Chapter 3 is infuriating!
Yu Jingchuan's heart skipped a beat.
His face was drained of color, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.
How could this be! He clearly remembered stuffing the purse into the innermost layer of his clothing, how could it have been discovered?
Seeing her son's state, Consort Mei's heart clenched, and she quickly spoke up.
"Empress Dowager! You've misunderstood! I just embroidered this purse for him a few days ago! As you know, this child is filial, and he naturally cherishes anything I give him!"
As she spoke, she gave Yu Jingchuan a meaningful look, signaling him to continue the conversation.
Yu Jingchuan seemed to wake from a dream and immediately kowtowed repeatedly.
"Yes, Your Majesty! This was a gift from my mother, and I dared not let it get even slightly wet! That's why I instinctively protected it before jumping into the water!"
That sounds reasonable enough.
Before Yuan Hua could speak, Cui'er, a palace maid who had been standing behind her, suddenly raised her head.
Cui'er is Yu Zhaoning's personal maid. She has been watching over the Empress since she was a child and is extremely loyal to her.
Her eyes were red from crying, and they widened instantly when she heard what the two people were saying.
"You're lying!"
Consort Mei's expression changed, and she shouted sternly, "How dare you, you little brat! Do you have the right to speak here?!"
Cui'er went all out, crawling on her knees to Yuan Hua's feet and kowtowing heavily.
"Your Majesty, you are wise! Who in the harem does not know that Consort Mei's needlework is unparalleled in the six palaces? She is especially skilled at embroidering plum blossoms, each one so lifelike that it seems real!"
She looked up, tears welling in her eyes, and pointed to the purse in Yuan Hua's hand.
"Look at this purse! The stitches are crude, the colors are tacky, and what is this thing that's embroidered? It's crooked and twisted, like an ugly duckling! How could Consort Mei possibly embroider something so ugly for her own son!"
"You're all guilty! You're the ones who harmed Her Majesty! Poor Her Majesty, she trusted her eldest brother, the Crown Prince, so much, always thinking of him when she wanted the best things. How could she bring herself to do such a terrible thing!"
Cui'er cried her heart out, and her words were clear and coherent, each word filled with anguish.
Yuan Hua's cold gaze swept over Consort Mei and her son.
"What else do you want to explain?"
Large beads of sweat instantly appeared on Consort Mei's forehead. She subconsciously looked at her son, her eyes filled with panic.
Yu Jingchuan took a deep breath, knowing that he probably couldn't keep this a secret any longer.
He closed his eyes, kowtowed again, his voice trembling.
"Grandmother, I am guilty! I lied just now!"
"This purse wasn't given to me by my mother. It was embroidered for me by my beloved. I cherish her dearly, which is why I treasure this purse so much, as if it were my life!"
Upon hearing this, several concubines and palace maids who were watching the commotion couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
"Good heavens, the Crown Prince's sweetheart? Who is she?"
"Isn't this aesthetic really weird? They like such ugly ducks?"
"Yeah, this duck is embroidered too abstractly. It has a short neck and a big beak, and it doesn't look very smart."
As Yu Jingchuan listened to the whispers around him, his handsome face turned bright red, almost as if it were about to bleed.
He couldn't help but loudly explain, "These aren't ducks! They're mandarin ducks! Mandarin ducks, symbols of love!"
"Enough!"
Consort Mei finally lost her temper and trembled with anger. She was about to slap him, but she held back halfway through the motion.
She glared at her son with exasperation, and scolded him in a low voice.
"How long are you going to embarrass yourself like this! I told you long ago not to associate with that palace maid! She's cunning and scheming, and you can't control her! Look at you! Now you're even risking your life for her!"
"What palace maid?"
Yuen Wah spoke up at the opportune moment.
"I'm curious, who could possibly cause you and your son to lose your composure like this?"
Consort Mei and the eldest prince immediately shut their mouths, their expressions becoming extremely unnatural, and their eyes darting away.
Yu Zhaoning, lying on the dragon bed, was trying hard to prop herself up to see what was happening outside and listen to the gossip, but her body was limp and she couldn't muster any strength at all.
[Oh no! I'm so anxious! I'm just watching the drama unfold and I still can't figure it out! System! System! Quickly open the original storyline that was just loaded for me! Who exactly is this palace maid who has the First Prince so infatuated with her?!]
[Ding! Story recap has started.]
Lines of text flashed rapidly through Yu Zhaoning's mind.
When she saw the male lead's name, Yu Zhaoning's small body trembled violently.
[Oh my god! Grandmother!]
[The male protagonist of this book is none other than the First Prince, Yu Jingchuan!]
[No wonder! No wonder he pushed me into the pond! Turns out we're natural enemies! He did it to get revenge for the female lead, and incidentally, to clear me out of her way!]
[How could I be so unlucky! The female lead's hand trembled when she served me tea, spilling scalding hot tea on my hand. My hand was burned raw, red, swollen, and it hurt for days!]
[I only fined her three months' wages and sent her to the laundry department to reflect on her actions—that was already being very lenient! And she's already holding a grudge? She even sent the male lead to mess with me! The First Prince is too ruthless!]
Yuan Hua had been observing coldly, but upon hearing Xin Yu's words, her beautiful phoenix eyes narrowed instantly.
I see.
It turns out that the eldest prince and that palace maid were the so-called destined male and female protagonists in that book.
Okay, very good!
She had originally planned to wait for Zhao Ning to wake up, then find some excuse to poison Yu Jingchuan and end the matter.
But now it seems things aren't that simple.
The so-called protagonists all have an invisible and intangible aura of luck surrounding them; killing them would probably take some effort.
Yuan Hua sneered inwardly. It seemed he needed to devise a plan to send this despicable couple to their doom!
She subtly beckoned to the head eunuch, Fude, standing beside her.
Having served the Empress Dowager for decades, Fude already understood the implication and immediately bowed and approached her.
Yuan Hua whispered a few words in his ear.
Fu De's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure, respectfully replied "Yes," and quietly withdrew.
Seeing this, Cui'er, who had been watching over the side, had a hint of worry in her eyes. After thinking for a moment, she quietly followed.
Inside the palace, Consort Mei was still pleading desperately.
"Empress Dowager! My son was merely bewitched! He truly had no intention of harming His Majesty! Please spare his life!"
"Sister Mei, that's not how it works."
Consort Li, who had remained silent until now, spoke up quietly, a hint of schadenfreude on her face.
"If the Crown Prince is truly innocent, how did he find time to obtain this purse when he was in such a hurry to find His Majesty?"
She paused, then glanced around meaningfully.
"Was there a third person present at the time? That person watched His Majesty drown without calling for help, and instead had the leisure to be all lovey-dovey with the First Prince, and even gave him a token of their love."
Consort Li abruptly changed the subject, suddenly kneeling down before Yuan Hua, her voice filled with sorrow.
"Empress Dowager! This man is treacherous and extremely malicious! He must be conspiring with the First Prince to assassinate His Majesty! I beg the Empress Dowager to investigate thoroughly!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion arose outside the hall.
The chief eunuch, Fude, returned, followed by a trembling palace maid.
Cui'er followed behind, holding something high in her hand, and quickly ran to Yuan Hua.
"Empress Dowager! It's her! This servant just went with Eunuch Fude and saw her trying to hide this purse under the bed! This purse is exactly the same as the one the First Prince was carrying when His Majesty had the accident! She's hiding something!"
Yuan Hua's gaze fell on Cui Yue.
She remembered this palace maid; she had been transferred to Zhaoning Palace a few days ago. She was pretty and charming, but she was a handful.
"You are a palace maid in His Majesty's palace. Why weren't you serving His Majesty when the incident occurred?" Yuan Hua's voice was cold and devoid of any warmth.
Cui Yue was so frightened that she fell to her knees with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly.
"This servant was pruning flowers nearby at the time, but this servant truly did not see His Majesty fall into the water! I beg Your Majesty to see the truth! I beg Your Majesty to spare my life!"
As Yuan Hua listened to her explanation, a mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips.
She slowly turned around, not bothering to look at the panicked couple anymore.
"The evidence is conclusive, what excuses do you have left?"
Her voice resounded throughout the entire hall, leaving no room for doubt.
"Just as Consort Li said, this palace maid was nearby when the incident occurred. She even had time to flirt with the Crown Prince and offer him a purse. How could she not have seen His Majesty fall into the water?"
"Someone come here!"
"Drag these two traitors who plotted to murder the monarch away!"
"Give each of them thirty strokes of the cane! After that, I will personally witness their execution right here in front of this palace!"
"No!"
Consort Mei let out a shrill scream and almost fainted.
Yu Jingchuan was completely dumbfounded. He kowtowed repeatedly, blood streaming down his forehead.
"Grandmother, spare me! Your grandson truly did not intend to harm my sister! Grandmother, spare me!"
Cui Yue, who had just been brought up, was even more bewildered. What was going on? She hadn't even had a chance to explain properly, and now she was going to die?
She also cried out and begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, you are wronged! This servant is wronged!"
However, Yuan Hua's face remained cold and indifferent, showing no emotion whatsoever.
Yu Zhaoning, lying on the dragon bed, was overjoyed.
[Wow! Grandmother is amazing! Grandmother is so domineering! She took care of the male and female leads in no time! Her efficiency is top-notch!]
[Now that's great, I can be my empress in peace, and I don't have to worry about being pushed into the water anymore! Long live the Empress!]
However, before she could even enjoy her happiness for two seconds, a piercing emergency alarm suddenly rang in her mind.
[Beep! Beep! Beep! Emergency Warning! Emergency Warning!]
[Host! Tell your grandmother to stop immediately! Right now! Immediately!]
[Your binding and integration with this system is not yet complete! The male and female protagonists are the core of this world's destiny; if they die now, the world line will experience violent upheaval, and your physical functions will suffer a backlash, deteriorating rapidly! At that point, even a god couldn't save you!]
Yu Zhaoning's smile froze instantly.
What is that?
If they die, will she perish with them?
Why should I?!
[Aaaaaah! System, what are you doing?! They framed me, and I'm supposed to protect them?! What kind of logic is that?! Why should I, your humble servant, be dragged into this mess?!]
I'm so angry!