Chapter 9 Framed

Emperor Yuanming looked around; everyone in the hall was paying their respects, and no one noticed anything amiss.

As the Emperor of the Great Yin Dynasty, no one in the world dared to speak recklessly in his presence. Emperor Yuanming thought he was just daydreaming, so he chuckled softly, lifted his leg, and continued walking forward, sitting down at the head of the table.

The banquet officially began, and Ding Shanggong from the Imperial Kitchen led the palace maids and eunuchs from the Imperial Kitchen to bring wine, mooncakes (an essential part of the Mid-Autumn Festival), various fresh fruits, crabs, and other delicacies. The low table was piled high with these items.

Emperor Yuanming raised his wine cup, said a few auspicious words, and everyone stood up, raised their cups and drank together. After that, they ate and drank on their own.

Musicians from the Imperial Music Bureau carried zithers and gongs, while dancers gracefully entered the hall. The zithers and gongs played in harmony, and the dancers began to dance.

Despite the fine wine and delicious food, Jiang Ling had no appetite and kept staring at the palace maids and eunuchs serving the meal. She noticed that, apart from Emperor Yuanming and the young princes and princesses, all the concubines' dishes were the same.

Seating arrangements were handled by the Bureau of Ceremonial Affairs, while meals were managed by the Bureau of Food and Beverages. Jiang Ling stole a glance at the dishes on the low table in front of Su Yue and Consort Xu, and they were exactly the same as hers.

It appears that the rituals and food were controlled by different people.

Anyway, not knowing who was on whose side, Jiang Ling chose a female crab and broke it open, taking advantage of the rare opportunity to eat crab. The crabs were not yet fully grown at the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the crab roe was not plump enough, leaving only a shell of clear broth.

Consort Xu glanced at Jiang Ling, her words sounding like a joke, but her eyes held a hint of mockery. She shifted her body to the side to avoid him, carefully pulling at her skirt as she dodged.

"Oh dear, Consort Jiang, you've splashed crab juice everywhere. Crabs have a strong fishy smell and are not easy to clean. You've definitely dirtied your clothes."

Jiang Ling is a crab-eating expert; he can break crabs apart with his bare hands, and after eating the crab roe and meat, he can still piece the shell back together completely.

Moreover, her own fingers were clean, and there was enough space between them for a person to pass through. Consort Xu was taking this opportunity to cause trouble.

Inside the palace, the melodious sound of silk strings filled the air, and dancers in flowing robes fluttered in the breeze. Emperor Yuanming, his eyes slightly narrowed, rested one hand on his forehead while keeping time with the other, completely absorbed in the song and dance.

Consort Zhao smiled sweetly as she spoke with Consort Li, while Consort Lin sat upright, her back ramrod straight, just like Xiao Yunrui. Xiao Yunjue held a mooncake, crumbs all over his mouth, while his wet nurse and maids knelt beside him, wiping his mouth clean from time to time. The others either enjoyed the singing and dancing or gathered together to play drinking games.

Consort Xu's words did not cause any ripples. Only Su Yue, sitting on the right, turned to look at Jiang Ling with a face full of disdain.

Adhering to the principle of avoiding trouble, Jiang Ling apologized and handed over the cloth on the low table, saying, "Here, wipe yourself."

For some reason, Consort Xu's face was right in front of Jiang Ling's hand. She leaned back and snatched the handkerchief away.

Suddenly, Consort Xu screamed, threw off her handkerchief, and raised her finger, revealing a bead of blood on her fingertip.

“Consort Su, you…you…” Consort Xu’s tears streamed down her face as she backed away in fear.

The bowls and plates on the low table were knocked to the ground with a crisp "bang," attracting the attention of those around.

The maidservant rushed forward and said, "What happened to Consort Xu? Oh dear, your finger is injured and bleeding!" She dared not make a decision on her own and hurriedly went to find Consort Chen.

The commotion reached Emperor Yuanming's ears. He opened his eyes, raised his hand to signal for the music to stop, and the dancers quickly bowed and stepped aside.

"What happened?" Emperor Yuanming asked in a deep voice.

Consort Chen spoke softly to Consort Lin and the others. Upon hearing Emperor Yuanming's question, Consort Lin rose and curtsied, saying, "Your Majesty, Consort Xu has injured her finger. I am going to take a look."

Consort Lin, Consort Zhao, and Consort Liu walked over together. Palace Attendant Chen whispered to the maids that anyone not involved should step aside and not come near.

Su Yue walked up to Consort Xu at some point and said with concern, "Sister Xu, don't move, stopping the bleeding is the most important thing."

"What's going on?" Consort Lin asked sternly, her gaze sweeping over the group, her voice carrying an inexplicable air of authority.

"Your Majesty," Consort Xu hurriedly greeted, seemingly suppressing her pain. She bit her lip and choked out, "Earlier, Consort Jiang was eating crab, and some juice accidentally splashed on me. I jokingly reminded her not to get her clothes dirty. It's all my fault for being so quick-tongued; Consort Jiang probably thought I was mocking her. She grabbed a handkerchief and shoved it in front of me, saying she wanted to wipe the stain. I'd offended someone, and it was a small matter, so I avoided it and took the handkerchief to return to Consort Su. But then…"

She sobbed, her eyes filled with terror. "There was a needle hidden in the handkerchief! If I hadn't dodged it, my face would have been injured!"

Consort Zhao smiled and subtly sized up Consort Xu. Her gaze inadvertently swept over Su Yue as she asked, "How could such a thing happen? Committing a crime in broad daylight, in front of the Emperor and everyone else."

Consort Liu stood there silently, while Consort Lin frowned, glanced at Jiang Ling, and asked, "Where are the needles?"

Su Yue hurriedly presented the needle wrapped in a handkerchief with both hands, saying, "I picked it up earlier, Your Highness, please take a look."

The needle, placed in the white silk handkerchief, still had bloodstains on its tip.

Consort Lin's expression hardened, and she looked up at Jiang Ling, asking, "Consort Jiang, do you have something to say?"

The change happened so fast that Jiang Ling was still stunned, her mind buzzing and her heart pounding.

Having gotten into trouble and being interrogated by Consort Lin in front of everyone, Jiang Ling was so nervous that her vision blurred, and she barely managed to stay calm.

"Your Majesty, I didn't. I don't know how to use needles, I've never even seen one before... I really didn't mean to hurt her face, she's not even as pretty as me..."

Jiang Ling's mind was a mess, and her words were incoherent. She didn't even know what she was saying; her mouth was completely out of her control.

Consort Xu gritted her teeth, forcing herself to hold back her sobs, and said aggrievedly, "I am not good-looking, Consort Jiang, why do you target me and take your anger out on me? What have I done to offend you..."

"It was my fault." Chen Shanggong stepped forward and said, "I may have been a little negligent. When the servants arranged for Consort Jiang and Consort Su to sit down, Consort Su was placed above Consort Jiang."

After saying this, she knelt deeply before Jiang Ling and said humbly, "This servant has offended and neglected Consort Jiang. Please punish me, Consort Jiang."

"Put your mistakes aside for now."

Consort Lin dismissed Consort Chen and said sternly to Jiang Ling, "The servants are all busy. It's just a matter of who sits first and who sits first. If the seating arrangement is wrong, just point it out. It's not worth ruining someone's face."

Jiang Ling's mind went blank. She was even more wronged than Dou E, and her attempts to defend herself only sounded sarcastic and disapproving. She clearly appeared to have been caught doing something wrong and, in desperation, had broken her promise.

Consort Zhao smiled broadly and said, "Your Highness, Consort Xu is fortunate to be unharmed; she only pricked her finger. It's a major festival, and His Majesty is still here. We can investigate further after the banquet. What do you think, Your Highness?"

Consort Lin hesitated for a moment, about to nod, when Emperor Yuanming approached. He was furious; on this joyous and peaceful Mid-Autumn Festival, someone dared to cause trouble!

Emperor Yuanming flicked his sleeve and said sternly, "How dare you! Investigate this matter thoroughly for me, and I will not let you off lightly!"

Consort Zhao stopped speaking, and Consort Lin curtsied in response, then questioned Su Yue and the serving maids one by one to provide evidence.

Su Yue said, "I saw Consort Jiang breaking crabs apart. I didn't hear what Consort Xu said to her. Then Consort Jiang handed a handkerchief to Consort Xu, and Consort Xu cried out because her finger was bleeding."

On the low table in front of Jiang Ling, there was still a broken crab. Xu Guiren's lotus-colored palace dress bore faint stains.

The serving maid said, "I heard Consort Xu laughing and talking to Consort Jiang about how crab juice had splashed on her dress and was difficult to clean. Consort Jiang took a handkerchief and offered it to Consort Xu. Consort Xu leaned back and took the handkerchief from Consort Jiang, and then her finger started to bleed."

Jiang Ling's face was ashen; even if she had ten or a hundred mouths, she couldn't explain herself.

First, her seating arrangement was wrong, but Chen Shanggong did not make excuses or shirk responsibility. Instead, she took the initiative to admit it and sincerely apologized.

However, Consort Chen's faults were almost negligible. She and Su Yue were promoted only two or three months apart. Su Yue had just been favored by Emperor Yuanming last month, and their old feelings still lingered, making her more important than Jiang Ling, who was already in the cold palace.

The incorrect seating arrangement was the seed that sowed the seeds of Jiang Ling's discontent.

According to Consort Lin, the seating arrangement was a trivial matter. Jiang Ling didn't bring it up directly, but harbored resentment and poisoned the innocent Consort Xu.

Neither Su Yue nor the palace maid accused Jiang Ling; they were merely recounting what they had seen. Coupled with the laid-out crabs, the wound on Consort Xu's finger, and the bloodstained needle, the truth was crystal clear.

Jiang Ling only had a past grudge against Su Yue, so even if Su Yue didn't instigate this matter, it was still related to her. However, Jiang Ling couldn't bring himself to anticipate the events that would unfold like the conflict with Mo Ju.

It's hard to say who's right and who's wrong; it only proves that she and Su Yue had a past grudge.

Because of the seating arrangement and the combination of old and new grudges, she vented her anger on unrelated people.

Jiang Ling was a madman who openly committed violence at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet!

The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was attended by Emperor Yuanming, princes, princesses, and a host of concubines.

If Jiang Ling were to injure Emperor Yuanming, that would be disastrous!

Seeing that he was doomed, Jiang Ling's nerves, which had been taut and on the verge of snapping, relaxed.

It's quite an honor for her that they're targeting her with such a grand gesture!

However, what Jiang Ling didn't understand was, what use was there in getting rid of her, a mere minor talent?

Why did Consort Xu want to frame her?

Even on the verge of death, Jiang Ling still couldn't figure out whether Su Yue's backer was Consort Lin, Consort Zhao, or Consort Liu!

Jiang Ling's mind screamed in frustration: "I'm neither favored nor will I fight you for cow dung, why are you doing this! Think of a way, think of a way, can we ask the cow dung for help...?"

Upon hearing the familiar phrase "cow dung," Emperor Yuanming flew into a rage. Judging from the context, he immediately concluded it came from Jiang Ling.

When the murderous aura was about to be directed at her, and he was about to order her to be taken down, Emperor Yuanming froze in place.

Unaware of what was happening around him, Jiang Ling stood there with a pale face and empty eyes, looking like a fool, without uttering a sound!