Yu Sangning had seemingly confessed everything she could honestly. Her interactions with Ding Jue ended there. As for why they left the house immediately upon arriving, it was because both had heard movement and, fearing entanglement, quickly departed.

As for why this person who looked exactly like His Majesty was in this estate, Yu Sangning truly didn’t know, so she didn’t need to act – her gaze showed no evasion.

When Emperor Youning sent people to verify Yu Sangning’s words, they found no major discrepancies.

Emperor Youning wanted to hear Xiao Changmin’s defense: “I give you one chance to prove your innocence!”

Prove his innocence!

How could that be easy?

Xiao Changmin now knew he had fallen into an inescapable trap that left no room for struggle – the more he struggled, the tighter he would be bound.

Despite this realization, Xiao Changmin couldn’t resign himself to his fate. Somewhat panicked and not knowing where to begin, he could only blurt out all his suspicions and doubts at once.

“Your Majesty, I only saw this person today! That day I indeed took the pill and lost my senses, accidentally causing Yu’s miscarriage. That medicine could bewitch people’s minds!

After I woke up I was still confused, so when I learned this medicine came from Ding Jue, and Yu had secret dealings with him, I thought Yu was involved with Ding Jue, using his medicine to harm me, wanting to divorce me cleanly and then be with Ding Jue!

Learning they had an appointment today, I went specifically to catch them in adultery. If I had known about this person, how would I dare bring so many people to catch adulterers?

Your Majesty, Yu speaks nothing but nonsense, she deliberately harmed me!”

Emperor Youning gave Xiao Changmin a deep look, like a vortex in the darkness that seemed to devour one’s soul.

Whether Yu Sangning and Ding Jue had a secret relationship could be easily investigated, and everything was a trap set up on orders, with all necessary traces left deliberately.

Before Yu Sangning’s miscarriage, the two had no interaction. The medicine indeed came from Ding Jue, obtained as he had told Yu Sangning, and it only appeared several days after Xiao Changmin’s divorce.

“Your Majesty, this… this medicine was just an aphrodisiac, it… it couldn’t cause hallucinations…” Ding Jue stammered in self-defense.

The circulated medicine was modified by Shen Xihe, who had changed the formula, replacing the datura content, so it couldn’t cause hallucinations – it was purely an aphrodisiac.

Unless someone had keen senses like her, even Yu Sangning, who had made it before, might not notice the difference in appearance or scent without a careful comparison between the two medicines.

Emperor Youning didn’t need to find someone to verify – he just needed to ask those who had obtained medicine from Ding Jue.

These young nobles all moved in the same circles. Even among the scholarly families, some indulged in pleasure. Ding Jue’s fragrant pills had gained quite a following – if not hundreds, dozens had used them. With so many people insisting it didn’t cause hallucinations, how could Xiao Changmin’s words stand up to scrutiny?

So that day he hadn’t lost his senses at all – he had simply favored his concubine over his wife and attacked Yu Sangning!

At this point, Yu Sangning cried and wailed her grievance: “Your Majesty, please justice for me! How can His Highness slander me so? His Highness indulged in pleasure first, and I received news of my father’s death after! How could I have divine foresight to know I would receive such terrible news that day? When has I ever made a fuss about His Highness favoring concubines normally?

Since I couldn’t predict the future, how could I set up such a trap to harm His Highness? His Highness shifts blame and slanders me. How can I face living in this world?”

Speaking thus, Yu Sangning stood up and rushed toward a pillar in the hall. The palace guards seemed frozen, none moving to stop her.

Though different from what she expected, Yu Sangning couldn’t hesitate – she had to gamble with her life!

However, just as she was about to hit the pillar, something flew from the shadows, striking her ankle, causing Yu Sangning to stumble and fall heavily to the ground, missing the pillar.

“What impropriety!” Emperor Youning roared, “Are you trying to threaten me?”

Yu Sangning lay relieved on the ground, her lip split, not bothering with appearances. She quickly knelt properly: “Your Majesty… Your Majesty, unable to defend myself, I could only prove my innocence with my worthless life. Please forgive me!”

She then began sobbing quietly.

It must be mentioned that although Yu Xiang had committed suicide, he had created the appearance of dying at Shen Yun’an’s hands. Only this way would there be no need to explain how Shen Yun’an obtained the military tally and transfer orders.

Emperor Youning and others couldn’t reach that far, and the Minjiang incident was extremely complicated. Local officials with any court connections who could get information remained tight-lipped. There wasn’t even enough time to retrieve the body, let alone investigate Yu Xiang’s true cause of death.

Moreover, that day’s storm would have washed away any evidence that could be examined.

So in everyone’s eyes, Yu Xiang died unnaturally in that day’s storm. Before the storm, neither Yu Xiang nor Xiao Changyan could have predicted what would happen, or how could they have been so thoroughly defeated?

Therefore, Yu Xiang couldn’t possibly have secretly sent news to the Yu residence, and Yu Sangning knowing of her father’s death early to set such a trap was impossible.

Yu Xiang naturally had his secret methods, and even Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong only guessed that Yu Xiang might have secretly sent a message home before his death, after Yu Sangning’s miscarriage.

Xiao Changmin’s defense seemed weak and powerless.

“Right and wrong, I will judge fairly!” Emperor Youning gave Yu Sangning a cold look.

Just then, Liu Sanzhi returned with the investigation results.

After reading them, Emperor Youning threw them at Xiao Changmin’s forehead!

Xiao Changmin insisted he had never seen this person, but the brothel was his, and people in the brothel had served this customer!

There were hidden chambers underground in the brothel, with traces of keeping someone there!

Many in the capital had seen His Majesty, as he often rode from the palace to Furong Garden. Commoners seeing him wasn’t unusual, but the women kept in the brothel, who never went out and lived nocturnally, had never seen His Majesty.

Xiao Huayong had only let this person visit the brothel avoiding those who had seen His Majesty, to verify Ding Jue’s words and corroborate the authenticity of his subsequent contact with Yu Sangning.

With iron-clad evidence before him, Xiao Changmin couldn’t quibble. Many people understood someone was behind this, manipulating Xiao Changmin, Yu Sangning, and Ding Jue, but what of it?

This person had simply discovered that Xiao Changmin was keeping such a person, planning treason, and exposed it. As long as it was proven this person was kept by Xiao Changmin, his path had reached its end.

Emperor Youning had Xiao Changmin imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court, without immediately announcing his fate. As for Yu Sangning and Ding Jue, they were naturally innocent people.