When the two arrived at the Council Hall, Song Yue had just arrived as well.
“Mother has just recovered and can’t withstand any stress. If you have any questions, Eighth Prince, you can just ask me directly,” Song Yue said.
Xu Lingqing quickly took two steps and stood next to Zhao Zhiyan, raising her chin at Song Yue as if declaring her ownership, with a smug look on her face.
Song Yue frowned.
The old prince and the others were extremely excited when they saw Consort Rou: "Did you go to see the Emperor yesterday?"
Facing the old prince's murderous gaze, Consort Rou swallowed hard: "I went, but I only stayed for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before leaving."
"So, this little eunuch framed me?"
"Of course!" Consort Rou pointed at the kneeling eunuch and roared, "Speak! Who gave you the audacity to slander me? If you don't tell the truth, I'll kill you!"
"Consort Rou has quite the violent temper," Empress Dowager Xu sneered, her eyes full of mockery. "After guarding the imperial mausoleum for so many years, copying scriptures every day and praying for the founding emperor, why does she only talk about fighting and killing?"
Empress Dowager Xu had always looked down on Consort Rou, who, relying on her charming appearance, seduced Emperor Taizu when no one was looking and used all sorts of tricks.
Consort Rou raised her eyes and met Empress Dowager Xu's gaze. Enemies meeting are bound to be hostile. Now that she had Zhao Zhiyan by her side, she was not afraid of Empress Dowager Xu at all.
"Empress Dowager, why do you have to make things difficult for Yan'er, setting a trap to force us, a widow and her orphan, into this?" Consort Rou's eyes suddenly reddened, and tears streamed down her face. "The Emperor has already promised to pass the throne to Yan'er, so why should I go through all this trouble? But you, as soon as you saw me return, couldn't sit still and joined forces with the old prince and other relatives to make trouble for Yan'er."
At this point, Consort Rou began to sob softly, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Song Yue frowned, looking at Consort Rou's crying and sobbing appearance, she felt it was a bit ridiculous. Just now she was sternly threatening to kill the little eunuch, and now she was crying?
Empress Dowager Xu scoffed: "Don't just spout nonsense. Everything needs to be based on evidence."
"Isn't it all up to you to decide what evidence is?" Consort Rou choked up.
“Mother, you have always been compassionate. If it weren’t for the Prince, you would never have argued with the Empress Dowager.” Xu Lingqing stepped forward to support Consort Rou, feeling somewhat smug. These were the words she had taught her.
Judging from everyone's expressions, the effect is quite good.
Empress Dowager Xu narrowed her eyes: "The Eighth Princess Consort and Consort Rou have only been together for a few days, how do you know that Consort Rou is compassionate?"
These words were meant to guide the crowd, suggesting that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law might have already been in contact privately, which could be considered as Xu Lingqing revealing a flaw.
Xu Lingqing's face paled, and she looked helplessly at Empress Dowager Xu: "Your Majesty, why are you still holding this grudge against me?"
Seeing the two old women crying, Empress Dowager Xu frowned, cursed them, and then turned her gaze to Song Yue.
"Everyone here has their own version of events. You tell me, how should we continue the investigation?" Empress Dowager Xu was certain that Song Yue would not collude with the Eighth Prince's Mansion.
Song Yue looked at Zhao Zhiyan: "It's quite simple. One of the Consort Rou and the Eighth Prince's wife has entered the Shenxing Division. Only by withstanding the punishment can we determine how much truth there is in what they said."
"Nonsense!" Consort Rou raised her voice, "Song Yue, how can you be so vicious at such a young age? I am old, how can I tolerate this?"
Xu Lingqing's frail body swayed precariously: "If you want me dead, just say so. Why beat around the bush? There will surely be injustices under severe torture."
The two women both pointed the finger at the outsider, especially Xu Lingqing: "Your Highness, Song Yue must be jealous that I stole you away, so she is deliberately targeting me. She is ruthless, so you must not compromise."
Song Yue scoffed: "So you know you used underhanded methods to steal her away?"
"You!" Xu Lingqing was speechless after being rebuked, and she clutched Zhao Zhiyan's sleeve with a wronged look on her face.
Song Yue looked at Zhao Zhiyan dismissively: "The two ladies are delicate and frail. If they can't handle it, then the Eighth Prince will have to suffer a bit."
Zhao Zhiyan's expression changed slightly.
"Absolutely not!" Consort Rou and Xu Lingqing refused outright.
"I think Princess Guangjia's idea is excellent," Empress Dowager Xu nodded in agreement.
Zhao Zhiyan looked at Song Yue with an expression that seemed to say, "Are you serious?"
Song Yue forced a bitter smile: "The witnesses and evidence are right in front of us, but Eighth Prince doesn't accept it. I suggested an interrogation to give you a chance to prove your innocence, but you're unwilling to cooperate. So, there are only two options left."
"What method?" Empress Dowager Xu asked impatiently.
"When my mother was unconscious, I took her blood and preserved it. The blood still contains traces of the poison from the Heartbreak Powder. You can all be witnesses and let the people of the Eighth Prince's Mansion drink it. Let's see if they can cure the poison without anyone noticing, or if they will die from the poison."
Consort Rou panicked: "Isn't this reckless!"
"Is there another way?" Zhao Zhiyan asked.
Song Yue raised her chin and said, word by word, "If Eighth Prince relinquishes his military power and becomes a law-abiding prince from now on, then we will believe that Eighth Prince was framed. Otherwise, Eighth Prince is involved and one of the masterminds! Looking at everything, only your family has benefited the most, which makes it hard not to suspect your motives."
After he finished speaking, everyone present fell silent for a moment.
Empress Dowager Xu nodded: "That makes perfect sense."
"Nonsense!" Xu Lingqing was the first to jump out and object: "I finally understand, everything you've done is to find a reason for Prince Guangjia to ascend the throne!"
"The Guangjia Prince's Mansion can publicly swear that it will never seize the throne in the future, and the Guangjia Prince's Mansion can also request to be deposed and demoted away from the capital!" Song Yue walked closer to Xu Lingqing, smiling provocatively: "And you, do you dare?"
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