At this moment, Dongxue said, "Your Highness, everything is proceeding according to plan."
“Okay.” Ouyang Yue nodded, a cold smile playing on her lips. The real show was just beginning.
Because of her injuries, Ouyang Yue could not return to the Prince Chen's mansion immediately. She stayed in Shuangxia Palace with Shuangxia Changgong and Baili Su to recuperate. Meanwhile, undercurrents were surging among the various forces in the capital.
Inside the Sun residence, Sun Bocheng, the eldest son of the Sun family and the current patriarch of the Sun clan, sat in the seat of honor. His face was dark and gloomy as he tapped the table repeatedly with his hand. Each tap sent shivers down one's spine, making one increasingly agitated. Below him were the other branches of the Sun family, as well as his legitimate and illegitimate children. Even the eldest son, Sun Hai, who was usually composed, had his legs tremble involuntarily. Sun Ming, who had been so full of vigor after being harmed by Lin Changqi of the Lin family, now appeared somewhat dejected, his face somewhat sinister, and his expression was now even more unpleasant.
Sun Hai said anxiously, "Father, we must think of a way! My second brother has been captured and imprisoned by the Emperor. It will be difficult to release him. If we use this as an excuse to frame him for the heinous crime of assassinating the Emperor, not only will my second brother's life be in danger, but everyone in the Sun family will be doomed."
Sun Ming said coldly, "Second Brother is really something, making such a huge mistake. How are we supposed to fix this now?"
Sun Bocheng frowned upon hearing this, but considering Sun Ming's recent condition, he didn't say much, only saying, "This time it's clear that someone deliberately targeted the Sun family. We must investigate this matter thoroughly and find out who the mastermind is."
Sun Hai asked with some concern, "But is there any progress?"
Sun Bocheng sneered: "Of course there are. Aren't there two right now? How could it be such a coincidence that Princess Chen stood in front of the Emperor and saved him at the crucial moment? If you say she has no problems at all, who can believe it? She must know about this. And the Empress, what big or small matter in the palace can escape her hands? This time, it was her idea to propose bestowing the title of Baili Su. She was also in charge of the performance at the banquet. After the incident, she wanted to push all of this onto our Sun family. How could that be possible? The Sun family will never admit it."
No one in the room was a fool. They immediately understood Sun Bocheng's meaning. Even if it turned out that the matter had nothing to do with the Empress and Ouyang Yue, Sun Bocheng would definitely create some doubts for them. In order to protect Sun Quan and the Sun family, what did it matter if innocent people were implicated? Moreover, the Sun family did not think that the Empress and Ouyang Yue were innocent in this matter. The three parties were irreconcilable enemies. At this point, who would care about being stabbed in the back again? The Empress and Ouyang Yue would probably just be laughing at the Sun family.
Sun Hai nodded and said, "Of course, we still need to rely on the palace for this matter. Back then, the family secretly built up a lot of hidden forces for my aunt, but they haven't been used yet. Now it's time for them to lend a hand. This matter concerns the safety of the Sun family, so they must do their part."
Consort Sun had cultivated her influence in the palace for many years, and her power was far more than it appeared on the surface. She also secretly bribed and placed palace servants in various palaces and residences. If these people joined forces, they would be a considerable force. It can be said that Consort Sun was not the only one in the palace to do this; many others did the same. However, at that time, Consort Sun's power was close to that of the Empress, and she had more resources to place more people. Consort Sun did not make a move against these people until her death. At that time, Emperor Mingxian had already ordered the Empress to investigate her case. If she fell into the Empress's hands, there would be no chance of survival. These people she had placed were of no help to her at all. However, Sun Bocheng knew about these people, and they were now of great use.
Since ancient times, when emperors have been assassinated, some innocent people have been implicated and died tragically. This time, it's a contest of who has more evidence. Sun Quan has only been negligent within his authority, so it's not possible to directly label him as the mastermind. What they need to do now is to shift the focus and divert attention. Of course, this is not easy. Neither the Empress nor Ouyang Yue will be unprepared.
However, when the Sun family took action, they discovered that their worries were far too much. They secretly investigated, but whether it was heaven's mercy or something else, every time they reached a dead end, they would unexpectedly discover some clues that would clear the clouds and moon. They successively collected a lot of information and evidence that were favorable to them, just as if heaven was on their side. When verifying the evidence, they found it exceptionally easy, and all the evidence pointed to the two of them.
Ten days later, Sun Bocheng led the entire Sun family, young and old, to the palace to request an audience with Emperor Mingxian, who received them in a side palace.
"Your Majesty, my two sons and grandsons are completely innocent!" Sun Bocheng burst into tears as soon as he knelt down to pay his respects.
Emperor Mingxian hadn't expected him to act on a whim, and hurriedly said, "What evidence have you found? Just show it. What are you crying about?"
Sun Bocheng thought to himself, "Of course you don't care about this since it's not your son's business," but on the surface he was extremely respectful: "Your Majesty, after my investigation, my son Sun Quan has been wronged. The real mastermind behind this assassination attempt is someone else!"
"Who is it! And what is the evidence!" Emperor Mingxian frowned and immediately asked.
Sun Bocheng clapped his hands, and immediately Yu Guan and several others walked in. They all bowed respectfully to Emperor Mingxian and then knelt down, refusing to rise. Emperor Mingxian raised an eyebrow: "What kind of evidence is this?"
“Your Majesty, these people can all testify that Deputy Commander Sun was not involved in this matter. Moreover, I sent people to investigate and found that not only was there another person involved, but it also involved two people of high rank and power. Their status makes me dare not reveal their identities.”
"Oh, who is it? Speak freely, and I will protect you, provided that everything you say is true. Otherwise, you should know the consequences." Emperor Mingxian's voice carried a hint of authority. Sun Bocheng's heart tightened, and he nodded even more vigorously, saying, "Your Majesty, everything I have said is true, and I would never dare to lie in the slightest."
"Speak."
Sun Bocheng paused, then continued, “This humble subject knows that Vice Commander Sun deeply respects the Emperor. From a young age, Sun Quan has been exceptionally skilled in martial arts, and his most frequent words have been to serve the Emperor and repay the court. Entering the palace as Vice Commander was his lifelong ambition. He finally managed to turn the tide and obtain this qualification from among so many outstanding young men. How could he easily give up his hard-won ideal? That would be too illogical. Based on my understanding of Vice Commander Sun, this matter could not possibly have been done by him. I dare to guarantee this with my life. Therefore, I mobilized all available resources of the Sun family to search for evidence, and finally, I found some clues. These witnesses and physical evidence point to two major suspects: one is Her Majesty the Empress, and the other is Princess Consort Chen.”
Upon hearing this, Emperor Mingxian fell silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "You should think carefully about the relationship between the two people you've mentioned. If it turns out you're just making baseless accusations, I would gladly give you a death sentence."
Sun Bocheng's heart tightened, but he said loudly, "Your Majesty, please do justice for this humble subject!"
"Alright, someone come and invite the Empress and Princess Consort Chen. Oh, and bring the best sedan chair for Princess Consort Chen, make sure she doesn't get hurt." Emperor Mingxian waved his hand and gave the orders to Fushun.
Hearing Emperor Mingxian's words, Sun Bocheng's expression also turned sour, and he felt a chill run down his spine. Clearly, Emperor Mingxian still felt guilty towards Ouyang Yue for risking her life to save him earlier, and if things went wrong, they too could be caught off guard and suffer a crushing defeat. Sun Hai knelt behind Sun Bocheng, his eyes narrowing slightly, his expression shifting before finally disappearing.
A short while later, the Empress arrived first, followed by Ouyang Yue, Princess Shuangxia, and Baili Su. Ouyang Yue, half-reclining in the sedan chair, knelt down to pay her respects to Emperor Mingxian with the help of the palace maids. Emperor Mingxian waved his hand and said, "It's alright, get up and sit down."
"Thank you, Father Emperor." Ouyang Yue was helped to sit down with some difficulty and turned to look at the kneeling Sun family members.
Emperor Mingxian waved his hand and said, "You may all rise." He then turned to the Empress and said, "The Sun family has come to plead for Deputy Commander Sun, but they have told us something quite interesting. Your Majesty would like to hear it."
The Empress looked displeased, but dared not retort, saying, "Your Majesty, I am all ears."
"Oh, they say that after investigation, both the Empress and the Princess Consort of Chen are suspects in the assassination attempt on me." Emperor Mingxian's lips curled up, his eyes fixed intently on the two of them.
The Empress was stunned upon hearing this, then flew into a rage: "This is utter nonsense! How dare you even slander me! What else wouldn't you dare to do? No wonder you could raise such a daring and rebellious traitor as Sun Quan! He deserves to die!"
Ouyang Yue remained remarkably calm as she said, “Since Clan Chief Sun is here, why not produce the evidence first? Otherwise, your Sun family will likely be unable to escape this charge of malicious framing.”
Sun Bocheng sneered: "I dared to come here today, risking retaliation from evil forces. My Sun family has always been upright military men, never engaging in any evil or crooked practices. We have always been loyal to the Emperor. Now, someone has maliciously framed my son as the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on the Emperor. The Sun family will absolutely not admit to this. When the evidence that the Sun family has painstakingly gathered is presented, it will surely expose those scheming villains on the spot."
Ouyang Yue said calmly, "Then this princess consort will listen attentively."
The Empress looked gloomy, but her expression was not quite normal. She had a vague sense of unease, and her hair gradually became damp.
“Alright, speak your minds. The Emperor is up there. As long as you tell the truth, he will surely make a decision for you,” Sun Boquan said gently to the people he had brought with him.
Besides the Sun family members Sun Boquan brought, there were also more than ten ordinary people with somewhat rough clothes huddled around him. Among them was a middle-aged woman with a dark complexion who cautiously looked up and said, "Your Majesty, I am the wet nurse of the second young master of the eldest branch of the Sun family. I have been taking care of the second young master since he was a child and I am very familiar with his living habits. The second young master has been practicing swordsmanship day after day for ten years without interruption, and recently there has been nothing unusual about him. I have not seen the second young master meet any strangers."
"Your Majesty, this servant is from the Sun family..."
The next three or four people were all servants from the Sun family. They all spoke of Sun Quan as an incomparably good person, and claimed that he had no motive for committing the crime. Listening to this, Emperor Mingxian, Empress, and others frowned. Did the people of the Sun family really think that the testimonies of these people alone could prove that Sun Quan was innocent?
However, at this moment, the next witness changed his tone: "Your Majesty, this servant can testify that Miss Meiju in Prince Chen's mansion is the daughter of a disgraced official. She harbored resentment because Your Majesty ordered the execution of her father, so she secretly gathered a group of people who were dissatisfied with the court and acted in secret in order to overthrow the Great Zhou Dynasty!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent. Emperor Mingxian narrowed his eyes, his gaze flashing coldly: "How did you know that!"
“Your Majesty, Mei Ju is in the Xiuge Pavilion in Lincheng. This Xiuge Pavilion is ostensibly a place where famous actresses who don't sell their bodies gather, but in reality, the seditions inside are far more sordid. They use their bodies to seduce local nobles and extract information from them, secretly plotting an assassination. This time, Prince Chen was ordered to go to Baiyun Temple, and they seized the opportunity. After Mei Ju appeared, she claimed to be Prince Chen's concubine, and not long after, this kind of thing happened in the palace. Your Majesty, this is really too suspicious. Moreover, this servant has also learned that the Prefect of Lincheng's subordinate is Lin Chang, a member of a collateral branch of the Lin family. He is very fond of Mei Ju and has extended olive branches to her several times. The two have long been secretly in love. If the Lin family was not involved in this assassination, it is really hard to believe.”
"Nonsense! Utter nonsense!" the Empress exclaimed angrily. "Your Majesty, these people are making baseless accusations; they are utterly despicable and should all be dragged out and beheaded!"
Sun Bocheng sneered, "Your Majesty need not be angry. These are just witnesses. I have physical evidence." With that, he waved his hand, and someone handed a stack of papers to the eunuch, who then handed them to Ming Xianxiu.
"Your Majesty, these written documents are lists of officials of various ranks whom Lin Chang has entertained in Lincheng over the years under the guise of being the governor. Eight out of ten times, these entertaining sessions were held at the Xiuge Pavilion. Among them, more than three officials left with a beautiful woman by their side, and soon after, they had a concubine in their household. Before long, these officials or their colleagues would run into trouble. Doesn't this arouse suspicion? And why is there always a Xiuge Pavilion and Lin Chang involved in these events? This Lin Chang was someone the Lin family painstakingly planted in the Lin family back then. Your Majesty, this Lin Chang must have something to do with you." Sun Bocheng said indignantly, describing the officials' lust for beauty, corruption, and collusion with the Lin family as if it were true. In fact, the Lin family was not so clean.
The Empress's expression changed, while Sun Bocheng, as if injected with adrenaline, waved his hand, and his men began to present corroborating evidence. Although the evidence did not explicitly point to the Lin family, it all implied their involvement. One incident would not normally be enough to arouse suspicion, but with so many suspicious points, the Lin family was now suspected of being involved even if nothing had happened.
Sun Bocheng added, "Your Majesty, Meiju comes from the Xiuge Pavilion. If we arrest her and torture her severely, we will surely get her to tell the truth."
Emperor Mingxian coldly sent men to arrest her. Soon, Meiju was brought over. Meiju looked frail and was thrown to the ground. She cried out in pain. Sun Boquan angrily said, "Tell me what happened. Why did you come to the capital? Did Prince Chen send you to plot a rebellion? That Xiuge is a conspiracy organization used by certain people to gather power."
Meiju seemed terrified, trembling as she knelt on the ground, shaking her head repeatedly: "No...no, I don't know!"
The Emperor, however, remained cold and waved his hand. Fu Shun immediately used the clamps to clamp Mei Ju's fingers and feet, then summoned four cold-faced guards who roughly pulled her away. Mei Ju cried out in agony, her whole body convulsing and trembling, her face pale with pain.
"Speak! Who sent you? Did you know anything about this assassination attempt?" Sun Boquan roared.
Meiju was in so much pain that her whole body felt weak, and she struggled to lift her head: "I...no..."
"folder!"
"Ah, it hurts, it hurts so much! I'll talk, I'll talk... It was... it was Lin Chang! He sent me to seduce Prince Chen, hoping to bewitch him. But Prince Chen had important business to attend to and didn't fall for it. I only found out afterward that Lin Chang had another plan when his first one failed. He actually plotted to assassinate Prince Chen. Prince Chen's death is definitely related to Lin Chang. I... I was just a pawn. He then sent me to the capital to establish myself in Prince Chen's residence, and then... he carried out the assassination... and then... framed Princess Chen."
"Nonsense!" The Empress roared, her face contorted with rage and terror.
Mei Ju collapsed to the ground, weakly saying, "This commoner has evidence that the Empress not only wanted to frame the Princess Consort of Chen, but also wanted to destroy the Chen Prince's family and kill everyone. There is also evidence that she wanted to murder the Emperor!"
The Empress stood up abruptly, but before she could take a step, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her, and she slumped back into her chair. When she looked up again, she saw Emperor Mingxian's emotionless eyes, radiating a chilling murderous intent. She immediately felt a chill rise from the soles of her feet, her whole body trembling uncontrollably, her teeth chattering, and she was overwhelmed with fear!
☆、281、Bai Lichen Returns!
"Your Majesty, I am innocent! No...no, I did not!" The Empress felt a chill in her heart and hurriedly defended herself.
Emperor Mingxian coldly swept his gaze across Meiju and saw that her fingers were red and swollen, and her ankles were also abnormally swollen from the torture: "Where is the evidence you mentioned? You should know that framing the Empress is a serious crime."
Meiju trembled all over from the pain, her lips quivering as she spoke. Her eyes, filled with guilt, helplessness, and resentment, looked at the Empress. She said, "What I said is true... but I can provide evidence, but I have one request. If you cannot do it, I will die without regret, but not only will the Empress bear this stain, but the Emperor's safety will also be threatened."
Emperor Mingxian's face immediately darkened, and his squinting eyes made Meiju's appearance seem like countless ice knives piercing your heart. Meiju trembled with fear, but gritted her teeth and stared at Emperor Mingxian with wide eyes, refusing to yield.
Emperor Mingxian laughed in exasperation: "You dare to threaten me?"
Meiju looked like she had nothing to lose, and Emperor Mingxian coldly asked, "What are your demands?"
"I only ask that Your Majesty protect my family's safety. If you do, I will tell you everything I know," Mei Ju said loudly.
Upon hearing Meiju's request, Emperor Mingxian's expression softened somewhat. If Meiju were to take this opportunity to make some unreasonable demands, he might not necessarily agree. In any case, he already harbored suspicions about the Empress and the others, so he could simply be more cautious in the future. As for protecting Meiju's family, it was a very simple matter for him, the emperor of the country. Emperor Mingxian gave Fushun a look, and Fushun gracefully withdrew. Emperor Mingxian said, "You are indeed a filial son. I agree to this. Speak your mind."
Meiju looked grateful and kowtowed three times to Emperor Mingxian. Then she straightened up, but when her eyes slid over the Empress, she said somewhat guiltily, "Your Majesty, the Xiuge Pavilion is inhabited by the descendants of some former and recent court officials."
"What?" Emperor Mingxian was stunned, a look of astonishment flashing across his face, but his eyes were filled with intense killing intent.
When the Great Zhou led its army to overthrow the previous dynasty, although the founding emperor was ruthless and killed many, some still escaped. Some went into hiding, while others died in the ensuing turmoil. These people could no longer cause much trouble. After the bloody massacre that led to the establishment of the Great Zhou, everyone gradually forgot about them. No one expected to hear about them at this time.
“It is indeed the Emperor. I dare not utter a single lie. When my father committed a crime and was punished, my family was destitute. At that time, someone secretly approached me. I was filled with indignation, but I couldn’t resist the temptation and agreed. What they asked me to do was to accompany various officials and nobles to extract information from them. At first, I didn’t know what they wanted this information for, but later I vaguely felt that something was wrong. That’s probably why they entrusted me with this deadly task.” Mei Ju’s face was also filled with indignation as she spoke.
And she wasn't wrong. This Meiju claimed to be Baili Chen's concubine and came to the capital. With Ouyang Yue, the head mistress, above her, and Lin Chang and his group still wanted Baili Chen dead, if Baili Chen didn't return, Meiju would die at Ouyang Yue's hands sooner or later. After all, who would want to see a concubine causing them trouble every day? And this was a concubine without anyone protecting her. It would be too easy for Ouyang Yue to deal with her.
Another possibility is that even if Baili Chen returns, he has no interest in Meiju at the time. He would do two things: either expel her from the manor (for daring to cause trouble at the Prince Chen's residence, this would be a death sentence), or execute her in a fit of rage.
So no matter how you look at it, Meiju couldn't escape death. Perhaps it was because of this, coupled with the inhuman treatment she suffered, that she revealed these things, though her initial statements were ambiguous. Although Meiju was the most popular courtesan at Xiuge, she knew very little. Xiuge's secrecy was top-notch; even Lin Chang probably didn't know who was inside, otherwise they wouldn't dare recruit just anyone. What Meiju said was actually Ouyang Yue's carefully considered, a calculated move.
Only by involving the previous dynasty would Emperor Mingxian pay more attention.
The Empress, however, spoke sternly: "I never imagined you would plot a rebellion against the court and dare to falsely accuse others. You treacherous commoner deserve to be beaten to death and executed!"
Mei Ju smiled coldly and said, "Why is Your Majesty in such a hurry? The Emperor is in charge now. No matter how high and mighty the Empress is, she cannot overstep the Emperor's authority. A woman should be virtuous in the inner quarters. If you reach too far, you'll eventually run into trouble." Mei Ju's words were extremely sarcastic, and the Empress's face turned even more ashen. Emperor Mingxian had already given her a warning look. She felt like she was swallowing a mouthful of anger, but she couldn't spit it out. She was so angry that she was about to die.
"I must remind you one more time. It's not too late to turn back now. If you frame the Empress unjustly, not only you, but your family will also face certain death." Emperor Mingxian spoke coldly, his imposing presence instantly creating immense pressure.
Meiju turned pale with fright, gritted her teeth and said, "Your Majesty, I am telling the truth. What do I have to fear now? It all comes down to death anyway, so I'm going to risk it all. Originally, I only harbored some resentment and misunderstanding towards the court, but after entering the Xiuge Pavilion, these people have been constantly and subtly telling me about the court's many faults, how the Emperor is wicked, and how he doesn't care about the lives of the people. Most of the women like me are young ladies who are inexperienced in the ways of the world, and they have all been filled with righteous indignation. They have even disregarded the shame of giving themselves to men, all for the sake of avenging their families one day."
“But did we get our revenge? No! Not only did we not, but Xiuge abandoned us at the crucial moment. Aren’t I the best example of that? It’s only now that I realize that it’s not a place that brings us hope, but hell. Those people are all bad. But there are so few people like me who understand this. Some are so loyal that they don’t even understand why they die. It’s truly pathetic.” Meiju’s face was full of sorrow and pain.
Emperor Mingxian frowned deeply as he listened, tapping the chair pillar a few times with his slightly bent fingers. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were frighteningly dark: "So many remnants of the previous dynasty have remained in Xiuge."
The Empress felt a chill run down her spine. If she had any connection with these people, she would be implicated. She roared, "After all this talk, what does this have to do with me? You still say you're not framing me? Speak! Who instigated you to maliciously frame me? If you tell the truth, I might spare your life!" As she spoke, her eyes swept over Ouyang Yue, her suspicion undisguised.
Mei Ju didn't even look at it, but looked at Emperor Mingxian and said, "Your Majesty, when Xiuge gave me this task, they naturally also provided a way to contact me. I'm not stupid. I secretly investigated the contact point at the time. It was full of hooligans and thugs, a place completely different from the aristocratic families. But strangely, after going around in circles, I discovered that one of them was related to one of the stewards of the Lin family's eldest branch. Lin Chang has brought officials to Xiuge many times. Xiuge must have extracted a lot of information from them. After I came to the capital, I also received a task, which was the task of ensuring Baili Su's death!"
Emperor Mingxian slammed his hand on the table: "Issue the decree that I must take down Lin Chang as quickly as possible. No one is allowed to move around in the Lin residence for the time being. The Empress and others must remain in Anle Palace and not leave." Emperor Mingxian's face was grim, but a threatening undercurrent was surging in his eyes.
Sun Bocheng and the others looked grim upon hearing this. If this matter were to be suppressed, even if Lin Chang were eventually caught, the Empress might not be in any danger. In the end, Mei Ju's words were merely suggestive, without any substantial evidence. Right now, it only made Emperor Mingxian have strong suspicions about the Empress and that she intended to usurp the throne. But if no concrete evidence was found, and the Empress were left to occupy a nominal position or die quietly, that would be too lenient for her.
What the Sun family wanted was for the Empress to be disgraced, to suffer infamy, and for the Lin family to be destroyed!
Sun Bocheng and Sun Hai exchanged a glance. Sun Bocheng said, "Your Majesty, I have another piece of evidence. It not only proves that Sun Quan was innocently implicated, but also that the Empress is indeed the murderer who sent the letter and instructed Mei Ju to harm the young master of the Chen Prince's Mansion!"
Emperor Mingxian remained silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice, "What evidence? Bring it up."
Sun Bocheng looked up and saw a timid figure. He immediately pointed and said, "The witness I am referring to is Granny An, the Empress's personal maid."
The Empress was stunned for a moment, thinking she was hallucinating. She looked blankly at Granny An, only to see the latter kneel on the ground with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly. At that moment, the Empress's mind went blank. Granny An was an old maid who had come with her as part of the dowry. She was a servant in the Lin family for generations, and her mother had been the personal maid of the old lady of the Lin family. The old lady of the Lin family doted on the Empress, and although the Empress spoiled her, she treated Granny An's family well. They were indeed very loyal. The Empress had carefully considered bringing Granny An into the palace. At that time, Granny An had just given birth to a son and had essentially abandoned her family to follow her. The Empress had treated her well. Granny An's family was arguably the wealthiest family of servants in the Lin family. However, she never expected that Granny An would betray her in the end.
"You...you..." The Empress swayed with anger, her anger rising to the top of her head. Her mind was in chaos, and she didn't know what to say to An Mama.
Having served the Empress for so many years, Granny An knew far too much about what the Empress had done. Although the Emperor wasn't a foolish ruler and didn't lust after women, nine princes and six princesses weren't many children. Moreover, the second, sixth, and eighth princes, and the third princess had all died young, leaving only fifteen children. There were also many miscarriages that occurred shortly after conception, such as Consort Sun's, and many others. If Granny An revealed these things, the Empress would only face the death penalty. Furthermore, no one would doubt the role the Lin family had played all these years, and their downfall would be inevitable.
The Empress was now ice-cold and trembling: "You... betrayed me! You actually betrayed me! Who is it?!"
Granny An kept kowtowing, but Emperor Mingxian watched coldly and said, "Speak, what can you prove?"
Granny An shuddered in fright, her heart tightening. Just as she was about to shake her head, she saw Sun Bocheng clench his fist and pretend to strike the ground. She turned pale with fright. Ouyang Yue saw all of this without making a sound. She narrowed her eyes and felt relieved.
In fact, during the extended ten days she had deliberately prolonged the time, she had already learned from Mei Ju that something was going to happen in the palace. Sun Quan would naturally not make such a big mistake within his scope of duty, but he couldn't stop someone from wanting him to make a mistake. That person was Ouyang Yue.