Chapter 113

"You really don't give me a moment's peace." The emperor glanced around at everyone, then spoke in a low voice.

Besides Mu Yuanzhi, the other two people lowered their eyes.

"Your great-grandmother just got poisoned and woke up, and you're already causing trouble for me!" The emperor suddenly raised his voice.

Pei Yunxi almost instinctively shivered.

Although Father Emperor didn't name names, she couldn't help but put herself in his shoes, feeling that his words were directed at her.

When she arrived, she already knew that Mu Yuanzhi had summoned Physician Zhou; with Physician Zhou as witness, Father Emperor already knew that the Qilin had been poisoned.

Mu Yuanzhi cupped her hands and said, "Father Emperor, I imagine that your great-grandmother's poisoning is surely related to the Qilin's poisoning."

The emperor glanced at Mu Yuanzhi, said nothing, then turned his gaze to Pei Shangling and asked him, "Fourth Prince, tell me what happened—how did the Qilin get poisoned in your quarters?"

Upon hearing that, Pei Yunxi also turned her gaze to Pei Shangling, hoping he would speak well and preferably clear her name.

Pei Shangling hesitantly lifted his head to look at the emperor, meeting the emperor's scrutinizing gaze, he pressed his lips before speaking: "Replying to Father Emperor, I, your subject, also don't know."

"You don't know?" The emperor snorted coldly, "Then I have no choice but to hand you over to the Imperial Court of Justice for interrogation."

"Father Emperor, please forgive me!" Pei Shangling certainly didn't want to go to that dreadful place; he glanced at Pei Yunxi, who also looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears.

For a moment, he felt compassion stir within him.

His little sister is indeed his own sister, sharing the same father and mother!

Even if she momentarily muddled and made a mistake, it would still be worth giving her another chance, wouldn't it?

Who among mortals can be without fault?

Thinking this, Pei Shangling resolutely declared, "This matter is entirely due to my negligence; I, your subject, am willing to accept any punishment!"

His words gave Pei Yunxi a reassuring pill; indeed, no matter what, Elder Brother Ling always stood by her side—how could he bear to see her wronged?

Mu Yuanzhi certainly wouldn't let Pei Yunxi get away easily; she said, "I don't know how Fourth Prince will explain that the antidote pill in your sleeping quarters was swapped—at that moment only the little sister was present, and she lit Tibetan incense, whose scent masked the pill's smell, so the Qilin couldn't detect it, leading to his later poisoning, and the antidote just happened to be something only the little sister possessed?"

Pei Yunxi panicked again inside; she stole a glance at the emperor's expression, not daring to guess his thoughts, so she lowered her head while her mind raced, thinking furiously.

The emperor's voice deep as he asked Pei Yunxi, "Xier, is what Yuanzhi said true?"

"Father Emperor, that's not the case—I didn't burn Tibetan incense; I went to Elder Brother Ling's sleeping quarters only to ask them to help me find a hairpin, and I swear I truly had no intention to harm anyone! As for the antidote… I just happened to know a Miao shaman who came from the borderlands, and she gave it to me."

Mu Yuanzhi scoffed, "The Qilin got poisoned first, and then you just happened to have an antidote from that shaman—what timely rain! Where is this living bodhisattva? Sister wants to thank her in person."

The Tibetan incense won't admit it; fine, she anticipated that, and also anticipated that Pei Shangling wouldn't point out Pei Yunxi.

Pei Yunxi kept making things up, "She gave me this a long time ago, gave me a lot, I've stored them all in my sleeping quarters just in case—after all, Elder Brother Hua and the great-grandmother have both been poisoned before, these things are truly frightening, hard to guard against, so I kept them; I never expected that just now I'd happen to have something that can detoxify Lord Qilin."

The more she said, the more she felt this approach was viable, and thus she spoke with growing confidence!

This way, even if they ever searched her palace and found something, she could use this excuse to bluff through—she really is clever!

Mu Yuanzhi indeed admired Pei Yunxi's talent for fabrication; such a lame explanation would only be believed by a fool, and the emperor is no fool—he won't believe it, but he will shield Pei Yunxi.

As for Pei Shangling, he also knew Pei Yunxi's words were false; he hasn't spoken up to refute them to this point, clearly he too has chosen to cover for her.

She won't get justice here, but it's fine—if she can expose Pei Yunxi's deceitful, death‑deserving façade, that's already a good deed.

So they won't really think she's a pure white lotus.

The emperor fell silent for a long while, until Pei Yunxi's heart was again gripped, then he spoke again, this time asking Pei Shangling: "Fourth Prince, how do you explain the Qilin's poisoning?"

He repeated the question.

"I cannot explain it; I, your subject, also don't know; I can only beg Father Emperor to punish me!" Pei Shangling dropped to his knees at once.

The emperor narrowed his eyes: "Very well, then I must, as you wish, hand you over to the Imperial Court of Justice to investigate thoroughly!"

Mu Yuanzhi raised her eyebrows; the emperor, for Pei Yunxi's sake, actually dared to imprison Pei Shangling?

It seems the emperor favors Pei Yunxi, the daughter he lost and regained, more than Pei Shangling, his worthless fourth son.

After all, he has only one daughter but many sons; it appears favoritism also involves choices.

Although Pei Shangling brought this upon himself by pleading guilty, the emperor really sending him to jail still made him feel chilled.

Didn't Father Emperor consider what would happen to him once he entered the Imperial Court of Justice? He doesn't even want to find a way to muddle through?

If today's matter were swapped for the Eldest Prince, would Father Emperor also imprison him like this?

Pei Shangling couldn't help but compare in his heart.

"Thank you for your grace..." Pei Shangling received it stiffly and respectfully.

The guards quickly entered and lifted Pei Shangling up; Pei Yunxi spoke up pleading: "Father Emperor, please give Elder Brother Ling a chance! Let him investigate the whole affair from beginning to end!"

Her words made a glimmer appear in Pei Shangling's eyes.

He had not misjudged his little sister!

Father Emperor was angry, yet she still interceded for him.

The emperor then turned his gaze to Pei Yunxi: "Xier, you need not plead for him; he volunteered to take responsibility, and since the incident occurred in his quarters, he cannot escape blame."

"But Elder Brother Ling isn't the one who administered the poison!" Pei Yunxi retorted.

Mu Yuanzhi gave an oh, "The little sister swore so earnestly—she seems to know who administered the poison."

She smiled cheerfully, but Pei Yunxi blinked, shaking her head repeatedly: "I don't know; if I did, I would have already exposed that wicked person! I merely trust Elder Brother Ling."

Knowing she herself is wicked? Mu Yuanzhi chuckled inwardly.

"Believing in him is useless—take him away!" The emperor, unmoved, waved his hand.

The guards received the order and escorted Pei Shangling away.

Pei Shangling finally glanced at Mu Yuanzhi, hoping to see worry in her eyes, even if fleeting—but there was none, not a trace.

He felt dejected and dispirited.

After all, when she was locked away in Yong Lane, he hadn't worried either, nor gone to see her; instead he simply felt she deserved it…