Chapter 776: Becoming an Obedient and Useful Pawn
Yu Sangning was brought forward in utter despair. Ever since Ding Jue had taken her through a perfunctory tour of the estate and swiftly departed, explaining everything along the way, she had felt as though she had fallen into an icy abyss.
Ding Jue revealed that she was acting under the Crown Princess's orders, deliberately misleading Xiao Changmin to catch them in an affair, thereby uncovering a man who looked exactly like His Majesty!
The Crown Princess was truly audacious—not only had she found someone who resembled the Emperor so closely, but she had also brazenly kept him hidden. At that moment, Yu Sangning knew Xiao Changmin was finished. While she was relieved that she had acted quickly, she was also terrified by the Crown Princess's methods and filled with bitterness.
She had exhausted all her efforts to extricate herself unscathed. Her plan had been foolproof: even though she had divorced Xiao Changmin, by invoking filial piety, she would not only avoid public disdain but also earn praise for her integrity and moral fortitude.
Once she had recovered her health and made further arrangements, and after the Crown Princess had dealt with Xiao Changmin, it was not impossible for her to remarry into a prestigious family.
Even the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, given how Xiao Changmin had wronged her, would treat her generously.
Everything had gone smoothly at first, but now it had all fallen apart.
The Crown Princess had given her two choices: either accuse Xiao Changmin or share the charge of treason with him!
Was this even a choice? She had no room to choose at all!
"Lady Yu, We ask you, why did you venture out late at night and meet with the heir of Zhenbeihou?" The Youning Emperor's sharp gaze pinned Yu Sangning in place.
The imperial pressure, which she had never experienced before, made Yu Sangning's breath catch. For a moment, it felt as though she had plunged into boundless darkness, with overwhelming oppression surging toward her from all sides. Her mind went completely blank.
Just as words were about to spill out instinctively, Ding Jue, who was nearby, collapsed as if terrified, the heavy thud snapping Yu Sangning back to her senses.
Even if she told the truth now and repeated everything Ding Jue had just told her—pointing out that it was all a scheme by the Crown Princess to deal with Xiao Changmin—she had no evidence.
It would only arouse the Emperor's suspicion toward Shen Xihe. Moreover, Ding Jue had already hinted that the Crown Princess was pregnant. Under such circumstances, even if the Emperor wanted to detain or interrogate the Crown Princess on the grounds of the seriousness of the matter, he could not.
If it were later proven that the Crown Princess was innocent, any harm to the Crown Prince's heir would be a price the Emperor could not afford. Thus, he would not rashly arrest the Crown Princess.
Without even the simplest arrest, even if she accused the Crown Princess, she would ultimately bear all the consequences. On the other hand, Ding Jue would not have disclosed this to her without the Crown Princess's authorization. Since the Crown Princess had revealed everything to her, she must have anticipated that Yu Sangning might break under the Emperor's interrogation and had surely prepared countermeasures.
At this point, even though she knew she had become the Crown Princess's pawn, she had no choice but to obediently play the role of a useful one. Otherwise, she would be the first to be sacrificed!
Her thoughts racing, Yu Sangning remained silent as if struck dumb. Liu Sanzhi had to remind her, "Lady Yu, how dare you not answer His Majesty's question?"With a shudder, Yu Sangning seemed to snap back to reality, trembling as she replied, "Your... Your Majesty, this humble woman actually... actually saw this person back in the princely estate..."
"Yu!" Xiao Changmin's eyes bulged with fury. The blood from his forehead had seeped into his eyes, staining them crimson, making him appear more ferocious than a beast enraged in the wilderness.
Had it not been for the guards blocking him, Yu Sangning believed Xiao Changmin would have lunged at her and torn her to pieces.
Not daring to look at Xiao Changmin any longer, Yu Sangning prostrated herself on the ground, her voice choked and trembling. "Your Majesty, every word I speak is true. I saw this person back in the princely estate. At first, I mistakenly thought it was Your Majesty who had entered the estate. Later, when I saw the Prince... the Second Prince showing no respect toward this person, I began to suspect.
From then on, I could not sleep at night, tossing and turning anxiously. I tried to subtly probe the Second Prince but found nothing. After seeing this person once more, I never saw him again.
It wasn't until after my divorce from the Second Prince that one day, the heir of the Northern Garrison Marquis came to visit my brother and inadvertently mentioned that he had seen Your Majesty at... at the pleasure house."
"I... I didn't..." Ding Jue stammered softly in rebuttal.
He was already so frightened his legs were shaking.
The Youning Emperor showed no anger but spoke in a deep voice, "Continue!"
"Your Majesty, Yu is fabricating lies! She is slandering me! She must have been bribed to take my life, Your Majesty! To frame me, she even abandoned her own flesh and blood. That day, I took medicine in my concubine's chamber—medicine that came from Ding Jue's hands. Your Majesty, please investigate! I am innocent!"
As he spoke, Xiao Changmin kowtowed heavily, his already injured forehead instantly leaving a stain of blood on the carpet.
"Chief Imperial Physician, don't let him die!" the Youning Emperor shouted, then fixed his gaze on Xiao Changmin. "I will investigate this thoroughly. Do not rush to proclaim your innocence just yet!"
Turning to Yu Sangning, he commanded, "Go on!"
Yu Sangning still wore a terrified expression, her body trembling. "I... I was scared out of my wits when I heard... How could Your Majesty be at a pleasure house? That pleasure house... that pleasure house is the Second Prince's business..."
This bombshell left Xiao Changmin reeling. Yu actually knew—she actually knew the pleasure house was his business!
How secretive had he been about this? He thought no one in the capital could possibly know, yet Yu had found out!
In truth, if it weren't for the incident involving Bu Shulin back then, even Xiao Huayong wouldn't have known that the true mastermind behind the pleasure house was Xiao Changmin!
Of course, Yu Sangning didn't know this herself—it was Ding Jue who had told her before the Five Cities Garrison caught him!
"Liu Sanzhi, personally investigate the pleasure house. I want it thoroughly examined!" the Youning Emperor ordered.
When the owner of the pleasure house was unknown, investigating it would have been complicated. But now that it was known to be Xiao Changmin's business, tracing it back through him would not be difficult!
Xiao Changmin quickly knelt and prostrated himself. "Your Majesty, the pleasure house is indeed my business, and I have used it to amass considerable wealth, but I have never engaged in treasonous acts!"
The Youning Emperor glanced at him and said to the awaiting Liu Sanzhi, "Go investigate!"
After Liu Sanzhi withdrew, the Youning Emperor's heavy gaze fell upon Yu Sangning again. "Tell me everything you know!"
Yu Sangning shuddered. "Your... Your Majesty, I only began interacting with the heir of the Northern Garrison Marquis after my miscarriage. The reason was the pill the Second Prince mentioned. When I learned the pill was the same one the Second Prince had taken that day, I asked the heir where he had obtained it. After he told me, he agreed to help me investigate..."Yu Sangning concealed the fact that the prescription was a family heirloom and the true reason for asking Ding Jue to investigate it—everything else she said was the truth!
With seventy percent truth and thirty percent fabrication, even if His Majesty were to verify it, there would be no discrepancies!
(End of Chapter)
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