Chapter 117: Whose Feet Are Being Crushed by the Stones They Lifted?

Princess Anya said through her tears, “I have met Young General Xia only a few times. We have no personal relationship at all. How could I possibly have done such a thing with him?”

Emperor Zongkang asked, “If you have no personal relationship, then why were the two of you in the same room?”

Princess Anya replied, “I only remember feeling unwell and wanting to rest in the side hall. After I entered the room, I discovered Young General Xia unconscious inside.”

Xia Mingxuan added, “This subject heard that my younger sister was feeling unwell and resting in the side hall. I went there, but entered the wrong room. The moment I stepped inside, everything went black, and I lost consciousness. I know nothing of what happened afterward.”

Xia Mingxuan was clever. Though his mind was still somewhat muddled after waking, he knew that Xia Jiujang had set him up. From Emperor Zongkang’s words, he also knew that the affair between Xia Yue’er and Jun Qianye in the last room had already displeased the emperor.

Now that Emperor Zongkang suspected the Xia family of harboring ulterior motives, Xia Mingxuan could only hurry to disavow any responsibility. Since Xia Yue’er had been in the last room, it was perfectly reasonable for him to have appeared here under the pretext of visiting her.

Princess Anya said firmly, “I was just about to wake him when…I somehow lost consciousness. Someone must have drugged Young General Xia and me, which is why I was robbed of my chastity. Uncle, I beg you to investigate this matter thoroughly and restore my innocence!”

Princess Anya now insisted, in front of the Southern Kingdom’s envoy, that someone had plotted against her. No one knew exactly what the Southern Kingdom’s Third Prince was thinking. One moment he had asked to marry Princess Anya, and the next he had set his sights on Xia Jiujang. Yet the Southern envoy had publicly spoken in the Hall of Concord, and Emperor Zongkang had already responded. Now that Princess Anya had lost her chastity and claimed that she had been framed, Emperor Zongkang had to produce a result, even if only to answer to the Southern envoy.

While Emperor Zongkang hesitated, Princess Anya turned to Madam Chun and said, “Go to the Imperial Medical Academy and invite Imperial Physician Tang. Whenever I suffer from the slightest headache or fever, he is the one who treats me. Have him come and examine me. He will certainly be able to uncover the truth.”

After catching Princess Anya’s meaningful glance, Madam Chun immediately understood and hurried to the Imperial Medical Academy to summon Imperial Physician Tang Dehai.

Xia Jiujang remained silent with a faint smile. She had long since seen through Princess Anya’s little scheme. Since Princess Anya wanted to play, Xia Jiujang would play along and see whose foot would ultimately be crushed by the stone they had lifted.

When Imperial Physician Tang Dehai entered the side hall of Moon Sparrow Palace, he immediately knelt and bowed.

“Enough with the formalities,” Emperor Zongkang said. “Examine Princess Anya at once.”

Tang Dehai did not dare delay. While taking her pulse, Princess Anya gave him several meaningful looks, and he naturally understood her intentions.

After withdrawing his hand, Tang Dehai said to Emperor Zongkang, “Your Majesty, there are no traces of Passion Incense in Princess Anya’s body.”

Princess Anya grew frantic and furious. “How could there be none? If I was not affected by it, why would I remember nothing at all?”

“Princess, please remain calm…” Tang Dehai moved his nose slightly, his expression suggesting that he had sensed something amiss. He walked several circuits around the room before finally stopping beside the incense burner shaped like a gold-swallowing beast near the bed.

Inside the burner, he found traces of Passion Incense that had already burned away. But the moment Tang Dehai glanced at them, his hand trembled. As though he had discovered something shocking, he dropped the burner onto the floor in astonishment.

Watching his string of reactions, Xia Jiujang thought, How enthusiastic his performance is.

“What is it?” Emperor Zongkang demanded.

Tang Dehai knelt on the ground and trembled. “This is… How could it be here…”

Still kneeling, Tang Dehai cast a glance at Xia Jiujang. His guilty act was remarkably convincing, as though he were waiting to see how Xia Jiujang would react before deciding what to do.

Xia Jiujang frowned. This man was truly impatient. Her part in the drama had not even begun, yet he was already trying to implicate her. It took all the fun out of it.

Tang Dehai paused, and Emperor Zongkang angrily urged him, “What is it? Speak!”

At that moment, Xia Jiujang picked up his cue and said, “This should be Consort’s Smile.”

Emperor Zongkang was stunned. “What? It is actually Consort’s Smile?”

Princess Anya and Xia Mingxuan had truly been drugged before committing such an act.

Who had used such a despicable method to ruin someone’s reputation? Had Xia Mingxuan used it to approach Princess Anya, or had someone plotted against Xia Mingxuan as well?

Whatever the purpose, such a disgraceful incident had occurred while the Southern envoy was visiting. The matter had to be investigated thoroughly and an explanation given. Otherwise, the imperial family of the Li Kingdom would lose face all the way to the Southern Kingdom.

This incense had been widespread during the reign of the previous emperor of the Li Kingdom. Its fragrance could arouse a man’s desire. Because it had few side effects and was incredibly expensive, a single pinch of the incense could not be bought for ten thousand measures of gold. Since a consort who used it could win the emperor’s favor, it was given the name Consort’s Smile.

Yet this drug had once stirred up a bloody storm within the imperial palace. As the consorts vied for favor and affection, the incense became a tool of intrigue. Even the imperial physicians could not detect it, and countless beautiful women were ruined by schemes born of mutual deception. It was also connected to numerous cases in which entire families were exterminated.

Among the three thousand beauties of the imperial harem, the previous emperor had favored Consort Lengxiang above all others. Because of Consort’s Smile, she was accused of having an affair with a guard and corrupting the imperial bloodline. Her entire family was executed. Only afterward did Pei Heng of the Supreme Court and Zhang Qian, the divine imperial physician of that era, uncover the conspiracy involving Consort’s Smile.

When the previous emperor learned the truth, his hair turned white overnight.

He then issued an explicit ban on the incense. Decades had passed since then, and its secret formula had long been lost. Consort’s Smile had vanished entirely from the marketplace, leaving behind only a single box of twelve sticks in the imperial storeroom.

Since it was an imperial aphrodisiac that even Imperial Physician Tang had been unable to diagnose, it was most likely Consort’s Smile.

Princess Anya knelt before Emperor Zongkang and said tearfully, “I told you someone had plotted against me. I beg Your Majesty to uphold justice!”

Xia Mingxuan said in shock, “The culprit was vicious enough to use Consort’s Smile. They nearly deceived Imperial Physician Tang and caused Princess Anya to bear a false stain. I beg Your Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly!”

Jun Bu Wen said, “If it is Consort’s Smile, then the matter is simple. Everything in the imperial storerooms is recorded. The person who went to the storehouse, the time they went, and what they collected are all entered in the records. A brief investigation will reveal who tried to frame Princess Anya.”

A thin sheen of sweat appeared on Tang Dehai’s brow as he knelt on the floor.

Jun Bu Wen ordered, “Night Slayer, send someone to investigate. Find out who visited the medicinal storehouse today. Anyone who dared use Consort’s Smile most likely slipped it away while pretending to collect something else.”

King Darknorth, Bei Anjue, asked in bewilderment, “Why must it have been today? Could they not have stolen Consort’s Smile several days ago?”

Jun Bu Wen explained, “Apart from being kept in a specially crafted jade brocade box, Consort’s Smile becomes ineffective once it has been removed for more than a day. That is one reason it was so highly prized in the past. Therefore, anyone who visited the medicinal storehouse today is suspect, whether or not they touched Consort’s Smile.”

Cold sweat poured down Tang Dehai’s forehead. His conscience stricken, he suddenly shouted at Xia Jiujang at the most inappropriate moment, “Princess Consort of Prince Jin, save me!”

His expression seemed to say that whether he died sooner or later, death was inevitable. He was clearly terrified that the Prince Jin’s men would investigate. His timing was impeccable, and his acting was so convincing that Xia Jiujang nearly applauded.

With a smile on her face, Xia Jiujang said, “Save you? Imperial Physician Tang, that is strange. There are so many people here—why are you asking me for help?”

Imperial Physician Tang Dehai stared at Xia Jiujang in shock. “Princess Consort of Prince Jin, how can you abandon me after crossing the river? You were the one who asked me to give you Consort’s Smile. How can you deny it now? I had no idea you intended to use it to plot against Princess Anya!”

On the way, Madam Chun had already explained everything that needed to be explained. When Tang Dehai originally gave Consort’s Smile to Princess Anya, he had known that she intended to use it against Prince Jin. Now that he needed to accuse someone else, no one was more qualified than the Princess Consort of Prince Jin.