Yu Nanqing's eyebrows twitched slightly, and his sharp, long eyes lifted, his gaze falling on the furious Emperor Yuanhe.
Su Wanyan remained calm as she looked at Emperor Yuanhe: "Your Majesty, I dare not. I believe that Your Majesty has always valued the Prince. But unfortunately, some people say one thing to Your Majesty's face and another behind his back."
Su Wanyan pointed at Xu Si: "Isn't Xu Si the man the Emperor sent from the palace? For the past three years, he has been skimping on the Prince's food and insulting and mocking him. If I hadn't given him a beating, he would have behaved himself. Otherwise, who knows how lawless he would be now!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yuanhe's face twitched visibly.
"Isn't this just paying lip service while secretly defying the emperor? Furthermore, just a few days ago, a maid in the Prince's residence put medicine into the Prince's medicine pot. I saw it clearly. Aren't all the people in the Prince's residence sent by the Emperor? With the Emperor's orders in place, they still dare to act so recklessly. Just imagine how they bully and abuse the Prince when the Emperor can't see them!"
She didn't say what kind of medicine she gave him. If it was a laxative, these people would only think it was making a mountain out of a molehill, because in their eyes Yu Nanqing was a piece of trash that everyone could trample on, and not worth mentioning at all.
But if she doesn't say anything, they will automatically think of poisoning. Everyone can step on Yu Nanqing, that's true, but trying to kill a prince is a different matter!
Su Wanyan looked directly at Emperor Yuanhe: "Your Majesty, I naturally trust you, but similar things have happened too many times. I have to be cautious and vigilant. Even the imperial physicians in the palace, I have to be suspicious of!"
After Su Wanyan finished speaking, everyone in the hall showed a strange and incomprehensible expression.
Is she genuinely naive or just pretending?
How could anyone dare to say these things openly?
Isn't this holding the emperor accountable for his lax control and ineffective supervision?
Even if Su Wanyan wins against the Eldest Princess this time, so what? The thorn she planted in the Emperor's heart will haunt him even if he doesn't die.
The imperial physician was summoned to examine the patient, who was found to have been poisoned. Xu died in four places.
If she didn't poison him, she could easily have just said it was due to carelessness. This is the palace. No matter how difficult the princess makes things for her, could she really just throw Su Wanyan in jail?
The Emperor's dislike for Yu Nanqing is obvious to everyone in the palace. Without the Emperor's permission, how could they dare to act so arrogantly in Prince Gong's Mansion?
Was Su Wanyan truly unaware or feigning ignorance?
However, in the hall, apart from Yu Nanqing, only one person's expression was different from theirs, and that was Si Yang, the princess's husband.
A glimmer of light seemed to flash in those lifeless eyes, and with a slight tremor of her eyelashes, she finally raised her eyes and saw clearly the person confronting Emperor Yuanhe in the hall.
However, in the blink of an eye, the eyes that had just flashed with light returned to their lifeless state; it was nothing more than a moth drawn to a flame, a futile attempt to break a rock.
"Princess Gong needs evidence to speak," the Empress said, seemingly reminding Su Wanyan. "Prince Gong's residence is heavily guarded by maids. How can we be convinced by Princess Gong's word alone?"
"Your Majesty, I am not here to complain. Whether you believe me or not makes no difference to me or the Prince. They are just a few maids. I can easily deal with them in the manor. Don't you agree, Your Majesty?"
"Since you know about these things, why did you bring them up at the banquet?"
"Your Majesty, I have already made myself very clear. I was just afraid that someone might outwardly comply with His Majesty's wishes but inwardly defy him, thus putting me and the Prince in an unjust position."
"According to Princess Gong, can't this matter be resolved by you yourselves after we return to the Prince's residence?"
"Then may I ask Your Majesty, should I eat this poisoned dish or not? If I eat it, I will be poisoned to death; if I don't eat it, this dog of a servant will take advantage of the fact that this is the palace and assume that I will not dare to make this public. Am I to be forced to endure this again and again by a mere servant?"
The Empress pursed her lips, speechless with frustration.
The coldness in Emperor Yuanhe's eyes could no longer be concealed. He stared intently at Su Wanyan, his face contorted with rage, and his deep, cold voice suppressed that anger: "Then what do you want?"
"Find a dog to eat these! We'll know immediately whether they were poisoned or not!" Su Wanyan said, pointing to the piece of candied fruit that had fallen to the ground.
This is indeed a good idea.
It was so good that the eldest princess almost couldn't suppress her anger!
She knew that things had come to this point, and it was no longer possible to eliminate Su Wanyan with poison.
She's just a useless servant. If she continues to make a fuss over a servant, it will not only arouse suspicion but also be beneath her dignity. As the dignified princess, she has no need for that!
"Someone, bring two dogs here!" the princess shouted angrily, and immediately a eunuch trotted out.
"Your Highness...this servant is innocent!" Xu Si suddenly panicked. This...this is not what we agreed on.
Why did the eldest princess agree to Su Wanyan's request?
If the food was really poisoned, wouldn't he be doomed?
The eldest princess said she would protect him, and she will definitely protect him!
He looked at the eldest princess, but she haughtily looked away, not even giving him a glance.
At this moment, Xu Si felt a chill run through his heart, and even his fingertips trembled. Before long, the eunuch brought over two dogs, and a chorus of barking immediately filled the hall.
Xu Si was so frightened by the barking of the two dogs that he trembled all over, his forehead already drenched in sweat. Before the dogs could come forward, he suddenly rushed under the table, grabbed the piece of braised chicken that had been spilled on the ground, and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Yan'er!" Yu Nanqing was startled, thinking that Xu Si was going to take revenge on Su Wanyan.
Su Wanyan didn't expect Xu Si to make such a move. The moment he rushed over, she took a step back towards Yu Nanqing.
Xu Si's eyes were bloodshot, and sweat dripped from his fat face onto the ground. His round body was like a ball, wriggling under the table.
He was trembling all over, tears streaming down his face from fear. He regretted it! He was filled with remorse!
How could he believe that the eldest princess would protect him?
She was second only to the Emperor, and could command the wind and rain in the entire capital. Why would he naively believe that the Princess would plead for a servant like him?
Just because of that one look from the princess, he suddenly realized that he was nothing more than a pawn used by the princess to deal with Yu Nanqing and Su Wanyan!
He regretted it! He was so incredibly regretful!
Although he had a grudge against Su Wanyan and she tricked him into poisoning him, Su Wanyan truly saved him from the Emperor's clutches when the Emperor ordered the cleanup of Prince Gong's mansion.
He thought the eldest princess would also...
Xu Si was afraid. He was afraid that he would be tortured in prison. At this point, the princess would not spare his life, and Su Wanyan would no longer be merciful to him.
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