Consort Cheng was not happy, but since her son had chosen the person, she couldn't show her dissatisfaction in front of everyone.
Seeing that Shen Jinshu had accepted the Empress Dowager's reward from the old nanny, and that the matter of winning the championship was already settled, she simply turned her head away to avoid seeing it, while everyone else present stared in disbelief.
After all, this was a reward personally prepared by the Empress Dowager. Just by looking at the box, you could tell it was priceless, far surpassing the reward given to Mingzhu earlier.
The few people who were on good terms with Shen Jinshu stared intently at the wooden box, their smiles genuine.
Shen Jinshu is enjoying great success, and her friends are naturally doing well too, each benefiting from her success to some extent.
"I knew Jinshu would be the champion today. After all, her zither skills are superb, and no Tom, Dick, or Harry can compare to her with just a few tricks."
After saying that, the man glanced at Song Zhiyu as if he were not there, and his sarcastic tone drew a few echoes from the others.
"Some people only know how to scheme and use underhanded methods. But she never imagined that despite her careful planning, she would still be no match for Jinshu, who has real talent and ability."
"Jinshu is kind and forgiving, but we're not so easy to talk to. Some people aren't even worthy of carrying Jinshu's shoes."
Having found an opportunity, the group spared no effort in belittling Song Zhiyu, their words conveying an air of superiority, as if they themselves had won first place.
These people were quite clever; they didn't name names, so Song Zhiyu wouldn't have any leverage over them.
Although Shen Jinshu kept speaking well of Song Zhiyu in front of them, they weren't blind. Song Zhiyu was eccentric and dared to show no respect to Jinshu in front of everyone, let alone how she bullied people in private.
Those rumors are not entirely unfounded.
Today, they will avenge Shen Jinshu.
"You..." Ye Linxi said indignantly, her eyes filled with anger.
Suddenly, a soft, boneless hand gently touched her shoulder, and Song Zhiyu's clear and gentle voice seemed to have an invisible magic, slowly calming her restless emotions.
“Zhiyu…” Seeing Song Zhiyu smile and shake her head at her, Ye Linxi calmed down, knowing that Song Zhiyu was considering her situation and did not want her to offend anyone, so as not to displease the Lady Hou.
Seeing that Ye Linxi didn't cause a scene as they had hoped, a hint of regret flashed across their eyes. "It's true that birds of a feather flock together. A vulgar village girl like her is only fit to associate with orphaned girls who live under someone else's roof."
Some people should recognize their place and stop coveting things that don't belong to them.
They had intended to provoke Song Zhiyu, causing her to lose her composure in front of the Empress Dowager and completely eliminate any possibility of her marrying the Crown Prince, but they did not expect that she would not take the bait.
"You're right about one thing: Shen Jinshu's zither skills are indeed remarkable, not something just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can match. But who knows who's plotting against her?" Song Zhiyu glanced at the Jiao Wei Qin not far away and smiled meaningfully.
The group snorted coldly, mistakenly thinking that Song Zhiyu had admitted defeat, without considering the meaning behind her words. "You know it."
Song Zhiyu chuckled and shook her head, ignoring their provocations, and turned her gaze back to Shen Jinshu.
At this moment, she was receiving Consort Cheng's reward with both hands, her expression humble and respectful, but she couldn't suppress the upward curve of her lips.
"This humble woman thanks Your Highness for the generous gift..."
Just as Shen Jinshu was about to bow and express her gratitude, an unexpected incident occurred before she could finish speaking.
"The butterfly...the butterfly is dead!"
A loud exclamation rang out, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound, only to witness a scene that left them speechless.
On the strings of the Jiaowei Qin, dozens of butterflies with outstretched wings lay quietly. The scales on their wings shimmered gently in the dim candlelight of the banquet, and their originally beautiful and alluring colors slowly faded, instantly turning into an eerie black.
The change happened too fast. No one expected that the butterfly that was just dancing around Shen Jinshu and Jiao Weiqin would die so suddenly, and in such a horrific way.
"What's going on?" The Empress Dowager slammed her dragon-headed cane heavily on the ground. The dull thud was like a heavy hammer hitting Shen Jinshu's heart, making her heart skip a beat. Her heart was pounding wildly as if it was about to jump out of her throat.
Meeting the Empress Dowager's cold gaze, Shen Jinshu was startled and hurriedly knelt down, cold sweat pouring down her back. "This subject does not know why this has happened. Perhaps someone is deliberately framing me."
She panicked for only a moment before quickly calming down and clearing herself of all responsibility with a few words.
But the Empress Dowager was not easily fooled; she simply stared at her intently, and the atmosphere around them became somewhat tense.
After this incident, everyone present dared not breathe, for fear of getting caught in the crossfire.
"Mother, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it or not," the eldest princess broke the silence first.
The Empress Dowager closed her eyes. "Just say what you have to say. There's no need to beat around the bush."
"Using music to lure butterflies is an amazing thing in itself, and I have only seen it in books. Today, Miss Shen's performance has truly been a feast for my eyes, and I have also witnessed Miss Shen's superb musical skills."
But now these butterflies, attracted by the music, have died without cause; this is truly an ominous sign. In my humble opinion, these butterflies seem somewhat poisoned. For Your Majesty's safety, you might as well summon the imperial physician to examine them.”
As the princess finished speaking, the crowd instantly stirred.
Poisoning?
They hadn't noticed anything amiss at first, but now, upon closer reflection, they realized that the princess's words made some sense.
But who could be so audacious as to commit such a treasonous act right under the Empress Dowager's nose?
After a moment's thought, the Empress Dowager gave the order, "Invite Imperial Physician Qin over. I want to see who is using these underhanded methods."
Her face was tense, and her sharp eyes swept over everyone below, lingering especially on Song Zhiyu for a moment.
To ensure the Empress Dowager's safety, the Emperor sent Imperial Physician Qin to accompany her before she left the palace.
This is exactly what came in handy.
Before long, the maid led Imperial Physician Qin in.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Your Highness the Crown Prince..." Imperial Physician Qin's heart pounded like thunder. Seeing the Empress Dowager's grim expression, he knew that this matter was quite troublesome.
"Imperial Physician Qin, examine these butterflies carefully and find out why they died," the Empress Dowager commanded in a deep voice, her words chilling to the bone.
She wanted to see who dared to pull these dirty tricks right under her nose.
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