Chapter 25 Plum Blossom Banquet (Part 3)
Chapter Twenty-Five: The Plum Blossom Banquet (Part Three)
The palace maid, upon seeing the Emperor, immediately knelt on the ground, her voice shrill and filled with anguish, each word dripping with blood as she pointed directly at Su Su: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty the Empress Dowager! It was Consort Su! Just now, she kept talking to my lady, and I don't know what she said, but the lady's complexion grew worse and worse! It must be her... it must be her who couldn't bear to see my lady doing well and poisoned her! I beg Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress Dowager to seek justice for my lady and the unborn prince!" She kowtowed repeatedly, her forehead instantly turning bruised and purple, her performance so sincere that anyone who saw it would think she was a loyal and devoted servant.
Li Qianche sat upright in the hastily moved rosewood armchair, his face ashen, his emotions unreadable. He did not immediately look at the palace maid, but instead slowly turned his gaze to Su Su, who was standing quietly to the side. His deep eyes were filled with complex emotions, including scrutiny, inquiry, and even a secret expectation that he himself was unaware of.
He wanted to see how she would respond, to hear her explanation, and even... he secretly hoped that she would look at him with a hint of grievance and a touch of spoiled arrogance, seeking his protection, just like before.
However, Su Su's reaction surprised everyone. She neither panicked nor angrily rebuked, but calmly walked forward, knelt down gracefully, her back straight, like a green bamboo that refused to bend in the wind and snow.
“Your Majesty, Empress Dowager,” her voice was clear and calm, without a trace of emotion, “I did not harm Consort Wan.”
"Anyone can make empty promises," Consort Zhuang immediately retorted sarcastically, determined not to give Su Su any chance to breathe. "Of course you won't admit it!"
Su Su ignored Consort Zhuang's interruption and continued to look at Li Qianche and the Empress Dowager, saying logically, "If I had intended to harm someone, why would I have immediately called for the imperial physician the moment Consort Wan fell ill? If I had something to hide, wouldn't I be walking into a trap? Your Majesty the Empress Dowager can testify for me that the imperial physician accompanied me today because I was worried about Your Majesty's health and specifically requested permission to do so."
She paused, her gaze calm, "If I had any intention of plotting to harm Consort Wan, and had calculated that she would be unwell at this time, why would I have asked the Empress Dowager in advance to prepare a royal physician?"
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager frowned and pondered for a moment before slowly nodding. Su Su's words were indeed reasonable. She had brought the imperial physician today because she was ill, and Su Su's filial piety was commendable. If Su Su was deliberately plotting to harm Consort Wan, why would she have pleaded with her to bring the imperial physician? The Empress Dowager's expression softened somewhat, and her gaze towards Su Su held less suspicion and more thoughtfulness.
Seeing that the Empress Dowager seemed to be persuaded, Consort Zhuang became anxious and immediately said in a shrill voice, "Clever words and a flattering face! This is perhaps your cleverness, Consort Su! Knowing that Consort Wan is pregnant, you deliberately used the pretense of caring for the Empress Dowager to prepare the imperial physician, which not only cleared yourself of suspicion of immediately killing her, but also made you seem kind and benevolent! Who doesn't know that you, Su Su, have become much more cunning since you were demoted!"
She cleverly linked her "demotion," "deep-thinking" nature, and the old case of "plotting to murder the Prince of Ning's heir" again, intending to evoke a negative impression of Su Su in everyone.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, many of the concubines' gazes towards Su Su became subtly different. Indeed, Su Su had been so arrogant and domineering before, even daring to plot against a prince; it wasn't impossible for her to concoct such a vicious scheme again. The matter of the Prince of Ning's heir was still unresolved, and Su Su was still a suspect!
Li Qianche took in everyone's reactions. He looked at Su Su, who was kneeling upright, and said in a voice devoid of emotion, "Consort Su, what else do you have to say?" The inexplicable irritation in his heart grew stronger. Why didn't she ask him for help? If only she had shown a little weakness, a little dependence...
Su Su raised her eyelids and calmly met Li Qianche's gaze. His eyes were too clear and too distant, as if he were looking at a stranger who had nothing to do with her.
What else could she say? Even if she found out that Xiao Luzi was Consort Zhuang's man, the "Ru Meng Ling" package she hadn't managed to steal was definitely intended for her wardrobe. But what good would it do to say it now? She hadn't caught him red-handed; Xiao Luzi could easily turn the tables and falsely accuse her of stealing the "Ru Meng Ling."
Consort Zhuang's scheme was meticulously planned; having dared to act, she must have been prepared to leave her speechless. Most importantly, the man on the dragon throne… would he truly believe her? The poisoned wine of her past life in the cold palace had already given her the answer. Faced with the emperor's suspicion and so-called irrefutable evidence, her explanations were always pale and powerless.
A faint, almost relieved smile even crossed her lips as she softly said, "Your Majesty has nothing to say. The innocent are innocent, and the guilty are guilty. If Your Majesty believes that I was the one who did it and wishes to punish me, then I... will obey."
The four words, "I obey," she uttered lightly, yet they struck Li Qianche's heart like a hammer blow. Looking at her resolute expression, as if she could leave at any moment, utterly devoid of any attachment to this world, an unprecedented panic gripped his heart! He suddenly realized clearly that his previous cold indifference, his probing, had not only failed to subdue her, but was pushing her away, towards an abyss he could never reach again. He didn't want to test her anymore! He couldn't lose her!
Just as Consort Zhuang's lips were about to curl into a smile, thinking she had finally succeeded and could completely eliminate this major threat, Li Qianche suddenly stood up, emanating a chilling imperial aura that instantly enveloped the entire plum garden.
"Nothing to say?" He repeated Su Su's words, but his voice was as cold as ice striking the ground. "I do have something to say!"
Su Su no longer cared; she wanted to hear how he planned to deal with her. If he was going to throw her into the cold palace like in her previous life, then she would take Chunlan and Qiuju to the cold palace and then find an opportunity to escape the palace by dying.
She looked up at Li Qianche, only to find that he wasn't looking at her. His gaze, sharp as lightning, swept over Consort Zhuang, carrying an all-knowing coldness: "You think you've covered your tracks perfectly?"
Su Su was shocked. Was he asking about Consort Zhuang?
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