Volume One, Chapter 17: One Pot, Three Ways to Shift the Blame—No Matter How You Do It, You Still Keep Your Dignity
“Miss Yu, you can’t resort to slander and threaten my life just because of some minor misunderstanding between us,” Wen Shiyan said fearfully, waving her hands repeatedly, looking like a pawn experiencing a grand scene for the first time.
That very sentence cleverly shifted the topic.
Whispers arose around the table:
“How do these two still have connections?”
“Why not? I heard Miss Yu was beaten on the street recently, but the news was quickly suppressed—I don’t know if it’s true.”
“Beaten? You mean the other party was just an insignificant imperial physician?”
“Ha! How can that be tolerated?”
“...”
Yu Mingyue’s neck flushed with anger. She hadn’t expected the person who was even more arrogant than her on the street that day to be such a skilled actor in an instant.
She clenched her palm. “Do you think I would dare lie before the emperor over a mere garment? Stop stirring trouble and confusing right and wrong before His Majesty. What you’re really talking about is your dealings with the princess!”
Immediately, someone caught the hidden meaning in her words:
“So there’s some truth to it?”
“Heavens, Miss Yu really was beaten by him!”
“Ha! If Miss Yu isn’t petty, then who is?”
“...”
Zhu Fenghua heard the mention of garments and understood immediately.
He recalled rising in the middle of the night to see the white fox fur cloak drifting ghostlike in the courtyard... no wonder.
Zhu Fenghua looked toward Liang Jiang and was surprised to find that she seemed utterly indifferent to Wen Shiyan being troubled—quite unusual.
He had seen Liang Jiang’s fierce protectiveness before. Had the two quarreled? Was it because of him?
Noticing his gaze, Liang Jiang returned a disdainful glance when he offered her a drink.
This only confirmed Zhu Fenghua’s suspicions.
Seeing that no one cared about Wen Shiyan’s fault and everyone was mocking her, Yu Mingyue tossed her sleeve and directly appealed to the empress, “Your Majesty, you govern the harem. You cannot ignore the matter of the princess secretly meeting with the imperial physician!”
Everyone suspected clandestine meetings between the two, but with Yu Mingyue declaring it so openly, many young ladies blushed with embarrassment.
The empress glanced at the emperor’s expression before saying, “I also find this matter suspicious. If left unclear, it could harm the princess’s reputation. Imperial Physician Wen, do you have any explanation?”
Yu Mingyue curled her lips into a smirk, as if to say, “You’re doomed.”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, I have no private dealings with the princess,” Wen Shiyan said resolutely, denying it outright. “Besides, the princess resides at the Jiqiu Palace year-round, and I am at the Imperial Medical Institute daily. The princess is in good health, and I have no reason to disobey orders.”
Yu Mingyue retorted, “Of course you wouldn’t visit the princess without cause. There must be some secret reason.”
“What reason?” Wen Shiyan’s gaze sharpened as she pressed for an answer.
“Well...” Yu Mingyue hesitated, barely swallowing her next words, then said, “How would I know? Anyway, there is one!”
“For example?”
Yu Mingyue was not particularly clever. Wen Shiyan had almost concluded that Liang Nianci’s accidental poisoning was caused by Yu Mingyue’s scheming behind the scenes.
No wonder this lifetime her path had crossed with Liang Nianci’s unexpectedly—it was because she had tangled with Yu Mingyue earlier, altering the original course.
This explained everything.
“For example,” Yu Mingyue placed her hands on her hips, glancing at the shadow behind the screen with confidence, “you have heard Jiqiu Palace is remote; first there was poisoning, then under the guise of a physician, you bullied the princess’s innocence and committed vile acts!”
She pointed angrily at the straight-backed Wen Shiyan.
The room erupted in shock. Such bold and specific accusations made many wonder if Yu Mingyue possessed concrete evidence.
Zhu Fenghua’s gentle jawline tightened. He stood up, brushed his sleeve, and spoke evenly, “Miss Yu, did you witness this yourself, or is it hearsay?”
Wen Shiyan turned, surprised that Zhu Fenghua, usually so cautious, was the first to speak up for her.
She bowed slightly in gratitude.
Zhu Fenghua shook his head gently, signaling her not to worry. “The upright have nothing to fear from shadows. Don’t bow your head and confess to crimes you did not commit just because of pressure.”
Their brief eye contact was observed by Liang Jiang.
He rested his forehead on his hand, and as a glass resembling a multicolored glazed goblet slipped from his fingers and shattered, the crisp sound caught everyone’s attention.
Everyone assumed the third prince was displeased about the princess’s affair, and that the young imperial physician would suffer grievously.
But he smiled wryly, “Mother has not spoken yet. Why are you all arguing?”
Immediately, faces flushed with varied emotions:
‘Growing up under the empress is different—calling her mother so cheerfully, yet not caring about your own sister.’
‘All the empress’s years of teaching wasted. No one can miss the sarcasm in that ‘mother’.’
The empress nodded politely, though her smile didn’t reach her eyes. She had intended to let the rumors escalate, but now had no choice but to stop and subtly pressed three fingers toward Yu Mingyue, appearing generous and impartial.
“Imperial Physician Wen, do you admit to Miss Yu’s accusations? Just now, I heard clearly that the princess recognized you by voice.”
Sweat broke out on Wen Shiyan’s forehead. She knew who was orchestrating this charade, but how could she explain what had just happened?
She couldn’t say she was unaware—that perhaps the princess had dreamed of her?
Absurd!
“Imperial Physician Wen?” the empress pressed.
Yu Mingyue smiled brightly, “You have no way to deny now!”
“Imperial Physician Wen...” Zhu Fenghua murmured anxiously.
Only the princess herself could clear this matter, but Miss Yu had accused her for so long with no response, almost as if deliberately...
Wait, could these two be conspiring together?
How could it be otherwise?
Dragging Wen Shiyan down regardless of reputation—what grievance did she have with the princess?
Or was the third prince the mastermind behind it all?
Zhu Fenghua’s heart grew increasingly uneasy.
Wen Shiyan swallowed nervously. Without prior collusion, one lie would require countless others to cover it up. No matter how perfect the falsehood, it could not withstand scrutiny and might reveal flaws.
Therefore...
“Reporting to Your Majesty, this matter is not suitable for me to explain. It would be best for His Highness the Third Prince to clear the princess’s name as well as mine.”
Passing the blame!
All eyes turned to Liang Jiang.
“Does the third prince have a hand in this?” The empress was eager to drag him into the fray.
Liang Jiang’s gaze finally fell on the one kneeling in the center, who stared back without blinking.
He took a deep breath, savoring the moment of being needed and implored, then said leisurely, “What does this have to do with me?”
Ignoring the empress’s cooling expression, Liang Jiang beckoned behind the screen, “Princess, Miss Yu has gone to great lengths to defend you. It’s time for you to speak.”
The blame shifted back.
The screen was pulled away, revealing Liang Nianci with tear-filled, reddened eyes. Despite her ridiculous attire, she was touching.
“Yes, I had some dealings with Imperial Physician Wen not long ago.”