Compared to Prince Zhaoyang Ye Ranyi's joy, Princess Feng Yao's face was ugly, while Ruan Jingyue collapsed onto the main hall, unable to utter a word, only staring at Hai Ling with eyes that seemed to devour her.
Hai Ling stopped talking. At this point, anything she said would be superfluous, because Ruan Jingyue was convinced that she was the one who drugged her, and even if she had a hundred mouths, she couldn't explain herself.
Even if she explained, she probably wouldn't believe it, because she hates her and would frame her even if it meant framing her.
And all of this was because of Ye Lingfeng. Tonight, she left, only to be brought back by him. Wasn't all of this a setup? She hated being used.
Hai Ling raised her eyes to look at Ye Lingfeng, who stood tall, her gaze cold and icy. She sensed something was wrong from the darkness surrounding Ye Lingfeng. She knew Ling'er must think he had drugged her, and that he had made her come back to use her.
Actually, he didn't know what was going on either.
Ye Lingfeng's eyes were filled with cold light as he said in a deep voice, "Someone, escort Princess Jingyue to the Zhaoyang Prince's Mansion and choose a date for the wedding."
King Zhao, Wang Yeranyi, quickly led Feng Yao to pay their respects and then withdrew.
In the main hall, the Ji siblings also rose to pay their respects with grim expressions.
Hai Ling didn't even glance at Ye Lingfeng before leading her people out of the main hall.
Ye Lingfeng was furious. Tonight's events were too strange. Who drugged Prince Zhaoyang and Princess Jingyue? The close relationship he had painstakingly built with Ling'er had been completely destroyed.
"Xiao Luzi, investigate for me. Go to Cixi Palace immediately and find out who drugged Ruan Jingyue and Prince Zhaoyang."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it right away."
Xiao Luzi quickly retreated to the main hall of Qingqian Palace.
The Empress Dowager sighed and looked at Ye Lingfeng to the side: "Why is Your Majesty still angry? Hasn't this matter been resolved?"
"Mother?"
The Empress Dowager ignored his words, stood up and walked down from the main hall, casually tossing out, "Let's leave it at that."
After saying that, he walked out with the help of the old woman. Ye Lingfeng, with his head held high, lowered his eyes slightly, his eyes filled with cold light.
Who exactly did this?
Ji Mansion, Xiangwu Courtyard.
Hai Ling's expression was unpleasant from the moment she returned. Shi Mei and Shi Lan knew why she was upset. It wasn't because of Ruan Jing Yue's false accusation, but because the Emperor might use her for his own purposes, which made her angry.
“Miss, I believe the Emperor is definitely not the one who poisoned him.”
Shi Mei spoke up, and Shi Lan, who was standing to the side, quickly nodded in agreement: "His Majesty is not that kind of villain."
"If it wasn't him, then who else could it be?"
Hai Ling spoke angrily, but as soon as she finished speaking, someone outside the window responded: "It really wasn't me."
It was Ye Lingfeng's voice outside the window. The three people in the room thought they had misheard. How long had it been? Why was this lord not in the palace? What was he doing here?
Shi Lan quickly went over and opened the window, and sure enough, the Emperor was standing outside.
Shi Mei and Shi Lan quickly curtsied: "Your Majesty."
Ye Lingfeng slipped in, and with a wave of his hand, the two maids, Shi Mei and Shi Lan, left, leaving only Hai Ling and Ye Lingfeng in the room.
Thinking about what happened tonight, Hailing couldn't help but frown. Although Shimei said that Ye Lingfeng would never drug Jingyue, she really couldn't think of anyone else who would do such a thing.
Who else could Ruan Jingyue's existence conflict with, except for the Emperor?
If Ruan Jingyue were to return to Nanling Kingdom, the marriage alliance between the two countries would conflict. Since he did not want to marry her, he drugged her so that Prince Zhaoyang could have her. This way, he could avoid marrying her and still maintain the marriage alliance between the two countries.
Although his actions were advantageous to himself, the fact that he brought her into the palace made it clear to anyone with eyes that she had drugged him. If this was indeed his doing, it would not disappoint.
"You say you didn't do it, so why did you bring me into the palace? It just so happens that Ruan Jingyue and Prince Zhaoyang had that kind of thing happen between them?"
Hailin's face was as cold and indifferent as she stared at Ye Lingfeng.
"I said I didn't do it."
Ye Lingfeng's pupils flashed with a sharp light. He would find out who was behind this.
Because I was in a terrible mood, I even used the word "朕" (zhen, meaning "I, the emperor").
Hailing was too lazy to argue. What a mess this was all about. She was about to curse.
Ye Lingfeng was also in a bad mood. He left the palace in the middle of the night to tell her that he did not do these things, but judging from her expression, she might not listen. So Ye Lingfeng decided to let Hai Ling calm down.
“Ling’er, I didn’t do it,” he said before disappearing into the distance.
Inside the room, Hai Ling thought about it very seriously and realized that she had acted impulsively. She thought of Xi Lingfeng's character in the Great Zhou Dynasty. He was Xi Lengyue of the Cold Demon Palace. What Xi Lengyue said was never false. So, he really didn't drug her. Who was it?
As soon as Shi Mei and Shi Lan saw the Emperor leave, they lifted the curtain and walked in from outside. They saw their young lady pacing under the lamp, deep in thought, and couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Miss, what's wrong?"
"Ye Lingfeng said he didn't drug Ruan Jingyue, so who drugged Ruan Jingyue and Prince Zhaoyang?"
Shi Mei and Shi Lan also started thinking seriously, and Shi Mei quickly reminded them: "Could it be the Empress Dowager?"
"Empress Dowager?"
Hailin had never considered the Empress Dowager's involvement before, but now that she thought about it, she realized that the Empress Dowager did have a reason to do so. However, without any evidence, there was really no way to know for sure.
"Go to sleep, and stop thinking about it."
At this time, the Prince Zhaoyang's residence was bustling with activity.