Duan Chuchu quickly recalled in her mind. At that time, Wu Qihuan had been tightly biting at He Yimeng, not allowing He Yimeng to overtake. Instead, it enabled Duan Chuchu to catch up soon. She was right diagonally behind He Yimeng at that time and clearly saw that Wu Qihuan deliberately whipped the horse's face of He Yimeng's horse.
While Duan Chuchu was silently recalling, many people guessed that she would identify Wu Qihuan. After all, this Wu Qihuan didn't seem like a kind - hearted person at first sight, and her family status was not low. She was definitely a strong competitor for Duan Chuchu to become the Fourth Princess.
If Duan Chuchu identified Wu Qihuan as deliberately harming He Yimeng at this moment, she could successfully eliminate a competitor.
However, to everyone's surprise, Duan Chuchu shook her head and said, "Your Majesty, at that time, the horses of Miss Wu and Miss He were running very fast. I... didn't see clearly!"
Hearing this, Emperor Dongling cast an interested look at Duan Chuchu and Wu Qihuan, "Oh? The two people closest to Miss He both didn't see clearly? This matter is rather strange!"
"What about you? Didn't any of you see it either?" Emperor Dongling then turned his inquiring gaze to the other four noble ladies.
The four of them all lowered their heads and replied in unison, "Your Majesty, I didn't see it!"
Emperor Dongling was silent for a moment, gave a couple of "heh heh" laughs, and then said, "In a horse race held in the Royal Horse Ranch, in full view of the public, someone fell off the horse and got injured, yet none of the people in the same race saw what happened!"
"Fine! Then today we must investigate this matter thoroughly and see how complicated it is that it has blinded so many people's eyes!"
Emperor Xiaohuaishi of Dongling flicked his sleeves and strode onto the viewing stand and stood still.
If at first Emperor Dongling wanted to investigate this matter just to comfort Prime Minister He, an old courtier, now when he was going to investigate it, there was dissatisfaction in his mind: right in front of him, the Son of Heaven, those noble ladies still took the General of Huaihua into consideration and didn't dare to tell the truth!
Emperor Dongling stood on the viewing stand. His eyes swept over the people standing in front of the viewing stand and then looked at those still sitting in the viewing stand. He said loudly, "They didn't see what just happened. What about you? With so many pairs of eyes, didn't you see either?"
All the people below lowered their heads and remained silent.
"Fine! Excellent!" Emperor Dongling laughed out of anger, "Among so many people, not a single one saw it. Then what's the use of keeping those eyes? How about I dig them out for you today!"
Hearing this, all the people present lowered their heads and said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
Emperor Dongling simply ignored them and went back to his seat on the viewing stand and sat down. Seeing this, Concubine Chen quickly stepped forward and advised, "Your Majesty, why be angry about this matter! If Your Majesty gets angry and harms your body because of this, it will go against the original intention of Prime Minister He and Miss He, won't it? Prime Minister He and Miss He will feel self - reproached!"
Prime Minister He was kneeling on one side at this time. Hearing Concubine Chen's words, his expression remained unchanged. However, He Chuanzhe beside him was a bit indignant but still silently endured it.
Concubine Chen then gently stroked Emperor Dongling's back considerately and continued, "Your Majesty, the situation on the racecourse was really quite chaotic just now. Even I didn't see clearly! It's possible that everyone didn't notice what happened. Your Majesty, please don't be angry about this anymore!"
Hearing this, Emperor Dongling turned his head and stared at Concubine Chen, who was standing beside him with a smiling face, and asked, "Concubine, do you also think that no one saw clearly what happened?"
Concubine Chen felt a bit flustered under Emperor Dongling's staring gaze, but still nodded.
Seeing this, Emperor Dongling turned his head, shook his head disappointedly, and said no more. The atmosphere on the scene once again fell into a strange silence.
"Miss He, I'll ask you one more time. What exactly happened at that time? Who injured the horse on its face? You can just tell the truth. I'll stand up for you!"
At this time, Emperor Dongling suddenly said to He Yimeng in a low voice.
He Yimeng was still sitting on the stool. Hearing this, her eyes swept over the people around. She tightened and loosened her hand on the side several times. Then she let go of her palm, relaxed her body, showed a relieved look on her face, and was about to answer.
But then she heard a young woman suddenly raise her head, look in the direction of Emperor Dongling, and say in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I saw what happened on the racecourse just now!"
Hearing this, Emperor Dongling looked up in the direction where the voice came from, "You saw it? Whose relative are you?"
The one who had just spoken was Shen Li. Hearing this, she said calmly, "I'm the daughter of Shen Junhong, the former leader of the Night Phantom Division, and the younger sister of Shen Yi, the current leader of the Night Phantom Division. I'm Shen Li!"
"So you're Junhong's daughter!" There was a bit of praise and nostalgia in Emperor Dongling's voice, "Your father and elder brother are both loyal. I even held you when you were a child. I didn't expect that so many years have passed and you've grown up so much!"
"Come, stand up. Tell me what you saw just now. Tell the truth. Don't be afraid!" Emperor Dongling said so and gave a meaningful look in the direction of General Wu Moshang of Huaihua.
"Yes!" Shen Li then stood up and said calmly and unhurriedly, "Just now I was sitting in that position, which is exactly at the first turn on the racecourse, and also the place where Princess Heyuan overtook Miss Wu on horseback!"
Shen Li pointed in the direction of the Shen Mansion's viewing stand, "At first, Princess Heyuan, Miss Wu, and Miss He were neck - and - neck. But after entering the turning bend, Princess Heyuan quickly overtook Miss Wu. Then Miss Wu was in the second place and Miss He was in the third place. Then, Miss Wu deliberately blocked in front of Miss He on horseback to prevent her from overtaking. This was seen by everyone!"
"Then I saw that after the horses of Miss Wu and Miss He got close to each other, they quickly separated. It was at that moment that I personally saw that it was her!"
Shen Li pointed at Wu Qihuan and quickly retracted her hand, "Miss Wu whipped her whip hard at the horse of Miss He behind her and then clamped her horse's belly and left."
"After that, it was what everyone saw. Miss He's horse was frightened and went crazy! Your Majesty, this is all the things I saw just now. I've finished speaking!"
"Your Majesty! She's talking nonsense!" Wu Qihuan was so angry that she was about to burst with rage when Shen Li pointed at her just now. Now that she finally waited for Shen Li to finish speaking, she immediately spoke out to refute, "I never got that close to Miss He's horse, nor did I ever whip Miss He's horse. She's lying and trying to frame me!"
"I beg Your Majesty to investigate clearly and give me justice!"