Free Web NovelChapter 220: Chapter 220
Chapter 220
The two performed in perfect harmony, capturing every gaze with their enchanting beauty. It was no wonder that at one time, they had both captivated the esteemed Second Prince the most. Yueqian sipped her tea, savoring the atmosphere. If this had been a performance in her previous world, the two would be considered national-level performers.
"Hmph," a woman’s murmur in front of her made Yueqian raise her eyebrow slightly.
The corner of her mouth lifted in satisfaction at such a display. Perhaps the woman in front of her was about to cough up blood and die from jealousy. And yes! Those women were friends of the two concubines.
"Shall we start? They’re about to finish their performance," one woman whispered conspiratorially.
"Not yet. Wait until the very end. I want them to dance to their heart’s content. After that..."
The other woman’s face was clearly filled with murderous intent. Though they were merely whispering, this level of loudness was enough to reach Yueqian’s ears.
She simply wanted to enjoy her tea in peace. Originally, such petty bullying was of no concern to her.
One must understand that vying for favor, slandering to make another suffer severe punishment and lose love, these were all things Yueqian was well-acquainted with. Thus, whose matter it was, whose battlefield it was, they had to fight their own battles.
She was not a benevolent goddess who would help everyone in the world. Ultimately, all beings must face their own karma. Whatever one does, they must accept the consequences. Even if one does nothing, they must bear the consequences of their inaction.
In other words... only the strongest can dispense karma to others. If you are weak, you must accept your fate.
Of course, these thoughts arose before she caught a whiff of something foul. Since the other woman mentioned the Crown Prince, Yueqian reassessed the entire situation. Who would have thought that their scheme wasn’t just about vying for favor or petty jealousy among friends? They were also working for the enemy.
"Do it," commanded the cold voice of the ambitious woman who desired to become the consort of the Wang.
Amid the grand music, as the beautiful performance was coming to an end, an arrow was suddenly shot. Just as Ji Yao was raising her hand in dance, her sleeve obscured everyone’s vision. The arrow pierced through her sleeve and accurately struck the backrest of the Second Prince’s consort’s chair.
Many people screamed in shock. Soon, there were shouts to protect the Wang, Second Prince, and the consort respectively. The concubines quickly hid behind them, while other guests scattered in panic.
Of course, there was no real assassination attempt. The purpose behind the act was fulfilled as soon as the arrow shot through Ji Yao’s dress. Despite soldiers emerging from their hiding spots to catch the culprit, the attacker used the chaos to escape.
"Consort, Consort, help. Someone, help. The consort has fainted." The scream of a court lady echoed.
Her voice made the situation even more chaotic. Everyone’s faces turned pale. Had the host of the birthday celebration just been assassinated?
Initially, it seemed the consort had escaped harm. However, who would have thought that the arrow actually came with poisonous powder? It was never meant to pierce her body but to scatter a dangerous powder onto her instead.
"Ah!! There’s blood, blood coming from the consort’s feet." The scream brought everyone back to their senses.
The royal physician, rushing in, immediately checked the consort’s body. Seeing blood flowing from between her legs, his face darkened.
"Is-Is the consort pregnant?!!" Amid the astonishment, the royal physician spoke in fear.
What an unlucky day for him. He had come to the banquet expecting to gain favor, not to face a situation that might cost him his head.
"What happened?!!" The Second Prince demanded harshly. Upon hearing about the pregnancy he was unaware of, he turned to the close court lady who was kowtowing and crying.
"Your Highness, please help the consort. She is indeed pregnant, but only two months along. Because the pregnancy is still fragile, she dared not tell anyone. Additionally, she wanted to present it as a gift to you in another two months. Thus, she did not inform you," the court lady trembled with fear.
She had not decided to conceal this information on her own, yet when something went wrong, wouldn’t she be the one to be punished?
"Take this court lady and flog her! If anything happens to my child, I’ll have you flogged to death!" The Second Prince was furious upon hearing this. The little court lady shivered with fear, her face turning as pale as a dead person.
"Your-Your Highness, have mercy on me, please." Soldiers then dragged her away, leaving only her desperate cries for mercy.
The Second Prince was accustomed to using violence. He felt no pity for those who begged for mercy. In his eyes, their lives were worthless. As long as he was angry, they deserved to die.
"Royal physician, what happened? Explain in detail!" After dealing with the court lady, he turned to the royal physician, who flinched in fear.
"Th-this, this is a poison that affects pregnant women the most. If it were a common person, there wouldn’t be much effect. But if a pregnant woman inhales this poison, she will lose the baby, Your Highness."
"Royal physician, by saying this, do you mean someone knew the consort was pregnant and intentionally did this?" A woman’s voice interrupted. She was the current favored concubine of the Second Prince, thus daring to speak out.
"It is possible, Your Highness. This poison harms no one else but those who are pregnant. So..." the royal physician stammered, not daring to meet the Second Prince’s gaze, who looked ready to kill.
"So what? You can’t save my consort?" The Second Prince raised an eyebrow.
His anger reached its peak. Even this useless royal physician didn’t deserve to live!
"I-I..." the royal physician stammered. He wanted to say that it would be very difficult to treat, but in the end, he swallowed his words. He didn’t dare to speak, at least not now.
"Dear, I, Chuang’er, think it would be best to let the physician take care of the consort first. After all, it’s not entirely his fault," the sweet voice interjected, again from the favored concubine.
She clung to the Second Prince’s arm, showing mercy to the royal physician without considering the Second Prince’s expression. She seemed very confident that he wouldn’t harm her too severely, given that her family background was quite strong. Among all the Second Prince’s wives, she had the highest status.
"Nevertheless, we need to investigate this poisoning further," the young woman continued.
Concubine Ji shuddered slightly in fear. Her sleeve still bore the mark of danger. She couldn’t understand why the attacker chose the moment she was performing. Was she simply unlucky?
Of course, Ji Yao never imagined that someone could plot against her like this. She thought she was just incredibly unlucky, as the attacker’s timing seemed to know her exact movements during the dance. Yet she had never performed for anyone else, only Ping Hong who performed with her. It couldn’t have been her, because if she was punished, the other party would face the same fate.
She also had only two friends, who had no grudges against her. Ji Yao couldn’t fathom why they would target her.
Realizing this, she brushed these thoughts aside, attributing it all to coincidence. But things were not as Ji Yao wished. As soon as the investigation was mentioned, the Second Prince’s vengeful eyes fell upon her.
"Do you have anything to say in your defense?" The Second Prince asked coldly. Ji Yao trembled, his gaze revealing everything. He suspected she was in league with the culprit?
"Your Highness, please have mercy on me. I did not do it. We would never do such a thing," she said desperately.
"Please believe us, Your Highness. Neither of us would ever think of harming the consort, so how could we dare to act against her?" Ping Hong, seeing her friend kneeling, also knelt beside her, showing their sincerity.
Ji Yao looked at her friend, her eyes turning red, seeking comfort from each other. Only the two of them understood, not only shocked and scared that they might become scapegoats, but also feeling hurt and aggrieved that they were being seen as criminals and that the Second Prince no longer trusted them.
Once, their love had been sweet. Why had it come to this today?!
"Look at you, still talking. Who would believe you? The attacker shot when you raised your arm, blocking the guards’ view. Additionally, you used such a deadly poison. Wasn’t it you two who visited the consort’s quarters recently? So, you knew about her pregnancy and committed this vile act, right?" Concubine Chuang accused, causing gasps of shock from the onlookers.
"No, Your Highness, I know nothing about it. We didn’t do it," Ji Yao continued to deny, but with such evidence, it was difficult to refute the charges.
Before they could further prove their innocence, a young woman stood up, her eyes red from feigned tears, and spoke.
"Ji Yao, Ping Hong, was this your plan all along? Did you ask the Furen of Red Earth City to buy this poison from White Mist City for this very purpose?"
Hearing this, those unaware of the situation could only shake their heads in disbelief. Ji Yao and Ping Hong’s eyes widened in shock. Why was their friend spouting such nonsense?
"What are you talking about, Ming’er? I know nothing about the poison, and I have never contacted Furen Mu either," Ji Yao firmly denied. She had not done such a thing. However, upon hearing the words of the Ming family woman, no one believed Ji Yao anymore.
This was because Ming Wan’s words were highly credible. Considering the poison, which affected pregnant women but not others, it was well-known and often used by the nobility to deal with rival women.
