Chapter 474 - Proper Palace Intrigue (13) (1/2)

Chapter 474 : Proper Palace Intrigue (13)Xiao He was dragged in. Her face was deathly pale as she knelt, shivering.

“You are Xiao He?” De-gonggong asked in his high-pitched voice.

“Yes I am.” Xiao He touched the ground with her forehead, fear in her voice.

De-gonggong continued asking, “Did you go to Lin’An Academy?”

Xiao He shook as she replied, “No.”

De-gonggong looked at Ming Jin.

“At three quarters past noon today, you carried a box of food into the academy and went over to the young prince, who was alone beside the training yard. At the time, I merely thought you had orders to deliver some snacks to him, so I took no note of it.”

Ming Jin clarified the timing and place, but made sure he wasn’t implicated.

Xiao He’s body trembled even harder.

The chamber fell silent.

Finally, Xiao He could no longer take the pressure and sobbed as she pleaded for mercy, “Your Majesty, spare me! I didn’t know! I didn’t know the snacks were poisoned! Please spare me…”

Yuwen Xun’s eyes turned red around the edges as he roared, “Who ordered you to harm Jing’er?!?

“It… It was…” Xiao He didn’t lift her head. After stuttering for a while where she seemed to be undergoing some internal struggle, she finally grit her teeth and spoke, “It was An Zhao Yi. An Zhao Yi gave me silver and bade me to deliver the snacks to the young prince. I thought An Zhao Yi was trying to please the young prince—I really didn’t know they contained poison! Please spare me, Your Majesty!”

‘Since An Zhao Yi was instructed to care for the young prince, it makes sense that she would try to please him.’

“What are you saying?!” Lu Ruo’s eyes widened, disbelief on her face. “I’ve never even seen you before!”

“Your Majesty, please spare me! I shouldn’t have coveted the silver, but I had no choice! My younger brother is very ill and needs the money to get it treated! I truly never expected An Zhao Yi to make me poison the young prince!” It was as if Xiao He hadn’t heard Lu Ruo as she knocked her head on the floor and sobbed.

Lu Ruo had evidently underestimated the abilities of these harem women. The boulder that had just left her chest came back with full force, making it hard for her to breathe.

“Since you say I ordered you, why did the poison appear in Yun Jie Yu’s chambers?” Lu Ruo forced herself to calm down. ‘If I make a wrong move here, I might be done for. I won’t be able to go back…

Damn, ancient times were scary, but these women are even scarier.’

“It’s because…because you ordered me to place the poison in Yun Jie Yu’s palace, Zhao Yi.”

Shi Sheng lifted her head to look at Lu Ruo before turning back to eye Xiao He with pity. ‘Aren’t you just seeking death by framing the FL?’

Lu Ruo seemed to let out a sigh of relief. “Your Majesty, from what I know, it’s forbidden to enter and exit Yun Jie Yu’s palace freely, so how did this maid get in? She insists that I gave her orders, but her account is full of holes. Please investigate thoroughly, Your Majesty.”

Ever since Shi Sheng acted so impudently the other day, there were many guards stationed outside, and anyone entering or exiting had to be searched thoroughly.

How could it be easy to sneak poison in there?

‘Hey wait up, how come the ball’s back to me?’

Yuwen Xun’s face was dark. “You have one more chance. If you dare to talk nonsense again, your whole family is getting executed.”

Hearing the last part, Xiao He’s body tensed up and she subconsciously looked in Shu Fei’s direction.

Shu Fei acted as if she didn’t notice, but the maid standing beside Shu Fei gave Xiao He a warning look.

Xiao He clenched her teeth. “I’m telling the truth.”

De-gonggong screeched at her for a bit but didn’t get any results. Under Yuwen Xun’s direction, he then got people to start using torture.

Xiao He’s tormented cries echoed throughout the chamber. All of the people with more timid dispositions didn’t dare to look.

Probably having reached her limit, Xiao He cried as she pleaded for mercy, “Your Majesty, spare me! I’ll speak! I’ll tell you everything!”

De-gonggon lifted his hand and the torturers immediately retreated to the side.