Chapter 450: with translation of chapter title

Gu Huanghou's body stiffened, 'I, your servant, do not know...'

She replied slowly, lowering her face, the depths of her eyes dark and inexplicable.

"However..." Gu Huanghou lifted her face again, "Ye Qingran has recently been very interested in the past of her birth mother, Grand General Yun; thus My Palace invited her into the palace for a chat, and we spoke about Grand General Yun's affairs..."

The Donglin Emperor, hearing this, his gaze gradually grew deep and mysterious.

"Afterward, she left; I thought she had returned directly to the Ye Residence, could it be..."

At this moment Dongfang Xuan shouted, 'It was Ye Qingran who gave me the drug!'

Dongfang Ling'er eagerly exclaimed, 'It was Ye Qingran who knocked me unconscious and dragged me here!'

All the ministers looked at each other.

Thinking, could it really be that Ye Qingran did this?

That is not impossible.

After all, Ye Qingran has an irreconcilable conflict with the Seventh Prince and the Thirteenth Princess.

This is no secret.

She has a motive.

Gu Huanghou thought, anyway Ye Qingran isn't here, pinning the blame on her is not unacceptable.

Moreover, given Ye Qingran's current strength, His Majesty would certainly be wary, and adding his concern for the imperial clan's dignity, he would not let this matter blow up.

Then today's affair will be suppressed.

This is undoubtedly the best outcome.

"What you mean, Empress, is that I did this?"

What Gu Huanghou never expected was that Ye Qingran never left!

Hearing that voice, Gu Huanghou's pupils shrank sharply, and she looked in terror toward the direction the sound came from.

All that could be seen was Ye Qingran in a simple white dress, walking leisurely, like a fairy from a painting.

Everyone's eyes involuntarily flashed with astonishment and beauty.

"You, you..." Gu Huanghou pointed at Ye Qingran, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long while.

Ye Qingran stood before the Donglin Emperor, gave a faint smile, and greeted: 'Your Majesty.'

The Donglin Emperor instantly changed from gloomy to showing a hint of a kind smile.

"Qingran, why didn't you seek me when you entered the palace?"

"Your Majesty, with state affairs so busy, how could I dare disturb you at will?"

The Donglin Emperor nodded, glanced at Dongfang Xuan, showing apology, 'Sorry for letting you see this.'

Ye Qingran smiled without speaking, then turned to look at Gu Huanghou and proclaimed loudly, 'Empress, you are correct; this matter was indeed done by me.'

A single stone stirs up a thousand waves!

Everyone present was shocked to the extreme.

Gazes fell upon Ye Qingran, all freezing.

What did Ye Qingran say?

Did the Seventh Prince and Thirteenth Princess have something unspeakable happen here, caused by her?

"You?"

The Donglin Emperor widened his eyes, showing disbelief.

Seeing Ye Qingran admit it personally, Gu Huanghou not only showed no relief, but instead felt an ominous premonition.

On the contrary, Dongfang Xuan and Dongfang Ling'er's eyes each lit up.

"Father Emperor, did you hear? This is all Ye Qingran's conspiracy! She is framing us!"

"Ye Qingran, you finally admitted it, it's all you! You demon!"

Facing the two's insults, Ye Qingran remained calm as water.

Only the Donglin Emperor's gaze toward her carried a question.

"Why I did this, Your Majesty will know after listening to this recording."

"Recording?"

Gu Huanghou's heart and liver trembled.

Could it be what she thought?

Ye Qingran took from her space a stone similar in texture to a pebble, palm-sized, a recording stone.

Infusing a strand of mysterious force, after a moment of silence, a clear voice came forth:

"Mother Empress, you said she really fainted?"

"It should have taken effect, after all we used the best poison, colorless and tasteless, even Ye Qingran couldn't detect it."

"Ye Qingran, Ye Qingran, even if your medical skills are superb, you still fell victim to my poison."

"Alright, no delay, hurry and send Ye Qingran to Xuan'er's place!"

"Mother Empress, rest assured, I have long prepared!"

"Immediately send her to the Crown Prince's chambers!"

The recording stone's effect is especially good; almost instantly it lets one hear who is speaking.

Gu Huanghou and Dongfang Ling'er's faces instantly turned as pale as paper.

They looked at Ye Qingran with utter horror.

"Vile wretch, you actually used a recording stone! You are truly treacherous!"

Dongfang Ling'er couldn't hold back, directly pointing at Ye Qingran's nose to insult her.

Gu Huanghou wanted to intervene but it was already too late.

The crowd looked at her speechlessly.

Dongfang Ling'er said that, which was almost an indirect admission of the truth of this conversation.

There is no room for any maneuver left!

Donglin Emperor's face turned green. "Empress, do you have anything to explain?" he asked, as if the words were forced out between his teeth.

Empress Gu said nothing, but Dongfang Ling'er shouted, "Father Emperor, don't believe Ye Qingran's nonsense; it's all false!"

First they insulted Ye Qingran's recording, now they claim the evidence is false; many officials began to worry deeply about the Thirteenth Princess's intelligence.

"You shut up for me!"

Donglin Emperor could no longer stand it; he kicked her, sending her sprawling in all directions.

"His Majesty, I am wronged!"

Empress Gu decided to never admit it.

Donglin Emperor pressed his lips tightly and said nothing.

At this moment, he was also extremely embarrassed.

On one side was Ye Qingran, whom he could not afford to offend; on the other was his empress.

Dongfang Qingxuan was stunned when he heard Empress Gu and Dongfang Ling'er's conversation.

He could hardly believe that the Empress Dowager and his own imperial sister would commit such a mad act!

"Empress Dowager, Ling'er, how could you do this!"

His expression was extremely complicated.

Although he liked Ye Qingran, that did not mean he would obtain her by such despicable means!

"Ye Qingran, I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

Ye Qingran gestured for him to stop, "I know. You need not explain."

Dongfang Xuan gritted his teeth, "Ye Qingran, I am also innocent; why did you drag me into this matter?"

When Empress Gu heard this, her eyes brightened, "Exactly, Ye Qingran, setting aside whether that recording is true or not, Xuan'er should be innocent, right? Why did you involve him, causing his siblings..."

"Dongfang Xuan, innocent?"

Ye Qingran scoffed.

"To be frank, I also have evidence against him."

When the words finished, the Recording Stone rang again under Dongfang Xuan's shocked gaze.

"Ye Qingran, Ye Qingran, you probably never imagined that one day you would submit beneath me, Dongfang Xuan."

"No wonder you are the Xiliang Cheng First Beauty!"

"Today, the two of us brothers will serve you well, Ye Qingran; just enjoy it."

Dongfang Xuan's lewd voice echoed from the Recording Stone, making the onlookers' faces turn red and ears burn.

Such vulgar words—did they really come from the Seventh Prince's mouth?

Truly, they know a person's face but not the heart!

Dongfang Xuan could no longer speak.

He never expected that Ye Qingran had also recorded his words!

Ye Qingran, that woman, is so malicious it makes one's hair stand on end!

"Dongfang Xuan, do you still think you are innocent?"

Ye Qingran lowered her eyes and looked at Dongfang Xuan, as if looking at a corpse.

After speaking, she turned to Donglin Emperor, "I think His Majesty will give me a satisfactory answer, right?"

Donglin Emperor's heart quivered.

He even dared not meet Ye Qingran's gaze!

"Rest assured, I… will!"

Only then did Ye Qingran curl her lips into a satisfied smile and turn to leave.

"Ye Qingran, please stay!"

Dongfang Qingxuan's voice sounded behind her.

Ye Qingran stopped in her tracks, not turning around.

Could you, for my sake, spare the Empress Dowager, the Seventh Prince brother, and the Thirteenth Princess sister just this once?

Dongfang Qingxuan's eyes were pleading.

The smile at Ye Qingran's mouth corners grew deeper, yet it did not reach her eyes.

Dongfang Qingxuan added, "You were fortunate to escape injury; can you just let it be?"