Before they could retort, Xin Jiuwei's gaze flashed like lightning as she turned to the palace maid who had been grabbed and spilled tea. Her voice suddenly turned sharp: "You say someone tripped you? But Guard Chen testified that the eunuch you accused wasn't even near you! So, who really tripped you? Or... did you deliberately fall to frame me?!"
The palace maid was terrified and stammered, "No... I didn't... I really tripped..."
“Very well!” Xin Jiuwei turned to Liu Yiyi, staring at the letter in her hand. “Miss Liu just said that this letter was written to me? And it’s signed Qi Huaiyu? May I present the letter to Her Majesty the Empress and the ladies so that everyone can see what this ‘love letter’ actually says and what kind of ‘lifelike’ handwriting it is?”
Liu Yiyi's face paled, and her hand holding the letter instinctively shrank. The letter was a forgery, and its contents were extremely offensive. If it were read aloud in public, it would certainly destroy Xin Jiuwei completely, but the forged handwriting would also be easily spotted by experts! She looked to Princess Yongjia for help.
Xin Jiuwei, however, gave her no chance, pressing on relentlessly: "What? Miss Liu doesn't dare? Or is this letter a forgery, unable to withstand scrutiny?" She suddenly turned to the Empress, her voice filled with righteous indignation: "Your Majesty! This humble woman requests to examine this letter! This humble woman also has something to present to Your Majesty!"
As she spoke, she took out a small, plain white porcelain bottle from her actual sleeve pocket and held it high: "This is a specially made wound medicine given to me by Miss Lin Wanyi of the Imperial Hospital. Just now, this palace maid 'accidentally' spilled boiling water, scalding the back of my hand, and the wound is still red and swollen. Miss Lin's medicine is the best for testing wounds. As for the 'Nine-Tailed Phoenix Hairpin' in my sleeve..." She sneered, her gaze as sharp as ice blades sweeping over Yongjia and Liu Yiyi, "If I were to secretly keep and wear it, the hairpin would surely be stained with the scent of cosmetics, and there would definitely be marks of wear and friction on the hairpin. I dare ask Princess Yongjia and Miss Liu, do you dare to have someone examine this phoenix hairpin? To see if there is any trace of my cosmetics on it? Or is it... brand new and shiny, simply a counterfeit made to frame me!"
Xin Jiuwei's words came like a barrage of bullets, each one piercing to the heart! She not only produced witnesses to clear the eunuch's name, but also directly exposed the palace maid's lie about being "tripped"! Now, she turned her attention to the key pieces of evidence—the "love letter" and the "phoenix hairpin"! Demanding verification of their authenticity! She even showed her scalded hand as evidence of being framed!
This series of counterattacks was logically sound, with a complete chain of evidence, and its momentum was overwhelming! It instantly turned the tide! The hall fell into an eerie silence once again, but this time, the suspicious and scrutinizing gazes began to slowly shift from Xin Jiuwei to the pale-faced Princess Yongjia and Liu Yiyi!
"You...you're talking nonsense! You're just spouting nonsense!" Princess Yongjia was so angry that she trembled all over, but she couldn't find any strong words to refute her.
Liu Yiyi was drenched in cold sweat, and her hand holding the letter trembled slightly, as if she were holding a red-hot iron.
The Empress's face was gloomy, her gaze shifting between Xin Jiuwei, Yongjia, and Liu Yiyi, clearly aware of the strangeness of the situation.
Just then, Xiao Xun, who had been silent all along, finally moved.
He slowly rose to his feet, his dark princely robes standing out starkly against the stark white of the hall. He didn't look at Xin Jiuwei, nor at Yongjia; his deep gaze fell directly on the Empress, his voice steady and powerful, carrying an undeniable authority:
"Your Majesty, this matter is truly bizarre, fraught with suspicion. It concerns not only the reputation of the future Crown Princess but also the dignity of the royal family, and cannot be taken lightly. I believe we should investigate this thoroughly immediately." He paused, his gaze sweeping over Yongjia and Liu Yiyi with a palpable intensity, his tone suddenly turning cold, carrying a chilling aura. "Hand over the palace maids and eunuchs involved, and... all those who handled the evidence, to the Imperial Clan Court for rigorous interrogation! We must get to the bottom of this! Framing the Crown Princess and implicating a member of the imperial family—such treasonous acts, whoever instigated them, will be severely punished once discovered!"
"Sixth Imperial Brother!" Princess Yongjia screamed, her face turning deathly pale. The Imperial Clan Court! That's where members of the royal family go when they commit crimes! Once inside, you're guaranteed to suffer a terrible fate, if not die! And Xiao Xun's icy gaze clearly indicated that he already suspected her!
Xiao Zhuo's expression also changed slightly. He stepped forward, wanting to say something: "Sixth Brother, this is a matter of the palace. Shouldn't we hand it over to the Imperial Clan Court...?"
"Second Imperial Brother!" Xiao Xun interrupted him, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing Xiao Zhuo. "This matter is no ordinary palace trifle! First, it's a frame-up that exceeds the rules and is extremely disrespectful; then, it's an accusation of having an affair with an outsider! Every single one of these things is aimed at the majesty of the Imperial Family! If we don't investigate thoroughly, how can we set things right? How can we deter others from doing the same? Does Second Imperial Brother think that framing the future Imperial Consort is just a trivial matter that can be easily overlooked?" The sharpness in his words made no attempt to conceal Xiao Zhuo's possible intention to cover up the affair.
Xiao Zhuo was speechless, his face turning pale and then red.
The Empress, observing the tense situation before her, seeing the undeniable coldness in Xiao Xun's eyes, and then glancing at Xin Jiuwei's pale yet ramrod straight figure, the bottle of medicine in her hand, and the reddened back of her hand, already understood the situation quite well. She wearily rubbed her temples, her voice carrying an undeniable authority: "Enough! Silence!"
She coldly surveyed the entire room, her gaze finally settling on Xin Jiuwei, a complex scrutiny in her eyes: "Xin, you have been wronged. I will give you an explanation for this matter." She immediately ordered: "Guards! Detain the palace maids and eunuchs involved! Liu Yiyi," the Empress's icy gaze shot towards Liu Yiyi, "you just spoke with absolute certainty, accusing Xin, and you also possess so-called 'letters of affection,' hand them over to the Imperial Clan Court for investigation! As for Yongjia..." The Empress looked at her spoiled niece, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes, "confined to the palace, not to leave without imperial decree! We will deal with her after the truth is found!"
"Aunt!" Princess Yongjia cried out in despair.
The guards stepped forward and, without saying a word, dragged away the crying Yongjia, the ashen-faced Liu Yiyi, and the terrified palace maids and eunuchs.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
