The Empress's voice rang through the garden, silencing the murmurs of the nobles. "This matter shall not end here. It will be judged by the Emperor himself," she declared, her tone cold and unyielding. The nobles exchanged uneasy glances, knowing the severity of what had just transpired.
The servant who had exposed Linghua remained on her knees, but inwardly, she smirked. Even if she was to die for her part in this, she would make sure to drag Madam Wang down with her. How dare she betray me and abandon me after all I've done for her? the servant thought bitterly. If I'm going down, she's coming with me.
Linghua unaware, just felt that the cold object ran away causing her to moan in disapproval.
The ladies who heard heard her blushed in embarrassment,
The Empress,livid with anger, gestured to one of her attendants. "Splash cold water on the girl."
A servant quickly fetched a bucket of cold water and doused Linghua, who gasped and jolted awake, her body trembling from the shock. The realization of her situation hit her like a brick wall. She was half-dressed, lying on the ground in front of the most important women in the empire. Her face turned crimson, and then pale. She screamed, her voice filled with humiliation and desperation.
"This… this was all Jin Yue's doing!" she shouted, her voice thick with accusation. I only wanted to follow her, to make sure everything went according to plan, she thought angrily, inwardly cursing her sister. How did I become the victim?
Madam Wang's face was ashen, but upon hearing Linghua's outburst, she quickly regained her composure. "Your Majesty," she said with carefully chosen words, "it seems that this situation… was no simple matter."
Madam Wang subtly echoed her daughter's accusation, her mind racing. How could this have happened? she thought. I had prepared everything perfectly. I even made sure to say i would simply spill wine on Jin Yue to lower her guard. Where did I go wrong?
As mother and daughter rained accusations down on Jin Yue, the nobles' eyes were drawn toward the garden's entrance.
Jin Yue appeared, with her clothes dry, confusion clearly written across her face as she took in the scene before her. Linghua, disheveled and humiliated, was glaring at her with venom in her eyes. Jin Yue's mind raced. I only did an eye for an eye, she thought, I wasn't planning on exposing her this way… Her gaze swept across the scene, and her eyes landed on Xiao Yi, standing innocently to the side. Could it have been him? she wondered, finding his impassive expression strangely… cute.
Murong Yezi, standing beside her, noticed Jin Yue's eyes pass over him completely as she focused on Xiao Yi. His usually cold and aloof expression turned visibly displeased, his brow twitching ever so slightly. Xiao Yi, sensing the change in his master's mood, felt an icy chill run down his spine and instantly got goosebumps. What did I do? he thought, standing rigid as Murong Yezi's gaze bore into him.
The nobles, unaware of the silent exchange, watched as Jin Yue calmly approached the group. The Empress, her eyes narrowing with suspicion, spoke first. "Where have you been, Jin Yue?"
Jin Yue blinked innocently. "Oh…your Majesty, I was just feelin uncomfortable so i asked my father to get some fresh air. I happened to bump into the Third Prince," she gestured vaguely in Murong Yezi's direction, "and we ended up talking."
The Empress's eyes flickered, indeed she asked her father, she remembered seeing jinyue talking to advisor Lin .she turned toward Murong Yezi, who remained silent, as always. Forget it,this third prince is usually scholarly looking but she can't help feeling something sinister about him, as long as he doesn't want the throne, she wouldn't confront him.
There was a brief murmur among the noblewomen, their curiosity piqued by the idea of Jin Yue and the Third Prince together. However, the tension in the air remained thick as Jin Yue looked around, her expression still confused.
"What's going on?" Jin Yue asked with a tilt of her head, her tone almost too innocent. She blinked, as if noticing Linghua's disheveled state for the first time. "Oh my, Sister… what happened to you?"
Her question caused a ripple through the crowd, and more than one noblewoman struggled to suppress a smile. Jin Yue's tone was so naive, yet her words had struck the exact point everyone was thinking. Madam Wang was trying to catch Jin Yue in a compromising situation… and instead caught her own daughter.
Whispers broke out among the ladies as they exchanged glances, their thoughts all screaming the same thing: karma.
Madam Wang's face turned beet red, and she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her gaze darted between Jin Yue and Linghua, and for the first time that night, she realized she had truly lost control of the situation.
Linghua, meanwhile, was fuming. She pointed a trembling finger at Jin Yue, her eyes filled with hatred. "You… You did this to me! Don't act so innocent!"
Jin Yue's brows furrowed slightly. "Sister, why would I do something like that?" she asked, her tone light but with a hint of mockery just beneath the surface. "I was just out here, enjoying the night air."
Linghua, still dazed from the drug, could only sputter incoherently in response, while the other nobles, watched with increasing amusement. The once tense and serious atmosphere had shifted into something almost ridiculous, with Linghua's accusations falling apart before their very eyes.
The Empress, sensing the absurdity of the situation, let out a cold chuckle. "It seems that in trying to catch one daughter, Lady Wang, you've managed to catch another."
The murmur of agreement from the nobles was like a wave washing over the scene, and the smug expressions on their faces made it clear they were enjoying the spectacle. Madam Wang's humiliation was complete.
As the Empress's words settled over the crowd, Jin Yue turned and glanced at Xiao Yi once more, finding him even more amusing after the chaos that had ensued. Xiao Yi, feeling Murong Yezi's gaze still fixed on him, swallowed nervously. Please don't notice me, please don't notice me… he thought to himself.
But Jin Yue's brief glance at him didn't go unnoticed by Murong Yezi. His displeasure deepened, and the usually composed Third Prince's eyes narrowed slightly as he shifted ever so closer to Jin Yue, his presence looming over her.
Xiao Yi shivered under the pressure, inwardly cursing his luck. Why does she always look at me?
Jin Yue, oblivious to Murong Yezi's growing jealousy, continued to smile lightly, her gaze shifting between the noble ladies and her now thoroughly disgraced sister. The night, it seemed, had taken a turn in her favor, and she couldn't help but inwardly think: Karma truly does work in mysterious ways.