The Devious First-Daughter

Honored Consort Xia had long given up on struggling but after hearing Honored Consort Ya’s words, her body went limp. She sat on the ground, shocked and regretful. Trembling, she looked at the paper packet in the palace maid’s hand. Where did the paper packet come from? Why did it appear inside her package? What did Honored Consort Ya mean when she said the Emperor was poisoned? She didn’t know anything, she really didn’t.

All she wanted was to leave the palace and be with Ao Chenyi. All she wanted was to live a happy life with Ao Chenyi, never to live a shameful life where she had to hide and couldn’t see anyone. When did the packet of poison appear in her package?

Compared to Honored Consort Ya’s agitation, Ning Xueyan seemed much more composed. She glanced at the paper packet that Honored Consort Ya was pointing to and laughed. “You seem familiar with poison of all kinds, Honored Consort Ya. Could it be that you had studied poison when you were in Grand Tutor Ya’s Manor?”

How could a dignified lady of an influential family study poison of all things? She even entered the palace afterward. The meaning behind Ning Xueyan’s words was clear. It was enough to drag Grand Tutor Ya’s Manor into this conspiracy.

“Nonsense!” Honored Consort Ya retorted with a sneer.

“Nonsense? Is it because I said you’re familiar with poison of all kinds? Then what nonsense are you saying? If you aren’t even familiar with poison, why are you so sure the powder is poison? If you can tell that it’s poison with a quick glance, and the same poison that the Emperor had, doesn’t that make you a poison expert? It seems to me that you’re not only familiar with poison of all kinds, but you’re also very familiar with the Emperor’s poisoning. You’re so clear when the Empress doesn’t even know anything about it!”

Ning Xueyan paused for a beat. Then, she pointed to the packet of fine powder and spoke with a smile.

It was true that one couldn’t immediately tell what the white powder inside the packet was, much less that it was the same poison that the Emperor had. Forget about how Honored Consort Ya was so sure that the powder was the same as the Emperor’s poison. Her knowledge of the Emperor’s poisoning was strange enough, especially when no one here had heard about it. Did the Emperor trust Honored Consort Ya more than the Empress? Did this mean that the Emperor was set on appointing Prince Xiang as the Crown Prince?

Of course, there was something suspicious about this. How did Honored Consort Ya recognize that the powder was the same poison that the Emperor was inflicted with? Did she already know about the packet of poison in Honored Consort Xia’s hands? Perhaps, she had something to do with the packet of poison being there?

Was she trying to frame Honored Consort Xia?

The same thought occurred to everyone. They noticed how Honored Consort Xia’s mouth was sealed to prevent her from saying anything. Was this the show of framing an innocent usually seen in the palace? Only this time, it wasn’t being orchestrated in the palace but at the Lord Guardian’s Manor instead, so that more people would be dragged into it?

Considering this, everyone began to suspect Honored Consort Ya. This was very likely to happen. Honored Consort Ya would benefit greatly in the palace after removing Honored Consort Xia. The advantage of framing Prince Yi was even more apparent. She would do it to remove obstacles for her son’s future…

With all these factors at play, Honored Consort Ya had every reason to do this…