Li Ji couldn’t see Consort Liu’s expression, but he could see her back trembling slightly.

After a long silence, he finally heard her speak in a hoarse voice.

"Did you come all this way just to speak such nonsense to me, Prince Zhao?"

Li Ji said, "I have a few questions that I haven’t been able to figure out. I was hoping for your guidance, Your Ladyship."

Consort Liu tilted her head back and took a deep breath, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall.

She picked up a Magpie Feather Gold Hairpin from her jewelry box and tucked it slanted into her high-coiled hair.

"Guidance is too strong a word. Just ask what you want to ask, Your Highness."

In the reflection of the Glazed Mirror, Li Ji noticed the corners of Consort Liu’s eyes were red and her eyelashes were damp.

He pretended not to see anything and asked calmly.

"Why did you instigate and help Lady Liang to move against my Princess Consort? I don’t recall my Princess Consort having offended you in any way."

Consort Liu turned her head, examining the golden hairpin in her coiffure in the mirror, and replied casually.

"Princess Consort Zhao has indeed never offended me. Her mistake was becoming your Princess Consort. And you..."

She paused, her red lips curling into a cold sneer.

"You are the murderer who crippled Yan’er."

Li Ji frowned. "I was not responsible for the Fifth Prince’s injury."

Consort Liu was utterly dismissive of his words.

"Of course you wouldn’t admit you’re the murderer."

’Although Zijuan’s words were clearly meant to be misleading, her analysis wasn’t without merit. In that situation, the person most likely to use the opportunity to harm Li Yan was Prince Zhao.’

Li Ji heard her thoughts.

He silently made a mental note of the name Zijuan.

Li Ji said, "I don’t know why you’re so convinced I’m the culprit, but I can tell you unequivocally that someone else was behind the plot against the Fifth Prince."

Consort Liu’s expression flickered slightly.

She said coldly, "And why should I believe you?"

Li Ji spoke unhurriedly.

"After the Fifth Prince’s incident, I had my men investigate all the laborers who were building the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

They found someone named Hong Hui who was very suspicious.

Unfortunately, my men were a step too late. By the time we found him, he had already been silenced.

My subordinates followed this lead and thoroughly investigated Hong Hui’s background.

It turns out this Hong Hui was not the same Hong Hui we had conscripted from the household registry.

He was an imposter. The real Hong Hui had already died in an accident long ago.

This fake Hong Hui was actually a fugitive at large."

As he spoke, he pulled a thin sheet of paper from his sleeve.

He unfolded the rice paper, revealing the portrait of a man.

Consort Liu turned around and stared intently at the portrait.

She pressed her red lips together. "This is all just your side of the story. It’s not enough to be believed."

Li Ji looked down at her, a chilling arrogance in his eyes and at the corners of his brows.

"If I wanted to do something to the Fifth Prince, I would never do it in secret.

You should know my style. When I hit someone, I like to do it openly, right to their face.

I truly disdain this sort of underhanded business, using tricks in the dark to cripple someone.

Taking a step back, even if I were to resort to such methods, I would see it through to the end and kill the Fifth Prince directly. That’s the only way to eliminate future trouble for good.

Just making him a cripple, as he is now, not only fails to achieve the goal but also deeply provokes the other party, inciting even more ferocious retaliation.

Isn’t that just asking for trouble?

I wouldn’t do something so stupid."

Consort Liu was speechless.

’Although Prince Zhao’s attitude was insufferably arrogant, his words were not without reason.’

Her gaze fell once more upon the portrait.

’Could it be true, just as Prince Zhao said? Was someone else really responsible for crippling Yan’er?’

Li Ji said, "If I’m not mistaken, someone must have deliberately fed you specious words to make you suspect me, correct?"

Consort Liu said nothing.

Her silence was a tacit admission.

Li Ji continued, "The moment I started investigating Hong Hui, someone was right there sowing discord in your ear. What a coincidence."

Consort Liu’s head snapped up.

’According to Prince Zhao, the person who incited her and the person who harmed the Fifth Prince must be from the same group!’

The moment the thought appeared, it rapidly consumed her mind.

’She had never understood why Zijuan would deliberately provoke a conflict between her and Prince Zhao.’

’She had once guessed that perhaps Zijuan’s master held a grudge against Prince Zhao and wanted to use her as a weapon.’

’But if it was just to get revenge on Prince Zhao, they should have gone to Lady Liang or found some other method. There was no need to seek her out specifically.’

’Now, looking back, there was only one answer—’

’That group of people wanted to shift the blame and kill two birds with one stone.’

Li Ji watched her with a faint, unreadable smile.

"From your expression, Your Ladyship, I imagine you already know who the real culprit is."

Consort Liu was sitting, the corners of her eyes still a little red, but a cold glint now shone from their depths. She was like a lioness protecting her cub, filled with a desperate, ruthless determination.

She opened her mouth to say something.

But before any words could come out, she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood!

Li Ji’s expression changed, and he immediately shouted.

"Someone, come!"

The two old nannies waiting outside the door ran in quickly.

When they saw Consort Liu sitting on the floor spitting blood, they were scared out of their wits, unable to even speak properly.

"W-what’s happening?"

Li Ji rebuked them in a low voice, "What are you standing there for? Hurry and call for the Imperial Physician!"

The two old nannies snapped out of their daze as if waking from a dream.

They both ran for the door and, in their haste, tripped hard on the threshold.

The two of them tumbled into a heap, crying out in pain.

Li Ji said coldly, "One person is enough."

So one old nanny ran outside, while the other stayed behind to take care of Consort Liu.

Take care of her, she was supposed to, but in truth, she had no idea what to do. Her mind was a complete blank.

Consort Liu clutched her abdomen, which was wracked with pain, and struggled to raise her head to look at Prince Zhao, who stood not far away.

"It was Zijuan. She gave me a bottle of crane crown red. She said that if I killed myself, her master would find a way to send Yan’er out of Shangjing."

"I know it’s foolish. I had no other choice."

"My brother has been arrested, and the entire Liu Family is finished. I don’t know how long I have left to live. There will be no one left to protect Yan’er."

"If my life can be exchanged for a peaceful life for Yan’er, I think it’s worth it."

"I don’t know who is behind Zijuan. It can only be one of those two other princes."

"I should have known. They’ll do anything to fight for the throne."

Consort Liu’s breathing grew weaker and weaker, her face taking on an unnatural, ashen hue.

"I did all of this. It’s all my fault. My death would be no great loss."

"I only beg you, for the sake of the brotherhood you once shared, do not harm Yan’er."

"He’s already a cripple. He won’t stand in the way of any of you anymore."

She stared fixedly at Prince Zhao, her eyes bloodshot, desperately holding on to her last breath as if waiting for an answer.

But Prince Zhao remained silent.