Jin Tiao looked at Yin Zhu in surprise, "Yin Zhu isn't pregnant?"
"Of course not," Yin Zhu gritted her teeth, roaring at him, "What have I ever done to you that you would frame me like this? You saved my life, you could have just said so, why slander my reputation? If it weren't for the Princess Consort today, I would have no way to defend myself and might have struck my head against a pillar and died!"
Jin Tiao's face turned from white to red, and he stammered, "I... I... I just wanted to save you..."
"This isn't saving me, it's making it impossible for me to clear my name!" Yin Zhu was so angry she was in tears, her body trembling. She looked at Jin Tiao with eyes full of disappointment and resentment.
This was her savior, her master, the one who had first sparked her girlish feelings!
How could he slander her like this?
Jin Tiao looked at Wang Qingyao, then at Xiao Yun, and kowtowed to apologize, "Your Highness, Princess Consort, I was wrong. I was thoughtless and almost caused Miss Yin Zhu's death. Please punish me."
Wang Qingyao said, "First, answer me, why did you say that?"
Jin Tiao blushed and said, "Miss Yun Zhu came to me and asked if I knew who Miss Yin Zhu's lover was. I asked a few more questions, and she said Miss Yin Zhu was found to be pregnant, and the Grand Consort and Consort Fang were going to immerse her in a pig cage. She also said anxiously and worriedly that Yin Zhu might have her reasons and would rather die than reveal the man's name. If the man had a sense of responsibility and came forward to claim her, and since Miss Yin Zhu is the Princess Consort's dowry maid, out of respect for the Princess Consort, Yin Zhu would not be executed..."
Jin Tiao was not stupid. He had been too panicked before. Now that he thought about it, he realized something was wrong. If Yun Zhu wanted to inquire about Yin Zhu, shouldn't she ask the maids who were close to her? Why would she come to him? It was clearly intentional to tell him...
Jin Tiao's face turned red with shame, "I fell into someone's trap..."
Yin Zhu was both angry and confused, "Yun Zhu? Why would she harm me?"
She remembered Wang Qingyao had warned them to be wary of Yun Zhu before. At the time, she hadn't understood, but now it had truly happened!
But why?
She and Yun Zhu had no enmity. She had only been married into the Ding'an Prince's manor for just over a month as Wang Qingyao's dowry maid. What kind of grudges could she have that Yun Zhu would want to harm her like this?
Moreover, even if it was to deal with Wang Qingyao, this matter would at most cause Wang Qingyao some embarrassment, with no substantial harm.
Yin Zhu couldn't understand.
Let alone Yin Zhu, even Wang Qingyao wasn't sure why Yun Zhu harbored such animosity towards her and her maids.
"I drank tea in Jingwu Courtyard, and Yun Zhu served me the tea. Not long after, I fainted," Yin Zhu said, trembling.
If a drug was to be administered, it must have been put into the tea at that time.
"You may rise," Wang Qingyao said to Jin Tiao. "You were also trying to save Yin Zhu. In the future, remember not to be so impulsive. Good intentions can sometimes lead to bad outcomes."
"Yes, yes, Princess Consort, you are right," Jin Tiao said, blushing and not daring to look at Yin Zhu.
Xiao Yun said leisurely, "Jin Tiao was just worried and lost his head. If it were someone else, he would have seen through it immediately."
Jin Tiao's face turned even redder.
Yin Zhu, who was still angry, also blushed upon hearing this.
Wang Qingyao coughed twice, "Now we have no evidence to prove that Yun Zhu framed Yin Zhu. The drugged tea has long since entered Yin Zhu's stomach, and the teacups have been washed clean."
She looked at Xiao Yun, "Has Yun Zhu always been so cunning?"
Xiao Yun replied, "I don't know. I don't pay attention to her. Anyway, Mother listens to her quite a bit, and she always serves Mother very diligently."
If Yun Zhu only caused trouble for Wang Qingyao, Wang Qingyao would suspect she was secretly in love with Xiao Yun. But she even framed Yin Zhu, which was baffling.
Framing Yin Zhu for pregnancy, and doing it so secretly and realistically, Yin Zhu would either die or be driven out of the Prince's manor.
How much hatred could this be?
Furthermore, judging by today's events, Yun Zhu had planned this long ago, a chain of events unfolding naturally without arousing suspicion.
She glanced at Yin Zhu, "Did you offend Yun Zhu?"
"No," Yin Zhu said decisively. "The Princess Consort always takes Pearl when she goes out. I'm either in Kangping Courtyard, or... or learning martial arts with Jin Tiao. Let alone offending her, I've barely met her a few times."
This was strange.
Everyone was puzzled.
Wang Qingyao, who liked to think about matters of love and romance, her gaze flickered between Yin Zhu and Jin Tiao, and a flash of inspiration struck her.
"Could it be that Yun Zhu likes Jin Tiao, but Jin Tiao likes Yin Zhu? Yun Zhu, unable to have her love, became resentful and devised this plan to frame Yin Zhu?"
Xiao Yun shook his head, "That's not right. If it were because of Jin Tiao, she wouldn't have specifically gone to Jin Tiao to say those words. This way, she would be using Jin Tiao to confirm Yin Zhu's pregnancy."
"That makes sense," Wang Qingyao mused, stroking her chin.
These two were discussing someone else's romantic entanglement as if no one else was present, while two of the involved parties were still in the room, already blushing furiously.
Wang Qingyao seemed to just remember them and looked at Jin Tiao, "You may go back now. After Imperial Physician Lu's second pulse diagnosis, you can go to Grand Consort Fang and repeat what Yun Zhu told you."
Jin Tiao nodded, glanced at the blushing Yin Zhu, and withdrew.