"Your Highness Consort Liang, do you still recognize this servant?" A hoarse female voice came. When Consort Liang saw the person being carried up, her expression gradually stiffened, and she subconsciously slumped to the ground, her hands trembling and turning white under her sleeves.
How could this be! How could she be here! Shouldn't she be...?
After learning about these things from the letter, Ji Yuerou secretly summoned Senlan from the princess's mansion to the palace for protection, waiting for this day.
"You... I don't know you!"
"How could Consort Liang not recognize me? That night, with such heavy rain, it was I who protected that Purple Enchantress Flower for you! No! I protected that Poppy!"
"You audacious lowly servant, how dare you frame me! Everyone knows that poppies are forbidden to be planted in Cangyue Kingdom. As one of the four, how could I possibly plant poppies in the palace!" Consort Liang's gaze swept over the Empress, then turned to Senlan with a sinister look.
The meaning is quite clear: the Empress and Senlan are framing her.
"Tell me, what did you hear in Consort Liang's palace that day?" Emperor Jun Bufan pointed at Sen Lan and said.
Senlan glanced at the Empress. Since the Princess would tell the Empress about her news, she must know that the Empress would look for her, which means that the Princess is on the Empress's side.
For the sake of her unjustly killed sisters and her own injustice, she was determined to fight no matter what.
"Your Majesty, I saw Consort Liang and the painter beside the First Prince plotting to add a larger dose of poison to the First Prince's paint. I was terrified and tried to sneak away, but I was discovered. I went back to my courtyard to sleep. Consort Liang, fearing the secret would be exposed, cruelly executed more than a dozen of us palace maids! I was lucky to escape this fate. I beg Your Majesty and Empress to do justice and clear my sisters' names!"
Sen Lan said with grief and indignation.
"You vile servant, how dare you spout such nonsense here! You accuse me of poisoning the Crown Prince, where is the evidence? You think you can pin such a serious crime on me with just your mouth?" Consort Liang said viciously. The painter was long dead and the Crown Prince's palace had been burned down. Let's see what evidence Ji Yue Rou can produce.
"Grand Tutor Liang, the Duke of Ji requests an audience!"
A male duck's quack sounded from outside the door.
Consort Liang was secretly delighted.
"Grand Tutor of Xuanliang, Duke of Ji!" the emperor said, waving his hand.
Two figures slowly approached, and judging from the expressions on their faces, it was obvious that neither of them liked the other.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty, Empress, and Consort Liang!"
"You may dispense with the formalities, my dear minister."
"This painting was given to me by Ye'er before she passed away. Vice Dean Shen, could you please take another look at this painting and see if there are any problems?" The Empress handed the painting to Shen Qingqiu.
Consort Liang felt a pang of panic. How could there be another painting? She glanced at Grand Tutor Liang with a flustered look in her eyes.
moment!
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! The pigments in this painting contain a large amount of poppy extract," Shen Qingqiu said.
"You audacious Consort Liang! I personally found the box under your pillow. It is clearly an evil object, yet you lied and claimed it was a calming medicine. You dared to plant poppies in the palace and collude with the painter to poison the Crown Prince. There are witnesses and physical evidence. You still say it wasn't you!" the Emperor roared.
Upon hearing this, Grand Tutor Liang glanced at the box in the emperor's hand and immediately understood. Although the box was identical to the one in question, it was completely devoid of any aura. Yunhua had been tricked by the emperor and empress!
"No, Your Majesty, I am truly innocent! Your Majesty, we have been husband and wife for so many years, how could you so easily believe others and allow them to question me?" Consort Liang cried, tears streaming down her face.
The Emperor snorted coldly, "Minister Liang, Consort Liang just said that this box is used to calm the mind. I wonder if you are aware of the existence of this box?"
Grand Tutor Liang glanced at Consort Liang. The box was fake, and it was clear that the Emperor already knew the secret of the real box. Now that Yunhua had fallen into the trap, if he were to admit that he knew, it would be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of his family. He had no choice but to sacrifice the pawn to save the king. Grand Tutor Liang stepped forward a few steps and said, "Your Majesty, I do not know!"
Upon hearing this, Consort Liang opened her eyes wide and stared at Grand Tutor Liang in disbelief.
"Consort Liang, you poisoned the First Prince and secretly supported so many assassins. Are you plotting a rebellion?" Emperor Jun Bufan said sternly.
Consort Liang sat slumped on the ground, heartbroken and dejected.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report!" Duke Ji stepped forward.
What brings you, Duke Ji?
"Your Majesty, I have investigated and found that the fire in the Crown Prince's palace that year was not an accident but a deliberate act. I have already joined forces with the Court of Judicial Review to arrest the arsonist." After Duke Ji finished speaking, Commander Chen brought the person in.
The man glanced at Consort Liang on the ground and was immediately alarmed. Consort Liang, who was kneeling on the ground, tried to wink at him.
Who kneels down?
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this humble subject is Yang Liu."
"Do you know your crime?" the emperor said sternly!
The man named Yang Liu was so frightened that he wanted to press his head to the ground. He glanced at Consort Liang and was too terrified to speak.
"If you still don't confess honestly, will I have to exterminate your entire family?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Liu nearly fainted. "Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! I had no choice. It was Consort Liang who ordered me to set fire to the palace. She said that since the First Prince was already dead, as long as I set fire to the First Prince's palace, she would let me out of the palace and elope with my cousin. Otherwise, I would spend my whole life in the palace!"
"Who would have thought that Consort Liang had no intention of letting me go? Not only did she send people to hunt me down, but she also killed my entire family. My cousin and I only escaped by hiding in a cesspool. Your Majesty, I know my crime and beg Your Majesty to spare me..."
"I will kill you!"
Before Yang Liu could finish speaking, a scream rang out. Yang Liu's right hand was severed by Consort Liang, and she fell into a pool of blood, howling in pain. If it weren't for a spiritual force pulling her away, Yang Liu would already be a corpse! Only after she was dragged away did the hall fall silent.
Consort Liang's sword clattered to the ground as she stared at the Empress in horror. "You! How could you! How could you use spiritual power? You were clearly struck by lightning..."
"Liang Yunhua, you seem quite surprised that I can now use spiritual power?" The Empress stared sharply at her.
"Guards, take Consort Liang away and await further instructions!" the emperor roared.
Consort Liang's face was ashen. The evidence for each and every matter was irrefutable, and she had no way to refute it.
After hearing what her father said, she knew that now that the truth had come out, only by taking all the blame could her son and the Liang family be saved.
Upon learning of this, Jun Linyu and Jun Linfeng caused a scene at the palace, and were ultimately confined to their own residences.
Inside the prison cell.
Consort Liang, who once enjoyed the Emperor's exclusive favor, sat on the ground in a sorry state, with cockroaches and rats occasionally passing by her feet.
But she didn't care at all, staring blankly at the cell door, lost in thought!
A series of light footsteps approached, and Consort Liang slowly raised her head, "Ji Yuerou!"
"Ji Jiuying cured the poison in your body, right?"
The Empress stared at her for a while, neither denying nor admitting it!
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