Chapter 28 Her Voice Melted His Heart

"You wretch, what exactly is going on here?"

Under Lady Gu Jieyu's intense interrogation, Xia Lan recounted the events. She spoke of how Yin Jiaojiao had maliciously plotted, how she herself had been foolishly loyal, carrying out the evil deeds despite knowing better, and then wept, claiming she did not know why the medicine had been swapped. She went on and on, prompting a relentless stream of abuse from Lady Gu.

"What a venomous heart! Your Highness, Prince, you have all heard it. To put it plainly, this is an attempt on the life of a Princess of the Realm; by law, she should be executed!"

Amidst the vitriol, Xiao Yuanchi’s scrutinizing gaze finally settled upon them.

"Is what she says true?"

His tone was unexpectedly calm, devoid of even a hint of anger. Yet, Yin Jiaojiao knew this was the silence before the storm; the more furious this man was, the calmer he became.

So, she began to laugh, clapping her hands as she did so.

*Clap! Clap, clap!*

"A truly marvelous performance. If Lady Sun were to join a theater troupe, she would certainly become a star renowned throughout the Great Yong; such exquisite craft!"

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Lady Gu gritted her teeth. "With witnesses and evidence present, do you still intend to deny it?"

"My meaning is simple, Lady Jieyu: your dear niece is acting." Yin Jiaojiao pointed a slender finger. "She and my maid, Xia Lan, have joined forces to stage quite the elaborate bitter-meat ruse."

Everyone was stunned. A moment later, Xia Lan wept, "Princess, I have grown up by your side since childhood, following your every instruction, never once harboring a disloyal thought. I only acted against the Princess of the Realm for your sake! You cannot abandon me now!"

"Tsk, once a vile scheme is exposed, you make this little maid the scapegoat," Lady Gu sneered. "Yin Jiaojiao, do you take us all for fools?"

"Everyone here is exceptionally intelligent; how would I dare to deceive you with empty words? I have logic and evidence." Yin Jiaojiao spoke clearly. "Mr. Zhang, I must trouble you to bring forth Qiu Ming, Lin Wen, and Lin Wu."

Mr. Zhang acknowledged the request and left, returning shortly with the others.

Consort Ji frowned. "What are you trying to do?"

"Do not be impatient, Your Ladyship. Allow me to explain slowly."

Yin Jiaojiao turned to look at Gu Xuezhi, the fragile Princess who was supposedly suffering from a deadly poison. At this moment, her eyes were not the least bit fragile. Yin Jiaojiao smiled faintly.

"Initially, I merely discovered that Xia Lan was constantly trying to sow discord between the Prince and me. Suspecting she had ulterior motives, I devised a test. I told her I intended to poison the Princess of the Realm—ideally with something that would upset her stomach without causing lasting harm. She readily agreed and went to the countryside for four days to find a suitable substance. Four days later, she told me that 'Zhaojian Powder' would be perfect."

"How is that any different from what she said?" Lady Gu demanded. "You’ve simply added a motive of your own. Who would believe that?"

"Indeed, it sounds the same. But Lady Jieyu, since I was only testing Xia Lan, why would I truly harm Lady Sun?" Yin Jiaojiao laughed. "Lady Sun, you believe Xia Lan replaced your medicinal soup every day, but in truth, she never actually did so."

Gu Xuezhi and Han Yan were both taken aback.

Xia Lan exclaimed in shock, "Princess, it was my own hand that swapped it! I am certain I did!"

"Yes, your own hand swapped it. But from beginning to end, the medicine you thought you were sending to the West Courtyard was prepared by Lin Wen and delivered by a maid I had disguised for the task. Every time the medicine was swapped, it was sent to Mr. Zhang for safekeeping. Let us count—there should be six bowls now. Is that not right, Mr. Zhang?"

Mr. Zhang kept his eyes lowered, his expression unruffled. "It is true that one bowl of medicine, brewed by Lin Wen, has been sent in and stored each day. Prince, my subordinates have tested them; they all contain a sufficient amount of Zhaojian Powder."

Xia Lan was left speechless.

Han Yan remained unconvinced. "That still doesn't prove you didn't have Xia Lan use the silver to buy Wanku Grass!"

"True. I could have had Xia Lan put on a show for Lin Wen to trick Mr. Zhang into being a witness, and then secretly bribed Cui Ju to add the Wanku Grass."

"Exactly!"

Yin Jiaojiao’s smile deepened. "But... you forgot that I had Lin Wen and Lin Wu watch everything Xia Lan did. From the moment she left the residence until just now, her every action has been under their surveillance. Why not ask them what Xia Lan has been doing these past few days?"

Silence fell. For a long while, no one spoke. Most realized this was a nested trap set by two women against one another. The Princess of the Realm thought she was the cleverer one, only to find the Princess Consort was the oriole waiting behind. As for who they were fighting for to such lengths, everyone had their own ideas, and it became difficult for anyone else to interject.

The guests who had been so fierce in demanding justice for Gu Xuezhi now looked at one another, shrinking back as the situation subtly reversed. A few observant people began to whisper.

"Could it be that the Princess of the Realm poisoned herself?"

"How is that possible? Why would the Princess do such a thing? The Princess Consort is the one who..."

The surrounding quiet made the whispers seem loud. The two speakers were startled and dared not say more.

Consort Ji was completely bewildered. "What is all this? Why is Mr. Zhang involved, too?"

Mr. Zhang bowed. "Reporting to Your Ladyship, the Princess Consort previously told me she suspected her maid, Xia Lan, of betrayal. She wished to set a trap to test her and asked me to find two experts in tracking and investigation to uncover the truth about this girl."

"And what did you uncover?"

Mr. Zhang paused for a moment, seeking permission from Xiao Yuanchi. "Prince?"

"Speak your mind."

"Lin Wen and Lin Wu followed Xia Lan for eight days. Aside from two hours at Tiandu Temple, they did not lose sight of her once. During these eight days, Xia Lan first bought Zhaojian Powder from a wandering Taoist. After she returned, besides swapping the medicine daily..." He paused. "She also met with the Princess's maid, Han Yan, twice. The two meetings totaled one hour. Han Yan gave her a pouch of silver—the very same one found in Cui Ju's possession. Even the bag itself is identical. As for where Han Yan obtained that embroidery, I do not know."

Consort Ji covered her mouth in shock. "This means..." She looked at Gu Xuezhi in disbelief. "Xuezhi, you were the thief crying 'stop thief'?"

"Impossible!" Lady Gu shouted angrily. "There must be a problem here! Zhang Boyuan, have you been bought off by Yin Jiaojiao?!"

Mr. Zhang remained respectful, not even lifting his eyelids.

"Your Ladyship jokes. My life was saved by the Prince; I am loyal only to him."

Zhang Boyuan came from a fallen family of scholars and had once passed the imperial examinations, only to be framed by corrupt officials. His entire family had been slaughtered, and it was Xiao Yuanchi who had saved him. He was the most trusted among the Prince's inner circle; no one was foolish enough to think they could bribe him.

Yin Jiaojiao laughed aloud. "My Lady, I am not the Prince; I lack the ability to win over such a great talent as Mr. Zhang. You overestimate me."

Lady Gu was left speechless but unwilling to concede. She could only stamp her foot. "Xuezhi! They are accusing you of such things! Say something!"

Gu Xuezhi clutched her chest again; the heart meridian protected by the two needles suddenly felt weak once more.

She bit her lip pitifully, her voice trembling. "Han Yan, I trusted the wrong person!"

Han Yan’s body stiffened. "Princess..."

The Princess of the Realm, weak but righteous, continued, "How could you do such a thing behind my back!"

"Princess, I..."

"I know you were anxious for my sake, but you should not have..." The Princess began to cough, a trickle of blood appearing at the corner of her mouth, "...committed such evil!"

Han Yan’s throat moved, and after a long moment, she knelt in despair.

"Princess, I was wrong."

Yin Jiaojiao’s smile froze on her lips. She had calculated everything, but she had not accounted for Gu Xuezhi being so ruthless—sacrificing her personal maid so quickly to save herself, like a lizard cutting off its own tail.

Xiao Yuanchi spoke as if he had only just understood. "So, this was all the doing of a subordinate acting on her own?"

"Yes, it must be!" Lady Gu hurried to say. "Xuezhi would never think of such a vicious scheme! She cries until dawn if a single flower in her garden withers."

Though Consort Ji was still confused, she agreed, "I, too, feel that Xuezhi would not..."

"Your Ladyship!" Gu Xuezhi wailed. "I was raised by your own hands. In my heart, you are my mother! Mother! You know what kind of person I am; if others do not, surely you do?"

Consort Ji’s heart softened.

"Of course I know." She looked at Yin Jiaojiao. "Jiaojiao, I fear there has been a misunderstanding."

Yin Jiaojiao had not expected that, even with evidence pointing so clearly to the truth, and even if they did not believe it entirely, they should have investigated as a matter of course. Yet, because of a single lighthearted sentence from Gu Xuezhi, they assumed she had nothing to do with it. It sounded as if they intended to brush this major matter aside.

Just a moment ago, when Xia Lan was being accused, no one had questioned if there might be a misunderstanding. They had all been certain she was the mastermind, clamoring for the Crown Prince to intervene!

How could human hearts be so unjust?