Chapter 175

Chapter 175 Jing Wu frowned and dragged the imperial physician over. The government physician was not actually skilled in treating sword wounds. Seeing Yuezhi's condition now, he immediately said, "Her qi and blood are surging upward. It seems the wound has split open again. I'm afraid..." I'm afraid she can't be saved! The knife wound on Yuezhi's neck wasn't actually deep, which was why she had been able to be rescued at the critical moment. But she didn't value her own life. The moment she mentioned Suici, she lost all reason, and the wound split open a second time beyond control. No miracle medicine in the world could save her now. As she cursed, Yuezhi's body suddenly began to convulse, the veins on her hands gripping the blanket bulging prominently. After convulsing for two seconds, her body suddenly collapsed onto the bed. Her wide-open eyes were filled with nothing but hatred for Suici. Physician Zhao quickly checked her breathing, and only after a moment said, "Reporting to the Prince and Side Consort, this girl's rage overtook her heart... she's gone." Until the very moment before her death, Yuezhi's mouth was still full of foul curses against Suici. To her dying breath, she only resented Suici alone, yet never once blamed her Brother Wu in the slightest. Prince Jing was not surprised by Yuezhi's behavior. In his youth, he had seen countless concubines and palace maids like Yuezhi in the Emperor's harem. There were those who acted even more deranged before death. They cursed this one and hated that one, yet never dared to hate the person at the highest position. Fearing Xie Run might be frightened, Prince Jing only said in a calm voice, "Dispose of the body." Then he led Xie Run away. Xie Run's mind was filled with the image of Yuezhi's death. She felt a heavy weight pressing on her chest. After walking for a while, she suddenly grabbed Prince Jing's clothes and said, "Prince, something isn't right!" Seeing Xie Run's pale face, Prince Jing knew she had likely been frightened just now. He softened his voice: "What isn't right?" Xie Run said coldly, "The reason Yuezhi gave isn't enough to explain Ping'an's motive for acting!" Because her own son was sickly, causing Prince Jing to dislike him, so she drugged the water to make the other children in the courtyard sick as well? If Concubine An had that kind of ruthlessness, she wouldn't have been so timid and fearful in the first place, suffering multiple frights during pregnancy that led to her child being born prematurely. A person's way of doing things must be closely tied to their character. Today's miserable and violent death of Yuezhi made Xie Run suspect someone. Wan Linlang! In the entire rear courtyard, only she was so skilled at manipulating people's hearts, killing someone silently without leaving a trace! But where would Wan Linlang get two thousand taels of silver? Even Concubine An absolutely couldn't produce that much! Prince Jing patted her hand: "I understand what you mean." "But Ping'an still needs to be interrogated." Guilty or innocent was never determined by words alone, but by evidence. Xie Run smiled bitterly. If it really was Wan Linlang's doing, this case would ultimately fall on Concubine An. Xie Run wanted to seek justice for her son, but she feared the culprit wouldn't be found, and in the end, innocent people would be implicated. Now she could no longer control the direction of events... Where exactly was the problem?! While Xie Run racked her brains, Jing Wu had already led people to search out the banknotes and contract that Yuezhi had mentioned. The contract clearly recorded the collusion between Yuezhi and Ping'an, with both their fingerprints left on it. Ping'an was also brought over, staring at Prince Jing and Xie Run with a bewildered expression. The guards held down her hand and compared the fingerprints against the contract, matching them quickly. "Prince, the fingerprints match!" Seeing Ping'an's panicked expression, Xie Run's throat moved, and she asked softly, "Ping'an, did you leave the residence half a month ago?" Ping'an's heart pounded with fear, and she answered cautiously, "Reporting to Side Consort Xie, this servant had leave half a month ago and returned home once." She was a household-born servant, her entire family serving in Prince Jing's residence, so naturally she would go home during her leave. Not just her—most of the household-born servants in the residence did the same. "And seven days ago?" Ping'an's lips trembled. "I returned once then too." Even if she was foolish, she knew her situation was dire. Hearing her reply, Xie Run's heart also sank, knowing that Ping'an couldn't escape this crime. The other party had prepared too meticulously! Ping'an felt the atmosphere was especially heavy, and said in terror, "This servant doesn't know what important matter the Prince has summoned me for?" "This servant has been staying in the courtyard taking care of Fourth Young Master recently and doesn't know what has happened." Eunuch Shian stepped forward and said, "Today it was discovered that Yuezhi from Spring Mountain Courtyard added tapioca powder to Fifth Young Master's drinking water. Before she died, Yuezhi said you instructed her to do it." "Yuezhi also said that half a month ago and seven days ago, she met with you separately at Cloud Corner Alley, with the two thousand taels of banknotes you gave her and the contract you both signed as evidence." "Upon examination, the fingerprints on the contract match yours." "Ping'an, do you have anything to say in your defense?" Ping'an's mind went blank for a moment, her entire person stunned. "What are you saying? Eunuch, this servant doesn't understand a single word you're saying?" Ping'an's heart pounded violently. Even if she was foolish, she knew disaster had befallen her! She had likely been framed. But she knew nothing at all, completely kept in the dark. "This servant did return home twice, and did pass through Cloud Corner Alley to buy food for the family, but this servant has never seen any Yuezhi!" "This servant doesn't even know her, doesn't know what she looks like!" The more she spoke, the more terrified Ping'an became. The person who secretly harmed her must have quietly tracked her movements to be able to frame her so precisely! "It must be someone framing this servant!" "This servant has many siblings at home, and my parents can't take care of all of us. Every time this servant has a day off, I go home to help out. In the early morning, I always stop by Liu's Bun Shop to buy buns. After leaving Liu's Bun Shop, I have to pass through Yunjiao Lane..." Ping'an was usually composed, but now she was trembling all over with fear! "Where would this servant get two thousand taels? Never mind this servant—even my mistress couldn't come up with that much money!" "If this servant had that much silver, my mistress's life would be a thousand times better. Why would she need to resort to harming others?" "My mistress's timid nature is something both the Prince and Consort Xie should know well. She doesn't even dare to argue—how could she possibly dare to harm Fifth Young Master?!" Eunuch Shian said, "Yuezhi said your mistress was despised for giving birth to a sickly Fourth Young Master, so she wanted to make Fifth Young Master and Third Young Miss fall ill as well, so that her own faults wouldn't be so apparent!" "Nonsense!" "Absolutely absurd!" Ping'an's eyes reddened with anger. "How could my mistress ever have such a foolish idea?!" "Even if Fifth Young Master and Third Young Miss fell ill, there's still Eldest Young Master, Third Young Master, and Second Young Miss. Would the Prince stop being angry at my mistress just because something happened to Fifth Young Master and Third Young Miss?!" "Even a three-year-old child would understand this logic—how could my mistress possibly not see it?!" Eunuch Shian said, "But the evidence is conclusive. How do you explain that?" Ping'an panicked. "This servant... this servant truly didn't harm anyone!" "This servant has never even met this Yuezhi..." But such explanations were far too feeble and unconvincing. Not everyone was like Fang Yuan'er, who could remain so brazen even with irrefutable evidence against her. Ping'an suddenly thought of something and cried out, "This servant wants to see Yuezhi! I want to confront her face to face!" Eunuch Shian looked at Ping'an with a hint of pity in his eyes. "Yuezhi's wound just split open, and in a fit of rage and grief, she... passed away..." Ping'an felt as though a great mountain had come crashing down in her mind, dyeing the sky above her head a dark, gloomy color. Now, she truly couldn't wash herself clean even if she jumped into the Yellow River!