Chapter 198: Terribly Tenacious Life
Zhao Shuning did have a backup plan.
She is a gambler, but not an impulsive and mindless gambler.
If she wants to win, she must be fully prepared.
Even if there is a possibility of losing, you cannot allow yourself to lose miserably with no chance of recovery.
If this matter is exposed and she is held responsible, she will surely die.
If she had asked Princess Xiao Wanzhen to share the firepower, she might have been able to save her life.
As long as there is breath, there is still a chance.
When a person dies, there is no hope at all.
Xiao Wanzhen panicked and shook her head repeatedly in denial, "No, I didn't ask for any prescription. You must have been hiding in my room. You framed me!"
Zhao Shuning lowered her head. "I am afraid of death and have no choice but to give the princess away. Please forgive me, princess."
Xiao Wanzhen went from panic to anger, "You bitch, you think you can slander me with just your one-sided words? How could the emperor believe you?"
Concubine Li also spoke up, "Your Majesty, Zhen'er is not that kind of person. This Zhao must be making random accusations."
Emperor Defeng's face was slightly gloomy and he didn't speak for a while.
Empress Sun spoke slowly, "Your Majesty, I also believe that Zhen'er would not do such a foolish thing."
Empress Sun spoke up for Xiao Wanzhen, and Emperor Defeng's expression eased slightly.
She then added, "Zhao has publicly accused Zhen'er today. If the Emperor doesn't investigate thoroughly, I'm afraid Zhen'er's reputation will be damaged in the future."
"What does the Queen think?"
"Since Zhao keeps claiming that Zhen'er has secretly hidden the recipe, why not send someone to search for it? If the recipe isn't found, it will be confirmed that Zhao is lying. Such a bold person should be severely punished to serve as a warning to others."
Emperor Defeng pondered and felt that what Empress Sun said was indeed reasonable.
This matter has already become public. If it is not thoroughly investigated and left unsolved, it will only arouse more suspicion.
What's more, they are now in the Taimiao, and all the ancestors are watching. Emperor Defeng must set an example of fairness and strictness and must not lose his reputation in front of the ancestors.
Emperor Defeng immediately sent his confidant to search Xiao Wanzhen's courtyard.
When Concubine Li saw this, she felt inexplicably uneasy.
Xiao Wanzhen's face looked ugly and her eyes were dazed, which made Concubine Li even more uneasy.
Could it be that Zhen'er really did such a foolish thing?
The search took time and everyone was tired. Emperor Defeng showed mercy and allowed everyone to rest for a while. Only Zhao Shuning was still kneeling in the center of the hall, his back straight, motionless.
Chu Yian looked at her deeply, with a hint of disgust in his eyes.
Why did she always act so arbitrarily? When she did these things, did she not think about the disaster that would be brought to the Marquis' Mansion if her secrets were exposed?
His face was tense and his fists were clenched so tightly that they made a rattling sound.
Lu Zhiran was also looking at her. Zhao Shuning seemed to sense something, raised his eyes, and met her gaze directly.
Zhao Shuning's expression was cold, and his eyes were sharp and provocative.
She is in trouble this time, but don't be too proud. As long as she is still alive, she will pay back the debt sooner or later.
Lu Zhiran withdrew his gaze, and an inexplicable complexity arose in his heart.
Zhao Shuning is a man with terrifyingly strong vitality.
Her character and fighting spirit are beyond the reach of ordinary people, and she is a tough opponent.
This time, they underestimated her.
But even if she managed to survive by chance, she would still suffer a lot.
After half an hour, the Royal Guards who were searching returned.
"Your Majesty, I found this in the box in the princess's bedroom. The box was locked, and I hacked it open with a knife."
Emperor Defeng took it, took a look at it, and his eyes immediately became gloomy and dark.
This prescription is exactly the same as the one found in Zhao Shuning's room, even the handwriting is exactly the same.
He swung it hard, "Look for yourself."
Xiao Wanzhen took one look and shook her head vigorously, "I've never seen this recipe before! That bitch Zhao Shuning must have hidden it in my room!"
Emperor Defeng was furious. "Your box is locked. How can she open it?"
"She is very cunning. She might have stolen my key sometime."
Zhao Shuning smiled bitterly. "Princess, you have so many confidants around you. How could I possibly steal your key? Even if I did, there are so many boxes in your house. How could I possibly tell which key matched which box?"
Xiao Wanzhen was speechless for a moment.
She couldn't figure it out. Could it be that the people around her had betrayed her?
How is this possible?
What is going on?
Xiao Wanzhen's mind became a mess and she couldn't make sense of her thoughts at all.
However, she fell into a misunderstanding. The box did not necessarily need to be opened before the prescription could be put in. As long as the prescription was folded and stuffed in through the gap in the middle, there would naturally be no flaws.
The box that Zhao Shuning chose was covered in dust, indicating that it had not been opened for a long time. In the short term, she would not worry that anyone would discover the recipe.
Lu Wenyuan couldn't bear it any longer and fell to his knees with a thud.
"Your Majesty, ever since the princess married into the Lu family, I have always believed I have treated her with the utmost courtesy, without any ill-treatment. Even though the princess hasn't given birth to a legitimate son for many years, I never complained. Unexpectedly, the princess has such an idea, intending to confuse the royal family and the Lu family's bloodline! I dare to ask Your Majesty for justice today, even if it means overstepping the bounds!"
After saying that, he kowtowed heavily, and soon, blood came out from his forehead.
Emperor Defeng immediately spoke to appease him, "Lord Lu, what are you doing? Get up quickly, I will give the Lu family an explanation."
Lu Wenyuan was helped up reluctantly.
Xiao Wanzhen was completely panicked and repeatedly shook her head in denial, "Father, I didn't do this. I didn't do this. Please believe me!"
Emperor Defeng's face was filled with anger, and everyone looked at him with deep suspicion. Even Concubine Li showed disgust and anger in her eyes.
If she had this plan, why didn't she discuss it with me in advance? And she was so careless and left such a big handle! How stupid!
In such an occasion today, she caused such a big scandal, and even Yan Qing will be implicated by her!
In anger, Concubine Li raised her hand and slapped her hard.
"You idiot, how dare you joke about my offspring? Who gave you the guts?"
Xiao Wanzhen was stunned. She covered her face blankly and looked at Concubine Li in disbelief.
"Mother, I didn't do anything. I was framed by that bitch! Don't you even believe me?"
A trace of pain flashed in Concubine Li's eyes. "The evidence is right in front of me. How can I trust you?"
It doesn’t matter whether she believes it or not. What matters is that the emperor has begun to doubt.
The old man Lu Wenyuan even knelt down on the spot and begged for justice. The emperor was put in a predicament and was in a difficult situation.
This matter is destined to be difficult to explain, so it is better to sacrifice this daughter and kill my own relatives for the sake of justice. At least, I can give an explanation to the emperor and more or less save the situation.
When Xiao Wanzhen saw the ruthlessness in her mother's eyes, she quickly realized that she had been abandoned.
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