Chapter 49 Mei Huan's Stalemate
"I am naturally heartbroken that Consort Hui has lost her child, but I cannot unjustly accuse others." The Emperor tried his best to maintain a calm demeanor when speaking to Consort Hua, but the restlessness in his heart was rising uncontrollably.
Zhen Huan understood that the Emperor had been speaking up for her, but Consort Hua would not let her off the hook if she didn't get an explanation. She composed herself and said, "Your Majesty, since everything is pointing to me now, although I know I did nothing wrong, I don't want to put Your Majesty in a difficult position. I request to be confined to my quarters. I believe Your Majesty will clear my name soon."
Yinzhen's gaze was deeply moved; only his Wanwan would be willing to suffer such injustice for him.
"Since there are no witnesses, I have no choice but to continue confining you to Bitong Academy. Rest assured, I will investigate this matter thoroughly and will not let you suffer injustice for too long."
Just then, a weak voice drifted from afar—"Your Majesty, I can testify for Consort Wan."
Everyone looked towards the entrance and saw Consort Duan, her face ashen, slowly approaching with Jixiang's support.
"Greetings, Your Majesty and Empress." The voice was extremely weak, clearly indicating a serious illness.
"Hey, didn't I tell you to skip the formalities? Quickly, offer him a seat." The Emperor's voice was unusually anxious. He had heard Consort Duan's words and naturally wanted to know the reason as soon as possible.
"You just said you could testify for Consort Wan, what do you mean?" He asked before Consort Duan could even sit down properly.
Consort Duan sat listlessly on the stool. "Your Majesty, it's so hot in the summer that I can't leave the house. I can only go out for a walk when it gets dark. And when I did, I was drawn in by a melodious zither tune..." As she spoke, a suppressed cough escaped from her throat. She clutched her chest in pain and waved to Jixiang.
Jixiang stepped forward knowingly and said, "Our Lady followed the sound of the zither to Consort Wan's Bitong Academy. She chatted with Consort Wan for a long time through the window and they got along very well. Later, our Lady couldn't hold on any longer, so she had to leave temporarily and made an appointment to continue chatting tomorrow evening."
"So that's how it is." The Emperor smiled more and said to Consort Duan, "I rarely see you get along so well with others, but you seem to get along quite well with Consort Wan."
Consort Duan smiled in agreement, "Perhaps the music that day was too beautiful. I am also skilled at playing the pipa, so we do have some things in common."
Yinzhen's gaze deepened—"Pipa... Yes, you play the pipa quite well; it's been a long time since I've heard you play it."
After a moment of silence, he spoke with even greater conviction: "Since there are witnesses, it can be proven that what that servant said is untrue, and Consort Wan no longer needs to be confined."
Seeing that even the punishment of confinement was no longer in effect, Consort Hua's gaze turned venomous—"Consort Duan has truly arrived like a timely rain."
Consort Duan looked back at him without surprise or fear. Her calm and unwavering eyes flashed with not only hostility but also a hint of sorrow that was hard to detect.
Zhen Huan sat to the side, her gaze tentatively sweeping over Consort Duan, whom she had only met once. After receiving a seemingly casual look from her, her mind raced—"Yes... Your Highness and I had a very pleasant conversation, but Your Highness has been ill for a long time and has not been able to leave the palace, and I am also under house arrest, so I did not dare to speak. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
The Emperor waved his hand dismissively, his gaze towards her exceptionally gentle—"It's merely keeping a promise, why would I blame you? Since that's the case, Su Peisheng should investigate this matter and surely find out who's behind it all. Huanbi, interrogate her first, and report back to me when you have any information."
After saying this, he stood up, passed by the Emperor and Consort Hua, and went straight to Zhen Huan. He gently patted her shoulder, and Zhen Huan looked up at him with pity.
After finishing his speech, Yinzhen did not linger and walked out directly. The others also scattered like birds and beasts.
Lu Yingfeng walked at the very back, watching Zhen Huan's lonely figure standing in front of Xianyue Pavilion. She wondered what had happened to Shen Meizhuang, who had remained silent inside. No one had thought to ask about her, and even the Emperor's heart was still full of concern for Consort Wan.
As Lü Yingfeng watched her retreating figure, it was as if she saw herself on the day she gave birth to Hongzhao and Hongjin. In her dazed state, she heard the joyful cheers outside, but only Consort Jing could worry about her safety.
But she did have Hongzhao and Hongjin after all, so her suffering wasn't in vain. Consort Hui, however, must be feeling terrible right now.
——
That day, Zhen Huan still couldn't enter Xian Yue Pavilion. Whether Consort Hui was heartbroken or truly exhausted, she seemed to have sealed the doors of Xian Yue Pavilion after that incident, refusing to see anyone, even the Emperor.
When Consort Hua returned home that day, she berated Cao Qinmo severely. She then spent several days in a state of anxiety, repeating to herself countless times, "I didn't mean to harm her child. I only wanted to make her pregnancy unstable and cause her abdominal pain. It was her own inability to protect the pregnancy, and it has nothing to do with me."
"Do you think that maid might say something inappropriate?" she asked nervously, her sharp eyes fixed on Cao Qinmo.
Cao Qinmo shook her head and said firmly, "No, that girl is too ambitious. She wants to step on Zhen Huan to become an empress. If she dares to say it, then we can say it too."
As expected, seeing that she couldn't get anything out of Huanbi, she insisted that she only wanted to treat the young master's blood and qi stagnation. Although she said she was interrogating him, she had received instructions from above that no one dared to use torture. However, she couldn't just let him go like that, so she could only keep him locked up and not let him out.
Zhen Huan secretly spent money to visit her, dismissing everyone else so that no one could hear what the two of them said. All that was known was that after Zhen Huan left, Huan Bi was filled with remorse and cried uncontrollably.
The longer the matter dragged on, the less plausible it became. In the end, at Consort Hua's behest, a young eunuch named Tang from the Imperial Kitchen was chosen to take charge.
Anyone with eyes could see that Xiao Tang was just a scapegoat. But the Emperor turned a blind eye and ordered Xiao Tang to be beaten to death, and all the other related personnel to be fined half a year's salary.
When the imperial decree reached Shen Meizhuang's ears, she gave a cold sneer.
The life of a lowly eunuch was thus exchanged for the life of an imperial heir.
“Your Highness, Consort Wan came again this morning. I told you that you called her back before she even got up. Next time... shall we still not see her?” Caiyue asked hesitantly, pursing her lips.
Shen Meizhuang remained silent for a long time, then touched the jade doll pendant in her hand—"I won't see anyone, I won't see anyone."
She wasn't stupid; she knew perfectly well that this whole thing was orchestrated by Consort Hua and Noble Lady Cao, just to use her unborn child to frame Huan'er. But she couldn't suppress the strange thoughts that kept popping into her mind.
She naturally harbored deep hatred for Consort Hua.
If it weren't for Huan'er, would Consort Hua have targeted her child? If Huan'er had heeded her advice and properly instructed Huanbi, wouldn't others have been prevented from taking advantage of the situation?
Once the idea took hold, it was relentless, lingering in her mind day and night. She simply wanted some peace and quiet.
It must be said that Consort Hua's scheme to sow discord was truly brilliant.
Whether you know it or not, a meal you prepared cost your best friend her baby, so it's impossible for you not to feel resentful.
Some were intense, like Consort Duan and Consort Hua; others were deadlocked, like Mei Zhuang and Zhen Huan.
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