Before Zhangsun Shi could speak, Ruyi urgently said: “Princess Consort, please don’t listen to villainous words. The princess and Princess Consort are as close as sisters. She respects and reveres you beyond measure. How could she cause harm!”

“As close as sisters?” Xiuzhu’s sharp voice rang in everyone’s ears: “That’s the most ridiculous lie I’ve ever heard. If they were truly close, how could my Miss give birth prematurely at six months, and how could the young heir die right after birth? You must have added miscarriage-inducing medicine to the pastries!”

Seeing her twist the truth so blatantly, Jixiang was so angry she wanted to slap her. Barely restraining her impulse, she said angrily: “Don’t cry thief while being the thief yourself. Earlier Ruyi clearly…” She almost revealed that Yunyi had sent Ruyi to secretly follow them, but fortunately caught herself in time and changed her words: “In any case, the princess has absolutely never done anything to wrong the Princess Consort.”

Xiuzhu snorted coldly and said to Zhangsun Shi: “Miss needn’t waste words with them. Given their crimes… death wouldn’t be sufficient punishment!”

Ruyi heard the murderous intent in her words and instinctively moved in front of Yunyi, anxiously saying to the silent Zhangsun Shi: “It’s not true! It really has nothing to do with the princess. The Princess Consort always trusted the princess so much before. There’s no reason not to trust her this time!”

“Miss trusted you all too much, which led to today’s disaster.” Saying this, Xiuzhu spoke with a firm attitude: “Miss, they killed the young heir. You absolutely cannot be soft-hearted again!”

Zhangsun Shi’s hands at her sides clenched and then loosened. After a long while, she said to Yunyi: “I just questioned the kitchen staff responsible for meals and had their rooms searched. There was nothing suspicious. Apart from your pastries, I can’t think of anything else.”

Zhangsun Shi’s words caused Yunyi slight heartache. Although the former hadn’t said it directly, she ultimately suspected her.

“If there’s no problem with the meals, what about the fetal-calming medicine? If this consort remembers correctly, today’s fetal-calming medicine was brought to the Princess Consort by Xiuzhu.” Before Yunyi finished speaking, Xiuzhu’s expression had already changed, showing a trace of barely perceptible panic: “I’ve followed Miss for many years. How could I harm Miss? Don’t try to frame me!”

Yunyi smiled faintly and didn’t argue with her, changing the subject: “You keep saying I drugged and harmed the Princess Consort and her child. Do you have evidence?”

Xiuzhu’s expression stiffened, then she said stiffly: “You’re so scheming. How would you leave evidence?”

Yunyi raised her slender willow-like eyebrows: “In other words, nothing was found. Without any evidence, you insist it was my doing and say I’m ‘not worthy of death.’ Xiuzhu, aren’t you being too hasty?!”

Xiuzhu was left speechless by her words. After a long while, she finally thought of a rebuttal: “If this matter concerned someone else, it might indeed be hasty, but you, Noble Consort Yang…”

Yunyi took up the words: “What about me?”

Xiuzhu sneered: “Back then, didn’t His Highness also trust Noble Consort Yang? Yet Noble Consort Yang turned out to be the assassin who tried to kill His Majesty and caused Prince Wei Huai’s death. Tell me, what wouldn’t such a person do?!” After Li Yuan ascended the throne, he posthumously enfeoffed Li Xuanba as Prince Wei Huai.

Ruyi frowned: “Those are all old matters. Why bring them up again?”

“As the saying goes, ‘Mountains and rivers may change, but human nature is hard to alter.’ Since Noble Consort Yang could betray His Highness’s trust back then, what’s strange about her betraying my Miss’s trust today?”

Yunyi said calmly: “Back then, my position differed from His Highness’s. How can you generalize?”

“No matter how you use flowery words, you cannot cover up the fact that you betrayed His Highness back then.” Saying this, she turned to Zhangsun Shi again: “Miss, you must avenge the young heir and let him rest in peace!”

Jixiang urgently said: “My princess is the Prince of Qin’s consort personally enfeoffed by His Majesty. Even the Princess Consort has no authority to execute her at will!”

Xiuzhu immediately retorted: “If His Majesty knew you killed the young heir, he would certainly order your execution without mercy. If you don’t believe it, you can try!” Everyone in the residence knew that Li Yuan disliked seeing Yunyi, and now Li Shimin was leading troops on campaign, not in Chang’an.

Ruyi cast an inquiring glance at Yunyi. In the current situation, only by revealing Xiuzhu’s dealings with Ding Yang and her visit to the medicine shop to ask about light bamboo leaves could they gain Zhangsun Shi’s trust and escape mortal danger.

Yunyi naturally understood Ruyi’s meaning, but she still believed this wasn’t the best time. After pondering for a while, she said to Zhangsun Shi: “Does the Princess Consort truly want this consort’s life?”

Zhangsun Shi looked at the child beside her, her heart in turmoil. Although she grieved for the child’s death, she hadn’t lost her reason. Though Yunyi was indeed suspicious, this matter had no evidence. To execute her like this would be truly inappropriate. Moreover… she really didn’t want to believe that Yunyi was the murderer who killed the child. If it were later proven that she had wrongly killed an innocent person, she would be tormented by conscience for the rest of her life.

Seeing Zhangsun Shi’s continued indecision, Xiuzhu feared she would soften and urged: “Miss, Noble Consort Yang and her three servants deserve their punishment. They’re not worthy of your pity!”

Hearing her words, Zhangsun Shi steeled her heart and shouted: “Summon Duan Zhihong to see me!” Before Li Shimin went on campaign, he specifically left Duan Zhihong behind to protect the safety of the entire prince’s residence.

Xiuzhu was secretly delighted. This thorn that had pierced her for so long would finally be removed today. Though the young heir died pitifully, at least his death had value.

Shortly after Zhangsun Shi finished speaking, Duan Zhihong in a black robe entered. After performing his courtesies, he cupped his hands: “I wonder what orders the Princess Consort has for summoning this humble official?”

Zhangsun Shi bit her silver teeth slightly and said coldly: “Take Noble Consort Yang and her people back to Qiluo Pavilion. Without my orders, no one may enter or leave Qiluo Pavilion!”

Her words made Ruyi and the others breathe a sigh of relief. Zhangsun Shi ultimately still remembered their sisterly affection and didn’t listen to Xiuzhu’s instigation to order an execution.

Xiuzhu felt quite the opposite. She had thought Zhangsun Shi summoned Duan Zhihong to execute Yunyi, but it turned out to be merely house arrest. After all her words just now, this was truly infuriating!

Sigh, Miss’s temperament – to put it nicely, was kind; to put it harshly, was foolish. Being harmed without even knowing it truly worried her.

Seeing Duan Zhihong about to take Yunyi and the others away, she quickly suppressed her annoyance and said: “Miss, although there’s no evidence for now, the young heir was definitely harmed by Noble Consort Yang. This can’t be false, so you absolutely cannot be soft-hearted and spare her!”

Jixiang retorted sarcastically: “I think the young heir was harmed by you!”

Xiuzhu’s expression turned cold, and the next moment she was in front of Jixiang, slapping her without explanation: “Don’t think everyone is as vicious and heartless as you!”

“You hit me?” Jixiang was so angry she nearly went mad. When Yunyi was still a Sui Dynasty princess, she had always served by her side. In over ten years, the latter had never hit her. Even when she was occasionally punished by Yang Guang or Princess Xin’an, Yunyi always found ways to protect her. She had hardly ever been beaten, yet today she was slapped squarely by Xiuzhu. How could she not be angry?