Chapter 34: The Princess Consort of This King Is Naturally Extraordinary in Her Intelligence

Summer Jiuniang’s ingenious evidence made Censor Zhou’s eyes light up. “Excellent. It seems the Princess Consort truly has been framed.”

Haitang, kneeling on the ground, suddenly lost all light in her eyes. She had thought she could escape unscathed, never expecting Summer Jiuniang to so easily uncover her true face.

The matter of the osmanthus tree had made everything clear. The butterflies and pollen surrounded only Haitang and Chun’er, and this strange connection could not be explained away. No matter how Haitang tried to defend herself, as long as Summer Jiuniang bore no pollen from the osmanthus, and as long as she had not gone to the top of the artificial hill, then Haitang’s accusation that Summer Jiuniang pushed Chun’er was nothing but slander.

Lin Baixue could not believe Summer Jiuniang had so easily shed suspicion. She stared blankly for several seconds before asking, “If Haitang is the culprit...then why was a piece of your clothing found in Chun’er’s hand?”

Summer Jiuniang shrugged. “As for what caused the scrap of cloth the madam mentioned, you’ll have to ask Haitang. I never so much as passed by the osmanthus tree, let alone climbed to the top of the artificial hill. How could there be a piece of my clothing in Chun’er’s hand?”

Summer Jiuniang actually needed to prove very little. As long as she could establish she had never gone up the artificial hill, all suspicion would be removed from her. Even if there was a fragment of her clothing left behind, it would only mean she had been framed.

Summer Jiuniang sneered. “But Haitang, you brought a group here to the hill. Weren’t you the first to rush to Chun’er’s side? Isn’t it likely you were the one who placed my clothing fragment in Chun’er’s hand at that moment?”

Just then, an old maid from the back courtyard suddenly rushed into Spring Garden. Seeing Summer Wentao and Lin Baixue, she exclaimed in shock, “Terrible news! At the back gate...there’s a girl dressed as a maid, dead!”

“What maid?” Lin Baixue frowned. The matter of Chun’er already troubled her, and now another maid had died. Why were so many deaths in the Chancellor’s residence today? Had no one checked the calendar?

The old maid, trembling, said, “A maid with two hair buns, dressed in a pale blue long gown...she doesn’t look like one of our servants, but somehow she collapsed beneath a tree at the back gate. So I came to report.”

Summer Jiuniang smiled at the old maid’s words. “I mentioned a maid with two buns, dressed in pale blue, but never expected she would die at the back gate.”

A cold light flashed in Summer Jiuniang’s eyes. Upon hearing this, Summer Yue’er’s face instantly turned pale with terror. Her heart beat rapidly; she knew the death of the blue-gowned maid must be connected to Summer Jiuniang. Summer Jiuniang was terrifying—she not only exposed Haitang, but even the maid who had earlier led her into the trap was not spared.

From the very first moment Summer Jiuniang saw the maid in the blue gown, she had been wary. She placed a venomous insect on her, knowing this was the one who had lured Summer Jiuniang into the scheme. Summer Jiuniang let the insect bite her; when that maid thought she had left the Chancellor’s residence safely, she succumbed to poison and died at the back gate. It was her fate. Could she plot against Summer Jiuniang and still hope to escape?

Haitang’s face turned deathly pale, her terror overwhelming. She felt Summer Jiuniang’s cold stare fixed upon her neck, as if the next moment she would bite right through it. Haitang, frightened, turned toward Lin Baixue. “Madam, please save me!”

Lin Baixue and Summer Yue’er clenched their fists in fury. This fool! Asking for help in this way was tantamount to admitting everything—and seeking Lin Baixue’s help would only make everyone suspect Lin Baixue as the mastermind.

Summer Jiuniang gave a little sound of surprise. “How odd—Haitang isn’t from Lingxiang Court, so why seek help from the madam?”

Summer Wentao’s face grew cold, his gaze toward Lin Baixue tinged with suspicion.

Though he cherished Lin Baixue and doted on Summer Yue’er, that did not mean Lin Baixue could do as she pleased and harm his children.

Lin Baixue hurried to explain, “Haitang knows I am kindhearted. Now, with Madam Wei and the Third Miss absent, she could only turn to me. Yet you killed the young master; even if she wants to beg me, it’s futile. Better to think for those still living.”

Her final words were strange—“think for those still living”—an obvious threat aimed at Haitang.

Haitang’s face went even paler at Lin Baixue’s words. She said, “Yes, the madam is kind, so I hoped she might save me, but I forgot that the crime I committed is a monstrous one…”

Summer Wentao, furious, demanded, “Why did you do it? Why did you harm Chun’er?”

Lin Baixue, staring pointedly at Haitang, reminded her, “Haitang, you were about to leave the Summer residence, but now you’ve committed a grave offense. Any hope of a good life is gone.”

Haitang let out a few deranged laughs. “I had already found my ideal man, planned to redeem my status and live as an ordinary person. Then Summer Cicada ruined my face. Madam Wei signaled me to save Summer Cicada, lest her acting lead to tragedy. But what did I get in return? Why do you think I did this?”

Those present understood now the farce in the guest courtyard yesterday, when Summer Cicada, shamed and desperate, tried to take her own life, only to be knocked aside by Haitang.

Haitang’s face twisted in anger. “Summer Cicada ruined her own face by accident, yet vented all her rage on me, destroying my looks. The ordinary life I dreamed of was lost.”

Summer Yue’er, her beauty matched by a gentle heart, spoke with sorrow and pity, “But Chun’er was innocent. Cicada was the one who harmed your appearance, and even if you resented Madam Wei, you shouldn’t have done this to Chun’er.”

She glared at Haitang several times, and Haitang, seeing the warning in her eyes, lowered her head.

Haitang said quietly, “Why shouldn’t I target the young master? Madam Wei’s greatest treasure is Chun’er. Any slight injury or suffering he endured meant hardship for us servants. Since she cared so much, I’d make her care until it killed her. Let Madam Wei see what her doted daughter’s actions bring.”

Summer Jiuniang glanced at Lin Baixue and Summer Yue’er. The two were working together, pressing Haitang to admit her guilt.

Summer Jiuniang sharply questioned, “You wanted to harm Chun’er to get back at Madam Wei and Summer Cicada. But why did you frame me? Was it someone’s order or arrangement?”

Haitang gritted her teeth. “I slandered the Princess Consort purely because of her enmity with Madam Wei and Summer Cicada. If I wanted to harm the young master, I had to shift blame onto you. That way, you’d have motive and I could hide perfectly. I never expected the Princess Consort’s clever use of butterflies and pollen would expose me.”

Haitang seemed to protect Lin Baixue and Summer Yue’er, likely because they held something over her.

She gave a wild, manic laugh. “In fact, I should thank the Princess Consort. Thanks to her, Madam Wei and Summer Cicada got their just deserts—one beaten half to death and thrown onto the streets, the other crippled and sent to a nunnery. My great revenge is fulfilled, ha ha ha!”

Her shameless words enraged Summer Wentao. “Guards! Drag Haitang out and beat her to death. Let all the servants see the fate of those who harm the master and frame the Princess Consort!”

Haitang was taken away, but her ruined face revealed endless pain and sorrow. Much remained hidden behind her gaze.

Censor Zhou turned to Summer Jiuniang. “The Princess Consort is truly wise.”

Jun Buwen stood by Summer Jiuniang’s side and said, “The Princess Consort of this prince is naturally wise beyond compare.”

Jun Qianye, standing nearby, struggled to contain his rage. Clearly, Summer Jiuniang was a bride forced upon Prince Jin by imperial edict, yet now they seemed heaven-made for each other.

Summer Jiuniang’s clever use of butterflies and pollen to resolve the crisis left a deep mark on Jun Qianye’s mind.

She glanced at Summer Yue’er and said, “The innocent will always be vindicated. I only hope that in the future, Father will wait for the truth before erupting in anger, lest the blameless suffer. If not for my own wit this time, Haitang’s slander might have prevailed.”

Summer Wentao replied through gritted teeth, “It was my impatience over Chun’er’s fate. The Princess Consort’s forgiveness is requested.”

Summer Jiuniang smiled faintly. “So be it. My visit ends here. Summer Cicada’s face need not be treated by me, nor should she remain in the residence any longer.”

Summer Wentao had not expected that Summer Jiuniang’s return would not only fail to ensnare her, but would instead wipe out Madam Wei’s entire household. He bit back his anger. “Chun’er is dead. The residence must hold a funeral.”

Summer Jiuniang said, “When the time comes, I’ll return to the residence to pay my respects for Chun’er’s death. Father need not worry.”