NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 88
Perhaps...maybe...for instance...
Concubine Li's child was never meant to be born alive!!
So today, if she hadn't taken Consort Shu as the scapegoat by her side, Concubine Li was in fact planning to frame her with a child that was never meant to survive.
Everyone in the knows how eagerly she yearns for a child. Who would believe that she would harm others with her own child?
A shiver ran down Jiang Xinyue's spine.
The Song family was overwhelmingly powerful, and the Jiang family held a minor fifth-rank position. If they were accused of plotting against the heir to the throne, a hundred Jiang Xinyue would not be enough to pay for the crime.
Though the emperor wished to protect her now, Concubine Li's maternal grandfather, Minister Pei of the Privy Council, her paternal grandfather, Prime Minister Song, her father Prime Minister Song, along with many officials in the court who were followers of the Pei and Song families could jointly present a letter to the emperor, requesting punishment for the criminal who plotted against the heir. Even if he loved her, the emperor would have to consider the consequences.
Concubine Li was planning to get rid of her all at once!
But lucky for her, she fled swiftly.
As long as she fled swiftly, no plots or tricks could catch up with her.
"That was close!"
Jiang Chuan shook his head, looking at Jiang Xinyue with admiration, "Your Highness has a brilliant foresight, knowing it was a trap against our Hexi Palace. If we had really acted against Concubine Li, as suggested by this servant, I think we would have lost our lives."
In the dim candlelight, Jiang Xinyue’s beautiful face betrayed devilish allure, "Even if we have to act, we cannot dirty our own hands. Consort Shu is adept at using others to do her dirty work, isn't she? We should learn from her."
However, to Jiang Chuan, Consort Shu was not as intimidating as his mistress, who could smile at an enemy upfront, and then turn around to stab them fiercely.
Of all the eunuchs originally assigned from the Internal Affairs Department, he was the only one who chose Hexi Palace. The others had opted for mistresses with stronger family backgrounds.
Look at the situation now.
In the harem, the only staff who could chat and laugh with the emperor's close attendant, Wang Dequan, were from Hexi Palace.
After having a peaceful meal in the , Wang Dequan came to summon Jiang Xinyue, "Concubine Li has had a miscarriage. The imperial doctors say that she is severely injured and might not be able to have children anymore. Since you were the only witness present at the time, the Empress Dowager and the noble consort are waiting for you.”
As both Consort Shu and Concubine Li were involved in the incident, their servants' testimonies would be ignored, favoring their own mistresses. Only Jiang Xinyue’s testimony could be considered reliable.
Jiang Xinyue was well-prepared, rose calmly, had Shijie and Shuangjiang follow her and asked Wang Dequan: "How is the noble consort?" current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.
Wang Dequan sighed, "My consort, stop worrying about others. Xizhu from Consort Shu's side says that you insisted on taking Consort Shu to fly kites. Empress Dowager is furious, accusing you of maliciously framing Consort Shu. She wants to hand you over to appease the Pei and Song families!"
The emperor had sent him to inform Jiang Xinyue, in advance, about the risks she might face in the meeting, so as not to catch her off guard later.
"What?"
Jiang Xinyue bore a face of confusion: "I... I, because of last night... last night I listened to the conversation between Consort Shu and Sister Rong along with Eunuch Wang. I thought...wanted to meet her to possibly clear up any misunderstandings. I didn't want the Emperor to be put in a difficult situation because of us, where did I know that the paper kite would fly into Changxin Palace? Concubine Li herself didn't even know she was pregnant, where should I go to find out? And how could I be able to plan all of this?" frёewebnoѵēl.com
No!
The direction of the wind when releasing the paper kite was something Jiang Xinyue had measured. From the Imperial Garden, the west wind would blow the kite into Changxin Palace.
She knew about Concubine Li's pregnancy. She had the intention to test her.
But she didn't plan for Concubine Li to have a miscarriage!
It wasn't her doing, and the Empress Dowager had no evidence to wrongfully blame her.
"Don't rush, dear Lady Zhen."
Wang Dequan comforted her: "As long as the Emperor believes in you, no one can harm you."
As long as Lady Zhen was clearly the first person in the harem, he believed in doing her a favor. If one day he would offend the Emperor's taboos, he believed Lady Zhen could return his favor.
Listening to his words, Jiang Xinyue choked back the tears welling up in her eyes. Her face flushed a poignant red, stirring pity.
The grand hall of Changxin Palace was eerily silent, but the atmosphere was filled with suffocating tension. All the women kept their eyes lowered, and even when Jiang Xinyue knelt in the hall, none of them dared to raise their heads.
Presumably, before she arrived, there had been a fierce battle without gunpowder smoke.
"Your servant..."
"Enough, no need for superfluous talk."
The Dowager Empress cut her off: "Lady Zhen, tell me, were you the one who dragged Consort Shu to the Imperial Garden to fly kites today?"
Jiang Xinyue raised her head; her clear and bright eyes appeared to show a touch of incredulity as she looked towards the Dowager Empress, "Your Majesty, I am somewhat confused by your words. I did invite Sister Shu to fly kites with me. If Consort Shu was unwilling, I wouldn't be able to force her. Where does the remark about 'I dragged her' come from?"
"Don't try to argue your way out of this."
The Dowager Empress slammed her hand onto the table and the booming sound caused Jiang Xinyue to jump, her body shuddering as she knelt on the ground.
"Would it not be you, who dragged Consort Shu despite her neck injury, to go there? Tell me, weren't you aware of Concubine Li's pregnancy and deliberately planned this so you could kill two birds with one stone, getting rid of their children?"
"I did not!"
Jiang Xinyue squeezed her eyebrows together, the embers of anger igniting in her eyes: "Your Majesty, I respect you as the Dowager Empress, but I beg you not to distort the truth and slander me. When Concubine Li and Consort Shu started their quarrel, I was at a distance of five meters away. Would I, a human, have the ability to make Consort Shu sit on top of Concubine Li? Or are you saying, Consort Shu told you herself that I forced her to fly the kites? A dignified Consort would actually be pressured by me, a mere Lady Zhen? Do you believe your own words, Your Majesty?"
Not just the Empress Dowager, no one here believes it.
Concubine Li's mother, Lady Pei, is also present. Her face is highly disgruntled as she stares at the Dowager Empress: "Your Majesty, Consort Shu is your blood niece. Your intention to protect her, I can understand. But if you need a scapegoat, shouldn't you prepare their statement in advance? Now, Concubine Li can no longer be a mother. Logically speaking, shouldn't the child that Consort Shu bore be under the care of Concubine Li?"
If Empress Zhu can adopt an imperial prince, her daughter is in no way inferior. Since she can't conceive, she might as well adopt.
Now, the verbal joust is between Lady Pei and the Empress Dowager. Surprisingly, the emperor became an outsider in the matter.
He gently encircled his arm around Jiang Xinyue's slim waist, tucking her behind him, and silently listened as the two cunning old foxes sparred.