Zhen Shicheng’s explanation left Prince Qi stunned as if he had been struck by a blunt object.
Jiang Si lowered her eyes, almost laughing. If it came to compatibility, she even felt that Ah Jin might rank behind Minister Zhen.
Emperor Jingming coldly glanced at Prince Qi, then turned to ask the Empress, “Were there others who entered the palace?”
The Empress nodded, “Besides the two princesses, there were also several maids and older servants.”
“Bring them here.”
Pan Hai immediately ordered the eunuchs to do so.
Soon, several maids and older servants, including Aman, were brought in and made to kneel in a row in the hall.
Aman boldly raised her head for a glance, feeling a surge of excitement when she saw Emperor Jingming.
She had seen the Emperor!
She, a mere maid, had seen the Emperor.
Hehe, this honor would be enough for her to boast about to Ah Qiao for several years when she returned to the manor.
The other maids and servants weren’t as excited as Aman. They trembled in fear, not daring to even breathe loudly, let alone raise their heads to look at the Emperor’s appearance.
Emperor Jingming swept his gaze over the kneeling group and asked sternly, “Which of you are from Prince Qi’s household?”
A maid and an older servant pressed their foreheads to the ground and replied fearfully, “This slave is, Your Majesty.”
No sound came from above.
If Emperor Jingming didn’t speak, the Empress and others certainly wouldn’t make a sound.
For a moment, the hall was completely silent. This soundless pressure made the maid and servant from Prince Qi’s household almost unable to bear it, trembling like sifted chaff.
After what seemed like an eternity, Emperor Jingming’s sharp voice rang out, “Why did your princess try to harm Princess Yan?”
At these words, Prince Qi immediately looked at Emperor Jingming, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Father Emperor was using a trick!
Zhen Shicheng stroked his beard and nodded inwardly.
Wasn’t this a tactic they often used in investigations? He hadn’t expected the Emperor to have such a natural talent for it.
In Zhen Shicheng’s view, the Emperor using this method was far more effective than when they used it.
The pressure that the ruler of a nation put on ordinary people was unimaginable. Hearing Emperor Jingming ask like this, nine out of ten people would have their defenses crumble, leading to involuntary confessions.
Of course, those officials who argued red-faced in front of the Emperor every day at court were exceptions and upright and capable ministers like himself wouldn’t feel guilty either.
Zhen Shicheng quickly ran through these thoughts while observing the reactions of Prince Qi’s maid and servant.
The older servant, who had been kneeling with her head down, instinctively looked up the moment Emperor Jingming spoke, a bewildered expression on her face. The maid, on the other hand, slumped to the side, collapsing like a mud doll.
All eyes immediately fell on the maid.
Emperor Jingming’s gaze suddenly turned sharp.
Pan Hai shouted, “Insolent slave! The Emperor is asking you a question, confess immediately! If you hesitate further, beware of having your entire clan executed!”
Pan Hai’s threatening words didn’t displease Emperor Jingming in the slightest.
Sometimes, there were things he couldn’t say to frighten people, and that’s when Pan Hai needed to speak up.
The maid was indeed frightened out of her wits. She kowtowed repeatedly, “This slave will confess, this slave will confess. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and not implicate my parents and family—”
Emperor Jingming’s gaze turned completely cold.
With the maid’s words, Princess Qi couldn’t escape involvement.
Prince Qi stared intently at the maid, his eyes flashing with anger. But he quickly sensed a gaze examining him, and immediately became alert, his anger turning to shock and heartache.
At this point, Li was finished. It was time to sacrifice a pawn to save the chariot. He had to be cautious and not let anyone catch him off guard.
Jiang Si withdrew her gaze, the corner of her lips curving slightly.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. She wasn’t in a hurry; her small goals would be achieved one by one.
“Stop wasting time, speak quickly!” Pan Hai shouted.
The maid trembled as she spoke, “The Princess… Princess didn’t tell this slave why she wanted to harm Princess Yan. She only instructed this slave to mix another fragrance into the exotic scent from overseas. These two fragrances separately wouldn’t cause any harm, but once mixed and lit, they would render anyone who inhaled them weak and powerless…”
With this, there was no doubt that Princess Qi had intended to harm Jiang Si.
Emperor Jingming didn’t even want to look at the collapsed maid. He asked Zhen Shicheng, “What did the carriage driver confess?”
“The driver said Princess Qi told him to pay attention after the horses went wild. Once he noticed her jumping out of the carriage, he was to drive the carriage towards the cliff.”
“Then how did Princess Qi end up nearly falling off the cliff?”
Zhen Shicheng glanced at Jiang Si from the corner of his eye and said, “The driver looked back when he heard a sound, thinking Princess Qi had jumped out. So he let the panicked horses run towards the cliff. Later, he realized he had made a mistake. It was Princess Yan who had fallen out of the carriage, while Princess Qi was still inside…”
Everyone couldn’t help but look at Jiang Si.
Princess Qi wanted to harm Princess Yan, but in the end, Princess Yan escaped, and Princess Qi nearly fell off the cliff. Was Princess Yan simply lucky?
The Emperor and Empress exchanged a glance, thinking of Jiang Si’s mysterious abilities, and had some thoughts.
Jiang Si allowed herself to be observed openly.
Princess Qi’s attempt to harm her was an undeniable fact. Was it only allowed for the perpetrator to use various malicious methods, and not for the victim to protect herself or even retaliate a little?
Of course, she couldn’t admit intentional retaliation. She wasn’t raised to be frightened easily. Would she confess without being beaten like Prince Qi’s little maid?
As for what the Emperor might think, Jiang Si wasn’t afraid.
Even if the Emperor suspected she had retaliated, so what? Even a cornered rabbit will bite. If the Emperor couldn’t see through this or couldn’t tolerate it, he wouldn’t be the Emperor Jingming she had known for two lifetimes.
Emperor Jingming’s gaze deepened as he observed Jiang Si, but he didn’t ask anything.
Prince Qi, hiding his dissatisfaction, questioned, “Seventh Sister-in-law, can you explain how you managed to escape if you were completely weak at the time? And why did my wife remain in the carriage?”
Jiang Si’s expression darkened as she countered, “With Prince Qi’s maid and driver as witnesses, and the scent ball and horse carcasses as physical evidence, I now believe that Fourth Sister-in-law planned this horse accident. Does Fourth Brother acknowledge this?”
Under the gaze of several people, Prince Qi had no choice but to nod.
At this point, he couldn’t deny Li’s crimes, but he was unwilling to accept that Princess Yan had not only escaped unharmed but also gained all the advantages.
Seeing Prince Qi nod, Jiang Si let out a cold laugh, “Since Fourth Brother admits that Fourth Sister-in-law tried to harm me, shouldn’t your first reaction, as I stand before you as the victim, be shame and self-reproach, followed by comfort and apology to me? How is it that you’re instead being so aggressive towards me? Should I assume that Fourth Sister-in-law’s attempt to harm me wasn’t just her idea—”
“No!” Prince Qi’s face changed slightly, and he said, suppressing his anger, “Seventh Sister-in-law, don’t overthink this. I truly knew nothing about this matter—”
Jiang Si gave Prince Qi no face at all, coldly saying, “Fourth Brother says he didn’t know, so he didn’t know? Then I also don’t know why I was fortunately thrown out of the carriage, while Princess Qi, who wanted to harm me, remained inside. Why is Fourth Brother still righteous in questioning me?”
Pan Hai, in the corner, glanced at the imposing Jiang Si and marveled inwardly: In front of the Emperor and Empress, Princess Yan didn’t mince her words at all.
At this moment, a clear voice rang out, “This slave knows the reason!”