Chapter 137: Who Said I Was Dead

At the sound of that stern rebuke, Noble Lady Yu’s heart leapt into her throat, and she nearly stumbled to the floor in a panic. Trembling, she stared at the bowl of lotus seed porridge, which was still wreathed in steam. To her, it looked like a death warrant, slowly whittling away her composure. She swallowed hard, too nervous and bewildered to know what to do. "What should I do now..."

"Why are you still standing there?" Yue continued to press her aggressively. "The Emperor has already spoken. Do you truly intend to show such disrespect?"

Noble Lady Yu was left speechless by the taunt. Feeling the weight of the surrounding gazes fixed upon her, she became even more flustered. She clenched her teeth, telling herself to be brave, but the thought that drinking it would mean certain death left her without the courage to proceed.

Jun Yeli observed her nervousness, the smirk on his lips deepening with contempt and mockery. "Since you hesitate so long to drink, Noble Lady, could it be that you know there is something wrong with this porridge and dare not touch it?"

His words were laced with hidden meaning, and those around them caught the implication. Noble Lady Yu, stunned, stared at Jun Yeli with trembling eyes. "This!"

Her psychological defenses crumbled. The situation before her made everything clear. Taking a deep breath, she could no longer suppress her inner agitation. As the standoff dragged on and Noble Lady Yu remained silent, Jun Yeli lost patience. "Since you will not drink it yourself, I shall have someone help you!"

He cast a glance at Eunuch Li beside him. "Why are you still standing there? Go assist the Noble Lady in drinking her porridge. Be sure to be attentive and thorough; do not be negligent!"

Eunuch Li acknowledged the order and took the bowl from the table, stepping toward Noble Lady Yu. "Noble Lady, this is, after all, the Emperor’s gesture of kindness. Do not be ungrateful. Just drink it obediently."

Seeing the death warrant drawing closer, Noble Lady Yu could no longer hold her ground. She shoved Eunuch Li aside, scrambled around the table, and threw herself at the Emperor’s feet. "I beg the Emperor’s mercy! Your servant was merely blinded by greed; I did not intend to do this. Please, spare my life, I will never dare to do it again!"

The onlookers were left bewildered and confused by this string of pleas, whispering among themselves. "What is going on? What is she babbling about? Could it be that the porridge really is poisoned?"

As this speculation spread, another person shrank back in terror. "Heaven help us, I was just about to drink some earlier! So it really was a death warrant—how truly terrifying!"

In an instant, Noble Lady Yu became the target of everyone’s disdain, leaving her utterly helpless. Hearing their murmurs, she could not even bring herself to offer a defense. After all, the matter was settled; what more could she say? Was she expected to drink the poison to prove her innocence?

She sniffled, her voice thick with sobs. At this moment, Hua Yue spoke up: "If that is the case, then this dish must indeed be problematic. I wonder, what kind of poison was used?"

"I... I do not know. Someone gave it to me. I was truly possessed by a devil. I beg the Emperor, for the sake of the sincere heart I have always held for you, to forgive me this once!"

Noble Lady Yu would never know that the note had actually been planted by Hua Yue herself, and that even the man in black had been one of her own agents. She had merely woven a trap.

Curving her lips slightly, Hua Yue fixed her gaze on the Emperor. "Your Majesty, why not have someone search Noble Lady Yu’s chambers? Perhaps we might find the poison there."

Jun Yeli sent men to search, and they indeed returned with the remaining half-packet of powder, from which a faint, elegant fragrance emanated.

"Wait, why does this scent seem so familiar? It is identical to the sachet found when Consort Rong was accused of murder!"

At this remark, the others exchanged looks. They sniffed the air carefully, then recoiled in fear. Someone nodded repeatedly, exclaiming, "Yes, that is the very same scent! It terrified us at the time; we could never forget it!"

With the crowd chiming in, the affair reached its climax. Noble Lady Yu frowned, shaking her head frantically. "Your Majesty, do not listen to their nonsense! Why would I poison my own people?"

"You knew I have always loved lotus seed porridge, so you poisoned it to deal with me while I was in favor. And back then, regarding my sister, who is to say if you did not resort to such wicked schemes out of jealousy?" Hua Yue’s sharp tongue left the woman speechless, with no way to explain herself.

"No, it was not me! It must be you, you vixen, framing me! Otherwise, why would it be such a coincidence?" This was her first time poisoning anyone, and having finally decided to commit a grand deed, she had never expected such an outcome.

Hua Yue shrugged at her. "One who sows evil will reap the consequences. Why try to shift the blame onto others? Did you think that would make the Emperor let you go?"

After saying this, Hua Yue stood before the Emperor and bowed slightly. "Your Majesty, since the truth has come to light, I ask that you clear my sister’s name!"

Jun Yeli had waited a long time for this moment, though he played his part perfectly. "The evidence is conclusive; Consort Rong was indeed wronged. I hereby declare her innocent!"

He then cast a cold glare at Noble Lady Yu. "As for you, who have committed every crime, poisoned others, and framed the innocent—such a malicious soul is not fit to remain in my harem. I grant you a cup of poisoned wine to atone for your sins!"

Eunuch Li promptly brought over a cup of poisoned wine and presented it to Noble Lady Yu, a faint smile on his lips. "Please, Noble Lady, accept this favor. Do not let the Emperor’s kindness go to waste."

How could anyone smile at such a moment? Noble Lady Yu felt aggrieved to the extreme and nearly burst into tears, shaking her head. "No, I do not want to drink it! I beg the Emperor to spare my life!"

"That is not for you to decide. Force her to drink!"

Following the Emperor’s thunderous roar, Eunuch Li poured the poisoned wine down her throat. Within moments, she collapsed on the spot, foaming at the mouth, dying with her eyes wide open in resentment.

The onlookers were shaken, but Jun Yeli spoke indifferently, "Remove her corpse and cast it into the pit for unclaimed bodies."

Once the obstacle was removed, the others finally calmed down, though they still felt lingering fear from the scene they had just witnessed. Noble Consort Wen, seeing the solemn look on the Emperor’s face, assumed he was mourning Hua Rong. She moved closer, trying to comfort him. "Your Majesty, the dead cannot return. Since Consort Rong has been cleared of her name, she can rest in peace. You need not be so sorrowful."

But just as those words fell, a playful voice rang out from a distance: "Who said I was dead?"