Ping Zhao Lu

When Qinghe returned to Fushoutai with the things, he saw Liang Siyi staggering into the pavilion under the escort of guards.

She couldn't help feeling confused, and handed the things to the palace servant beside her, then walked to Zhao Dequan and silently watched everything that happened next.

When Concubine Li saw Liang Siyi appear, the handkerchief that she was holding lightly in her hand suddenly felt as if it was clamped by an iron clamp. She squeezed it tightly, and her finger joints even turned white from excessive force.

At the same time, beads of sweat began to appear on her forehead, as if she was under tremendous pressure.

Liang Siyi's face was full of confusion at this time. Before he could react, he was suddenly pushed by the guard behind him and fell to the ground unexpectedly.

However, even after facing such rough treatment, she still tried hard to suppress her inner panic, forced herself to calm down, and maintained the dignified demeanor expected of a palace lady. She bowed respectfully and said in a clear and loud voice: "Your humble servant... Your humble servant Liang Lu of the Shangfu Bureau pays homage to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor!"

Queen Mother Jiang, who was sitting on the high throne, just nodded slightly without saying a word.

Chu Yunxiao, standing nearby, had a face as gloomy as ice in winter. He slowly turned around, walked over to his original seat, and sat down steadily. Then, in a low, chilling voice, he asked, "Liang Siyi, do you recognize the person next to you?"

After hearing the emperor's question, Liang Siyi turned his gaze to the eunuch standing beside him.

At the moment their eyes met, the eunuch's eyes were as flickering as a candle in the wind, and his face was full of panic.

Then, he seemed to be afraid to look Liang Siyi in the eye again, and hurriedly turned his gaze away, refusing to look over here again.

Facing this scene, Liang Siyi remained calm and replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Your Majesty, I do not recognize this person."

Chu Yunxiao couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he heard this, and asked with a hint of doubt and oppression in his tone: "Really?"

The two-word rhetorical question was like a thunderclap in Liang Siyi's ears, making her feel a chill in her heart. Her voice was trembling and uncertain as she timidly replied, "Yes... yes."

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunxiao's lips curled up into an icy smile, which seemed to be able to penetrate one's soul. "But he said that it was you who instigated him to destroy the Queen's dress." His gaze pierced Liang Siyi like a sharp sword, leaving her nowhere to hide.

"Your Majesty, this is unjust!" Liang Siyi was terrified and kowtowed, his forehead hitting the ground with a resounding sound. "This humble servant doesn't even know this person, let alone what happened to the Queen's dress! I hope Your Majesty will be discerning and not listen to the slanderous words of this villain!"

"Oh?" Chu Yunxiao's smile became more and more mysterious, making it difficult to guess what he was thinking. "Then what about her?" As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand gently, signaling the person next to him.

A moment later, another palace servant was brought up.

She lowered her head, her body drenched, water dripping from the corners of her clothes. She was trembling, fear gripping her body and mind, so much so that she had forgotten even basic etiquette.

The moment Liang Siyi saw this person, his heart trembled violently, and his fingers, which were originally crossed on the ground, paused slightly unconsciously.

This subtle movement naturally did not escape Chu Yunxiao's eyes.

His thin lips parted slightly, his tone still casual, yet the majesty within was undeniable. He spoke slowly, "A quarter of an hour ago, I stumbled upon her in the Queen's chambers. She was furtive and acting strangely. She left in such a hurry, simply to take a look at the maid the Queen had caned. It's truly puzzling."

At this point, Chu Yunxiao paused deliberately, the coldness in his eyes becoming even more gloomy, "Do you know why?"

Liang Siyi's eyes widened and his body trembled uncontrollably, "No, I don't know."

Seeing that she was still stubborn, Chu Yunxiao sneered, "I don't know either. I'm just curious why she rushed to the Shangfu Bureau after leaving Fengluan Palace, and not long after, she almost drowned in Yingliu Lake."

Hearing this, everyone exclaimed.

At this moment, Liang Siyi felt her legs sore and weak, and her whole body was shaky and almost collapsed to the ground. However, she still managed to hold on to her last bit of strength and tried to keep kneeling.

Seeing Liang Siyi's defenses growing increasingly fragile, Chu Yunxiao naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to press home his victory. He took advantage of the situation and said, "Liang Siyi, if you truly don't know these things, then that's fine. They both know everything, anyway." With a flick of his hand, someone immediately stepped forward, presenting a seal and a thick scroll of testimony.

Chu Yunxiao looked at Liang Siyi sharply and said coldly, "As long as they put their stamp on this and sign this testimony, then no matter how eloquently you defend yourself, you are the real mastermind behind this incident."

These words were like a bolt from the blue, striking Liang Siyi's heart. She froze in her tracks, completely losing the ability to think or react. Even opening her mouth to argue became extremely difficult.

Before Liang Siyi could recover, Chu Yunxiao spoke again, "The mastermind behind this attempted to murder the Queen. This is a heinous crime and his entire clan should be exterminated!"

Liang Siyi felt as if his legs were being pressed down by lead blocks, causing unbearable pain. Finally, he could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground like a puddle of mud.

Lipin, who was standing by, was so frightened that her face turned pale. She looked as if she had seen a ghost and was about to scream. Fortunately, she reacted quickly and covered her mouth tightly with her hand in time, preventing the scream from coming out.

After a long while, Liang Siyi seemed to recover from her extreme shock. She shuddered, then knelt down like pounding garlic, saying in a panic, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, please listen to my explanation! This matter was all caused by the virtuous concubine... It was the virtuous concubine who ordered me to do this!"

As soon as Liang Siyi finished speaking, everyone present showed an expression of disbelief and turned their eyes to Concubine Xian.

The virtuous concubine, who was originally watching this farce leisurely, was stunned when she heard Liang Siyi's words.

Her eyes widened in disbelief, and then, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she suddenly stood up from her seat and shouted angrily, "How dare you! Don't speak nonsense here! I have nothing to do with you, why are you slandering me like this!"

Queen Mother Jiang, who had always been firmly seated in her high position, could no longer contain her surprise and almost stood up. However, she managed to hold it in, staring intently at Concubine Xian with her sharp eyes, and asked coldly, "What is going on, Concubine Xian?"

The virtuous concubine's face was pale and cold sweat was dripping down her forehead.

She hurried forward, knelt on the ground, and said in a tearful voice, "Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, I am truly wronged! I have no connection with Liang Siyi at all, so how could I have ordered her to do these things? Someone must have instigated her behind the scenes, deliberately accusing me and trying to frame me! I hope that Your Majesty can see clearly and clear my name!"

Lin Yuxuan and Lin Zhuoran, who were sitting in the men's seats, were also extremely shocked. Their hearts sank to the bottom of the valley.

The father and son didn't understand why the matter suddenly involved their Xin'er.

Lin Yucheng loved his daughter dearly and always kept his word. Seeing his daughter in trouble, he couldn't help but step forward to argue, but was stopped by Lin Zhuoran at the right time.

"Father, please think twice." Lin Zhuoran said calmly, "If this matter is really related to Xin'er, father cannot easily interfere."

After hearing the advice from his eldest daughter, even though Lin Yufen was extremely anxious and unwilling to give up, he had to give up and sat back in his original seat helplessly, secretly praying in his heart that nothing would happen to his precious daughter.

Liang Siyi, facing the refutation of Concubine Xian, showed no sign of backing down. She straightened her body and said with a firm face, "Although this humble official has never had direct contact with Concubine Xian, this humble official has had some contact with the palace maids around her."