"Slander!" Grand Tutor Du trembled with anger. "First you smeared Prince Qi with dirt, and now you're smearing the Prince Qi's consort. What did Prince Qi and his consort do to offend you so deeply that you wish to see them dead?"
"Wen Mian, you claim the Prince Qi's consort is involved, but do you have any proof?" the old emperor asked, looking at the Minister of Justice.
"Your Majesty, on the day the great general was murdered, the Prince Qi's consort's whereabouts were unknown. Prince Qi's warhorse was also missing. Furthermore, someone witnessed the Prince Qi's consort disembark from the carriage that left the murder scene and hastily return to Prince Qi's manor through the back gate."
"Nonsense! The Prince Qi's consort might have simply been out visiting friends!"
"Grand Tutor Du, if the Prince Qi's consort was out visiting friends, how could she have been in the carriage that left the murder scene?" Wen Mian said slowly. "Could it be that the Prince Qi's consort was visiting friends at the murder scene?"
Grand Tutor Du, usually eloquent, found himself at a loss for words in the face of so much evidence.
"Commander Xiao, the victim was your father, and the suspect is the Prince Qi's consort. How do you think this should be handled?" Wen Mian looked at Xiao Man, determined to drag him into this matter.
Xiao Man immediately knelt down. "Your Majesty, Master Wen has no concrete evidence proving that the Prince Qi's consort killed my father. Grand Tutor Du is the Prince Qi's consort's grandfather. Both sides present conflicting accounts, and I am unable to discern the truth. Perhaps it would be best to have the Prince Qi's consort confront the accuser directly."
The old emperor pondered for a moment. "Guards, summon the Prince Qi's consort to the palace."
Du Yulan, still depressed from her miscarriage, had not recovered properly and had developed lingering ailments. She had been feeling unwell in her manor for the past couple of days. The sudden arrival of palace guards to summon her left her feeling quite bewildered.
"Eunuch, why has His Majesty summoned me to the palace?"
Eunuch Xiao Fu smiled at Du Yulan. "This servant is not entirely sure, Your Highness. I merely heard it was concerning Princess Yongning."
Du Yulan's expression changed, and she felt a surge of resentment. It was one thing for Xiao Man to have attacked her on the street, but for her to leverage the Emperor's favor and lodge a complaint before him was utterly shameless!
"Thank you, Eunuch," Du Yulan said. She looked at Qiao Lan, who immediately slipped a gold leaf into Eunuch Xiao Fu's hand. Eunuch Xiao Fu accepted it with a smile and said no more.
Du Yulan examined her complexion. She had applied some rouge for the palace visit, making her appear presentable. Upon learning that Xiao Man had lodged a complaint, she immediately wiped off the rouge and lipstick. She then rubbed her eyes vigorously, making them slightly red, giving her an appearance of sickly weakness and pitiability.
"Miss, what are you doing...?"
Du Yulan interrupted Qiao Lan's question, instructing her to apply more powder, making her complexion even paler, as if she might collapse at any moment. Anyone who saw her would never believe that such a frail beauty could be a murderer.
Supported by her maids, Du Yulan entered the Golden Hall.
This was her first time entering the Golden Hall. After all, it was where the Emperor and his officials discussed state affairs. To date, the number of women who had entered the Golden Hall could be counted on one hand.
"Your daughter-in-law pays her respects to Father Emperor."
The Emperor looked at the delicate Prince Qi's consort, his heart filled with doubt. How could such a frail woman have killed Xiao Zhen? Unless Xiao Zhen had simply surrendered and allowed the Prince Qi's consort to stab him!
"Rise, Prince Qi's consort. I have summoned you to the Golden Hall because the Minister of Justice believes you are involved in the case of the great general Xiao Zhen's murder."
Du Yulan suddenly looked up at the Emperor and then cried out, "Your Majesty, I am wronged! Terribly wronged! I am but a weak woman; I dare not even step on an ant. How could I possibly commit murder? This is clearly a frame-up!"
"Prince Qi's consort, please tell me, where were you and what were you doing on the eighth day of the first lunar month?"
"I was feeling unwell and stayed in my manor, recuperating. I did not go out," Du Yulan stated without hesitation.
"Prince Qi's consort, it would be wise to think carefully before answering. On the eighth day of the first lunar month, the day the great general was murdered, did you leave your manor, and if so, where did you go and what did you do?" Minister Wen asked again.
"As I said, I was feeling unwell and did not go out!"
Wen Mian ceased his questioning and turned to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, perhaps we should summon the witness."
"Summon him."
Soon, a man walked in hesitantly. As soon as he entered, his legs gave way, and he knelt down, his forehead touching the ground. "Your subject, Lai Si, pays his respects to the Emperor."
"Lai Si, tell us what you saw on the eighth day of the first lunar month."
Lai Si lowered his head and said, "On the eighth, General Xue's residence was holding a wedding. I went to ask for some money to buy wine. On the road, a green cloth carriage sped past me. I couldn't avoid it, and my newly bought wine pot shattered. I chased after the carriage, wanting them to compensate me for the wine. To my surprise, as I chased, the carriage stopped at the back gate of Prince Qi's manor."
"And then?"
"Prince Qi's reputation is known throughout the capital. Even though they shattered my wine pot, I wouldn't dare cause trouble at Prince Qi's manor. I just thought it was my bad luck to encounter Prince Qi."
"Was Prince Qi in the carriage?"
"No, he was not." Lai Si thought carefully. "As I was about to turn back, a beauty alighted from the carriage. She was like a celestial being, and I couldn't help but stare."
"Then look, is the beauty you saw that day here?"
Lai Si looked up in the direction of Xiao Man. Several beauties stood in a line. Lai Si immediately recognized Xiao Man and cupped his hands in greeting. "Princess Yongning, you are here too! You haven't been to the gambling house for a while. When are you going to gamble a few rounds? I can follow you and win some money for wine."
Xiao Man glanced at Lai Si. "Have you been bullying the weak recently?"
"No, no, how would I dare? Since your teachings, I have never bullied the weak again," Lai Si said with a smile. Su Dan Novel Network
"I told you to identify someone, why are you making connections!" Wen Mian said angrily.
Lai Si quickly nodded in apology. His gaze swept over the line of beauties, and then he pointed at Du Yulan. "Her, it was her! The beauty I saw at the back gate of Prince Qi's manor that day was her!"
"Are you sure it was her? Did you recognize the wrong person?"
"It was her, I didn't make a mistake. She was wearing a black cloak with a hood. If it weren't for a gust of wind that blew off her hood, I wouldn't have seen her face. It was her."
"You must have mistaken her for someone else," Du Yulan said calmly, her heart beginning to pound. She had indeed gone out that day, and she had returned to her manor through the back gate. When she returned, her hood had been blown off by the wind.
"My lady, although I am a scoundrel, I have a very good memory. I never forget any beauty I have seen!" Lai Si said, rubbing his hands.
"Do you know who she is?"
Lai Si shook his head. "No."
"She is the Prince Qi's consort."