Meanwhile, inside Dragon Glory Hall.
The Empress personally knelt before the Empress Dowager to beg forgiveness.
She could not escape responsibility for the attempt on Consort Xian's life!
"Mother, your daughter-in-law has failed your expectations. In this matter, Consort Xian was not the only person they meant to harm!"
The moment Consort Xian spoke Xiu'er's name, a suspicion that sent chills down her spine formed in the Empress's mind.
At the time, she could no longer concern herself with how the trial was proceeding. She bluntly asked the Emperor to detain the woman, then came here to beg her mother-in-law's forgiveness!
The Empress Dowager's expression was solemn as she slowly helped her up.
"Tell me what you think!"
The Empress was, after all, the daughter-in-law she had chosen. She trusted her unconditionally!
The Empress took a deep breath. "Xiu'er, the one who leaked that information to Consort Xian, was a spy Consort Xian planted beside me from the very beginning!"
"I thought Consort Xian had not given up on scheming against me in the palace, and that was why she planted a spy here. So I pretended not to know and often played along with her little schemes to keep her happy."
"But Xiu'er seemed to know Consort Xian extremely well. She deliberately told her that she could use that tree to jump over the wall, so Consort Xian went to climb it!"
"After Consort Xian climbed the tree the first time, it was also Xiu'er who told me about it and deliberately steered me into making a wager with Consort Xian!"
That was how the two subsequent rope-breaking incidents came about.
This Xiu'er had not only wanted to kill Consort Xian, but also to pin the blame on the Empress.
Two birds with one arrow!
So Xiu'er belonged neither