"Oh?"
Emperor Zhaohuan was in a foul mood.
In cases like this, there was always a risk of false confessions under torture if the matter was sent to the Ministry of Justice or the Supreme Court. If there was someone who could easily tell the truth and was highly trustworthy, that would be the best solution.
Hearing what Cao Shu said, he immediately perked up and asked,
"Who is the person the queen is referring to?"
Yi Zhen, who was kneeling beside them, felt a sudden jolt in her heart. She had a bad feeling.
Even Yun Xi and Yi Yuan below had a strange premonition.
Sure enough, Cao Shu took a deep breath and said,
"I heard that the junior sister of the Great Master Hanyuan came to the palace today to discuss Taoism with him and is still here. Everyone knows that the Immortal Maiden Manping is a master at divination. Moreover, she is always fair and will not favor either side."
"Please, Your Majesty, send someone to invite the immortal maiden here immediately to clear my name."
There was a moment of eerie silence.
The Yun family members, as well as Qiao Yan and Shen Zhou, who knew Manping's true identity, all looked at Yun Xi simultaneously.
What they didn't notice was that Emperor Zhaohuan also secretly and quickly glanced at Yun Xi.
"Very well,"
The emperor's gaze swept over the crowd with a heavy air. He said,
"Zhang Shiping, go and invite her."
Yi Zhen instantly tightened her fingertips.
Qiao Yan nervously tugged at Yun Xi's sleeve and whispered,
"What should we do, Xiao Xi? Our secret is going to be exposed."
Without making it obvious, Yun Xi gave a signal to Ling Yan not far behind. She patted the hand that Qiao Yan had on her and whispered,
"It's okay. We'll just play it by ear."
The "Manping" in the Chaogan Hall was not Yun Xi but Jiang Ning.
Originally, she had come under the guise of Manping to help Yun Xi find a way to remove the curse. Later, because Yi Yuan wanted to take back some ancient books during today's welcome banquet to search for clues himself, Yun Xi and Hanyuan were afraid that Yi Yuan would discover the matter of the old prince. So they had to ask Jiang Ning to dress up as Manping to screen out the notes that had nothing to do with the old prince and then move them back to the prince's mansion.
Jiang Ning and Hanyuan were searching vigorously when a little eunuch came to report that Jiang Ning was invited to the Xingqing Palace for divination.
The two looked at each other. Only then did they learn from the little eunuch that such a big incident had occurred at the banquet.
But Jiang Ning was an impostor and definitely didn't know how to divine. Just as she was feeling anxious and uneasy, Ling Yan quietly climbed in through the window.
Ling Yan quickly told Jiang Ning what Yun Xi had heard when the pink-dressed maid was leading the way. Then she quickly climbed back out.
Jiang Ning took a deep breath, gave Hanyuan a bitter smile, put on her veil hat, straightened her clothes, and followed the little eunuch out.
They didn't say a word along the way. Soon they arrived at the Xingqing Palace.
After greeting everyone one by one, Jiang Ning nervously glanced at Yun Xi.
She imitated the way Yun Xi used to divine for others and made some random gestures. Then she took the pink-dressed maid's hand and began to "read her mind and divine."
The hall was completely silent. Everyone was looking at Jiang Ning, who was wearing a veil, with different thoughts in their minds.
After a short while, Jiang Ning finished her "divination" and stood up. She bowed and said,
"Your Majesty, this female devotee... was instigated by the Fourth Princess."
"Conspiring to harm others and frame the queen were all premeditated by the two of them. The Fourth Princess promised this female devotee that she would be allowed to leave the palace, given a large amount of money, and helped to get married after the deed was done."
As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the crowd.
"So it was really the Fourth Princess. The queen was right..."
"My goodness. The Fourth Princess always seemed so kind. I never thought she was so calculating and vicious."
"When did she become so hostile to Miss Yun? How could she help to harm her like this? Could it be because of Shen..."
The lady who said this suddenly stopped talking. She looked around furtively like a thief. Only when she saw that no one was paying attention to her did she breathe a sigh of relief.
Cao Shu suddenly stood up and angrily pointed at Yi Zhen, saying,
"So it was really you! Now that the truth is out, how can you still defend yourself!?"
She turned to look at Emperor Zhaohuan and said righteously,
"Your Majesty, Yi Zhen, as a princess, has framed her superior and is cruel enough to harm the daughter of a loyal official. She has damaged the harmony between the monarch and his ministers and truly disgraced the royal family. Please, Your Majesty, punish her severely!"
"Zhen'er,"
The emperor's phoenix eyes seemed to casually sweep over Yun Xi. His black eyes, like bottomless abysses, landed on Yi Zhen. He said,
"Explain yourself."
Yi Zhen lowered her head slightly and concealed all her emotions. She only said a few short words:
"Father, I'm innocent."
It was useless to say anything at this moment. It was better not to explain or admit anything.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."
Concubine Shen, who had received the news, rushed over in a hurry. She knelt down with a thud and cried,
"Your Majesty knows Zhen'er's character best. She is the kindest and can't stand people pestering her. She is often persuaded by just a few words."
"This lowly maid used to be very close to Zhen'er and was very glib. She knew how to please Zhen'er. Even I was deceived by her. It shows how scheming she is. This incident must have been instigated by this lowly maid. She lied to Zhen'er and made her send someone to help her. It also implicated the queen."
"Your Majesty must not be deceived by villains and hurt your own kin..."
With just a few words, she tried to cover up Yi Zhen's crimes.
"What about the rewards the Fourth Princess promised her?"
Yun Xi directly countered,
"Everyone heard it. The pink-dressed maid was bought by the Fourth Princess long ago. The words to frame the queen were also premeditated by the two of them. These things are not something that Lou Qianying, the daughter of a court official, could have accomplished alone."
"Yes, Your Majesty,"
Yun Weisheng immediately stepped forward to support Yun Xi,
"I know that my daughter's life is humble. I would never dare to compare her with the noble status of a princess."
"But she is my only daughter. She has suffered a lot since she left home when she was young. No one cared about her or loved her. Now that she has finally returned home, I have no other requests. I just hope that my daughter can be healthy, safe, and have a smooth life. But... I don't know where we offended the princess, and she has hated us so much. Please, Your Majesty, give my daughter justice!"
Concubine Shen glanced back at Yun Xi and Yun Weisheng. There was a chilling coldness in her beautiful fox-like eyes.
"This matter is still..."
"Enough."
Emperor Zhaohuan directly interrupted Concubine Shen's words. His icy gaze passed through the crowd and fixed on Prime Minister Shen, who had been silent below the hall. But he was speaking to Yi Zhen,
"Zhen'er, I'll ask you one last time. Explain your reasons."
There was another moment of silence. Yi Zhen hung her head and still said the same four words:
"I'm innocent."
Impatient to say more, Emperor Zhaohuan waved his sleeve and said coldly,
"Princess Yi Zhen, as a royal daughter, has a wicked heart and acts viciously. She bought a palace maid to frame the queen and colluded with others to harm the daughter of a court official. Her crimes are unforgivable!"
"Fortunately, the situation has not reached an irreversible stage. For now, we'll deal with it leniently. Her princess stipend will be reduced, and she will be treated as a county princess. At dawn tomorrow, she will move out of the palace and live in the Siming Nunnery. She is not allowed to leave without an imperial edict and not allowed to receive visitors without permission."
The emperor looked meaningfully at Yun Xi and then continued,
"Miss Yun from the Yun family has been frightened. I will surely compensate her. Think about it. Is there anything you want?"
His cold eyes shifted to Lou Qianying and the others, who were paralyzed with fear on the ground. Emperor Zhaohuan frowned and said,
"As for the Lou family, they are all a bunch of dirty and rotten people. After the New Year, they will all be executed."