Chapter 188 Emergency Court Session XI
Yang Lingxin let out a piercing scream as she fought against the female guards who had restrained her. "What are you doing? Let me go!" Her wrists ached from their tight grip, and her palms stung from slapping Bai Jiang across the face, but her fury was far from sated. She longed to inflict more harm on him, to teach him a lesson he'd never forget. But before she could act on her impulses, Zheng Liang ordered the guards to take her away and hold her in place. Yang Lingxin thrashed about, lashing out at the guards with punches and kicks, but it was futile. They held her firmly, their strength superior to hers.
As the ministers processed the shocking news that the Empress had conspired against the Emperor, their attention turned to Yang Lingxin's erratic behavior. At first, they had trouble believing that the demure Empress could be capable of such treachery. But her violent outburst and apparent victim mentality raised doubts about her true nature.
Yang Lingxin glared at Zheng Liang, her eyes blazing with indignation. "Have you lost your mind? I am the Empress, not a criminal! How can you take the word of a mere physician who tried to harm the Emperor over mine?"
She looked around at the ministers, seeking support. "I did not order him to do anything. Why would I harm my own husband?"
Yang Ning, who had been observing silently, interjected. "Lady Yang Lingxin, how can you accuse the Crown Prince of framing you for treason and attempted murder of the Emperor? The truth is right in front of you with the witness standing here, yet you continue to deny it."
Yang Lingxin recoiled, her gaze now fixated on Yang Ning. "You! You're behind all of this, aren't you? Pretending to be nice, but in reality, you're a snake in the grass!"
Yang Lingxin ground her teeth together, her anger and frustration growing as she was reminded of the role that Yang Ning had played in her downfall. The other day, it was Yang Ning who had asked the guard to take the natural oil from her and add it to the steaming hot water in His Majesty's chamber. She was surprised that the woman who was avoiding meeting her or her father who arranged her marriage with the Crown Prince was suddenly helping her and being nice to her. She thought that Yang Ning had finally understood who was going to help her in the future to elevate her position in the palace and wanted to maintain a harmonious relationship with her. However, she was wrong. Now, it was becoming increasingly clear that this had all been a part of Yang Ning's plan to bring her down. In truth, she had never been on her side. From the beginning, she had been secretly working with Zheng Liang to uncover the truth.
But Yang Lingxin refused to let her get the best of her. She would not allow herself to be defeated so easily.
"I'm certain that you conspired against me," Yang Lingxin accused Yang Ning, her voice rising in anger. "You were the one who took the natural oil from me that day and asked the guard to add it to His Majesty's steaming hot water. I believe you must have poisoned the natural oil that I sent for him. You wanted to frame me and turn everyone against me. You're disgusting, Yang Ning."
The ministers exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of who to believe. But one thing was clear - the conspiracy had thrown the court into chaos, and the truth was yet to be fully revealed.
Zheng Liang's brow furrowed, his patience wearing thin. He could no longer tolerate Yang Lingxin's nonsensical ramblings. She had begun hurling insults not just at him but at his wife as well, and he would not stand for this level of disrespect.
"Enough!" Zheng Liang raised his hand, his voice firm and commanding. "I will not allow you to continue with your insults and humiliations, Lady Yang Lingxin," he said sternly. "It is clear that you have no respect for this court or my wife, and I will not tolerate this behavior any longer." His voice was laced with authority as he fixed his gaze on her, daring her to speak out of turn once more.
"This is a royal court, and you stand here as a traitor, not as the Empress. Your crude behavior is unacceptable. If you cannot conduct yourself properly, then do not expect leniency from me."
"I will not tolerate such insolence from a betrayer," he continued, his eyes blazing with anger. "If you do not wish to face immediate punishment, then I suggest you stand there in silence until I render my decision."
Yang Lingxin clenched her teeth in rage, resisting the urge to grab Yang Ning's hair and slap her in the face in front of everyone. She knew that acting impulsively would only worsen the situation for her.
Despite being the Empress of the Empire, she was being investigated like a criminal. It was all because of Yang Ning. Because of her, she was humiliated in front of everyone and mistreated as a criminal. After taking a deep breath to calm herself, Yang Lingxin stood in silence as Zheng Liang spoke. "Since you refuse to accept Physician Bai Jiang's statement as evidence," he said to her, "I have prepared additional witnesses for you."
Yang Lingxin's face turned ashen upon hearing Zheng Liang's statement about more witnesses. Her mind raced as she tried to think of who else could be brought forward to testify against her. She felt a sense of unease, realizing that the situation was more dire than she had initially thought. Despite this, she tried to maintain a calm exterior, not wanting to give Zheng Liang and the ministers the satisfaction of seeing her panic. She took a deep breath and remained silent as Zheng Liang turned his attention to the man kneeling beside Bai Jiang. "You," he said, addressing the man. "Tell us your name and occupation."
The man, who had been watching the events unfold in fear, hesitated before answering. "My name is Mao Long, Your Highness," he said in a trembling voice. "I am a vendor who sells medicinal herbs."
Zheng Liang pressed further. "What kind of herbs do you sell?"
Mao Long hesitated again before Yang Ning spoke up. "Medicinal herbs or illegal poisonous herbs?" she asked, cutting to the chase.
The room was filled with shock as they realized that Zheng Liang had brought the seller of the poison to the court. While some doubted the authenticity of Bai Jiang's statement, the revelation of Mao Long's occupation could provide stronger evidence against the culprit.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om