Rebirth of the Phoenix Princess novel Chapter 681

Lady Xian kept sitting straight and said nothing.

Xia Huanyu cast a cold glance at her and said, "Someone, take the craftsman here. Then send someone to search the craftsman's house and the pharmacist's.

Lady Xian still kept silent.

The empress kept frowning, seeming incredulous. After a while, she looked at Lady Xian and said, "I never thought it was you."

"If you are out to condemn someone, you can always trump up a charge." As soon as the empress finished speaking, Lady Xian smiled coldly with a hint of despair in her eyes. "Lady Rui has prepared all the evidences, what else can I say? My father was just an ordinary businessman and could be at Lady Rui's disposal. Lady Rui could say whatever she likes. I have nothing to say."

She paused for a moment, and continued with a smile, "What reason do I have to murder Lady Hui who is junior to me? Because of my background, I didn't get a high position in the imperial household and has never the emperor's favorite. I was not lucky enough to give birth to children for his majesty, but his majesty visited me at least twice a month. Not much, but much better than many ladies in the imperial household. I have always been contented. You might say that I was jealous of Lady Hui for she was having a baby, but there are a lot of princes and princesses in the imperial palace. Why should I envy the one with an unborn baby?" In Yun Shang's opinion, lady Sharon was only a lady who liked dressing and beautiful jewelry. She was the same as many concubines in the deep palace who didn't fight with each other for anything. She was scheming, but not that sophisticated. However, Yun Shang seemed to have a completely new appraisal of Lady Xian. She looked like a desperate person who was telling her last words, but she tried her best to defend herself.

Yun Shang smiled with appreciation. "I have asked myself the same question Lady Xian asked when I found that the apprentice pharmacist called Mingcai works for the Wangs' mansion."

Yun Shang took a quick glance at Lady Xian. She was in a light purple imperial dress and wore two blue gemstone hairpins on her bun. She was wearing an exquisite makeup. Although she was in her thirties, her skin was as white as jade, and her lips were bright red.

"I was thinking about this question before I went out, but when I got out, I suddenly understood. I'm afraid Lady Xian couldn't stay calm when it comes to his majesty's favor. And I think it's most likely the reason she has done such a thing. It hasn't been long since I came to the State of Xia, so I have just met Lady Xian for several times. But I found that Lady Xian loves to walk around in the palaces of the concubines who are being favored by his majesty. When Lady Xiang was being favored, I could always see Lady Xian when I visited Xiang Zhu Palace occasionally. And it was the same after Lady Hui got favored."

Yun Shang fixed her eyes on Lady Xian, carefully observing every subtle expression on her face.

"Besides, I noticed that Lady Xian always dressed herself up carefully every time she walked around in the palaces of the concubines. She might have thought that she could see his majesty often if she stayed with his favorite concubines. I occasionally saw Lady Xian at other places, she wasn't dressed as meticulously as she was in the Xiang Zhu Palace. And last time when his majesty got ill, the empress issued an order that all the ladies should not disturb his majesty. The next day, I came into the imperial palace because of Prince Rui's missing. When I went out of the Taiji hall, I saw Lady Xian who seemed to have come specially to visit his majesty."

Yun Shang looked at Lady Xian who had been sitting quietly, with calmness in her eyes.

"Maybe Lady Xian admired the emperor so much that she became jealous when she saw that a young lady who just entered the Imperial Palace was able to be favored and soon pregnant. I'm afraid it's not as Lady Xian said that she hasn't done anything to other concubines. It's just what she is able to do is very limited. This time, Lady Hui happened to move into the Xiang Zhu Palace and needed some furniture, So Lady Xian caught the chance."

Yun Shang talked for a long time, but Lady Xian didn't say a word. When Yun Shang stopped, Lady Xian smiled again. "All I want to say is that if you are out to condemn someone, you can always trump up a charge. After saying that, Lady Xian turned her head to Yun Shang. With a weird look in her eyes, she smiled more brightly. "Lady Rui, do you think you can stop others just by blocking A Nian? Given Prince Rui's status, it's impossible that he won't marry other women. When Prince Rui marrys many concubines. You will understand my suffering."

"Really?" Luo Qingyan, who had been sitting next to Yun Shang, gave a brittle laugh.

Yun Shang turned around to glance at Luo Qingyan. Then she smiled and looked at Lady Xian again. "Not to mention that I will never suffer this. Even if I will, I won't be so disgraced like you. I will never lose my own character and demeanor." Xia Huanyu said in a cold voice, "Is that enough?"

Lady Xian's body trembled all of a sudden. She smiled bitterly and closed her mouth and eyes.

No one spoke for a long time in the hall. After a long while, the servant sent by Xia Huanyu came hastily to report, "Your majesty, the craftsman has poisoned himself."

Hearing that, Xia Huanyu stood up all of a sudden. With an expression of fury on his face, he asked, "What happened? Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on him? How could he commit suicide?"

The servant was shocked too. He knelt down in a hurry and reported, "We have been keeping an eye on him. But your majesty said we should not kill him in case of alerting the enemy. The servants from the Imperial Household Department said that the craftsman worked as usual today. But he crouched in a corner after he came here in the morning, head down, dozing off. As he always did before, no one noticed that he had no breathing until just now."

Xia Huanyu frowned and glanced at Lady Xian. Then he slapped on the armrest of the chair, waved his hand and said, "You can leave."