Gu Youyou was genuinely afraid that the Empress would have someone inquire further, so she hastily replied, "The commoner suspects that such a fine quality Jade Pendant could not have been afforded by the Boater, which is why when the commoner first purchased it, she did indeed ask the Boater about the origins of this Jade Pendant."
"Where did it come from?" the Empress asked eagerly.
What exactly had happened to Xiao Qinqin in those days and her subsequent whereabouts, her escape to Qi Mountain, were the things he had always wanted to know.
Gu Youyou said, "He mentioned that it was given to him by someone who took his boat but did not have the Silver to pay for the fare, claiming that the Jade Pendant would serve to cover the boat fare."
The Empress’s old maidservant, Li Momo, whispered something in her ear, after which the Empress slightly nodded her head.
Others might not have heard, but Gu Youyou heard it crystal clear.
What Li Momo told the Empress was that Xiao Qinqin indeed had fled to Lingnan back in the day. She was relentlessly pursued and had to endure hardships, living in the open without shelter. The possibility of her taking a boat without the Silver to pay for it made it very likely that what Gu Youyou had said was true.
After hearing these words, Gu Youyou breathed a sigh of relief, as she had passed the test with the Empress.
Moreover, this Jade Pendant belonged to Jin Zijin, signifying his identity.
Regardless of whether he wanted it back or not, she had always intended to return it to him.
Now, in her cowardice, in an attempt to save her life, she had sold his Jade Pendant.
Oh, that’s not right; it wasn’t she who sold it. After all, she spoke the truth about Jin Zijin who hadn’t brought Silver and had given the Jade Pendant to the Boater as payment for the boat fare. She indeed purchased it back with real money.
"The Emperor has arrived, the Empress Dowager has arrived..."
Just at that moment, a eunuch’s voice, neither too sharp nor too dull, drew out from outside the hall.
Shortly after, both the Emperor and the Empress Dowager simultaneously appeared in Zhaoyang Hall.
The Empress, holding the Qingluan Jade Pendant, seemed somewhat at a loss.
Caught in the excitement of the moment, she hadn’t thought of how to broach the subject with the Emperor and Empress Dowager.
The people in Zhaoyang Hall knelt down in unison, greeting the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.
"We greet Your Majesty the Emperor, Empress Dowager!"
The Emperor, looking at everyone, saw clearly that there had been a fierce engagement here.
Aside from the Empress, not a single person was presentable.
And there was a woman, dressed only in her undergarments; appearing like that before the Emperor was a grave offense.
Gu Youyou thought to herself that she was indeed unlucky today.
But though Jin Fengzhao was not just in her undergarments, her disheveled appearance was even worse than Gu Youyou’s—the garments that she had been wearing were now torn to shreds, hanging from her body.
The Emperor, seeing this scene, was somewhat taken aback and said sternly, "Rise, all of you."
His gaze then fell on the Empress’s hand, and his eyes abruptly darkened.
"Why is this Qingluan Jade Pendant in the Empress’s hand?"
Since the Emperor had brought it up, the Empress dared not keep holding it and hastened to hand over the Qingluan Jade Pendant to the Emperor.
She thought: Since this item should be passed down through sons and not daughters, handing it over to the Emperor could mean that it would be returned to her.
"Your Majesty, the consort has only just seen this Jade Pendant herself. According to Doctor Gu, it is something she happened to purchase. A person who took a boat without Silver to pay the fare gave this Jade Pendant to the Boater as payment, and Doctor Gu saw it and bought the Jade Pendant with a considerable sum," the Empress said.
The Emperor turned his gaze to Gu Youyou and asked, "Is that so?"
Since Gu Youyou did not lie but merely withheld who gave the Jade Pendant to the Boater, she replied without a change of expression, "Your Majesty, it is indeed so."
Since the Jade Pendant had not passed through the hands of the Empress Dowager or that of its former owner, she did not recognize it.
She felt that at such a critical juncture, focusing on some Jade Pendant that appeared out of nowhere was really improper; addressing the current situation should be the priority.