“I just don’t want you to choose the worst path to walk down.” Speaking thus, Ding Yang supported her shoulder and said: “Having reached this point, both you and I can no longer turn back, we can only continue forward.”

Xiuzhu avoided his hands, speaking with disgust: “Don’t lump me together with you, I’ve never thought of harming anyone.”

“What about Yang Fei? You never thought of harming her either?” His words left Xiuzhu speechless. Before she could think of a response, Ding Yang continued: “Moreover, even if we both die, the little prince cannot possibly come back to life. Such a death would be completely meaningless!”

Xiuzhu thought this made sense, her expression softening slightly as she said coldly: “What exactly do you want to do?”

Seeing that she had been swayed by his words, Ding Yang hastily continued: “It’s simple. You just need to act as before, insisting that this matter was Yang Fei’s doing, and persuade the princess consort to execute Yang Fei!”

Xiuzhu’s expression flickered between light and dark. After a while, she lifted her head about to speak, when suddenly she looked behind Ding Yang with an expression of extreme terror, as if she had seen a ghost.

Ding Yang was baffled by her stare. “What’s wrong?”

Xiuzhu said nothing, still staring fixedly at Ding Yang, and only then did the latter finally realize that Xiuzhu wasn’t looking at him, but at something behind him.

When he turned around, Ding Yang’s face became even more unsightly than Xiuzhu’s. At some unknown time, several figures who absolutely should not have appeared here had materialized behind him.

“Why are you looking at us with such expressions? Are we two so frightening to behold?” A clear voice like rolling pearls on a jade plate brought Ding Yang back to his senses, and he hastily knelt down, saying: “This humble servant greets the Princess Consort of Qin, greets Yang Fei!”

Yunyi said with a smile: “You still haven’t answered my question.” The newcomers were none other than Yunyi and Zhangsun Shi, who should have been unconscious and unawakened.

Ding Yang steadied himself and said with an ingratiating smile: “The Princess Consort possesses peerless beauty like a celestial, and Her Ladyship is radiant and captivating, both are rare beauties in this world. This humble servant, suddenly catching sight of you both, couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by your brilliant presence, causing some loss of composure. Please forgive this transgression, Your Ladyships.”

Yunyi laughed lightly: “You’re quite the smooth talker, slave.” Speaking thus, she turned her gaze to Xiuzhu, who was still standing there in a daze. “You see me and the Princess Consort every day, so why this expression?”

Xiuzhu shivered all over and hastily sought an excuse: “This servant… didn’t expect Miss and Yang Fei to come here.” As she spoke, she cautiously glanced at Zhangsun Shi: “Miss, weren’t you unconscious?”

Zhangsun Shi gazed at her silently, her eyes filled with deep pain and sorrow. “Would you have preferred I not wake up?”

Xiuzhu hastily waved her hands: “Of course not, this servant is just worried that Miss, having just awakened, coming down here would be tiring and harmful to your health. Last night when the physician came to treat Miss, he specifically gave instructions about this.” Speaking thus, she tentatively said: “Why don’t I help you return to rest?”

Zhangsun Shi paid no heed to her words, instead asking: “And you, why are you here with Ding Yang?”

“This servant… this servant…” Xiuzhu didn’t know how to respond, cold sweat continuously seeping from her pores. Ding Yang, kneeling to one side, rolled his eyes secretly and took over the conversation: “Reporting to the Princess Consort, actually this humble servant and Xiuzhu have long harbored feelings for each other, but we’ve never dared to tell you.”

Yunyi raised an eyebrow: “So you’re saying you two were having a secret rendezvous here?”

“Yes.” Xiuzhu quickly agreed with this explanation, then said to Zhangsun Shi: “This servant didn’t intentionally conceal this from Miss, it’s just that so many things have happened recently, and this servant and Ding Yang haven’t been acquainted for long, so I thought to tell Miss after some time had passed.”

Zhangsun Shi stared at her: “Besides this, is there anything else you’re hiding from me?”

Xiuzhu’s eyelid twitched. Miss asking this way – could she know about the light bamboo leaf matter? Speaking of which, Miss and Yang Fei appearing here out of nowhere was indeed very strange.

Should she tell? But if Miss didn’t actually know about this matter, she would be confessing without being pressed, personally sending herself to death!

After struggling for a long time, she finally said: “Apart from Ding Yang, this servant has nothing else to hide from Miss.”

Zhangsun Shi’s eyes dimmed, and she said painfully: “Xiuzhu, you disappoint me so much.”

When these words reached her ears, Xiuzhu suddenly felt a trace of regret in her heart, but the words had already been spoken and could not be taken back. She could only steel herself and say: “Miss, please believe this servant. This servant hasn’t lied to you, truly has nothing else to hide.”

Yunyi shook her head: “Xiuzhu, the Princess Consort has already given you a chance, but unfortunately, you disappointed her.” After a pause, she said: “Jixiang!”

Jixiang nodded slightly, took something from her sleeve and threw it in front of Xiuzhu. When the latter saw this object, her face immediately changed dramatically. This sandalwood box… wasn’t this the very one Ding Yang had given her originally? How could it be in Jixiang’s hands?

Jixiang said with disgust: “This was found in your room, and inside there’s still a small section of light bamboo leaf root stem, with cutting marks on it. The other half should have been placed in the Princess Consort’s fetal protection medicine, causing the Princess Consort to miscarry.”

“No! I didn’t!” Xiuzhu frantically denied, then said to Zhangsun Shi: “This servant has never seen this box, and doesn’t know anything about light bamboo leaves. It’s Yang Fei and them deliberately framing this servant!”

Zhangsun Shi took a light breath and said softly: “This box – I watched as Jixiang and the others searched it out from your room. Could it be that I’m also deliberately framing you?”

“I…” Xiuzhu was momentarily blocked from speaking, unable to find words. The summer sun blazed overhead, and her face looked more rigid than the stubborn stones by the stream.

After a long while, she finally managed to think of an excuse: “They must have placed it in this servant’s room beforehand, then pretended to search and deceive Miss. Miss, you…”

“Enough!” Zhangsun Shi sternly interrupted, saying sorrowfully: “Xiuzhu, when will you finally tell me the truth? Yang Fei never poisoned the pastries at all. The one who killed my child was no one else but… you!” As she spoke the final word, tears also began to flow.

Xiuzhu was horrified and hastily said: “No! It wasn’t this servant. This servant has followed Miss since childhood, sharing hardships with Miss – how could I harm Miss!”

Yunyi said coldly: “It seems you won’t shed tears until you see the coffin.” Speaking these words, she clapped her hands, and two figures emerged from behind two trees respectively. They were two men around thirty years old, completely unfamiliar faces. They came forward and bowed: “We humble servants greet the Princess Consort, greet Yang Fei.”

After indicating they should dispense with ceremony, Yunyi said: “Did you see clearly what they just said?”

Ding Yang felt a trace of confusion in his heart. Speech was always something to be heard, yet Yang Fei said “see” – how very strange. It must be… a momentary slip of the tongue.

The two men exchanged glances, and one with a long face lowered his eyes and said: “Reporting to Yang Fei, we saw everything clearly.”

Yunyi nodded: “Good, then repeat it for the Princess Consort to hear.”