Chapter 1590: Chapter 1597: Mo Ziqi Protects His Wife (3)
“Mo Ziqi, this venomous woman killed Yu’er, and you still dare to shield her?” Empress Dowager Mo looked incredulously at her nephew standing in front of Fei’er, her gaze brimming with anguish!
Mo Ziqi said, “Empress Dowager, I dare not show favoritism. However, the truth has yet to be unearthed. I humbly ask Your Majesty to let the investigation reach its conclusion before meting out punishments. I do not dare protect my wife. If it is truly determined that she caused the princess’s death, I will willingly allow Your Majesty to deal with her according to national law. But before there is evidence, I ask Your Majesty to stay your hand. If you publicly humiliate her now, and it turns out the murderer is someone else, then how shall my wife and I preserve our dignity?”
Upon hearing his defense, Empress Dowager Mo was enraged, her teeth gritted as she said, “And what if she were falsely accused? A ruler may command a minister to die, and for the minister not to comply would be disloyalty. You’re concerned about striking her once? If I wished her dead, I would not need any justification!”
Mo Ziqi furrowed his brows and said, “I have also heard that when a prince breaks the law, he is subject to the same punishment as a commoner. As the matter is yet unresolved, you wish to execute a private punishment? Your Majesty, I refuse to accept this!”
Only then did Fei’er understand what they were discussing. It turned out that Princess Nangong Yu was already dead, and she was being treated as the murderer!
Despite her fear, she mustered her courage and stepped out from behind Mo Ziqi, earnestly saying to Empress Dowager Mo, “Empress Dowager, you have misunderstood me. I was in the camp sleeping the entire time and did not kill the princess…”
“You claim you didn’t kill her, and that makes it true? Thieves never admit to being thieves.”
Empress Dowager Mo glared at Cai Fei with a look as if she were about to tear her apart, aggressively saying, “Tell me—last night, where was that maid of yours named Ying Chun? Where were you? And why did Ying Chun end up hanging herself under such normal circumstances? Did you silence her for fear she would reveal the truth, or was it simply you who killed her to eliminate any witnesses?”
“No, I did not!”
Fei’er shook her head and anxiously explained, “During the bonfire party last night, I couldn’t handle my alcohol and retired early to rest. Last night, my quarters were attended by my chief maids Liuzhu and Liuli, so Yuan Chun and Ying Chun went back to sleep first. Just now, when Eunuch Yang came to summon me and several maids, we only then discovered Ying Chun had hanged herself.”
“Ha! That excuse could only fool a three-year-old child.”
Empress Dowager Mo sneered coldly, “Last night, when the princess went missing, everyone at the hunting ground—from myself and His Majesty, down to the ministers, palace maids, eunuchs, and even the ministers’ family members—was searching for the princess. Yet you slept so peacefully. Do you not find your behavior suspicious and indicative of a guilty conscience?”
Fei’er froze and said, “Replying to the Empress Dowager, Fei’er truly did not know something had happened to the princess. After returning last night, I simply felt extremely drowsy and went to bed early.”
After speaking, she turned to Liuli and Liuzhu and asked, “Last night, you two were on duty. With something so serious happening, why didn’t you wake me?”
Liuli and Liuzhu were startled and quickly knelt down. Liuzhu said, “Madam, please forgive us! For reasons unknown, we both fell asleep as well last night. If Eunuch Yang hadn’t come to summon us, we’d still be sleeping now!”
“Ha, what an instance of passing the buck and claiming ignorance at every turn!”
Empress Dowager Mo narrowed her eyes, her gaze gloomy as she stared at Fei’er and said coldly, “Do you think that by pretending ignorance, claiming you were asleep and knew nothing, you can escape responsibility?”
After speaking, she turned to Nangong Yi and said, “Your Majesty, Lady Mu’s words are clearly lies. The bonfire banquet only happens once a year. With her youthful disposition, how could she bear to leave early? Clearly, she used the opportunity to depart and kill Fei’er! Moreover, even if she drank too much and went to sleep, her two maids didn’t consume alcohol, so how could they also sleep so heavily? Last night, the entire hunting ground was overturning itself searching for Yu’er. Why was her area the only one completely devoid of movement? Do you not find all of this highly suspicious?”