The heir to the throne?!
Xu Yanchi's pupils constricted sharply. He looked at Shen Qing's belly in disbelief.
Shen Qing was actually pregnant!
When did this happen?!
Seeing that he kept staring at Shen Qing, Ji Junye's face darkened like ink, looking as if a storm was about to break out.
Shen Qing helplessly squeezed his hand. If he carried on like this, they wouldn't be able to conduct the interrogation.
Ji Junye felt Shen Qing's movement, and in an instant, the ice and snow melted.
The low-pressure atmosphere dissipated, and everyone present heaved a sigh of relief, amazed beyond words. The emperor would react like this to a woman. Just one simple movement and he was completely transformed.
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed it.
But that woman was Shen Qing...
Everyone's feelings were quite complicated.
Looking at Shen Qing's belly again, their expressions became even more complex.
The mistress of the Guangping Marquis Mansion was pregnant with the heir to the throne. If this got out... This matter must never be made public!
Ji Junye didn't want to waste any more words on Xu Yanchi. He wanted to be alone with Qingqing. If he wasted all his time on irrelevant people, wouldn't that be a huge loss?
Zhu Xing immediately understood his intention and made public all of Shen Mian's misdeeds, including the incident of drugging a few months ago.
With every word Zhu Xing said, Shen Mian's face grew paler.
When Shen Mian's psychological defense was almost broken, Shen Qing finally looked at her and calmly said, "According to the laws of Jing, a concubine who harms the mistress should be punished. And a concubine who harms the heir to the throne should be convicted of treason."
"I believe you couldn't have come up with such a well-planned scheme on your own. If you can reveal the mastermind behind this, you might receive a lighter punishment."
Seeing Shen Qing looking down at her condescendingly, with a tone as if she were bestowing a favor, a strong sense of unwillingness welled up in Shen Mian's eyes.
Why?!
Why was Shen Qing so lucky? She had climbed onto such a high branch as the emperor, and the emperor doted on her so much. Even the well-laid trap she and Consort Xiao had set up, Shen Qing could come back safely...
Why?!
Thinking of Consort Xiao, Shen Mian's eyes lingered on Ji Junye and Shen Qing on the high seats for a few times, and then she suddenly laughed.
"You want me to tell you who the person behind this is? Fine, I'll tell you. It's Consort Xiao!"
"It was Consort Xiao. That day she summoned me to her tent and talked to me a lot. She said I just had to go ahead and do it, and she would help me..."
Shen Mian looked at Shen Qing, a teasing smile on her lips. "Consort Xiao has a noble background and is the most favored in the harem. If she wants to get rid of you, why shouldn't I cooperate with her?"
"Don't you really think the emperor will punish Consort Xiao for you? In fact, we're all the same in the end, nameless and unrecognized. How much better are you than me?"
"Who are you calling nameless and unrecognized?" Ji Junye coldly interrupted her. "Don't use your meager knowledge to speculate about my intentions, and don't even dream of using your ridiculous assumptions to drive a wedge between Qingqing and me."
"Since she has confessed, take her away and dispose of her on a chosen day."
"Yes!"
Zhui Yun took the order and was about to take Shen Mian away.
The smile on Shen Mian's face froze and was gradually replaced by panic and fear. "Shen Qing, you, you said you'd spare me if I told you. You can't hurt me!"
"What does it matter to me what Qingqing said about sparing you?"
Shen Qing shook her head. Shen Mian still didn't understand the situation even at this moment.
Shen Mian struggled violently. "Your Majesty, I'm of the bloodline of the Protectorate Duke's Mansion. You can't kill me! The Protectorate Duke's Mansion has been loyal for generations. If you kill me, it will chill the hearts of the Shen family's army on the border!"
Hearing this, Shen Qing even stopped Zhui Yun's action.
Shen Mian had reminded her. Now the war between Jing and Xingshu was on the verge of breaking out. The Shen family's army couldn't afford any mishaps, and making public all of Shen Mian's misdeeds would also be a stain on the Protectorate Duke's Mansion.
Everyone witnessed once again the emperor's doting on Shen Qing. The commander of the Jinyu Guards only obeyed the emperor's orders, but Shen Qing could just give orders to him, which only showed that the emperor had given his tacit approval!
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Shen Mian turned to plead with Shen Qing. She was really scared now.
She never thought that Shen Qing would really want her life!
"Sister, I was just temporarily blinded by evil. Sister, I really didn't know you were pregnant. If I had known... I would never have done that. Sister, please spare me this time..."
"Brother Yanchi, please save me... It was all Consort Xiao who told me to do this. I really didn't know Shen Qing was pregnant..."
"Brother Yanchi, for the sake of Hui'er, please save me. I don't want to die. Hui'er is not even one year old yet. He can't live without his mother..."
Xu Yanchi was both shocked and angry. He never thought that Shen Mian would dare to collude with Consort Xiao!
Why would Consort Xiao approach her for no reason? She must have been used as a scapegoat. How could she even believe such nonsense!
How come he never knew before that she was such a stupid person?
But Shen Mian was right. Hui'er was still young and couldn't lose his mother...
"Marquis Guangping, think carefully before you speak. If you want to take all the blame on yourself, it won't just be your own problem," Ji Junye said calmly.
What he meant was that either Shen Mian would die or the entire Guangping Marquis Mansion would be destroyed.
As soon as Ji Junye said this, everyone panicked.
The old lady looked at him anxiously. "Chier, don't do anything stupid!"
Mrs. Ge and Mrs. Xing also looked worried. Even Jiang Chan joined in the persuasion.
"Shen Mian deserves what she gets. You can't ignore the entire marquis mansion just for Shen Mian!"
Xu Yanchi's face turned ashen. If it weren't for Shen Mian, they wouldn't have ended up in this situation!
Even if he wanted to protect her now, he couldn't!
Xu Yanchi quickly made his decision. "Your Majesty, Shen Mian harmed the mistress and endangered the heir to the throne. As her husband, I will never cover up her actions. Please, Your Majesty... handle this case impartially!"
As he said this, Xu Yanchi freed his robe from Shen Mian's grasp, clearly drawing a line from her.
"Brother Yanchi, what are you saying?"
Shen Mian looked at Xu Yanchi in disbelief. "You're going to abandon me?"
A look of pain flashed across Xu Yanchi's eyes. He looked at her righteously. "You've done something wrong, and you have to take responsibility for your actions!"
Seeing that Xu Yanchi had abandoned Shen Mian, the others in the Guangping Marquis Mansion all heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he hadn't been so blinded by love that he would sacrifice the entire family for Shen Mian.
Ji Junye and Shen Qing just sat on the high seats, coldly watching all this.
People won't feel pain until the knife cuts into their own flesh. As long as their own interests are threatened, they will easily tear each other apart from within.
Ji Junye felt even more contempt for Xu Yanchi. If he had insisted on protecting Shen Mian just now, Ji Junye might have thought more highly of him. But the fact proved that he had overestimated him.
"You're going to abandon me?"
"Brother Yanchi, you're actually going to abandon me..."
Shen Mian laughed maniacally, but then she started to cry.
Why should her life end up like this?
Why could Shen Qing sit in her position and enjoy her life?
And she, like a stinking bug in the gutter, would never see the light of day.
Ji Junye grew impatient. "Take her away."
Just as Zhui Yun was about to act, a trembling voice suddenly came from the door.
"Wait!"