Chapter 171 The arrow is on the string and has to be shot
In an instant, palace lanterns lit up the long street like flowing water. Empress Su Qinyao sat upright on the Nine Phoenix Golden Chariot, her scarlet phoenix robe trailing on the ground like flowing clouds.
Helian Shu and Su Wan were on either side of the chariot, and the atmosphere suddenly became frosty with the sound of pearls and jade colliding.
"Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen!"
"Greetings, Mother!"
Queen Su Qinyao waved her hand, but her eyes fell on her son:
"Feng'er, why did you come to the palace when you weren't in the Ministry of Justice discussing matters?"
Helian Feng took a few steps forward and stopped in front of Su Qinyao's sedan chair:
"Mother, I heard about the turmoil in the palace and was deeply worried, so I came to visit."
Su Qinyao's lips curled up slightly:
"You're quite well-informed!"
"Mother, I have learned that today's events were caused by Xiyan, a maidservant in the Prince Regent's Palace. I can testify that I was there when Shu'er and Wan'er fell into the water at Fenghuangting that day."
He deliberately emphasized the word "coincidentally":
"I personally saw Shu'er and the other two accidentally fall, and it wasn't someone else pushing them. As for this Miss Xiyan, she did jump into the water to save someone, and she should be commended. Why are you still holding her accountable?"
Xiyan looked up suddenly, feeling bitter in her throat.
The breeze blew across her blood-stained sleeves, but Helian Feng's voice echoed through her heart.
Helian Feng was clearly not present that day. He arrived only after they fell into the water. Now, is he trying to exonerate her?
She caught a glimpse of Helian Shu's face twisted with anger, and she suddenly realized that this seemingly honest testimony was actually the sharpest shield.
"Brother, how dare you speak for this slave girl!"
Helian Shu pointed at Xiyan angrily, her face full of resentment:
"It was clearly her who tripped me and caused me to fall into the lake. Furthermore, she colluded with gangsters and nearly killed me. Brother Royal, I am your biological sister!"
“That’s enough!”
Helian Feng suddenly raised his voice, his eyes suddenly sharp:
"As a princess, a daughter of a royal family, you should be well-educated and well-mannered. Yet, you resorted to lynching based on one-sided testimony. You even believed slander and tried to tarnish a woman's innocence. If this were to get out, how would the royal family maintain its dignity?"
His eyes swept over Su Wan's suddenly pale face again, accurately piercing the panic in her eyes, and slightly raised the corners of his lips:
"It seems that some things need to be re-discussed!"
Su Wan's body shook violently, and the fingertips pinching the silk handkerchief lost their color in an instant. She felt a chill running up her back to the back of her neck, and her ears were buzzing, making it almost impossible for her to hear anything around her.
She subconsciously looked at Helian Shu, but saw that the princess also took a half step back with a pale face, obviously shocked by the sudden intimidation of Prince Tianqi.
But at this moment, Su Qinyao, who had been gloomy all the time, sneered and said:
"Alright! Why get so angry over a trivial maid? Look at this formation. Did the Second Prince of Nan Zhao actually break into the Yandu Palace for her, intending to kidnap her?"
Xie Zhan took a half step forward and bowed:
"Your Majesty, I see clearly. Xiyan is an old friend of mine. She has been framed and tortured without cause. As a friend, how could I stand by and watch her perish? Speaking of injustice, who was the first to ignite this injustice in the palace?"
Su Qinyao narrowed her eyes slightly, and her gilded armor knocked against the chariot's armrest, making a crisp sound:
"How can you cause such a scene just for a lowly maid? Second Prince Nan Zhao, you are a distinguished guest, yet you entered the palace armed with weapons and injured so many guards. Is this how you treat guests in Nan Zhao?"
Xie Zhan sneered, neither humble nor arrogant:
"Those guards, relying on their superiors to bully the weak, deserve to die!"
“Bold!”
Su Qinyao stood up suddenly, and the pearls on the phoenix crown made a messy sound:
"This is the Tianqi Palace. We won't tolerate a foreign official like you being so presumptuous! No one can take this lowly maid away today!"
"I insist on taking her away. What should the Queen do?"
"you……!"
At this critical moment, Helian Feng spoke again:
"Mother! Nan Zhao and our dynasty have had friendly relations for many years, and the Second Prince's actions are motivated by righteous indignation. How can we allow the harmony between the two countries to be damaged because of a maidservant..."
He paused slightly, looking directly into the anger in Su Qinyao's eyes:
"I think the loss outweighs the gain."
Su Qinyao gripped the armrest tightly, the jade ring almost embedded in her palm.
"Then according to Feng'er, how should this matter be handled?"
"In my opinion, I can take Xiyan back to the Crown Prince's residence for a strict interrogation. There's no need for her to stay in the palace and disturb you. Moreover, your father is out of the palace to inspect the six ministries. If he returns and sees this chaos in the palace, he will surely be furious."
"Oh? You're taking her away?"
"Exactly!"
Su Qinyao looked at her son's determined expression and suddenly sneered:
"Okay, okay! I raised my son with great effort, but now he's turning his back on me for a woman!"
She looked very disappointed:
"Do you know that everything Queen Mother has done is well-intentioned? However, now the arrow is on the string and has to be shot!"
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