The two Yin women hurriedly rubbed Li Yuan’s back as he coughed again, “Your Majesty, please take care of your dragon body, do not let anger harm your health!”

Li Yuan paid no attention to the Yin women, coughing while trembling as he pointed at Yunyi. After a long moment, he finally squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, “Good! Very good!”

Before Yunyi could speak, he bellowed, “Where is Gaoyang? Why hasn’t he returned with the Prince of Qin yet?”

Yunyi hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, please see clearly – His Highness truly knew nothing about this matter, and this entire affair was someone’s deliberate frame-up. I beg you to believe this concubine, believe Noble Consort Shu!”

“Frame-up?” Li Yuan laughed coldly in his fury, pushing away the support of the two Yin women and approaching Yunyi. In a sinister voice, he said, “Previously you said Xing Niang framed you, and now you say Jiang Caiping framed you. According to your words, I’m afraid everyone in the world, including myself, is framing you, isn’t that right?”

“This concubine dare not.” Before Yunyi could finish speaking, Li Yuan had already roared, “You dare to discuss even the Crown Prince’s position – what would you not dare to do!”

“This concubine did not, Jiang Caiping she… she…” Yunyi looked at Jiang Caiping with anguish, not knowing how to continue. The latter silently kept her head down, not looking over.

“Nothing more to say?” Yunyi’s speechlessness, in Li Yuan’s eyes, became a sign of guilt, further cementing the crime of framing the Crown Prince.

He had never liked Yunyi. Initially, he had only agreed to this marriage due to Li Shimin’s insistence and Lin Shi’s pleading. Now with this incident, he had developed murderous intent toward Yunyi. However, if he were to kill her, he would have to wait until Li Shimin entered the palace!

“Tap tap tap!” Li Yuan walked to the side of the palace door, coldly staring at Jixiang who lay unconscious outside the hall. Although he said nothing, that look – as if viewing a dead person – filled Yunyi with deep terror. She quickly crawled over and said, “Jixiang has already been punished, please Your Majesty do not impose further punishment upon her.”

“Those fifty strokes just now were to punish her for speaking nonsense in the hall, but now… she dared to join you in discussing the selection of the heir apparent, recklessly speaking about the foundation of the nation. This is already a capital crime – how can she be pardoned!”

“No!” Yunyi said in terror, “I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and spare Jixiang’s life.”

Ruyi also hurriedly knelt down, “Your Majesty, Jixiang only misspoke momentarily, it was not intentional. Please Your Majesty be merciful and compassionate, give her a way to live, I beg you!”

Their pleas not only failed to diminish the murderous intent in Li Yuan’s eyes, but instead made it even more intense. “Someone come, drag this audacious lowly servant away and execute her by waist-cutting!”

Upon hearing this, Yunyi quickly blocked in front of Jixiang, crying out, “Your Majesty, show mercy!”

Li Yuan said coldly, “I have already shown you mercy time and again, but unfortunately, you do not appreciate my benevolence.” With that, he shouted to the guards waiting nearby, “Drag Noble Consort Yang away, then drag this lowly servant down and execute her immediately!”

No matter how Yunyi and Ruyi pleaded, in the end they could only watch helplessly as the guards dragged away Jixiang, who had no idea she was about to be executed. Yunyi struggled desperately, but the hands gripping her arms were like iron clamps that could not be broken free from.

As Jixiang’s figure was about to disappear from sight, Yunyi wept uncontrollably. In the past, she had failed to protect Moping; today, she had also failed to protect Jixiang…

At this moment, Li Shimin finally arrived. Upon seeing him, Yunyi looked at him as if seeing her only lifeline, and quickly said, “Your Highness…”

Li Shimin knew what she wanted to say and immediately replied, “I already know, don’t worry first.” Just now on the road, he had encountered Jixiang being dragged away. Upon inquiry, he learned that Li Yuan had issued an order to kill Jixiang. He quickly asked those two guards to wait a moment until he had seen Li Yuan.

Li Shimin bowed to Li Yuan and said, “Father Emperor, I wonder what crime Jixiang committed that would make you order her execution by waist-cutting?”

Li Yuan’s eyes flashed with malice as he said coldly, “Are you questioning me?”

Realizing his inappropriate tone, Li Shimin quickly bowed and said, “This son dare not. This son simply doesn’t understand why Father Emperor would specifically order the execution of Jixiang, a mere servant girl?”

Li Yuan said slowly, “She recklessly discussed how the Crown Prince lacks virtue and ability, and is unfit to occupy the Eastern Palace. Tell me, shouldn’t I kill her?”

Li Shimin was stunned, then shook his head, “According to this son’s knowledge, although Jixiang is somewhat impulsive, she is not someone who doesn’t understand proper hierarchy. She would not say such things – could there be some misunderstanding?”

Li Yuanji said sarcastically, “Is Second Brother truly thinking this, or are you deliberately covering for her?”

Before Li Shimin could speak, Li Jiancheng had already shouted, “Fourth Brother, do not speak recklessly.” Then he bowed to Li Yuan and said, “Father Emperor, this son believes in Second Brother’s character. This matter definitely has nothing to do with him, and he absolutely did not know about Jixiang’s treasonous words.”

Li Shimin listened in complete confusion, his face full of bewilderment as he said, “Father Emperor, what exactly happened?”

Li Yuan snorted lightly and said to Li Yuanji, “Tell him everything that happened in detail. I want to hear what else he has to say.”

After hearing Li Yuanji’s complete account, Li Shimin’s shock was beyond words. He never imagined that in just one trip to the army, so many things had happened, and they even involved him.

After recovering his composure, he quickly said, “Reporting to Father Emperor, this son had absolutely no prior knowledge of this matter. As for Yunyi, this son believes she also didn’t know. I hope Father Emperor will see clearly.”

Li Yuanji had never liked him to begin with, and upon hearing this, immediately said, “Xing Niang and Jiang Caiping personally testified – could it all be false?”

Li Shimin glanced at the two women kneeling in the hall and said, “I don’t know why they would speak this way, but Yunyi and I truly had no knowledge of this. Furthermore, Noble Consort Shu and Marquis Lin are both people who have followed Father Emperor for many years. I believe they would not engage in framing and entrapment. This matter needs to be carefully investigated before any conclusion can be reached.”

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanji immediately said, “By saying this, you’re suggesting that Talented Lady Yin and Precious Lin are from brothels, and that Big Brother deliberately presented these two women to bewitch Father Emperor, right?” Before Li Shimin could respond, he continued, “You’re really something – you come here and immediately accuse Big Brother. Big Brother has always spoken up for you, but you’re truly disappointing.”

“I naturally trust Big Brother, it’s just…” Before Li Shimin could finish, Li Yuan had already said coldly, “Shimin, I ask you personally – how much do you really know about this matter?”

The suspicion in Li Yuan’s words stung Li Shimin. He lowered his head and said, “This son truly had no knowledge of this matter. As for this Xing Niang, this son believes her testimony is not credible…”

Zhang Shi said coldly, “Prince of Qin claims to believe the Crown Prince, but in my view, there isn’t a trace of trust in your words. As for saying you had no knowledge – hmph, I don’t believe it at all.”