framing
Emperor Yingzong was a man of great stature, and naturally he knew what the two were thinking. He coughed lightly, and immediately silence fell. Everyone lowered their heads, except for Wen Lan, who still looked on with a worried expression.
No one dared to breathe loudly, and the singing girls all knelt in a row, heads hanging low, for fear of offending Emperor Yingzong.
Emperor Yingzong's face remained expressionless, neither angry nor pleased. He was like a deep pool, calm and still. He said, "Yuemu, you've put your heart into this. Please present the items first."
Zhao Yuemu smiled upon hearing this, stood up, and said, "Father, what I am presenting to you is a dance, but it is related to swords."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yingzong said, "Yuemu is very thoughtful."
Zhao Yuemu looked up at Emperor Yingzong of Ming on the high platform and said, "Father is my father, so naturally I will offer my best to Father."
Her words were sincere, and Emperor Yingzong's brows relaxed slightly as he listened, as if he smiled.
Zhao Lianying was slightly unwilling. She stood up abruptly and looked at Emperor Ming Yingzong, saying, "Father, you mustn't! My sister's health isn't very good. What if she loses her grip and the sword falls from her hand..."
This statement was left unsaid, yet it also seemed as if it wasn't left at all, since anyone could guess what was left unsaid.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yingzong's brows furrowed slightly with anger. He frowned, and the heads that had just been raised were lowered again, even lower than before.
This time, even the birds in the sky fell silent. The surroundings were quiet, and the main hall was still, like stagnant water.
Hearing Zhao Lianying's words, Zhao Yuemu's eyes reddened. She said, "What my elder sister said makes sense. I... am too weak. I shouldn't have come today."
Zhao Yuemu's illness is very strange. Over the years, it has been a taboo subject. Everyone knows the truth but pretends not to.
Therefore, when Zhao Lianying blurted it out, everyone straightened their backs a little, feeling resentful of offending the emperor and even more disgusted with Zhao Lianying.
Emperor Yingzong frowned even more deeply. His tone was devoid of emotion, and he said calmly, "What's wrong with wielding this sword? Is anyone here afraid of death?"
Upon hearing this, no one dared to utter a word of fear. Everyone understood that if they were afraid, they could truly die in this very hall today.
Zhao Yuemu was gentle and easy to talk to, but Emperor Yingzong of Ming was not so easy to talk to. Killing someone was just a small matter for him, a matter of a word or a gesture.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuemu raised her hand to wipe away the tears welling up in her eyes and said, "Thank you, Father Emperor."
Seeing this, Zhao Lianying was furious and was about to speak in her defense when she saw that Emperor Ming Yingzong was still frowning slightly. She immediately panicked, wondering if she had really gone too far just now.
She had no choice but to leave dejectedly and return to her seat. She became more obedient and, seeing Zhao Yuemu holding a soft sword and twirling it, she gently curled the corners of her lips.
Her goal has been achieved. Li Yin, Li Yin, I originally intended to spare you this time, but alas, fate is not on my side. It's just a pity for my royal sister, who will die for you in vain.
Zhao Yuemu, her skirt fluttering, put effort into every move, each strike like falling snow, her skirt flying like flowers. This was not what Li Yin had taught her. Upon seeing this, Li Yin looked at Wen Youqing.
Wen Youqing and Zhao Yuemu were very familiar with each other, so it was obvious who taught them this. When Wen Youqing saw her looking over, she couldn't help but look over as well, and their eyes met.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Yuemu's eyes darkened, and blood suddenly dripped from her wrist, streaks resembling red threads or cracks. After a few thin streaks, a thick one appeared, as if cut by a rope, with a very neat cut. In just one move, her sleeve was stained red.
The clothes were originally fiery red, and now with the addition of blood, the color was only slightly darker. However, with layers of inner and outer garments, they didn't look particularly special.
Until a drop of bright red blood fell on Zhao Lianying's face, she immediately widened her eyes. How come this was not the effect she expected? Was it poisoning?
Shouldn't he have collapsed suddenly? How could he be like this in front of me? Someone must have tampered with it... It must have been that "Wu doctor" from before.
The man spent a day healing the scars on her face, then gave her a bottle of miraculous medicine, telling her that it could help her…
Zhao Lianying had never seen that person before. Her impression of him was that he was dressed in black, wearing a black bamboo hat, and she couldn't see his face. She also seemed to have forgotten his voice.
The person was like a dark, indistinct mass, appearing suddenly in the rainy night and disappearing just as suddenly, arriving with thunder and lightning.
Zhao Lianying screamed "Ah!" which immediately attracted everyone's attention. Her face turned pale instantly. To lose her composure in front of Emperor Ming Yingzong was truly courting death, but she was really afraid... afraid that if Zhao Yuemu's death could not be attributed to Li Yin, afraid that the deep, bone-revealing wound would reappear on her face.
Seeing Emperor Yingzong looking over, she quickly knelt down, her voice filled with fear, and said, "Father, please calm your anger."
Calm down, calm down. This time, Emperor Yingzong was truly enraged. He slammed his hand on the table, causing the wine cup to fall over with a loud "bang." The blood-stained handkerchief, soaking wet, fell to the ground and clung tightly to the table.
The blood-tinged liquor flowed down the table, spreading to the corner, dripping one drop at a time, making it look as if the table was bleeding.
The ticking sound spread to every corner of the hall, and everyone knelt down again, this time even the Empress knelt down.
Zhao Lianying stared in terror, her arms trembling slightly as she braced herself on the ground. A "plop" sound immediately drowned out the dripping water.
No one dared to look up, only glancing out of the corner of their eye. What they saw was Zhao Yuemu, dressed in red, lying motionless on the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, her face deathly pale.
Her eyes were vacant, as if she had lost her soul, staring blankly upwards.
Emperor Yingzong glanced at the eunuch in black beside him, who immediately understood what he meant. He hurried over to check, and after taking a few steps, he bent down. Just as he was about to reach out and touch Zhao Yuemu's wrist, he saw Zhao Yuemu's eyes move, and she pointed directly at Li Yin.
This action was like a final burst of energy before death. She pointed in the direction, opened her mouth slightly, but made no sound. Looking at her mouth, one could only vaguely make out the two characters "Li Yin".
Emperor Yingzong looked over, his brows still furrowed. The eunuch in black cautiously glanced back and saw the emperor, dressed in imperial robes, still looking angry. He then called out to Li Yin, "You, come out with me."
His tone was arrogant, commanding, as if he were a superior, and he spoke with disdain to Li Yin, a somewhat unfamiliar face.
Upon hearing this, Li Yin stood up and went outside. She knelt on the ground, her back ramrod straight.
A green skirt spread out on the ground, and a beam of light quietly fell on her. Silver threads shimmered on the skirt, and her hair was clearly visible in the light, exuding warmth. The light fell only on her, as if by divine intervention.
Emperor Yingzong of Ming felt a lump in his throat as he watched this scene. He asked, "Who are you?"
Li Yin replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "This humble subject is Li Yin."
Emperor Yingzong gently raised his hand to the eunuch, who immediately understood and went to fetch the imperial physician. A black figure then quickly disappeared from Emperor Yingzong's sight.
He stared intently at Li Yin's features, examining them closely, and said, "I have never seen you before; you are not from the capital."
Li Yin lowered his head and answered truthfully, "This humble citizen is from Jincheng."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yingzong murmured, "Jincheng."
His brows furrowed even deeper, and he said, "You..."
Before he could even ask, Zhao Lianying hurriedly spoke up, pointing at Li Yin with trembling hands, "Father, this man poisoned my sister. What are you still hesitating about? Just now, my sister was pointing directly at this man."
Seeing that Emperor Yingzong had closed his mouth and listened to her explanation, and that Emperor Yingzong seemed slightly suspicious, Zhao Lianying felt a glimmer of hope and continued, "When my sister arrived, she seemed to be familiar with this person. Without a doubt, it was this person who took advantage of my sister's trust in order to poison her."
She spoke with such indignation that anyone who didn't know better would think she had a deep bond with her younger sister and was trying to defend her.
She spoke forcefully, even coughing a few times. Her eyes reddened, and she did indeed resemble the person in the story. She said, "If Father doesn't believe me, you can ask my sister's maid if this person has been in contact with my sister. If so, then he is a suspect."
Emperor Yingzong glanced at Zhao Yuemu lying on the ground, then at Li Yin, and said, "Li Changde, go find that maid."
Beside him stood a eunuch named Li Changde, dressed in purple robes with white hair and beard, his clothes exquisitely embroidered with gold and silver threads and dragon patterns. He immediately stepped forward, said "Yes," and then turned to leave.
Then I heard another voice say, "Father, I have already found the person. He was in the courtyard just now."
Li Changde stopped in his tracks, and only after hearing this did he lift his foot and walk past, but he glanced at Li Yin briefly as he passed by.
The movement was subtle and easily missed if one wasn't paying close attention. Wen Youqing took it all in and his gaze darkened slightly.
The hall remained silent, the stalemate continuing until the so-called witness appeared. Zhao Lianying's face lit up with joy, her heart finally at ease. She said, "Father, the witness has arrived. She can surely prove the truth."
The maid was dressed in purple, with her hair tied in a simple double-Y bun, decorated only with a wooden hairpin.
She knelt down with a "plop," her thin shoulders trembling slightly. When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with tears, making her look pitiful.
Her voice trembled with tears as she pleaded, "Your Majesty, please do justice for my master! He's such a kind person, yet he's been deceived by this man and poisoned."
As she spoke, she pointed directly at Li Yin. Upon hearing this, Li Yin laughed and said, "This is another poisoning attempt. Why can't you come up with something new?"
Li Yin couldn't figure out what was going on, but she did see one thing clearly: Zhao Lianying was going to mess with her again, and really wanted to kill her.
Just as she was about to speak, Zhao Lianying insisted, "Father, this person is trying to argue. Don't be fooled by her."
The maid looked up again, large tears falling from her eyes. She cried and said, "My master has treated me well. I would never, and dare not, deceive His Majesty. I only want to ask for justice for my master."
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