Chapter 91 (None)

Consort Lin pointed out that Consort Liu was the murderer who pushed Xiao Yunrui. The situation suddenly changed, and everyone in the room was stunned, reacting in different ways.

Emperor Yuanming's face was extremely ugly. Seeing that Consort Liu, who had no connection to the matter, had been implicated, it proved Jiang Ling's innocence and confirmed Consort Zhao's treacherous intentions and Consort Liu's deep-seated scheming.

Consort Zhao once tearfully claimed that Xiao Yunjue's sudden fall was a result of a plot against him. If Consort Zhao's words are true, then there are still malicious individuals who have not yet been discovered.

His harem was truly a den of monsters!

Consort Zhao's face turned deathly pale, and she could no longer sit. She cried out in a shrill voice, "Your Highness, I saw it with my own eyes! It was Consort Hui who pushed the First Prince! Your Highness, the First Prince has suffered a head injury and may be confused! Your Highness, please don't believe it!"

Consort Lin lowered her eyes and remained silent. Jiang Ling frowned deeply. Consort Zhao was clearly flustered. Seeing that Zhao was at her last gasp, she didn't intend to pay any more attention to her.

Jiang Ling frowned as she listened, instinctively doubting Consort Lin's words for some reason.

Before Consort Zhao wronged her, if Consort Lin had pointed to Consort Liu, she might have believed it.

After all, considering everything that had happened before, Consort Liu always remained uninvolved and seemed innocent, yet she stirred up chaos in the harem.

When Fang Sideng died, Consort Lin almost directly revealed that Consort Liu was the mastermind.

Jiang Ling had no evidence, and Consort Lin was nowhere to be found, so the matter was dropped.

Now, history repeats itself. Consort Lin and Consort Zhao are pushed together by an invisible force, fighting to the death and suffering heavy losses on both sides.

Jiang Ling believed that Consort Lin's words were merely a ploy to drag Consort Liu into the mess. The fact remained that Xiao Yunrui and Xiao Yunjue were injured; if Consort Liu remained passive and watched, she would never find any fault. Only by dragging her into the fray and confronting her directly could Consort Liu possibly reveal a weakness.

As for the real culprit behind Xiao Yunrui's death, Consort Lin had a general idea. She could use this excellent opportunity to deal with Consort Liu, and then easily settle scores with her later.

Besides, with Consort Lin's intelligence, she wouldn't easily believe Consort Zhao who jumps out. By having Xiao Yunrui point out that it was Consort Liu, Consort Zhao will be in big trouble, and Consort Lin can be dealt with easily.

Jiang Ling was secretly impressed by Consort Lin's composure and restraint at this critical moment. Especially when Consort Zhao rushed down, Consort Lin's decisiveness and swift reaction were something few in the Great Yin Dynasty could match.

Consort Zhao was equally ruthless. When Xiao Yunjue tumbled down the stone steps, she risked her life to retaliate. At that moment, Consort Zhao didn't have time to ponder who the murderer was, but with her collision, neither Jiang Ling nor Consort Lin escaped. She was determined to kill three thousand innocent people rather than let one guilty person go free.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ling was taken aback. It seemed that Xiao Yunjue's fall was definitely related to Xiao Yunrui.

For some reason, Jiang Ling always felt inexplicably uneasy.

Logically, Consort Lin should follow Consort Zhao's advice and point the finger at Jiang Ling; that would be the best course of action.

Compared to Consort Liu, Jiang Ling had given birth to Xiao Yunzan and was also raising Xiao Yunlang, making him a strong competitor for the throne.

Emperor Yuanming's temples throbbed, veins bulging. Panting, he glared venomously at Consort Zhao, hurling insults without restraint: "You vile woman! Shut up! Even now, you dare to argue. Truly, the Zhao family is of impoverished origin; you're base to the core!"

Consort Zhao sat motionless, staring intently at Emperor Yuanming with wide eyes. After a moment, she stiffly lurched forward and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

She actually fainted from anger!

The room fell silent instantly. Emperor Yuanming was startled, then frowned in disgust and exclaimed, "Yellow Millet!"

Huang Liang rushed into the room. Emperor Yuanming pointed at Consort Zhao on the ground and said without any mercy, "Drag her out!"

Huang Liang was shocked to see Consort Zhao lying unconscious on the ground. He quickly called Zhang Shan, and the two of them helped Consort Zhao up and carried her outside.

"Send it to the Imperial Temple!"

Emperor Yuanming's expression was fierce, his eyes flashing with hatred, it was unclear whether he was angry at Consort Zhao or something else: "Consort Zhao has fallen ill suddenly and passed away! Nanny, take good care of the Second Princess. If anything goes wrong, I will exterminate their entire family! Summon Consort Liu!"

Huang Liang and Zhang Shan exchanged a glance, agreed repeatedly, and didn't dare to breathe loudly. They half-dragged and half-helped Consort Zhao away quickly.

Consort Lin's complexion was already bad, but she leaned against the armchair, showing no signs of distress.

Jiang Ling stared blankly at the sudden turn of events, her palms icy cold and a chill running down her spine.

She had previously thought that Consort Lin would deal with Consort Zhao after Consort Liu.

Unexpectedly, Consort Lin uttered only a few words before swiftly and decisively eliminating Consort Zhao.

Jiang Ling had no time to think. Consort Liu followed the eunuch into the room. She immediately became fully focused, pinching her thumb and forefinger to keep herself awake.

Consort Liu stepped forward to pay her respects. She seemed unaware of the reason for being summoned to see the Emperor, and asked with concern, "Is Your Majesty feeling any better? I had come to attend to Your Majesty earlier, but fearing I might disturb your rest, I planned to come later."

Emperor Yuanming's face was grim and uncertain. He did not answer Consort Liu's question, but instead reprimanded her sternly: "Consort Liu, how vicious you are! You actually pushed Arui down the stone steps!"

Consort Liu looked surprised and exclaimed, "What? I pushed the First Prince?"

"Arui pointed it out himself, and you still won't admit it!" Emperor Yuanming's face darkened, and he sneered repeatedly, "If it wasn't you, then who else could it be!"

Consort Liu said something strange, but she was not flustered. She calmly replied, "Your Majesty, I really did not push the First Prince, nor do I know who pushed him."

At that time, there were only a few people who could push Xiao Yunrui, and Consort Liu did not make any accusations against others in order to clear her name.

Based on this alone, the difference between her and Consort Zhao was immediately apparent, and Emperor Yuanming silently held her in higher regard.

"Your Majesty, I have been in poor health these past few years, constantly needing medicine, and have devoted myself entirely to raising the Eldest Princess. I have no grudges or hatred towards the First Prince, Consort Lin, or any of the sisters in the harem. I truly..."

Consort Liu choked back a sob, tears welling in her eyes, and said bitterly, "I endured the pain and tried my best to live, only hoping to find a good husband for the eldest princess when she grew up and watch her get married. Is even this little bit of hope too much for me?"

Emperor Yuanming couldn't help but think of Consort Liu's short-lived son, and he was overcome with sorrow. His expression softened, and he said to Consort Lin, "Arui seems to be half-awake, perhaps he is talking nonsense. This matter is very important, and we must not make hasty accusations."

Consort Lin turned her head to the side, covered her mouth, and coughed. The cough pulled at her left shoulder, causing tears to well up in her eyes. Once she calmed down, Consort Lin casually wiped away her tears; her lips and face were ashen white.

"Don't worry, why are you coughing again!" Emperor Yuanming frowned, paused, and said, "Let's summon the imperial physician to treat you first."

"Your Majesty, I can manage, but the room is dry and my throat is a little sore. Your Majesty is also injured, and I thought it would be good to clear things up as soon as possible so that Your Majesty can rest sooner," Consort Lin said slowly, taking a sip of water from her teacup to moisten her throat.

After the acupuncture, Emperor Yuanming's pain was somewhat relieved, but he was still uncomfortable. He had been dealing with a series of events since early morning, and was only managing to endure it through sheer anger. He was quite pleased with Consort Alin's thoughtfulness, and with admiration in his eyes, he asked, "Did you hear what Consort Liu said?"

Consort Lin responded to Emperor Yuanming and said to Consort Liu, "Consort Liu, you know best whether you are innocent or not. You think that the dead cannot testify, and that is true. We don't know if Arui will wake up again. Based on his few words of fear, we cannot prove that it was you."

Consort Liu bowed slightly, her expression sincere, and sighed, "I have been a mother myself, and I am currently a mother, so I can understand Your Highness's sadness and anger. I will not take Your Highness's suspicions to heart. Your Highness should take good care of yourself and not worry too much. The First Prince is a lucky person and will surely wake up soon."

Consort Lin said, "Thank you for your understanding, Consort Liu." She spoke politely, and then said to Emperor Yuanming, "Your Majesty, let Arui speak for himself after he wakes up."

Emperor Yuanming breathed a sigh of relief. For him, nothing was better than a peaceful and uneventful harem, so he immediately agreed.

What Jiang Ling had imagined to be a major battle was over in just a few words. Surprised, she remained tense, unable to relax.

"I'm tired, you should go and rest for a while too," Emperor Yuanming said to Jiang Ling, leaning against the headboard with a weary expression.

Jiang Ling returned to the screen and lay down, but despite being extremely tired, she couldn't fall asleep.

In Jiang Ling's view, Consort Liu clearly had many points to use against Consort Lin. For example, regarding Xiao Yunjue's fall, with Consort Liu's intelligence, she would definitely guess that it was Xiao Yunrui. Whether it was true or not, Consort Liu could use it to attack Consort Lin.

Emperor Yuanming was inherently suspicious, and if Xiao Yunrui caused Xiao Yunjue to fall, it would implicate Emperor Yuanming. Even if it was later proven that Consort Liu had attacked Xiao Yunrui, Emperor Yuanming's anger towards her would be lessened.

Consort Lin had long understood that Consort Liu was not so easy to deal with. She seemed to be unprepared, relying only on a few words spoken by Xiao Yunrui when he was confused.

Jiang Ling thought to herself, if it were her, even if she only thought of dragging Consort Liu into the mess after arriving at the palace.

The tricks never fade. The death of the concubines in the harem is a matter of the princes. Jiang Ling will use the excuse that Consort Liu's son died young, that she is twisted and cannot stand the other princes, and seize the opportunity to poison Xiao Yunrui.

Jiang Ling felt dizzy from thinking, unable to figure out or understand the two people's thoughts and intentions.

"Your Highness, please lie down." Granny Xie helped Consort Lin into the room, and Xiuyun helped by placing a soft cushion behind her and pouring a cup of red date soup for her.

Consort Lin leaned back on the soft cushions, ate a few sips of jujube soup, and after feeling a little better, asked, "How is Arui doing?"

Xiuyun stayed by Xiao Yunrui's side to serve him, as he had been unconscious ever since he tumbled down the stone steps. Upon hearing this, Xiuyun's expression darkened, and she said, "Your Majesty, the First Prince is still the same. Physician Wu just came and administered acupuncture, saying that the First Prince's reaction is weak. If, if..." She stammered, not daring to continue.

“If he doesn’t wake up, Arui will die.” Consort Lin continued, picking up where Xiuyun left off. Her expression was calm, and she seemed to show no sadness.

Hearing this, Xie Mama felt a lump in her throat. Consort Lin wasn't heartless; as a mother, she was in more pain than anyone else. Her usual calm and composure was a preparation for facing the fact that Xiao Yunrui would never wake up again.

"Does Your Majesty know who exactly harmed the Crown Prince?" Xiuyun asked angrily.

Before Consort Lin could answer, Granny Xie said angrily, "This servant believes it must be either Consort Hui or Consort Liu."

"It wasn't them," Consort Lin denied softly.

Seeing Xie Mama's puzzled expression, Consort Lin sighed and said, "I personally witnessed Consort Hui being slammed against the city wall by Consort Zhao, suffering a serious head injury. She won't be able to react quickly. Consort Liu doesn't need to take action; just keep an eye on me and Consort Zhao. Consort Zhao has already gone to see the Emperor. She should have apologized to him, pointing out that there was something fishy about Xiao Yunjue's fall, and asked the Emperor to investigate. The Emperor might not be able to find out the truth, and Consort Zhao will keep pressing Arui. The reason Consort Zhao hasn't made a move is because she saw that Arui was also seriously injured, and she's stopped short of it, prioritizing Xiao Yunjue."

Xiuyun's expression changed, and she stammered, "If it's not Consort Liu or Consort Hui, could it be Consort Zhao?"

“It’s almost certainly her.” Consort Lin was filled with remorse. It took her a while to process what she said, her voice trembling with regret. “When I went to Qionghua Pavilion earlier, I only realized it was her when Consort Zhao mentioned Consort Hui. Consort Zhao was too hasty. She hates the Emperor and wishes he would be childless. If Consort Hui is implicated, Xiao Yunzan and Xiao Yunjue are still young. Without their mother’s protection, it will be difficult for them to grow up safely in the harem. At worst, Consort Zhao might raise Xiao Yunlang, and in the end, she will still get what she wants.”

Xiuyun gritted her teeth in anger and said hatefully, "Consort Zhao harmed the First Prince, she must not be let off!"

Consort Lin briefly mentioned Emperor Yuanming's punishment of Consort Zhao: "She was too stupid and couldn't cause any trouble. Consort Hui was summoned to the Emperor's palace to attend to his illness, and Xiao Yunzan and Xiao Yunjue were also summoned. She still thought she could deal with them and their children with a few words."

Xiuyun's anger subsided somewhat, and Granny Xie cursed, "Serves her right! Consort Zhao deserves to die! Her Majesty treated her with such kindness, but she was ungrateful and bit her like a venomous snake."

"Granny, don't say such hurtful things. I have no great favor to Consort Zhao. Her allegiance to me was just a temporary measure, and she wanted to use me to deal with Consort Zhao. I just let my guard down and misjudged her, which allowed her to succeed."

Consort Lin closed her eyes and murmured softly, "The most dangerous person is now unharmed. We must not let her get away with this so easily and reap the benefits. I have already publicly called her out, and she will no longer be as composed as before. Seeing Consort Huishu move into the palace, she will surely become restless, fearing that things might change. Nanny, Xiuyun, you two stay with Arui. I need to rest, I absolutely must..."

Granny Xie was completely confused, but Xiuyun understood.

Consort Lin plans to use Jiang Ling and her two princes as bait to lure Consort Liu into making a move!