Ye Jingyu watched her coldly, his expression cruel and indifferent. "Ying Xiao, smash all the teacups in this room and make her eat them!"
Did she like to poison people's food? Today, he would let her taste what it meant to court disaster!
"Yes!" Ying Xiao stepped forward and swept the teacups and teapot on the table to the floor.
The porcelain immediately shattered into pieces.
Qin Mingyan's eyes widened in terror. "Why? Your Highness, what did I do wrong?"
Could these shards be eaten? Let alone eat them, if even one piece entered her stomach, it would cut through her internal organs, and she would die!
Ying Xiao pinned her to the ground, pried open her mouth, and stuffed a handful of shards into it.
"Ah! No! Don't! Your Highness, Your Highness!" Qin Mingyan struggled desperately, fear consuming her entirely.
Her mouth was stuffed with shards, and her mouth and tongue were cut, blood flowing from the corners of her lips.
But she had no time to tend to these wounds.
She whimpered desperately, using her tongue to lick the porcelain pieces out of her mouth.
"Your H- *mff*... save me..."
She didn't want to die, she didn't want to die!
A murmur came from the bed; Consort Liang had woken up.
Ye Jingyu turned and quickly walked to the bedside.
Ying Xiao was still stuffing shards into Qin Mingyan's mouth.
Qin Mingyan desperately reached out towards Ye Jingyu, whimpering for mercy.
But she couldn't say anything.
"Ying Xiao, that's enough," Su Yunmo said, seeing that it was about time, and called a halt.
Ying Xiao then raised his hand and delivered a heavy blow to Qin Mingyan's back.
Qin Mingyan spat out a mouthful of blood, along with the shards in her mouth, all of which she vomited out.
She lay on the ground coughing violently, covering her throat with her hands. With every cough, she spat out a mouthful of blood.
Su Yunmo squatted in front of her. "Are you very curious why Ye Jingyu trusts me so much, and concluded it was you without any proof?"
Qin Mingyan couldn't speak, but her eyes showed a desire to know.
Su Yunmo said sternly, "Because the pastries were not sent by me to Consort Liang. They were brought by Ye Jingyu, but he had something to attend to at Chengan Palace that day, and I merely delivered them on my way."
This time, she had confessed without being asked.
Qin Mingyan's body stiffened, and tears gradually flowed from the corners of her eyes.
It was over, everything was over. Let alone the position of Prince Consort, she didn't even know how long her own life would last.
She lay on the ground, her heart as dead as ashes.
Ying Xiao then dragged her out.
Ye Jingyu sat by the bed and called out, "Someone come and check. Mother Consort has woken up and fallen asleep again."
Su Yunmo walked over, touched Consort Liang's forehead, and felt her pulse. "Don't worry, it's not serious as the imperial physicians said. If you don't trust the imperial hospital's prescription, I'll leave a bottle of medicine."
In fact, the imperial hospital's prescription could also neutralize the remaining poison, but it might take longer than her own pills.
Only then did Ye Jingyu fully relax.
Her words were more credible to him than the imperial physicians.
Ying Xiao returned quickly. "My Lord, the person has been sent back to Consort Qin. The Empress, for some reason, has sent someone to summon you."
Ye Jingyu frowned.
Su Yunmo said, "You go. I'll be here."
It was time to give the Empress a reminder as well.
Ye Jingyu nodded. "I will return shortly."
Ye Jingyu left Ying Xiao behind to assist Su Yunmo and went to Fengqi Palace alone.
After he left, a cold glint flashed in Su Yunmo's eyes.
Consort Liang on the bed was still asleep, her face pale and unsightly.
Qin Mingyan had administered a potent poison. If it hadn't been discovered in time, given Consort Liang's current physical condition, she would have certainly died!
"Ying Xiao, go and see if Ye Ningyuan is in the palace. Send someone to tell her about what happened in the Cold Palace today."
"Remember to let her find out inadvertently, and don't let her investigate us."
Qin Mingyan would not be let off easily, and it was also time to resolve the matters concerning the second branch of the Su family.
Ying Xiao's eyes flickered, and he carried out the order.
Meanwhile, Ye Jingyu entered Fengqi Palace.
Luo Yun'e sat on a soft couch, and her expression was displeased when she saw Ye Jingyu enter. "Now that Prince Yu is so glorious, even His Majesty dotes on you. Naturally, I cannot slight you."
"However, aren't you too impolite? Don't you know to pay respects when you see me?"
Ye Jingyu looked at her with cold eyes. "Empress, did you summon this prince to watch me pay respects?"
Hadn't she seen enough of that in previous years?
Luo Yun'e was momentarily speechless. "Fine, I don't wish to quibble with you over such trivial matters. I heard you injured the second daughter of the Qin family? Is that true?"
Ye Jingyu's expression remained unchanged. "Didn't the people the Empress sent to guard outside the Cold Palace see everything? Why are you asking me?"
Although the Empress Dowager had already instructed her not to visit his mother consort again, the Empress's informants outside the Cold Palace had never ceased.
However, since his mother consort's residence was staffed by his own people, he had never dealt with the informants outside, letting them be.
"Presumptuous! You are the one who made a mistake, yet you dare to speak to me in such a tone!" Luo Yun'e slammed the table.
Then she pointed at him and said, "Qin Mingyan is the daughter of a second-rank official. You injured her so badly for no reason, and this happened within the harem. Do you know that I can at any time accuse you of disrespecting imperial authority?"
She had originally intended to use Qin Mingyan as a pawn to pit him against Consort Qin.
As long as the two sides clashed, whether Consort Qin used her family to create obstacles for him, or he managed to have Consort Qin demoted, it would be beneficial to her in every way.
But what happened today was no small matter. A prince personally resorting to violence was already considered malicious harm.
More importantly, this incident occurred within her jurisdiction!
She had just obtained the Empress Dowager's pardon, and now with the end of the year approaching, the harem should be a place of peace and harmony, yet such a disturbance had occurred.
If the Empress Dowager found out and blamed her, she would also be implicated!
Ye Jingyu swept her a cold glance. "It is only right for the Empress to be angry, but it is not I who disrespects imperial authority."
Luo Yun'e frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Ye Jingyu said, "Does the Empress know that Qin Mingyan intended to harm my mother consort by poisoning the pastries?"
As soon as he said this, the entire hall fell silent.
Luo Yun'e's tone changed abruptly. "Nonsense! Do you have proof?"
A minister's daughter attempting to murder a deposed consort? How could this be possible!
Ye Jingyu sneered, a murderous intent flashing in his eyes. "If there were concrete evidence, do you think she would have been able to walk out of the Cold Palace alive?"
Luo Yun'e's body stiffened abruptly, and her expression gradually turned grim.
Prince Yu was not one to speak carelessly. If he said so, then it was indeed the case.
Qin Mingyan poisoned Consort Liang? Good heavens!
Who had instructed her, and why did she do it?
Ye Jingyu saw her change expression and said word by word, "I heard that Qin Mingyan was summoned to the palace by the Empress today?"
Luo Yun'e almost immediately cried out, "This matter has nothing to do with me!"
She wasn't an idiot. Inciting a minister's daughter to poison a deposed consort was a grave offense.
Moreover, that vixen was now protected by the Empress Dowager, so how could she easily make a move against her!