Chapter 513 Proving the Reason for Falling into the Water
Zhou Ruiyuan and the Seventh Prince entered the palace and went straight to the Emperor's palace.
The emperor personally summoned them, eagerly awaiting their discovery of the person who murdered Consort Li.
However, when he saw them bring in Granny He and Liu Xiangxiang, he was shocked and slowly stood up. "Seventh Brother, these two?"
The seventh prince bowed and asked, "Father, do you recognize these two people?"
The emperor looked at the two women carefully and felt that they looked somewhat familiar, but it wasn't hard to guess who they were.
He had seen them all in Consort Wu's palace before, but he never expected that they were still alive.
"What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be investigating Consort Li's miscarriage? Why did you bring these two here?"
The seventh prince continued, "Father, you've forgotten that besides investigating Consort Li's miscarriage, there's also the case of Consort Wu's miscarriage back then."
The emperor's face gradually turned ashen. He thought that everyone connected to that year had died, but he never expected that the seventh prince would find two old women to help him.
Although he was displeased, he had no choice but to let him continue.
“Father, these two are the witnesses who witnessed Consort Wu’s miscarriage back then.”
The emperor said coldly, "So many years have passed, how can I be sure that what they said was the truth?"
The Seventh Prince straightened up slightly and said, "Father, besides witnesses, we also have physical evidence here."
"Physical evidence? What kind of physical evidence?" the emperor asked in surprise.
The Seventh Prince took out a booklet and handed it over, saying, "This is a record of the symptoms of Consort Wu's miscarriage. It is very detailed. Consort Wu had already miscarried before meeting the Empress because of her weak health."
The emperor held it in his hand and looked at it, his brows gradually furrowing.
The Seventh Prince looked at Granny He who was standing to the side and said, "Granny, tell the Emperor what exactly happened back then?"
Granny He had aged considerably in recent years. She stepped forward shakily, knelt down and performed a deep bow to the Emperor, then raised her head and said, "Back then, Consort Wu was in poor health. Not long after discovering she was pregnant, she suddenly suffered a miscarriage in the middle of the night due to severe bleeding. I personally examined her pulse and helped stop the bleeding. Several days later, she received incense from Her Majesty the Empress. On a whim, she accused Her Majesty the Empress of poisoning the incense and faking a miscarriage to frame Her Majesty the Empress."
The emperor's face grew increasingly grim as he listened, and he remained silent throughout.
The Seventh Prince stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, based on witness testimonies and physical evidence, the Empress is not the one who caused Consort Wu's miscarriage; she has been wronged."
A flash of anger crossed the emperor's eyes. He was unwilling to admit his mistake. "This witness and the physical evidence alone are not enough to prove the empress's innocence."
After saying this, he became somewhat impatient and said sternly to the Seventh Prince, "This time, the main purpose is to investigate Consort Li. If you can't find out the truth today, you will be beheaded."
The Seventh Prince remained calm and composed, then turned and asked Liu Xiangxiang to step forward and speak.
Before the emperor could refuse, Liu Xiangxiang had already recounted in detail how Consort Duan had poisoned Consort Wu to the point of miscarriage. "Your Majesty, Consort Wu always thought that her miscarriage was due to her poor health, but that's not the case. It was Consort Duan who had been poisoning her."
The emperor's expression gradually improved. Now that Consort Duan was dead, it wouldn't matter even if he brought her up.
He cleared his throat and instructed the Seventh Prince: "I have my own plans regarding the Empress. Now, find out who murdered Consort Li for me."
Seeing that he kept bringing up the matter of Consort Li, the Seventh Prince said directly, "Your Majesty, Consort Li's miscarriage was purely accidental, and no one plotted against her."
The emperor was slightly taken aback, then said sternly, "Impossible. How could there be such a coincidence in the world? Why would she fall into the water for no reason?"
At this moment, Zhou Ruiyuan slowly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "If Your Majesty does not believe me, you may summon Consort Li for questioning."
After the emperor pondered for a moment, the eunuch at the door called out, "Someone, summon Consort Li to the front hall."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The eunuch slowly withdrew, and not long after, Consort Li was brought into the main hall.
The emperor felt sorry for her and quickly offered her a seat.
"Consort Li, you've worked hard," the Emperor said, holding her hand and comforting her.
Consort Li, pale-faced and with bloodless lips, weakly bowed to him, "Your Majesty..."
The emperor quickly helped her sit down, saying, "You haven't recovered yet, there's no need for such formalities."
Zhou Ruiyuan walked slowly over and bowed to Consort Li. "Now that Consort Li has come, please tell His Majesty what exactly happened when you fell into the water."
The Emperor held Consort Li's hand and said, "Lord Zhou said that you accidentally fell into the water and that no one harmed you. Is that true?"
After a moment of silence, Consort Li slowly replied, "Lord Zhou is right, I did indeed fall into the water by accident."
The emperor was somewhat skeptical. "You've always been in good health, so why would you suddenly fall into the water?"
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