Once doubts arose in his heart, he wanted to get to the bottom of it. He had to find out whether this matter was related to Dong Ling.

Although he was the Empress's brother, he could not simply go to see her.

It would be even more difficult if it were inside the palace. Fortunately, we are currently in the hunting grounds, where there are no palace walls to block the way, and the people staying there are all in yurts. Moreover, the Empress can come out to ride horses and play, so it would be relatively easier for Fu Qing to see her. He only needs to find out about the Empress's schedule in advance and then pretend to pass by on patrol.

Today, the Empress removed her cloak and changed into military attire to stroll in the horse farm. This outfit added a touch of heroism to her usually dignified demeanor.

When he saw his sister, Fu Qing's emotions were complicated. He even hesitated whether to go up and ask her what she would say if he did.

If it has nothing to do with her, that's fine, but what if it really was his sister who instigated it? What should he do then?

If it were just other concubines, he wouldn't need to meddle in this matter. After all, the harem is a place of intrigue and backstabbing, and as a subject, he really doesn't need to get involved.

But it's Yu Shan who's going to get hurt! If he doesn't ask and lets it go, wouldn't Yu Shan have suffered for nothing?

The pastor knew nothing; he was probably the only one who knew. He couldn't rest easy if he didn't find out the truth, and he didn't want to keep doubting his sister. What if it was just a misunderstanding?

After much deliberation, Fu Qing no longer hesitated, walked straight forward, and bowed respectfully.

"Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty the Empress."

Upon seeing her family, Yu Ying was in high spirits and greeted them with a warm smile, "How are you, Second Brother?"

With so many people around the Empress, it was inconvenient for her to speak. Fu Qing hinted that he had something important to report.

Yu Ying then ordered the palace servants to leave. Dong Ling also prepared to leave, but was stopped by Fu Qing.

"Dongling, please stay. I have something to ask you."

Dong Ling's heart tightened, but her face remained calm as she nodded and stood silently to one side.

Yu Ying asked curiously, "Second Brother, what urgent matter is it? Has something happened at home?"

Fu Qing shook his head. "Everything is fine at home, but there's something I want to clarify. Yesterday, Consort Chun was frightened at the horse farm, and Dong Ling was also there at the time!"

As he said this, Fu Qing shifted his gaze to the person diagonally opposite him, "Dong Ling, you'd better tell me honestly, did you tamper with that horse?"

"This servant does not know what Lord Fu means. This servant is only going to select a fine horse for Her Majesty the Empress."

When her brother suddenly asked about this, Yu Ying felt strange. "Second brother, Dong Ling has been by my side for more than ten years. She has always been well-behaved. How could you doubt her?"

"With so many people around Her Majesty, why would she send a head palace maid to select horses for no reason? Does Dongling know about horses? Does she know how to select them?"

“She may not understand, but someone will explain it to her!” Yu Ying thought this was perfectly reasonable, and Dong Ling explained:

"This servant wanted to see the horse farm, which is why I begged Her Majesty the Empress to allow me to go. As for why the horses went mad, this servant has no idea."

"Still being stubborn? I gave you a chance, but you won't confess. Fine, I'll report this to the Emperor right now and have him interrogate you!"

In reality, Fu Qing had no concrete evidence; he was just guessing based on his feelings and trying to trick her to see how she would react.

As expected, Dong Ling tensed up immediately upon hearing this, her voice trembling with panic.

"This servant did not do anything wrong, why is Lord Fu framing me?"

"If you didn't do it, you have nothing to be afraid of. The innocent will clear themselves. You just need to accept the interrogation."

Upon hearing this, Yu Ying's heart tightened, and she immediately stopped him, "Second Brother, this matter cannot be told to the Emperor!"

The Empress's expression was clearly off. Fu Qing narrowed his eyes and asked, "If she is innocent, why can't she see the Emperor?"

As she spoke of the reason, Yu Ying's eyes gradually turned sorrowful.

"Because the Emperor is prejudiced against me, if you mention Dongling to him, even if it has nothing to do with Dongling, he will suspect us, mistress and servant. Everyone knows that the Emperor favors Su Yushan. If it weren't for the fact that she is Han Chinese, I'm afraid the Emperor would have deposed me long ago and made her Empress!"

If you question Dongling in front of the Emperor, he will definitely use it as an excuse to frame me.

"If something happens to me, how will our Fucha family cope? The futures of my brothers and sisters will be ruined!"

Yu Ying brought up her family background, leaving Fu Qing speechless. He understood the consequences of this matter, but he was unwilling to go against his conscience.

"Now you're considering the family's situation? If you truly cared about the family, you wouldn't have resorted to these schemes to harm the Emperor's concubine!"

"Dongling and I did not plot against Consort Chun. I just did not want to cause any controversy. It is better to avoid trouble."

The Empress repeatedly denied it, and Fu Qing, unable to bear it any longer, gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and his eyes turned unusually cold and sharp.

"I'll ask you one last time: did you have Dong Ling tamper with that horse? If you don't tell the truth, I'll tell the Emperor right now, and you'll bear the consequences!"

No matter how he questioned her, Yu Ying always said the same thing: she did not harm Su Yushan.

Seeing that Lord Fu was serious and about to turn and leave, Dong Ling, fearing that he would really go to the Emperor, immediately knelt down.

"It was indeed done by this servant, but Her Majesty the Empress was unaware of it. Please do not misunderstand Her Majesty, Lord Fu."

Yu Ying looked at Dong Ling in shock, "Did you really do it? Why would you try to murder Consort Chun?"

After a moment of silence, Dong Ling whispered, "This servant saw that Consort Chun was pregnant again, while the mistress's children kept having accidents. I felt indignant on behalf of the mistress, and thought that if something happened to her, the child would be lost..."

Her words were utterly incomprehensible to Fu Qing: "Yonglian's death was indeed regrettable, but it was fate. It wasn't Consort Chun who harmed Yonglian, so why do you want to take revenge on Consort Chun?"

There are too many grudges and grievances involved to explain in just a few words. She saw her mistress's grievances, and as a maid, Dongling had to share her mistress's burdens.

"This servant just can't stand that she gets the Emperor's favor all to herself."

Witnessing her arrogant demeanor, which seemed perfectly natural and completely unashamed of her actions, Fu Qing was furious, his veins bulging.

"You're so jealous that you want to harm someone you can't stand? You've been blinded by jealousy and have completely forgotten right and wrong. What did Consort Chun do wrong? What did her child do wrong? How can you be so vicious and treat human life like dirt!"

He kept referring to her as Consort Chun, which only fueled Yu Ying's anger. Her eyes reddened as she glared at her brother, rebuking him with indignation and hatred.

"What's so great about Su Yushan? My husband favors her, and even my dear second brother is biased towards her! Are you that familiar with her? Why do you have to speak up for her?"

“I’m on the side of reason, not personal ties! Dong Ling was wrong to murder Consort Chun, shouldn’t she be punished?”

Yu Ying glanced at him and said coldly, "The harem is always full of intrigue and backstabbing. Second brother, you really shouldn't interfere. Even if Dong Ling is wrong, it should be me who teaches her a lesson. Your concern for this matter, are you helping the right side or showing favoritism towards Consort Chun?"