Standing quietly beside Qingling, Qingfeng cast a grateful glance at the man who had always been refined and courteous, yet whose face was now terrifyingly grim. He had saved her sister—her sister had chosen the right person. This debt, she would find a way to repay. As for those who had wronged them, she would reclaim what was owed, piece by piece.
Lou Suxin's expression stiffened, yet she remained silent. Behind her, a clever maid promptly brought over another blanket. This time, Lou Suxin didn't drape it over Lou Xiyan herself, but rather signaled the maid with a look. The maid respectfully offered the blanket to Lou Xiyan.
Without a word, Lou Xiyan took the blanket, dried her face and soaked garments, then flung it back at the maid. Lou Suxin's face darkened further.
At that moment, Mo Bai forced the two eunuchs up from the water. Lou Xiyan walked to the riverbank and whispered something in his ear. Mo Bai nodded in understanding and dove back beneath the surface. No one could guess his intent—no one but Yang Zhilan, whose face subtly changed.
The crowd anxiously awaited the imperial physician's verdict; Zhuo Qing's pallor was deeply unsettling.
Suddenly, Lou Xiyan's voice, cold enough to freeze the air, rang out:
"Guards. Arrest those two."
The Imperial Guards froze. In the palace, only the Emperor could command them to apprehend someone; others they could ignore. Yet today, the order came from Lord Lou—a dilemma.
They cautiously looked toward the Emperor. Without a change in expression, he gave a slight nod. Understanding immediately, four guards surged forward and seized the eunuchs.
Yang Zhilan's heart skipped—had Lou Xiyan uncovered something?
Feigning confusion, she stepped forward and asked, "Xiyan, what are you doing? Even if they failed in their duties, surely prison is too harsh a sentence?"
"Failed in their duties?" Lou Xiyan's phoenix eyes narrowed, the cold glint within undisguised. Her voice dropped to a frigid tone. "What I witnessed was attempted murder."
No one had ever seen Lou Xiyan like this. The chill in her gaze sent shivers down spines. Yang Zhilan forced a laugh. "That… that can't be."
She turned to the eunuchs, deliberately shouting, "You worthless dogs! What happened?"
The two men fell to their knees. One immediately cried out, "We are innocent! There were too many lotus leaves underwater—we searched for ages and only just found Miss Qing, who was already unconscious from drowning. We were supporting her when Lord Lou arrived and misunderstood. We would never harm her!"
Yang Zhilan secretly exhaled in relief. These two had indeed been trained well—they knew how to speak with discretion.
Turning back, she glanced affectionately at the still-unconscious Zhuo Qing, whom the imperial physician was desperately trying to revive. She sighed. "So that's what happened. Xiyan, your urgency to save lives is understandable. This accident came so suddenly—no one wished for such a thing. Thankfully, Ling'er was saved in time."
Contrary to her usual temperament, Lou Xiyan didn't fall silent. Instead, she met Yang Zhilan's gaze directly, her tone cold:
"Does the Empress Dowager mean to say I was mistaken? I am not so dull as to confuse saving a life with taking one."
Yang Zhilan froze, caught off guard by such defiance. For a moment, words failed her. But Lou Xiyan did not relent.
When Mo Bai surfaced with Zhuo Qing, Lou Xiyan's heart nearly stopped. Now, he couldn't even bring himself to look at her still form. Merely waiting for the physician's verdict was enough to drive him mad. The fear and anguish gnawed at him, fueling a rare and explosive fury.
His gaze swept toward the collapsed platform, and his rage flared toward the Empress Dowagers seated high above:
"The palace banquet should guarantee the safety of its guests. Yet the platform collapsed without warning. A girl fell into the lotus pond—and in an estate filled with guards and servants, only four jumped in to save her. For such a vast pond, why wasn't more help stationed nearby? Should I believe this was all just a tragic coincidence—or a premeditated act of murder?"
"Outrageous!" Lou Suxin's expression turned ugly, her well-maintained features contorted with fury. "Lou Xiyan! This is a matter of the inner palace. How dare you—a court official—interfere? Even if there is more to this incident, I will conduct a thorough investigation. But your insolent accusations and reckless actions are disgraceful!"
For a woman? He was willing to cast aside all restraint—what a bitter disappointment.
Lou Xiyan ignored her entirely, turning to the silent, enigmatic Emperor Yan Hongtian. His voice rang out clear and unwavering:
"May I ask, Your Majesty—if my wife suffers an accident in the palace, her fate uncertain—do I not have the right to demand justice?"
The Emperor nodded solemnly. "You do."
Rare as it was to see Xiyan enraged, he deserved unwavering support.
Lou Suxin's face turned livid. Fine. They were united against her. She raised her chin with pride and sneered, "So then—who do you intend to blame? Me? Or the person who pushed your wife into the pond?"
Yang Zhilan gave a low chuckle and stepped in to smooth things over. "Xiyan, it was merely an accident. No one meant Ling'er harm. Please, don't upset your aunt."
Lou Xiyan's eyes turned icy as he glanced at her composed, benevolent face. His voice was laced with chilling accusation:
"And if it wasn't an accident—what then?"
Yang Zhilan's heart seized. Lou Xiyan felt like a different person today—as if he knew something. But how could he? He'd only just arrived.
While she panicked internally, Mo Bai resurfaced at last, holding a coil of rope. He flung it onto the shore and climbed up. With his pale skin and sky-blue eyes, all gazes were drawn to him, whispers rippling through the crowd.
Expressionless, he walked straight to Lou Xiyan and reported in a low voice:
"My Lord, there are twelve posts beneath the platform. Each was deliberately notched, nearly severed, and tied with hemp rope. The two pillars closest to where Madam fell are broken. The ropes that snapped them were likely retrieved, but the others remain. No matter where she stood, the platform would have collapsed."
The words were soft, but they fell like thunder.
Silence. Then murmurs. Confusion. Shock.
"Is there still anyone who believes this was an accident?" Lou Xiyan picked up a length of rope from the ground. His phoenix eyes, sharp as a hawk's, swept across the crowd. No one dared speak.
Yang Zhilan cursed inwardly. Damn it! The entire platform was supposed to collapse—after the ropes were retrieved, it would appear as a structural failure. The plan was to let Qingling drown and have the eunuchs retrieve the ropes afterwards, erasing all evidence.
But never had she imagined Lou Xiyan would come—let alone dive into the water himself. Worse, he had the presence of mind to order an underwater inspection. Now, she needed a scapegoat.
Seizing the moment of shock, Yang Zhilan cried indignantly, "This is outrageous! How could something like this happen within the palace? Sister, we must investigate thoroughly!"
Lou Suxin's brows furrowed once more. So it wasn't an accident. Still, her authority had been publicly challenged, and her expression remained sour.
Lou Xiyan would not allow this matter to be resolved as a mere "inner palace affair." If left to them, it would end with a convenient scapegoat. His cold gaze turned to Emperor Yan Hongtian:
"Though the incident occurred in the inner palace, all the young ladies present today are daughters of noble families. The purpose of today's banquet was to select representatives for the Qiongyue celebration. This incident affects the event's integrity. I believe it should be handled..."