Chapter 99 Framing

Yun Shang realized she was able to speak again. A spurt of anger flashed through her. She had thought that the marriage issue would be solved after she had told her father that Master Wu Na said she should not get married for another three years. But she didn't expect that Prince Jing would set a trap for her.

Yun Shang was unhappy with the thought that someone else could control her destiny. She opened her mouth, "Father, I..."

Her words were interrupted by several exclamations. Yun Shang was taken aback, and upon turning around, she found that Li Yingying who had been sitting next to her, had fallen to the ground. Blood was flowing from her lips.

After seeing that, Emperor Ning immediately stood up and shouted, "Servants, call the imperial physician!"

Before Yun Shang regained her composure, she found herself being lifted up and put aside. She furrowed her brows, pushed aside the hands around her waist, and shouted angrily, "Uncle, please behave yourself!"

Unlike his usual apathetic attitude, Prince Jing curled his lips and whispered in Yun Shang's ear, "Behave myself? Yun Shang, all the officials in the Hall know that you will be my wife soon."

Yun Shang wriggled to free herself while frowning at his reminder. She went back to her seat and looked down at Li Yingying. The blood was black. Was she poisoned?

A woman rushed to Li Yingying's side. After seeing Li Yingying's status, her eyes filled with tears. She suddenly fell to her knees and held Li Yingying tightly in her arms crying, "Yingying, Yingying, are you okay? Please don't frighten me..."

Yun Shang wondered if this woman was the daughter-in-law of the oldest son of the Li clan. In a little while, an imperial physician hurried in. He felt Li Yingying's pulse for a moment and then opened his mouth, "Your Majesty, Lady Yingying was poisoned. I have never seen such a poison before."

"Been poisoned? Why is there poison in the Imperial Palace? Who is it that poisoned Lady Yingying?" Emperor Ning furrowed his brows, "Servants, take Lady Yingying to the side Hall and bring all imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital to treat her. Physician, check all the items on Lady Yingying's table."

While the servants carried Li Yingying away, the imperial physician began his inspection of all items on the table but found nothing. "Your Majesty, I didn't find anything that is poisonous..."

"Really?" Emperor Ning felt relieved although he remained speechless. It was said that Li Yingying was Grand Councilor Li's favorite granddaughter. If something happened to her at the Imperial Palace, Grand Councilor Li might take this opportunity to do something.

Lady Li immediately yelled, "Your Majesty, Yingying was fine a moment ago. Oh! I see. Except for the items on the table, Yingying touched the Pipa. She played the Pipa a short while ago."

Emperor Ning frowned as he was unhappy with Lady Li's insinuation. Lady Li seemed to believe that the source of the poison was in the Imperial Palace.

"Your Majesty, please don't be angry with my sister-in-law. She is agitated as she is worried about her daughter. What about asking the imperial physician to check the Pipa? The Empress gave a bland smile and suggested.

"Okay! Physician, check the Pipa!" Emperor Ning's face was expressionless, however, in his eyes, there was a trace of displeasure.

Hearing the order, the imperial physician walked to the Pipa to check it. He took out a white handkerchief and wiped the strings of the Pipa. The white handkerchief turned black. The imperial physician brought the handkerchief closer to his nose and sniffed it carefully. After a while, he turned to Emperor Ning, "Your Majesty, there is poison on the Pipa. And it is the same that was used to poison Lady Yingying!"

"That's absurd! How dare someone try to poison Lady Yingying in the Imperial Palace? Guards, find the culprit! Bring all people that have touched this Pipa here." Emperor Ning slammed the armrest and shouted in anger.

Yun Shang felt as though someone was watching her. She looked back and saw Hua Jing was staring at her with a weird smile.

Yun Shang panicked and wondered, 'Was this a trap for me?'

'But it doesn't make sense at all. Li Yingying is a complete stranger to me. I have no reason to poison the daughter of an official.' Yun Shang began recalling the events from her previous life, and suddenly remembered a similar scene. Yun Shang curled her lips. She had thought that her new life would be different from the previous one, but the same incident had happened again.

After a while, the imperial guards brought three servant girls to the Hall. "Your Majesty, these servants have touched the Pipa tonight. Xi'er normally keeps this instrument. The maid, Xi'er gave this Pipa to Que'er because of the imperial dinner tonight. Que'er wiped the Pipa and then gave it to Yun Xi, Lady Ming's servant. Yun Xi brought the Pipa here."

Emperor Ning narrowed his eyes as he studied all three servant girls who were on their knees. "All of you! When did you touch the Pipa? Was there a witness? Think it through!"

The servant in the middle immediately answered. "I'm Xi'er. I am responsible for the storage of this Pipa. I wiped the instrument for the imperial dinner tonight and then gave it to Que'er. All the servants in Imperial Treasure House can testify on my behalf. After I gave the instrument to

and agreed to do it."

"Really?" Yun Shang walked to the eunuch and took the silver. After checking it for a while, she curled her lips and spoke to Emperor Ning. He had been sitting on his seat and watching this inquisition and accusation exchange with a mysterious expression. "Father, I want to ask the eunuch a few questions."

"Go on." Yun Shang called forward several servant girls, and asked them to stand in a line. Then she turned and spoke to the eunuch, "Since you said my servant asked you to replace the lots, please identify the servant from those who stand before you."

The eunuch was dumbfounded but he raised his head to look at the servants. They seemed to be similarly dressed. Suddenly, he saw a servant in pink point at another pretty servant secretly. He gnashed his teeth and made his decision. He stood and pointed at the pretty servant, "It's her! She is the one who asked me to do this."

Yun Shang turned to the servant and asked the eunuch with a smile, "Her? Are you sure?"

The eunuch immediately nodded and said, "I'm sure."

Yun Shang turned and looked at the Empress, "Your Majesty, this is pure slander! He said that I sent your servant, Xiu Xin, to instigate him to do evil."

The Empress gnashed her teeth and seemed exasperated at his words, "That's nonsense!"

Yun Shang smiled, "He is talking nonsense. But I have found something interesting. There is the smell of plum blossom on this silver. Does it mean that this eunuch also went to Meiying House?"

Yun Shang gave the silver to Master Zheng who then passed it to Emperor Ning. Emperor Ning smelled the silver and furrowed his brows, "It is the smell of plum blossom! Guards, seize these two and strike them hard. I need their confession right now. I want to know who has the guts to malign the Princess!"

Prince Jing stood and stated, "Your Majesty, let me handle this. There is no need to beat them. I'm good at extorting confessions. How dare these two denigrate the Princess? I will show no mercy toward them. Guard, give me the needles!"

Everyone was dumbfounded, 'Needles?' 'What does he want needles for?'

A guard working for Prince Jing brought a box of needles to the Hall. The crowd gasped as they realized that the needles were longer than standard embroidery needles. They looked terrifying all by themselves. What would the Prince do with these? The crowd shuddered. Prince Jing curled his lips, "Do it!"

Two guards took out needles from the box and pierced them between the nail and the finger of the servant and the eunuch. Everyone in the Hall shivered all over again. Two heartrending cries escaped from the lips of the servant and eunuch. It is said that the nerves of the fingertips are linked with the heart. Prince Jing was indeed merciless.

But this was just the beginning. The guards pierced ten needles into their fingers separately, and then brought two basins of water into the Hall. The guards put the hands of the servant and eunuch into the water. Their ear-piercing and agonized screams froze everyone again. Their faces looked as pale as death.

"This is saline water. How are you feeling now? If you still keep your mouths shut, I will change the saline water to chili water." Prince Jing walked to the servant and the eunuch with a vicious smile.

Everyone was shocked by his words, and their faces were ghostly pale with fright.

"I...I will...I will confess. Prince Jing, please spare my life. I was..." Que'er spoke in a gravelly voice as if she was suffering from extreme pain. But she fell to the ground before she was able to share her confession.