Chapter 33

Jiang Xueyi did not focus on Consort Dan, who had rolled to the center of the steps, but first looked in the direction she had just touched. She discreetly scanned her surroundings and noticed that the positions of the people around her seemed to have changed slightly.

She vaguely remembered that when they had returned from releasing the sky lanterns to watch the fireworks, there had been several high-ranking individuals on her left. But now, due to Consort Dan's accident, the imperial concubines, fearing involvement, had each taken a few steps back. In that instant of inattention, the positions were different.

The colorful fireworks in the sky had not yet finished, their brilliant colors proclaiming a joyous festival on earth. However, the sudden accident had turned the previously harmonious atmosphere to an icy silence. Not only were the concubines silent, but even the princes and princesses attending the banquet did not dare to speak much, their faces showing caution.

In the presence of so many witnesses, this concerned the imperial heir! How could His Majesty let it go easily!

Seven or eight palace servants hurriedly carried Consort Dan to a side hall. Under the dark night, a considerable pool of blood could be faintly seen on the jade steps.

Consort Dan's baby was barely over three months old, and having rolled down the steps and lost so much blood, there was little chance the child could be saved.

At the entrance of Qiuhua Hall, the crowd stood in the cool breeze, not daring to speak. The Empress looked back and reminded in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Consort Dan has rolled down the steps, and her condition is still unclear. It would be best if the royal family did not remain in the palace—"

Shen Zhanghan finally looked up coldly and said, "The Mid-Autumn banquet ends here. Have the royal family and noble ladies escorted back to rest. The concubines will stay."

The Emperor's intention was clear—accountability would begin today.

The Empress lowered her eyes and nodded in agreement, "Yes."

Inside the side hall, the imperial physicians and female physicians attending to Consort Dan were behind a beaded curtain, while the remaining concubines stood around behind the curtain, not daring to speak a word.

The faint smell of blood from the hot water made people want to vomit. Though they felt like vomiting, they could not lose their composure in front of the Emperor's watchful eyes.

Jiang Xueyi stood in an inconspicuous position among the crowd, observing everyone's expressions.

The Empress was quite steady. Although her face showed displeasure, she still maintained her composure at this critical moment. Noble Consort was calm, holding the eldest princess at a distance. Consort Shao stood still, staring in the direction inside the curtain, her red lips tightly pressed, unsure if it was tension or something else.

As for Consort Lan and Imperial Attendant Rong, their expressions were indifferent, as if the incident did not concern them. They stood with their eyes lowered, not saying a word.

Court Lady Liu and Talented Lady Diao were somewhat flustered, perhaps because it was their first time witnessing such a scene. Their unease was understandable.

She roughly remembered that those who had been standing to the left and behind Consort Dan seemed to be Consort Lan and Consort Shao. Vaguely, there was also a shadow of Talented Lady Diao. She had been standing to the right of Talented Lady Diao, all quite close to Consort Dan.

After releasing the sky lanterns, everyone had been excited. When watching the fireworks, they had crowded together, almost touching each other in their eagerness to join in the festivities.

To find out who had pushed Consort Dan in such a scene would be extremely difficult.

Inside the curtain, Consort Dan occasionally let out painful groans and sobs. The physicians bowed their heads, not daring to look up. Jiang Xueyi knew that Consort Dan's baby was probably lost.

After a short while, the leading physician knelt in front of the Emperor, trembling, "Your Majesty, Consort Dan rolled down the jade steps, and her abdomen suffered a severe impact. The fetus's condition became critical on the spot. Despite our best efforts, we could not save this baby.

"We are incompetent and request Your Majesty's punishment!"

A heavy silence fell upon the hall after these words.

Shen Zhanghan's expression darkened as he looked at the physician for a long time but ultimately did not vent his anger on him. His voice was so cold that it revealed no real emotion, "I understand. Make sure to take care of Consort Dan's health."

The physician looked up at His Majesty, hesitating as if there was more to say, but in the end, did not speak. After bowing again, he hurried back inside the curtain.

After attending to Consort Dan, the physicians left a prescription for her recovery and exited. Only then did His Majesty approach the bedside and gently brushed Consort Dan's sweat-soaked face.

Consort Dan already knew that she had lost her baby. Lying on the bed, her entire body was trembling, whether from the pain in her body or her broken heart, it was hard to say. Tears streamed down her face, and she cried uncontrollably, "Your Majesty... I lost our child, Your Majesty... Someone pushed me, someone harmed me!

"I was standing steadily; it wasn't because I slipped. It wasn't... My child was innocent! He was only over three months old... Your Majesty..."

Consort Dan's sobs were heart-wrenching as she clutched the Emperor's clothes, choking on her words, "I beg you, Your Majesty, please avenge my child! Do not spare the murderer who killed him!"

Shen Zhanghan sighed deeply, "I understand."

"I will give you an explanation."

With that, he signaled Hong Ying and Qiu Ye with a glance to take good care of Consort Dan, then walked to the main seat and sat down.

Shen Zhanghan surveyed the concubines below with a cold tone that carried a bone-chilling coldness, "On this Mid-Autumn festival, in front of so many witnesses, who made the move?"

He did not even doubt whether Consort Dan had fallen by accident. He was certain that someone in the harem had meddled, showing how familiar he was with the tricks of jealousy and deceit in the harem. He was not someone easily fooled.

After his words, no one spoke.

After a moment, Noble Consort, leading the eldest princess, walked forward and said in a gentle voice, "Your Majesty, it is getting late. Perhaps we should send the children back first. I am afraid they might be frightened."

Shen Zhanghan nodded slightly, and the palace servants led the royal children away. Only the concubines remained in the hall.

Jiang Xueyi glanced at Noble Consort.

In this moment of fear, she could still remain calm and composed, thinking first of sending the princess and prince back to the palace. It seemed she was not worried at all that the suspicion might fall on her.

As Jiang Xueyi was pondering, Noble Consort spoke again in a soft voice, "The incident happened suddenly. I was holding Ling Ning by Your Majesty's side, watching the fireworks. Your Majesty can vouch that I should have no suspicion."

With just a few words, Noble Consort distanced herself from the incident, using the princess and the Emperor's name. It seemed she intended to watch the situation unfold from a safe distance.

But why was Noble Consort acting so proactively this time? Her response was unusually quick, unlike her usual gentle and low-profile self. Though she claimed to be uninvolved, she was clearly paying attention to the situation, as if she wanted to control the entire scenario.

Jiang Xueyi remained silent, quietly watching them, waiting to see who would speak next.

After a moment of silence, Talented Lady Diao boldly spoke, "Your Majesty, if someone intended to push Consort Dan, it must have been someone standing close to her. If there was someone standing a body's length away, it would be impossible to push her down so precisely."

"I vaguely remember there were several people around Consort Dan, but I wasn't paying attention at the time. My focus was on the fireworks, and I truly did not see who made the move."

The Empress glanced at her and said in a low voice, "If you say there were several people around Consort Dan, do you remember who they were?"

Talented Lady Diao quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty the Empress, I remember..." but before she could finish, she hesitated, her voice trailing off.

Seeing her hesitation, the Empress frowned in dissatisfaction, "What are you afraid of with the Emperor and I here?"

Shen Zhanghan looked at her coldly, "I am here. Speak without fear."

Talented Lady Diao let out a sigh of relief before continuing, "This servant remembers that at that time, Consort Dan was accompanied by Consort Lan, Consort Shao, and... also Consort Tang."

Knowing that she had never been on good terms with Consort Dan, Consort Shao was anxious to clear her name in front of His Majesty and said coldly through gritted teeth, "Nonsense! When have I ever stood by Consort Dan's side?"

Talented Lady Diao lowered her head pitifully. "I don't know how the standing arrangement was later, but before I looked up at the fireworks, you were indeed next to Consort Dan."

Consort Shao was about to say something more when the Empress gave her a cold glance. "Consort Dan suffered a miscarriage, and all of you are suspects. We are just investigating one by one. What are you in such a hurry for?"

Consort Shao had no choice but to close her mouth resentfully.

Consort Lan gently looked at His Majesty and said with the grace of a willow in the wind, "Your Majesty, Empress, this servant was indeed standing with Consort Dan, but we have never had any conflicts. If there are no conflicts, why would I take such a huge risk to harm Consort Dan in front of everyone?"

Although she did not directly accuse anyone, her eyes were on Consort Shao. "Anyone who chose to act at this time must have hated Consort Dan deeply."

If Talented Lady Diao had only spread suspicion among the three of them, Consort Lan was directly pointing the finger at Consort Shao.

Infuriated, Consort Shao could not help but retort, "No conflicts? Who doesn't know that the two of you are only pretending to get along! Both of you have struggled with each other since entering the palace. With Consort Dan's pregnancy and your loss of favor, wouldn't you be more upset than anyone else?"

Consort Lan remained calm, which only highlighted Consort Shao's fluster. "Consort Shao jokes. This servant has never resented anyone, nor would I be jealous. With so few imperial heirs, any pregnancy among the sisters would bring joy to His Majesty. How could I bear to harm the Emperor's child?"

Noble Consort, observing the two, interjected at the right moment, "You each have your own story and are accusing each other, but there is still no evidence to prove your innocence. Moreover, you were all standing near Consort Dan..."

"Your Majesty, although Consort Shao is a bit willful, she has never been scheming. She wears her emotions on her face. To commit such a harmful act without leaving a trace requires not only boldness and meticulousness but also deep cunning and planning. Although Consort Shao dislikes Consort Dan, I remain doubtful about her involvement in this matter."

With Noble Consort speaking in her favor, Consort Shao also quickly added, "Your Majesty sees all. Although I dislike Consort Dan, even if I hated her deeply, I would not choose to act at this time. Who doesn't know that the Mid-Autumn banquet is when everyone gathers to enjoy the fireworks? With so many people around, if anyone were to notice, it would be a crime punishable by death. How could I dare to do such a thing?"

Consort Shao had never liked Consort Dan, Consort Lan, and Imperial Attendant Rong the most in the palace, believing them to be vixens who liked to entice His Majesty. Especially Consort Dan and Consort Lan, who could be said to have been at each other's throats every time they met.

So, when something happened to Consort Dan, it was only natural for everyone to suspect Consort Shao.

But the more obvious it seemed, the less it felt right to Jiang Xueyi.

What roles were Noble Consort, Talented Lady Diao, and Consort Lan playing in this? Was Consort Shao really the one behind it?

Jiang Xueyi couldn't yet see the key to the matter, but she felt that there was more to it than met the eye.

Acting during the Mid-Autumn banquet when the crowd was dense and the fireworks were in full bloom, a sudden push could be a brilliant strategy if successful.

When everyone's attention was on the fireworks, who could really tell who made the move? Who would dare to point the finger at a consort without evidence?

If executed skillfully, without being caught, the risk would be spread among the consorts standing near Consort Dan.

Even Jiang Xueyi could not avoid getting involved.

Just then, Talented Lady Diao spoke softly again, "Consort Tang was also next to Consort Dan at that time, and when the incident happened, this servant saw..."

"Her looking this way, though I don't know why."