"Your Majesty, it was these women who pushed Lady Zhao into the water!"
This accusation, coming from the mouth of Lady Zhao, who was supposed to be long dead, was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, striking Lady Yang and the others who were kneeling on the ground.
Lady Yang and the others were so shocked that their insides seemed to be torn apart. Their rebuttals and cries of injustice in their throats seemed to be silenced by those clear almond - shaped eyes.
Before Lady Yang and the others on their knees could say a word, they heard Ling Shan in the emperor's arms complaining to the emperor in a coquettish voice.
Every word, every sentence, was urging them to go to hell quickly.
Although Jun Wuyuan knew that this delicate complaint was all false, he still couldn't help feeling heartache.
These accusations were not groundless but the solid truth.
If Jun Wuyuan hadn't ordered the secret guards to make a substitution today, the one who fell into the lake would have been Ling Shan.
Lady Yang and the others were not innocent.
Moreover, the families they belonged to had done many "good deeds" on weekdays. Many people had stretched out their hands during the relief efforts for the flood in Jiangzhou this time.
Jun Wuyuan's plan to deal with them was not only to consolidate power and weaken the Wang faction but also to get rid of harm for the people of the Great Yan Dynasty.
"Your Majesty, this concubine and the others would never dare to harm Lady Zhao. It was all a misunderstanding just now. Lady Zhao was so grief - stricken that she misunderstood our good intentions..."
"Shut up!"
Ling Shan's delicate face suddenly froze, and her clear almond - shaped eyes were full of anger.
"Lady Yang, you're so bold. Are you saying that I'm crazy and can't even tell if I was pushed into the water?"
"Shan Shan, don't be angry. Calm down. I'm here."
Ling Shan's sudden outburst of anger and restlessness, as well as the emperor's unusually gentle consolation, all proved one thing.
A sense of certainty and relaxation rose in the hearts of Lady Yang and the others. Just as they were about to further provoke the situation, they saw Ling Shan weakly lean on Jun Wuyuan's body. Her emotions seemed to calm down a lot.
In a soft and gentle tone, she said, "Your Majesty, they are implying that I've lost my child and gone crazy. Your Majesty, isn't it enough that they killed our child? Today they even tried to push me into the water. They are all bad women!"
"Your Majesty, they have such vicious minds. I don't like them. Didn't you say you would demote them to the Silent Garden and give them poisoned wine? I don't want to see them anymore!"
Lady Yang and the others were completely stunned.
Who could tell them if this Lady Zhao was really crazy or just pretending?
Before this moment, Lady Yang and the others were quite sure that Lady Zhao was deeply saddened by the loss of her child and had lost her mind.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to come up with such a bold method of murder.
Wasn't it all about taking her by surprise?
Who would suspect them if an insane woman had an accident, especially in the imperial palace, and she was a highly - ranked concubine and the emperor's favorite?
Moreover, attacking a high - ranked concubine in the palace, especially one who was pregnant with the emperor's heir (even though she had a miscarriage but was still favored by the emperor), if they were discovered and exposed...
The outcome was predictable, but Lady Yang and the others still did it.
Everything had been going well, but the woman who was supposed to die at the bottom of the lake was unexpectedly saved by Jun Wuyuan.
That was not all.
Ling Shan seemed to be a lot more lucid. Even the confused look in her eyes that they had seen in previous visits had cleared up.
She even accurately pointed out Lady Fei, who had pushed her into the water just now.
Moreover, in front of the tyrannical emperor, she openly demanded that these concubines be put to death.
Was she really sober when she was so bold and bossy towards the emperor?
Or was it the emperor's favor and tolerance that made her so presumptuous?
Lady Yang and the others didn't dare to think deeply. Or rather, for them, they never thought that true feelings could really exist in the imperial palace.
Could the high - and - mighty emperor really fall in love and have true feelings?
"Drag them away!"
Soon, the emperor's unhesitating and cold - hearted attitude told Lady Yang and the others his stance.
Ling Shan's willful behavior due to the emperor's favor was something he indulged in, and he was quite happy about it.
This time, the attendants in front of the emperor didn't give them a chance to speak again and directly dragged them away rudely.
Among the concubines present, some really deserved their punishment, while others were deceived and dragged into this by Lady Yang and the others.
The play just now was staged for those concubines who were still rational and would survive.
Lady Yang and the others were directly taken to the Silent Garden. The other concubines were so frightened that their wits were scared out of them. They all rushed back to their palaces and didn't dare to go out for the following days.
In the Qingyun Tower, Ling Shan, who had pretended to be crazy for several days, suddenly shivered when she met Jun Wuyuan's indulgent and smiling peach - blossom eyes.
A look of embarrassment quickly flashed across her face, and she felt a bit shy about meeting Jun Wuyuan's eyes.
This plan of "pretending to be crazy" was a sudden decision of Ling Shan's. Even if Lady Yang and the others weren't that bold and vicious, she would still have fallen into the water.
The crime of harming a high - ranked concubine, especially one who had just been pregnant with the dragon heir (even though she had a miscarriage but was still favored by the emperor), would never be lightly dealt with.
Not to mention that Jun Wuyuan was just waiting for this mistake in the harem to launch an attack on the court.
So, in the morning court the next day, the fathers of Lady Yang and the others were first scolded by the imperial censor for failing to educate their daughters properly. Sending such vicious women into the palace was nothing less than an attempt to harm the emperor!
Before they could react, they were then accused of embezzlement, selling official positions, and forcing commoners to death...
Jun Wuyuan was already angry because of the disrespectful crimes committed by their daughters in the harem. Now, hearing these accusations, he was even more furious.
In a fit of rage, he directly ordered the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Justice to conduct a thorough investigation. The fathers of Lady Yang and the others were taken into custody with ashen faces.
Wang Yuyao's turbid eyes accidentally glanced at the young emperor sitting high on the throne. A fierce look of killing intent flashed across his eyes.
Jun Wuyuan also seemed to accidentally meet Wang Yuyao's eyes at this moment. He slightly hooked his lips.
The silent declaration of war was clearly laid out on the table at this moment.
In the Yaotai Golden Phoenix Palace, another dark - brown medicine bowl was smashed to the ground with a bang. Fragments and medicinal liquid splashed everywhere, and immediately, a group of people knelt on the ground.
Granny Dou looked at the Queen Mother Wang, whose face was ashen with anger, and couldn't help but feel a sense of worry and uneasiness in her heart.
The Queen Mother seemed to be getting angry more and more frequently recently.
After waving the palace attendants away to clean up, Granny Dou stepped forward and gently patted the Queen Mother's back.
"Your Majesty, please take care of your precious body. Even if you're angry, you should first take good care of yourself."
"Has this month's antidote been sent?"
Granny Dou was stunned for a moment and carefully replied, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? You asked this old servant to visit Lady Zhao last time, and I sent it then."
The Queen Mother's eyes turned cold.