"Is this really true?" Princess Consort De asked urgently.
"Yes, absolutely true. This maidservant is always at my lady’s side. At that time Noble Lady Ying and Lady Li got into a conflict, my lady wanted to persuade them, and had only taken two steps forward when someone gave her a hard shove and she fell into the lotus pond."
After Mingzhen finished speaking, she kowtowed to Princess Consort De again and again.
"Please investigate clearly, Princess Consort De. Every word this maidservant says is true. My lady also said she vaguely noticed, within her line of sight, the hem of a jade-green skirt flash past."
Princess Consort De was greatly surprised. "Beauty Zhou, how could you conceal such a matter?"
"To reply to Princess Consort De, it all happened too suddenly, and this concubine was frightened. It’s entirely possible that I saw wrong or remembered wrong," Beauty Zhou said in a soft, frail voice.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present began looking at one another’s clothing, trying to find who was wearing something with jade-green on it.
"A jade-green robe—wouldn’t that be Hua Yin?"
No one knew who had said this one line.
Li Yuyu frowned and followed the direction of the voice. She saw Noble Lady Ying’s gaze dodging; at her side Yin Cheng did not even dare lift her head. She understood in her heart that that line had been spoken by either Noble Lady Ying or Yin Cheng.
"Who is Hua Yin?" Princess Consort De asked.
"This maidservant is Hua Yin, Lady Li’s palace maid." Hua Yin stepped out from behind Li Yuyu and knelt as she spoke.
"So you’re from Luaxin Pavilion." Princess Consort De acted as though she had just recognized Hua Yin, and asked in a cool tone, "Among those who went to Lotus Reflection Pavilion, only you were wearing a jade-green skirt and blouse. Do you admit that you were the one who pushed Beauty Zhou into the water?"
"To answer Princess Consort De, this maidservant did not push Beauty Zhou." Hua Yin carefully recalled the scene at the time.
She had been standing in front of Li Yuyu the entire time, afraid Noble Lady Ying would rush over and harm her mistress—how could she have pushed Beauty Zhou? After all, Beauty Zhou had come from slightly behind Noble Lady Ying.
"Tch, if it wasn’t you, then who? On the scene, you were the only one wearing a jade-green skirt."
Noble Lady Ying finally recovered her senses. Princess Consort De was the one handling this matter; even if the incident of her clashing with Li Yuyu were deliberately brought up, at worst she would be punished to copy the palace rules.
Compared with what Hua Yin would suffer for pushing Beauty Zhou into the water, that punishment was far too trivial. If they weren’t careful, Hua Yin might very well lose her little life over this.
Hua Yin had been brought from her natal home by Li Yuyu; Li Yuyu valued her extremely highly.
Noble Lady Ying felt the sting on her cheek, and a vicious glint surfaced in her eyes.
This slap could not be taken back, so she had to strike from another angle and let Li Yuyu taste pain.
Hua Yin looked toward Noble Lady Ying, hesitating over whether she should speak.
"Princess Consort De, Hua Yin is not the only one who appeared at Lotus Reflection Pavilion wearing jade-green robes," Li Yuyu suddenly spoke up and said.
Noble Lady Ying gave a light laugh. "Lady Li, is your eyesight failing you? Everyone who was at Lotus Reflection Pavilion is standing right here. Take a good, careful look again—apart from your two people, who else is wearing a green skirt and blouse?"
Imperial Study.
After Donglai and several ministers who had been discussing affairs left the Imperial Study, he hurried in again. "Emperor, someone fell into the water over at Lotus Reflection Pavilion!"
Yan Xiu suddenly rose from the dragon throne, even unaware that the brush in his hand had fallen. "How is Yu’er? Where is she now?"
"This slave misspoke." Donglai slapped himself hard across the face. "Emperor, it was Beauty Zhou who fell into the water. Talented Lady Han jumped into the pond and pulled Beauty Zhou out. Both of their Ladyships are fine."
Yan Xiu’s phoenix eyes rested quietly on Donglai for a moment. Then he picked up another brush and slowly sat back down on the dragon throne, and asked indifferently, "Since nothing happened, what are you telling Us for?"
Donglai: ???