Chapter 127: Speechless in Defense

As if having long anticipated Hua Rong’s evasive rhetoric, Noble Lady Yu sneered and commanded directly, "Go and fetch Imperial Physician Wang. Let him explain this clearly!"

When Imperial Physician Wang was brought over, he caught sight of the sachet and his face paled with terror. He stammered in a panic, "Noble Lady Yu, didn't you say you were going to burn this? It is incredibly dangerous—why are you still holding it in your hands?"

"Heh, if I had burned it, wouldn't that despicable poisoner remain at large?" As she spoke, Noble Lady Yu cast a piercing, venomous gaze at Hua Rong, her implication unmistakable.

Hua Rong was unimpressed and rolled her eyes at her. However, seeing the physician's reaction, she realized the object was no ordinary thing and felt a small shiver of apprehension. Remembering that she had touched the item herself just moments ago, she rubbed her hands together with a look of slight disgust. "I truly hope this isn't something that costs lives, or am I to be buried along with her?"

She shrank back as she listened to the physician explain that the sachet was impregnated with a substance that released toxins through its fragrance.

"So, according to you, she died of chronic poisoning. What does that have to do with me?"

They spoke as if the object were hers. Lately, people had been dumping all sorts of blame on her head; this was surely going too far. Taking a deep breath, Hua Rong crossed her arms and paced between the poison and the corpse, rendered speechless.

But then, Noble Lady Yu’s next words left her completely stunned: "You were the one who gave this to her. Now that the deed is done, are you trying to deny it?"

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Why would I give such a thing to her!"

Hua Rong felt a wave of panic. One could eat food indiscriminately, but one could not speak indiscriminately—a single slip of the tongue could cost her her life! Furthermore, in her current memories, she had no acquaintance with this maid; she had absolutely no impression of her at all, so why would she ever give her a gift? Besides, Noble Lady Yu was no simple character; as the woman’s personal maid, she would have avoided such a person like the plague, let alone curried favor with them.

*Could it be that they know I have lost my memories and are deliberately framing me here?*

Caught in a dilemma, Hua Rong felt helpless. She couldn't very well use her amnesia to refute their accusations.

"What? Are you speechless now?"

Noble Lady Yu pressed on, moving slowly toward Hua Rong with the sachet in hand. "Little Hua has served me since childhood; she is practically family to me. Now that you have poisoned her to death, how will you pay for her life?"

"How can I answer a question based on something that never happened? Besides, I have no reason to lay a hand on a palace maid."

Whichever way one looked at it, the logic simply did not hold up. Hua Rong moved slightly away, unwilling to inhale the scent of the sachet lest she end up in the same state.

Just as the atmosphere turned awkward, a bystander fanned the flames: "I fear Consort Rong’s target was not a mere maid, but someone close to her..."

The implication was clear: Hua Rong had intended to use the maid to harm Noble Lady Yu. Since the poison worked through fragrance, it was only natural that the Noble Lady would suffer as well if her personal maid were affected. It was just a pity that poor Little Hua’s constitution couldn't withstand it and she had perished first.

With this suggestion, the others immediately understood the intent and nodded in agreement, turning Hua Rong into the target of collective hostility.

"Truly, the most poisonous heart is that of a woman. She stops at nothing to fight for favor. It is a pity, but heaven is watching!"

The crowd whispered and buzzed incessantly. Hua Rong felt a headache coming on. *Damn it. I’ve lost my memories, and now I cannot even defend myself...*

"What is all this commotion?" Amidst the clamor, the voice of Noble Consort Wen suddenly rang out from behind. She appeared today, as always, dignified and magnificent, her entire demeanor exuding grace.

Surrounded by a few maids, she walked slowly into the group. Seeing the corpse, she started in genuine shock, covering her eyes and asking what had happened. Why was a maid lying dead here? While it was tragic for a maid to die, displaying the body in the Xuanji Palace—the residence of the Emperor’s consorts—was highly improper.

Upon hearing this, Noble Lady Yu immediately clung to Noble Consort Wen’s arm, whimpering aggrievedly, "Noble Consort, you must seek justice for me. This woman is truly venomous..."

Noble Lady Yu recounted the sequence of events with added embellishments. Hua Rong wanted to speak up in her own defense, but she didn't even know where to begin.

Noble Consort Wen, however, kept her gaze on Hua Rong, as if examining her, before shaking her head. "Consort Rong has always enjoyed the Emperor's favor and has no motive for murder. How can you be certain that she was the one who gave this sachet?"

"Noble Consort, do you remember when the troupe came to perform in the palace? Consort Rong was intoxicated, and I had Little Hua escort her back. When she returned, she had this on her person. She said herself that Consort Rong had bestowed it upon her. How could that be a lie?"

It was a case of dead men telling no tales. Even if she wanted to argue, the dead were to be respected, and these people were in collusion; they had no intention of listening to her at all.

Noble Consort Wen furrowed her brows, looking at the stoic Hua Rong, and pressed further: "Consort Rong, do you have no explanation?"

"I... I truly do not know what to say. If one wishes to condemn someone, one can always find a pretext. How can I defend myself against something I never did?" Hua Rong pursed her lips, feeling a surge of disgust as she watched Noble Lady Yu’s pitiable act. "However, I do think the Noble Consort said one thing correctly: the Emperor favors me so deeply, why would I poison someone else and bring trouble upon myself?"

This sounded reasonable, but Noble Lady Yu countered immediately, "The one currently in favor is your sister, Hua Yue. I happen to be on good terms with Hua Yue. I fear you are jealous and worry that I might threaten your standing in her heart, which is why you struck so viciously!"

The motive was far-fetched, but the others blindly echoed it, as if determined to see her dead. In the inner palace, eliminating one rival at a time was the norm; they were merely spectators enjoying the spectacle, regardless of the cost to an innocent life.

Seeing that the crowd was still relentless, Noble Consort Wen finally commanded sternly, "Enough! Consort Rong has attempted to harm a Noble Lady; this is no minor offense. As the one with the highest rank in the harem, I cannot turn a blind eye to this. Pass my order: lock Consort Rong in the dungeon!"

"What!" Hua Rong was stunned, but hands immediately grabbed her arms, dragging and shoving her. She was, in the end, cast into the dark, cold depths of the dungeon.