Legend of the Embroiderer

Su Mengyao and Crown Prince Li Zhao went through untold hardships and conducted a painstaking investigation, and finally achieved a breakthrough when they were at their wit's end.

The key clue turned out to be a seemingly insignificant piece of paper with some intriguing rumors scribbled on it.

With their keen insight and extraordinary wisdom, they successfully dug out crucial information from the note, and all the accusations were accurately pointed at the culprit who was hiding in the dark and stirring up trouble - a concubine who was extremely jealous of Su Mengyao's high status and was full of resentment and complaints.

In order to thoroughly uncover the truth behind this conspiracy, Li Zhao and Su Mengyao did not dare to slack off in the slightest and immediately decided to secretly summon their trusted confidants in the palace.

Everyone sat together, looking serious and focused, pondering and studying the mysterious note over and over again.

Although the handwriting on the note was a little blurry, one could vaguely make out a few vague names and some obscure hints.

As the investigation deepened, more and more evidence surfaced. It turned out that the concubine with ulterior motives had been behaving strangely recently, often sneaking around the palace whispering with several other concubines with similar ulterior motives, as if they were plotting something unspeakable.

What is even more suspicious is that she has been spotted many times in places where rumors are most rampant, and her whereabouts are very suspicious.

Various clues intertwine to form a complete chain of evidence, making Li Zhao and Su Mengyao more and more certain that this concubine is the mastermind behind the incident. A thrilling palace contest is about to begin...

It was a sunny day, and the breeze gently blew through the green trees and red flowers in the palace.

Li Zhao carefully arranged a small banquet in the magnificent palace. In addition to several trusted ministers, palace maids and eunuchs, the highly-anticipated concubine was also invited.

When night falls and the lights come on, the banquet officially begins. Everyone sits around the table filled with delicious food, laughing and chatting happily.

Just when everyone was immersed in the joyful atmosphere, Li Zhao suddenly stood up, clapped his hands gently, and signaled everyone to be quiet.

His expression was solemn as he slowly spoke, "Everyone, I have invited you all here today because I have something important to announce to you."

Before he finished speaking, the whole audience fell silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on Li Zhao.

Then, Li Zhao slowly put his right hand into his arms, his movements so gentle as if he was afraid of waking up something sleeping.

After a moment, he took out a neatly folded piece of paper. He carefully protected it like a precious treasure.

Li Zhao first gently stroked the edge of the note with his fingers, and then began to unfold it carefully.

The note gradually revealed its full appearance, and there seemed to be dense handwriting on it.

Li Zhao's eyes, which were already extremely sharp, were now like burning torches, fixed tightly on the concubine in front of him.

His gaze was so intense and sharp that one dared not look directly at it. Then, his voice, deep and powerful, rang out:

"I recently received a note like this. Every word written on it is truly heartbreaking! It's filled with lies about the current Empress! When I read it, I couldn't help but feel a surge of shock and anger deep within me. Therefore, I immediately ordered a thorough investigation into the truth behind this matter!"

Li Zhao paused for a moment, his eyes blazing with anger. Meanwhile, the concubine had already lost all color with fear. Her once charming face had instantly turned pale as paper, devoid of any color.

Her body couldn't help but tremble violently, like a candle in the wind, about to fall.

The concubine's eyes widened in horror, staring intently at the note in Li Zhao's hand. Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to defend herself, but her throat seemed to be strangled by an invisible hand, and she couldn't make a sound.

After a long while, she finally managed to squeeze out a few words: "Your Majesty, I am wronged... There must be a huge misunderstanding...

I hope Your Majesty will be discerning and not trust others’ slander…” However, despite her sincere words, they seemed so pale and powerless in the face of the irrefutable evidence on the note.

However, Li Zhao had clearly already made up his mind. He did not give the concubine any chance to breathe, and immediately listed the solid evidence he had prepared in advance one by one.

He pointed out that the concubine had secretly communicated with unidentified people outside the palace many times and her whereabouts were mysterious.

It also describes in detail a series of abnormal behaviors of the concubine in the palace, such as frequently entering and leaving certain forbidden areas, and having fierce disputes with other concubines.

Faced with so much irrefutable evidence, the concubine's already panicked heart completely collapsed.

She was no longer able to argue for herself, and could only lower her head like a deflated ball, and confessed her crime in a voice as thin as a mosquito.

Li Zhao acted decisively and took swift action to place the people involved under house arrest.

He personally issued a carefully worded, detailed and clear announcement in the palace, aiming to thoroughly clarify the various rumors that had been rampant recently, to clear Su Mengyao's name and restore her former reputation and prestige.

In this announcement, Li Zhao spared no effort in detailing the ins and outs of the entire investigation and the final, indisputable results.

Every word emphasizes Su Mengyao's purity and loyalty to the royal family.

Once the news came out, it was like a spring breeze blowing across a frozen lake, instantly breaking the tense and depressing atmosphere in the palace.

Upon hearing this, the palace maids and eunuchs all breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the Empress, who had long suffered injustice, had finally been cleared of her wrongful charges.

At this moment, Su Mengyao stood quietly beside Li Zhao, tears glistening in her beautiful eyes.

After going through this ordeal, she deeply understood that this thrilling battle had finally come to an end.

She gazed at the man in front of her, Li Zhao, who stood up for her, with deep affection and gratitude, and endless love and admiration surged in her heart.

As if he understood her mood, Li Zhao gently reached out his hand and tightly grasped Su Mengyao's delicate and boneless hand, comforting her in a warm and firm voice, "Yao'er, I'm sorry for the suffering you've endured these days.

From now on, those groundless rumors will never hurt you in the slightest."

As time went by, the atmosphere in the palace gradually returned to tranquility and peace, and the bright sunshine, like a golden veil, once again gently fell on everyone's face.

Su Mengyao and Li Zhao both knew very well that although the uproar caused by the rumor had subsided, they still needed to be extra cautious in the future and make sure to take all precautions to prevent such incidents from resurfacing.

In the days to come, they will surely be in perfect harmony with each other, work hand in hand, and be determined to protect their warm little family. At the same time, they will do their best and work tirelessly for the long-term stability of the Tang Dynasty.