CHAPTER 111 — WHEN TRUTH AND JEALOUSY COLLIDED
Tang Ke Xin had expected many things when she followed the Emperor to Ning He Palace. She had expected a trap. She had expected a scandal. She had expected a scene staged to destroy Ye Lan Chen's reputation.
But she had not expected this.
She had thought Ye Lan Chen had merely been found in the wrong place at the wrong time — a convenient pawn placed beside a dead woman to arouse suspicion. She had not imagined a tableau arranged with such vicious precision: Imperial Concubine Ning lying lifeless on the bed, her skin mottled with bruises, her eyes wide open in frozen terror; and Ye Lan Chen dishevelled, scratched, and half‑dressed, as though caught in the midst of a crime he had never committed.
Even Tang Ke Xin, who prided herself on her composure, felt her breath catch.
This was not merely a trap.
This was a masterpiece of malice.
And the dead could not speak.
The Emperor's voice cut through the heavy silence like a blade.
"What is the meaning of this?"
His tone was cold enough to freeze blood. His gaze fixed on Ye Lan Chen, sharp and unforgiving.
Ye Lan Chen flinched. His face was pale, his eyes wide with panic.
"I… I don't know," he stammered. "Royal Father, I truly don't know what happened. I don't even know how I came to be here."
His voice trembled. His hands shook. He looked like a frightened child — and in many ways, he was. For all his arrogance and mischief, Ye Lan Chen had never faced a danger like this.
Tang Ke Xin's heart tightened.
He was innocent. She knew it instinctively. He was too foolish, too impulsive, too straightforward to orchestrate something so vile. And even if he had wanted a woman, he would never have chosen an imperial concubine — the Emperor's woman.
The Emperor's expression did not soften.
He turned sharply to the palace maids.
"You," he commanded. "Speak. What did you see?"
The maid who had reported the incident fell to her knees, trembling so violently she could barely form words.
"Y‑Your Majesty… this servant heard noises from inside the chamber. I called out several times, but Imperial Concubine Ning did not respond. Her health has been poor recently, so this servant feared something had happened. I… I pushed the door open…"
Her voice cracked.
"And I saw… I saw the Fourth Prince pressing down on her body."
A collective gasp rippled through the room.
The maid continued, her voice shaking uncontrollably.
"Imperial Concubine Ning was not moving. Her eyes were open… wide open… and she did not blink. This servant was so frightened she could not even stand."
Tang Ke Xin watched the maid closely.
Her fear was real. Her trembling was real. Her shock was real.
But that did not mean she was innocent.
A frightened pawn was still a pawn.
The Empress swayed, her face as white as paper. Her hands trembled so violently she had to grip the bedpost to steady herself.
Even if Ye Lan Chen had been framed…
Even if he had been drugged or manipulated…
The scene before them was damning.
The Emperor's expression grew darker still.
Ye Lan Chen's voice broke.
"Royal Father, I didn't do it! I swear I didn't! You must believe me!"
But the Emperor said nothing.
Silence pressed down on the room like a suffocating weight.
Ye Lan Chen's gaze darted desperately around the chamber — and landed on Tang Ke Xin.
"Xin xin! Xin xin, you must save me! You can save me! You can prove my innocence!"
Hope flared in his eyes like a drowning man grasping at a floating branch.
Tang Ke Xin exhaled slowly.
How naïve could he be?
He had been framed with such precision, such cruelty — and he still believed she could simply wave her hand and fix everything.
Before she could respond, Imperial Concubine Ming let out a soft, mocking laugh.
"She? A little girl like her? What could she possibly do to save you?"
The Empress finally noticed Tang Ke Xin's presence. Her eyes widened in alarm.
"Xin'er… why have you come? This matter concerns Chen'er. You must not involve yourself."
Her voice trembled with fear — not for herself, but for Tang Ke Xin.
The Empress knew better than anyone how ruthless palace schemes could be. Whoever had orchestrated this trap would not hesitate to target Tang Ke Xin next.
Tang Ke Xin understood the Empress's fear. But she could not walk away. Not when Ye Lan Chen was the first friend she had made in this world. Not when he had defended her time and time again. Not when this conspiracy reeked of the same hand that had moved against her before.
She stepped forward.
"Your Majesty," she said quietly, "do you trust me?"
The Emperor's eyes narrowed.
He had not expected her to speak. He had not expected her to step into the heart of the storm.
He studied her for a long moment.
Then, slowly, he nodded.
"I trust you."
The Empress closed her eyes in silent relief — and silent fear.
Tang Ke Xin bowed her head.
"Then I ask that Your Majesty and everyone else leave the chamber. I must examine Imperial Concubine Ning's condition alone."
Imperial Concubine Ming's eyes widened.
"Are you ordering the Emperor to leave?"
Tang Ke Xin did not even look at her.
The Emperor's expression hardened.
"All of you, out."
His voice brooked no argument.
The consorts and concubines fled like startled birds. The palace maids scurried after them. Even the Empress, though reluctant, obeyed.
Ye Lan Chen was given fresh clothes and escorted out by a maid from Kunning Palace.
When the Emperor stepped into the courtyard, he found the Crown Prince and Ye Lan Jue waiting.
He hesitated for a moment — but said nothing.
The scandal had already been announced publicly. There was no point in hiding it from his sons.
Ye Lan Jue's gaze flicked toward the chamber door.
Tang Ke Xin had not emerged.
His jaw tightened.
She had walked straight into danger for Ye Lan Chen's sake. She had not hesitated. She had not thought of herself.
And he — Ye Lan Jue — could do nothing to protect her.
Jealousy twisted in his chest like a blade.
Not jealousy of Ye Lan Chen's innocence.
Not jealousy of the scandal.
Jealousy of the fact that Tang Ke Xin had acted without hesitation for another man.
His eyes darkened.
If she had been in danger, would she have acted the same way for him?
He did not know.
And the uncertainty infuriated him.
Inside the chamber, Tang Ke Xin moved with calm precision.
She examined the bed.
The bruises.
She remebered the marks on Ye Lan Chen's body.
The overturned objects.
The faint scent lingering in the air.
She missed nothing.
Outside, the courtyard was silent. Even the birds seemed to hold their breath.
Fifteen long minutes passed.
Then the door opened.
Tang Ke Xin stepped out.
Every gaze snapped toward her.
Ye Lan Chen rushed forward.
"Xin xin! Did you find anything?"
The Empress's hands clenched tightly.
Ye Lan Jue's eyes were fixed on her, searching her expression.
The Emperor's voice was low, urgent.
"Xin'er… did you find something?"
Tang Ke Xin nodded once.
"I have found something."
A collective exhale swept through the courtyard.
But Tang Ke Xin did not look at the Emperor.
Her gaze swept across the palace maids standing in a neat line beside the chamber.
She studied each face.
Each twitch.
Each flicker of fear.
Each attempt to appear calm.
This was not the work of an outsider.
This was the work of someone inside Ning He Palace.
Someone Imperial Concubine Ning trusted.
Someone who had access to her chambers.
Someone who had helped stage the scene.
Tang Ke Xin's eyes narrowed.
She had found the first thread of the conspiracy.
And she intended to pull it.