Chapter 100 Breaking


    After Que''er fell to the ground, Yun Xi also fell beside her.


    "Are they dead?" Prince Jing frowned and bent over the two maids. After confirming that they were


    dead, he examined them again. This time he found two silver needles embedded into their necks. He


    them?"


    The Empress squinted but didn''t say anything. Yun Shang nced at the Empress casually before


    smiling and speaking, "The maids were killed, apparently at the point of identifying the real murderer.


    From the position of the needles, the killer must have been behind the maids. So the range of suspects


    is narrowed down."


    No one spoke for a while. Suddenly a eunuch rushed in and broke the silence. He cried, "Your Majesty,


    Changchun Pce was burrized, and the Empress''s seal has been stolen."


    Emperor Ning raised his eyes. Inside, a storm brewed. He ordered, "Seal the Pces, and search


    them all, one by one."


    "What an eventful day. In that case, father, please keep the men standing behind Que''er and Yun Xi in


    custody. The Empress''s seal is of vital importance. I''ll go see Lady Yingying now." Yun Shang said to


    the Emperor. Then she turned and looked at the faces of all the guests in the Hall before walking


    toward the door.


    "You can''t go! You''re still a suspect. Why are you going to see Yingying? What is your intention?" Hua


    Jing''s voice came from behind. Yun Shang turned to look at Hua Jing. While Hua Jing looked cruel,


    Yun Shang smiled. "Princess Hua Jing, are you concerned about the Lady Yingying?" Yun Shang


    asked.


    Hua Jing gritted her teeth and forced a smile, "Of course, Yingying is my cousin. I do care about her."


    Then she brushed past Yun Shang as she headed for the side Hall.


    As soon as Hua Jing got the door, a eunuch collided into her. Her body shook violently, and


    subconsciously, she protected her belly. No one noticed her movement except Yun Shang.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Hua Jing rebuked him furiously.


    The eunuch quickly held the Princess so that she wouldn''t fall. Once she had regained her bnce, he


    dropped to his knees before Hua Jing. "I''m sorry, Your Highness, please forgive me. Please forgive me,


    Your Highness."


    Hua Jing gritted her teeth to hold back her anger. After all, she was in the Pce and there were so


    many guests. "It''s okay. Get up." With that, she continued on her way to the side Hall.


    Yun Shang lowered her head and said, "Now that sister is visiting Lady Yingying, I''ll goter." Her eyes


    reflected the hurt she felt.


    Everybody present had seen the situation clearly. Princess Yun Shang was obviously being framed,


    and Princess Hua Jing was very aggressive towards her. To the guests, it seemed apparent that


    Princess Hua Jing didn''t like her sister. Princess Yun Shang''s mother was Lady Jin. Although the


    Emperor favored Lady Jin, she was only a concubine. The status of a concubine''s daughter was quite


    low in the homes of ordinary people. It wouldn''t be any different in the Pce.


    Emperor Ning was a little touched. He looked at Lady Jin only to find that she looked somewhat


    dejected and that her eyes focused on Yun Shang. Emperor Ning was now, even more displeased with


    Hua Jing. People say that children are the meat separated from their mothers. Lady Jin may have had


    little contact with her daughter since her birth, but a mother''s and her child''s hearts were linked. Lady


    Jin must have been heartbroken to see her daughter wronged.


    At this time, several maids and eunuchs entered the Hall and saluted Emperor Ning. Emperor Ning


    nodded and said, "The Empress''s seal was lost. I''m afraid it was deliberately done by someone who


    wanted to take it out of the Pce tonight. They probably nned on taking advantage of theings


    and goings of the ministers and their families. The consequences arising from the loss of the


    Empress''s seal will be catastrophic. All guests need to allow a body search."


    No one dared to object. All the guests in the Hall formed queues and followed the maid and eunuch to


    the side Hall where they would be searched. The search did not yield the Empress''s seal.


    Just then, Hua Jing returned.


    "Hua Jing, get yourself frisked." Emperor Ning looked at Hua Jing with indifference.


    Hua Jing frowned and said, "Father, the Empress''s seal is useless to me. I don''t have to be frisked, do


    I?"


    Emperor Ning knitted his brows and said, "Everyone in this Hall, including Yun Shang and Prince Jing,


    has been frisked. You are no exception. Go."


    Hua Jing bit her lip with worry. She knew that if she continued to decline, it would certainly antagonize


    Emperor Ning. She ced her hands on her belly, and was secretly grateful that she didn''t look


    pregnant. With this thought, she followed a maid into the side Hall.


    After a while, the maid hurried back and reported, "Your Majesty, the Empress''s seal was not found on


    Princess Hua Jing, but I found this in her sleeve."


    In her hand was a small cyan bottle made of jade. Emperor Ning''s eyes darkened. Then he ordered,


    "Call the imperial physician to check what''s in the bottle."


    The Empress''s eyebrows twitched a little after her eyes fell upon the small cyan bottle. "It is probably


    an ordinary medicine to prevent daily idents."


    A sneer flitted across Yun Shang''s eyes. As a precaution, many young Ladies and Noble Masters


    would take ordinary medicine when they went out. However, it was unusual for such a medicine bottle


    to be found on Hua Jing. There were two reasons. First, this kind of bottle was usually carried by a


    servant. And second, if a guest went to the Pce for a banquet, he or she would be strictly inspected


    before being allowed entry into the Pce. Such a medicine bottle was simply not permitted in the


    Pce.


    Perhaps the Empress had not been in or out of the Pce in so long that she had forgotten the


    obvious?


    Before the imperial physician came from the side Hall, Hua Jing rushed in. She looked a little anxious.


    "Father, mother, it''s not mine. I don''t know why it was in my sleeve. Father, mother, do justice for me..."


    "Sister, the Pce is heavily guarded. How could someone secretly put such a bottle in your sleeve?


    This is absurd." Yun Shang eximed. Her eyes reflected astonishment.


    An imperial physician rushed in just after Hua Jing''s outburst. He took the small bottle from the maid


    and examined it carefully. After a long while, he said, "Your Majesty, this is a bottle of poison, and it''s


    the same poison that was given to Lady Yingying."


    Hua Jing paled. She turned to the Empress, "Mother, someone set me up. I''m innocent..."


    "I believe you." The Empress was stunned. She gritted her teeth and wondered, ''Why? Why was that


    bottle found in Hua Jing''s sleeve, when it should be...''


    "Your Majesty, that''s unfair. A moment ago, just because a maid said Princess Yun Shang''s maid had


    been to the Imperial Treasure House, everybody firmly believed that Princess Yun Shang was the


    criminal. But now, the bottle with the poison has been found on Princess Hua Jing. Why does Your


    Majesty believe that someone set up Princess Hua Jing?" Prince Jing''s eyes held a sarcastic gleam,


    but when the guests heard what he said, they had apletely different interpretation of it.


    "Report..." Another guard rushed in, "Your Majesty, while searching the Pce, I saw a eunuch


    sneaking around Meiying House. He looked very suspicious. So I took him for questioning, and this is


    his confession..." The guard held a parchment in his hands.


    Meiying House had been mentioned more than twice tonight. Everyone stared at the parchment and


    wondered what it would say.


    "Submit it to me." Emperor Ning ordered coldly.


    Master Zheng quickly stepped down and took the parchment from the guard. He then presented it to


    Emperor Ning. Emperor Ning unrolled the parchment. As he looked through it, veins throbbed on his


    forehead, and anger gathered in his eyes.


    "Somebody, bring the eunuch here."


    Two guards came in, dragging the eunuch. He seemed to have been tortured. Blood was pooling


    around his fingertips.


    "Say what you said earlier." Emperor Ning stared sternly to the eunuch. The eunuch shivered as he


    knelt on the ground.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. I''m responsible for cleaning Meiying House. After the snow stopped this afternoon,


    I began to clear the ground. When I became tired, Iy under a tree outside Meiying House. I was soon


    woken by a noise. I heard a young woman tell someone to spread poison on the qin, and she said she


    would send another person to convince Princess Yun Shang''s maid to visit the Imperial Treasure


    House. After that, she asked them to insist on saying that the criminal was Princess Yun Shang''s maid.


    Then the talking stopped and I was looking for an opportunity to leave quietly. However, I heard


    footsteps and didn''t dare to go. Then young woman then told someone to change all the characters on


    the lots to Chinese Pipa when Lady Yingying was going to draw. Besides, she said that if anyone


    inquired, to say that Princess Yun Shang had sent her maid to tell them to do so. That''s all I heard..."


    The eunuch immediately kowtowed to Emperor Ning several times, "Hearing this, I was afraid of


    retaliation, so I did not dare to speak out."


    Emperor Ning flew into a rage. He bashed the table in front of him. "How dare you? How could there be


    such a venomous person in the Pce? Did you see her face?"


    The eunuch shook his head repeatedly. "No, I didn''t. I only dimly saw that the young woman wore a


    dark-color dress with white pear flowers embroidered on the hem... I heard a maid call her Your


    Highness..."


    Your Highness... Hua Jing and Yun Shang were the only two Princesses in the State of Ning. Yun


    Shang couldn''t have framed herself, so there was only one possibility...


    Everyone stared at Hua Jing, who looked a little pale. She was dressed in a dark dress... There were


    white pear flowers embroidered on the hem.


    "Ha..." Only one person dared tough at the situation. It was Prince Jing. He turn to Grand Councilor


    Li, "Grand Councilor Li, it is now clear who tried to murder your granddaughter. Princess Hua Jing, you


    are really brave and astute. Using your own cousin as bait to frame Princess Yun Shang? You deserve


    to be Her Majesty''s daughter."


    His words were aimed at someone else, but at this time, no one paid any attention because they had


    been shocked by the truth. They had thought Princess Hua Jing to be talented, kind, and revered. To


    their surprise, there was a sinister heart under her beautiful, gentle appearance.


    "I''m clearly being framed by someone. I''ve never done these things. I don''t know why this medicine


    bottle was in my sleeve. Oh, it must be the eunuch. He must have been the one to stuff the bottle into


    my sleeve." Hua Jing shouted. Her beautiful face was now contorted with anger.


    Emperor Ning frowned and ordered, "Unthinkable! Take Princess Hua Jing to the Dali Temple."


    Hua Jing became even more anxious at Emperor Ning''s words. "Father, I''m innocent. Mother, help


    me..."


    Seeing that the Empress had clenched her hands so tightly that her long fingernails had dug deep into


    her flesh, Yun Shang imperceptibly curled the corners of her mouth. ''This alone makes your heart


    ache?'' She thought. ''This is just the beginning...''


    "Your Majesty, the Empress''s seal has been found." The speaker was a eunuch from the Pce of


    Lady Ming. Emperor Ning gave a bleak smile, "Good."


    Emperor Ning then looked away from the eunuch and nced at Grand Councilor Li and the others.


    Then he softly asked the imperial physician, who was standing by. "Is Lady Yingying all right?"


    The imperial physician hurriedly answered, "I have served Lady Yingying detoxifying pills as per her


    symptoms. She should be all right."


    Emperor Ning nodded with relief, "Everybody''s scared today. It''s time to end the celebration." Having


    said that, he left his dragon throne and walked toward Lady Jin. "You''re pregnant. You shouldn''t be


    alone at such a time. I''ll go back to the Pce with you."


    Lady Jin obediently nodded her head. She stood and walked to Emperor Ning''s side. Emperor Ning put


    his hand on her waist and led Lady Jin out of Jinluan Hall.


    Still sitting on the high seat, the Empress paled at the sight. She suddenly stood and rushed out of


    Jinluan Hall.


    "Make way for His Majesty. Make way for Her Majesty..." The people in the Hall hurried to their knees.


    After the most important ministers had left, Prince Jing strolled to Yun Shang. "You were frightened


    today. Let me walk you back, " he said with a smile.


    The eyes of those still in the Hall fell on Prince Jing and Yun Shang. They wondered why Prince Jing


    was smiling. He never smiled! Everyone was surprised and concluded that Prince Jing really liked


    Princess Yun Shang. Just now, the Emperor had shown extraordinary affection for Lady Jin. And Lady


    Jin was carrying the Emperor''s child. If Prince Jing was defending and supporting Princess Yun Shang,


    something really needed rethinking...


    Yun Shang refused to dwell on what other people were thinking. As she wanted to ask Prince Jing


    something, she did not refuse him and walked toward the door.


    Qin Yi hastily took the Princess''s cloak, but when she was about to wrap it on Yun Shang, Prince Jing


    took the coat from the maid. He then draped it gently over Yun Shang. He said, "It''s cold outside. Tie


    your cloak first. You are weak. Be careful not to get cold."


    Yun Shang paused, fastened her cloak casually, and turned to leave Jinluan Hall.


    The snow had stopped. Not far from Jinluan Hall, the world was shrouded in silence. Only the


    asional footsteps disturbed the quiet of the night. Yun Shang gathered her thoughts before asking,


    "You move so fast. What did you do to make my father agree to grant you the marriage?"


    Then she heard Prince Jing''s lowugh, "Grant me the marriage? No, it''s for us... You''re really smart.


    For this imperial decree of marriage, I have handed over my Hufu."Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    His Hufu? Yun Shang stopped. She knew that the Hufu could mobilize nearly half a million troops of the


    State of Ning. The former Emperor had divided it in two, giving one half to Emperor Ning and the other


    half to Prince Jing. Since Prince Jing schemed to kill the Emperor''s children as carried by his


    concubines, it was clear that he desired the throne. So how could he be willing to hand over such an


    important thing?


    Yun Shang squinted suspiciously at him, "What''s your intention?"


    Prince Jing''s mouth curved into a smile. "I thought I had made myself clear in the camp. I love you, and


    for you, I will give up the throne. Have you ever been moved by mymitment to you?"


    Hearing this, Yun Shangughed in a low voice. Herughter grew louder and louder. It was some time


    before she stoppedughing. "This is the best joke I''ve ever heard."


    Yun Shang turned to look at Prince Jing. She spoke gently, "I kind of believed you when you said that


    to me at the camp. But now, with the imperial decree of marriage, I don''t believe a word of what you''ve


    said."


    "Eh? Why?" Prince Jing stopped walking and turned to look at Yun Shang. She was almost a head


    shorter than him.


    "No matter how confident I am, I know I am not as important as the Hufu. You''ve been scheming for


    that position for over a decade, while you''ve only known me for a few months. But you said you loved


    me and that you were even willing to give up that high position for me. You might as well save your


    sweet talk for others." Yun Shang then smiled at him, before turning and walking towards Qingxin


    Pce. Prince Jing narrowed his eyes slightly, but did not follow her. Qin Yi and Qian Yin hurried to


    catch up with Yun Shang. Prince Jingughed out loud when the three women disappeared from sight.


    "She really doubts me."


    Wang Shun craned his neck to see if the three women were still visible. It was not until they were


    to both, soft and hard tactics. She is too tough. Why do you have to marry her? This is about the Hufu.


    Without it, you have nothing. Your Highness, you are confused..."


    "The Hufu?" The corners of Prince Jing''s mouth twitched slightly. "Now that I have given it away, I will


    be able to get it back."


    "But..." Wang Shun sighed, "Your Highness, why do you have to choose Princess Yun Shang? In the


    court, there are many who oppose Grand Councilor Li, such as Field Marshal Qin. His daughter has


    just reached marriageable age. If you draw him into your camp, your path will be much shorter..."


    Prince Jing responded with a sneer, "My path will be much shorter? If I were to marry Field Marshal


    Qin''s daughter, the Emperor would be wary and afraid of me. He is already suspicious. If that happens,


    it will be harder for me to move. In the twenty years since he has ascended the throne, I have fought in


    the war for eighteen years. No matter how well we strategize our move in the Imperial City, without


    ess to the City itself, there is no chance of sess. Then how will I achieve my great cause? What


    is the use of half a Hufu? Half a Hufu is of no consequence. I might as well give it to him to ease his


    suspicions. Then I''ll marry his daughter, and he will rx his vignce against me. I will not have to


    woo my inws. Moreover, I will be able to stay in the Imperial City..."


    "But, why don''t you choose Princess Hua Jing? She is much easier to control than Princess Yun


    Shang..." Although Wang Shui was full of admiration for Prince Jing after hearing the n, he still


    had some doubts.


    Prince Jing curled his lips into a sneer, "Hua Jing is indeed stupider than Yun Shang, but she is the


    Empress''s daughter, the niece of Grand Councilor Li..."