The three squeezed through the crowd and looked into the flowerbed. They saw that the peonies that had just begun to bloom had all drooped their heads, lifeless. Many of the flowers had even broken off and fallen to the ground. Moreover, the stems of these peonies were soft, the roots were black, and there was blood staining the green leaves and soil.
Looking around, none were spared; it was a shocking sight.
The onlookers all looked surprised and doubtful.
"What else could it be?" A woman's voice chuckled, drawing everyone's attention to her.
Sun Hetang crossed his arms and looked at the flower garden with great interest, raising an eyebrow: "Haven't you heard that Qiao Zhizhi, the daughter of the Qiao family and a great painter, painted a picture and inscribed it with a poem by Lu Guchuan, an official of the Ministry of Justice, something about peonies blooming overnight, splashing crimson across the garden. She even printed many copies and spread them around the streets and alleys, cursing our Great Ze Kingdom to suffer bloodshed and the capital to be in turmoil. Lu Guchuan has already been arrested, suspended from his post, and imprisoned. Qiao Zhizhi's crimes are no less serious than Lu Guchuan's. This kind of thing is not just the idea of one person. I'm afraid the entire Qiao family harbors such treacherous intentions. Soon the imperial family will settle accounts with the Qiao family. Let's all wait and see."
Upon hearing this, everyone present immediately connected the story of the withered and bleeding peony with the painting and the poem, and they all showed expressions of sudden realization.
"So, it turns out that Lu Guchuan and the Qiao family's curse on the fate of the Great Ze Kingdom has come true, which is why these peonies have turned into this state?"
Sun Hetang was satisfied with the answer and continued, "Tianhe Prefecture is now the fiefdom of the Princess Zhenguo. It's hard not to suspect that the Princess Zhenguo is colluding with the Lu family to cause these things."
"Well said." A penetrating voice swept past people's ears, like a clear spring striking a stone, both intimidating and chilling.
Everyone looked toward the source of the sound and saw a bright and spirited woman standing there, clapping her hands together, each clapping crisp and powerful.
Upon seeing the waist tag hanging from her waist, inscribed with the words "Princess Zhenguo," everyone present immediately knelt down, not daring to utter a single word.
This is a princess who commands over 40,000 elite cavalry and Tianhe Prefecture, one of the eight prefectures outside the capital, and is deeply trusted by the emperor, allowing her to intervene in internal affairs.
If she wants to, or if she's unhappy, everyone here can lose their head.
Qiao Lian'er didn't immediately tell them to get up. She needed to establish her authority and let people know that the Qiao family's reputation was not to be trifled with.
"But Miss Sun, have you ever thought that this poem became popular last year, and Lu Guchuan was promoted because of it? Everyone praised it then, and even the Emperor praised it. How come it has suddenly become a prophecy of disaster this year? Whose face is being slapped? Miss Sun, you should be careful with your words, lest you insult someone you shouldn't, or the entire Sun family will be unable to bear the consequences."
Sun Hetang was momentarily speechless at her questioning, but she quickly adjusted her thoughts and responded: "That's right, Lu Guchuan wrote this poem last year. There was really no problem with it at the time. In fact, the poem itself wasn't a big problem. It's just that someone is using this poem to make a fuss this year, cursing the imperial family and the fortune of the Great Swamp Kingdom, trying to incite panic and create chaos in the world."
"Now, the peony has withered and died, still dripping blood, which means that some people have achieved their goals and that some people's curses have come true."
Qiao Lian'er said, "They're just plants. So what if they wither and die? Just plant a new batch. Does that mean the curse has come true? That it's going to bring chaos to the world? To convict someone for this is just trying to frame someone. First, create some momentum and spread rumors, and then secretly poison these plants when no one is watching. As for their efficacy, only a brainless person would be so enthusiastic about such childish tricks."
Sun Hetang pressed on aggressively: "The painting was done by Qiao Zhizhi, wasn't it? The calligraphy was written by Qiao Zhizhi, wasn't it? It's impossible for your Qiao family to clear your name of this crime."
Although Qiao Lian'er's rebuttals were all on point, she was not afraid or worried at all. After all, Lu Gu Chuan had already been locked up, so the advantage was in her hands.
Suddenly, she felt that Qiao Lian'er's gaze towards her seemed to carry a certain pity, a pity born of mockery, which made her heart flutter.
"Why can't we paint a picture that's fine? Why can't we inscribe a poem that's fine?"
“Those who spread rumors and poisoned the peony are the ones who are truly treacherous and curse the fate of the nation.”
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