Chapter 5: God's Perspective

In order to figure out the truth of the original owner's death by falling into the water, Liu Li spent 100 points to redeem "God's Perspective" from the system, and thoroughly understood the ins and outs of the whole thing.

It can only be said that from the moment Chen Ajiao was summoned by Wang Taihou, every single thing that happened was not an accident.

Thinking of this, Liu Li lowered her eyes and stared at Wei Zifu's slightly protruding belly, her meaning profound.

This look also made Wei Zifu subconsciously raise her hand to protect her belly, her mood even more uneasy. She wasn't sure whether she should take advantage of the situation and push all the responsibility for the fall into the water onto Liu Li.

After being rescued that day, Wei Zifu also caught a cold. If it weren't for His Majesty's pity, ordering the imperial physician to use the best medicine to save her, the child in her womb might not have been saved.

However, after her condition stabilized, when she sent people around her to inquire about the situation, she learned that His Majesty had already arranged for the Tingwei Zhang Tang to investigate the matter, and the result of the investigation was actually that Princess Chen had pushed her.

Wei Zifu remembered very clearly that in the situation at that time, the Princess Chen hadn't touched her at all; the person who pushed her into the water was a palace maid beside her.

It was just that when His Majesty asked her, she followed the investigation result and said: "Your Majesty, the situation was a bit chaotic at the time, maybe the Princess didn't mean it." The implication was to tacitly agree that it was Princess Chen who pushed her.

Wei Zifu didn't want to wrong an innocent child, but thinking of the unfair treatment her A Yue had once received, she hardened her heart. Besides, this matter wasn't planned by her; the person who calculated behind the scenes was the real culprit.

Now looking at the clever Princess Chen, Wei Zifu muttered in her heart about the foolish princess becoming smart, while also weighing whether to follow Princess Chen's words.

Compared to this Princess Chen, she also really wanted to know who the mastermind behind this incident was.

Thinking of this, Wei Zifu stroked her belly with one hand, wiped the non-existent tears from the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief with the other, looked up at Wang Taihou, and said in a soft voice: "After the Princess said this, this concubine suddenly remembered that the Princess didn't seem to have touched this concubine at the time."

As soon as these words came out, everyone was in an uproar.

Wang Taihou frowned: "Lady Wei, are you sure?"

Wei Zifu replied: "Mother, it really wasn't the Princess who pushed this concubine that day. Before, this concubine was still confused, thinking that Tingwei Zhang had already investigated the matter clearly, so I didn't think much about it. Today, after being asked by the Princess, this concubine recalled carefully and remembered that it wasn't the Princess who pushed this concubine."

Liu Li listened to Wei Zifu's words, raised her eyebrows, but sighed in her heart at this woman's smoothness. No wonder she could be the Empress of Emperor Wu of Han's harem for 38 years. Without a bit of scheming and means, she really couldn't be competent.

Wang Taihou was furious: "Then what is going on? Did that Tingwei Zhang investigate wrongly and deliberately wrong Princess Li?"

Everyone was silent, but Wang Meiren on the side said too much: "Lady Wei, how could you remember this wrong?"

Liu Li took the opportunity to look at her. The coquettishness in Wang Meiren's eyes was not inferior to the other beauties present, and at first glance, she looked a bit familiar.

"Wang Meiren is right." Liu Li turned to look at Wang Taihou, the little person standing there, but her momentum could not be ignored by anyone: "Regarding A Li's innocence and the child in Lady Wei's womb, A Li suggests, why not bring all the palace servants who were at the scene that day, A Li also wants to ask them face to face why they wanted to slander A Li."

Wang Taihou stared at Liu Li, still unable to help but doubt in her heart, could it be that Liu Li's previous performance was all an act, and the current her is the real her?

Then why did she pretend before? If she had shown her intelligence earlier, would she not have liked this child?

Seeing that Wang Taihou didn't speak for a long time, Ajiao sneered and called out: "Someone."

Fuqu, who was guarding outside, walked in quickly: "Little Mistress."

Ajiao ordered: "Notify everyone to bring all the people who were at the scene when the Princess fell into the water to the Changle Palace, and have His Majesty and Tingwei Zhang come together. I want to re-interrogate and clear my A Li's name."

Since Wei Zifu changed her statement just now, Chen Ajiao knew that there must be a problem with what happened the day her daughter fell into the water. Thinking of this, her eyes

were stained with anger. No matter who planned this, she must make this person pay the price!

Fuqu took the order and left. Ajiao's gaze swept across the beauties present one by one, and finally looked at Wang Taihou on the main seat.

She smiled, raised her hand to gently brush her sleeves, and then walked toward Wang Taihou step by step, finally sitting down beside Wang Taihou and saying: "Mother only summoned A Li today, and didn't even prepare a seat for Ajiao. Then Ajiao will just sit with Mother. After all, this position is where Mother often sat before, and Ajiao doesn't mind."

This sentence was undoubtedly reminding Wang Taihou of her humble posture when she used to curry favor with Grand Empress Dowager Dou.

Wang Taihou was so angry that her hands trembled, and one hand gripped Liu Yue's wrist beside her tightly. She knew that Chen Ajiao was using the late Grand Empress Dowager to suppress her, yet she couldn't reprimand her.

Liu Yue was in so much pain she didn't dare to make a sound, her little face turning pale.

Ajiao saw Liu Yue's reaction, then turned to look at Liu Li as if it had nothing to do with her, and said softly: "A Li, come to Mother's side."

Liu Li heard Ajiao's call, walked over on her short legs, and then sat obediently beside Ajiao, her gaze sweeping over the things on the table.

There were some pastries, some preserved fruits, and some fruit drinks that she couldn't tell what they were.

Liu Li no longer had any expectations for the food of the Western Han, so after just one look, she was no longer interested. She began to think about how to find out the mastermind behind the scenes and avenge the original owner.

A palace maid added a set of bowls, chopsticks, and a cup for Ajiao. Ajiao held Liu Li and asked: "Eat?"

Liu Li shook her head and whispered: "These don't taste good." The Jiaofang Hall also had these pastries, and Liu Li had eaten them before; they had no sweetness at all and were really hard to swallow.

Ajiao smiled after hearing this, and then put down her chopsticks.

Liu Li leaned into Ajiao's ear and said: "When we return to the Jiaofang Hall, I will treat you to something delicious." Although the variety she could redeem with her current points was not much, redeeming a self-heating hot pot was enough.

Ever since she saw the self-heating hot pot in the system store, she had wanted to redeem it to eat. Before, she was afraid that the smell would be too strong and she would be discovered, but now she didn't need to be afraid.

"Okay." Ajiao replied.

The mother and daughter whispered intimately. Wang Taihou saw it in her eyes and could be even more certain that the dull state Liu Li had shown before was all an act.

Wang Taihou thought so, and the other beauties in the hall actually thought so too.

In fact, they didn't know when it started, but rumors spread in the Weiyang Palace that the princess born to Empress Chen was a simpleton. To this day, she couldn't speak, and she walked with a limp.

Empress Chen had never brought Princess Chen to participate in important festivals and banquets in the palace, which seemed to further confirm the rumors in the palace.

But seeing that scene just now, did Princess Chen look like a simpleton at all? She even looked more clever than Princess Wei.

Everyone felt that they had been deceived; rumors were indeed unreliable! Just like many years ago, there were rumors in the Weiyang Palace that His Majesty was impotent, but not long after, Lady Wei and Empress Chen were both pregnant.

——

While waiting for Liu Che and those palace servants to come, Wang Taihou's hand inadvertently touched Liu Li. The system in Liu Li's mind issued a prompt: 【Ding, unlocked Wang Taihou favorability: -10】

Liu Li heard this prompt, swallowed a small mouthful of saliva, closed her eyes and stared at that negative 10 favorability, speechless for a while.

She asked the system in her heart: "Is there any punishment if the favorability is a negative number?"

【The favorability of historical figures cannot be lower than -50, otherwise the host's life will be deducted proportionally.】

Liu Li: "..." Low favorability could actually shorten her life? She stared at Wang Taihou's -10 favorability, her mood suddenly not very pleasant.

Just at this moment, the sound of footsteps came from outside, and Liu Che and those palace maids who were involved all came over, accompanied by Tingwei Zhang Tang, who was responsible for the investigation of this incident.

Liu Che's appearance seemed to brighten the entire hall, and the beauties' gazes couldn't wait to stick to him.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." The beauties stood up and bowed.

Liu Che walked over with his hands

behind his back. The palace servants quickly prepared a table for Liu Che, which was placed beside Wang Taihou. He glanced at Chen Ajiao, who was as steady as a mountain, before sitting down.

Zhang Tang and the involved palace maids stood in front of the hall waiting for orders. Liu Che said: "I heard that there has been a change in the matter, what is going on?"

Wei Zifu only weighed it for a second, then walked to the middle of the hall with the help of a palace maid, holding her slightly protruding belly and saying: "Your Majesty, it is all this concubine's fault. This concubine recalled carefully that when I fell into the water that day, the Princess didn't touch this concubine at all; the person who pushed this concubine was someone else."

Liu Che had already heard about this, and he replied indifferently: "Oh?"

His sharp and meaningful gaze looked at the palace maids kneeling in the hall, "So these people wronged my daughter?"

Those palace maids pleaded innocent one after another.

Liu Li quietly stood up from Ajiao's side, moved to Liu Che's side, and stretched out her little hand to gently place it on his arm.

A white and small hand suddenly appeared on the black clothing embroidered with gold dark patterns. Liu Che paused, turned his eyes to look at the owner of this little hand, and met Liu Li's dark and bright eyes.

Liu Li called out in a small voice: "Father."

Liu Che felt a bit surprised. This daughter, who had never been very good at speaking, had actually started to speak! Others didn't know Liu Li's situation, but Liu Che, as a father, was very clear.

It was also his order before that Liu Li should rarely leave the Jiaofang Hall, so as not to let the fact that she was a simpleton spread.

Liu Li ignored Liu Che's gaze toward her and spoke according to the script she had thought of in advance: "A Li has a way to make them tell the truth."

Listening to her daughter's clear words, Liu Che temporarily suppressed the surprise in his heart and said with interest: "Even Tingwei Zhang can't do it, you... what way do you have?"

Liu Li blinked her eyes, pointed her little hand directly at the palace maid wearing a lotus-colored dress, and said: "Because A Li saw with her own eyes that she pushed Lady Wei."

In the chaotic situation at the time, the original owner might not have seen who pushed Wei Zifu, but Liu Li had already redeemed "God's Perspective" with the system. She not only knew who pushed her, but also knew who the mastermind behind this was!

The accused palace maid's expression panicked, and she quickly defended herself: "This servant didn't, how can the Princess speak nonsense?"

Wei Zifu also looked at this palace maid wearing a lotus-colored dress and recognized this person at a glance; it was a little palace maid serving in her bedchamber. Some time ago, this little palace maid had been punished by her because she had done something wrong.

The fall into the water was too chaotic; she really didn't see clearly who pushed her. How could Princess Chen be sure that it was this palace maid?

Chen Ajiao opened her mouth to protect Liu Li: "My A Li never lies. If she says it's you, then it's you!"

Little palace maid: "..."

She shouted injustice loudly and said: "It was clearly the Princess who pushed Lady Wei, yet she shifted the responsibility to this servant. Does the Princess have evidence to prove it was this servant?"

Liu Li waited for these words. She asked back: "Then you accused me of pushing Lady Wei before, do you have evidence to prove it?"

That palace maid said: "Other sisters can prove it, it's not just this servant who accused you."

Liu Li pursed her lips, hiding the smile at the corner of her mouth, and turned to look at Zhang Tang on the side: "Tingwei Zhang, can you tell me if, during the interrogation, it was this palace maid who first accused me, and then others started to accuse me?"

Zhang Tang was surprised: "How does the Princess know it was like this?" It was really guessed correctly by Princess Chen. At the beginning of the interrogation of these palace maids, they all said they didn't see clearly and didn't know.

Later, it was this little palace maid named Qiu E who started to accuse Princess Chen, and then others seemed to recall something and all accused Princess Chen of pushing her.

Seeing this, the other palace maids were very sensible and confessed the truth one after another.

"Your Majesty, Empress, please investigate clearly. It was Qiu E who said that as long as we shifted the responsibility to Princess Chen, we could avoid punishment."

"Qiu E said the Princess... the Princess is not very smart, as long as we shift the responsibility to the Princess, we would at most be punished for failing to protect the master."

"This servant is guilty. Because I was afraid of His Majesty's blame for not taking good care of Lady Wei, I listened to Qiu E's incitement and wronged the Princess."

Qiu E, who was betrayed, had a face

that turned even whiter. She knelt on the ground, her whole body trembling.

Ajiao heard all this and was so angry that her whole body trembled. She suppressed the impulse to flip the table and asked coldly: "Qiu E, who instigated you to do this?"

Qiu E said with a trembling voice: "It was Lady Wei. Lady Wei asked this servant to pretend to push her, and then asked this servant to frame Princess Chen."

Wei Zifu gasped and looked at Qiu E with shock: "Qiu E, why do you want to slander this concubine? What good does it do me to harm the Princess?"

Qiu E said: "There is no benefit, then why didn't Lady Wei expose this servant's lie at the beginning and tell His Majesty that it wasn't Princess Chen who pushed you?"

Wei Zifu: "..."

Brilliant!

Liu Li didn't expect this little palace maid's logical thinking to be so strong, she didn't even need to speak, and she had already cornered Wei Zifu.

Wei Zifu knew she couldn't let Qiu E continue speaking. She hurriedly knelt in front of the hall, stroking her belly with teary eyes and saying: "Your Majesty, this concubine still has a child in her womb, how could I do such a thing to harm others and myself? Please investigate clearly."

Liu Che's face also darkened at this time. He narrowed his eyes and said: "Zhang Tang, take these palace maids down and re-interrogate them until they confess the result."

Zhang Tang took the order: "Nuo, I obey the decree."

Zhang Tang could also be considered a famous historical figure; he was a well-known cruel official during the Western Han Dynasty. He gave a shout, and immediately several soldiers came in and arrested the palace maids, including Qiu E.

Qiu E had heard of Zhang Tang's methods. She looked at someone in the hall very fearfully, but that person directly avoided her gaze for help. Qiu E didn't want to die yet; she regretted getting on this boat.

"This servant confesses, Your Majesty, this servant confesses everything, only begging Your Majesty to spare this servant's life." Qiu E knelt on the ground with snot and tears, loudly accusing: "Everything was done by Wang Meiren who told this servant to do it. This servant was forced by Wang Meiren and had to follow her instructions to push Lady Wei and then frame Princess Chen."

Everyone looked at Wang Meiren on the side like they were eating melons.

Wang Meiren exclaimed: "You... don't talk nonsense." Saying this, she looked at Liu Che again, explaining in a panic: "Your Majesty, this concubine didn't, she is slandering this concubine."

Qiu E didn't care anymore; even if she died, she had to pull someone to be a backstop.

She began to reveal: "This servant's words are true. This servant's bedroom also has jewelry sent by Wang Meiren's people. Tingwei Zhang can send people to search. Wang Meiren threatened this servant with her brother's life, and this servant had to follow Wang Meiren's instructions to push Lady Wei and then frame Princess Chen."

Wang Meiren was speechless: "You..."

Liu Che gave Zhang Tang a look, and Zhang Tang understood, turned and left the hall. Wang Meiren also saw Zhang Tang leave and was completely panicked.

Chen Ajiao gripped her palms tightly, stared at Qiu E and said: "Continue, if you have merit in testifying, I can spare your life."

Qiu E confessed the actions she participated in one by one. Wang Meiren still wanted to interrupt Qiu E's words, but was stopped by Liu Che's cold look. She was so scared that she didn't dare to breathe, collapsing directly on her seat.

After a while, Zhang Tang came back with people. Not only did they find those jewelry in Qiu E's bedroom, but they also arrested Wang Meiren's personal palace maid.

Seeing this, Wang Meiren knew that what she had done was completely exposed.

She almost crawled to the middle of the hall, crying and begging for mercy: "Your Majesty, this concubine was confused for a moment and did such a thing. This concubine will never dare to do it again."

Wang Meiren's ultimate goal in doing this was actually for the child in Wei Zifu's womb. To put it bluntly, it was just a woman's jealousy and ambition at work.

But Ajiao was so angry that her teeth itched.

They wanted to fight for favor, why did they have to involve A Li? What did her A Li do wrong?

Thinking of this, Chen Ajiao sneered and said: "Tingwei Zhang, Wang Meiren harmed the imperial heir, according to the law, what should be done?"

Zhang Tang glanced at Wang Meiren, who was still crying and begging for mercy, and said coldly and ruthlessly: "Back to the Empress, those who harm the imperial heir should be beheaded according to the law."

Chen Ajiao was also expressionless: "Then take her down."

Just as Zhang Tang took the order and was about to take Wang Meiren away, Wang Meiren suddenly shouted: "Your Majesty, you cannot kill

this concubine, this concubine is already pregnant!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone was in an uproar, and even Zhang Tang didn't dare to touch Wang Meiren.

Wang Meiren cried and said: "Your Majesty, this concubine is pregnant with the imperial heir, this concubine has your child."

Good heavens! Liu Li exclaimed in her heart.

If it followed history, wouldn't this Wang Meiren be the "true love" who bore Liu Che's second son and was missed by Liu Che even after her death, to the point that he didn't hesitate to summon her soul to meet her! ===== CHAPTER 6 =====