A crowd knelt on the ground, heads bowed.
Shu Jieyu's heart was a turmoil of emotions. The Emperor's arrival was truly untimely; had he been a moment later, she might have succeeded. But it was alright, she still had chances.
Li Qingshu, without so many complicated thoughts, appeared remarkably natural.
The Emperor, being compassionate, directly ordered everyone to rise.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Seeing the Emperor arrive, Li Man'er retreated to the background, hiding behind Li Qingshu, feigning an air of detachment.
Her small movements did not escape Emperor Chenghua's eyes. He merely glanced at her before looking away, sternly asking, "What is going on? Why the commotion?"
Before Li Qingshu or the others could speak, Shu Jieyu pouted and began to wail, "Your Majesty, you must be the judge for this concubine." As she wailed, she cradled her not-yet- hiển thị belly, "This concubine does not know how she has offended Noble Consort Shu. She wishes to harm the child in this concubine's womb. Your Majesty, you must be the judge for this concubine."
Li Qingshu sneered, making no attempt to defend herself. She had done nothing wrong, and her maternal family was her backing; she had no fear of being framed.
The Emperor frowned. He had seen clearly upon his arrival that the Noble Consort had been trying to de-escalate the situation. It was Shu Jieyu, relying on the life within her, who was being somewhat presumptuous.
"You say Noble Consort Shu intended to harm your child."
Shu Jieyu, not yet fully grasping the situation, said coyly, "Your Majesty, that is our child."
"What exactly happened?" Emperor Chenghua was clearly angered and had no patience for her coaxing.
Shu Jieyu, startled into a moment of clarity, also grew fearful. "She, I... This concubine..."
"Never mind, you tell me." Emperor Chenghua casually pointed, his finger landing on Li Man'er.
Since it was the Emperor asking, Shu Jieyu dared not say anything further, only glaring fiercely at Li Man'er.
Li Man'er did not wish to prolong the entanglement and quickly recounted the events.
"This commoner accompanied Noble Consort Shu to the garden for leisure, and we happened to encounter Consort Shu. Consort Shu said that the physician advised her to walk more for the good of her unborn child, but her words were not entirely polite. She taunted Noble Consort Shu about her deceased Fourth Princess and claimed that Noble Consort Shu brought this commoner into the palace solely to maintain her favor."
Upon hearing this, Shu Jieyu's eyes immediately turned red. "This concubine is wronged!"
"You dare to do it but not admit it," Li Man'er retorted. "Who was it that said the one in your belly, once born, would be more honored than a dead person? Wasn't that you? You clearly knew that the Fourth Princess was a pain in my aunt's heart, yet you deliberately brought it up. What else could it be but intentional provocation?"
Shu Jieyu knew that her plan would not succeed today and that she might even implicate herself. The most important thing now was self-preservation; other matters could be dealt with later.
"Your Majesty, this concubine is wronged. No matter how unrestrained this concubine's words may be, she would never be disrespectful to the Fourth Princess. This concubine truly did not say such things; Miss Li is falsely accusing me."
Li Qingshu quickly added, "Your Majesty, everything Man'er said is true. This concubine did not wish to conflict with Shu Jieyu. It was out of consideration for her carrying the imperial heir. The heavenly family's bloodline is most important, so this concubine wished to avoid her displeasure."
These words were skillfully chosen. Li Qingshu was feigning weakness, but not towards Shu Jieyu. She was showing weakness to the Emperor. A dignified Consort, retreating in the face of insult simply because the other party was pregnant, was an excessive abuse of privilege!
Furthermore, what made Li Qingshu's words most brilliant was that they were all true. No one could fault them, yet they effectively painted Shu Jieyu as insubordinate and arrogant due to imperial favor.
"This concubine did not."
"Enough!" the Emperor roared. "Shu Jieyu, for your insubordination, you should be severely punished. However, considering your pregnancy and your merit in extending the royal lineage, you shall be fined two months' allowance and confined to your residence for one month."
"This concubine willingly accepts the punishment." Upon hearing that she was safe, Shu Jieyu secretly rejoiced and couldn't help but glare at Li Man'er, her look implying, "See? I'm still formidable. You can't bring me down."
If it came to arrogance, who could outdo Li Man'er? She would not let anyone else steal the spotlight in such a situation.
"Your Majesty, this commoner is not convinced."
Li Qingshu quickly tugged at her. "Man'er, do not speak rashly. The Emperor's word is final. Even if you are unconvinced, the outcome will not change."
"Oh?" Emperor Chenghua's imposing aura involuntarily radiated outward, causing even Li Qingshu to break out in a cold sweat for Li Man'er. The Emperor was not like the Eldest Princess; anyone who dared to question him would be beheaded, even if they had three heads and six arms!
"Your Majesty, Man'er is still young and was raised delicately in her family. Please do not blame her."
Shu Jieyu, seizing the opportunity, maliciously added, "Sister, your words are incorrect. Miss is not young anymore. Does she not understand the principles of ruler and subject?"
If someone sought death, no one could stop them.
"This commoner does not intend to contradict Your Majesty. I merely feel that the crime of deceiving the Emperor, punished only by confinement and monthly allowance, is perhaps too lenient."
Shu Jieyu's face instantly turned pale. Her eyes darted around, trying to figure out if this was a coincidence or if Li Man'er truly knew something.
Upon hearing Li Man'er's words, Emperor Chenghua's expression immediately darkened. "Deceiving the Emperor?"
Li Qingshu's heart felt as though it would leap out of her chest. "Man'er, you must not speak carelessly. Do you have any proof?"
"Shu Jieyu, will you confess yourself, or shall I speak for you?"
Shu Jieyu gave an awkward smile. "I don't know what you are talking about. How could I deceive the Emperor? You will not succeed in slandering me."
"Slander? You are not pregnant at all!"
"Nonsense!" Shu Jieyu clutched her belly. "I, this pregnancy was personally examined by the imperial physician. What does a mere young girl like you understand?"
Li Man'er sneered. "I'm afraid that's not quite right! You carry the scent of the Feng Xiang Zi, a peculiar medicine not found in your country. This herb grows in the snowy regions of the high plateau. When ripe, it dries completely like a dead branch. When the wind blows, it rustles, hence its name."
Shu Jieyu's face turned deathly pale. Her expression clearly indicated something was amiss, but she still wanted to quibble and refused to confess.
"What Feng Xiang Zi? What does that have to do with my pregnancy? I don't understand what you're saying."
Li Man'er then proceeded to explain to the assembled crowd. "This herb has extremely peculiar properties. When mixed with deer blood and consumed, it causes gas to form in the abdomen, and the pulse will change. It will feel like rolling beads, extremely similar to a slippery pulse, leading people to believe the person has become pregnant. However, this herb carries a musky odor, which becomes even more subtle when mixed with deer blood. Shu Jieyu was likely instructed by someone and used incense to mask the smell, successfully deceiving many. But this commoner has studied medicine for many years and possesses some talent, with a nose more sensitive than that of ordinary people. Thus, I detected the scent of Feng Xiang Zi."
"Nonsense, utter nonsense." Shu Jieyu tearfully wiped her eyes. "Your Majesty, you must be the judge for this concubine! What Feng Xiang Zi? I've never even heard of it."
Li Man'er, however, said slowly, "Whether it is true or not, a physician can verify it."