The empress is both charming and seductive, rising through the ranks of palace intrigue.

"Consort Rong, it was you! You were the one who asked me to go and see the golden koi. Did you tamper with the railing?" Consort Xi suddenly realized, her eyes widening as she stared intently at Consort Rong, her gaze almost murderous.

Yes! It's common knowledge that Consort Rong and I are at odds. I hate her intensely, and she hates me just as much. If anyone wants to harm me the most, Consort Rong is definitely number one.

Moreover! She has a royal heir! She definitely doesn't want me to give birth to this child. And I've been spending a lot of time at Thousand Carp Pond lately, which is easy to find out. So she must have done something beforehand.

Consort Rong's brow twitched, and fear and panic welled up within her, which she tried her best to conceal. She retorted, "Does Consort Xi have any evidence? Just now you suspected Consort Ning, and now you suspect me. I haven't gotten close to you, nor have I done anything to you."

Overwhelmed with excitement, her delicately drawn eyebrows flew up.

"Who else could it be but you? You've always hated me to the core! You wished I and the child could have died in the water together. If Consort Ning hadn't saved me... the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

Xi Jieyu's face was contorted with rage, and she struggled to her feet as if she were half-mad. Xiao Yu pressed her hand down and said in a deep voice, "Sit down!"

Consort Xi was stunned, then said sadly, "Your Majesty, it's Consort Rong! It's her!"

A deep gloom hung over Xiao Yujun's handsome face.

The Empress quickly stood up: "Consort Xi, please don't get agitated. Be careful not to harm the imperial heir in your womb. We'll make a decision once the craftsmen arrive."

Consort Rong looked aggrieved and said plaintively, "Your Majesty, I am truly wronged. I have served Your Majesty for nearly eight years. You know me well."

"I naturally understand you." Xiao Yu's tone was calm, but it sounded like frost to Consort Rong, who couldn't help but pull her hands into her sleeves.

The hall remained quiet for a while, each person lost in their own thoughts. Ning Shuyan felt completely relieved for the time being; she should be alright now.

After a while, Yang An brought in the craftsmen. Under the gaze of countless eyes, the craftsmen walked in tremblingly, knelt down and bowed, saying, "This servant greets Your Majesty and Your Highnesses."

Yang An looked at the nervous craftsman and said, "You only need to tell the Emperor what you saw."

The craftsman kowtowed and said, "This servant discovered that the broken edge of the railing in the Thousand Carp Pond is smooth, clearly indicating that it was sawed with a tool. However, the edge on the other side shows signs of tearing."

"If you push it gently with your hand, will the railing break?" Xiao Yu asked sternly.

Just those words made Consort Rong even more nervous and uneasy, a hint of panic flashing across her face.

The Empress stroked the turquoise bracelet, lost in thought.

Ning Shuyan remained calm and composed. These were the words she had been waiting for. She knew that Xiao Yu couldn't possibly have been unaware of this.

Without hesitation, the craftsman replied, "That's for sure. There's only a thin layer of wood hanging there, it'll break with the slightest push."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu's face gradually turned ashen, and his dark robes made his face appear even more colorless, like a dull blue tile, heavy with sorrow.

He waved for the craftsman to leave.

His gaze then swept over Consort Rong with a gloomy look. Consort Rong felt a sharp gaze fall on her, and her hand, hidden in her sleeve, tightened involuntarily.

Consort Xi glared fiercely at Consort Rong, wishing she could stab two bloody holes in her face. "It's Consort Rong!"

At this moment, Consort Xi seemed to remember everything and had a clue. She hurriedly said, "As soon as Consort Rong arrived, she went to the railing. She must have pushed me with her hand and then lured me over. When I got over, the railing loosened, and I lost my balance and fell. Consort Rong is really cunning. Not only is she scheming against my child, but she has also made Consort Ning take the blame."

Ning Shuyan felt a surge of pleasure; Consort Xi had finally come to her senses.

Ning Shuyan looked on with a hint of astonishment and said incredulously, "So Consort Rong planned it this way? If I hadn't saved Consort Xi, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to clear my name even if I jumped into the Yellow River."

"Your Majesty, if Consort Ning hadn't jumped into the water to save me, I'm afraid my unborn child and I wouldn't have seen Your Majesty again!" she cried, her eyes fixed on Consort Rong with hatred.

Consort Rong, her face pale, saw the two talking back and forth. Finally able to interject, she knelt on the ground and defended herself: "I am already one of the four consorts, why would I harm a mere concubine? I am innocent, please, Your Majesty, see the truth."

The Empress nodded slowly, saying incredulously, "Yes, Consort Rong has always been favored by the Emperor and has the eldest prince. Such an honor... Why would Consort Rong be jealous of a mere Jieyu? Your Majesty, this matter must be investigated thoroughly."

Consort Xi sneered: "It's precisely because you have a royal heir that you're afraid my child will affect the eldest prince's position, which is why you're so eager to get rid of him."

Cold sweat trickled down Consort Rong's back, but she tried her best to remain calm: "Nonsense! What evidence do you have that I harmed you?"

Xiao Yu's eyes flashed with two sharp, cold beams, revealing a terrifying killing intent: "If that's the case, then investigate! Investigate who passed through Thousand Carp Pond last night, and who brought anything. Investigate even the imperial bedchamber! If it's found to be related to Qiu Lan Palace, the palace maids and eunuchs will be executed along with their entire families!"

The path beside the Thousand Carp Pond leads to the Phoenix Perch Palace, so guards patrol it regularly. Such tampering must have been done late at night, when very few palace servants enter or leave, making it easier to detect if one or two were involved.

Upon hearing this, Consort Rong clenched her fists tightly, completely panicked. Her mind was preoccupied with whether any evidence had been left behind. She tried desperately to suppress her panic, but her expression still became somewhat abnormal.

Pei'er was already terrified, her face pale. The words "extermination of nine generations of relatives" made her heart leap into her throat.

Pei'er knew they would definitely find her. Yesterday, she covered for Liu Fu and even exchanged a few words with the guards. How could they not find her? Even if they didn't find her, why were the two of them out late at night instead of sleeping?

Pei'er knew that the person before her was the Emperor, and she couldn't hide it from him. If she were to truly implicate nine generations of her family... her own family...

A profound terror gripped her entire body. Pei'er kowtowed, "This servant confesses. It was this servant who tampered with the railing. It was also this servant... it was this servant who, while standing beside Your Highness, shifted slightly in front of the railing."

Consort Xi's chest heaved, anger surging between her brows. Looking at Xiao Yu, her expression turned utterly sorrowful. She cried out, "Your Majesty, you must do justice for me and the child in my womb!"

Consort Rong glared at Pei'er, her eyes filled with a terrifying light.