Chapter 22: A Slap

Ning Wanyin was dressed in a crimson lotus embroidered double-breasted pleated skirt, with a snow-white gold-threaded long-sleeved shirt over it. A pair of butterfly gold hairpins with flowing beads adorned her temples, making her look stunningly beautiful and flamboyant.

She remained silent, calmly observing the unfolding events.

If one were to say that Ning Wanyin deliberately tried to harm Lady Consort Liu, intelligent people would still find some suspicious points.

Ning Wanyin’s family background was ordinary, she had just entered the palace, her foundation was still shallow, how could she have known about Lady Consort Liu’s pregnancy?

But what if she was only trying to harm Noble Consort Li?

She and Noble Consort Li were not on good terms. Noble Consort Li had used Danli to inquire about her privacy, so it was only natural for Ning Wanyin to use Danli to retaliate against her with poison.

Tianzhu grass could cause infertility, she wanted to destroy Noble Consort Li’s future, this was the most suitable drug.

When they searched her room and found the ashes of Tianzhu grass, the evidence would be conclusive.

One link after another.

“Your Majesty, Danli is definitely Ning Wanyin’s person. Danli told me that she was dismissed for talking back to her, I was foolish and believed her. Danli never did anything to harm her, when she was punished by the Empress Dowager, Danli personally went to plead with you… They are in cahoots!” Noble Consort Li cried, her tears flowing freely, “Ning Wanyin tried to murder me, please, Your Majesty, seek justice for me!”

Ning Wanyin remained calm, she glanced at her, “You say Danli is my person, that I tried to murder you, what evidence do you have?”

“I… I… Tianzhu grass is not from my palace, this harmful thing must be hidden in your palace! Please, Your Majesty, search Lingxue Pavilion!” Noble Consort Li kowtowed repeatedly.

Ning Wanyin’s eyes deepened. Search Lingxue Pavilion?

It seemed that Noble Consort Li knew very well that she had hidden the ashes of the drug in her palace.

Hearing this, Helian Qi also looked at Ning Wanyin. His deep, dark eyes were unfathomable.

Ning Wanyin couldn’t understand what he was thinking, but she knew that the Emperor must want to dig up Lingxue Pavilion and find out who was trying to harm his child.

“To prove my innocence, I beg Your Majesty to search Lingxue Pavilion.” Ning Wanyin bowed deeply.

Helian Qi said calmly, “Wang Degui, you take the female physician and personally investigate!”

“Yes!” Wang Degui and Imperial Physician Sun bowed and left.

Noble Consort Li’s heart sank.

When the search party returned, Ning Wanyin would be finished!

By then, she would be the victim, all the blame would fall on Ning Wanyin, and she would be able to get away with it.

Wang Degui led his men to search Lingxue Pavilion inside and out.

Soon, they returned to report:

“Your Majesty, no trace of Tianzhu grass was found.”

Noble Consort Li’s pupils dilated, how could this be?

She had hidden it so well…

“Ning Meiren deliberately tried to harm you, so it’s very likely that she destroyed the Tianzhu grass long ago.” Lady Consort Xue frowned.

Ning Wanyin looked at her, her voice sharp, “So without any evidence, you want to conclude that I tried to harm Noble Consort Li? If I wanted to harm her, why would I go through such trouble? What is she, anyway?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Ning Wanyin walked straight up to Noble Consort Li, raised her hand, and slapped her hard across the face.

“Slap!” A crisp sound of a slap echoed.

Noble Consort Li was knocked to the ground by the slap. She covered her face in shock, looking at Helian Qi with grievance, “Your Majesty, she hit me…”

“You, a lower-ranking concubine, falsely accused a higher-ranking one, this is your first crime.”

“You failed to manage your maids, causing harm to the Dragon Seed, this is your second crime.”

Ning Wanyin said, and with a backhand, she slapped Noble Consort Li again, leaving a red mark on her face.

The slap landed squarely on both cheeks, perfectly symmetrical.

The entire room was stunned.

Even Helian Qi’s eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t expected this little woman to have such a domineering side.

After slapping Noble Consort Li twice, Ning Wanyin turned to Helian Qi, bowing deeply.

“Danli harmed Lady Consort Liu, Noble Consort Li shirked responsibility, saying she was once from Lingxue Pavilion and was instructed by me. But she was assigned to Lingxue Pavilion by the Department of Internal Affairs, shouldn’t I say she was instructed by Consort Shu?”

Consort Shu was in charge of the six palaces, the palaces where the concubines lived and the list of palace maids were drafted by the Department of Internal Affairs and reviewed and decided by Consort Shu.

Consort Shu’s face changed slightly, she looked at Helian Qi with grievance, “I don’t know Danli, and I couldn’t possibly know all the palace maids, please, Your Majesty, see clearly!”

Lady Consort Cen chimed in, “Consort Shu is in charge of the six palaces, if we calculate it this way, wouldn’t it mean that if anything happens to the maids in any palace, it can be traced back to Consort Shu? That doesn’t make sense.”

“I also think it doesn’t make sense, so Danli is Noble Consort Li’s maid, she has nothing to do with Consort Shu or me.” Ning Wanyin said calmly.

Consort Shu and Lady Consort Cen were both speechless.

The scene fell silent for a moment.

If evidence had been found in Lingxue Pavilion, Ning Wanyin would have been speechless today.

But without evidence, Danli could have been instructed by anyone.

“Your Majesty, Danli attempted to murder the Dragon Seed, Noble Consort Li, as her master, cannot escape responsibility, please, Your Majesty, punish them both.” Ning Wanyin bowed deeply.

Helian Qi looked at the little woman in front of him, reached out and helped her up, “Bring Danli and Noble Consort Li to the Criminal Investigation Department, interrogate them thoroughly.”

“Your Majesty, I’m innocent…” Noble Consort Li cried out in fear.

But soon, she was dragged away by Wang Degui and his men.

Since learning about Lady Consort Liu’s pregnancy, Consort Zhuang had been in a state of melancholy. Now, she finally snapped out of her daze.

Seeing this scene, she felt a pang of bitterness, “Your Majesty, you believe everything Ning Wanyin says?”

“Of course, I believe Ning Meiren, she is a kind and gentle woman, she would never do such things.” Helian Qi looked at Ning Wanyin with a pleasant expression.

Consort Zhuang glared at Ning Wanyin angrily: You vixen!

Ning Wanyin: ??? You actually believe the Emperor’s platitudes?

The Emperor believed her, simply because he was reasoning backward from the result. Without Danli, brought by Noble Consort Li, Lady Consort Liu wouldn’t have had the incident today.

Whether Noble Consort Li was the mastermind or was framed, because of her, Lady Consort Liu almost miscarried.

Then she should die.

Ning Wanyin and the other concubines were all equally suspect in his eyes. Without evidence, he wouldn’t punish her.

Furthermore, if it weren’t for Ning Wanyin’s invitation of Imperial Physician Sun, Lady Consort Liu wouldn’t have been able to save the fetus today. Whether it was a coincidence or not, it was her merit.

Human hearts are complex, each with their own schemes. The Emperor is not a god, he can’t understand what everyone is thinking.

But the Emperor doesn’t need to know all the details, he only needs to make decisions based on what he cares about.

He cares about the Dragon Seed.

…

The Criminal Investigation Department couldn’t find any new clues.

Danli said the incense was given by Noble Consort Li, and Noble Consort Li only said she was innocent.

Wang Degui reported the case in detail.

Helian Qi had a few suspects in mind, but he didn’t say anything, he just said calmly, “Execute these two. Also, draft an edict, promote Lady Consort Liu to a Consort, her title is Shun. Where does she live now? Who else lives with her?”

“Lady Consort… Shunbin originally lived in the left wing of Changchun Palace, the right wing was occupied by Lady Consort Wen.” Wang Degui answered respectfully.

Helian Qi said, “Move Lady Consort Wen out, find her a different place. Shunbin will live in the main part of Changchun Palace, she won’t live with anyone else, this will allow her to rest and nurture the fetus.”

“Yes.” Wang Degui accepted the order.

…

Today, the Empress Dowager didn’t have time to harass Ning Wanyin.

Back at Lingxue Pavilion.

Lianrui greeted her with tears in her eyes, “Mistress, you’re back!”

Although she had expected it, Wang Degui and his men had searched Lingxue Pavilion inside and out, which scared her.

She was afraid that something had happened to her mistress outside.

Now, seeing her mistress return safely, her heart finally settled.

“You were scared too, I’m fine.” Ning Wanyin comforted her.