Chapter 55 He carried her scent.
The attendant stepped forward and directly accused Shui Xian of having an affair with Lian Chenxi.
Although his expression was fearful, it also revealed a deep sense of pride. If he handled things well today, he would receive the countless gold and silver treasures promised by the Yi family! Enough for him to spend for half a lifetime!
Unexpectedly, Narcissus remained calm in the face of danger and ordered Silver Pearl beside her to grab the servant.
"You're saying you don't know where Scholar Lian has gone?"
Narcissus stared intently at the servant, her earlier helplessness completely gone.
The attendant felt something was amiss, but no matter how he thought about it, the plan seemed foolproof!
He cried out in protest, "Your Highness, Consort Jin! Are you trying to silence me? I... I was just telling the truth!"
"Shut your mouth? Why would I need to shut a servant like you?"
Narcissus's voice was clear and crisp, "I only want you to explain why your robes are also stained with the styrax incense that I usually use!!"
The servant's face drained of color instantly!
He instinctively tried to pull his arm back, which was firmly held by the silver bead.
"Impossible! This servant..." he denied in a trembling voice.
“Feng Shunxiang!” Emperor Zhaoheng said in a deep voice, “Investigate thoroughly.”
Seeing the servant's panic, Emperor Zhaoheng's suspicions deepened.
The chief eunuch Feng Shunxiang immediately stepped forward, grabbed the servant's sleeve without any hesitation, and brought it to his nose to sniff carefully.
After a moment, his expression turned serious, and he turned to Emperor Zhaoheng: "Your Majesty! The fragrance on this man's sleeves is undoubtedly a specially made styrax incense from the palace!"
The evidence is irrefutable!
The servant was struck dumb, his body went limp instantly, and he could no longer utter a word.
He had just finished saying that he didn't know where Scholar Lian had gone, but his sleeves were covered with a special kind of styrax incense that could only be used in large quantities in Consort Jin's room!
His lies fell apart on their own!
He must have been in that room! In fact, he was the one who got Scholar Lian into it!
A huge weight was lifted from Narcissus's heart, but even greater doubts arose.
Lian Chenxi, a top scholar with a strong mind, would never willingly follow a servant to her room.
Narcissus recalled his deathly pale face when he returned to the banquet, and his unusually weak state just now...
“Your Majesty!” Shui Xian knelt down before Emperor Zhaoheng, “When Scholar Lian returned to his seat just now, his face was pale, his mind was in a daze, and his steps were unsteady. This was definitely not the usual state of panic!”
"Your Majesty, I dare to speculate that Scholar Lian did not enter my room voluntarily, but rather... was drugged and rendered unconscious before being moved into the room to frame me! I implore Your Majesty to immediately order the imperial physician to examine Scholar Lian's pulse and check whether he has been drugged!"
Consort Wen stepped over the screen, her voice soft yet carrying a hidden obstruction.
"Sister Jinfei...why are you so concerned about Scholar Lian's health? You even observe his complexion and gait with such meticulous attention to detail?"
She sighed and looked at Emperor Zhaoheng at the head of the table.
"Sister is carrying the emperor's child, which is of utmost importance. At this moment, you should take good care of yourself and think about the imperial heir in your womb! Scholar Lian will have the imperial physicians and the emperor to make the decision. Sister, you are so worried, please don't harm your health."
She never mentioned their private relationship, but every word she uttered implied that Shui Xian was overly concerned about Lian Chenxi.
As expected, Emperor Zhaoheng frowned!
As an emperor and a man, his possessiveness was precisely stirred up by Yi Shuyao's words.
Emperor Zhaoheng said in a low voice, "Consort Jin, you are pregnant and should not overexert yourself, much less get so excited."
"Someone, help Consort Jin to the warm pavilion next door to rest, and summon the imperial physician to check if she is alright."
He was asking Narcissus to leave temporarily, both to protect her and as a subtle response to Yi Shuyao's words.
Narcissus's eyes darkened!
If she leaves now, it will be tantamount to handing over the initiative!
Those powerful families are cunning and resourceful; it's unclear how they will manipulate the investigation results...
"Your Majesty!" Instead of getting up, Shui Xian looked up at Emperor Zhaoheng with tears welling in her eyes.
"Your Majesty, I am not concerned about Scholar Lian!"
"Your Majesty, I am acting in your best interests. I want to find out who dared to frame the top scholar at the Imperial Banquet and disrespect the imperial authority!"
She raised her snow-white wrist, clutching the corner of Emperor Zhaoheng's dragon robe with a wronged expression:
"Your Majesty... from the second-place scholar Ban's pointed mention of the Dengdi Inn, to Consort Wen's repeated attempts to frame the top scholar Lian..."
"Their singing and dancing were perfectly synchronized!"
"If I hadn't been lucky enough to catch the servant's robes stained with fragrance, both I and Scholar Lian would have been unable to defend ourselves and would have been utterly disgraced!"
Shui Xian turned around and glanced at Ban Yaozong, whose expression had changed slightly, and Yi Shuyao, who was trying to remain calm.
"Ban, the second-place scholar, is Minister Yi's favorite student, and Consort Wen is the concubine's daughter of the Yi family. Their cooperation at the Qionglin Banquet today is so seamless. Could it be that it was premeditated?!"
Having lived two lives, Narcissus knows that if she finds herself in a passive position, she should never rush to prove herself, but rather drag others down with her.
A mob has a high level of curiosity, but it can only focus on one thing at a time.
Only by diverting the trouble to the east can we completely get out of this predicament!
"Consort Jin! You're spouting false accusations!"
Ban Yaozong's face turned ashen, filled with shock and anger.
"Your Majesty! I am innocent!"
Yi Shuyao turned pale and fell to her knees with a thud:
"I have never met the second-ranked scholar before, and I did not know he was my father's student until today!"
"I spoke up for my sister just now because I couldn't bear to see her wronged! How could my sister repay kindness with enmity and falsely accuse me of framing her... Please, Your Majesty, do justice for me!"
How similar is Yi Shuyao in this scene to Narcissus just now?
Emperor Zhaoheng's face was ashen. Looking at the extremely aggrieved Narcissus, he finally realized the suspicious points of today's events.
Ban Yaozong was a student of Yi Ming, and Yi Shuyao was a concubine's daughter of the Yi family...
They were indeed very well-coordinated in framing Lian Chenxi!
How could a mere servant have the audacity and ability to frame someone at the Qionglin Banquet?
There must be someone behind him instigating this!
The powerful families... the Yi family... they're using this opportunity to eliminate any hope of rising from humble beginnings!
It should be noted that Lian Chenxi was personally awarded the title of top scholar.
Emperor Zhaoheng did indeed harbor the idea of supporting those from humble backgrounds and maintaining balance in the court!
This time, the Yi family has really overstepped their bounds!
Emperor Zhaoheng looked at Feng Shunxiang beside him and said in a deep voice:
"Where is the imperial physician? Go and examine Lian Chenxi immediately! I need to know if he has truly been drugged!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Feng Shunxiang dared not delay and immediately led his men away at a brisk pace.
A somber atmosphere once again enveloped Qionglin Garden.
The newly appointed scholars looked at each other, their previous excitement gone, replaced by unease.
Narcissus knelt quietly on the spot, her mind clear.
She knew that her words had successfully directed the emperor's anger towards the Yi family and other prominent clans.
The key to breaking the deadlock lies in the emperor's vigilance and anger towards the powerful aristocratic families!
Time slipped away in agony.
Finally, Feng Shunxiang hurriedly returned with the imperial physician.
"Your Majesty!" the imperial physician bowed and reported, his voice heavy with solemnity.
"Upon careful examination, I found that Scholar Lian's pulse was weak and sluggish, his pupils were slightly dilated, and a faint, strange fragrance lingered in his mouth and nose. These are typical symptoms of being poisoned by a mind-altering drug!"
Exclamations of surprise rang out from the audience.
Lian Chenxi was indeed drugged and moved to the Narcissus Room!
Narcissus felt reassured and immediately voiced the doubts she had been pondering:
"Your Majesty! This servant is short, while Scholar Lian is quite tall. It is absolutely impossible for him to move the unconscious Scholar Lian into my room without anyone noticing!"
"He must have accomplices! I implore Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this man, find his accomplices, and clear my name!"
Shui Xian knelt before Emperor Zhaoheng, looking extremely aggrieved, and kept wiping away her tears with her handkerchief, which finally aroused Emperor Zhaoheng's pity.
Lian Chenxi was drugged, how could he possibly have an affair with Shui Xian?
A hint of guilt was hidden in Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze as he looked at Shui Xian.
He personally stepped forward, bent down, and helped her up.
"Xian'er has been frightened." His voice was deep and reassuring. "You are carrying the imperial heir, so do not kneel any longer. I will certainly give you an explanation for this matter!"
Upon hearing the name Xian'er, Shui Xian felt a slight sense of relief, knowing that the most dangerous moment had passed.
She stood up and nestled beside Emperor Zhaoheng, whispering, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze turned icy again. He looked at the limp attendant and coldly ordered:
"Feng Shunxiang! Get him to talk! I need to know who his accomplices are! Who instructed him to frame the top scholar and slander the concubines at the Qionglin Banquet!"
"Your servant obeys the decree!" A fierce glint flashed in Feng Shunxiang's eyes. He waved his hand, signaling two eunuchs to step forward and drag the ashen-faced servant away for severe interrogation.
However, at the crucial moment, the servant suddenly clenched his teeth.
No one noticed his unusual movement. Just as the eunuch was about to take him away by supporting him under his armpits, the servant suddenly began to convulse, and a terrifying white foam appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Fortunately, there was an imperial physician nearby who quickly stepped forward and carefully examined the patient. The physician shook his head regretfully.
"This servant had a poison sac hidden between his teeth... He just bit through it, and he's beyond saving..."
The moment the words left his mouth, the servant, his face turning blue, stopped trembling and died with his eyes wide open!
No one expected that a banquet that should have been a celebration of flowers and wine would end with a death.
Emperor Zhaoheng, his face ashen, ordered the carriage to return to the palace!
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