Break the situation
Miao Yiyun glanced at Wei Tingya beside her, who seemed hesitant to speak. Hadn't she just been insisting that her subordinates were reliable and would never mess things up?
The Empress, with her magnificent bearing, merely glanced at Yao Su'an, and Yao Su'an trembled even more violently.
The Empress, being so intelligent, bypassed the composed Lin Xu and smiled gently at Yao Su'an:
"I heard the competition is in full swing by the grassland. Why isn't the Princess there to admire the King of Zhenshan's valiant figure? Why has she come here all of a sudden? Has something happened?"
Yao Su'an raised her head, her half-open lips trembling slightly. She was almost ready to muster the courage to tell the whole story of what had happened that day, but at that moment, Lin Xu beside her moved slightly.
Yao Su'an's heart skipped a beat, recalling Lin Xu's calm yet resolute gaze as he spoke softly to her. Though she disliked him, she knew the unwavering resolve beneath his aloof exterior. And if her secrets were exposed, she would have nothing left…
She hesitated for a moment, then finally bit her lower lip and gently shook her head.
The Empress had thought Yao Su'an was gentle by nature, but seeing her reaction now, she became even more puzzled. Just as she was about to ask again, she saw Lin Xu raise her head, her plain face now showing signs of panic.
"Your Majesty, I know I have committed an absurd act today and am willing to bear all the punishment. Please do not blame the Princess Consort of Zhenshan."
Wei Tingya, already harboring resentment, was even more bewildered by this sight. What on earth was Lin Xu spouting?
Miao Yiyun clenched her fists inside her wide sleeves. Having sparred with Lin Xu several times, she knew this woman quite well. She was clearly a silver-tongued and cunning person. An ominous premonition immediately rose in her heart.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lin Xu's face was shrouded in a look of half shame and half regret.
"Your Majesty, you are unaware of my true feelings. I was overjoyed to be invited to the banquet today, but I was saddened to find that I did not see the person I was looking for. Then, I happened to see the radiant Princess Zhenshan, and in a moment of desperation, I decided to seek her advice in a secluded place. It was my own fault for being so foolish and ignorant, having never been to the imperial palace before, that I mistakenly entered the Crown Prince's resting place. I never expected to implicate the Princess Zhenshan, who was invited here without cause. After exchanging only a few words, her bedchamber was suddenly locked, leaving the Princess and me to wait here in vain... It is all my fault... I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
The Empress frowned, scrutinized Lin Xu carefully, and then said, "So, you're the one who brought the Princess Consort of Zhenshan here? But the palace is vast; you could have just found a corner to say what you wanted to say. Why did you need to specifically seek out a secluded place?"
Lin Xu hesitated for a moment, her pale cheeks turning red. Tears welled up in her eyes, gleaming with a chilling light.
"Your Majesty, things have come to this, and I dare not conceal the truth... Today, I wanted to inquire with the Princess about the current situation of my... ex-husband. The banquet was very lively, and if others heard about it, my already poor reputation would be further damaged. I only resorted to this desperate measure because I thought of the Princess and I were classmates in the past. I know I was wrong..."
Upon hearing that her reputation had been ruined, the Empress looked away uncomfortably, before revealing a hint of understanding.
Lin Xu's marriage was, after all, arranged by me back then.
Even though she had recently heard that the two had divorced, the rumors in the streets were getting worse. She had also vaguely heard a few words about it when the noblewomen came to the palace. Dou Huaisheng's second son used to have a bad reputation, but since his marriage, he has had a smooth career. Even though he was implicated by his brother's embezzlement not long ago, he has now risen to the position of Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince.
All the officials were invited today, but Dou Yanxun did not attend. In fact, only Dou Zhen, who was already married, came to the banquet from the entire Dou family. The Prince of Zhenshan has always been a supporter of the Crown Prince and has a very good relationship with him. He often comes to the palace to play chess and drink tea. Lin Xu's idea of getting close to the Princess of Zhenshan and inquiring about Dou Yanxun's recent situation, although somewhat far-fetched, is still somewhat plausible.
After all, she still vividly remembered the time when that woman knelt before her with a look of longing, begging to marry Dou Yanxun.
Given such deep affection, it's not impossible that she couldn't forget him after being divorced by the Dou family.
Furthermore, if Lin Xu were found hiding in this side hall alone today, that would be one thing, but since she and Yao Su'an are both here, it doesn't seem like it was done intentionally.
Seeing the Empress's expression clearly wavering, Miao Yiyun could no longer tolerate it. Lin Xu had already discovered their scheme, and now he was brazenly using Yao Su'an as a scapegoat, blatantly lying!
Miao Yiyun glanced at Yao Su'an with anger at her lack of ambition, and said while suppressing her anger:
"Lady Zhao'en's words are truly absurd. How could the Empress Dowager believe her one-sided story? Regardless of the fact that Dou Yanxun is now working for the Crown Prince, if you are truly curious about his news, you can come and ask me. How could you go to the Prince of Zhenshan, who only sees His Highness the Crown Prince once a month at most? Not to mention that the Princess Consort rarely enters the palace and knows very little about the affairs of the Crown Prince! I think Lady Zhao'en has done something improper and is now just making excuses!"
Even Wei Tingya, who had been silent all along, reacted at this moment and hurriedly echoed:
“Indeed, Your Highness is absolutely right! Although Lady Zhao'en’s reputation for being infatuated is well-known throughout Mujing, with so many guests here today, how could you be so foolish as to lead people to this secluded bedchamber? Moreover, this is His Highness the Crown Prince’s bedchamber. If Lady Zhao'en had any mouth, she could have simply asked the maids and found out who the owner of this bedchamber is.”
"...I think Lady Zhao'en is clearly trying to refute, but in reality she is lying and concealing the truth!"
Having said that, Miao Yiyun immediately glanced at the two female officials behind her. The two women instantly understood and stepped into the hall. They carefully examined the area, even checking under the pillows, and after confirming that there was nothing amiss, they bowed and reported to the Empress:
"Your Majesty the Empress, Your Highness the Crown Princess, and Miss Gong, I have thoroughly inspected the palace and there is nothing unusual."
The Empress remained expressionless upon hearing this.
Wei Tingya saw this, but how could he watch his carefully planned game be ruined? He immediately said unwillingly:
"The fact that nothing unusual was found in the palace does not prove anything. In my opinion, the sleeping quarters in the palace must be locked when no one is on duty during the day. Lady Zhao'en was able to enter so easily. Isn't there something fishy going on? It seems that we must search her body to clear her name."
She knew that Lin Xu should still have the key she had secretly placed on him earlier! Once it was found, and she was caught red-handed, how could she possibly deny it?
Upon hearing this, Lin Xu merely raised his eyes to look at Wei Tingya, who seemed determined to win.
Just as she expected, the fourth young lady in this life not only did not improve at all, but also became more and more brainless in her actions.
Before she could speak, the Empress's face darkened, her gaze sweeping over Yao Su'an, who remained silent, biting her lip. Then she said in a low voice:
"It's getting late, so let's get things ready and clear out the room as soon as possible. You two have been trapped in the room for quite a while, so you must be tired. Go and rest now."
Miao Yiyun was stunned for a moment, but she had no choice. Since the Empress had said so, she had no choice but to let Lin Xu go today, no matter how unwilling she was! She suppressed her displeasure and even her gaze toward Wei Tingya unconsciously became more ruthless.
Wei Tingya was about to speak again when he saw the Empress take a few steps forward, her gaze sweeping over the furnishings of the hall, and she said calmly:
“Tingya, your father, Prince Gong, has been looking unwell lately, probably due to his busy schedule. It’s time for you to go home and fulfill your filial duties.”
Wei Tingya's expression hardened. How could she not understand the Empress's meaning? Her face turned pale, and she hurriedly lowered her head and retreated.
Having received the Empress's forgiveness, Lin Xu and Yao Su'an naturally thanked her and left in a hurry. Yao Su'an didn't even dare to breathe loudly, as if she was afraid that the Empress would change her mind.
Soon, the palace returned to silence. After the attendants had all left, leaving only the two female officials who had inspected the bedchamber, the Empress looked at Miao Yiyun beside her. Her beautiful eyes held only deep disappointment.
...Is this the daughter-in-law she carefully selected from among all the noble ladies?
Miao Yiyun knew she had messed up today and was cursing Wei Tingya in her heart when she heard the Empress's deep voice echo in the bedchamber.
It made her tremble with fear.
"—So today's events were all part of your scheme?"
Miao Yiyun was startled and was about to raise her head to argue when a gust of wind swept past her ear.
A stinging slap landed on her face immediately, leaving most of her delicate cheek swollen and red. Miao Yiyun stared in disbelief at the cold-faced Empress before her, who exuded an imposing aura even without anger. She didn't dare utter a sound and quickly knelt down.
"Mother..."
"You still know to call me 'Mother' all my life..."
A cold smile played on the Empress's lips, yet she pressed forward relentlessly, looking at Miao Yiyun cowering at her feet, and said in a cold voice:
"You went to such lengths and used such methods because you resent that woman for stealing your husband's favor?"
Miao Yiyun was shocked to find herself exposed and overwhelmed with shame. She began to sob softly. However, before she could answer, the Empress continued:
"If you can't even accept this, how will you manage the harem and tolerate your husband's favoritism towards other concubines once the crown prince ascends to the throne?"
Miao Yiyun was utterly ashamed and filled with resentment. She could no longer hold back and tearfully begged for forgiveness.
"Mother, please forgive me... I was blinded by jealousy for a moment. Today I only wanted to teach her a lesson. Lin Xu is a very scheming person and a liar. I know I was wrong!"
The Empress gave a cold laugh:
"Do you think that by joining forces with Wei Tingya, you can get rid of Lin Xu? Even if Lin Xu is found hiding alone in the Crown Prince's bedchamber today, do you know what the consequences will be? Once the Crown Prince finds out, even if you want to punish her on the grounds of seduction, given the Crown Prince's nature, he is exactly looking for such a perfect excuse and will definitely keep her by his side!"
Miao Yiyun slowly raised her head and stopped crying in disbelief.
The Empress was utterly disappointed. She shook her head indifferently, left a single sentence for the lady-in-waiting beside her, and turned to leave.
"The Crown Princess has behaved improperly in front of the Emperor; she has probably forgotten the rules. You should teach her properly today."
The two ladies-in-waiting, having served the Empress for a long time, remained calm and composed. Only after the Empress left did they sigh and say to the weeping Miao Yiyun:
“Your Highness, you have truly lost your mind today… Not to mention that the Prince of Zhenshan and His Highness the Crown Prince are on good terms now, if you really listened to that Fourth Miss’s idea and searched the Princess of Zhenshan’s body, how would His Highness the Crown Prince explain it to the Prince of Zhenshan if word got out?”
Another female official added, "...Do you know that back then, for the sake of Lady Zhao'en's marriage, His Highness the Crown Prince, who was always extremely respectful to the Empress, actually risked everything to plead with her to withdraw the decree...If His Highness knew about this today, I wonder what he would do..."
A clap of thunder flashed past the half-open palace doors. The long-accumulated dark clouds finally began to pour down rain.
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