Then she became slightly angry, as if she was blaming Ye Fan for not defending himself and instead rushing over to admit that she had only said that to give him a chance to argue. Unfortunately, he did not know her good intentions and said such things. Could it be that she was the one who did it all?
Emperor Mingde's expression was unpredictable. His deep eyes stared at Ye Fan for a long time, filled with shock, doubt, but mostly anger.
But she forgot that when he answered so calmly just now, it wasn't him who did it, which made her distrust and doubt her. She even said that if he admitted it, she would be lenient with him.
However, at this moment, he admitted it and had nothing more to say, but she was unhappy again. Indeed, the emperor's heart is as unfathomable as the bottom of the sea!
Seeing that the time was ripe, and that Ye Fan was not defending himself, Ye Ziyu and Ye Zirong, with Emperor Mingde's expression uncertain, decided to add fuel to the fire and ensure that Ye Fan would never be able to recover.
Ye Ziyu hurriedly said, "Mother, since the Emperor and Empress have admitted their crimes, it is clear that he dares not act rashly in the face of the evidence and Your Majesty's divine authority. I beg Your Majesty to handle this matter impartially!"
Ye Zirong hurriedly echoed, "Mother, what my eldest sister said makes sense. As the head of the harem, the Empress has broken the law and disregarded the admonitions of the late Emperor and Mother. She even used the strictly forbidden witchcraft. How can such a dignified Empress be so narrow-minded and vicious? She is a disgrace to all the people of Fengyu. If such a vicious person is allowed to hold the Phoenix Seal and rule the six palaces, she will surely be ridiculed and despised by all the people of the world. I hope Mother will see this clearly!"
The sisters Ye Ziyu and Ye Zirong, once again, sang in unison, their voices full of emotion and their words scathing, transforming Emperor Ye Fan from a gentle and kind person into an utterly wicked villain.
Ye Fan, however, remained completely unconcerned about these slanders, simply standing there calmly, awaiting Emperor Mingde's final judgment.
There is no greater sorrow than a broken heart; at this moment, what argument could he possibly have?
The fox has finally shown its tail, and the conspiracy has finally come to light. All of these things were deliberately done by them. No matter how eloquent their words are, or how disturbing their thoughts are, Ye Xiaowei will not be blinded by these so-called evidence!
After waiting for so long, I wanted to see what these two would do in the end, but it turned out to be nothing more than some petty tricks to frame others.
She remembered all the smug expressions and vicious words Ye Ziyu and Ye Zirong had said today. Since they started this, she would retaliate in kind.
Even if you want to kill her father, you have to ask her for her consent first.
Ye Xiaowei, who had been observing coldly and remaining silent all along, finally broke her silence and stepped forward.
"Mother Empress, I have something to say!" As she spoke, Ye Zirong's lips curled up, unable to conceal her joy. Their aim was not only to overthrow the Empress and the Emperor, but also to drag Ye Xiaowei down with them...
☆、045 The evidence is irrefutable
Seeing that Ye Xiaowei remained silent and her expression was calm and deep, like a bottomless ancient well, Ye Zirong couldn't help but feel very uncertain.
If Ye Xiaowei didn't speak up soon, Ye Zirong would get a little anxious. Although overthrowing the emperor and empress would leave Ye Xiaowei with no backing in the harem, her ultimate goal was to get rid of Ye Xiaowei as well.
Li Muyan is her man, but just because Ye Xiaowei is the Crown Princess, she took what originally belonged to her.
How could she just stand by and watch Ye Xiaowei take away what rightfully belonged to her?
Now that Ye Xiaowei has finally spoken up, it means that her plan is about to succeed. How could she not be overjoyed?
But before Ye Zirong could even feel happy, Ye Xiaowei's next words made her smile freeze on the spot.
"explain!"
"Mother Queen, the so-called evidence before us proves absolutely nothing!"
Ye Ziyu, who was kneeling on the ground, was furious and immediately shouted:
"The Emperor and Empress knew that my father was allergic to peanuts, yet they still put peanut powder in the pastries they sent him. Isn't that evidence?"
Ye Xiaowei raised an eyebrow: "Oh~ what did you just say? Could you say it again?"
Ye Ziyu was also blinded by anger, or rather, he was eager to achieve quick results and eliminate Ye Xiaowei and the Empress. Without thinking twice, he said:
"Fine, I'll say it! I'll say that the Emperor and Empress knew my father was allergic to peanuts!"
"Hmm~ Continue!" Ye Ziyu suddenly felt like she was being led by the nose. Her anger surged, but she had to hold back and not lose her temper.
Gritting her teeth, she said, "But they put peanut powder in the pastries they sent to my father..."
"Stop! That's where the problem lies!"
Ye Ziyu looked puzzled, and even Emperor Mingde, who was present, was somewhat surprised. Ye Zirong knew the whole story and realized that things were not going well, but it was too late to stop it. She could only curse Ye Ziyu in her heart as an idiot.
"Your Highness, what is the reason? Tell me directly!"
With a smile on her face, Ye Xiaowei stepped forward and glanced at Mei Lan, who was holding up the so-called evidence. Mei Lan felt as if she had been pierced by a sharp needle, and froze on the spot. She didn't dare to move or even breathe.
Ye Xiaowei took the purple round wooden box from Mei Lan, shook it in her hand, and then opened the lid.
"Everyone, please look, what's in this box?"
Qiu Mei glanced at it and murmured, "Peanuts?"
Ye Ziyu, bewildered, shouted, "Do you think we're all three-year-olds who don't even recognize this? Don't think you can fool us like this!"
Ye took out a pill, played with it in his hand for a while, and looked at Ye Ziyu with a half-smile, but his eyes made Ye Ziyu feel quite creeped out.
Emperor Mingde finally understood: "You mean there's something wrong with these peanuts?"
Ye Xiaowei stopped keeping her in suspense, put the lid back on, and handed the box to Qiu Mei, who was standing to the side.
"Mother, just now my eldest sister said that the Imperial Noble Consort fell ill due to an allergic reaction after eating pastries that Father sent with peanut powder mixed in. But, may I ask, where is that pastry they're talking about with peanut powder mixed in? We just found a box of peanuts in my father's room. Does that mean Father used those peanuts to make the pastries and framed the Imperial Noble Consort? Isn't that a bit far-fetched?"
"For example, if my eldest sister is allergic to shrimp, and I happened to have made a plate of pastries and sent them to her a few days ago, she would have an allergic reaction for some reason. A few days later, some shrimp were found in my palace. Does that mean that I made those pastries with shrimp in them? Does that mean that because my eldest sister doesn't eat shrimp, I can't eat them either? Conversely, because the Imperial Noble Consort can't eat peanuts, does that mean my father can't eat them either? And if peanuts were found in my father's palace, does that mean my father was responsible? Besides, did you find any peanut crumbs in the pastries my father sent? If you did, please show them to us now! Don't just find these peanuts. What does a box of peanuts prove?"
Emperor Mingde agreed with Ye Xiaowei's reasoning and nodded.
"The Crown Princess is right. A mere box of peanuts really doesn't prove anything!"
Ye Zirong had no idea that Ye Xiaowei, who had been silent all along, would speak so amazingly as soon as she opened her mouth!
It turned out that she wasn't unwilling to speak, but rather was considering a strategy. In such a short time, and under such unfavorable circumstances, she was still able to seize this slight advantage and use her silver tongue to launch a brilliant counterattack.
She had to admire Ye Xiaowei's composure and calmness in the face of the unexpected event.
But now that things have come to this, she's in a bind. Even if the other party is a bloodthirsty demon, she has no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.
This is a one-time opportunity. If we lose this chance, it will be even more difficult to bring down Ye Xiaowei and the others in the future.
She secretly wished she could tear Ye Xiaowei to pieces, rip out her tendons and drink her blood, but she still had to put on a relatively calm face.
"Mother, a box of peanuts certainly doesn't prove anything, but what about this? How do you explain this little doll with the Imperial Noble Consort's birth date and time on it, and with so many needles stuck in it?"
At this point, she shot a cold, sharp look at Ye Xiaowei, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
"Could it be that the Emperor and Empress saw that peanuts only caused the Imperial Nobleman to have an allergic reaction, but could not make him terminally ill, and thus had no effect and could not achieve what he wanted? So they added this witchcraft afterward, causing the Imperial Nobleman, with whom they had quarreled, to die, so as to vent their hatred!"
At this point, the third brother could no longer hide his emotions. His eyes widened, and flames burned within them, as if he wanted to incinerate Ye Xiaowei.
Ye Xiaowei looked at the third sister, who had finally torn away her docile facade, and saw the small flames burning brightly in her eyes. She curled her lips into a smile.
It seems that the third brother's goal is very clear: to make her and the Empress disappear. He wants to strike hard and bring them both down. But, she wonders, will Ye Xiaowei take the lead in doing so?
Ye Ziyu nodded repeatedly, looking at Ye Zirong with admiration, quite impressed by her impromptu performance.
She was somewhat at a loss because of Ye Xiaowei's words, which were completely inconsistent with the original plan. She didn't know what to do, but unexpectedly, Ye Zirong stood firm at the critical moment and temporarily calmed her panic.
Emperor Mingde remained silent again, only looking at Ye Xiaowei with a probing gaze, his meaning clear: he wanted her to explain what was going on as well.
But this doll with the Imperial Noble Consort's birth date and time written on it was indeed found in Fengning Palace. Even if it was a frame-up, who would believe it if it was found in front of so many people and she said it was a setup?
The only way to solve this problem now is to find flaws in these so-called ironclad pieces of evidence and find more compelling evidence to overturn them.
But where can we find the more compelling evidence?
No matter how capable she is, it's impossible for her to find evidence that can refute this in such a short time.
what to do?
☆, Episode 46: The Finale
When his gaze fell upon the doll, his eyes lit up. He took the doll from Meixiang's hands and rubbed the doll's fabric with his fingers.
"If I'm not mistaken, this fabric should be made from the top-quality silkworm silk that was presented as tribute from the Western Regions last time!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Mingde immediately stood up. Disregarding his imperial status, he personally walked up to Ye Xiaowei, took the doll from her hand, examined it carefully for a while, and even touched it with his hand before nodding in approval.
"Indeed, this is silkworm silk, a tribute from the Western Regions!"
"Does the Queen Mother still remember who she gave these bolts of cloth made from celestial silkworm silk to back then?"
Emperor Mingde pondered for a moment, then frowned. His sharp gaze swept directly at Ye Ziyu, who was kneeling. Ye Ziyu was so intimidated by Emperor Mingde's sudden gaze that he didn't dare to breathe.
She had a vague feeling that things were going against the original plan, and that the focus seemed to have shifted. Even someone as slow-witted as her could sense the subtle danger lurking in the air.
Just as she had expected, Emperor Mingde's next words filled her with dread.
"When the envoy from the Western Regions sent this silkworm silk, it happened to be the Imperial Noble Consort's birthday. Therefore, the cloth was quite rare, and there was only one bolt. So, as a birthday gift and to do a favor, I sent the cloth to the Imperial Noble Consort..."
After saying that, she threw the doll in her hand heavily to the ground, directly in front of Ye Ziyu. As the doll landed, Ye Ziyu felt as if his heart had fallen to the ground as well.
Before you could even catch your breath, you heard Emperor Mingde shout:
"Princess, tell me, why did the silk fabric I bestowed upon your father turn into dolls, and why did they appear in the Empress's palace? Could it be that the Empress stole the Imperial Noble Consort's fabric and then made dolls? Don't you think this is too much trouble?"
Ye Ziyu was extremely anxious. He glanced at Ye Zirong beside him, but Ye Zirong was also in dire straits and had no time to care about him. She was busy thinking of a solution for herself.
"Your subject...your subject does not know!"
"Outrageous! Are you unaware of the truth, or are you deliberately concealing it? Do you know that deceiving the emperor is a grave crime? Even if you are the eldest princess, you cannot do such a thing!"
Ye Ziyu was already kneeling on the ground, and when she saw Emperor Mingde get angry, she trembled with fear and hurriedly lay down on the ground.
"Your Majesty, how could I dare? Your Majesty is wise enough to see the truth!"
"I'm giving you one chance. Tell me what really happened. Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely. If you utter even a single lie, don't blame me for not showing any mercy to our family ties!"
Now that things have come to this, Ye Ziyu has no choice but to speak, even if she doesn't want to.
"Mother Queen, this is what happened..."
With tears streaming down her face, Ye Ziyu recounted the entire incident in detail. The more she spoke, the harder she cried, repeatedly banging her head against the ground until her forehead was swollen and bloody. She didn't seem to feel any pain, but she kept banging her head, trying to soften Emperor Mingde's heart and make him forgive her.
Emperor Mingde said impatiently, "Someone, bring Imperial Noble Consort Jun Cangyuan to me!"
Ye Ziyu felt as if all her strength had been suddenly drained away, and she slumped to the side, completely limp and powerless.
Ye Xiaowei walked up to Ye Zirong with a smile on her face, and smiled very gently at her. Then she took a purple wooden box containing peanuts from Mei Lan's hand.