“Mother, life at the temple is harsh and austere. It took me so much effort to return—I don’t want to go back.”
The Empress Dowager frowned. “You don’t want to? Have you forgotten everything you incited him to do back then?”
Xiao Lan’s face went pale.
She knew exactly who the Empress Dowager meant.
“Mother, hasn’t this matter already passed? Why bring it up all of a sudden?”
The Empress Dowager gave a cold snort. “Now that this matter has been dug up again, the civil and military officials are all waiting to demand an explanation from your uncle. If you don’t want to leave, then stay here and wait for death.”
Xiao Lan collapsed to the floor, shaking her head repeatedly. “How is that possible? Everyone involved in this matter was killed back then.”
The Empress Dowager squeezed her eyes shut. “It’s all my fault. I raised you into someone with such a vicious heart.”
“Consort Liang arrives—”
The sharp announcement came from outside the hall. The Empress Dowager’s brows drew together. “What is Consort Liang doing here at this hour?”
The palace maid who had come to report it glanced discreetly at Xiao Lan. “It seems to concern the princess.”
The Empress Dowager frowned and looked at Xiao Lan.
Rage surged through Xiao Lan.
It had been Cui Yunfeng who set her up in the first place. Xiao Yi had nearly strangled her to death, and now Consort Liang had come to harass her as well. Did everyone really think Xiao Lan was easy to bully?
One thing after another. They simply wouldn’t stop.
Consort Liang slowly entered the palace hall and bowed to the Empress Dowager. “This concubine pays her respects to the Empress Dowager.”
“Xiao Lan greets Consort Liang.”
Consort Liang swept her a cold glance before slowly straightening. “Empress Dowager, I have come today to demand an explanation.”
The Empress Dowager generally did not interfere in matters involving the Emperor’s consorts. Hearing this, she frowned. “What do you mean?”
Consort Liang said, “My daughter-in-law, Yunfeng, is pregnant.”
“Really?” The Empress Dowager was delighted. Ever since the Crown Princess’s miscarriage, the imperial family had received no good news. The child in Princess An’s womb would be the imperial family’s first grandchild. How precious was that?
“Since that is so, you must take good care of her as her mother-in-law. Do not let what happened to the Crown Princess happen again. If Yi’er’s wife can give birth to the child safely, that alone will be a great achievement.”
“Yes.” Consort Liang curtsied, then continued, “That is precisely why I have come to seek your help, Empress Dowager.”
“She struck me first,” Xiao Lan cut in.
Consort Liang’s gaze turned icy. “Yunfeng is young and may have offended the princess, but she is pregnant. As an elder, how could the princess strike her, nearly causing her to miscarry?!”
Xiao Lan was so furious she nearly fainted.
This was nothing short of turning black into white and refusing to listen to reason.
Cui Yunfeng’s actions had not merely been an accidental offense—she had slapped Xiao Lan squarely in the face and provoked her first.
Xiao Lan had struck her face. She had not even touched her belly.
Yet Consort Liang had already dropped to her knees with a thud before the Empress Dowager. “Empress Dowager, Yi’er is my only child. Just yesterday, my grandchild nearly lost its life at the princess’s hands. I beg you to uphold justice for me—for Yi’er!”
When it came to the greater picture and the succession, Xiao Yi naturally mattered more than a princess.
The Empress Dowager’s chest ached with fury as she glared at Xiao Lan.
One incident after another—Xiao Lan never stopped causing trouble.
“Mother, it wasn’t like that. Cui Yunfeng was the one who struck first.”
Consort Liang said sharply, “Yunfeng is young and may have offended you. The princess could have reprimanded her. Why did you have to resort to violence?”
Reprimand her? Xiao Lan had slapped her, and they still expected her to reason with her?
Was there something wrong with Xiao Lan, or was there something wrong with Consort Liang?
Xiao Lan glared at Consort Liang and immediately tried to explain herself to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager raised a finger toward the palace maid beside her. The maid walked over to Xiao Lan and viciously slapped her twice across the face.
Xiao Lan sprawled on the floor, her hair ornaments scattered and her appearance utterly disheveled.
“Mother…” Her voice was low, filled with grievance and unwillingness, along with a faint trace of hatred.
The Empress Dowager pointed at her. “You truly are beyond saving!”
Cui Yunfeng was merely a junior. The Empress Dowager might have overlooked Xiao Lan disciplining her, but Cui Yunfeng was carrying an imperial heir. How could Xiao Lan be allowed to lay a hand on her?
“Get out. You will leave immediately.”
At this point, right and wrong no longer mattered. With pressure coming from all sides, if Xiao Lan insisted on remaining, only death awaited her.
Consort Liang stood to one side, watching coldly. She still felt that Xiao Lan had gotten off too lightly. As someone who had lived in the imperial harem, she knew all too well what sort of person Xiao Lan was.
She deserved to die!
“Mother, please forgive me one more time. I promise I’ll keep to myself and won’t cause any more trouble.”
The Empress Dowager replied, “You said the same thing on the very first day you returned, and I told you the same thing then.”
“Princess, please.” The palace maid was about to take Xiao Lan away when, at that very moment, a young eunuch hurried into the main hall, holding a horsetail whisk. He knelt and bowed. “Empress Dowager, Consort Liang, the Emperor requests that the princess go to the main hall.”
The Empress Dowager frowned. “That is where the civil and military officials attend court. What does he want her there for?”
The young eunuch cast a solemn glance at Xiao Lan and, bending low, said, “Someone has accused the princess of poisoning Prime Minister Cui at the Cui residence yesterday.”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes rolled back, and she fainted from anger.
In the main hall, the civil and military officials whispered among themselves. The Emperor sat upright on the dragon throne, his gaze cold and severe.
Shen Xiabai stood below, his face expressionless. The Crown Prince and Prince An’s gazes moved back and forth, most often settling on Shen Xiabai, whose head was lowered and eyes downcast.
Occasionally, the two men’s eyes met, only for them to quickly look away again. Neither paid the other any attention.
The Emperor said, “Are you certain that Prime Minister Cui was poisoned by the princess?”
The man standing in the center of the hall was an official under Cui Qingyuan. His tone was firm and forceful. “Your Majesty, I am certain.”
“This morning, Prime Minister Cui sent someone to place all the evidence of the princess’s crimes in my hands, hoping that I would report the matter to Your Majesty and seek justice for him.”
“Yesterday was the birthday celebration of the Cui family’s eldest daughter. The princess took advantage of everyone’s inattention and secretly entered Prime Minister Cui’s study. That evening, Prime Minister Cui was poisoned. It seems that, dissatisfied with the previous marriage arrangement, the princess wished to poison Prime Minister Cui to death and put an end to the engagement.”
The Emperor did not show the slightest doubt. He knew all too well what Xiao Lan was capable of. “Is Prime Minister Cui dead?”
“…”
The official glanced at the Emperor before replying, “Your Majesty, he is not.”
“Oh.” The Emperor responded flatly, though a flash of disappointment crossed his eyes.
She had managed to get herself involved, yet still failed to kill him. Useless.
The official continued, “Prime Minister Cui survived by sheer good fortune. The Cui residence summoned numerous physicians throughout the night. Prime Minister Cui suffered agonizing pain and only barely managed to hold on to his life.”
The Emperor thought, That bastard. He certainly has one hell of a life.
“Prime Minister Cui is the chief minister of the court. The princess’s attempt to poison a high-ranking official is an atrocious crime that threatens the foundations of the state. We implore Your Majesty to punish her severely.”
“We implore Your Majesty to punish her severely!”
Half the officials dropped to their knees in unison.
The Crown Prince and Prince An’s gazes fell on Shen Xiabai at the same time. After watching him for several breaths, they looked at the kneeling officials, then silently withdrew their gazes, adjusting their postures as they stared at the tips of their boots.
Before long, Xiao Lan was brought into the hall. The Emperor glanced at her and could not be bothered to speak.
The witnesses and evidence had all been presented. What else could he say?
“Elder Brother.” Xiao Lan wanted to defend herself, but she did not even know how far the proceedings had gone.
The entire matter had been controlled by that official. First, he brought forward a servant. “Does the princess recognize this man?”
Without waiting for Xiao Lan to answer, he continued, “This man personally witnessed the princess poisoning Prime Minister Cui’s tea. He was standing guard outside the study when the crime was committed and was therefore an accomplice.”
“Nonsense.” Xiao Lan’s eyes widened. “He is clearly a servant of the Cui residence.”
The official did not respond. Instead, he waved his hand again, and several more witnesses were brought in.
“These people are the actual servants of the Cui residence. Their names are all recorded in the household register.” He then asked them, “Do you recognize this young servant?”
The moment they saw him, they nodded. “That day, they were heading toward our prime minister’s study. They even greeted us on the way. There were many guests yesterday, so we didn’t think much of it.”
Xiao Lan cried out, “You’re framing me! You’re all framing me!”
Kneeling beside her, her supposed “accomplice,” the young servant trembled on the floor without saying a word.
The more he acted this way, the more it confirmed that something was wrong.
The official waved his hand, and the witnesses were all led away. “Your Majesty, both the witnesses and the evidence are present. We await your judgment.”
The case was concluded remarkably quickly, leaving Xiao Lan almost no opportunity to speak.
The Emperor, too, remained largely silent.
“Send the imperial physicians to the Cui residence first and have them treat Prime Minister Cui. Be sure to save him.”
“Yes,” the eunuch beside him immediately went to make the arrangements.
Xiao Lan was a member of the imperial family. If she had truly acted, people would inevitably suspect the Emperor’s involvement. Therefore, he could not show her any favoritism. To appease public opinion, he had to punish her severely instead.
“How dare you? You actually attempted to poison my prime minister?” The Emperor struck the table heavily and pronounced Xiao Lan guilty.
“If you were unwilling to go through with the marriage, you could have said so plainly. Why resort to such a vicious act?”
“I didn’t do it!” Xiao Lan cried hoarsely. One blow after another had struck her today, leaving her overwhelmed and with no chance to explain herself.
“Brother, I didn’t do it! It was the Cui family—their two daughters framed me!”
“Guards, take her away. Confiscate her estate and servants, and send her to Anshan Temple. Have her shave her head and enter religious practice.”
In the end, the Emperor still took their ties as brother and sister into consideration. Once again, he sent her away to Anshan Temple.
But being forced to shave her head would be even more unbearable to Xiao Lan than being killed.
Too many things had happened today. She had been caught completely off guard, with no time to react or explain herself.
Prince An stood with his hands behind his back and murmured under his breath, “The people who are often wrongfully accused know just as well as those who falsely accuse others when someone is being framed.”
People like him, for instance—he was already accustomed to taking the blame.
“Your Majesty, wait. I have something to say as well.” Lord Gu stepped forward, knelt on the floor, and reported to the Emperor.
“Uncle.” Xiao Lan’s face instantly turned as pale as paper.
