"Empress, why are you looking like that—?" Emperor Yongning asked.
The Empress stammered, "No, no, Your Majesty must have seen wrong."
The Empress withdrew a little, no longer staring at Jun Ning with a murderous look. Instead, she changed her tactic, gesturing behind Emperor Yongning’s back with a killing gesture directed at Jun Ning.
A slicing motion, like slitting a throat.
But how could Jun Ning be easily frightened? Read full story at 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝙣𝙚𝙩
He was not supposed to speak, yet he insisted on speaking, so rebellious!
Without hesitation, Jun Ning relayed everything he had overheard and seen when he stumbled upon the Empress’s nephew abusing the servants at midnight, completely overlooking the Empress’s threatening gesture, reciting it all verbatim to Emperor Yongning. After hearing this, Emperor Yongning already had a vague suspicion in his heart and cast a sidelong glance at the Empress.
"Xiao Lizi, go to Jiaofang Palace and invite the Empress’s nephew to see me."
Once the Empress’s nephew was seen, everything became clear.
The single glance from Emperor Yongning left the Empress’s heart in turmoil. She withdrew her gaze from Emperor Yongning, lowered her head, and stared at her collar. For a long while, she seemed to be plotting something in her mind, but she never looked up.
Soon enough, the Empress’s nephew, Fu Wen, was brought in.
He was slightly older than Jun Ning and Jun Yu, just four years old this year.
In his daily life, he often behaved arrogantly toward the servants, but in front of Emperor Yongning, he was terrified to the point of trembling uncontrollably, thinking he had committed some wrongdoing which led to his summoning, his heart filled with panic.
If he were a little older, he might have known how to hide this panic, but with his age, being merely four, how could he possibly understand?
As soon as he entered, Fu Wen knelt on the ground, sweating profusely, and said, "Your... Your Majesty, Fu Wen has never erred since entering the palace... Mr. Li..." Why was I brought here?
Before Fu Wen could finish these words, a cold glare from the Empress silenced him.
Upon his entrance to the palace, the Empress had explicitly warned him not to speak carelessly and to act according to her signals.
With just a look, Fu Wen understood the Empress’s intention, keeping quiet, saying little.
All the movements of the Empress and Fu Wen were observed by Emperor Yongning, yet he said nothing. Still, during the subsequent questioning, it was evident that Fu Wen responded to every question by seeking the Empress’s cues.
He asked, "When did you enter the palace?"
Fu Wen sneaked a glance at the Empress, "Half a month ago."
Emperor Yongning: "And why have you lingered in the palace for so long?"
Fu Wen again looked toward the Empress, and upon seeing the Empress’s signal, he replied, "My aunt was ill, so I wished to stay longer to accompany her."
Emperor Yongning: "I heard your aunt wanted you to be a companion for Seventeen?"
Fu Wen looked toward the Empress once more, saw her shake her head, then denied, "No such thing."
Upon hearing this answer, the Empress breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Fu Wen persisted in denying, Jun Ning’s words would be baseless accusations, and even if His Majesty followed his suspicion, he could do nothing against them.
Emperor Yongning listened, frustrated, and slammed the table, "Fu Wen, without looking at the Empress’s cues, can’t you answer questions by yourself?"
Startled by the table slam, Fu Wen fell to his knees with a thud, his words stammering, "No, no."
"Then I will ask you again, have you been beating and verbally abusing the servants in the middles of the night, boasting that you would soon replace Ning and become the Seventeenth’s companion?"
How could His Majesty know about such a secret matter?
Fu Wen’s face turned a ghastly shade.