The birds that flew into the hall met the astonished gazes of the crowd and flew straight towards Shen Jinshu, who was kneeling on the ground.
"Get out of my way!"
Shen Jinshu's eyes widened suddenly as she waved her arms to shoo away the birds that were chirping around her clothes, her panic almost uncontrollable.
Her carefully styled hair was now disheveled, and her luxurious clothes were even stained with a few drops of bird droppings, making her look extremely disheveled.
Shen Yanxi snapped out of his daze and hurriedly helped Shen Jinshu chase away the birds from her body, not forgetting to comfort her, "Shu'er, don't be afraid."
But these birds seemed to be bewitched, clinging tightly to Shen Jinshu's clothes and refusing to let go, no matter how Shen Yanxi tried to drive them away.
Shen Yanxi was extremely anxious, and he tightened his grip considerably, but he was also afraid of hurting Shen Jinshu, so he was caught in a dilemma.
The onlookers rushed to help, but one problem was barely resolved before another arose.
With a piercing scream, Mingzhu, who had been sitting and watching the show, rushed out like a madwoman, followed by dozens of chirping birds, and the scene immediately descended into chaos.
Consort Cheng's forehead veins throbbed as she looked at the scene before her.
What a shameful thing to do for a lake cruise banquet has turned into this mess.
*
After a while, the music slowly stopped. Song Zhiyu withdrew her hand and coldly looked at the disheveled brother and sister in front of her.
But what puzzled her was the sudden appearance of the pearl; she had a bad feeling about it.
After about half a cup of tea's time, the birds were finally driven away.
Shen Yanxi breathed a long sigh of relief, "Shu'er, it's alright..."
He turned to look at Shen Jinshu, but the words that were on the tip of his tongue suddenly went back down his throat.
Shen Jinshu was in a sorry state, her once delicate and fair face was scratched with several bloody marks, and her hair was disheveled, no longer the dignified and elegant woman she used to be.
"Fourth Brother, why did Second Sister treat me like this..." Shen Jinshu called out in a hoarse voice, her eyes filled with tears, on the verge of sobbing, which made Shen Yanxi's heart clench.
A surge of anger suddenly rose in Shen Yanxi's heart. "Song Zhiyu, you've gone too far. Are you jealous of Shu'er's talent, so you're trying to harm her like this?"
He stormed up to Song Zhiyu and confronted her, his bloodshot eyes glaring at her fiercely. His furious expression made it seem as if the person in front of him was not his sister, but his enemy.
"If she were truly innocent, she wouldn't be in this state now. The Fog-Seeking Powder has a deadly allure for animals; anyone who touches it will naturally be tainted by its scent. Are you blind?" Song Zhiyu glanced at Shen Jinshu indifferently and retorted sarcastically.
Shen Yanxi was taken aback, then thought of something and said confidently, "Shu'er touched the Jiao Wei Qin, so naturally she got those things on her. That's not enough to prove that Shu'er was the one who poisoned it."
Song Zhiyu chuckled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "Everyone saw it just now, those birds were clinging tightly to her clothes."
Don't tell me the powder from the strings got on her body. Do you think everyone else treats the thing around their neck as just decoration like you do?
Song Zhiyu cursed without using any vulgar language, but the contempt in her eyes was clearly seen by Shen Yanxi.
“You…” Shen Yanxi’s hand was trembling as he pointed at Song Zhiyu, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, filled with impotent rage.
How dare she?
Shen Jinshu forced herself to sit up. "Second sister, I didn't know your prejudice against me ran so deep. But the innocent will always be proven innocent..."
Having said that, she turned to look at Mingzhu, a dark glint flashing in her eyes, gone in an instant, too fast to catch. "Mingzhu, just admit it. The Empress Dowager is kind-hearted. If you turn back in time, she will certainly not punish you severely."
Shen Jinshu's words stirred up a storm. Without any hesitation, she shifted all the blame onto Mingzhu, while clearing herself of all responsibility.
The hidden clues that have been buried for so long have finally come in handy.
"What do you mean?" Mingzhu endured the pain and looked at Shen Jinshu with eyes wide with fury.
"Mingzhu, everyone makes mistakes. Don't be so stubborn." Shen Jinshu bit her lower lip and gently advised, but these words pushed Mingzhu straight into the abyss.
Mingzhu screamed. If she still didn't understand what Shen Jinshu meant by this, then she would truly be a fool.
Shen Jinshu was trying to drag her down to save herself. "I didn't! Your Majesty, you must believe me! Even if you gave me ten lives, I would never dare to deceive Your Majesty."
“Mingzhu, although I really want to take the blame for your mistake, I can’t just stand by and watch you continue to make the same mistake.” Shen Jinshu added fuel to the fire at the opportune moment.
"So it was Mingzhu who did all this. I knew Miss Shen wasn't that kind of person."
“Mingzhu has long been jealous of Miss Shen, so it’s not surprising that she did something like this.”
"..."
The people present quickly concluded that Mingzhu was guilty, with everyone offering their opinions.
Hearing these confident words, Song Zhiyu frowned slightly. She hadn't expected that Shen Jinshu would drag Mingzhu into this mess.
"Shen Jinshu, don't make false accusations. When did I poison you? You're the one crying wolf."
Mingzhu was furious and started cursing loudly. Her arrogant demeanor contrasted sharply with the pitiful Shen Jinshu beside her, causing the guests present to sympathize with Shen Jinshu.
"Shut up! I'm still here, it's not your place to be so insolent." The Empress Dowager's imposing voice came from above, her face cold as she reprimanded Mingzhu. Mingzhu immediately deflated and reluctantly shut her mouth.
The Empress Dowager's patience had run out. A few words were enough to decide someone's life or death. "Mingzhu's words and actions are unruly and without any manners. He shall go to the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) for three months to learn the rules. Without my permission, he shall not step out of the Jiaofangsi."
After saying that, the Empress Dowager turned her head slightly to look at Shen Jinshu, but the punishment was obviously much lighter. "As for you, you will stay in the mansion for three months, copy Buddhist scriptures, and pray for the dynasty every day. You must not be negligent."
"Your subject understands." Shen Jinshu secretly breathed a sigh of relief; confinement was the best possible outcome for her.
In contrast, Mingzhu's face was as pale as snow, and her body slumped to the ground as if she had lost all her strength.
Once she entered the brothel, her reputation would be completely ruined.
Only women who lacked manners were sent to the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment district) to learn etiquette.
The Imperial Music Bureau was strictly governed by rules and regulations. The matrons who taught etiquette there were once the most strict and rigid instructors in the palace.
If she falls into their hands, she's likely to suffer some hardship.
After today, all the noble families in the capital will know that she was sent to the Imperial Music Bureau by the Empress Dowager for breaking the rules.
No aristocratic family in the capital could accept a daughter-in-law who had once worked in the Imperial Music Bureau, let alone marry into the royal family.
"Mother..." The eldest princess was quite surprised by this result. After all, both of them were suspects, but the Empress Dowager's punishments were too different.
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