“Oh, what evidence?” Quan Feitong laughed mockingly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Ji’er saw the murderous intent in his eyes and couldn’t help but feel afraid, knowing that today she had to “bring him down.” She showed some courage, swallowing her saliva and pointing at him, “That day, fearing you two might discover me, I waited until you left before leaving myself. When you came out, under the moonlight, I saw very clearly—you were wearing a jade hairpin that day, dressed in white robes with bamboo and bird patterns on the collar, and a pair of jade dragon-phoenix pendants tied to your robe.”

“First, may I ask, my lord, did you enter the palace for an audience that night? And how were you dressed when you entered? Was it as this servant described? Second, this servant is a maid from the laundry bureau. It was already the hour of the boar, and there are palace restrictions. At such a time, this servant absolutely cannot freely enter or leave the area around the emperor’s bedchamber. If my lord had not entered the inner palace, how could this servant have seen your attire?”

Her words were extremely logical and clear. Suzhen felt her hands and feet grow cold as she listened. Though she hadn’t paid much attention to Quan Feitong’s clothing that day, her impression was that it was indeed similar to this description. That wicked servant! If she escaped this, she would never let her go!

“Prime Minister, you did indeed enter the palace to see me that night, and I still remember your attire—it was exactly as described. And the Noble Consort…” Li Zhaoting gave a cold laugh and paused, his gaze sharp as a knife, directly threatening Suzhen. Then he clapped his hands, “Bring them in.”

At this time, guards brought in three more women, along with Noble Consort Wei Wulei.

Suzhen gritted her teeth secretly.

Two of them cowered and knelt, while another was in a pitiful state—her hair disheveled, her face and body covered with whip marks, her clothes torn by lashing, revealing flesh and blood beneath. She was thrown to the ground by the guards.

Suzhen even saw that two fingernails had been torn from one of her hands.

“Your Majesty, according to Ji’er’s testimony and these laundry bureau maids’ witness, the Noble Consort did indeed go out that night. And this Executive Qi has already confessed that she led the person there, apparently having received benefits from the Prime Minister, which matches the maids’ testimony,” Wei Wulei said quietly to Li Zhaoting.

Li Zhaoting’s eyes held a chill like winter ice as he smiled, “I wonder what explanation the Prime Minister has?”

Quan Feitong seemed not to notice Executive Qi’s miserable condition. Without a trace of panic in his eyes, he still smiled, “Your Majesty, so what if I was dressed like that that evening? I heard the Noble Consort was previously slandered and even falsely accused of having an affair with the former emperor Lian Yu. Those who frame others are always scheming. Someone secretly observed my clothing, then found a clever servant girl—how could they not frame innocent people? This time they’re harming both me and the Noble Consort together. Tsk, tsk, I wonder who benefits most from this?”

“Noble Consort Wei, do you know?” He said this while slightly curving his lips to look at Wei Wulei.

Wei Wulei hadn’t expected this Prime Minister to live up to his reputation with such a sharp tongue. Stunned for a moment, she saw Quan Feitong pointing at Executive Qi again, “Your Majesty, in my opinion, this servant was mostly beaten into confession. Alas, though I don’t like how the Noble Consort sometimes cares for the former emperor and sometimes likes Your Majesty, showing disrespect to Your Majesty, when it comes to investigating cases, that’s her specialty. At least she wouldn’t beat people to death. If it were me, I’d confess to anything.”

Li Zhaoting’s face was stern as he slowly looked at Executive Qi and said coldly, “Are you confessing under torture or speaking the truth? Speak clearly before me! No one can harm you.”

Executive Qi’s whole body trembled. After a long while, she raised her eyes weakly, “Your Majesty… this servant did take the Noble Consort out because she begged me to, but what the Noble Consort did afterward or whom she met, this servant… doesn’t know.”

Suzhen breathed a slight sigh of relief. Quan Feitong had captured the woman’s father beforehand—though somewhat underhanded, it prevented Executive Qi from easily confessing. Although Li Zhaoting wouldn’t believe it at all, at least it couldn’t be completely proven on the surface.

“You!” Wei Wulei gritted her teeth slightly, looking at the woman on the ground.

Li Zhaoting looked coldly at Suzhen, “What couldn’t you do in the palace quarters that you had to go outside?”

Suzhen caught Quan Feitong frowning from the corner of her eye, but she still answered, “I went out that night to pay respects to Lian Yu.”

This wasn’t the best answer, but it was at least a believable reason, and it was the truth. Drawing Li Zhaoting’s attention to herself would improve Quan Feitong’s situation somewhat!

Li Zhaoting’s eyes flashed with a knowing smile—a very ugly smile.

After a while, he looked at Quan Feitong again, his voice extremely soft, “Prime Minister, I think you probably went to the wrong place. After all, this servant girl saw you. As for whether you actually met anyone afterward, in the deep darkness of night, whether the servant girl saw the wrong person—since there’s no conclusive evidence, I can overlook this. But this is the inner palace. It’s not something that can be settled by saying ‘wrong.’ Since your eyesight hasn’t been good recently, rest at home for a few days.”

He instructed the guards, “Send people to the Prime Minister’s residence to guard the gates well, lest the Prime Minister go to the wrong place again.”

“Thank Your Majesty for your care. Then I’ll rest quietly at the residence for a few days.” Quan Feitong still smiled as he knelt to receive the decree.

This kneeling was humiliating. Suzhen felt bitter in her heart and lowered her eyes slightly, not looking.

“Noble Consort Wei, you may go first. I’ll visit you tonight.”

“Everyone else, withdraw!”

“Yes.” Wei Wulei bowed gracefully, then glanced coolly at Suzhen before leaving with Ji’er. Though they hadn’t completely brought down Quan Feitong this time, they had at least gotten him under house arrest, and it seemed Li Zhaoting was about to deal with Feng Suzhen.

Ji’er kept glancing at Li Zhaoting several times.

Before leaving, Quan Feitong finally turned back to glance once. Suzhen saw malice in Wei Wulei’s eyes but worry in his. Of course, Li Zhaoting saw the latter too.

Seeing everyone had withdrawn, Suzhen looked over silently. Li Zhaoting’s eyes were like an eagle’s as he walked step by step in front of her, then grasped her neck with one hand, “Having Lian Yu in your heart isn’t enough—what, you’re also thinking of this person who went through a wedding ceremony with you?”

His palm was usually warm, but now it carried a trace of coldness. Though he wasn’t using force, it made Suzhen shiver with cold.

She looked at him, “I haven’t. Whether you believe it or not.”

“I really don’t believe it. You go back and reflect properly too. You cannot step out that door, or you’ll see whether I kill the people in your palace, whether I kill Quan Feitong!” He looked down at her threateningly, then withdrew his hand, turned, and left.

Suzhen’s heart flared with anger as she gritted her teeth, “Li Zhaoting, didn’t you say we two would be like before? You’re going back on your word!”

Li Zhaoting paused at the door, then strode out.

Suzhen held her head, standing in the courtyard. Only now did she see that her hope of leaving the palace was dashed again—she was under house arrest once more. What kind of affection was this! How much she had liked him before was how much she hated him now!

Not far from the palace door, Si Lanfeng waited. Seeing Li Zhaoting’s iron-gray face as he walked over without a word, he sighed inwardly but dared not speak to console him. No one could provoke this master at this moment.

Sometimes he really couldn’t understand how Li Zhaoting and Feng Suzhen could never get along peacefully. Though he now seemed to care for her in his heart, still… Previously, between Aluo and Lian Yu, there were also many incidents, yet he could tolerate them. But with Feng Suzhen, he seemed to nitpick everything.

Actually, given Quan Feitong’s feelings for her, knowing she was in trouble and entering the palace to check on her was understandable—

Li Zhaoting stopped outside a pavilion, not immediately taking people away.

After a long time, he closed his eyes tightly. She hadn’t chased after him.

In the past, she would always stick to him like candy, but now—

She had made a mistake, yet was still so stubborn. He stood quietly in the wind. Half an hour later, he finally led people away.

Much later, Suzhen finally came out of the courtyard listlessly, taking Xiao Zhou back to the side palace.

In the side palace, the atmosphere was once again oppressive, filled with gloom.

A group of imperial guards came and stood guard strictly outside the courtyard.

Xiao Zhou was extremely anxious, and Suzhen had another sleepless night.

The next day after lunch, Wuqing brought a letter from Quan Feitong.

—Always deploying and seeking the Wei family’s mistakes. If chess pieces are useful or lovable, the chess player is reluctant to abandon them easily.

After reading the letter, Suzhen sat quietly for a long time and made up her mind.

She decided to actively seek out Li Zhaoting to beg for forgiveness.

She clearly knew she might have to pay some price this time, but she couldn’t wait anymore.

Little Lianzi couldn’t wait.

But the imperial guards wouldn’t let her leave. She asked them to relay a message, but they coldly refused.

She was thinking of an escape plan when two figures slowly approached outside the courtyard.

When they arrived, one person stepped forward, leaned close to her ear, and said word by word in a thin voice, “Do you know? Ji’er is actually my person.”

“Also, His Majesty won’t see you now. After court, I had someone call him to the central palace. My monthly flow hasn’t come, so I called the imperial physician for diagnosis.”

Then this person left with her personal maid, smiling slightly.

…

“How is it?”

After a cup of tea’s time, in the central palace, Li Zhaoting inquired about the imperial physician with concern.

Inside the curtains, Aluo also got up and looked anxiously.

The imperial physician said respectfully, “Your Majesty, the Empress’s phoenix body is fine. It’s just that turbid qi has accumulated in her body, causing qi deficiency and blood weakness, which delayed her monthly flow. I’ll prescribe medicine immediately. After taking a few doses, she’ll definitely be fine.”

Aluo bit her lip slightly. The imperial physician suddenly realized something, his face went pale, and he hurried aside to write prescriptions.

“Don’t worry. I’ll come to your palace these next few days.” Having been in a cold war for several days, seeing her full of joy today only to be disappointed, looking pitiful, Li Zhaoting felt sorry for her after all and said softly.

Only then did Aluo’s disappointed expression brighten.

Then Li Zhaoting hurried back to his bedchamber to review memorials. During this time, a slightly gritted teeth face kept appearing in his mind. He also gritted his teeth angrily.

At nightfall, he put down his vermillion brush and was about to go to the central palace for dinner and overnight stay when he suddenly heard guards outside shouting, “Who dares to break into the emperor’s bedchamber at night?”

“I’m a female attendant from the Noble Consort’s palace. I have urgent business to see His Majesty. The Noble Consort has a high fever that won’t break, yet she’s still drunk, calling Your Majesty’s name. This servant begs Your Majesty to go see her.” The other party replied anxiously.