Chapter 72

The hall was very quiet, so quiet that Concubine Xiao's heavy gasps due to nervousness sounded particularly abrupt.

Song Zhao looked at her panicked appearance expressionlessly, she did look really unaware.

However, everyone in this palace is acting, with solid evidence right in front of you, even if you go on stage to sing Injustice to Du E, it would be of no avail.

It's just that Concubine Xiao made it too sloppy this time, full of loopholes.

Since she had taken action, she should at least be prepared for things to come to light,

At the very least, she should have come up with some excuses in advance. When people pointed fingers at her, she shouldn’t just duck her head saying that she was wronged.

Anyone in this palace who has committed an offence, be it a consort or a servant girl, what is the first sentence that pops out of their mouth? Claiming injustice!

But who would listen?

The masters present had already determined Concubine Xiao's alleged crime in their hearts.

Consort Yin snorted, "How can you be so vicious? Putting snake-flowering grass in everyone's sachet? Do you want us all to be bitten by snakes so that you can be happy?"

Consort Yun also said, "This consort said that there was no reason for two snakes to pop up out of nowhere in the middle of winter! It turns out you had this plan all along. I bet you even arranged for the snakes beforehand! Has your destroyed appearance also turned your heart black?"

Consort Yao couldn't help but admonish her a couple of sentences either, "You should know that although your appearance is damaged, none of us ridiculed or mocked you, and everyone tried to say nice things to comfort you. Who would have thought you could do something so insane..."

Accusations and curses poured towards Concubine Xiao from all sides.

She cried as she explained: "This concubine also doesn't know where the snakes came from. I didn't do it, I really didn't! Please investigate clearly, Empress!"

"Worthless thing!"

Concubine Xiao was still talking when Consort Chen suddenly lashed out.

She couldn't care less about the deportment befitting her rank anymore. She raised her foot and kicked Concubine Xiao in the shoulder, knocking her to the ground.

"Do you think I don't know what you have in mind? In your selfish heart you think it was this consort who tampered with the Phoenix Head Lute back then and ruined your appearance. So you were just waiting for a chance to get back at this consort!" Consort Chen glared at Concubine Xiao condescendingly, her voice vicious,

"What is your status? What is my standing? Do you think you deserve to damage the relic of the late Empress Dowager to plot against me? Disgusting creature!"

After finishing speaking she moved to kick and hit Concubine Xiao again.

It was Ying Xiang who came forward to stop her and advised, "Your Ladyship, don't lower yourself to her level. In case you injure yourself."

"I just recalled that before Your Ladyship tripped in Plum Garden, Concubine Xiao seemed to be right next to you. Maybe...it was her who deliberately tripped Your Ladyship on purpose."

Seeing another layer of suspicion added, with even the motive supplied,

Concubine Xiao broke out in cold sweat. She climbed up from the ground in a somersault and kowtowed to Consort Chen, pounding her head on the floor.

"This concubine didn't do it! At the time..."

She suddenly raised her head, pointing her finger at several people, "At that time, Concubine Liu, Concubine Song were also beside this concubine, I think Aunt Qing Yue was there too. Everyone panicked at that time. Maybe it was one of them who accidentally tripped Your Ladyship in the chaos!"

"Concubine Xiao, you can't talk nonsense!"

Before Concubine Xiao's words fell, Concubine Liu hurried to explain.

"Who would be looking at their feet when running for their life? Why would anyone randomly stick out a leg under Consort Chen's foot?"

In response to this, Song Zhao remained silent while her servant Xiaofuzi explained on her behalf.

"Then it is even less possible that my young missy did it. If my young missy harbored such malicious thoughts, why would she disregard her own life afterwards and rush out to save Consort Chen?"

Consort Shu also asked Qing Yue, "Did you trip Consort Chen?"

Qing Yue was somewhat embarrassed as she said, "This slave should have been by Your Ladyship's side to serve you, but because of some hidden afflictions, I walked slower..."

Consort Chen gave her a sideways glance. "Do you have corns on your feet? Not guarding your own mistress and swaggering around in front of me instead?"

Qing Yue helplessly pulled up her trousers, revealing her tiny shoes underneath.

The shoes were very small, far from the size needed to envelop the foot of a grown woman.

"This slave is from Yue State. Yue women have the custom of foot binding. Although this slave's feet were unbound when she was sold to Consort Shu at the age of eight, the deformed foot bones make my soles particularly small. Normally I can't take big strides when walking. So how could I have tripped Consort Chen?"

Consort Shu added an explanation, "When Qing Yue was following me in my maternal home, she already couldn't walk fast. Don't blame her for this."

It turned out that when Consort Chen tripped, everyone had evidence to prove that they didn't do it themselves.

Although Concubine Liu's evidence was very weak, she had been deliberately currying favor with Consort Chen before, secretly and openly helping Consort Chen many times. So Consort Chen naturally wouldn't suspect her. As a result, Concubine Xiao's suspicion deepened.

Consort Chen grunted and sternly ordered,

"Come, bring this worthless woman to the Judicial Department for harsh interrogation and torture. Let's see if she can still remain steadfast!"

"Wait," the Empress said in a deep voice. "The truth hasn't been determined yet. After all, Concubine Xiao is His Majesty’s cousin. We can't just casually dispose of her. If we really send her to the Judicial Department for torture and she loses half her life to prove her innocence, wouldn't that make one’s heart turn cold?"

Consort Chen let out a cold sneer and said sarcastically, "The Empress is indeed good at being human. Then what do you suggest? Let her do as she pleases so that next time when she fails to harm me, she will try again harder?"

"Consort Chen, mind your words," the Empress scolded Consort Chen, ignoring whatever little temper she threw. Instead, she looked at Concubine Xiao and asked her quite calmly, "The biggest doubt in this matter still lies in the sachet you gave out. Why would you suddenly give everyone sachets for no reason?"

Concubine Xiao explained, "These sachets were made at Consort Shu's behest. Consort Shu said I had been away for so long without paying respects to the Empress, which was already a transgression. So she asked me to make sachets for everyone, firstly to pray for peace and good fortune, secondly so that no one would dwell on my issues..."

Consort Shu said indifferently, "I did ask you to make sachets, but I never told you to put anything like snake-flowering grass inside."

"In that case, why did you put snake-flowering grass inside, Concubine Xiao?" The Empress stroked the medicine doll sent back by Frost Ruoxin in her arms, and added another sentence: "Although this snake-flowering grass can calm the nerves, it is by no means something commonly found inside sachets."

Concubine Xiao explained, "This concubine doesn't understand medicine at all. I only instructed the Imperial Pharmacy to send me some dried flowers and herbs that can calm the nerves..."

Upon hearing this, the Empress glanced at Jiang Deshun and he immediately sent someone to summon the people from the Imperial Pharmacy.

But when the medicine boy came, he nailed Concubine Xiao's evil deeds even further.

"Reporting to Empress, it was indeed this slave who was in charge of prescribing medicine for Concubine Xiao that day. However, that snake-flowering grass was... "

He looked at Yin Zhi, who was kneeling on the ground together with Concubine Xiao, and said, "It was specifically asked for by Yin Zhi by Concubine Xiao's side."

Concubine Xiao suddenly turned to look at Yin Zhi, her pupils trembling in extreme shock.

While Yin Zhi directly admitted to it, her voice shaking,

"This slave only knew it was something good for calming nerves. This slave didn't know it would attract snakes..."

At this point, such an explanation from Yin Zhi seemed extremely weak.

Infinite despair mingled into the air, gushing towards Concubine Xiao like surging tidal waves,

As if they would crush and grind her into powder.

Perhaps it was because she was too nervous and fearful. Concubine Xiao wanted to explain but her chest suddenly convulsed and she couldn't help but retch on the spot...

The Empress saw that there was probably no more she could ask with Concubine Xiao in this state. She simply said,

"In that case, I have no choice but to detain you first until His Majesty finishes state affairs then makes a ruling."

"Come, bring Concubine Xiao to solitary confinement and keep a close eye on her."