The Slender Waist-Chapter 351 - 247: Really Eating People

A voice cried out, hoarse and exhausted.

Like an invisible curse, it spread through the hall.

The maids of Jiafu Hall to whom they belonged were self-evident...

Fang Fucai approached Li Sangruo, choking back tears as he knelt, "Your Highness, I too bear responsibility in this matter, but no matter what, Xiuyin and Meiyin are also people of the Jiafu Hall. If they are sent to the Imperial Cavalry Division, once word gets out... What kind of talk is that?"

He cast an accusing glance at Pang Gui.

"The Imperial Cavalry Division is meant to eliminate traitors and punish the wicked for the Imperial Court, not a place for abuse of private punishment..."

Pang Gui dared not speak.

"Great General," Li Sangruo looked at Pei Jue, her eyes filled with coldness, "Are you saying that even people from my chambers are subject to interrogation by the Imperial Cavalry Division?"

Pei Jue remained impassive.

She then turned to look at the envoys seated around.

"My esteemed counselors, please, speak your minds."

By this point, the ministers had a clear understanding of the situation at hand.

Pei Jue’s insistence on pursuing the matter was nothing more than seeking justice for Feng Yun.

The focus of the conflict at this point was only...

To give face to the Empress Dowager or not?

Pei Jue: "Your Highness just said that we should investigate this to the end."

The ministers had wanted to give an out, but upon Pei Jue’s statement, those who wanted to speak shut their mouths and quietly observed from the sidelines.

Li Sangruo felt her eyes grow hot, almost shedding tears.

Too cruel.

This man was too cruel.

She sneered, picking up the cool tea in front of her and slowly drinking it.

"Then investigate all of me as well; toss me into the Imperial Cavalry Division for harsh questioning, and see if I am that mastermind behind the scenes."

Her words carried a hint of petulance.

And an indescribable awkwardness.

It was but to corner Pei Jue’s forces, forcing him to concede.

Pei Jue: "This subject dare not."

Though his mouth said he dare not, his expression was cold.

He refused to budge an inch.

Empress Dowager Li glared back in anger.

The hall was dead silent, momentarily paralyzed.

"For the safety of the Empress Dowager and the reputation of the General’s wife, it is imperative that we thoroughly investigate this matter."

A tall shadow suddenly appeared at the doorway.

It was Wei Zheng.

Supported by two followers, he walked in with a pale face, visibly shaken, revealing that he had only just returned alive from the brink of death after a great ordeal.

"Your Highness..."

Wei Zheng advanced into the hall, pushing past the guards, and knelt on the ground.

Looking up at Li Sangruo, his eyes inexplicably reddened.

"I almost didn’t live to see Your Highness again."

Li Sangruo’s brows furrowed slightly, "What exactly happened?"

Wei Zheng said, "This subject’s clothes were wetted by the tea served by a maidservant, so I left my seat to change. In the changing room, I felt something wrong with my body, but then someone locked the door from the outside."

His eyes blazed as he looked at Li Sangruo.

"Always mindful of Your Highness’s teachings, even as the poison attacked my heart, I dared not act rashly... After discovering a woman in the inner room, I escaped through the window in desperation, jumping into the pond, hoping to alleviate the effects. However, the pond was deep, and as the poison took effect, my strength waned, and I nearly drowned..."

He spoke with emotion.

Recalling the "teachings" of Your Highness, even facing the stunning beauty of Feng Yun he did not waver but instead leaped into the pond... 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Wasn’t Wei Zheng the Empress Dowager’s loyal dog?

The ministers’ expressions were complex.

Li Sangruo looked at his reddened, handsome face and also felt an indescribable bitter taste.

Song Shou’an was bewitched by the beauty of Feng Shi Er Niang and destroyed his own prospects.

Pei Jue was so ensnared by her that he lost all sense of reason, guarding her like the apple of his eye, going so far as to challenge his own dignity for her sake.

Only Wei Zheng,

He had shown no interest in Feng Yun back in Huaxi Village, even offending Pei Jue for a long time over it, and she had not treated him kindly upon his return. Now, even afflicted by the toxins, he did not covet Feng Shi Er Niang, risking his life amidst the cold winter waters...

Li Sangruo sighed: "Counselor Wei, please stand and speak."

Wei Zheng remained kneeling, unable to rise, "During the Empress Dowager’s banquet, some petty villain dared to target both this subject and Lady Feng. This is a clear disregard for Your Highness, an attempt to divert the disaster eastward and implicate Your Highness in injustice..."

Li Sangruo felt a stir within her.

"What do you mean by this?"

Wei Zheng slowly rose to his feet.

"If Lady Feng suffered harm in Your Highness’s garden and I were to be blamed as the prime evil, could Your Highness remain unscathed?"

"No. Everyone would suspect Your Highness’s intentions."

He answered his own question.

Grinding his teeth, he surveyed the surroundings.

Finally, his gaze settled on Fang Fucai’s face.

"Without removing the villain, how can Your Highness sleep peacefully?"

Fang Fucai broke out into a sweat under his stare.

The ministers, too, had their own calculations.

But Li Sangruo felt like an ant being tormented on a hot pan...

Caught between a rock and a hard place.

Wei Zheng handed her a ladder.

But if she climbed the steps, she would inevitably have to cast Fang Fucai into the boiling oil...

To sacrifice a pawn to save the king, she had no other choice.

Li Sangruo hesitated for a moment, then gathered her skirts and said with an air of indifference: