"Your Majesty, this is a palace maid we found behind the artificial hill. She was knocked unconscious!" the guard captain said as he entered.
"What do you have to say?" Kangxi asked.
The young palace maid kept her head down, trembling all over. "This servant...this servant doesn't know!"
When the Ninth Princess saw the little palace maid, she was shocked. This was the little palace maid she had sent to find He Xue. She had planned to deal with He Xue after bringing her here, but unfortunately, she was knocked unconscious before she could do so.
"Since they know nothing, drag them out and beat them to death with sticks!" the crown prince said casually from the side.
Emperor Kangxi looked up and gave the Crown Prince a cryptic glance, but said nothing.
“Isn’t it a bit cruel for the Crown Prince to do this? Perhaps she really didn’t know!” the Eighth Prince said.
"Do you think she looks like someone who doesn't know right from wrong?" The Crown Prince sneered. "Everyone says that Eighth Brother has a reputation for virtue, and today I've seen it for myself!"
"Your Highness is only speaking the truth. It is easy for you to wrong innocent people!" The Eighth Prince still had a polite smile on his lips.
"Heh!" The Crown Prince glanced at the Eighth Prince with disdain.
"Your Highness, the Eighth Prince was merely stating the facts and had no other intentions!" Consort Liang said with a smile.
"Alas! Consort Liang couldn't bear to watch any longer. It's true that children with their mothers are different; they're always protected!" the Crown Prince said with a hint of sadness.
He Xue quietly approached the Crown Prince and whispered, "Brother Crown Prince, I will always stay with you!"
The Crown Prince smiled as he looked at He Xue. If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, he would have loved to hold He Xue in his arms. He Xue always seemed to appear by his side in time.
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, Emperor Kangxi's expression darkened. He looked at the palace maids below and said, "If you don't speak, then do as the Crown Prince says!"
Upon hearing this, the young palace maid no longer concealed anything. "Your Majesty," she said, "this servant said that it was the Ninth Princess who instructed me to bring Princess He Xue to that room. This servant did not know what to do. I beg Your Majesty for mercy. This servant knows she was wrong!"
"Whether you knew it or not, framing He Xue Gege deserves to die! He Zhu, take him away!" the Crown Prince said with an air of authority despite his lack of anger.
"Your Highness, spare me! I know I was wrong!" the little palace maid pleaded.
Seeing that Kangxi did not speak, He Zhu was at a loss for what to do.
"What are you all standing there for? Take him away now!" Kangxi said impatiently.
Upon seeing this, Liang Jiugong immediately ordered his men to gag the young palace maid and take her away.
"What else do you have to say now?" the Crown Prince questioned the Ninth Princess.
The Ninth Princess calmly said, "Crown Prince, that palace maid only said that I asked her to find Sister Hexue, but that doesn't prove that Sister Hexue has nothing to do with this matter!"
"I'll remind you one last time, don't call me 'Crown Prince Brother.' This is the last time I'll remind you!" the Crown Prince said, toying with the ring on his finger. It was unclear how well he had carried out the task he had been given.
"Yes, I understand!" the Ninth Princess replied.
"What do you want with He Xue? Is there anything you can't say at the banquet?" the Imperial Noble Consort asked.
“Mother Tong, I…” The Ninth Princess was speechless for a moment, and she really couldn’t think of a reasonable excuse.
“Aunt, when that little palace maid found me, she didn’t say that the Ninth Princess was looking for me, but that you were looking for me!” He Xue stepped forward and said.
"I was worried you wouldn't come, so I made up this excuse!" the Ninth Princess hurriedly said.
"But I didn't go! I ran into someone who was with my aunt on the way and learned that my aunt wasn't there, so I didn't go!"
"You're lying! I clearly saw you go in! Then I was knocked unconscious!" The Ninth Princess said excitedly, as if she had caught He Xue red-handed.
“Father, I have a way to prove that He Xue went in!” the Ninth Princess said to Kangxi.
"What method?" Kangxi asked.
"There's a sleeping potion inside. As long as Xue goes in, she'll inhale it. We just need to have the imperial physician examine her!" the Ninth Princess said confidently.
"If you were looking for my sister, why did you put sleeping pills in the room? What were your intentions?" the Ninth Prince angrily questioned.
"I...I..." The Ninth Princess was only thinking about exposing He Xue and didn't think about anything else.
"Your Majesty, you must seek justice for my daughter! What are the Ninth Princess's intentions? Why is she trying to harm my daughter?" Suhetai knelt before Emperor Kangxi and pleaded.
Kangxi glared angrily at the Ninth Princess. He could guess what had happened. If nothing unexpected happened, the people in the room should be He Xue and Amuguleng, but he didn't know how it had turned into the Ninth Princess and Amuguleng.
“Your Majesty, this servant has something to say!” said Amuguleng, who had been ignored by everyone.
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