At this precise moment, Bai Yūsheng spoke up. "When Consort Shū went missing today, Lady Jìng was indeed absent for a period. Your Majesty, Consort Yuán and I were discussing finding Lady Jìng, but she was nowhere to be seen."
"Bai Yūsheng, was it you? You deliberately framed me!" Yù Yān glared at Bai Yūsheng, her expression murderous.
"Lady Jìng, without proof, do not speak nonsense. I am merely stating facts," Bai Yūsheng remained unruffled.
"You!" Lady Jìng was so choked by Bai Yūsheng that she couldn't speak. She then turned back to Yù Jǐngchén, "Your Majesty, I truly did not do it. Someone is trying to frame me!"
Yù Jǐngchén reacted little. He was in a foul mood, and these people's actions were practically stepping on his landmines.
"Lady Jìng is malicious and attempted to harm a palace consort. Take her away for fifty strokes of the cane and demote her to a Cǎinǚ." Yù Jǐngchén had no interest in prolonging this. Whether it was her or not was unimportant. He knew her feelings for Nán Zhīyùn, and the thought alone was a capital offense. This punishment was considered lenient.
Yù Yān pleaded desperately, but her mouth was gagged. Fifty strokes of the cane was not something an ordinary person could endure. However, Yù Jǐngchén clearly did not intend to take her life, so the executioners acted with restraint.
"And take this person away as well. Negligent in duty and oversight, leading to a terrible tragedy. They will be beaten to death directly!" Yù Jǐngchén continued to issue decrees. Nán Zhīyùn, held in his arms, felt a pang of fear hearing these punishments, but she dared not speak.
"Consort Shū's attendants today failed to protect her. Each will receive twenty strokes of the cane as a disciplinary measure." Yù Jǐngchén was venting his anger on these individuals.
"Your Majesty?" Nán Zhīyùn couldn't hold back this time. After all, Xiànxià and the others were innocent...
"No begging for mercy, or the punishment will be doubled!" Yù Jǐngchén gave Nán Zhīyùn no chance to plead. Nán Zhīyùn was frightened by his gaze. She knew that this time, Yù Jǐngchén was truly angry.
"Take that horse away and execute it!" Yù Jǐngchén had not forgotten the main culprit of this incident. He blamed himself; had he known this would happen, he wouldn't have taken Nán Zhīyùn to learn horseback riding.
"Has the origin of that arrow been investigated?" Yù Jǐngchén was not finished.
"Not yet, but the arrowhead appears to be somewhat unusual." Xìng Lái did not elaborate, and Yù Jǐngchén frowned. After a moment of silence, he did not dwell on this issue.
"How could there be a trap in the hunting grounds? With the current weather, how could snakes appear? Has this been clarified?" Yù Jǐngchén continued to ask.
"It has not yet been ascertained," Xìng Lái lowered his head. Yù Jǐngchén glanced at him, and the look made Xìng Lái break out in a cold sweat.
"Did the patrols in the hunting grounds not discover this beforehand? How did you do your jobs?" Yù Jǐngchén looked at the person in charge of the hunting grounds this time, who happened to be Yù Jiāngyàn (Yù Yān's elder brother).
"It was I who failed to detect this factor in advance. I beg Your Majesty's punishment." Yù Jiāngyàn did not argue.
Yù Jiāngyàn had been gaining considerable influence recently. He had taken over some of the military authority previously handed over by Nán Sù, and this time, the entire responsibility for hunting ground security had fallen to him. He was considered a rising star in the court.
Everyone had been envious, but no one expected such a mishap. Who didn't know how much favor Consort Shū enjoyed from His Majesty?