Chapter - 56
By Tea Time Translations
---
If there are any mistakes in translation, please feel free to comment! Please support us @TeaTime.
---
The palace maid holding the jug was pale with fear, kneeling beside trembling. She almost collapsed to the ground.
When Zhang Fengtong heard from this confident what she had done and said publicly tonight, her head buzzed, her vision darkened, and her nose instantly began to bleed profusely, dripping onto the embroidered phoenix on her palace dress. The blood, yellow and red, spread violently across the fabric, creating a gruesome sight.
Her eyes widened, almost bulging out of their sockets. With a fierce swing of her hand, she delivered a harsh slap, just like the one she had received moments ago, hitting the palace maid's face, causing her to fall to the ground.
But this was far from enough to vent her hatred. She despised her to the point of wanting to devour her flesh. Grabbing a hairpin from her head, she stabbed the palace maid fiercely and randomly, emitting a wild and angry scream.
"You wretch! You can't even handle such a small matter! You've caused me this much trouble!"
"Pu, pu, pu!" Several bloody holes quickly appeared on the palace maid's neck and face as she curled up into a ball, one hand covering her face while the other gripped her arm. She screamed in agony, "Please spare me, Your Highness! How would this servant dare to harm the Crown Princess? This servant remembers clearly, the wine in the Crown Princess's cup was clean—"
"You're still making excuses! I'll beat you to death! Besides you, who else would know? Are you deliberately trying to harm me?"
Zhang Fengtong, despite not having drunk the drugged wine, appeared pale, her eyes bloodshot, hair disheveled, blood staining her nose and mouth. She looked crazed, resembling someone in the throes of madness. She continued to wildly stab at the palace maid's arm, causing her to scream in agony, the sound echoing eerily in the night.
"You wretch! Not content with harming me, you want to attract Li Yuangui's people here?"
Xiao Yintang, consumed by anger, delivered a powerful kick to Zhang Fengtong's shoulder. Accompanied by a slight crack, Zhang Fengtong was sent flying several feet, landing on the ground, the blood-stained hairpin slipping from her grasp and flying away.
The intense pain from her shoulder seemed to jolt Zhang Fengtong's senses back. After struggling for a moment, she quickly climbed up from the ground and rushed to Xiao Yintang's side, grabbing onto his clothes and crying, "Your Highness, I truly didn't mean it. How could I have known that this wretch would mess up even pouring a drink? I just wanted—"
She suddenly stopped, her teeth chattering, emitting a distinct "de de" sound.
Xiao Yintang delivered another resounding slap with his hand, then squatted down, grabbing her by the hair, gritting his teeth as he spoke, "So you intended for Zhen Shi to drink this wine and make a spectacle of herself in public? Yes or no? You venomous woman! I had hoped to let today pass peacefully, to save face for your Zhang family, but you, you wretched woman, not only did you deceive me and manipulate my trust, but you also caused this disaster!"
He abruptly stood up, grabbing a long sword from the table, pointing it at Zhang Fengtong and advancing towards her.
Zhang Fengtong's face turned ashen. Backed against the wall with the sword pointed at her, she could only inch backward until she had nowhere left to retreat.
"Your Highness, you can't kill me like this. If you do, won't it confirm the truth of what I said..."
Zhang Fengtong sobbed mournfully.
Xiao Yintang halted his steps, the tip of his sword no longer advancing but also not retreating, frozen in mid-air.
His once handsome face now slightly contorted, his features tightly focused on Zhang Fengtong against the wall, his gaze flickering uncertainly. After a moment, he slowly sheathed his sword, his voice cold as he said, "Wretch! My men are guarding the palace gates as we speak, and the emperor is still unaware of this matter. I will now go with your father to seek forgiveness from the emperor. If your mind clears up, you should know what to say before the emperor. I don't need to teach you that, right?"
Zhang Fengtong remained motionless, hanging against the wall.
Without another glance at her, Xiao Yintang turned and walked away.
"Your Highness!"
Just before he hurried out, Zhang Fengtong called out. Leaning against the wall, she slowly got up, her eyes like copper coins, reflecting a faint gloom in the candlelight.
"For the current situation, there is only one way, perhaps still salvageable before Father Emperor. I will go plead with the Queen Mother."
She stated her plan, her voice trembling incessantly.
"As for the matter with Lady Zhen, we can let it go. But you killed Lady Cao. If this matter is confirmed, even if the Cao family dares not pursue it, the censors will surely not overlook it. By then, even if Father Emperor intends to overlook it, there must be a reason to explain..."
Xiao Yintang narrowed his eyes. "Are you threatening me?"
Zhang Fengtong endured the pain in her shoulders and kneeled down. "Your Highness, this matter did indeed start because of me. Whether I am relevant or not, even if His Majesty condemns me to death, it would be deserved. But you and I are like grasshoppers on the same rope. Washing your hands of me is also washing your hands of yourself, Your Highness. You should understand this better than I."
Xiao Yintang shot her a look of disgust, his gaze passing over her ghostly pale face. He coldly said, "Why aren't you leaving?"
Zhang Fengtong responded and Xiao Yintang took a step, then paused, turning around. "Wretched woman, if you manage to escape punishment this time, remember this: if you dare to harm Zhen Shi again, even if she loses a single hair, I will not spare you!"
Zhang Fengtong's complexion was a mixture of green and white as she collapsed to the ground, while Xiao Yintang had already walked away with large strides. Her trusted palace maid timidly entered, casting a fearful glance at Zhang Fengtong, who looked like a ghost drenched in water, and then at the palace maid who was still struggling and groaning on the ground.
"Are you all dead? Why don't you help me up?"
Zhang Fengtong snapped sharply. With a sudden realization, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder and arm. She must have had her bones broken by him just now. Suppressing the pain, she twisted her face and was slowly helped up. She ordered them to quickly groom her and change her clothes. As she passed by the palace maid on the ground, she signaled to a eunuch with her eyes.
The eunuch understood and went up to cover the palace maid's mouth, dragging her away to a dark corner like a dead dog. At first, there were intermittent struggles and cries, but soon, the sounds subsided and eventually fell silent.
....
Since ascending the throne, Emperor Xiao has been tirelessly handling state affairs, often personally involved. Yesterday, due to urgent reports of drought relief funds needed for disaster relief, he convened the Ministry of Revenue officials for discussion overnight, without rest. Today, he attended court sessions without pause. In the evening, after summoning Pei You'an, He Gongpu, Zhang Shiyong and others from the Ministry of Civil Affairs to discuss the matter, feeling exhausted, he slept in the side hall. Just as he entered his dreams, he was awakened by Li Yuangui, who informed him that the Crown Princess had caused a scene while intoxicated at her mother's birthday banquet tonight, in full view of everyone. This surprised him, and he furrowed his brow, saying, "How could this happen? Never mind, instruct her to refrain from drinking in the future!"
Li Yuangui replied, "Your Majesty, if that's all, how dare we disturb Your Majesty? It's because the Crown Princess might have said something that could stir up trouble. The Crown Prince and Lord Zhang are afraid of Your Majesty's displeasure. They are all outside the hall now, kneeling, and begging Your Majesty's forgiveness."
"What did she say?"
Li Yuangui carefully repeated his words.
Emperor Xiao froze, then angrily threw the belt that Cui Yinshui had just handed him to the ground, saying, "This is outrageous! How could such a thing happen?" It was unclear whether he was angry about the Crown Princess's drunken ramblings or the things she said.
Li Yuangui hastily picked up the belt, noticing that the jade ornament on it was already broken, and gestured for Cui Yinshui to bring another one. He then bowed and said, "Yes, it seems that the Crown Princess was just talking nonsense while drunk. But with so many people present at the time, it couldn't be concealed, so both the Crown Prince and Lord Zhang came to beg for Your Majesty's forgiveness."
Emperor Xiao angrily said, "They've already said their piece. What's the point of them coming to beg for forgiveness from me?"
Li Yuangui hesitated for a moment before asking, "Should I go and tell them to leave?"
Emperor Xiao initially remained silent, then said, "Summon the Crown Prince in and let Lord Zhang return."
Li Yuangui acknowledged and hurried out to deliver the message. Moments later, Crown Prince Xiao Yintang rushed in, looking anxious and repeatedly kowtowing as he knelt down, saying, "Father Emperor, the Crown Princess behaved improperly after drinking, uttering nonsensical words. I am deeply ashamed and regretful for implicating others. In addition to my anger and indignation, I am also ashamed for not living up to your teachings. I beg Father Emperor to punish me!"
Emperor Xiao stared at him and asked, "Did your wife say that you strangled Lady Cao? Is it true?"
"The drunken ramblings can't be taken as truth, can they? Lady Cao has been with me for many years, and we had a deep affection for each other. She never did anything wrong. Why would I kill her? Even if I had lost my mind, I would never have taken her life! Dr. Wang was also present at the time and personally diagnosed her condition. If Father Emperor doesn't believe me, you can summon Dr. Wang to inquire!"
Emperor Xiao snorted coldly and said, "It's easy for me to believe you. But if you ask the court officials to speak to you, can they also believe you?"
"Father Emperor! It's one thing if those outside the palace don't believe me, but if even Father Emperor doesn't believe me, I'm going to be wronged!"
"Silence!"
Emperor Xiao became furious, picking up a memorial from the table and hurling it at him.
"If you have nothing to hide, even if she's drunk beyond recognition, how could she fabricate such accusations against you out of thin air?"
Emperor Xiao gazed at him coldly as he finished speaking.
"Father Emperor! Your son does indeed have faults. Since things have come to this point, your son is not afraid to speak the truth. Your son was once saved by Lady Zhen, and indeed harbored feelings for her. Your son admits this. However, after Lady Zhen was betrothed to Lord Pei You'an by Father Emperor's decree, your son regarded him as an elder brother and henceforth abandoned any inappropriate thoughts. It's just that this Lady Zhang, though she appears magnanimous, is in fact extremely petty and jealous. She was never pleased with your son's neglect of her, and upon seeing your son's past interest in Lady Zhen and his current association with Lady Cao, her jealousy and resentment festered within. Normally, she would keep this concealed, but tonight, in her drunken state, her inner demons surfaced, and she wished for nothing more than to see your son disgraced and ruined. Hence, she spouted nonsensical accusations. I implore Father Emperor to see through this! If you were to summon her and inquire, the truth would become clear!"
Xiao Yintang finished speaking, continuing to kowtow.
Emperor Xiao remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Just at that moment, the voice of Li Yuangui came from outside: "The Queen is here! The Crown Princess is here!"
Emperor Xiao lifted his head and saw Zhou entering hastily, followed by the pale-faced Zhang Fengtong. As they entered, Zhang Fengtong knelt beside Xiao Yintang, while Zhou appeared agitated, saying, "Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened in the palace! It's a catastrophe! Before the Crown Prince's marriage, I received a secret report that Lady Cao, out of jealousy towards the Crown Princess, sought a sorcerer outside the palace and secretly cast a curse on the Crown Princess, causing her to behave irrationally. I was negligent and didn't believe it at the time. I thought Lady Cao was usually well-behaved, how could she do such a thing? I suspected it was just someone falsely accusing her to me, so I scolded and expelled the informant. But tonight, seeing the Crown Princess's behavior, I realized the truth. I immediately sent someone to the Crown Princess's residence in the Eastern Palace, and indeed, under her bed, we found the cursed object! It's truly horrifying!"
Emperor Xiao's expression changed, and he glanced at Xiao Yintang and Zhang Fengtong.
Empress Zhou called out to the outside, and Lin Momo bowed and entered, kneeling at the door of the hall, holding a tray high with both hands. Li Yuangui went over, took the tray, and inside was a white effigy doll with the Crown Princess's birthdate written on its face, and a silver needle pierced into its chest behind the heart.
Empress Dowager Zhou also knelt down, tears streaming down her face as she said, "Your Majesty, it's all my fault! Blame it on my soft-heartedness and kindness. If I had been vigilant when I received the information, pursued Lady Cao and investigated thoroughly, today's tragedy could have been avoided! The Crown Princess was cursed by an evil spell. Her public outburst tonight, the nonsensical words spoken, how could they be taken seriously? It's likely the evil spirit of Lady Cao haunting us! I implore Your Majesty to see the truth!"
Zhang Fengtong bowed deeply and wept softly.
The atmosphere in the hall became extremely heavy, and no one spoke again.
"Report to His Majesty! Upon learning that Your Majesty was not to be seen, Zhang Lao banged his head against the pillar and said he would use death to apologize! Right now, he's bleeding from the head and unconscious..." Li Yuangui hurriedly entered and reported.
Zhang Fengtong's sobbing suddenly grew louder, but she forced herself to suppress it.
The hall fell silent, with only the faint sound of Zhang Fengtong's quiet weeping echoing in the dark corners of the hall where the candlelight couldn't reach.
Emperor Xiao's face turned extremely ugly. His gaze swept over the three people kneeling before him in turn. Suddenly, he let out a bitter laugh and muttered to himself, "Well, this is quite complete."
He stood up, walked to the window, pushed it open, and stood there for a moment, gazing at the night sky. Then he spoke coldly, "Empress and Crown Princess, leave. Crown Prince, stay."
Empress Zhou and Crown Princess Zhang got up from the ground and left. In the vast hall, only the father and son remained.
As the candles flickered, Emperor Xiao's expression gradually softened. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Yintang, here and now, we are not monarch and subject, but father and son. If the son does not learn, the father has also erred. Tell me the truth, did you really kill Cao Shi? Why did the Crown Princess, who is usually so steady, behave so erratically tonight?"
Crown Prince Yintang lowered his head and said, "Father, Cao Shi indeed died of illness, and I am deeply saddened by it. However, I am powerless to change what has happened. As for why the Crown Princess suddenly acted this way, I dare not speculate. Since Mother has found the witchcraft curse under her bed, perhaps that is the reason. Your Majesty has always been wise; you may dispatch someone to investigate."
After finishing his words, he bowed again to the ground. Emperor Xiao watched the figure prostrated before him, his expression gradually showing disappointment and desolation.
"Enough, you may go," he said after a moment.
Crown Prince Xiao Yintang expressed his gratitude and rose from the ground respectfully. As he was about to leave the hall, Emperor Xiao called him back.
"Kneel!" he commanded.
Crown Prince Yintang's heart raced, and he hurriedly knelt down again.
"Listen carefully," Emperor Xiao continued. "I can make you the Crown Prince, and I can also remove you from that position. This incident will not serve as a precedent. If there are any further misconducts in the future, I will not wait for the officials to impeach you; I will not show leniency towards you either!"
The Emperor's voice was not loud, but each word, spoken slowly and deliberately, felt like a sharp, icy blade piercing straight to the heart.
....
The next day, the news spread rapidly.
The reason behind the public madness of the Crown Prince's consort last night had been uncovered. It turned out that the deceased Cao lady, who had succumbed to a sudden illness previously, had harbored deep resentment towards the Crown Prince's consort. Before her death, she had placed a curse on her, which led to the events of last night. With both evidence and testimony in hand, the truth of the matter became clear.
Since the Crown Prince's consort had fallen victim to a curse, all the nonsensical words spoken last night were simply the delusions of a disturbed mind. Anyone caught spreading rumors privately would be punished for spreading false information and causing disturbances.
The Emperor personally sent people to the Duke of Zhu's residence to comfort the old lady who had nearly lost her life due to being choked the previous night. The Cao family, from top to bottom, walked on eggshells, trembling in fear. The father of the late Lady Cao knelt outside the palace gates, weeping bitterly, knocking his head until it bled, and eventually passing out. The Emperor had the imperial physician attend to him and, considering the Cao family's past merits as loyal servants of the Wu Ding dynasty, decided to only strip the late Cao lady of her posthumous title. Her coffin was relocated out of the imperial mausoleum, and the Cao family was entrusted with her burial arrangements. No further investigation was conducted. The Cao family expressed their gratitude and compliance.
Subsequently, the Crown Princess did not make any public appearances. It was said that she had fallen seriously ill due to the curse and was currently recuperating. Once her health improved, she would resume her duties as the Crown Princess.
Jiafu, while at home, heard these news snippets one after another, realizing that Pei You'an had accurately predicted them all.
Chapter - 56
By Tea Time Translations
---
If there are any mistakes in translation, please feel free to comment! Please support us @TeaTime.
---
The palace maid holding the jug was pale with fear, kneeling beside trembling. She almost collapsed to the ground.
When Zhang Fengtong heard from this confident what she had done and said publicly tonight, her head buzzed, her vision darkened, and her nose instantly began to bleed profusely, dripping onto the embroidered phoenix on her palace dress. The blood, yellow and red, spread violently across the fabric, creating a gruesome sight.
Her eyes widened, almost bulging out of their sockets. With a fierce swing of her hand, she delivered a harsh slap, just like the one she had received moments ago, hitting the palace maid's face, causing her to fall to the ground.
But this was far from enough to vent her hatred. She despised her to the point of wanting to devour her flesh. Grabbing a hairpin from her head, she stabbed the palace maid fiercely and randomly, emitting a wild and angry scream.
"You wretch! You can't even handle such a small matter! You've caused me this much trouble!"
"Pu, pu, pu!" Several bloody holes quickly appeared on the palace maid's neck and face as she curled up into a ball, one hand covering her face while the other gripped her arm. She screamed in agony, "Please spare me, Your Highness! How would this servant dare to harm the Crown Princess? This servant remembers clearly, the wine in the Crown Princess's cup was clean—"
"You're still making excuses! I'll beat you to death! Besides you, who else would know? Are you deliberately trying to harm me?"
Zhang Fengtong, despite not having drunk the drugged wine, appeared pale, her eyes bloodshot, hair disheveled, blood staining her nose and mouth. She looked crazed, resembling someone in the throes of madness. She continued to wildly stab at the palace maid's arm, causing her to scream in agony, the sound echoing eerily in the night.
"You wretch! Not content with harming me, you want to attract Li Yuangui's people here?"
Xiao Yintang, consumed by anger, delivered a powerful kick to Zhang Fengtong's shoulder. Accompanied by a slight crack, Zhang Fengtong was sent flying several feet, landing on the ground, the blood-stained hairpin slipping from her grasp and flying away.
The intense pain from her shoulder seemed to jolt Zhang Fengtong's senses back. After struggling for a moment, she quickly climbed up from the ground and rushed to Xiao Yintang's side, grabbing onto his clothes and crying, "Your Highness, I truly didn't mean it. How could I have known that this wretch would mess up even pouring a drink? I just wanted—"
She suddenly stopped, her teeth chattering, emitting a distinct "de de" sound.
Xiao Yintang delivered another resounding slap with his hand, then squatted down, grabbing her by the hair, gritting his teeth as he spoke, "So you intended for Zhen Shi to drink this wine and make a spectacle of herself in public? Yes or no? You venomous woman! I had hoped to let today pass peacefully, to save face for your Zhang family, but you, you wretched woman, not only did you deceive me and manipulate my trust, but you also caused this disaster!"
He abruptly stood up, grabbing a long sword from the table, pointing it at Zhang Fengtong and advancing towards her.
Zhang Fengtong's face turned ashen. Backed against the wall with the sword pointed at her, she could only inch backward until she had nowhere left to retreat.
"Your Highness, you can't kill me like this. If you do, won't it confirm the truth of what I said..."
Zhang Fengtong sobbed mournfully.
Xiao Yintang halted his steps, the tip of his sword no longer advancing but also not retreating, frozen in mid-air.
His once handsome face now slightly contorted, his features tightly focused on Zhang Fengtong against the wall, his gaze flickering uncertainly. After a moment, he slowly sheathed his sword, his voice cold as he said, "Wretch! My men are guarding the palace gates as we speak, and the emperor is still unaware of this matter. I will now go with your father to seek forgiveness from the emperor. If your mind clears up, you should know what to say before the emperor. I don't need to teach you that, right?"
Zhang Fengtong remained motionless, hanging against the wall.
Without another glance at her, Xiao Yintang turned and walked away.
"Your Highness!"
Just before he hurried out, Zhang Fengtong called out. Leaning against the wall, she slowly got up, her eyes like copper coins, reflecting a faint gloom in the candlelight.
"For the current situation, there is only one way, perhaps still salvageable before Father Emperor. I will go plead with the Queen Mother."
She stated her plan, her voice trembling incessantly.
"As for the matter with Lady Zhen, we can let it go. But you killed Lady Cao. If this matter is confirmed, even if the Cao family dares not pursue it, the censors will surely not overlook it. By then, even if Father Emperor intends to overlook it, there must be a reason to explain..."
Xiao Yintang narrowed his eyes. "Are you threatening me?"
Zhang Fengtong endured the pain in her shoulders and kneeled down. "Your Highness, this matter did indeed start because of me. Whether I am relevant or not, even if His Majesty condemns me to death, it would be deserved. But you and I are like grasshoppers on the same rope. Washing your hands of me is also washing your hands of yourself, Your Highness. You should understand this better than I."
Xiao Yintang shot her a look of disgust, his gaze passing over her ghostly pale face. He coldly said, "Why aren't you leaving?"
Zhang Fengtong responded and Xiao Yintang took a step, then paused, turning around. "Wretched woman, if you manage to escape punishment this time, remember this: if you dare to harm Zhen Shi again, even if she loses a single hair, I will not spare you!"
Zhang Fengtong's complexion was a mixture of green and white as she collapsed to the ground, while Xiao Yintang had already walked away with large strides. Her trusted palace maid timidly entered, casting a fearful glance at Zhang Fengtong, who looked like a ghost drenched in water, and then at the palace maid who was still struggling and groaning on the ground.
"Are you all dead? Why don't you help me up?"
Zhang Fengtong snapped sharply. With a sudden realization, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder and arm. She must have had her bones broken by him just now. Suppressing the pain, she twisted her face and was slowly helped up. She ordered them to quickly groom her and change her clothes. As she passed by the palace maid on the ground, she signaled to a eunuch with her eyes.
The eunuch understood and went up to cover the palace maid's mouth, dragging her away to a dark corner like a dead dog. At first, there were intermittent struggles and cries, but soon, the sounds subsided and eventually fell silent.
....
Since ascending the throne, Emperor Xiao has been tirelessly handling state affairs, often personally involved. Yesterday, due to urgent reports of drought relief funds needed for disaster relief, he convened the Ministry of Revenue officials for discussion overnight, without rest. Today, he attended court sessions without pause. In the evening, after summoning Pei You'an, He Gongpu, Zhang Shiyong and others from the Ministry of Civil Affairs to discuss the matter, feeling exhausted, he slept in the side hall. Just as he entered his dreams, he was awakened by Li Yuangui, who informed him that the Crown Princess had caused a scene while intoxicated at her mother's birthday banquet tonight, in full view of everyone. This surprised him, and he furrowed his brow, saying, "How could this happen? Never mind, instruct her to refrain from drinking in the future!"
Li Yuangui replied, "Your Majesty, if that's all, how dare we disturb Your Majesty? It's because the Crown Princess might have said something that could stir up trouble. The Crown Prince and Lord Zhang are afraid of Your Majesty's displeasure. They are all outside the hall now, kneeling, and begging Your Majesty's forgiveness."
"What did she say?"
Li Yuangui carefully repeated his words.
Emperor Xiao froze, then angrily threw the belt that Cui Yinshui had just handed him to the ground, saying, "This is outrageous! How could such a thing happen?" It was unclear whether he was angry about the Crown Princess's drunken ramblings or the things she said.
Li Yuangui hastily picked up the belt, noticing that the jade ornament on it was already broken, and gestured for Cui Yinshui to bring another one. He then bowed and said, "Yes, it seems that the Crown Princess was just talking nonsense while drunk. But with so many people present at the time, it couldn't be concealed, so both the Crown Prince and Lord Zhang came to beg for Your Majesty's forgiveness."
Emperor Xiao angrily said, "They've already said their piece. What's the point of them coming to beg for forgiveness from me?"
Li Yuangui hesitated for a moment before asking, "Should I go and tell them to leave?"
Emperor Xiao initially remained silent, then said, "Summon the Crown Prince in and let Lord Zhang return."
Li Yuangui acknowledged and hurried out to deliver the message. Moments later, Crown Prince Xiao Yintang rushed in, looking anxious and repeatedly kowtowing as he knelt down, saying, "Father Emperor, the Crown Princess behaved improperly after drinking, uttering nonsensical words. I am deeply ashamed and regretful for implicating others. In addition to my anger and indignation, I am also ashamed for not living up to your teachings. I beg Father Emperor to punish me!"
Emperor Xiao stared at him and asked, "Did your wife say that you strangled Lady Cao? Is it true?"
"The drunken ramblings can't be taken as truth, can they? Lady Cao has been with me for many years, and we had a deep affection for each other. She never did anything wrong. Why would I kill her? Even if I had lost my mind, I would never have taken her life! Dr. Wang was also present at the time and personally diagnosed her condition. If Father Emperor doesn't believe me, you can summon Dr. Wang to inquire!"
Emperor Xiao snorted coldly and said, "It's easy for me to believe you. But if you ask the court officials to speak to you, can they also believe you?"
"Father Emperor! It's one thing if those outside the palace don't believe me, but if even Father Emperor doesn't believe me, I'm going to be wronged!"
"Silence!"
Emperor Xiao became furious, picking up a memorial from the table and hurling it at him.
"If you have nothing to hide, even if she's drunk beyond recognition, how could she fabricate such accusations against you out of thin air?"
Emperor Xiao gazed at him coldly as he finished speaking.
"Father Emperor! Your son does indeed have faults. Since things have come to this point, your son is not afraid to speak the truth. Your son was once saved by Lady Zhen, and indeed harbored feelings for her. Your son admits this. However, after Lady Zhen was betrothed to Lord Pei You'an by Father Emperor's decree, your son regarded him as an elder brother and henceforth abandoned any inappropriate thoughts. It's just that this Lady Zhang, though she appears magnanimous, is in fact extremely petty and jealous. She was never pleased with your son's neglect of her, and upon seeing your son's past interest in Lady Zhen and his current association with Lady Cao, her jealousy and resentment festered within. Normally, she would keep this concealed, but tonight, in her drunken state, her inner demons surfaced, and she wished for nothing more than to see your son disgraced and ruined. Hence, she spouted nonsensical accusations. I implore Father Emperor to see through this! If you were to summon her and inquire, the truth would become clear!"
Xiao Yintang finished speaking, continuing to kowtow.
Emperor Xiao remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Just at that moment, the voice of Li Yuangui came from outside: "The Queen is here! The Crown Princess is here!"
Emperor Xiao lifted his head and saw Zhou entering hastily, followed by the pale-faced Zhang Fengtong. As they entered, Zhang Fengtong knelt beside Xiao Yintang, while Zhou appeared agitated, saying, "Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened in the palace! It's a catastrophe! Before the Crown Prince's marriage, I received a secret report that Lady Cao, out of jealousy towards the Crown Princess, sought a sorcerer outside the palace and secretly cast a curse on the Crown Princess, causing her to behave irrationally. I was negligent and didn't believe it at the time. I thought Lady Cao was usually well-behaved, how could she do such a thing? I suspected it was just someone falsely accusing her to me, so I scolded and expelled the informant. But tonight, seeing the Crown Princess's behavior, I realized the truth. I immediately sent someone to the Crown Princess's residence in the Eastern Palace, and indeed, under her bed, we found the cursed object! It's truly horrifying!"
Emperor Xiao's expression changed, and he glanced at Xiao Yintang and Zhang Fengtong.
Empress Zhou called out to the outside, and Lin Momo bowed and entered, kneeling at the door of the hall, holding a tray high with both hands. Li Yuangui went over, took the tray, and inside was a white effigy doll with the Crown Princess's birthdate written on its face, and a silver needle pierced into its chest behind the heart.
Empress Dowager Zhou also knelt down, tears streaming down her face as she said, "Your Majesty, it's all my fault! Blame it on my soft-heartedness and kindness. If I had been vigilant when I received the information, pursued Lady Cao and investigated thoroughly, today's tragedy could have been avoided! The Crown Princess was cursed by an evil spell. Her public outburst tonight, the nonsensical words spoken, how could they be taken seriously? It's likely the evil spirit of Lady Cao haunting us! I implore Your Majesty to see the truth!"
Zhang Fengtong bowed deeply and wept softly.
The atmosphere in the hall became extremely heavy, and no one spoke again.
"Report to His Majesty! Upon learning that Your Majesty was not to be seen, Zhang Lao banged his head against the pillar and said he would use death to apologize! Right now, he's bleeding from the head and unconscious..." Li Yuangui hurriedly entered and reported.
Zhang Fengtong's sobbing suddenly grew louder, but she forced herself to suppress it.
The hall fell silent, with only the faint sound of Zhang Fengtong's quiet weeping echoing in the dark corners of the hall where the candlelight couldn't reach.
Emperor Xiao's face turned extremely ugly. His gaze swept over the three people kneeling before him in turn. Suddenly, he let out a bitter laugh and muttered to himself, "Well, this is quite complete."
He stood up, walked to the window, pushed it open, and stood there for a moment, gazing at the night sky. Then he spoke coldly, "Empress and Crown Princess, leave. Crown Prince, stay."
Empress Zhou and Crown Princess Zhang got up from the ground and left. In the vast hall, only the father and son remained.
As the candles flickered, Emperor Xiao's expression gradually softened. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Yintang, here and now, we are not monarch and subject, but father and son. If the son does not learn, the father has also erred. Tell me the truth, did you really kill Cao Shi? Why did the Crown Princess, who is usually so steady, behave so erratically tonight?"
Crown Prince Yintang lowered his head and said, "Father, Cao Shi indeed died of illness, and I am deeply saddened by it. However, I am powerless to change what has happened. As for why the Crown Princess suddenly acted this way, I dare not speculate. Since Mother has found the witchcraft curse under her bed, perhaps that is the reason. Your Majesty has always been wise; you may dispatch someone to investigate."
After finishing his words, he bowed again to the ground. Emperor Xiao watched the figure prostrated before him, his expression gradually showing disappointment and desolation.
"Enough, you may go," he said after a moment.
Crown Prince Xiao Yintang expressed his gratitude and rose from the ground respectfully. As he was about to leave the hall, Emperor Xiao called him back.
"Kneel!" he commanded.
Crown Prince Yintang's heart raced, and he hurriedly knelt down again.
"Listen carefully," Emperor Xiao continued. "I can make you the Crown Prince, and I can also remove you from that position. This incident will not serve as a precedent. If there are any further misconducts in the future, I will not wait for the officials to impeach you; I will not show leniency towards you either!"
The Emperor's voice was not loud, but each word, spoken slowly and deliberately, felt like a sharp, icy blade piercing straight to the heart.
....
The next day, the news spread rapidly.
The reason behind the public madness of the Crown Prince's consort last night had been uncovered. It turned out that the deceased Cao lady, who had succumbed to a sudden illness previously, had harbored deep resentment towards the Crown Prince's consort. Before her death, she had placed a curse on her, which led to the events of last night. With both evidence and testimony in hand, the truth of the matter became clear.
Since the Crown Prince's consort had fallen victim to a curse, all the nonsensical words spoken last night were simply the delusions of a disturbed mind. Anyone caught spreading rumors privately would be punished for spreading false information and causing disturbances.
The Emperor personally sent people to the Duke of Zhu's residence to comfort the old lady who had nearly lost her life due to being choked the previous night. The Cao family, from top to bottom, walked on eggshells, trembling in fear. The father of the late Lady Cao knelt outside the palace gates, weeping bitterly, knocking his head until it bled, and eventually passing out. The Emperor had the imperial physician attend to him and, considering the Cao family's past merits as loyal servants of the Wu Ding dynasty, decided to only strip the late Cao lady of her posthumous title. Her coffin was relocated out of the imperial mausoleum, and the Cao family was entrusted with her burial arrangements. No further investigation was conducted. The Cao family expressed their gratitude and compliance.
Subsequently, the Crown Princess did not make any public appearances. It was said that she had fallen seriously ill due to the curse and was currently recuperating. Once her health improved, she would resume her duties as the Crown Princess.
Jiafu, while at home, heard these news snippets one after another, realizing that Pei You'an had accurately predicted them all.
