The priest suddenly knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.
He stammered, his head down, his eyes darting around furtively.
Gu Jiangli said coldly, "Why isn't the priest speaking? Don't you claim to be able to understand the voice of all things? Didn't these locusts explain to you why they changed their followers?"
The priest's forehead was covered in cold sweat.
Even if he were stupid, he could see what the Imperial Noble Consort meant.
The emperor remained silent, and it was quite obvious who he favored.
He now deeply regrets his past actions.
It was originally just a small blessing ceremony. As long as he did as the Empress Dowager instructed, he only needed to say a few words during the ceremony pointing out that the child in the Imperial Noble Consort's womb was an evil spirit, and his task would be completed.
The Empress Dowager clearly said that all other matters should be left to her, and she would handle them well. She only needed to appoint the Imperial Noble Consort and not worry about anything else.
But who could have imagined things would develop to this point?
Did the Empress Dowager not even consider the possibility that the plan might fail?
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked up at the fierce-looking Imperial Noble Consort Gu Jiangli and the Emperor, and then secretly glanced at the Empress Dowager.
He wasn't stupid. The Imperial Noble Consort's question wasn't about who the evil spirits were; she was clearly trying to get him to choose sides.
Choose correctly and you'll save your life; choose wrong and you'll face utter ruin...
As he was pondering how to begin, Fang Xun, the young prince, had already climbed out from under his wide robe.
Fang Xun was not afraid of locusts. In no time, he used the small dagger in his hand to sweep away all the locusts flying in the sky, and shouted:
"How could His Highness be a demon? Even if Your Highness the Imperial Noble Consort wants to slander me, shouldn't you at least try to reason with me?"
Gu Jiangli gave a sneer: "I've already slandered you, what's the point of reasoning with me?"
"You... this is clearly just a trick you're using to clear your name of being a demon!"
"Oh? Methods? Then may I assume that Your Highness's outburst of anger is also a way of trying to clear yourself of being a demon?"
Fang Xun was so angry he almost jumped up and down. "I've already said, I'm not a demon!"
Gu Jiangli remained expressionless, his eyes filled with coldness. "But the locusts recognize their master, as the priest himself said."
"Acknowledge my master my ass! You're trying to frame me with these locusts!"
"Oh? I am foolish and do not know any methods of manipulating locusts. I do not know how to frame Your Highness?"
Fang Xun was furious, her face flushed red.
He pointed at the dead locusts on the ground and said angrily, "What's so difficult about that? Locusts swarm towards food, and if you scatter hay all over your clothes, they'll naturally fly around me!"
Fang Xun spoke too quickly; the Empress Dowager tried to cover him up but didn't have time.
As soon as he finished speaking, he realized he had said the wrong thing and hurriedly shut his mouth in a panic, but it was too late.
Gu Jiangli revealed a smug smile, "Oh, I see. Just by sprinkling grass on clothes, you can control a few locusts. What a simple method! How come I didn't think of that?"
"The clothes at Your Highness's feet originally belonged to me. When I wore them, locusts swarmed around me."
"Put this garment on the young prince, and the locusts will go to the young prince."
"It seems there's something wrong with this outfit."
She deliberately repeated Fang Xun's words, causing the surrounding concubines and onlookers to frequently show surprised expressions.
The emperor spoke coldly: "Liu Feng, go and look at the outer robe next to the young prince."
Upon receiving the order, Liu Feng immediately set off.
He picked up his outer robe, found a comb and a brush, and rubbed and swept the fabric of the robe several times until he finally brushed off some very fine powdery substances.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Noble Consort's outer robe has been sprinkled with powdered sorghum leaves."
"I've heard that locusts love to feed on sorghum leaves. In this populated area, if someone has sorghum leaf powder on them, the locusts will definitely go to them to eat."
These words caused an uproar among the crowd.
Clearly, the locusts are not seeking a master, but rather searching for food.
The Empress Dowager's back was taut, and Fang Xun couldn't help but tremble.
"So it wasn't evil spirits after all, it was a setup by someone."
"This dress originally belonged to the Imperial Noble Consort. This is an attempt to harm the child in the Imperial Noble Consort's womb. What a vicious intention!"
"If they really believed it, even if His Majesty tried his best to vouch for it today, he still wouldn't be able to save that child."
"Yes, if this rumor gets out, it will cause great damage to His Majesty's and the Imperial Noble Consort's reputation. Who would do something so malicious?"
...
The sound of conversation was incessant.
Gu Jiangli was delighted to hear this and wished they would say a few more words.
The women in the harem, when bored, love to chat and gossip.
She wanted the Empress Dowager to experience the power of rumors now.
At this moment, the Empress Dowager's face was ashen, like a liver color.
"Shut up, all of you! This is a serious matter, and you cannot discuss it!"
She shut these people up with just one sentence.
The concubines all kept their eyes down and dared not utter another sound.
The Empress Dowager, her face contorted with anger, looked at Gu Jiangli. "According to the Imperial Noble Consort's statement, the matter of the demon was a frame-up. The young prince is definitely not a demon, therefore..."
Before she could finish speaking, Gu Jiangli interrupted:
"So, the child in my womb is not an evil spirit, is that right, Your Majesty?"
The Empress Dowager's eyes flickered, but at this moment she had to admit, "Indeed...that's how it is."
"Oh, but why did the priest speak so confidently before, as if it were a certainty? Was he acting on someone's orders? Or was his magic weakened?"
Gu Jiangli's words drew everyone's attention back to the priest.
The priest, dressed in brightly colored clothes, was kneeling on the ground, not daring to raise his head.
Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he trembled even more violently.
He hadn't made a decision on the choice the Imperial Noble Consort had given him before, so why was he being given another choice now?
If he claims he was acting under someone's orders, then he must point out the mastermind behind it all. If he offends the Empress Dowager, he will have no good days for the rest of his life.
However, if it is said that he misjudged because his magic was damaged, then his image in the eyes of the world would be shattered, and he would never be able to serve as a priest again.
He was caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.
When faced with two options, choose the lesser one!
"Your Highness, it's possible that I've been under too much pressure lately because I learned that I was supposed to pray for the people of Qizhou, and I haven't had enough rest. That's why I misjudged the situation."
Upon hearing this, Gu Jiangli's gaze gradually darkened.
The priest would rather lose prestige than offend the Queen Mother.
It seems that the Empress Dowager is quite a formidable person in the eyes of these people.
"I see." Gu Jiangli decided not to make things difficult for the priest for the time being; her target was the more important Empress Dowager.
"Your Majesty, the priest said he made a mistake in his judgment and there was no evil spirit involved. However, the locusts are feeding on things for no reason and disrupting the blessing ceremony. If this angers the God of Millet and he stops protecting Qizhou, it will be a big deal."
The Empress Dowager gritted her teeth, her palms gripped so tightly they left marks. "There are still many doubts about this matter. I will definitely investigate it thoroughly in the future."
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