Chapter 170
Translator: NovelMultiverse | Editor: NovelMultiverse
A faint scent of ambergris lingered in the Qianqing Palace, and the entire hall was shrouded in a solemn atmosphere.
The emperor sitting on the throne had a serious face. At this moment, his eyes were looking at Lord Xu, and he listened to him telling the story of the incident. He occasionally fell on his knees on the ground and kept crying. Princess Pingyang’s eyes were deep and she was thinking about something.
From beginning to end, Lord Xu and Yu Linglong never separated their hands. free webnovel.com
“...Father, that’s how things happened. I am asking you to make a clear decision and give Linglong and I justice.” Lord Xu ended the statement with these words, looking calmly at the smooth limestone in front of him without speaking.
The air in the hall seemed to be frozen. The emperor was expressionless, and the queen’s expression was complicated. Both pairs of eyes fell on Princess Pingyang, who was shivering and crying.
After a long while, the emperor spoke without any emotion.
“Pingyang, is it true what Lieyang said?”
Princess Pingyang raised her head. The makeup on her face was washed away with her tears. She looked very pitiful: “Father, mother, I really didn’t know that it was poison, oh oh... I just wanted to punish Ninth Sister, and I didn’t know where the poison came from!”
Yu Linglong’s face was cold, and her pink lips were pressed tightly.
She didn’t know, was it an explanation just to say that she didn’t know? If she and Lord Xu died because of drinking that glass of poisoned wine, would Princess Pingyang use her ignorance as a prevarication?
This princess was really a brat. Did she think that as long as she was a princess, she could be easily forgiven for anything she did?
Hearing that Princess Pingyang was completely evading responsibility, the emperor couldn’t help but frown slightly: “It happened in your mansion, and it was the wine you poured yourself. You’re telling me you didn’t know anything?”
Princess Pingyang obviously hadn’t seen the emperor look so harsh, and she cried even harder: “Father, I—I really didn’t know, oh...”
At this moment, the empress suddenly stood up and walked in front of the emperor, and bowed solemnly.
“Emperor, please listen to my words. This matter involves Pingyang and Lieyang and his wife. I also have an inescapable responsibility. Please allow me to say a few words.”
The emperor groaned for a moment, then nodded: “Okay.”
Seeing the empress’s appearance, Yu Linglong and Lord Xu quickly exchanged glances.
If the empress came forward, she would most likely be partial to Princess Pingyang. But fortunately, in front of the emperor, the empress should not dare to go too far.
The empress turned around, took a look at the hip flask that was used as physical evidence, and said, “Listening to Lieyang, Princess Xu discovered the mechanism of this hip flask, isn’t it?”
Yu Linglong said, “Yes.”
The empress smiled faintly, and said: “This secret grid is so hidden, how did Princess Xu discover it?”
Yu Linglong replied calmly: “I once saw this flask in a friend’s house and knew that poison can be put in the lid of the jug.”
The empress said softly: “Princess Xu is really knowledgeable.”
Yu Linglong didn’t speak. She had known for a long time that this Queen Gan was not an easy person to deal with. At this moment, it was more appropriate for her to be conservative.
The empress said: “Since Princess Xu knows that there is a hidden cell in this flask, how can she be sure that there is poison in it? Is it possible that Princess Xu went to Pingyang Mansion as a guest, but she was like a big enemy and was careful?”
Yu Linglong was annoyed. The secret compartment in the lid of this hip flask was specially designed, what else could it be for if not poisoning? The empress’s question was really naive and ridiculous.
Yu Linglong said in a low voice: “I only knew that there was a hidden compartment in the lid of this hip flask. It was not until the lid was cut open that there was something inside. This poison was identified by the prince’s entourage.”
Her cold face like a plum blossom lifted up, and she looked at the empress without showing any weakness. Yu Linglong said coldly: “Facts have proved that there is a reason why he was so close to the enemy and had to be careful to guard against them.”
If she hadn’t been careful enough, she and Lord Xu would probably not know how they died until they died.
The empress was stunned by Yu Linglong’s words, and her smile faded. She turned to Lord Xu and asked with some suspicion: “Did Lieyang’s entourage discovered it? That is to say, what is inside? Is it poison? No one is sure yet, right?”
Hearing her words, the emperor cleared his throat and said in a deep voice: “Empress, Lieyang has always been cautious. If he is not sure about it, he will not be casual about it.”
The empress smiled at the emperor and said: “Emperor, I am also worried that Lieyang will not be watched for a while and will be taken advantage of. If this affects his relationship with Princess Pingyang, how can this be good?”
Lord Xu, who hadn’t spoken for a while, let out a cold snort, and said, “This is easy. Emperor, please call the imperial physician immediately and come in for an inspection.”
Yu Linglong knew that Lord Xu was disdainful of the empress’s verbal controversy, and at the same time, he had to ask the imperial doctor to personally check it, which made the evidence more conclusive.
This was originally understandable, but Yu Linglong keenly discovered that upon hearing Lord Xu’s words, the empress’s eyes flashed with imperceptible joy, as if she had been waiting for these words for a long time.
Yu Linglong’s heart moved. The empress just stepped forward. Even in front of the emperor, she deliberately favored Princess Pingyang in her words. Was her purpose to provoke Lord Xu and make them ask for another drug test? Queen Gan was so powerful. Even if it was to snare everyone, it was normal. If she did a trick and replaced the poison, then Princess Pingyang will be exonerated, but she and Lord Xu will also become culprits for framing the princess, and they would even lose the emperor’s favor.
Maybe Yu Linglong was thinking too much, but in this case, she didn’t need to take another risk.
Yu Linglong said softly: “In fact, there is a ready-made way to judge whether this is a poison or a laxative. Just now during the dinner, Princess Pingyang took a sip of the wine in this hip flask. It has been so long, and if it is a laxative, I am afraid she wouldn’t bear it a long time ago.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the faces of everyone present changed.
Just now, Lord Xu simply and concisely said that Princess Pingyang came to toast, and did not mention that she had also drunk a sip of poisonous wine, but Princess Pingyang did not know if she had really drunk too much or was frightened by successive incidents, and it seemed that she had forgotten. At this moment, Yu Linglong mentioned it, and Princess Pingyang suddenly came back to her senses.
Yes, if it was really the laxative she was talking about, how could she kneel down here after this short period of time passed?
If it wasn’t a laxative, it was...
Princess Pingyang’s face was pale with fright, and she couldn’t care about anything. She got up from the ground and went straight to the empress and rushed over. She firmly grasped the hem of the empress’s dress with both hands, and said in a panic: “Quick! Mother, go find the prince for an antidote—”
After saying this, everyone’s faces changed.
Yu Linglong and Lord Xu couldn’t help squeezing their hands tighter. Of course, it was the prince again!
The queen’s face changed drastically, and she rebuked, “What are you talking about? Hurry up!”
However, the emperor changed his face that had just been condensed, got up from the seat quickly, and sternly shouted: “Pingyang, what are you talking about!?”
Pingyang was shocked and frightened. Her body was shivering like the falling leaves in the autumn wind. She cried and said: “This...this drug was given to me by the prince, oh...”
The empress turned her head abruptly, moving so fast that the hairpin on her head fell askew. She ignored her appearance and immediately interrupted Pingyang and said to the emperor: “Emperor! Pingyang is poisoned, please send a doctor to the hall for diagnosis and treatment, and ask about other things later—”
Before she finished speaking, she only felt a hand in front of her eyes. She actually received a heavy slap in the face!
She raised her hand subconsciously, covered her battered cheek, and looked at the emperor in disbelief.
For so many years, although the emperor gave her special favor, he had always treated her like a guest, but this time, the emperor hit her himself!?
The emperor was furious and pointed to the empress and rebuked: “You taught these children! They have harmed each other over and over again. This time even Pingyang has been pulled in! If this continues, my children will be killed by him! When that day comes, he will kill his father and mother!”
The emperor kicked Pingyang and pulled the queen’s hand, pointed at her, and shouted: “Speak! What the hell is going on!?”
Pingyang was so scared that she was incoherent: “Yes...it’s the crown prince... ever since his wife was deposed, the crown prince has been very unhappy. I asked him many times, but he refused to say it. He just told me today that sister-in-law was framed by others, and the person who framed sister-in-law is Ninth Sister!”
Princess Pingyang pointed at Yu Linglong and continued to cry: “I don’t like Ninth Sister. When the prince said that she actually dared to frame my sister-in-law, she became even angrier. I told him to give Ninth Sister a bit of revenge, but the prince did not agree, and I said it was urgent, and the prince gave me this small drug, saying it was an ordinary laxative. I told him that it should be modest, not to play too much... oh, father, please forgive me. If I really knew that this was a murderous poison, I would not dare to give it to Ninth Sister!”
The more Yu Linglong listened, the more chilling it became. The prince even had to lie to his own sister!
Princess Pingyang was probably too uncomfortable. If the prince really wanted her to kill her and Lord Xu, then Princess Pingyang would definitely hide it. It was better to lie to her that it was an ordinary laxative, and it was easier to hide it from everyone.
If Princess Pingyang really knew that this was a poison that would kill people, would she dare to drink it herself?
Oh Prince, oh prince, were you ignoring the life of your own sister for your own sake??
The emperor obviously thought of this too. At this moment, his face was furious. With a wave of his gold-embroidered robe, he roared: “Come here, spread the imperial order. I want to depose him!”
Yu Linglong and Lord Xu looked at each other silently. It seemed that the emperor was really angry this time.
If the prince always harmed Lord Xu before, it was because of his insecurity that he always thought that his position as the crown prince was unstable. But this time, even Princess Pingyang was used by him, and he did not hesitate to hurt the life of the princess. It was truly too unscrupulous.
This time, it finally reached the bottom line of the emperor.
Such a son even treated his own sister so cold-heartedly. The emperor really lost all confidence in the prince.
Seeing the emperor’s purple face, the empress had a bad feeling that something was wrong, and immediately knelt down: “Emperor, please think twice!”
The emperor gave her a cold look and said, “Pingyang is poisoned, aren’t you going to call the doctor? Aren’t you hurrying out!?”
The empress resisted the shame, stepped forward on her knees, and said earnestly: “Emperor, the prince is the heir of the country, you can’t depose him!”
The emperor said angrily: “I have made up my mind. Don’t say any more! Withdraw immediately!”
The empress bit her lip, stood up slowly, bowed, and left.
Before leaving the hall, she raised her eyes to look at Lord Xu and Yu Linglong, her eyes full of unconcealed hatred.
These two people were the chief culprits who caused the prince to be deposed!
Forcibly holding back the hatred in her heart, the empress walked out of the Qianqing Palace with the sad-faced Princess Pingyang.
After leaving the main hall, Princess Pingyang dared to speak. She grabbed the empress and asked in a trembling voice: “Empress...what should I do? I am so scared...”
Pushing away Princess Pingyang’s hand, the empress called the maid next to her in a deep voice, and said: “Take Pingyang to Fengyang Palace for a while, and immediately send the imperial physician into the palace to give her the antidote.”
After speaking, the empress turned around and walked out. Princess Pingyang looked at her back in surprise, and asked in a panic: “Mother, empress! Where are you going!?”
She was likely to die. How could the empress leave her without even looking at her?
The empress heard her but did not answer. At this moment, there was something more important than the poisoning of Princess Pingyang, waiting for her to do it. Until she reached a corner with no one, the empress whispered: “Get someone to send a letter to the prince. The emperor will depose him.”
The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr(e)𝒆webnovel