Chapter 319 False Accusation, the Villain Accuses First
All eyes in the hall were on Dou Wenyi. Sheng Xiyue's pitiful appearance only served to highlight her petty and calculating nature.
Sheng Shuzhen hugged Xuetuan, stroked its long fur, and said sarcastically, "Everyone says that the Crown Princess is virtuous, kind, and magnanimous. Does she not intend to never forgive her sister for the rest of her life?"
The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
Dou Wenyi looked at Sheng Xiyue calmly, her voice gentle yet undeniable: "Miss Sheng's earnestness puts me in a bit of a dilemma. Since you're offering an apology, you should let people know exactly where you went wrong. The Crown Prince spared the Sheng family's reputation and didn't publicize the matter, but since Miss Sheng insists on apologizing, then we should naturally have a proper explanation."
"If crimes such as plotting against the Crown Prince and Crown Princess could be simply dismissed with a single sentence like 'willful and reckless behavior,' then why would Miss Sheng need to leave Tianning City? You have been literate and reasonable since childhood. If you want to apologize, you should do so sincerely, not just superficially. You should understand this principle."
A barely perceptible glint of fierceness flashed in Sheng Xiyue's eyes, and her aggrieved eyes instantly welled up with tears.
Consort Zhang, seated at the head of the table, frowned slightly, her incredulous gaze falling on Sheng Xiyue. She only knew that Pei Siyan disliked Sheng Xiyue and insisted on annulling the engagement, but she did not know that there were many complicated reasons involved.
She dared to offend the Crown Prince; how could a cup of tea possibly erase the enmity?
Consort Zhang's expression turned cold. "Alright, since the Crown Prince has already made his decision, there's no need to bring this up again."
As she spoke, she gestured to the palace maid beside her, "Quickly help Miss Sheng up."
A palace maid stepped forward to help her up, and Sheng Xiyue stood up. Perhaps because she had been kneeling for a long time, her body swayed slightly, and she seemed to stumble unintentionally toward Dou Wenyi. The teacup in her hand naturally fell to the ground, and the tea splashed onto her skirt.
"Your Highness, please forgive me, I... I really didn't mean to."
Sheng Xiyue's expression changed slightly, and she hurriedly stepped forward to check, her wide sleeves obscuring everyone's view.
Beside her, coincidentally, stood a palace maid dressed in a green palace dress.
At the same time, Sheng Shuzhen took advantage of the chaos to hide the silk handkerchief that Dou Wenyi had placed on the coffee table in her hand. Her movements were subtle and natural, and she thought no one would notice.
"Is he burned?" Consort Zhang panicked and quickly got up to check.
Dou Wenyi remained expressionless, but kept a close eye on the movements of the two Sheng sisters.
Almost instantly, she discovered that her handkerchief was gone.
"It's alright, it's just that the hem of my skirt got wet. I just didn't expect Miss Sheng to be so frail."
"It's good that you're alright, Wenyi. Why don't you go change your clothes first?" Consort Zhang breathed a sigh of relief. If Dou Wenyi had suffered any mishap at Jingkun Palace, she would be held responsible.
Dou Wenyi lowered her eyes and glanced at the wet hem of her skirt. "Hmm."
Sheng Xiyue's face turned somewhat awkward, but she forced a smile. "Your Highness, it's my fault. Would you like me to go with you?"
Dou Wenyi shook her head and followed the palace maid to the side hall to tidy up. When going out, noble ladies would naturally carry spare clothes, and she was no exception.
She did not look for her handkerchief; she changed her clothes and returned to the main hall shortly afterward.
At this moment, the people inside the hall were playing with Xue Tuan, but Consort Zhang seemed a little tired and pinched her temples with little interest. "Xi Yue, if you are about to leave Tianning City, you should go back and prepare as soon as possible. I will not keep you for a meal."
Dou Wenyi also wanted to leave.
"Wenyi, did you just drop this handkerchief?" Consort Zhang handed over a silk handkerchief.
"Shuyue is very eager to talk to you. She wants to play with you. Since you've come in, why don't you have dinner before you leave?"
Dou Wenyi accepted the silk handkerchief. "This is mine. How has Shuyue been lately?"
Just then, "Meow—Aww!"
The snowball, which had been docilely curled up in Sheng Shuzhen's arms, suddenly let out a shrill scream. Its white fur bristled, its amber pupils shrank to slits, and it broke free from her embrace, rushing towards them as fast as a white lightning bolt.
"Snowball!" Consort Zhang exclaimed, reaching out to stop it without thinking. "Quick, grab it! Don't let it hurt anyone!"
Just as her hand was about to touch the snowball, the sharp cat claws slashed across her outstretched arm with a sharp "rip," tearing the silk. Accompanied by a short cry of pain, several bloody marks instantly appeared on Consort Zhang's snow-white arm.
The palace was instantly thrown into chaos.
"Your Highness Consort Shu!" Dou Wenyi's expression changed, and she immediately stepped forward to check on Consort Zhang's injuries.
Sheng Xiyue rushed to Consort Zhang's side before her, her eyes filled with disbelief, and questioned in a shrill voice: "That handkerchief, that's the Crown Princess's handkerchief! Xue Tuan went crazy when it saw the Crown Princess's handkerchief!"
"Heavens! Your Highness, is your handkerchief stained with poison? Who are you trying to poison?" Sheng Shuzhen deliberately stopped speaking abruptly, looking at Consort Zhang in horror, her words full of implications.
By this time, several eunuchs had subdued Xue Tuan, but it struggled desperately, emitting low moans, clearly showing signs of madness.
Upon hearing this, Consort Zhang suddenly remembered that Xue Tuan had indeed rushed towards the silk handkerchief, but Dou Wenyi had saved the Zhang family countless times, so she would never hurt herself.
"No, that's impossible!"
Consort Zhang felt dizzy and lightheaded, her blood rushed to her head, and her vision went black as she fainted and collapsed.
"Your Highness Consort Shu!" Sheng Xiyue reacted quickly and hugged Consort Zhang before she could react.
With tears blurring her vision, Sheng Xiyue suddenly looked up and glared angrily, "Crown Princess! Why did you resort to such a vicious act? Even if you harbor resentment towards me, you shouldn't have harmed the innocent and plotted against Consort Shu! This handkerchief is poisoned, how do you explain that?"
Dou Wenyi glanced down at the unconscious Consort Zhang and the silk handkerchief with poison on the ground, her heart filled with sorrow.
It turns out that Sheng Xiyue was creating chaos by offering tea, just to attract everyone's attention.
Sheng Shuzhen had long ago hidden stimulants on her body for cat lovers, and took the opportunity to apply them to her handkerchief to trigger Xue Tuan's attack.
They wanted to pin the crime of murdering a concubine on her!
"Guards, immediately seal off Jingkun Palace. No one is to move without my order."
Dou Wenyi's voice was firm and resolute, her sharp gaze sweeping over Sheng Xiyue and the others.
"Summon the imperial physician! Do everything in your power to save Consort Shu. As for this handkerchief..."
She paused, then said in a chilling tone, "No one here is allowed to leave, let alone move anything. Anyone who dares to disobey will be punished for the crime of murdering a palace concubine!"
It seems that Sheng Xiyue not only wants to leave 'regret' in Tianning City, but also wants to leave her life behind.
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