Chapter 250: Chapter 249 SurrenderQi Wuya sat aloft, looking down with a hint of disappointment in his eyes, "Eldest Princess, at this juncture, the evidence of guilt is conclusive, yet you still seek to argue and even malign me."
As he spoke, he shook his head and sighed, but his words were harsh, "You might not know that your personal maid, Bi He, has confessed everything."
Bi He had not confessed.
She was sent to the Jin Platform by Huo Dingyuan later on.
Along with the Lei brothers.
He hadn’t interrogated them at all.
But that didn’t stop him from bluffing her.
Having learned the inside information through He Hongzhao’s hands the night before,
he now had to find a source for this inside information.
"No! You must have coerced her into confessing!"
Qi Bingshuang’s heart shuddered, but she still stubbornly resisted.
Qi Wuya didn’t take her minor struggles to heart and continued, "Bi He has told everything, you never liked Huo Yu, you married him only to use the Huo Family’s power to pave the way for the Crown Prince. After the Crown Prince secured his position, you despised him for his weakness and ugliness and wanted to kill him. Coincidentally, when he was suffering from his illness and wishing for death, you sought out Jile Powder, mixed it into plum blossom wine, and coaxed him into drinking it. Even now, you have buried several jars of plum blossom wine under the plum trees at the Huo Residence."
Once these pieces of evidence surfaced, they were indisputable.
Even though Qi Bingshuang still believed Bi He wouldn’t betray her, she was left utterly defenseless: Bi He had indeed betrayed her! They had been like sisters for so many years!
"This is framing and scapegoating! I didn’t! I am being wronged!"
She vehemently denied the accusations and looked towards the officials with tears choking her voice, "Esteemed officials, would you just watch as Qi Wuya drives me to death like this? The Father Emperor passed away suddenly, the Crown Prince fell and became unconscious, all princes retreated into their residences, living in constant fear, and now, he is targeting me—how could all these events be mere coincidences? They are all his schemes! He is trying to eliminate the royal bloodline!"
She was at her wits’ end and could only substantiate the accusation that Qi Wuya was plotting against the heir to grasp a lifeline.
Only by denying the man himself could she deny his words.
Why would Qi Wuya act as she wished?
"Since I started ruling on behalf of the Crown Prince, I have worked diligently without daring to make a single mistake, yet to think that I would be slandered and vilified like this, forget it, it is my own overestimation, hoping to dedicate loyalty to Bei Qi—"
He stopped here, stepped down, and pretended to quit.
Seeing this, the officials were all startled: What is this about? With such chaos in Bei Qi, who else could stabilize it without him?
Those who understood the situation hurried forward to persuade, "Ninth Prince, think thrice. Today, the priority should be to clarify the matter of Young Master Huo’s death."
This was reasonable.
Immediately someone echoed, "Yes, Ninth Prince, today the focus should be on the investigation."
"The case is already clear."
Qi Wuya looked towards Huo Dingyuan and delivered the final verdict, "General Huo, go and check under the plum trees in your residence to see if there is plum blossom wine mixed with Jile Powder. If so, everything will be crystal clear."
Huo Dingyuan heard this, remained silent, and bowed deeply.
This was a grand gesture, akin to bowing to a monarch.
The officials were all stunned.
Qi Bingshuang was stunned too: He actually bowed to Qi Wuya! This was his allegiance!
Xue Wen Zhan and Zhang E looked at each other when they saw this and frowned: Had the Eldest Princess become dispensable? Had Huo Dingyuan gone mad? To act so recklessly over a dead son at such a time! What about their collaboration?
"Prime Minister Xue, Governor Zhang, do you also suspect me?"
Qi Bingshuang cried miserably, "My husband was so frail; he was never meant for a long life, why would I harm him? Don’t fall for his trick!"
Xue Wen Zhan, stroking his beard and lowering his eyes, did not speak.
Zhang E, having heard from his son about the scandal between the Eldest Princess and her close guard, started to waver: How many noble women from the royal family were genuinely kind? The most venomous woman’s heart. Huo Yu, the poor boy, had indeed died suddenly, upon reflection.
Seeing that they all remained silent, Qi Bingshuang knew her situation was hopeless.
After her brief surge of fear, she thought of the Crown Prince: what would become of him if she died? Without her as his sister to protect him, he, in his unconscious state, would be utterly defenseless.
Unacceptable.
She had to do something for the Crown Prince.
"You all don’t believe me. Hahaha. None of you believe me."
Qi Bingshuang laughed maniacally, and as she laughed, tears streamed down her face, "Enough, my life may be worthless, and if I die, so be it. I only hope that you ministers, entrusted by the Father Emperor on his deathbed, will consider the Crown Prince. If anything happens to him, how will you face him?"
As she spoke, she pulled out the hairpin from her hair and closed her eyes, "My day is today, yours will be coming. Think about it."
"Snap!"
Wuya timely intervened, using the pearls adorning his hair to flick away the hairpin in Qi Bingshuang’s hand.
"Guards—"
His face grim, he issued a stern order, "Take the Eldest Princess into custody, to prevent her from committing suicide out of fear."
With a clatter,
sword-bearing soldiers rushed in from outside the hall.
They seized Qi Bingshuang’s hands, waiting for Huo Dingyuan to arrive. Sёar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Huo Dingyuan entered, carrying several jars of plum blossom wine.
They checked the evidence on the spot.
Qi Bingshuang was utterly defenseless against the accusations.
"Wicked woman!"
He fiercely slapped her across the face, "You dare harm my son!"
Qi Bingshuang, being held by the soldiers and unable to dodge, received a heavy slap, and blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.
She clenched her neck, her eyes bloodshot, and screamed, "I didn’t! He was living in so much pain, I was saving him! You don’t understand anything! He was tired of living! I was saving him!"
She was deep in her own paranoia.
It was both intentional and inevitable.
She was the Princess of a nation, and even in death, she was unwilling to be burdened with the infamy of killing her husband.
Wuya watched her pitiful state indifferently, turned around, ascended the steps, and resumed his seat at the head, declaring grandly, "Qi Bingshuang, you have no right to decide the life and death of others."
Upon hearing this, Qi Bingshuang scoffed, "Hahaha, Wuya, you are the epitome of hypocrisy! You have killed so many people, you are the last person who has the right to say that! Father Emperor, Wuya has driven me to this! Crown Prince, may your sister in the underworld bless you with a long life! Esteemed ministers—"
Even to the end, she was seeking to win over hearts.
Unable to bear listening any further, Wuya scowled, banged the table, and ordered, "Take her away! Lock her up in the Jin Platform!"
"Let go! Don’t touch me!"
"I am the Princess of Bei Qi!"
"Hahaha, you’ve won, Wuya, you’ve won... you’ve won..."
The voice faded away.
Wuya gazed down at the silent officials and asked gravely, "The crime of the Eldest Princess Qi Bingshuang murdering her husband is confirmed, her title now revoked, and she shall be imprisoned for life in the Jin Platform. Does anyone object?"
No one objected.
There were even some sporadic voices saying, "The Ninth Prince is wise."
Wuya seemed satisfied and pretentiously comforted Huo Dingyuan briefly, then waved his hand, "Dismiss the court."
He had expended great effort to remove the Eldest Princess and dissolve the ties of the Four Great Families.
Next, he would deal with the Crown Prince.