"Aunt, I have considered it, but have you not seen how His Highness the Crown Prince protects that girl? If I were to touch that girl, I fear I would drift further and further away from the Crown Prince."
The Empress looked helpless.
Aunt Liu heard this and said, "Your Majesty, how can you be so foolish? One does not have to do the deed personally."
The Empress was taken aback.
Just then, a palace maid entered, whispering a few words into the Empress's ear.
The Empress sighed, "Let them in!"
Aunt Liu saw this and asked, "Is it Your Majesty's..."
Before Aunt Liu could finish speaking, a wailing and howling sound was heard from outside, and an old woman entered, dressed in plain clothes. Upon seeing the Empress, she immediately sat on the ground, crying, "Your Majesty, your own niece has been murdered, and the killer walks free. Do you still have the mood to sit here?"
The Empress rubbed her forehead and said to Aunt Liu beside her, "Aunt, please help my mother up."
Aunt Liu quickly stepped forward, "Madam, please get up."
The old woman pushed Aunt Liu away and said, "Your Majesty, you must give this old woman an answer today, or I will not get up."
The Empress frowned upon hearing this and looked at the old woman, "Mother, you are forcing me."
The old woman, enraged, pointed at the Empress and said, "Yuezhu is not only my own granddaughter but also your niece. How can you bear for her to be murdered like this, with the killer living well? If this is the case, I have misjudged you."
The Empress's gaze became somewhat displeased. Her mother was always like this, never considering her. Did she not want justice for Yuezhu?
Seeing that the Empress remained silent, Old Madam Sun's face turned grim with anger. "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? If it weren't for Xinlan, it wouldn't be you sitting here today."
The Empress's body trembled, a flicker of unusual light crossing her eyes as she looked coldly at Old Madam Sun.
Old Madam Sun seemed to realize that her words were inappropriate and quickly cried, "Yuezhu was your sister's only child. She died in childbirth, and that damned family didn't even acknowledge her. I raised her from a tiny child to a graceful maiden, feeding her with my own hands. I am unwilling to accept this..."
"Mother, I will not let the murderer go unpunished. The Capital Prefecture will enforce justice impartially and without favoritism," the Empress said, her expression icy.
Old Madam Sun's eyes flickered as she said, "Yuezhu took the Sun family name. She is a true descendant of the Sun family. I wish for Yuezhu's name to be entered into the family registry. Does Your Majesty think this is acceptable?"
The Empress looked at Old Madam Sun and said, "Mother decides, but do not forget that Yuezhu is, after all, a child of the Zhou family."
"That Zhou family hasn't even looked at her since Xinlan died in childbirth," Old Madam Sun gritted out.
After seeing Old Madam Sun out, the Empress rubbed her forehead and said to Aunt Liu, "Proceed as you suggested. Make sure to find someone reliable."
That secret should not be dug up. Thinking of this, the Empress clenched her fist tightly.
The day after Xue Zining was imprisoned, she received her first visitor.
This person was quite an acquaintance of hers.
"Sister Xuelan," Xue Zining said.
Xuelan glanced at her and said, "His Highness is concerned about you, so he specifically sent me to check on you."
"Thank you for His Highness's concern. I am doing well here, aside from the inconvenience of movement."
Xuelan nodded upon hearing this, "That's good."
She put down the food box in her hands and said, "This contains peach blossom cakes that Miss Feng loves."
Xue Zining opened the food box and indeed, there was a plate of peach blossom cakes. She picked one up but did not bring it to her lips. Instead, she raised her eyes to look at Xuelan.
Xuelan's gaze faltered, and she lowered it.
"There's poison in these pastries, isn't there?" Xue Zining put down the peach blossom cake and looked at Xuelan calmly.
Xuelan trembled all over. She looked up and saw the girl's eyes so clear that they could perfectly reflect her own image. She could even see the slight change in her own expression.
"Miss Feng, what are you talking about? How could these pastries be poisoned?" Xuelan avoided the gaze, saying in a flustered manner.
She saw Xue Zining pick up the pastry and take a bite.
Xuelan trembled all over, looking at the girl in disbelief, "You..."
Xue Zining smiled, "Do you want to know why I ate it even though I knew it was poisoned?"
"You... you're crazy." Xuelan retreated several steps.
"Now you can tell me, how exactly do you intend to get rid of me?"
Xuelan's gaze flickered, and she remained silent.
"Is it the Divine Hall?"
Xuelan was taken aback.
She saw the girl smile, "I'll trouble you, Miss Xuelan, to escort me." With that, the girl softly collapsed onto the ground.
Xuelan's gaze paused. If she had not offended the Empress, if she had not been favored by the Crown Prince, then she could have lived her life peacefully.
But nothing was absolute. Just as she had left the Sun family, she was still a member of the Sun family.
She would never be able to escape the Sun family in this lifetime.
This was her tragedy.
When the Crown Prince returned to his sleeping quarters, he saw someone kneeling on the ground. It was none other than Xuelan.
Xuelan could feel the Crown Prince's gaze fall upon her, a gaze that was indifferent, yet filled with a chilling coldness.
"Xuelan has sinned. I beg Your Highness to punish me," Xuelan said, lowering her gaze.
"What sin have you committed?" the Crown Prince's voice sounded faintly.
"Xuelan drugged Miss Feng. Miss Feng is currently in the Divine Hall," Xue Lan said, biting her lower lip.
"Did she do it willingly?" After a long moment, the Crown Prince suddenly spoke.
Xuelan was stunned. She subconsciously looked up and met a pair of dark eyes, like an abyss of ten thousand feet.
"While I am away, no one is allowed to enter the East Palace."
With that, the Crown Prince left.
Xuelan was stunned, her gaze slowly dimming.
When Xue Zining awoke, the surroundings were pitch black, but she could vaguely sense the presence of another person here.
Her entire body went into a state of alert. Today, she would likely have to fight for her life here.
She closed her eyes, sensing where the presence was, and moved towards where there was no presence.
Finally, she touched a tall pillar. The moment she touched it, a cluster of flames appeared, and then it instantly lit up.
After the extreme darkness, the sudden brightness made her eyes unable to adapt.
When she opened her eyes, she could finally see the scene clearly.
It was a large, empty hall. She walked forward, and on the stairs leading to the second level, she saw a stone lion blocking the way.
Could it be real?
Thinking so, Xue Zining walked up to the stone lion and observed it for a long time, but saw no abnormality. She bypassed the stone lion and walked up the stairs.
The stone lion's eyes moved.
Xue Zining stopped. She did not look back but leaped into the air. At that moment, the stone lion split open, and stones shattered and scattered onto the ground.
A person appeared from within.