Chapter 0056: The So-Called Art of Sorcery

Chapter 0056: The So-Called Art of Sorcery

How could he not be furious?

Suppressing his anger, he sat down: "Speak. I wish to see who dares to be so bold."

Everyone was silent as Xu Baolin cautiously said, "Your Majesty, when my servant went to the Internal Affairs Department, she saw this pink brocade being given to Qi Xiaoyi. Qi Xiaoyi has always been at odds with the consort and me. Surely, she harbors resentment and has cursed the consort."

All eyes turned to Yunli.

Yunli remained calm, as He Jinli also looked at her, "You speak."

"Your Majesty, I do not know why Xu Baolin is shifting the blame, but I believe at this moment, you are not interested in these so-called grievances."

She looked at Xu Baolin: "Let's just state the facts between us."

"Don't try to wriggle out of this. There's a record of the fabric you took, denying it won't help," said Xu Baolin.

Yunli responded coolly: "Three points. First, I don't sew. This sort of thing, no one dares to delegate. Second, my pink brocade hasn't been touched and can be brought as is for inspection. Third, you're overestimating your importance."

He Jinli slightly furrowed his brow: "Go fetch it."

Meng Chang didn't dare send someone else and personally went with Zhu Yu to retrieve it.

The Empress said, "Since there's evidence, this should be easy. Xu Baolin, what else do you have to say?"

Xu Baolin stammered, "That... that doesn't prove it wasn't her..."

Yunli scoffed, "You used the brocade to accuse me. Now that mine is untouched, why do you still insist it's me?"

"Don't be so stubborn, let's see it first," retorted Xu Baolin.

Yunli simply ignored her.

Only then did He Jinli instruct everyone to rise.

He glanced at the Empress, thinking she was still young. Such matters should not have been made known to everyone.

Soon, the items were brought in and matched perfectly with the Internal Affairs Department's records, nothing missing.

Xu Baolin's face fell, and she no longer dared to adamantly accuse Yunli.

She merely admitted she was mistaken.

Yet, Yunli coldly laughed: "When I was studying, I also read stories. It's my first time seeing a curse using such fabric. I have some doubts. First, Xu Baolin immediately accused me, which is suspicious. The brocade she thought was evidence is now not. Yet, she claims to have seen me with it, hence her suspicion. Now, I suspect she used what she saw to frame me. I ask His Majesty to discern the truth. Another point, no one would curse a petty, unloved Xu Baolin. She's just adding fuel to the fire."

"Nonsense! I didn't!" Xu Baolin exclaimed anxiously.

"Silence, investigate," ordered He Jinli.

Meng Chang quickly responded and continued checking the records: "Your Majesty, this batch of pink brocade was only distributed to Qi Xiaoyi."

It wasn't that she was so favored, but rather there were several colors of this fabric, and few in the harem received it.

So, due to a twist of fate, only Yun Li had it.

Yun Li said, "Even if only I received it, there must be more than this one piece of pink fabric in the Internal Affairs Department. Since the Rosy Cloud Brocade is a valuable item, there wouldn’t be too much of it. Whoever has handled it, or who it was given to, using a little for two dolls’ clothes wouldn’t require much, and it seems enough could be obtained from trimming the remnants."

Her reasoning was sound and convincing, gradually easing the intense anger that He Jingli had just felt.

"Go and investigate, I will wait here."

Meng Chang hurried off, and the Empress also sent her own eunuch to follow.

At this moment, Consort Jin De said, "I always thought Qi Xiaoyi was straightforward, but I didn’t expect her to be so incisive when it really mattered. It seems that my sister has been hiding her talents all this time."

Yun Li lifted her chin, "Her Majesty is right, I hid my talents just for harmony, playing the fool has its merits. Not competing with my sisters for anything. But now it seems, whether one is foolish or wise, either way, someone will harm you."

Consort Jin De sighed, "If you have indeed been wronged, His Majesty will not let it pass."

She then looked at the Noble Consort, "Noble Consort, why are you so silent? The matter of witchcraft... if it really involves Qi Xiaoyi..."

She didn’t finish her sentence, but the implication was clear.

Indeed, if it really involved Qi Xiaoyi, it would lead to a catastrophe of family extermination.

Even if the Qi family was powerful, escaping unscathed from this would be absolutely impossible.

Before the Noble Consort could speak, Yun Li mocked, "Because our eldest sister is so engrossed in the privileges of her position, if it was indeed me who caused her downfall, she is innocent. With her many years of affection with His Majesty, it wouldn’t be difficult to plead and save the Qi family."

"Shut your mouth!" the Noble Consort shouted angrily.

He Jingli suddenly threw his teacup to the ground, shattering it with a loud crash, and the hall fell silent.

Everyone promptly knelt down, and Yunli said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I will not speak rashly again."

She swiftly admitted her reckless speech, gracefully providing the consort with a way out.

Yet, despite this, the consort still felt a burning shame on her face.

He Jinli glanced over the sisters before saying, "Empress, please rise."

The Empress stood up: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Your health is important."

There was no way to persuade otherwise; it was unclear if someone was plotting something significant, or if it was merely the concubines vying for favor and eliminating rivals.

By the time Meng Chang and Yu Haisheng returned, nearly an hour had passed.

But the matter was quickly clarified.

"Your Majesty, a minor steward in the Internal Affairs Department confessed. It was Xu Baolin's maid who asked for it, supposedly for making shoe uppers. They gave it because she paid, not knowing its intended use," they reported.

Xu Baolin could no longer kneel steadily, trembling all over, seemingly ready to confess without coercion.

"The people involved have been detained; they were unaware of the purpose," Meng Chang said.

He Jinli smiled faintly: "Very well."

He stood up: "Xu Baolin, lift your head."

Xu Baolin trembled more violently, barely managing to lift her head to look at He Jinli.

"So, it was you, my love, who crafted that thing to frame Qi Xiaoyi, wasn't it?" He Jinli asked softly, his expression deceptively gentle.

Whether out of sheer fear or something else, Xu Baolin confessed, "Yes... it was me. I just hated her, why should she live alone? I wanted to live here. The entire palace knows the consort is out of favor, that His Majesty despises her, yet I'm assigned here, barely seeing His Majesty. I... I framed her. It would be best if she and her sister both got into trouble!"

Everyone was at a loss for words, astounded by the madness of it all.

The Empress sighed, "Did you ever consider the consequences of your actions? His Majesty will surely see through them. How could you be so confident of escaping punishment?"

Xu Baolin remained silent, realizing she hadn’t thought that far ahead.

All she had wondered was why Yun Li didn’t use such fine fabric. If only Yun Li had used it, she wouldn’t have escaped blame. If the fabric had been sent to the embroidery department, Yun Li would have been unable to explain. Why didn’t she use it?

So, she asked, "Why didn’t you use such fine fabric?"