her: "Your Majesty, I am innocent! This matter has nothing to do with me!"
Baili Jing was also trembling with fear. The sachets of stimulating spices were indeed hers. She had long intended to secretly harm Liu Wanyi and Consort Yun, but before she could act, Consort Sun had made her move first. If a real investigation were to take place, she would probably be in trouble. However, she was smarter than Consort Sun. The sachet only contained a few small spices, which was not enough to prove anything. The large package on Consort Sun's bed was undeniable evidence. No one would believe that she hadn't intentionally harmed them. So now, as long as Consort Sun was tortured and confessed, everything would be fine: "Consort Sun, now that the evidence is overwhelming, do you still want to deny it? Don't think that just because Father Emperor is kind and benevolent, you can act lawlessly. Father Emperor is the most just person. You have committed the crimes of harming princes and concubines, which is enough to warrant your death. Why don't you confess quickly and save yourself some suffering later?"
Consort Sun was so angry that she bit her lip until it hurt, but she absolutely refused to admit it: "No, Your Majesty, I..."
“Father, if Consort Sun doesn’t want to admit it, then send someone to gather all the servants in Mingxiang Palace and interrogate them one by one. If Consort Sun did it, she would definitely leave some clues, and there would be a way to investigate her.”