"Good! So it turns out that you, this cheap woman, wanted to harm me!"
Li Changzai suddenly erupted and grabbed Song Zhao's arm to slap her in the face.
Fortunately, Yun Shan rushed forward to stop Li Changzai, allowing her to use him as a punching bag.
"Cheap woman! I have no grievance or enmity with you, why do you want to put me to death?"
Li Changzai scolded more and more uncontrollably. The Empress frowned, "Crazy nonsense, how undignified!"
Her words had just fallen when she quickly signaled the palace maids to pull Li Changzai away.
At this moment, Song Zhao had not yet recovered from the shock.
She did not know who wanted to harm her. For a while, she also found it hard to prove her own innocence.
But reason told her not to panic.
If she panicked at this time, everything would be over.
So her eyes brimmed with tears as she stared straight at Xiao Jingheng.
Xiao Jingheng's eyes were cold and piercing, filled with the emperor's ruthlessness and majesty.
He walked step by step to Song Zhao and looked down at her from above,
"Was it you?"
Song Zhao shook her head in tears, "This concubine did not do it."
Consort Yin said, "You and Consort Shu have no grievances, why did you want to harm her unborn prince? Or is it... you deliberately did these things just to suppress Li Changzai? After all, she entered the palace as a noble lady, lived under the same roof as you, and I often heard that she looked down on you openly and secretly. So you had the crooked idea of wanting to frame her, right?"
Consort Yun said, "I just heard Xiao Anzi say that there was peach kernel mixed in the medicinal powder hidden in the wild ginseng...?"
Xiao Anzi nodded in confirmation. Consort Yun frowned at Song Zhao,
"That's it then. You are allergic to peach blossom powder, so of course you would also be allergic to peach kernels. No wonder you broke out in red rashes all over your face before entering the palace. It turns out you were secretly preparing these dirty things and got retribution when they got on you!"
Following Consort Yun's words, Li Changzai continued,
"She is just jealous that I have the same background as her. I entered the palace as a noble lady, while she is just a lowly concubine. So she wanted to frame me! How pitiful Consort Shu and the little prince are, they unwittingly became pawns for you to frame me! Song Zhao! You really have a vicious heart!"
As Song Zhao listened to their endless mudslinging, and even helping her think of motives for doing this, as if wanting Xiao Jingheng to wave his hand and have her dragged out and beheaded to set an example.
Although she had secretly sought refuge with Consort Chen, faced with such a big incident, Consort Chen would protect herself first before speaking up for her. That would already be giving her face.
Song Zhao understood that whether she lived or died in this matter depended on no one but herself.
She ignored their idle gossip and only looked at Xiao Jingheng to ask,
"Does the Emperor think I would do such things just to compete for favor?"
Her expression and tone were somewhat arrogant.
Xiao Jingheng's expression was solemn as he kept rubbing the ring on his thumb, "I hope it wasn't you. What do you have to say in your defense?"
Song Zhao knelt straight on the ground and said in a deep voice,
"This concubine has no way to prove her innocence, nor does she know why those dirty things ended up in her palace. But this concubine wants to ask, if I had intended to scheme such a big plot to frame Li Changzai, the wild ginseng had already been sent to Consort Shu's palace for over a month. Why would I still keep those dirty things, waiting for things to come to light and incriminate myself?"
Seeing Xiao Jingheng's expression soften a little, she looked at Li Changzai and asked,
"Li Changzai said I did these things to frame you. If I had such cunning poisoning skills, why didn't I just target you directly? Why go through all that convoluted effort, causing such a big commotion that would be unfavorable to myself?"
Li Changzai said, "Only you know why you did it this way! Your Majesty, the evidence now is clear. Song Zhao schemed to harm the imperial heir and injure the imperial consort. Her crime deserves execution! Please, Your Majesty, punish her severely!"
Facing Li Changzai's impassioned speech, Xiao Jingheng seemed somewhat indifferent.
As the Emperor, he thinks three steps ahead.
How could he not see the discrepancies here?
Furthermore, he was somewhat reluctant to deal with Song Zhao so rashly without clarity.
Seeing Xiao Jingheng's hesitation, the Empress knew he would definitely not jump to conclusions about this matter.
Since that's the case, she might as well earn some goodwill first. She said,
"Your subject feels there are doubts about this matter. Harming the imperial heir is a crime that implicates nine generations. If conclusions are drawn rashly without clarity, it would be an egregious injustice if the wrong person is blamed. "
"What the Empress said is reasonable." Xiao Jingheng reached out to help Song Zhao up from the cold floor, and said,
"I told you I won't let you suffer unjust prosecution. If you didn't do it, I will prove your innocence. Are you willing to believe in me?"
Song Zhao looked extremely aggrieved.
She bit her lips, staining them with blood, "This concubine doesn't know why things became like this, nor who wants to put me to death. I cannot prove my own innocence, but I believe in the Emperor."
She raised her eyes, and tears rolled down her cheeks precisely, "This concubine knows the Emperor will prove her innocence. But this concubine also doesn't want to trouble you. Now all the evidence points to this concubine, so I am willing to voluntarily enter prison. When the truth comes to light, I will serve at the Emperor's side with a clear name again."
Xiao Jingheng looked at the beauty before him, her nose red, eyes brimming with tears, pitiful and distressed.
Large teardrops fell heavily on the back of his hand, burning his heart.
How could he still bear to reprimand her?
So he said, "If I send you to the prison, wouldn't I be prejudging your guilt and hurting your feelings? So, you will remain in the Jade Flower Palace, but I will have the west wing locked. Stay in seclusion for a few days. I will investigate the facts as soon as possible and give you and Consort Shu justice."
Song Zhao sobbed and nodded, "This concubine thanks the Emperor deeply."
The drama of this day finally came to a temporary stop.
The west wing where Song Zhao lived was locked, and the palace maids were not allowed to serve at her side.
Leaning alone on the heated kang, listening to Li Changzai's curses in the courtyard, she took them for the barks of stray dogs.
She did not believe at all that Xiao Jingheng would prove her innocent.
She could not leave her life in the hands of a man she had only known for months and only slept with twice.
She had to think of a way to get herself out of this quagmire.
So the first thing she had to do was figure out who exactly wanted to harm her.
