tallest building

Chapter 319 devising a countermeasure

Consort Hui and the others couldn't figure out the specific details, which naturally caused them distress.

Even if they wanted to interrogate Xiaoyue at this point, they knew that Wen Mingqian would definitely not release her.

Even if the artist were found, it wouldn't be of any use, since he was unaware of the situation.

Dong Gang is currently unavailable, and there's no way to discuss this with the Dong family.

If they find out the truth, they might blame Consort Hui for harming Dong Gang on her own initiative.

Therefore, the Dong family must not be informed that they had prior knowledge of this matter.

She warned Xiao Shunzi, "If you want to live, keep your mouth shut and don't talk nonsense."

Xiao Shunzi knew perfectly well how dangerous the situation was. He knew that only by remaining unknown could he save his life. He wished he could turn into a little mouse, find a deep hole to crawl into, and be untraceable by anyone. How could he dare to say anything out of turn?

"Your Highness, it's really late now, you should at least get some rest." Granny Xia looked at her mistress with heartache.

Consort Hui remained silent for a long time, staring blankly at the lamp wick on the table. After a long while, she sighed helplessly and said, "There's nothing I can do. We have to wait until dawn to talk about it."

"What's done is done, Your Highness, please try to think more positively!" Chief Steward Hu also said, "Please take care, things will always turn around."

The next morning, Consort Hui, despite not having slept all night, still arrived early at the Empress's palace to pay her respects.

The Empress looked unwell, clearly having slept poorly the night before.

"Has Your Majesty had breakfast?" Consort Hui asked, forcing a smile as she stepped forward.

"Sigh, I have no appetite at all! I just grabbed a bite and didn't even feel hungry." The Empress had no reason to hide anything from Consort Hui. "You didn't sleep all night either, did you?"

Consort Hui smiled wryly upon hearing this and said, "Your Majesty knows me well; I've never been one to handle things."

As she was speaking, Wen Mingqian also came in and burned incense for the Empress's room.

The Empress's headache flared up again, and she needed to use incense to soothe it.

"I didn't see Lady Wen at yesterday's banquet. Where were you?" Consort Hui seemed to be making conversation out of nothing.

"Sister Wen stayed with me all night, doing needlework in the outer room, and only went back after the banquet was over," Ying'er, the Empress's maid, chimed in.

She couldn't possibly be lying; there were eyes everywhere in the Queen's palace.

Consort Hui did not speak again, but her gaze toward Wen Mingqian turned even colder.

She knew that Wen Mingqian was doing it on purpose, deliberately being with Ying'er, deliberately letting people know that she had never left the Empress's palace, and deliberately letting people know that she was innocent and uninvolved.

Wen Mingqian naturally noticed Consort Hui's gaze, but she remained as gentle and composed as ever, quiet and obedient, as if she could not sense the hatred and suspicion in Consort Hui's eyes at all.

"Alright, you may all leave now. I need to speak with Consort Hui for a few minutes." Incense was lit, filling the air with a refreshing fragrance.

The Empress waved her hand, dismissing the servants.

"Your Majesty, what should we do about the matter of the Imperial Son-in-Law?" Consort Hui asked worriedly. "You know this is a very difficult matter," the Empress said helplessly. "His Majesty has gone to court, and there will surely be a commotion in the court today."

Zhu Hui and his cronies would relentlessly attack the Dong family for even the slightest mistake. How much more so when they were caught red-handed in front of everyone!

"Your Majesty, there's something I still want to say. Do you think the Imperial Son-in-Law might have been framed?" Consort Hui twisted her handkerchief. "I remember clearly, he was still at the table when I left! How could he..."

"What do you mean by that?" The Empress frowned, puzzled. "Didn't you go for a stroll outside? Maybe he followed you out right after you left."

Consort Hui couldn't explain it too clearly. She knew that once she spoke out, the Empress and the Dong family would blame her, which would be a loss for her.
No matter what, self-preservation should always be the top priority.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty thought that the Prince Consort could not possibly be so absurd! Besides, how could Alan be wandering around outside alone? Didn't she have any maids with her?" Consort Hui tried her best to find out the suspicious points in this matter.

"I asked around! She was originally accompanied by a maid, but she lost her handkerchief and was afraid someone would pick it up, so she sent the maid back to look for it, which is why she was alone." The Empress sighed, "Gang'er is really too reckless. He didn't even recognize her as Alan at the time and just thought she was a palace maid."

The problem lies with Dong Gang himself; he was so indiscreet that even his own aunt didn't believe he was innocent.

"I know you're worried about this, but you also need to be aware of the situation. It's not something we can easily downplay." The Empress didn't mean to blame Consort Hui; she just wanted to bring her to her senses. "For now, let's not let the eldest princess find out. Let her have some peace and quiet on the mountain for a while. Otherwise, given her temperament, she'll definitely cry and make a scene if she finds out, which will only add to the trouble and won't help the situation."

"I know, and I will try my best to keep it from her." Consort Hui felt aggrieved, but there was nothing she could do at the moment.

Dong Gang was locked up and didn't sleep all night. He finally figured something out—he had been ambushed.

He was told to go to Songfeng Pavilion, but he was knocked unconscious as soon as he entered. When he woke up again, he was in Yunshui Pavilion, and his clothes had been stripped off.

Who is the mastermind behind this?
He thought of Wen Mingqian, but he wasn't sure.

How could a frail woman like her possibly have orchestrated such a meticulously planned scheme without anyone noticing?

Was she the bait? Or the hunter?
But could he really tell the truth? That he coveted the Empress's maid? That he tried to force himself on her after being rejected several times?

After all, no matter what, Wen Mingqian never gave in.

Although Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Yue were involved, they were people she had bribed herself, which did not mean that Wen Mingqian was aware of it, much less that she agreed to it.

Moreover, Wen Mingqian's identity is very special; she has not only the Empress behind her, but also the Sanjing Academy.

At this time, Master Zhuge was in the palace. If his words were unfavorable to Wen Mingqian, he would not sit idly by.

If you can't produce solid evidence, people will only think that you're trying to smear Wen Mingqian in order to exonerate yourself.

After all, the emperor witnessed what happened that day, so how could he clear himself of suspicion?
But he knew he was innocent and that nothing had happened between him and Alan.

Therefore, he could only insist that at the banquet that day, his attendant told him that someone was waiting for him at Songfeng Pavilion.

Unaware of the trap, he went there, only to be knocked unconscious upon entering the house. When he woke up, he had become the target of everyone's ire.

After all, she had a bump the size of a goose egg on the back of her head, and she insisted on interrogating Alan. Even if others didn't know, she must know that she was innocent.

Anyway, he would never honestly confess. Even a fish thrown ashore would try to jump around a few times, just in case it could get back into the water.