Wang Qingyao "came back to life," which greatly startled Concubine Wei. She had been kneeling, and now she completely collapsed onto the floor, her face ashen.
The Old Imperial Concubine was also frightened, but more so than Concubine Wei's terror, it was surprise.
"Oh my, Yao Yao, you're not dead? It's good that you're alright! Imperial Physician Lu, Imperial Physician Lu, quickly examine the Princess!"
The Old Imperial Concubine and Yin Zhu, one on each side, personally helped Wang Qingyao up.
"Grandmother," Wang Qingyao smiled sweetly at her, "I'm fine."
Despite her words, the Old Imperial Concubine still insisted that Imperial Physician Lu take Wang Qingyao's pulse and examine her.
Imperial Physician Lu finished taking her pulse: "Reporting to the Old Imperial Concubine, the Princess is in good health." He paused, "Living another sixty or seventy years is not a problem."
Only then did the Old Imperial Concubine breathe a sigh of relief.
Concubine Wei looked at Wang Qingyao, then at Xiao Yun who showed little reaction, and finally realized she had been tricked!
Wang Qingyao wasn't poisoned at all!
Wang Qingyao was perfectly fine!
Wang Qingyao had deliberately faked her death to trick her!
Concubine Wei quickly realized she had been betrayed by Bian Siyue!
However, this was not the time for anger. She had intended to harm the Princess of Ding'an. How could the Ding'an Prince's manor let her off?
Her mind raced. She had to save herself; she couldn't die!
Wang Qingyao looked down at her, her eyes filled with deep sarcasm: "Concubine Wei truly knows how to guess others' thoughts. I, the person involved, didn't even know I wanted to trade my life for the Prince's. How did Concubine Wei know? Did I do something that made Concubine Wei misunderstand?"
Concubine Wei's face flushed and paled alternately. Overwhelming fear engulfed her.
She couldn't understand why Bian Siyue would betray her.
Was it because Wang Qingyao offered Bian Siyue a better future?
But how did Wang Qingyao notice anything unusual about Bian Siyue?
"I... I... I..." Concubine Wei stammered a few times, then said slowly, "Princess, please forgive me. I guessed wrong. I had heard the abbot of Ye Guo Temple say that I thought the Princess would be willing to sacrifice her life for the Prince. I didn't expect the Princess..."
Oh, still trying to sow discord at a time like this!
Wang Qingyao raised an eyebrow and sneered: "Concubine Wei, you seem to be mistaken. It wasn't me who went to ask the abbot of Ye Guo Temple how to save the Prince. It was that abbot who insisted on telling me about trading one life for another. I found it strange at the time, why would he insist on telling me this? So it turns out he had an excuse later when he intended to kill me!"
Concubine Wei knelt precariously: "Is that so? It seems my mother and I were also deceived by the abbot of Ye Guo Temple."
"Heh." Wang Qingyao let out a cold laugh, "Since I had no intention of dying, how did that suicide note appear in my room? And how could Concubine Wei predict it so accurately?"
In the middle of winter, cold sweat broke out on Concubine Wei's forehead, and her lips were pale and colorless.
After recovering from the shock, the Old Imperial Concubine listened to the confrontation between Wang Qingyao and Concubine Wei and understood what had happened.
"Concubine Wei!" she said angrily, "I kindly allowed you to marry into the Ding'an Prince's manor, and you dared to harm the Princess!"
"I didn't..." Concubine Wei argued guiltily, but her tone was no longer as strong and righteous as before.
Wang Qingyao: "Someone, go invite Concubine Bian."
Concubine Wei's pupils contracted sharply. It was over!
Bian Siyue arrived in a small run, quite excited. Upon entering the room, she bowed to the Old Imperial Concubine, Xiao Yun, and Wang Qingyao, then spilled everything about how Concubine Wei found her, brainwashed her, gave her the poison and the suicide note, and instructed her on how to harm Wang Qingyao.
After speaking, she let out a long sigh and glanced at Concubine Wei with disdain: "Concubine Wei, do you really think I wanted to be a concubine? Heh..."
Concubine Wei looked at Bian Siyue in disbelief. So, from the moment she approached Bian Siyue, Bian Siyue had been reporting everything to Wang Qingyao.
Bian Siyue had been on Wang Qingyao's side all along!
Concubine Wei couldn't comprehend it.
How could the principal wife and the husband's favored concubine get along harmoniously?
Wang Qingyao looked at her with pity: "Concubine Wei, did you really think you married into the Ding'an Prince's manor to be a concubine? We knew what you were up to from the moment you entered. Every move you made in the manor was being watched. We knew everything about you meeting with Wei Yu at Pingping and An'an's full moon banquet."
Concubine Wei's face was filled with shock and fear. She had thought herself clever, her schemes unparalleled, only to realize that from the moment she entered the manor, she had been played like a puppet.
She sat on the ground, like a soulless marionette.
"Wei Yun, do you have anything else to say?"
Wei Yun was speechless.
Xiao Yun: "Someone, Concubine Wei intended to harm the Princess of Ding'an. Escort her to Dali Temple."
Wang Qingyao frowned slightly. She remembered Xiao Yun mentioning that the Minister of Dali Temple seemed to be related to the Wei family by marriage. Even with Fang Zhengzai present, Concubine Wei, protected by Noble Consort Wei and Wei Yu, and with the Minister of Dali Temple mediating, she would most likely not be punished severely, at most she would cease to be a concubine of the Ding'an Prince's manor.
It would be better to confine her to the manor and find an excuse for her to "fall ill and die."
Wang Qingyao was no saint. Since the Wei family wanted her dead, she would not show them any mercy.