"Hahaha!" Fu Lin suddenly burst into laughter, as if he were listening to something very funny.
Qiu Ye also got a moment's respite because of his temporary release, and his face gradually returned to normal.
Suddenly, Fulin's laughter stopped. Looking at his ashen face, everyone in the hall dared not breathe, and a terrifying silence fell. Combined with the stillness of midnight, the atmosphere was indescribably eerie and frightening.
"Is this what you just swore about not tarnishing your master's reputation again?" Fu Lin stared at him and asked coldly.
Qiuye didn't answer. Her mind was in turmoil. The words she had just sworn kept flashing through her mind. Something felt off, but she couldn't figure out what it was.
"It seems you are going to break your oath and die a horrible death!" Fu Lin's eyes grew increasingly cold and terrifying.
His words made everyone present feel his murderous intent.
Qiuye's body trembled even more violently. She wanted to resist, but found that she could no longer move.
Seeing this, Qi Lan turned to Song Dan and said softly, "Your Majesty, the person who took the hundred taels of gold is right here in the palace."
Fu Lin was young and impulsive, but he was not a fool. After Qi Lan's hint, how could he not understand?
He turned his gaze to Songdan, his eyes revealing deep disappointment: "Why? Wan'er is your cousin, she has the blood of the Dong'e clan flowing in her veins, how could you bear to frame her? She always calls you 'sister, sister,' but she is the Consort Xian, whose rank is even higher than yours!"
Songdan froze, then slowly raised her head. "Your Majesty, are you doubting me?"
"Even now you still won't admit it?" Fu Lin's tone became even more sinister. "There are still the Empress Dowager and the Empress in the palace. Why is it that when such a major incident occurred, this lowly servant came to you first?"
"this…"
Although she didn't arrange this, Qiu Ye was keeping an eye on Wan'er for her all the time, so she couldn't help feeling a little guilty. "I suppose... it's because I'm the closest to Chengqian Palace."
"Heh!" Fu Lin chuckled sarcastically, "Is anything closer than the Hall of Mental Cultivation?"
These words shattered Songdan's last hope; her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.
"Sister, is it really you?" Wan'er murmured to herself, pretending to be incredulous.
“No…” Songdan shook her head. If she admitted it now, she would have no chance of turning things around. “It’s all a coincidence, Your Highness, you must believe me.”
She believed that as long as she didn't admit it, Fulin wouldn't be able to do anything to her.
Upon hearing this, Wan'er simply wiped away her tears and did not respond to her words.
At the same time, Fulin did not believe her words, so he questioned Qiuye: "What is your relationship with Consort Ning? You had better tell me the truth, or don't blame me for executing you by slow slicing."
The so-called death by a thousand cuts was a process of slowly cutting away the skin and flesh of a person, one cut at a time, until the prisoner bled to death and died in agony.
Qiu Ye had grown up in the palace since childhood and had witnessed the cruel torture of being executed by slow slicing. Suddenly, a warm golden current flowed from her body. She looked weakly at Song Dan, wanting to tell the truth, but was interrupted by a voice.
"It's me!"
Then, the maidservant beside Songdan stepped forward and knelt on the ground, saying, "The hundred taels of gold were given by this servant, and everything was at this servant's behest."
The person who said this was none other than Songdan's lackey, and it's not hard to see that he was going to take the blame for his master.
Wan'er understood, but she didn't say another word.
Fu Lin chuckled mockingly, "You, a mere servant, possess a hundred taels of gold? Do you think I'd believe you?"
Before the lackey could speak, Songdan became anxious first, "This is what I usually bestow upon you."
"You're quite extravagant," Fu Lin said, giving Song Dan a sidelong glance.
At this moment, Songdan had no time to care what Fulin was thinking. Since someone wanted to be the scapegoat, why not accept it?
Regardless of the outcome, she is willing to fight for any opportunity that comes her way.
“She always cheers me up when I’m feeling down, so… that’s why I gave it to her,” Songdan said, forcing herself to stay awake.
"Is that so?" Fu Lin raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on his face.
Fearing that his mistress might reveal something, the lackey interjected, "This servant has served Consort Ning for over ten years, and usually receives a tael or two as a reward. It's more than enough to scrape together one hundred taels."
Upon hearing this, Songdan breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she could explain the origin of the hundred taels of gold, she could escape this calamity.
Similarly, because someone else took the blame halfway through, Fulin could not insist on punishing Songdan, after all, she still had Dong'e County behind her, so he had to let her go.
So he angrily asked the lackey, "Why did you do this? Wan'er has done you no wrong."
The lackey curled his thin lips into a smile. "This servant has no grudge against her, but it is precisely because of her arrival that Your Highness has lost all honor and favor. Seeing Your Highness spending your days in tears, this servant simply cannot bear it. Therefore... this servant has no choice but to take a risk and use this plan to remove all obstacles for Your Highness."
Fu Lin's eyes flickered slightly, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "You are truly loyal!"
Perhaps sensing her time was running out, the lackey's eyes began to fill with tears. She choked out, "Your Majesty's kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain, I dare not forget it. I... I only regret that I did not repay her sooner, and Your Majesty has repeatedly taught me to be virtuous, I have failed her." She paused, then turned her gaze to Songdan, "If there is an afterlife, I hope Your Majesty will no longer have me as a palace maid, and will not save her life."
After saying this, she kowtowed heavily to the ground, "Please punish me, Your Majesty! I am willing to accept the punishment!" She was ready to die.
"If that's the case, then so be it! Take him away and have him beaten to death!"
Fu Lin waved his hand, and several guards rushed forward and took the lackey away.
Throughout the entire process, Songdan didn't utter a single word of pleading, coldly watching as the palace maid who had died for her was taken away, seemingly feeling that it was only right.
Wan'er thought to herself: Even venomous snakes and fierce beasts are more affectionate than you, which shows that you are even more terrifying than a venomous beast.
Soon after, news came that the lackey had died.
Songdan was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Fulin said, "The fact that she can do this shows that Consort Ning's management skills are mediocre. In that case, you are absolutely not qualified to take on the position of Consort Ning."
"Your Majesty, what do you mean by this?" Songdan had a bad feeling and her face turned very ugly.
"You should know what I mean." Fu Lin glanced at Song Dan indifferently.
Songdan gritted her teeth: "I don't understand!"
"Ha!" Fu Lin snorted coldly, and said bluntly, "From this day forward, you are no longer my Consort Ning, but the lowest-ranking concubine in the palace!"
"No, I will not be a concubine!" Songdan shouted. She knelt and crawled a few steps to grab the hem of Fulin's dragon robe, pleading, "Your Majesty, please give me another chance. I will definitely discipline the servants properly."
Fu Lin glanced at her coldly and said gloomily, "You are not worthy."
Upon hearing this, Songdan collapsed to the ground. She was already a step below Wan'er, which greatly displeased Dong'e County. Now that she had become a concubine, how could she explain herself to Dong'e County?
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