"What did you find?" Emperor Xiang Long Wei's voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp as blades.
"Your Majesty," Eunuch Zhao began, bowing deeply, "we discovered scattered pearls and traces of oil on the floor near the pond. Beneath the surface, water weeds had been deliberately thrown in—entangling the legs of those who entered the water. That is why the rescuers nearly drowned."
"And who was behind this?" The Emperor's tone chilled the air.
"We searched all the palaces of the concubines," Zhao said carefully, "and found clues within the residences of Noble Consort Duan, Consort De, and Noble Consort Xian."
The words struck the hall like thunder. Xian Guifei, who had been poised to curse Duan Guifei and De Fei, froze when she heard her own name.
"What nonsense is this?!" she burst out, her voice trembling with both fury and disbelief. "Are you accusing me of plotting against my own A-Chen? That's absurd!"
