Lan Miao's mind was in a whirl.
Xue'er had once told her the story of being bullied by the Second Prince and then rescued by the Emperor. The Emperor must have disliked the Second Prince quite a bit.
How could the Noble Consort be willing to let things go like this?
The snippets of information she'd overheard were not enough to prove that the Noble Consort was the mastermind behind it all.
The Emperor was also in a difficult position.
Lan Miao frowned slightly and unconsciously looked out of the window. The cold wind blew the fallen leaves into a frenzy. Dark clouds blotted out the sun, casting a dim light over the room.
With her gentle soothing, the two children were on the verge of falling asleep. Lan Miao put them down and carefully arranged them in bed. Then she asked a maid for a blanket and covered them up.
Sleeping side by side, they drifted into sweet dreams.
After taking a short rest, Lan Miao finally decided to go out and see how things were developing.
After leaving the side hall, Han Bi led her to the main hall. Before they even entered, there came a heart - wrenching wail from inside.
Lan Miao's heart skipped a beat.
This voice was very familiar. It was the voice of Concubine You.
Lan Miao stepped inside.
The hall was filled with people of all ranks, sitting on both sides. Almost everyone related to the fire incident was present, each with a different expression.
When she entered, many people turned their eyes towards her.
Inside the hall, the Noble Consort and the Imperial Consort Jia were arguing with each other. In the middle, Concubine You knelt on the ground, crying bitterly. She tried to crawl towards the Emperor's feet but was yanked back by the guards.
Taking advantage of the commotion, Han Bi whispered to Lan Miao, "Lady Lan, the three men who chased you have confessed. They are indeed involved in the fire incident, and the mastermind is Concubine You. But there's one troublesome matter."
Lan Miao's pupils contracted slightly.
"Is that maid related to the Noble Consort?"
"Yes."
Han Bi looked at Lan Miao in surprise. Lady Lan could actually guess this.
"That maid was once assigned by the Noble Consort to Concubine You's palace. Originally, all the evidence pointed to Concubine You, but because of this connection, the Imperial Consort Jia has pointed the finger at the Noble Consort. Now, it's hard to tell who's really at fault."
Han Bi nodded, her face looking solemn.
Lan Miao listened silently, her heart tightening. Concubine You was probably just a scapegoat.
Looking at the disheveled Concubine You on the ground, Lan Miao thought of Lady You, who was now imprisoned thousands of miles away. If Concubine You fell, the You family would collapse, and Lady You would be close to death.
Moreover, this connection between Concubine You and the Noble Consort might not be enough to convict the Noble Consort.
"Lady Lan, you've offended the Noble Consort this time. I'm afraid in the future..." Han Bi couldn't help but remind her.
Lan Miao shook her head but said nothing.
She turned her gaze to the Emperor sitting on the high throne. His black brocade robe trailed to the ground. He looked aloof and his expression was cold.
Neither Concubine You's desperate pleas nor the bickering between the Imperial Consort Jia and the Noble Consort could move him in the slightest.
Finally, the Emperor made a move.
He gently tapped on the table. As he did so, the hall gradually fell silent.
"Concubine You, you have no grudges against the Third Prince. Why did you harm him?"
The Emperor's cold eyes sank to the bottom.
Lan Miao knew that this was Concubine You's last chance to speak.
Concubine You's forehead was bleeding from knocking on the ground. Her panicked eyes darted around restlessly.
Everyone in the hall held their breath.
They were afraid of being implicated.
But Lan Miao noticed the Noble Consort's unashamed gaze. She locked eyes with Concubine You, and there was even a hint of joy in her eyes.
Concubine You gritted her teeth.
Suddenly, a different look came over her panicked face. Meeting the Imperial Consort Jia's eyes with hatred, she said clearly, word by word, "Your Majesty, it's all my fault. I wanted to take revenge on the Imperial Consort Jia, so I plotted against the Third Prince. I ordered the maids to bribe the guards in the training ground and bury gunpowder in the targets. I knew that the Third Prince had ordered a batch of special arrows, so I coated them with white phosphorus. This whole thing was done by me alone..."
She told the whole story clearly, and the bribed guards and maids also pointed the finger at her.
It was almost certain that Concubine You was the one behind today's incident. It was reasonable.
As soon as Concubine You finished speaking, unexpectedly, the Noble Consort couldn't wait to speak. Her tone was even full of pain and indignation. "You're so stupid, Concubine You. The Imperial Consort Jia is a respectful person. What deep hatred do you have against her and the Third Prince that you would plot against them like this?"
Everyone's eyes turned to the Imperial Consort Jia.
The Imperial Consort Jia's heart skipped a beat. So they were setting a trap for her.
The Emperor's eyes were cold and deep.
The Imperial Consort Jia's face turned pale, but she reacted quickly.
She narrowed her eyes and quickly spoke before Concubine You could say anything. "Could it be that you've been holding a grudge against me because of that incident? It was clearly you who scalded Ming Ye with lamp oil, so I punished you to kneel in front of the palace gate as a warning. How could you hold a grudge against me and Ming Ye because of this?"
The Imperial Consort Jia's voice was tinged with sobs.
She seemed truly shocked and skeptical, and also full of aggrieved sadness.
Concubine You was interrupted by the Imperial Consort Jia and was stunned for a moment. In that short moment, the Imperial Consort Jia took advantage of the situation again.
The Imperial Consort Jia knelt in front of the Emperor.
Tears fell like broken pearls, hitting the ground drop by drop. "Your Majesty, I really didn't wrong Concubine You. I also informed the Noble Consort when I punished Concubine You before. It doesn't make sense for Concubine You to take revenge on me because of this."
"The maids involved in the plot are related to Chenxi Palace. Your Majesty should interrogate the other maids in Chenxi Palace. If this matter is left unclear, the Noble Consort's reputation will be damaged."
Although the Imperial Consort Jia was crying, every word she said was reasonable.
The Noble Consort was so angry that her face turned red.
Concubine You knelt there at a loss. This was originally a scheme forced on her by the Noble Consort to set a trap for the Imperial Consort Jia.
But neither of them expected that the Imperial Consort Jia would react so quickly, turning the tables and crying out her grievances.
The Noble Consort was in a difficult situation.
Sweat of nervousness gradually oozed from her forehead.
Silence fell over the hall again.
The Emperor remained silent.
In the quiet and solemn hall, the Second Prince suddenly let out an "ah". He had been standing beside the Noble Consort. Just now, someone had pinched his arm.
The Emperor stared at him unhappily.
"What are you shouting for?"
The Second Prince looked panicked and didn't know what to do. At this time, Concubine Xie behind him pressed on his shoulder and gently shook him. "Your Highness the Second Prince, are you okay? Are you still worried about the injuries of the Third Prince and the Heir of Li State?"
Her tone was a bit sad. As she bowed her head, she winked at the Second Prince.
The Noble Consort was also stunned for a moment.
In a split - second, the not - so - smart Second Prince understood.
He stepped forward, bowed, and his voice was tinged with sobs.
"Father, as the eldest son, I'm very sad to see that the Third Brother and A Li are injured. A Li came from so far away and is still so young. He has seen so many things. I'd like to go and comfort him first."
The Emperor looked at him expressionlessly.
He waved his hand. "Go ahead."
"Thank you, Father."
The Second Prince took his leave and slowly left the hall.
After this little episode with the Second Prince, the Emperor's expression softened a bit. His gaze turned to the Imperial Consort Jia.
The Imperial Consort Jia was stunned for a moment and suddenly understood what the Emperor meant.
She realized that the Second Prince's outburst just now was not a moment of madness but a well - intended reminder.
The reminder was for the Emperor that with the envoys from the two countries present, even though Princess Kaiyun was from the Jing Dynasty, she was now the Princess Consort of the Qi Kingdom. The disputes in the Jing Dynasty's harem should not be exposed in public.
It was that Concubine Xie again...
A strong sense of unwillingness welled up in the Imperial Consort Jia's heart.
Before the Emperor could speak, the Imperial Consort Jia suddenly looked at Lan Miao in the back and cried out loudly, "Lady Lan, I'd like to ask you. Did you hear those maids mention the Noble Consort's name?"