bestfiction Chapter 903 She Became a Suspect
Chapter 903 She Became a Suspect
The emperor was burning with rage, which he could barely contain.
He shouted, "Get out of here! I said get out!"
Prince Jin felt wronged and wanted to defend himself, but Prince Su tugged at his sleeve.
Then Prince Jin, with his hands on the ground, head touching the ground, and a look of pain on his face, rolled towards the door of the main hall.
"Get out of here and get to the palace gates." The voice came from the study again.
When he finally rolled to the palace gate, Prince Jin was pale, covered in sweat, disheveled, and in a terrible state.
His head throbbed with pain, and he saw stars before his eyes. It took him a while to regain his senses.
Prince Jin looked up at the sky, his face full of grievance, tears streaming down his face.
“I have been thinking of my brother wholeheartedly, and I even sent him such important proof. Why is he treating me like this?”
"What kind of bewitching potion did Qiao Lian'er give my brother to make him trust her so much?"
"I'm not convinced! I'm not reconciled! Waaah! Your Majesty, please see my loyalty to you! Don't be misled by treacherous officials!"
Prince Jin became increasingly distressed as he spoke, clenching his fists and repeatedly pounding the ground until his hands were covered in blood.
Prince Su had Prince Jin forcibly helped into a carriage and sent back to his residence.
After Prince Su and Prince Jin left, the emperor fell into a long silence.
Although he did not express his opinion and even punished Prince Jin, this incident left him with doubts.
Those were the snacks Qiao Lian'er brought him; were there any problems with them?
If Qiao Lian'er has other intentions, and has been keeping them hidden all along—
A hint of gloom settled over the emperor's face.
"Your Majesty." Eunuch Qi approached cautiously and placed a cup of refreshing lotus seed soup on the desk.
The emperor took a sip, and his frustration subsided somewhat.
What do you think?
Eunuch Qi thought for a moment and said, "In my opinion, to determine the truth of a matter, we cannot rely solely on one side's story. We must see what both sides have to say. It is not easy for His Majesty to make a judgment based on his own guesses."
"You mean, summon Princess Zhenguo to the palace and ask her about it?"
"Perhaps listening to what the Princess Zhenguo has to say will lead to new discoveries."
At this moment, Qiao Lian'er was in the East Warm Pavilion, receiving Crown Prince Chu Yaoce.
After Prince Jin and Prince Su met with the emperor, a young eunuch went to the Eastern Palace.
Qiao Lian'er had a vague feeling that there was something strange about the emperor's illness.
It wasn't until the two princes revealed that a month earlier, some people had caused trouble in front of Qiao's shop, and those people exhibited the same symptoms as the emperor.
She immediately realized that the person had already started this a month ago, setting a trap for her.
Two weeks ago, those guests were all silenced, seemingly because she felt guilty.
It's truly a chain reaction.
It was impossible for the emperor not to suspect her.
"Father will likely summon you. We need to find a way to dispel his suspicions about you," Chu Yaoce said.
Qiao Lian'er said quietly, "Your Highness should go back first. If someone from the palace comes and knows you are here, the Emperor might become suspicious."
Chu Yaoce stood up, about to walk out the door, but then stopped.
“There must be a hand pulling all this from behind the scenes, and that person is unlikely to be Prince Jin or Prince Su, as they appear on the surface.”
The real mastermind wouldn't be so attention-grabbing or so arrogant.
He would try his best to hide himself well, so as not to reveal the slightest clue.
"Yes, I'm very curious, who could that person be?" A cold glint appeared in Qiao Lian'er's eyes.
"Nothing can stay hidden in the shadows forever. I believe it will eventually be exposed to the sunlight and have nowhere to hide."
Winter skies are always gloomy, covered with large patches of dark clouds.
Qiao Lian'er stood by the window, wondering how things were going in Tianhe Prefecture. If she went to Tianhe Prefecture, the emperor wouldn't be able to see her, and the situation would only escalate.
If the situation in Tianhe Prefecture remains unresolved, she fears she might be trapped there, leaving the capital unable to focus on its own affairs and potentially causing chaos – exactly the situation that person wanted to see.
Eunuch Qi arrived quickly, saying that the emperor had summoned him.
Throughout the journey, Qiao Lian'er didn't ask a single question.
Eunuch Qi felt a little reluctant, but still told her about Prince Jin and Prince Su's visit to the emperor.
If he hadn't spoken up, Princess Zhenguo might have been caught off guard when she arrived at the palace. Letting her think of a plan on her way to the palace would have been a good idea.
After all, the Emperor had benefited greatly from the delicious food the Princess Zhenguo presented to him, and he couldn't just stand by and watch her jump into a fire pit.
“Eunuch Qi believes I am innocent,” Qiao Lian’er said.
"I believe you, of course I believe you. Princess Zhenguo often presents food to the Emperor. Wouldn't it be too obvious to tamper with the food? Princess Zhenguo is a smart woman, she wouldn't do that."
He lowered his voice again and said, "With Princess Zhenguo's abilities, there is a better way."
Qiao Lian'er said, "But from the Emperor's perspective, he wouldn't think that way. The Emperor is the Son of Heaven, sitting on the supreme throne. He wouldn't let go of even the slightest suspicion."
"So Princess Zhenguo, you'd better think of a way to dispel the Emperor's suspicions this time, otherwise it will be difficult to handle later."
When Qiao Lian'er arrived at the palace, the emperor had already gone to the inner hall to rest.
Through a curtain, one could vaguely see the emperor leaning against the bed.
Although the emperor was ill and frail, his authority as a monarch still emanated subtly.
Qiao Lian'er bowed, but the emperor did not immediately tell her to rise as he had done before.
"I heard that a month ago, someone came to the front of Qiao Ji's shop demanding an explanation, saying that after eating Qiao Ji's snacks, they experienced symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness, and abdominal pain. I wonder if this is true?" the Emperor said slowly.
"Your Majesty, that is indeed the case, but those people looked very healthy and had strong voices. They didn't seem to have any health problems. They even asked for compensation. Under such circumstances, instead of thinking about medical treatment, they were thinking about money. This is not normal. Based on this, I believe they are lying."
"These people died mysteriously two weeks ago. Did you know about this?"
Qiao Lian'er looked surprised: "This subject does not know, but this subject can guarantee that it has nothing to do with this subject."
The emperor did not dwell on this matter. He continued, "This time I fell ill, also with vomiting, dizziness, and abdominal pain. The Imperial Hospital could not diagnose the cause, and the Imperial Kitchen also found no problem."
"Your Majesty believes it is related to the snacks that I presented to you."
"Someone has advised me that there are similarities between these two incidents that cannot be explained, so I would like to hear your explanation."
Qiao Lian'er was very direct, and the emperor didn't try to hide anything either.