Regardless of the dynasty or era, this was an enormous taboo. Any consort who used such things to harm others, no matter how favored she was or how illustrious her family background, could not escape death.
In the palace, this was the most serious of crimes.
And today, this matter had actually occurred with a prince. A prince had used witchcraft to curse a consort, and that consort was even his nominal mother. For such a sinister matter to happen within the imperial family, once word got out, it would be tantamount to trampling the imperial family’s dignity into the dirt.
The moment they heard Diancui’s words, Emperor Qingping and Consort Shu’s expressions changed.
Consort Shu was startled and blurted out, “How is that possible! Where was it found?”
An expression of disbelief appeared on Emperor Qingping’s face. Immediately afterward, he flew into a rage. He abruptly rose from his seat and shouted, “Where is Xue Yan? Bring him here to see Me!”
With that, he rose and strode out. Consort Shu hurriedly followed.
“Your Majesty, there must be some misunderstanding. Please calm down first…” Consort Shu was stunned, then quickly followed him, speaking anxiously at his side.
Over these past days, she had more or less come to understand what kind of person this child was. She knew that he absolutely could not do such a thing. Moreover, she had no grudge whatsoever against Xue Yan. They had gotten along harmoniously during these days. How could he possibly set a curse on her?
But then, who could have put such a sinister thing in Xue Yan’s room?
“The curse is already directed at you, and you are still thinking of shielding him?” Emperor Qingping’s footsteps stopped. He turned around and rebuked her angrily.
His expression was furious, his gaze cold. In the ten years since Consort Shu had entered the palace, she had rarely seen him lose his temper with her so severely.
Consort Shu was frightened by his anger and froze where she stood, not daring to speak again.
Emperor Qingping ignored her. He flung his sleeve and turned toward the western side hall.
A group of servants hurriedly trotted after him. Before long, the enormous procession had all crowded into the small storeroom of the western side hall.
Consort Shu was both shocked and frightened, and she could barely remain standing. Jun Huailang hurriedly went over to support her and comforted her softly, “Aunt, don’t be afraid. Nothing will happen.”
Consort Shu grabbed his hand tightly.
“Xue Yan isn’t that kind of person, right?” Consort Shu tightly clasped Jun Huailang’s hand and murmured, “Besides, I have never mistreated him. He wouldn’t harm me like this.”
Jun Huailang clasped her hand in return.
He knew that Consort Shu was afraid. She was both afraid that the witchcraft would cost her life and afraid of being betrayed.
Xue Yan indeed would not do such a thing, but the witchcraft was real, and the betrayal was real as well. It was simply that the curse and betrayal had come from someone whose feelings for Consort Shu ran even deeper.
Jun Huailang raised a hand and gently stroked her back. Without saying much, he supported her as they slowly walked outside.
“Aunt, you don’t need to be afraid. Xue Yan wouldn’t do this. Let’s go take a look and see who is trying to harm him—and harm us as well.”
Consort Shu nodded. Only after being supported and comforted by him did she barely manage to calm herself. She followed him into the storeroom of the western side hall.
As soon as they entered, they saw a dark mass of people kneeling inside. Lingfu was kneeling to the side, holding the box in his hands, not daring to move.
Emperor Qingping was clutching a stack of papers. Anyone could tell that he was furious to the extreme. Xue Yan stood beside him, silent.
When he saw Consort Shu enter, Emperor Qingping raised his hand and flung the stack of papers at her, angrily saying, “Look at this. It happened in your palace, yet you didn’t notice a thing!”
Consort Shu was startled by this sudden turn of events and instinctively hid beside Jun Huailang.
But the papers did not land on her.
Jun Huailang looked up and saw Xue Yan, who had been silent until now, suddenly move and step in front of Consort Shu.
The stack of papers struck him instead.
His waist and back were straight, and his figure was tall, with broad, level shoulders. Although he stood there alone, he somehow gave people an inexplicable sense of security.
Then Xue Yan quietly crouched down, picked up the stack of papers, looked directly at Emperor Qingping, and said calmly, “Reporting to Father Emperor, these were not written by Your Son. Someone else imitated my handwriting.”
This was the first time Jun Huailang had seen Xue Yan explain himself since entering the palace.
He was accustomed to seeing the other man’s silent appearance. No matter what happened, he was still a prince. Even if Emperor Qingping punished him without evidence, it would ultimately not cost him his life. As time passed, he had seemingly grown accustomed to it, almost as though he had given up on himself.
But today, he had spoken.
Emperor Qingping clearly did not believe him. He angrily said, “You didn’t write them? What can you use to prove that you didn’t?”
“Although the forms of these characters resemble mine, the pressure and lifting of the brush strokes are different from my habits. At a glance, they were copied and transcribed.” Xue Yan handed the stack of papers to Emperor Qingping and said, “If Father Emperor does not believe me, you may go to the study in the side hall and retrieve the assignments written by Your Son.”
Emperor Qingping merely sneered. “Then how did they appear in your storeroom?”
“The storeroom key is not held only by my subordinates.” Xue Yan glanced lightly at Diancui.
Those eyes were pale in color, yet possessed a unique sharpness. With merely that faint glance, Diancui’s back turned cold, as though everything shameful she had done had been seen through.
Her legs, kneeling on the floor, began to tremble involuntarily.
“What? Could Consort Shu’s people have framed you?” Emperor Qingping sneered coldly, as though he had heard some joke.
Just then, Consort Shu, who had been frightened into silence, spoke.
“Your Majesty, may I see what is written on those papers?” Consort Shu asked.
Emperor Qingping paused, then handed over the stack of papers in his hand.
What was written on the papers was actually a list of Consort Shu’s supposed crimes of mistreating Xue Yan. Several pages were filled with lengthy descriptions, all of them baseless fabrications. Yet the times and places were extremely specific, making them seem as though they had truly happened.
At the very end of the stack, it stated that Consort Shu had suffered the curse because she had brought it upon herself.
Consort Shu looked at that absurd stack of accusations and was just about to defend Xue Yan when she heard Emperor Qingping reprimand her.
“Consort Shu, even if you are dissatisfied with My arrangement, you could have said so directly. Why did you have to do these things behind My back?”
Although he did not mind Xue Yan being humiliated, he also disliked people who engaged in underhanded schemes behind his back. Especially Consort Shu, whose simple and innocent nature was obvious enough that he could see through her at a glance. He had never expected that she could be so vicious behind his back.
Could it be that all the innocence she displayed before him had merely been an act?
That was what Emperor Qingping was most wary of.
Hearing his reprimand, Consort Shu looked at him in disbelief. She opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but when she met Emperor Qingping’s reproachful yet certain gaze, the explanation at the tip of her tongue could no longer come out.
Jun Huailang could feel the hand she was holding trembling violently.
Taking advantage of the cover of his sleeve, Jun Huailang discreetly patted her arm to comfort her. Then he spoke.
“Your Majesty, this matter is originally not something I should interfere in… But could you allow me to take a look at that doll?”
Emperor Qingping frowned. “Why look at that filthy thing? I will order someone to burn it immediately, lest it bring about disaster.”
Jun Huailang shook his head. His tone was calm and gentle, carrying the soothing quality of patient persuasion.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, that doll was sewn by human hands. Whether it is the fabric, the stitches, or the craftsmanship, there may be clues to be found. Furthermore, the doll bears a birth date, the Eight Characters, and a name. Writing on fabric has always been more difficult, making it the easiest place to reveal a person’s writing habits. I studied together with the Fifth Prince for several days, so I can be considered familiar with his handwriting.”
In his previous life, Jun Huailang had served as an official under Emperor Qingping for several years. He could more or less understand the tricks of dealing with him and knew how to speak in a way he was most willing to listen to.
Sure enough, Emperor Qingping’s expression softened somewhat. He waved his hand and said, “Go take a look. Remember to keep your distance.”
Jun Huailang nodded in acknowledgment and lightly patted Consort Shu again before walking forward.
As he passed Diancui, who was kneeling on the floor, he stopped and asked as though casually, “Auntie Diancui, the key has been in your hands these past few days. You haven’t touched the papers or the doll, have you?”
Diancui hurriedly shook her head, distancing herself from the matter.
“This servant didn’t even know such things existed, so naturally I never touched them! Before His Majesty and Her Highness today, this servant didn’t even enter the door of the western side hall storeroom. How could I have had the opportunity to touch such filthy things?”
Jun Huailang smiled. “Don’t be afraid. It’s good that you didn’t touch them.”
She had denied it outright now. Later, when the evidence was irrefutable, it would be even harder for her to evade responsibility.
Jun Huailang walked over to the box containing the doll and bent down to examine it carefully.
Immediately, the storeroom fell silent. Not even the servants dared to breathe loudly.
Jun Huailang silently examined it for a while. Suddenly, he let out a soft “Huh,” and said in confusion, “Why does the smell on this doll seem so familiar?”
As he spoke, he reached out to take the doll from the box.
But his hand had only extended halfway, before he had even touched the doll, when another hand seized his wrist.
Jun Huailang looked up and saw Xue Yan holding his wrist, looking down at him.
“Father Emperor said to keep your distance,” he said.
How could Xue Yan possibly be someone who listened to Emperor Qingping’s orders?
That look in Xue Yan’s eyes was clearly telling him that Xue Yan himself would not allow him to touch the witchcraft doll.
Jun Huailang was speechless for a moment.
Having been reborn once, he was considerably more clear-eyed about these supernatural matters than ordinary people and was not afraid of objects made by people for such purposes. Moreover, he rarely acted. Today, he had calculated everything step by step, and the performance had been proceeding perfectly. So why had Xue Yan come over and disrupted it?
He gave Xue Yan a reproachful look, then reached out with his other hand.
If he did not pick up the object, how could he let Emperor Qingping and Consort Shu compare its scent?
He had deliberately placed the Western Regions incense pill bestowed upon him by Consort Shu on Diancui precisely for this moment.
But before he could do so, Xue Yan reached out and took the witchcraft doll first.
Jun Huailang felt somewhat indignant.
When I wanted to touch it, you stopped me even in front of the Emperor. But when you pick it up yourself, why aren’t you wary of it at all?
But things had already reached this point. Jun Huailang could only follow his original plan and continue acting.
He could only lean toward the doll Xue Yan was holding and smell it again.
“That’s it. This scent is very familiar,” he said. “It smells quite similar to the scent in the sachet I gave Auntie Diancui.”
Diancui, who was kneeling to the side, was startled.
“…The Prince must have smelled it incorrectly, surely?” She frantically reached toward her waist. Hanging there was precisely the sachet made by Jun Linghuan, one that every person in Mingluan Palace had received.
“How could this scent remain on an object? Besides, everyone has one of these!” Diancui hurriedly said.
“Auntie Diancui is the senior palace maid whom Aunt brought from her family home. You grew up together with Aunt. How could you be the same as everyone else?” Jun Huailang slowed his speech, looking at Diancui and enunciating each word clearly.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Diancui began trembling guiltily.
“That incense was something I specifically selected from the storeroom. It is the Western Regions tribute incense pill. As long as it is worn on the body, it can make the entire body fragrant, and anything it touches can retain the scent for half a month. In the entire palace, only Auntie Diancui has this scent.” Jun Huailang lowered his eyes toward her and said, “Zheng Guangde, you know about this item. Go remove Auntie Diancui’s sachet and compare the scents.”
Zheng Guangde hurriedly walked forward, trembling all over.
Diancui was already panicking. She covered the sachet at her waist with both hands, unwilling to hand it over. During the ensuing struggle between the two, everyone present could already see that there was clearly something suspicious about Diancui.
“Auntie Diancui, could this object have been made by you?” Jun Huailang asked with an expression of feigned surprise, inwardly sneering. “You clearly said just now that you hadn’t touched this evil object today?”