Chapter 115: Failed to make excuses

cold palace.

Jun Zechen stepped into this place he had never been to before, and every step he took seemed to carry a heavy breath.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked around. The scene here was too desolate and dilapidated.

At this time, Ling Yue was wearing a very ordinary palace skirt without any gorgeous decorations on it.

Her face was not made up at all, and she looked particularly haggard. Her hair was casually tied up with a simple silver hairpin that had almost no patterns on it.

When she saw Jun Zechen coming in, Ling Yue managed with great difficulty to create a sad smile, a smile filled with pain and sorrow.

"Your Majesty...are you willing to come and see me?"

Ling Yue's voice trembled slightly, as if she had used up all her strength to say this.

Jun Zechen was not moved at all by this. He was as calm as water and said in a low voice: "If I don't come to see you, the Queen and the eldest prince will meet with an accident. Didn't you threaten me to come?"

"Your Majesty, do you have no feelings for me now? Does Your Majesty still remember the tenderness and affection we once had?" Ling Yue was despairing, but she still hoped to arouse even a trace of sympathy from this man.

"When you took advantage of my guilt towards you and schemed against me step by step, did you ever think about wearing away my feelings for you? What qualifications do you have to ask these questions now?"

Jun Zechen's voice was filled with indifference. He had already done his best for Ling Yue.

"Forget it, what's the point of talking about this now?" Ling Yue smiled sadly.

Ling Yue then continued, "I threatened Your Majesty today only because I wanted to see Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, you naturally know in your heart that the Queen is high above and holds power in the six palaces. How can a poor person like me hurt her?" Ling Yue's tone was full of self-mockery.

"Then why do you want to see me?" Jun Zechen's face clearly showed a bit of impatience.

"I say that I was wrongly accused and that the Queen deliberately framed me. Your Majesty, are you willing to believe me?"

There was a hint of emptiness in Ling Yue's eyes, and her voice seemed to come from far away as she asked softly.

Jun Zechen remained silent, and Ling Yue's heart was filled with endless sadness.

"I don't ask Your Majesty to believe me, but could Your Majesty please check it yourself? The testimonies of the Palace Justice Department are all false!"

Ling Yue's voice gradually became louder, with a hint of urgency.

"Then tell me why the Queen wants to harm the Third Prince. If the Queen wants to harm the Third Prince, can he still be born safely?"

If Yaoyao wanted to harm the Third Prince, why didn't she just let Concubine Chu give birth directly? Why would she go through so much trouble after giving birth?

"I have told the Queen before that you will raise the Third Prince. This is my way of compensating you."

"The Queen is generous and kind. Even though the Second Prince was miscarried because of you, she never harmed you. Even though she knew that I would pass the Third Prince on to you, she never did anything to harm him."

Jun Zechen's words were full of protection and trust for the Queen.

Ling Yue took a deep breath, his chest heaving slightly, and a deep helplessness revealed in his eyes.

She knew very well in her heart that no matter what she said, His Majesty would firmly believe in the Queen.

"I have never said that it was the Queen who harmed the Third Prince. Rather, it was the Queen who used the Third Prince's case to try to get rid of me. The evidence from the Palace Justice Department is all false. Why is Your Majesty unwilling to investigate thoroughly?"

Ling Yue's voice trembled slightly, and his hands were tightly twisting the corners of his clothes.

The evidence provided by the Queen was maliciously fabricated. As long as Your Majesty is willing to investigate further, he will find that the mastermind behind the scenes is actually Concubine Lin, and you are just a pawn used by Concubine Lin.

And they will also know that the queen has no ability to distinguish right from wrong and is truly unfit to be the queen.

That's why she tried every means to see His Majesty. If she allowed the Queen to make such a final decision, she would never be able to leave the cold palace for the rest of her life.

"I trust all the decisions of the Queen. If this is all you want to say to me, I think you have no intention of repenting."

Jun Zechen said this coldly, then he turned around resolutely and was about to walk out.

He was the one who personally issued the decree to depose Ling Yue. If he re-examines the matter, how will Yaoyao view him?

The relationship between him and Yaoyao can't stand being separated again and again.

If it turns out that Ling Yue was really wronged, wouldn't that be bad for Yao Yao?

But if it turns out that Ling Yue is not innocent, then his relationship with Yaoyao will be in jeopardy.

Jun Zechen would never be willing to continue investigating no matter what.

Ling Yue suddenly knelt on the ground, and his knees hit the ground heavily, making a dull sound.

Her face was full of disbelief. This man who had once sworn to her forever was now so cruel. Did he really trust the queen that much?

"Your Majesty, wait!" Ling Yue shouted anxiously.

"I have just asked someone to invite the Queen to come over. Judging from the time, the Queen should be here soon. I'm sure Your Majesty doesn't want the Queen to know that you have come to my place."

Ling Yue spoke slowly and expressionlessly, her voice seemingly devoid of any emotion.

Jun Zechen turned around quickly, his dark eyes staring at Ling Yue as sharply as a hawk.

"What do you want the Queen to do?" His voice was low and dignified.

"Since Your Majesty trusts the Queen so much, why don't you listen to what the Queen has to say to me? Your Majesty, please go to the back and hide. I will not let the Queen know you are here."

Ling Yue spoke calmly as always, without any expression on her face.

Jun Zechen just felt that he was being plotted against, and his brows were tightly wrinkled.

Suddenly, there seemed to be some slight noise coming from outside the palace.

Jun Zechen's expression instantly became alert. He didn't even have time to think carefully, and he flashed and quickly entered another door.

If Yaoyao knew that he came to the cold palace to see Lingyue, would she suspect that he and Lingyue still had feelings for each other?

Jun Zechen turned the ring on his hand in a panic.

Miaoyun pushed open the slightly dilapidated door of the cold palace, and Su Jingyao walked down slowly from the phoenix sedan chair.

Afterwards, they entered the hall. Ling Yue was already sitting quietly at the table at this time. Her face was unusually calm, like a pool of stagnant water without any ripples.

Seeing Su Jingyao coming in, he didn't even stand up, but just raised the corners of his mouth slightly and said lightly: "You're here."

Miaoyun was furious when she saw Ling Yue being so disrespectful to her master. She immediately scolded him in a stern voice, "How dare you! You didn't even greet the empress when you saw her!"

Su Jingyao raised her hand lightly. Seeing this, Miaoyun could only take a step back unwillingly without saying anything more.

Ling Yue twitched a cold smile at the corner of his mouth, and his smile seemed to be full of mockery.

"Queen, are you very proud?"

Su Jingyao frowned slightly and asked calmly, "What am I so proud of?"

"You are now the high and mighty empress, you have the eldest son, and you are favored by His Majesty. And you have framed me and sent me to the cold palace. Aren't you proud enough?" Ling Yue said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Framed? Ling Yue, haven't I been good enough to you? When I was in the Eastern Palace, I gave in everywhere, and even risked my life to save you when I was pregnant with the eldest prince."

As Su Jingyao spoke, a look of pain appeared on her face, and her eyes flashed with complex light.

"After Your Majesty ascended the throne, I knew that Your Majesty only wanted you to be the Queen. In order to help you, I gave birth to a royal heir in my belly."

"Even so, when His Majesty gave the Third Prince to you to raise, I never had a single complaint, but what about you?"

Su Jingyao's voice gradually became louder, with uncontrollable excitement.

"I can tolerate whatever you do to me, but the eldest prince is still so young, and you have the heart to hurt him. Do you still have a heart?!"

Su Jingyao looked at Ling Yue with eyes full of disappointment and confusion. Her body was shaking slightly, as if she was trying hard to suppress the grief in her heart.

"You know better than anyone whether you were really helping me or you were just giving in to gain His Majesty's sympathy. Today, there are only you and me here. Why do you have to keep pretending?"

Ling Yue clenched his teeth tightly, his eyes full of resentment, and spoke word by word.

Su Jingyao took a deep breath, her eyes became unusually sharp, staring straight at Ling Yue.

"So that's how you've always thought of me. Is that why you hate me? But why do you have to make excuses for yourself? You hate me because of His Majesty."

"But you said those high-sounding words just to make yourself feel at ease?" Su Jingyao questioned.

"No, it was you who planned every step carefully and made an elaborate plan, making everyone your stepping stone." Ling Yue's face turned gloomy.

"You don't want to admit what happened in the past, so that's fine. But can you swear on the Crown Prince that the so-called evidence you found yesterday was not fabricated by you?"

Ling Yue stared at Su Jingyao with his eyes wide open, trying to find a trace of flaw in her face.

Ling Yue didn't expect the Queen to be so strict. No matter how she tried to persuade her, Su Jingyao never said what was in her heart.

When Su Jingyao heard Ling Yue ask her to swear by the eldest prince, she became speechless.

"Ling Yue, when I first entered the East Palace, you took care of me, so I have never hated you, because I can understand your love for His Majesty and the various emotions you have after losing His Majesty, but this does not mean that you can hurt me recklessly."

There was a hint of majesty in Su Jingyao's voice.

"You said that I framed you. Then I want to ask you, the poison found in the eldest prince's nurse's food would have no effect on an adult like the nurse, but for a child like the eldest prince, it is a deadly poison."

"The poison that the Third Prince was poisoned with was the same as the poison that the First Prince's wet nurse was poisoned with, but the Third Prince was cured before the Imperial Physician arrived. Why?"

Su Jingyao's eyes were full of questions, and her speech speed gradually increased.

"Isn't it because you already have the antidote for this poison?"

Ling Yue's expression instantly turned extremely ugly.

"So you already knew that I harmed the eldest prince, so the third prince was also your revenge!"

Ling Yue seemed to have grabbed a life-saving straw, seized the loophole in her words, and spoke immediately.

At this time, her face was flushed and her eyes were full of anxiety.

She no longer cared whether to admit that she had poisoned the eldest prince. Today she had to make the queen admit that she had murdered the third prince, otherwise she would be finished.

"Ling Yue, you still don't admit it? It is a fact that you harmed the eldest prince. The third prince was poisoned and hurt with willow catkins. It was also people in your palace who personally admitted that it was you who did it. And the purpose of your doing this is to frame me."

Su Jingyao's face turned pale with anger, and her voice became a little louder.

"You have the antidote, so the Third Prince will be fine. You are just using His Majesty's attention and love for the heir to deal with me."

Su Jingyao said in a sharp voice, her eyes full of anger and disappointment.

"No, no, no!"

Ling Yue's eyes widened and her face turned pale in an instant. She stood up in panic, and her feet seemed to be out of control as she stepped back step by step, trembling with every step.

"That's not the case. I have never harmed the Third Prince. The testimonies of those palace maids in the Yikun Palace are your spies planted in the Yikun Palace. You framed me!"

Su Jingyao's face was stern and her eyes were majestic. She approached Ling Yue step by step, and every step seemed to carry a great force.

"Ling Yue, have you ever thought about whether there is anything about you that is worthy of me framing you?"

Ling Yue was terrified at this moment, her eyes full of panic and helplessness. She looked at the queen who was walking towards her step by step, full of oppression, and her body couldn't stop shaking.

Her mind went blank as she tried hard to think, what could she have done to deserve the Queen's framing?

She has no prince, no favor from His Majesty, and even the position of one of the Four Concubines was conferred by Su Jingyao. What is there in her that is worthy of Su Jingyao's framing?

She really couldn't figure it out. She didn't know, she didn't know, but the Queen's testimony was false, all false!

"No, it's you who are hypocritical, it's you who are vicious, it's you who pretended to be weak and kind and stole His Majesty away!"

Ling Yue's spirit was almost collapsing, her face was distorted, and she didn't know how to refute the queen, because every word the queen said seemed to make sense.

But she was no longer the innocent Ling Yue who was played around by her. No matter what the queen said, she would not believe it.

She is so good at pretending!

Ling Yue gritted her teeth, her eyes full of hatred. She couldn't understand her, let alone her purpose.

She only knew that Su Jingyao had taken away everything from her!

At this time, Su Jingyao was still approaching step by step. Ling Yue's heart was filled with fear. When Su Jingyao was about to get close to her, she suddenly stretched out her hands and pushed hard.