An Eight-year-old Princess

Yun Shang realized she was able to speak again. A spurt of anger flashed through her. She had thought that the marriage issue would be solved after she had told her father that Master Wu Na said she should not get married for another three years. But she didn't expect that Prince Jing would set a trap for her.

Yun Shang was unhappy with the thought that someone else could control her destiny. She opened her mouth, "Father, I..."

Her words were interrupted by several exclamations. Yun Shang was taken aback, and upon turning around, she found that Li Yingying who had been sitting next to her, had fallen to the ground. Blood was flowing from her lips.

After seeing that, Emperor Ning immediately stood up and shouted, "Servants, call the imperial physician!"

Before Yun Shang regained her composure, she found herself being lifted up and put aside. She furrowed her brows, pushed aside the hands around her waist, and shouted angrily, "Uncle, please behave yourself!"

Unlike his usual apathetic attitude, Prince Jing curled his lips and whispered in Yun Shang's ear, "Behave myself? Yun Shang, all the officials in the Hall know that you will be my wife soon."

Yun Shang wriggled to free herself while frowning at his reminder. She went back to her seat and looked down at Li Yingying. The blood was black. Was she poisoned?

A woman rushed to Li Yingying's side. After seeing Li Yingying's status, her eyes filled with tears. She suddenly fell to her knees and held Li Yingying tightly in her arms crying, "Yingying, Yingying, are you okay? Please don't frighten me..."

Yun Shang wondered if this woman was the daughter-in-law of the oldest son of the Li clan. In a little while, an imperial physician hurried in. He felt Li Yingying's pulse for a moment and then opened his mouth, "Your Majesty, Lady Yingying was poisoned. I have never seen such a poison before."

"Been poisoned? Why is there poison in the Imperial Palace? Who is it that poisoned Lady Yingying?" Emperor Ning furrowed his brows, "Servants, take Lady Yingying to the side Hall and bring all imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital to treat her. Physician, check all the items on Lady Yingying's table."

While the servants carried Li Yingying away, the imperial physician began his inspection of all items on the table but found nothing. "Your Majesty, I didn't find anything that is poisonous..."

"Really?" Emperor Ning felt relieved although he remained speechless. It was said that Li Yingying was Grand Councilor Li's favorite granddaughter. If something happened to her at the Imperial Palace, Grand Councilor Li might take this opportunity to do something.

Lady Li immediately yelled, "Your Majesty, Yingying was fine a moment ago. Oh! I see. Except for the items on the table, Yingying touched the Pipa. She played the Pipa a short while ago."

Emperor Ning frowned as he was unhappy with Lady Li's insinuation. Lady Li seemed to believe that the source of the poison was in the Imperial Palace.

"Your Majesty, please don't be angry with my sister-in-law. She is agitated as she is worried about her daughter. What about asking the imperial physician to check the Pipa? The Empress gave a bland smile and suggested.

"Okay! Physician, check the Pipa!" Emperor Ning's face was expressionless, however, in his eyes, there was a trace of displeasure.

Hearing the order, the imperial physician walked to the Pipa to check it. He took out a white handkerchief and wiped the strings of the Pipa. The white handkerchief turned black. The imperial physician brought the handkerchief closer to his nose and sniffed it carefully. After a while, he turned to Emperor Ning, "Your Majesty, there is poison on the Pipa. And it is the same that was used to poison Lady Yingying!"

"That's absurd! How dare someone try to poison Lady Yingying in the Imperial Palace? Guards, find the culprit! Bring all people that have touched this Pipa here." Emperor Ning slammed the armrest and shouted in anger.

Yun Shang felt as though someone was watching her. She looked back and saw Hua Jing was staring at her with a weird smile.

Yun Shang panicked and wondered, 'Was this a trap for me?'

'But it doesn't make sense at all. Li Yingying is a complete stranger to me. I have no reason to poison the daughter of an official.' Yun Shang began recalling the events from her previous life, and suddenly remembered a similar scene. Yun Shang curled her lips. She had thought that her new life would be different from the previous one, but the same incident had happened again.

Majesty, these servants have touched the Pipa tonight. Xi'er normally keeps this instrument. The maid, Xi'er gave this Pipa to Que'er because of

were on their knees. "All of you! When did you touch the Pipa? Was there a witness? Think

the middle immediately answered. "I'm Xi'er. I am responsible for the storage of this Pipa. I wiped the instrument for the imperial dinner tonight and then gave it to Que'er. All the servants in Imperial Treasure House can testify on my behalf. After

Hall understood Xi'er's unspoken message. Que'er checked the timbre of the Pipa, thus implying that the instrument was non-toxic when it was passed to Que'er. If Xi'er

stored for a long time. So, I like to check the timbre first and then wipe

Que'er's words, she kowtowed before the host seat, "Two servant girls and I fetched the Pipa. We were

conceal her excitement and wondered what surprising turn this drama would

snorted coldly, "Are you sure nobody else touched the Pipa during this

heads. However, the servant named Que'er looked hesitant

do, don't hesitate. Speak plainly. There are so many people in the Hall. We will protect you. I, the Princess, give you my word that nobody will harm

vase. Qian Yin said that although breaking a vase was

of "break" and "year" are the same. If you break

why the Empress had asked Qian Yin to fetch a vase from the Imperial Treasure House. Yun Shang had believed that the Empress was going to make an issue of the vase. After the vase was brought to her Palace, Yun Shang had checked it for a long time but had found nothing odd. It turned out the Empress had set a trap for

who had been on her knees before, had been catapulted into the pillar in the Hall. Yun Shang watched as her limp body fell to the ground. Hearing her moans, people were startled

to kill the maid who might produce evidence against Princess Yun Shang?" The accusation was followed by a

and the latter looked nonchalant as if it wasn't him who

his teeth, "Prince Jing, you have insulted me beyond limit. Are you trying

your granddaughter before today!"

is you who instigated your servant to put the poison on the strings of the Pipa. Guards,

It was the Empress who suggested we play the game, and the rule was made by my father. How would I know that Lady Yingying would play the Pipa?" Everyone looked at Yun Shang with disbelief. Yun Shang was calm. She was sitting nonchalantly in her chair while questioning Grand Councilor

After a long time, she stammered, "Since the Empress has been recuperating for a while, Lady Ming was responsible for the imperial dinner. Several

that I had known about the game, and had enough time to do

"Lady Yingying seemed to fancy Prince Jing. If Princess Yun Shang

I'm jealous of her? Maybe I'm envious of her? Maybe I wanted to eliminate a potential rival for this reason?" As

fuming, "Princess Hui Guo, I didn't expect you to be so vicious. You said it wasn't you who

Looking at the miserable expression on her face, Yun Shang slightly bent down and was about to say something, but Grand Councilor

Shang ignored him and spoke to Que'er, "Except for cleaning musical instruments in the Imperial Treasure House, where have

have been in the Imperial Treasure House the whole day. I was just brought here from

sure you don't need time to think it over?"

head to conceal the fluster in her eyes, "I've been in the Imperial Treasure

why is there a plum blossom petal on the sole of your shoe?" When Prince Jing kicked the servant, Yun Shang saw the plum blossom petal on her shoe sole and

idea. Maybe someone went to Meiying House, trod on a plum blossom petal and brought it

to Yun Xi, "I haven't seen you before in Lady Ming's Palace. What do

immediately answered, "I serve

outside the Palace? Well then, tell me, what did Lady Ming say this morning? Okay?" Yun Shang smiled

shivered,

you have forgotten what you heard this morning, why