Chapter 185 Full of Dramatics

Chapter 185: The Drama Queen Takes the Stage

After speaking, he turned to look at Physician Zhu, who was kneeling in the great hall, his face filled with anger.

"Physician Zhu, tell me, why did you slander Prince Ye and deceive me? Did you do it intentionally, or was someone behind you instructing you to do so?"

Physician Zhu's heart trembled. He instinctively looked up at Consort Li, and upon receiving a threatening glare from her, quickly lowered his head again.

He knew this was Consort Li's warning to him. If he dared to speak recklessly, his entire Zhu family would be finished.

Physician Zhu's mind raced, and he immediately began to play the victim.

"Your Majesty, how would this humble servant dare to deceive you? Every word I spoke was the truth! When I went to Prince Ye's residence, His Highness Prince Ye was indeed gravely ill, coughing up blood, and his pulse was very weak. Even if you gave me a hundred times the courage, I wouldn't dare fabricate such a thing!"

Ji Yuntang's gaze turned cold. She calmly looked at Physician Zhu, her voice carrying a hint of cold severity and authority.

"You still dare to deceive His Majesty? Am I, this princess, not more aware of my husband's condition than you, an outsider? In all your years of practicing medicine, have you ever seen anyone recover from a terminal state to a normal one in just seven days?"

"Not to mention that Ninth Princess, Prince Chen, and Young Lord Xie all went to Prince Ye's residence that day and saw His Highness Prince Ye. The three of them can testify for me."

Luo Sinian also stepped forward at this moment. Dropping his usual aloofness, a sharp glint appeared in his dark eyes.

"That's right, I can testify. Everything Third Sister-in-law said is true, without any falsehood."

"That day, when I went to Prince Ye's residence to see Third Brother, his health was already nearly recovered. All of this is a lie from Physician Zhu. For all these years, he hasn't been treating Third Brother properly; instead, he's used the pretext of treating him to torture him in various ways. I beseech Your Majesty to investigate this matter and seek justice for Third Brother."

Luo Qingge looked at Luo Sinian in surprise. She hadn't expected her Eighth Brother to voluntarily step forward and testify for her Third Sister-in-law.

She knew that Luo Sinian had previously hated Ji Yuntang, even falling out with Luo Junhe because of her.

So now that he was stepping forward, was it because Ji Yuntang had cured Luo Junhe, and he had finally begun to acknowledge her?

Ji Yuntang, however, was quite satisfied with Luo Sinian's actions. This kid had finally acted appropriately; her efforts that day at Prince Ye's residence hadn't been in vain.

At least this time, he had been timely in his intervention, without dragging her and Luo Junhe down.

Unlike the joy of Ji Yuntang and Luo Qingge, Consort Li was furious inside.

What was wrong with Luo Sinian?

Wasn't he the one who had always hated Ji Yuntang, wishing Prince Ye would divorce this woman?

So why was he suddenly defending her?

Moreover, Consort Li clearly remembered that after Luo Sinian left Prince Ye's residence that day, she immediately summoned him to the palace.

Back then, he had told her himself that Luo Junhe was seriously ill, and Consort Li had believed him.

But now, the scene before her made Consort Li realize that things were not as she had imagined.

It was very likely that Luo Sinian and Ji Yuntang had already colluded, deliberately deceiving her and leading her into a trap.

This realization nearly drove Consort Li to the brink of collapse.

She had always been the one scheming against others, but ever since she encountered Ji Yuntang, that bane of her existence, she had suffered one major loss after another.

If this matter with Physician Zhu wasn't handled properly, it could even implicate her and that man’s grand plan.

Consort Li was panicked inside, but she knew she couldn't act rashly now, or she would reveal her flaws.

After thinking it over, she decided that now she needed to find a scapegoat.

And Physician Zhu was the perfect choice.

Consort Li instantly transformed into a melodramatic actress. Looking at Emperor Jingyang, her eyes brimmed with tears, and her voice was mournful.

"I beg Your Majesty to seek justice for my son. My poor son, He Er! I never knew he had suffered so much in the Prince's residence. Fortunately, I prayed to the Buddha every day, and the Buddha blessed my poor son."

Consort Chu, with her alluring presence, took a measured sip of tea, gently stirring the floating tea leaves with the lid, and said with a hint of mockery in her eyes:

"Sister Li, are you not giving any credit at all to Princess Ye?"

"Prince Ye's recovery was largely due to Princess Ye's meticulous care and medical treatment, wasn't it? As this consort sees it, Sister Li's three years of praying to the Buddha aren't as effective as the wife she chose for Prince Ye. With such an outstanding daughter-in-law, Sister is truly fortunate."

Consort Chu’s tone carried a hint of mockery. On one hand, she envied that Consort Li, who had been out of favor for over a decade, had once again regained imperial favor.

On the other hand, she wanted to take the opportunity to say a few good words to ingratiate herself with Ji Yuntang and gain support for Prince Qi.

Consort Chu knew well that if Luo Junhe recovered and Consort Li regained favor, her son would face a formidable rival in the competition for the crown prince position.

But the underlying reason was still Ji Yuntang's help behind the scenes.

Without Ji Yuntang, what is Luo Junhe?

As she regarded Ji Yuntang again, Consort Chu’s eyes held unconcealed admiration and calculation.

"As a woman, Princess Ye was forced to marry in place of her sister by the Marquis Yongning's estate, yet she single-handedly supported the entire Prince Ye's residence. She is a paragon for the women of our Dongchen Kingdom."

"Where did Physician Zhu get the audacity to plot against our kingdom’s War God Prince? Your Majesty must investigate this thoroughly."

Ji Yuntang was well aware of Consort Chu's attempts to curry favor, but she deliberately ignored them.

This woman was different from Consort Li. Consort Li’s malice was hidden deep inside, showing only a good side to others—a real-life black lotus.

Consort Chu’s evil and ambition, however, were displayed on her face. Ji Yuntang knew from the very first time she saw her that this woman was unscrupulous and a consummate schemer.

Thus, she maintained her distance from both Prince Qi and Consort Chu.

Emperor Jingyang was furious inwardly. He knew that Physician Zhu had not lied; this was all part of Ji Yuntang’s calculations. But at this moment, he had to resolve the matter directly.

Inwardly, he silently scolded Physician Zhu as a useless fool for failing to eliminate Luo Junhe in three years, giving him a chance to recover.

Overwhelmed by his emotions, Emperor Jingyang slammed his palm on the table in anger.

"Zhu Rushan, you incompetent fool! After all these years of trusting you and entrusting Prince Ye's health entirely to your care, is this how you repay me?"

"Now that the evidence and witnesses are conclusive, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Physician Zhu was already terrified. Fortunately, having navigated the court for years, a sliver of reason remained in his mind.

He knew full well that whether he confessed to the crime or not, he was doomed today.

------------