Chapter 242: I’ve Never Trusted You

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Liu Xiaolan clenched his hands into fists and followed suit to defend Gao

Shixuan’s innocence. He said, “Eldest Senior Brother, you really misunderstood Shixuan. She’s not such a person!”

At this moment, Yu Yunxi suddenly tore off a ribbon from Granny Wang’s body. Then, she approached Gao Shixuan and asked lightly, “Gao Shixuan, you said you don’t know Granny Wang so what is this?”

Immediately after that, Yu Yunxi looked at Granny Wang and asked, “Granny

Wang, do you know why I knew you had a grandson earlier?”

Yu Yunxi did not wait for their reply. She raised the ribbon in her hand and said loudly, “This is what children from common families wear after they are born. Usually, an elder in the family will also wear a similar ribbon. It’s supposed to protect the child. That’s how I know Granny Wang has a grandson.”

“As for how I know Gao Shixuan was in contact with Granny Wang… Look, there’s the word ‘Xiu’ on the cloth.”

As Yu Yunxi spoke, she joined the two ends of the ribbon together, and the word ‘Xiu’ appeared on it.

At this time, an imperial doctor said, “They look just like patterns, but when you join them, they form a word! Wonderful! Only the Lotus Pavilion in the capital is capable of embroidering this.”

“That’s right. The Lotus Pavilion’s embroidery and cloth are the best. Even…” another person said before he abruptly stopped speaking. He did not dare to say that even the embroiderers in the imperial palace could not compare to the ones in the Lotus Pavilion.

Yu Yunxi said lightly, “Indeed. This is the embroidery from the Lotus Pavilion.

When Gao Shixuan first came to stay with us, I sent people to the Lotus Pavilion to prepare fabric for her. All the fabric was embroidered with the word ‘Xiu’. Moreover, I told the pavilion to directly send the fabric to Gao Shixuan.

Your Majesty, if you don’t believe me, you can send someone to the Lotus

Pavilion to investigate this matter.”

Liu Xiaolan immediately turned to look at Gao Shixuan when he heard this. His expression was very complicated. After all, he was present when the people from the Lotus Pavilion sent the fabric over. Gao Shixuan had indeed taken the fabric at that time.

“Your Majesty, you can also send someone to search Gao Shixuan’s room to see if there’s still fabric left,” Yu Yunxi said to Feng Yijin. Then, she walked over to Gao Shixuan and said coldly, “You found that Granny Wang’s grandson was sick so you tried your best to bribe her. At first, Granny Wang refused. However, you gave her the ribbons and promised her that her grandson would be cured. Hence, she decided to take the risk and agreed to help you.”

Granny Wang, who was listening at the side, cried. Indeed, she originally had no intention of harming the Empress Dowager.

Yu Yunxi looked back at Gao Shixuan again and asked sharply, “Today, you even deliberately sent Qian Jiao away because you wanted Qian Mei alone to accompany me into the palace. Am I right, Gao Shixuan?”

Gao Shixuan was still very stubborn. She said, “I’m not an immortal. How could I have known that the Empress Dowager would summon you into the palace? Don’t slander me!”

“Regarding this matter, we have to talk about two things. First, due to Junjin’s matter, Consort Dowager Ning was already very uneasy. You deliberately went to the Prince Regent’s Residence to pick up Zixiu at that time. Perhaps you said something to provoke her at that time,” Yu Yunxi said calmly.

Consort Dowager Ning’s expression stiffened when she heard this. Indeed, Gao Shixuan had said something to her at that time. However, looking as though she was trying to hide something, she said urgently, “Shixuan didn’t say anything bad about you.”

“Indeed, she didn’t speak ill of me directly. However, she must have said something. For example, she might have said that if Junjin and the Prince

Regent were with me, they would definitely not return to the Prince Regent’s

Residence. You must have panicked. That’s why you visited the Empress Dowager so frequently. The Empress Dowager is the only one who could help you, after all,” Yu Yunxi said to Consort Dowager Ning before she turned to Gao Shixuan and continued to say, “In conclusion, you planned for the Empress

Dowager to summon me into the palace.”

“As for the second thing, you wanted to enter the palace with me as well. You likely wanted to be present because you wanted to control the situation in case anything went wrong. So how did you manage to get summoned into the palace as well?” Yui Yunx said. She smiled meaningfully as she asked, “Liu Xiaolan, you’re here because your identity has been exposed, right?”

“Yes,” Liu Xiaolan said with a nod.

Yu Yunxi scoffed as she glanced at the letter in Liu Xiaolan’s hand. Then, she said, “I can guess what happened. That’s the letter from the snitch, right?”

“Y-yes…”

“Let me guess… The handwriting is very similar to mine, right?” Yu Yunxi continued to ask.

Liu Xiaolan looked at Yu Yunxi in shock. “Yes, you…”

“Liu Xiaolan, have you forgotten? Back in Xinan, when my cousin changed the prescription, she forged my handwriting. Most importantly, the person who had told her to do so was Gao Shixuan,” Yu Yunxi said as her voice turned colder and colder.

Back then, Yu Yunxi planned to give Gao Shixuan the benefit of the doubt. However, who knew the other party did not repent and played such tricks? As such, she did not plan to show any mercy.

A foreboding feeling rose in Liu Xiaolan’s heart. The truth was already vaguely forming in his mind, but he could not accept it.

“I’m afraid that Gao Shixuan has long known about your identity. This letter was also prepared by her. Although the Empress Dowager stays in the harem, she’s very concerned about the affairs outside. Hence, she must have also known that you’re a prince of Nanyue. She couldn’t ask you directly so she could only start with the people around you. With this, she’d definitely summon Gao Shixuan into the palace as well…”

Luo Xiuran said excitedly, “It all makes sense now!”

Gao Shixuan suddenly laughed. A hint of unwillingness could be seen in her eyes as she asked, “When did you start to suspect me? You even deliberately bought me fabric from the Lotus Pavilion. Was it then that you started plotting against me?”

“No. I’ve never trusted you, and I have always guarded against you. From the moment you revealed the location of the explosives and betrayed Nanyue, I’ve already distrusted you. Apart from the fabric, I also marked the jewelry you wore and the things you used, just in case…” Yu Yunxi replied nonchalantly.

‘This… Yunxi is really very careful…’

Luo Xiuran felt his hand stand on end when he heard this. At the same time, he decided that he would not get on Yu Yunxi’s bad side no matter what. Otherwise, he might not even know how he died.

“So even when I blocked the darts for you and your son at the inn, you still didn’t trust me? Your friendship with me is fake?” Gao Shixuan asked through gritted teeth. She was finally enraged. After all, she had always thought that she was toying with everyone, but who knew that Yu Yunxi was laughing at her?

“That’s right. Junjin said you’re not a good person, and I believe him. I don’t doubt that you have ulterior motives,” Yu Yunxi said indifferently.

At this moment, Feng Yijin narrowed his eyes and asked, “Gao Shixuan, what else do you have to say?”

Before Gao Shixuan could reply, Liu Xiaolan suddenly fell to his knees and kowtowed to Feng Yijin as he said, “Your Majesty, I beg you to spare Shixuan’s life!”