Aunt Xue kowtowed heavily on the ground. "This servant did not order Commander Zhu to kill the Second Prince."

"It’s just, just that this servant was once humiliated by the Second Prince, and felt unreconciled in my heart, so I wanted him to teach the Second Prince a lesson."

She knew that once it involved the assassination of the Second Prince, it could never be separated from Consort Rong. After all, she was merely a palace maid; there was not the slightest conflict of interest between her and the Second Prince.

It had to be said, Consort Rong’s life was not yet at its end; the excuse Aunt Xue blurted out in her panic actually matched Commander Zhu’s words.

Hearing her say this, His Majesty almost believed Aunt Xue’s story.

However, he still had a doubt in his heart. "Then why did you have Commander Zhu throw the sachet near the Second Prince’s bedchamber?"

Aunt Xue would never have become a Chief Aunt if she weren’t clever. She said, "This servant does not know whose sachet that was either. Throwing the sachet was only to confuse everyone. That way, that way even if they investigated, they would not trace it back to this servant."

His Majesty thought for a moment, and felt that this seemed to make sense as well.

Aunt Xue kowtowed heavily again. "Because of this servant’s selfishness, the Second Prince was injured, and Her Ladyship was implicated and punished. This servant deserves ten thousand deaths, only begs Your Majesty not to misunderstand Her Ladyship."

"Your Ladyship, take care!"

As soon as Aunt Xue finished speaking, she suddenly pulled the hairpin from her own hair and stabbed it toward her throat.

Fresh blood gushed out at once.

Consort Rong’s mouth hung open; after a long moment she finally let out a terrified shriek.

His Majesty rose with a frown. Today he had first watched Commander Zhu bite off his tongue, and now saw Aunt Xue stab her own throat; he felt physically unwell.

With a flick of his sleeve, he hurried outside.

Only after His Majesty had gone far did Consort Rong rush to Aunt Xue’s side. Seeing her covered in blood, she did not dare embrace her, only cried out, "Xue Er, how could you be so foolish?"

Aunt Xue still had a breath left.

Her lips moved slowly, and with great effort she squeezed out two words. "Chunsheng—"

Consort Rong nodded through her tears. "Rest assured, I will never treat him badly."

Chunsheng was Aunt Xue’s younger brother.

Ever since their mother died, the siblings had depended on each other.

Every time their stepmother tormented them, the brother and sister would help one another.

After she was sold to the Rong Family, all the monthly Silver she managed to save, she secretly gave to her younger brother.

Although her brother was now a man with a family and a trade, and living quite well on the Silver she had given him over the years, Aunt Xue still could not rest easy about him.

Blood kept flowing out.

Consort Rong did not think of pressing on the wound, nor did she think of calling an Imperial Physician.

Aunt Xue had to die; if she didn’t die, the one who died would be Consort Rong.

Aunt Xue’s wound was very deep, but the opening was not large, and the blood flowed without cease.

The palace maids did not dare come near, only watched from a distance.

After the blood flowed for a long time, Aunt Xue finally slowly breathed her last.

Consort Rong saw her head loll to the side and cried sharply, "Attendants!"

"Little Fuzi, Xiao Guizi, quickly drag her out!"

The two eunuchs came in very quickly and carried the body away.

The palace maids, choking back their fear, brought in water and soon scrubbed the hall clean, only a faint smell of blood seemed to linger in the air.

Consort Rong felt restless breathing in that scent, and had the palace maids light incense, only then suppressing the odor.

The Empress had naturally planted eyes and ears in Consort Rong’s palace. By nightfall, the Empress already knew what had happened there.

She nearly ground her silver teeth to dust. "Bitch! That Commander Zhu was definitely acting under her orders, and the one entangled with Commander Zhu is definitely her. How could that wretched maid Xue Er possibly order Commander Zhu about?"

"It’s just a pity that she’s slipped away from it all!"