Chapter 443 - 221: Drag Her Out, Beat Her to Death
"That’s utter nonsense!" Lu Zhixue shot to her feet, pointing right at the palace maid’s face, on the verge of shouting a stream of curses. "Why would anyone from Song Zhaoyi’s retinue want to frame Huang Mingxiu? If you want to accuse someone, you at least need a plausible reason! It’s obvious a wretch like you was bribed to deliberately frame her!"
Song Yunzhao was surprised. She hadn’t expected Lu Zhixue to defend her in public. ’Huh, what a strange feeling.’
Han Jinyi also stood up at once. She scanned the crowd and spoke slowly, "Sixth Miss Huang and Song Zhaoyi have never met and have no connection. Even if her sister-in-law could barely be said to have some relation to Song Zhaoyi, after Song Zhaoyi entered the capital, she never had any interaction with this Young Madam of the Marquis Yongjia Mansion. For someone she’s never crossed paths with to suddenly become a victim... this is truly absurd."
Feng Yunjin immediately chimed in, turning to the accusing palace attendant and demanding sternly, "Since you claim someone from Song Zhaoyi’s retinue ordered you, then name them. Do you have any proof? We can’t just take your word for it, can we?"
"Feng Xiaoyuan, why must you make things difficult for this servant? I am just a lowly palace attendant in this traveling palace. When my superiors give an order, how could I dare to disobey? I don’t have any proof. The person who came to me showed me a Token from Song Zhaoyi’s Wangyou Palace, so I didn’t dare have the slightest doubt."
"With both a witness and physical evidence, is there anything else you have to say, Song Zhaoyi?" Qin Xiyue suddenly interjected in a cold voice.
Song Yunzhao chuckled softly. "A witness? Physical evidence? Qin Wan Yi, your ’evidence’ certainly came easily. All it takes is a few words from her, and it’s considered irrefutable proof. How marvelous."
She took a step forward, her gaze sweeping over the crowd. Then, under everyone’s watchful eyes, she planted her foot on the palace attendant’s cheek. "I’ve been a favored concubine for so long, earning the title of ’Evil Concubine,’ yet I haven’t framed any other concubines, nor have I abused my power. It seems I’ve led you all to believe I’m some pushover. On what grounds can just a few words from any old nobodies convict me? Guards! Drag this palace maid out and give her fifty strokes of the cane!"
The expression on everyone’s face changed. Fifty strokes of the cane was a death sentence!
Qin Wan Yi’s expression faltered, and her hand clutching her handkerchief tightened. She hadn’t expected Song Yunzhao to actually dare to be so audacious!
"I have always been a kind person," Song Yunzhao said indifferently. "We are all women here; why must women make things difficult for one another? Before I have you beaten to death, you have one more chance to speak."
’She had always held onto her modern sensibilities, unwilling to take a human life lightly. But she was wrong. This was a dog-eat-dog harem, and her kindness would only bring about her own destruction.’
Perhaps it was the coldness of Song Yunzhao’s expression, or perhaps it was the piercing sharpness in her eyes, but for a moment, everyone was stunned into silence by her imposing aura.
This was the traveling palace! For Song Zhaoyi to dare to beat a palace attendant to death in public, under everyone’s noses... This wasn’t just bold, it was outrageously audacious!
Anshun immediately had his men drag the palace maid away. Soon, the sound of caning began outside—THWACK... THWACK... THWACK... Each strike echoed with startling clarity in the quiet hall.
At first, the palace maid screamed that she had been wronged, but soon, only heart-rending cries could be heard.
Everyone felt their hearts tremble with each cry.
"Song Zhaoyi, you’ve gone too far!" Princess Consort Zhuang shot to her feet, her voice filled with anger. "Such behavior shows a complete disregard for the law! I will report this to the Empress Dowager and ask Her Majesty to render justice!"
Song Yunzhao’s expression didn’t even flicker. Without so much as a glance at the furious Princess Consort Zhuang, she waited as the sounds from outside gradually ceased. Then, her eyelids lifted slightly as she spoke without emotion, "Drag her in!"
Princess Consort Zhuang: ...
Everyone: ...
Brazen!
This was the first definitive conclusion the crowd reached about the infamous Song Zhaoyi: she actually dared to ignore Princess Consort Zhuang!
The hall fell completely silent.
Princess Consort Wan’s expression shifted constantly, the handkerchief in her hands twisted into a knot. ’Should I say something, or not?’
’Song Yunzhao looked like she could eat someone alive. If she spoke up, what if she ended up being humiliated like Princess Consort Zhuang?’
’After all, even though she held the rank of concubine, Song Yunzhao was carrying an heir—the Emperor’s first child, no less. Who would dare touch her right now? If anything happened to her, what if the Emperor, in his fury, decided to exterminate their entire clans?’
’Didn’t she see how Princess Consort Zhuang was ignored? Now she, too, had to grit her teeth and bear it.’
Consort Shu, however, sat with a composed expression. ’Ah, watching the drama unfold around Song Yunzhao is a spectacle unlike any other. Look at this display! It makes my trip to this tea party completely worthwhile.’
’A commotion this good is rare. Song Yunzhao is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Today, it seemed that every last one of her opponents would be dealt with; none would escape.’
’She had long since found Qin Xiyue an eyesore. Relying on Grand Tutor Qin’s influence, the woman put on a virtuous act in the palace, but who knew how much dirty work she’d done behind the scenes? Her methods were just too clean, and no one had ever been able to get any dirt on her.’
’Today, Qin Xiyue had finally, and justifiably, fallen right into Song Yunzhao’s clutches. Consort Shu refused to believe she’d be allowed to escape!’
’If the occasion weren’t so inappropriate, Consort Shu would have ordered a cup of tea and a plate of melon seeds. This was a truly excellent show.’
Marchioness Yongjia gripped her daughter’s hand tightly. A thousand thoughts flashed through her mind in that instant. Facing this version of Song Zhaoyi, she found herself suddenly afraid to say a word.
’Although her daughter was the victim, she was certain that her daughter was simply unlucky to have been dragged into this mess. That being the case, when faced with such a domineering and aggressive Song Zhaoyi, she felt that staying silent was the best approach.’
’It wasn’t that she didn’t want to speak up. At this moment, looking at Song Zhaoyi’s face, she was truly too scared to say anything.’
Anshun himself dragged the blood-soaked palace maid back into the hall and tossed her onto the floor. She was more exhaling than inhaling, looking half-dead.
The pungent smell of iron and the winding trail of blood made all the noble ladies and concubines present turn pale.
Song Yunzhao looked down at the palace maid. "Speak. Who put you up to this?"
The palace maid lay in a limp heap on the floor, but she still insisted through clenched teeth, "It was someone from the Zhaoyi’s retinue who ordered this servant..."
Even on the brink of death, she refused to stop implicating someone from Wangyou Palace.
The expressions on the faces of the onlookers were strange, and the way they looked at Song Yunzhao shifted once more.
’Could this be considered irrefutable proof? After all, she was on the verge of death and still refused to change her story.’
"Drag her out and beat her to death!" Song Yunzhao said, looking at Anshun.
"Yes!" After hearing the palace maid’s words, Anshun’s face had already turned as black as iron. He wished he could march over and snap her neck with his own foot!
Just as Anshun grabbed the palace maid’s arm, she suddenly shuddered and began to struggle violently. Her eyes flew open and she shrieked, "I’ll talk, I’ll talk! It was Nanny Chen, the steward of the traveling palace’s rear garden! She ordered me to switch Sixth Miss Huang’s wine and then frame someone from Song Zhaoyi’s retinue! She told me to make sure I dragged Song Zhaoyi down with me. She said after it was done, she’d give me 200 taels of silver, free my younger sister from her lowly status, and even find a good family for her to marry into. This servant was blinded by greed! Zhaoyi, spare me! I don’t want to die!"
"Go and get her!"
"Yes!"