Cui Jintang was locked in a cell in the Censorate.
Suddenly, there was a noise outside.
Cui Jintang didn't open her eyes and continued to rest against the wall.
"Miss, please eat something!"
Fu Li was holding a tray and looking at her with a look of embarrassment on his face.
Cui Jintang simply said, "Ask Pei Zhaolin to come and see me."
Sitting there and thinking quietly for a while, Cui Jintang felt that it was unlikely that Pei Zhaolin had gone crazy and couldn't see the possibility of being framed. It was more likely that he was looking for an excuse to deceive the emperor's spies and negotiate with her about the Eastern Manchus.
Hearing this, Fu Li looked embarrassed and seemed reluctant. "Miss, our young master went to the County Princess's Mansion and hasn't returned yet."
Cui Jintang suddenly opened her eyes.
The overly sharp look in her eyes made Fu Li not even dare to raise his head.
Just as the atmosphere became tense, the jailer outside the door said coldly, "Cui Jintang, Lord Pei summons you!"
Fu Li immediately scolded, "Show more respect to Miss Cui!"
The jailer didn't care. "But Lord Pei flew into a rage as soon as he came back from the County Princess's Mansion. It seems that he doesn't care about this woman! Why bother to speak nicely?"
"Shut up!" Fu Li kept signaling to him with his eyes, but the jailer just couldn't understand at all.
He even kindly asked, "Do you have an eye disease?"
Cui Jintang took a deep breath, got up, tidied her clothes, and pushed the door out.
The Censorate was nothing new to her.
After passing through several courtyards, Cui Jintang was brought to the main hall of the Censorate.
In the hall, Pei Zhaolin was sitting upright in the main seat, and an old man with white hair and beard was standing beside him.
"Tang'er!"
Old Madam Pei rushed towards her quickly and lovingly took Cui Jintang's hand. "My dear child, you've suffered."
Cui Jintang shook her head and said, "Madam, you've just returned to the capital. You should rest well. Don't worry about me."
"Fu Li, take Grandmother away."
Pei Zhaolin's voice was cold, and every word and deed showed his indifference towards Cui Jintang.
"I'm not leaving!" Old Madam Pei immediately sat down on the chair below the hall and said angrily, "I'd like to see how Lord Pei of the Censorate will judge this case today!"
Hearing this, Pei Zhaolin frowned slightly, and then quickly relaxed. Instead, he slapped the gavel in his hand heavily.
Cui Jintang took two steps forward and remained silent.
"Did you admit to poisoning the County Princess?"
Cui Jintang looked up and stared directly into Pei Zhaolin's eyes, saying word by word, "I don't admit it."
Suddenly, Pei Zhaolin slapped the table and stood up, shouting angrily, "The imperial physician has already examined and found that the poison in Luo Xiang is 'Gelsemium elegans'. And that poison was only in the pastries in your food box today!"
Pei Zhaolin said sternly, "You thought you had done it flawlessly, but you didn't know that it had already been seen through!"
Cui Jintang looked at him in disbelief, as if looking at a stranger. "If I wanted to kill her, why would I have to do it myself? Moreover, I came in the name of His Highness today!"
"You've always been on good terms with the Princess Royal. Who knows if you're trying to get His Highness to protect you through this?"
Before Cui Jintang could say a word, Old Madam Pei stood up angrily with her walking stick.
"How can you be so confused and unable to distinguish right from wrong?!"
Looking at this cold - hearted Pei Zhaolin, Old Madam Pei felt as if her heart was being stabbed with a knife. "Are you still my grandson?"
"Grandmother," Pei Zhaolin frowned slightly. "She hurt Luo Xiang first. I'm just handling things according to the rules."
Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the door, and Luo Xiang walked in supported by Wang Yueyao.
She looked pale but still managed to hold herself up and bowed. "Madam Pei."
Pei Zhaolin, who was originally sitting in the main seat, suddenly stood up and quickly walked to Luo Xiang's side, reaching out to support her.
"Why did you come?"
Because of Pei Zhaolin's action, Luo Xiang's eyes were full of surprise.
She smiled with pursed lips. "I've already taken the medicine. Zhaolin, you don't need to worry."
After saying that, Luo Xiang looked at Cui Jintang, and her eyes were filled with tears again.
"I don't know where I've offended Miss Cui to make Miss Cui so cruel?"
"Even if you have a grudge against me, what have the others done to offend you? Why do you have to make them suffer like this?"
"County Princess!"
Old Madam Pei called out, neither too loudly nor too softly. "It's still an unfounded matter. The County Princess should not make a hasty decision."
Luo Xiang sobbed twice and then turned around and hid beside Pei Zhaolin.
Pei Zhaolin frowned slightly, and a flash of emotion quickly passed through his eyes. Then he stiffly patted her on the shoulder.
He said, "With me here, I will never let you suffer these things in vain."
Seeing this scene, Cui Jintang felt as if her heart was being pricked by a needle.
"Since the lotus - shaped pastries were sent to the County Princess's Mansion, they were collected by the servants of the mansion. Are you so sure that it wasn't your own people who poisoned them?"
Pei Zhaolin lifted his eyelids and said coldly, "But the pastry shop that sells the lotus - shaped pastries is under your name."
"There are so many pastry shops in the capital. Why did you go to your own shop? Isn't it just for convenience?"
"My shop?"
The confusion in Cui Jintang's eyes was not fake.
No wonder the steward of that shop was so reluctant to take her silver.
There were simply too many industries. Cui Jintang couldn't remember them all.
As if seeing what was on her mind, Pei Zhaolin was momentarily at a loss for words.
The mood he had finally worked up was almost ruined by this rhetorical question.
He darkened his face. "Do you have anything else to explain?"
"I..."
"Since that's the case, lock her up in the cell immediately. According to the laws of the Great Yan, those who attempt to harm the royal relatives shall be exiled immediately!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the guards swarmed forward, grabbed Cui Jintang, and dragged her towards the cell.
Cui Jintang shouted angrily, "Pei Zhaolin, you're making a random judgment!"
She turned her head and looked anxiously, only to see Pei Zhaolin lovingly pulling Luo Xiang into his arms and soothing her softly.
Instantly, Cui Jintang felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
——
At the Princess Royal's Mansion.
Qi Xutao was holding a red - tasseled spear. If she had pushed it forward just a little bit more, it would have pierced Xue Wuyou's neck.
She shouted angrily, "Get out of my way!"
But Xue Wuyou reached out and directly grabbed the tip of the spear.
He said, "Your Highness, don't act impulsively."
Qi Xutao yanked the spear back forcefully, and a deep cut immediately appeared on Xue Wuyou's hand.
But Xue Wuyou seemed not to feel the pain and continued to persuade, "I know Your Highness is eager to save people. But if Your Highness goes now, it will only make things worse!"
By now, Qi Xutao was more annoyed to see Xue Wuyou than to see Luo Xiang.
"You have no right to interfere in my affairs! I'll say it one last time, get out of the way!"
Xue Wuyou frowned slightly and suddenly stepped forward, sincerely saying, "I'd like to make a deal with Your Highness."
"I know the intention of Your Highness's meeting with someone a few days ago. If Your Highness marries me, I'll give Your Highness a divorce certificate after leaving the State of Yan!"
He took another step forward. "Among those cowardly men who don't even dare to go to the border, I'm the best choice for Your Highness."
"As long as Your Highness agrees, I'll immediately help Your Highness rescue Miss Cui."
Qi Xutao disdained it. "Why should I trust you?"
"Because I have something that Lord Pei wants in my hand."
Xue Wuyou clenched his fists.
Since the autumn hunting last time, Xue Wuyou had been secretly investigating the whereabouts of the number - one poison master in the State of Shu.
Just yesterday, he got the antidote for the "Love - forgetting" poison!
Xue Wuyou's low voice was full of temptation. "Cooperate with me, Your Highness."