Chapter 61: Another Scheme in the Palace (Part 1)

  Last night, deep into the night, Qu Zhen said she was hungry and wanted to eat some snacks. Qing Bi went to the kitchen of the Wang Fu to get some. Who knew that all the snacks in the kitchen had been taken by Princess Jiao Luo? The kitchen could only make new ones, which took a lot of time.

  When Qing Bi returned with the snacks, she heard a commotion inside Qu Zhen's room. She listened through the door and heard Qu Zhen crying and scolding someone: "You bastard, I'll tell the king to kill you!"

  Another voice, like that of a public crier, laughed slyly and said: "Ha! Do you think the king will kill me for your sake? You're just a woman, after all. With my military achievements, I can take Jiao Luo as my own. Who knows, maybe the king will even grant her to me."

  Qing Bi looked up at Huo Yan, who was standing with an iron face, his lips tightly pursed, staring straight ahead.

  Qing Bi bit her lip and thought that since things had already gone this far, she might as well reveal everything. She would help Gu Li Ai get rid of Jiao Luo and save Qing Sang from danger.

  Having made up her mind, Qing Bi continued: "I heard the two of them talking and was very scared. I didn't dare to enter the room rashly. Just as I was hesitating whether to call the guards, I heard Qu Zhen suddenly cry out for help. She called out twice and then fell silent. I heard footsteps inside the room and was afraid that someone would come out, so I quickly hid in a dark corner to watch the door. A moment later, someone opened the door and put their fingers in their mouth to whistle loudly. After a short while, a person carrying someone on their back entered the room, and the original person in the room stood guard outside. After a while, the person who had carried someone in came out alone, and the person guarding the door asked if they had followed Princess Jiao Luo's instructions. The person replied that they had done everything according to her wishes. The two of them then left."

  Qing Bi said all this in one breath, took a deep breath, and continued: "I pushed open the door and entered the room just as Qu Zhen was lying on the ground, her clothes disheveled, and an unconscious young man was lying on top of her. I was so scared that I dropped all the snacks on the floor. I thought that if I cried out at that moment, I would definitely be silenced by Princess Jiao Luo. So I closed the door and ran back to my room."

  Qing Bi finished speaking and kowtowed.

  The courtyard fell silent, with no one daring to make a sound.

  After a while, Jiao Luo shouted: "I'm innocent! Everything this person said is nonsense!"

  "I spoke the truth!" Qing Bi also shouted.

  Huo Yan thundered: "Jiao Luo, I remember that last night I invited Ah Ga to drink wine together at your residence. Why didn't he come?"

  Jiao Luo trembled and replied: "My sister-in-law was pregnant and suddenly fainted yesterday evening, so my brother couldn't come."

  "Why didn't you report this to me?" Huo Yan asked.

  Jiao Luo continued: "At that time, the king had already ordered Zhan Lu to pass on a message saying that he would dine at the Grand Empress's residence. So I didn't report it to the king."

  Huo Yan fell silent for a moment before suddenly bursting out laughing.

  Everyone was so scared that they lowered their heads.

  "Jiao Luo, do you know what happens when someone conspires with an external general?" Huo Yan asked.

  Jiao Luo cried again and shouted: "I'm really innocent! Don't believe me? You can summon General Hei to confront him!"

  Huo Yan coldly looked at her and said: "You still dare to be stubborn? There's no need to summon General Hei. I'm afraid the Grand Empress already has evidence in hand."

  As he finished speaking, Huo Yan glanced sideways...

  Guliya smiled slightly and said, "Indeed, nothing can be hidden from the king." After finishing speaking, she whispered something in Wangmu's ear. Before long, someone brought in a young man. The man knelt down and kowtowed as soon as he saw King Rong. "Report your name!" King Rong commanded. "I am Yu Ti, under General Hei'er's command. Last night, the general told me that Princess Jialuo had instructed him to have me bring the drunken Prince Dage to Concubine Quzheng's quarters in Princess Jialuo's palace." Yu Ti said everything in a straightforward manner. "No, you're lying!" Princess Jialuo shouted in a flustered tone: "It must be the empress who told you to say that, right?" "I wouldn't dare lie, and there is Lord Yan Gong as witness. Please, Your Majesty, investigate." Yu Ti said. Isn't Lord Yan Gong on the empress's side? Thinking about today's events, it seems that Princess Jialuo shouldn't have known anything, but the empress had secretly sent someone to inform her. Moreover, she hadn't appeared until now, and as soon as she did, she played a crucial role. It seems that all these key figures were pointing to Princess Jialuo being in danger. It looks like Guliya is the real mastermind behind the scenes. She used Princess Jialuo's plan to trap Su He, then turned the tables and set up another scheme to get rid of Princess Jialuo. This is truly a clever plan within a plan. Qing Sang realized the current situation in her mind and also sounded an alarm for herself: In Beirong, no one can be underestimated. Just as everyone was waiting for King Rong's order to summon Lord Yan Gong, Huoran gave an order instead: "Strip Princess Jialuo of her title and demote her to Shun Chang. Have her live in seclusion in Xin De."

  Here is the translation:

  The crowd was puzzled as to why King Rong did not continue with the trial, but no one dared to speak out.

  Huo Ran finished speaking and walked away, leaving the women to their struggles.

  "Jia Luo, get up and leave!" The Grand Empress revealed a triumphant smile.

  Jia Luo glared at Guli Ayi, her eyes filled with hatred. "You shouldn't be so quick to celebrate. One day, I will rise again, and when that day comes, I will make you wish you were dead."

  Guli Ayi smiled nonchalantly. "I look forward to that day."

  Jia Luo used all her strength to stand up, but her legs were numb from kneeling for too long. She almost fell over, but was caught by Sang Zhuo, who tried to help her up.

  "Get away!" Jia Luo shouted, pushing Sang Zhuo away.

  Sang Zhuo had betrayed her, and Jia Luo was furious.

  "Sang Zhuo is hereby stripped of her noble title and returned to her slave status. She will be sent to Xinde with Jia Luo." The Grand Empress's decree was met with Sang Zhuo's anguished wails.

  Qing Sang didn't understand the customs of Beirong, but she knew that being a slave was a terrible fate. And Xinde probably wasn't a good place either.

  The struggle had left Qing Sang exhausted. She felt dizzy and nauseous, and her abdomen was aching. She instinctively covered her belly with her hand.

  Just then, Fu Xi saw Qing Sang swaying and rushed to support her. "Princess!"

  Qing Sang leaned against Fu Xi's shoulder, feeling weak. "Dage, you and Bao Feng are both injured. Please return to the manor and rest. I will take care of things here."

  Fu Xi nodded and instructed Ma Xi and the other slaves to escort Qing Sang back to the manor. He also ordered Wang Mu to summon a doctor to examine their injuries.

  Qing Sang stopped him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Wait... Bao Feng has one more request."

  "What is it, child?" Guli Ayi asked, smiling warmly at Qing Sang.

  "I want... this... Pu Qingbi," Qing Sang said, her thoughts growing cloudy.

  Guli Ayi's expression changed, and she grasped Qing Sang's hand. "Bao Feng, I will choose some good servants for you. This Pu Qingbi is not trustworthy..."

  Qing Sang knew that Guli Ayi was trying to stall, but she also knew that she had to bring Pu Qingbi with her. She summoned all her strength and pushed Fu Xi away, rushing to Guli Ayi's side.

  "Please, Mother... grant my wish," Qing Sang begged, grasping Guli Ayi's hand.

  Guli Ayi saw the desperation in Qing Sang's eyes and hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

  As Pu Qingbi was led away by two servants, Qing Sang smiled weakly. But then she fainted again.

  When she woke up, it was already the second day.

  "Princess, you're finally awake," Fu Xi said, smiling at her.

  Qing Sang opened her eyes to see Fu Xi's concerned face. "Your injuries..."

  Fu Xi waved his hand dismissively. "I'm fine. I've been practicing martial arts since I was young, so a few lashes won't hurt me. But you... you're not well."

  Qing Sang tried to sit up, but the pain in her shoulder made her cry out.

  Fu Xi rushed to support her, helping her sit up slowly and adjusting her pillows to make her more comfortable.

  "Don't say that," Qing Sang said weakly. "That day's events were not just Jia Luo's plan. There must have been someone else behind it all."

  Fu Xi nodded thoughtfully. "I think you're right. It was as if everyone was working together that day - Zhen Gong, Hei Er, Jia Luo, and the Grand Empress. They can't all be on the same side..."

  Just then, Ma Xi's voice came from outside, announcing the arrival of Huo Ran and Guli Ayi.

  Qing Sang and Fu Xi exchanged a glance, and Fu Xi patted her hand reassuringly before getting up to open the door.