"Hmph. You're framing me." Empress Yan sneered. "This 'flower' was given by you."

  "Returning to Your Ladyship, I was only sending 'flowers' to Consort De, but I didn't mean to harm her." Jiang Fu said anxiously.

  "Little hoof. I'll let you die a bit more clearly." Empress Yan said to a palace maid, "Go and bring that package of medicine here."

  Soon, a palace maid came over with a tray. On the tray was a paper package wrapped around something.

  Empress Yan pointed at the package of paper and said to Jiang Fu, "Your 'flower' mixed with this package of 'medicine' caused Consort De's miscarriage."

  Jiang Fu's heart skipped a beat. If it was true as the Empress said, then even the 'flower' she had sent would not be able to escape being implicated. Wouldn't that mean she herself couldn't escape suspicion either?

  Thinking of this, Jiang Fu's face had already turned pale. She really didn't think that she could also become one of the murderers.

  "She hastily defended herself: 'Your Majesty, I didn't know that this 'flower' would harm people. At the time, I really hadn't thought of harming Consort De.'"

  "Haha, everyone has been harmed by you and you're still making excuses. I'm not stupid. Now that there's evidence, you can't escape responsibility."

  Jiang Fu was already crying and sobbed: "Your Majesty, this matter really has nothing to do with me."

  "It's no use crying. Bring in the guards. Take her away and throw her into the Cold Palace later." Empress Yan ordered.

  "Yes." Immediately several female palace eunuchs came forward and dragged Jiang Fu away.

  Jiang Fu suddenly burst into tears and wailed, "Your Majesty, spare my life! It really wasn't me, it wasn't me!"

  Jiang Fu's wailing did not receive any sympathy from Empress Yan. Empress Yan didn't even give her another glance, and instead waved her hand to let the eunuchs take her away.

  Jiang Fu was dragged to the 'door' when she suddenly saw Zhou Yi Huan cast a glance of disdain at her, and immediately understood that she had been used by others and became someone else's scapegoat.

  Unfortunately, everything was too late. The queen had already determined her guilt. Although she had no evidence, it was difficult to 'overthrow' Zhou Yihuan. Jiang Fu glared at her with a heart full of hatred and then was taken away.

  Zhou Yi Huan smiled lightly, disregarding Jiang Fu's resentful gaze. No matter how much Jiang Fu hated her, it was all useless. What awaited her would be a desolate and cold palace.

  Empress Yan gazed at the group of people disappearing from the 'gate' and then swept her eyes over the people on the ground again. She picked up the paper package, sneering: "Do you know where this package in my hand was searched?"

  Everyone looked at Empress Yan with tension, fearing they would hear their own name from her mouth.

  When Jia Lian saw the paper package, she was so frightened that her face turned pale. She certainly recognized the paper package because she had used it before. She remembered that she had thrown it away after using it. How could it appear in the hands of the Empress?

  Yuan Huanghou smiled and said: "This package of 'medicine' was found in the Changchun Palace. Please ask Jia Yu to come over."

  Jia Lian was so frightened that her whole body went soft. She didn't dare to go past the empress's place, or it would be a capital offense.

  "Bring the person over. Have Jia Yu'er brought before me." Empress Yuan looked at Jia Liyan with disdain and let out a cold snort, ordering her attendants to bring Jia Yu'er over. With a calm and collected expression, Empress Yuan said to Jia Liyan, "Jia Yu'er, this poison was found in your Changchun Palace. Do you have anything else to say?"

  Jia Lian was so frightened that she didn't know what to do. She stared at Empress Yan with wide, terrified eyes.

  "How dare you have such a big nerve! You actually dared to poison De Fei. Now the evidence is here, come and let me slap you in the face first!" Yan Huang Hou said viciously to her personal palace maid Xue Rong.

  "Yes." Xue Rong stepped forward on horseback.

  Just as her palm was about to land on Jia Lian's face, Jia Lian suddenly found the courage from somewhere and grabbed Xue Rong's hand. With a cold face, she asked Empress Yan: "Your Majesty, what evidence do you have to prove that I administered the 'medicine'? Is it just based on this packet of 'medicine'? It seems that the evidence is still insufficient. There has never been such 'medicine' in my palace. Someone must be framing me."

  It must be someone who is framing me. Jia Lian suddenly realized the whole process of the matter. This package of 'medicine' mysteriously appeared in her own palace again. Someone deliberately wants to harm her.

  "Hmph. You're still unaware of repentance even when death is imminent." Empress Yan clapped her hands and said, "Let you die with some understanding then."

  Several palace maids came in from outside. When Jia Lian saw two of the palace maids, her expression became even more gloomy and uncertain.

  Empress Yan pointed at those two palace 'maids' and asked: "Jia Yu, do you know these two palace 'maids'?"

  Jia Li's pale face shook her head and whispered: "Don't know."

  "Oh. Is it that you don't recognize me or are you pretending not to?" Empress Yan said coldly: "But the two of them know you."

  "You two quickly tell me what's going on. If you dare to say one wrong word, be careful that I will cut out your tongues." Empress Yan threatened the two palace maids with a fierce tone.

  "We beg Your Majesty to spare our lives. We slaves dare not utter a single false word. The one who ordered us to poison was Jia Yu'er. She threatened us at the time, saying that if we didn't help her with the poisoning, she would take our lives." Those two palace maids said this while kowtowing and begging the empress to spare their lives.

  Yuan Huanghou ignored the two of them, instead turning to ask Jia Lian: "Did you hear clearly? Was it you who instructed them to poison, so you are the main culprit?"

  "You killed the little prince in Empress De's belly, so you deserve to die ten thousand times! Guards, take Jia Lianying away and throw her into the heavenly prison, to be executed on a chosen day."

  "Halt." A hoary and majestic voice came forth, interrupting Empress Yan's command.

  An elderly woman came in from the entrance. Although she was old, she was well-maintained and looked like a woman in her 40s or 50s. She wore bright and beautiful clothes, with a solemn and stern expression.

  Jia Li saw the old woman and her eyes lit up. She excitedly shouted, "Auntie, save me!"

  The lady of Chu glared at Jia Lian with hatred, hating that she was acting recklessly. Then she bypassed her and spoke to Empress Yuan: "Although Jia Yu has committed a crime, the punishment does not fit the crime. Your Majesty should not have sentenced her to such a result."

  "Oh. What good advice does the old lady have." Yan Huang Hou also did not get up to welcome the Chu Guo Fu Ren. In terms of palace status, the two were about the same.

  "My suggestion is to send her to the Cold Palace." said the Lady of Chu State.

  "Being demoted to the Cold Palace is a bit too lenient." Empress Yan said with a faint raise of her eyebrow.

  "So what do you want?" The Chu State lady looked coldly at Empress Yan.

  "Old madam, don't forget. These two palace maids are yours." Empress Yan pointed at the two palace maids and then said, "Could it be that you, old madam, also... poisoned..."

  "Unfounded. The queen had best not speak rashly." said the Chu State lady in a cold voice.

  Empress Yan smiled lightly and said, "Alright, I won't 'meddle' in this matter anymore. However, her crime has already been established as fact. As a personal favor to you, I will temporarily demote her to the Cold Palace. Nevertheless, she must be stripped of her title as Concubine Wei and reduced to the rank of palace maid."