Qin Wen was led into the hall, her knees buckled, and she knelt on the ground.
The surroundings were silent, except for her heavy breathing and the sound of her heartbeat.
"Qin Wen, do you know your crime?" Zhao Yuan's voice was as cold as ice.
Qin Wen looked up and met his sharp, eagle-like eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.
The candlelight flickered in the room, and a jailer deliberately made noise with some of the torture instruments. Qin Wen looked in the direction of the sound and was immediately terrified.
"Your Honor, please investigate! I am innocent! The Empress and I are sisters; how could I possibly harm her?"
Zhao Yuan snorted coldly and waved for the guards to present the evidence—a packet of unused medicine powder and Qin Wen's personal belongings. Then, he threw Dong Ling's testimony in front of her: "With both witnesses and physical evidence, what else do you have to say?"
Qin Wen looked at the packet of powder with trembling eyes, her face turning deathly pale instantly.
She shook her head frantically, trying to explain, but found her voice so weak: "No, it wasn't me! I... I just..."
Seeing her hesitate, Zhao Yuan gave a wink to the jailer beside him, "Bring on the torture instruments. Be careful, don't kill her."
The jailer took a red-hot branding iron from the blazing charcoal brazier and asked Zhao Yuan, "Sir, this branding iron will at most disfigure Miss Qin's face, but it won't endanger her life. Why don't we use this instrument of torture?"
"Fine, go ahead as you wish!" Zhao Yuan waved his hand impatiently. He stood up to leave, "You can take your time with the interrogation. I'm a little tired, I'm going out for a walk."
Qin Wen stared intently at the branding iron, her heart pounding in her chest.
She thought to herself: Rather than being tortured into confessing, I'd rather confess voluntarily. By striking first and shifting all the blame onto Song Jin, I might be able to escape this predicament.
Thinking of this, she burst into tears, crying, "My lord, I'm innocent! I... Physician Song lied to me!"
Zhao Yuan slowly lowered his raised foot, and his buttocks returned to the chair he had just been sitting on.
He gazed at Qin Wen's beautiful face and asked her slowly, "Oh? How did he lie to you? And when did you two get together?"
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