I insist

Chapter 286: Where Did They Go?

"When arresting someone, you must arrest them for their dirty laundry; when catching someone, you must catch them in the act! What is Your Majesty doing?" The Emperor's face showed impatience.

Why did you drag him here to see this?

"Perhaps Physician Song has already left," the old woman persisted.

The emperor didn't want to listen for a second longer and turned to sit on the stool next to him.

"Why are there so many people!" Song Miqiu squeezed in through the door, feigning surprise.

Seeing the Emperor sitting, the Empress Dowager and a nanny kneeling on the ground, the small room was crowded with people.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager." Song Miqiu knelt before the Emperor and bowed.

The Emperor, already in a state of utter distress, saw Song Miqiu arrive. This whole affair was started by Song Miqiu, and he said with slight anger, "Get up!"

Song Miqiu also sensed the emperor's mood.

"Empress Dowager, weren't you taking a nap? What is the Emperor doing here with so many people?"

When the Empress Dowager saw this damned culprit here, she was furious.

Where did you run off to?!

"Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager were feeling a bit sleepy, so I went outside for a walk. When I came back, I saw Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager here."

The Empress Dowager stared intently at Song Miqiu, trying to see through him.

"The Empress Dowager said you and the eunuchs were behaving intimately in the palace!" the Emperor said bluntly.

The tone was clearly telling her that everyone was there to catch her cheating.

Song Miqiu quickly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise. I am already grateful for Your Majesty's favor in making me a junior imperial physician. How could I dare to do such an unseemly thing?"

"Don't try to deny it! This old servant clearly saw you and Xiao Guizi being all lovey-dovey!"

The old woman was not to be outdone. Even if they didn't catch anyone, as long as she was a witness, she would stick to Song Miqiu and refuse to let go. Song Miqiu would suffer a lot.

"Your Majesty is wise. Your humble servant would never do such a thing. You mean a eunuch? Where is he? I was just out for a stroll, and when I came back I was accused of committing an immoral act. I dare not accept such a charge."

Song Miqiu spoke with reason and evidence, word by word.

The Emperor wasn't a fool; he wouldn't just listen to the old woman's words without reason.

"I believe you!" The Emperor thought he shouldn't vent his anger on Song Miqiu.

The Emperor's words of belief brought a bitter smile to the Empress Dowager's face.

"Your Majesty, if you believe Song Miqiu, you are not believing me." The Empress Dowager looked heartbroken.

"Your Majesty, even if I were to commit such an immoral act, why would I choose your side hall? Wouldn't that just give Your Majesty the opportunity to catch me in the act?"

The Empress Dowager was at a loss for words when Song Miqiu asked her a question, but fortunately, the nanny beside her quickly came to her senses.

"You came to the side hall, saw Xiao Guizi, and couldn't help yourself! You couldn't control yourself."

What a clever excuse! Song Miqiu truly admired this old woman for coming up with such a reason.

"Your Majesty, I am also educated, having studied the Four Books and Five Classics, and I have not forgotten propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame! Even if I were unable to control myself, I would not disregard the dignity of Your Majesty or the Empress Dowager."

Song Miqiu also ruined the Empress Dowager's dignity, which made the Empress Dowager so angry that she really wanted to go over and tear Song Miqiu's mouth apart.

"Your Majesty, I have another matter to report."

"What's the matter."

"Your Majesty, a palace maid sent me tea that was suspicious. I did not drink it. I suspect this palace maid has ulterior motives while serving the Empress Dowager and may be harming her health."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager and the nanny looked extremely embarrassed!

"Bring the palace maid in here. I want to see if anyone dares to poison someone in the palace. Does this mean there are no palace rules?"

Song Miqiu pointed to the trembling palace maid in the crowd. The black-armored guards quickly grabbed the maid and threw her to the ground. The maid fell to the ground, then quickly got up and knelt down.

The palace maids were so frightened by the sight of such a grand display that they trembled and dared not even breathe.

"Do you know that poisoning someone in the palace is a capital offense!" Long Weiyan nodded at the palace maid.

The palace maid had never seen the emperor before, and upon seeing him, she was so frightened by his imposing presence that she almost fainted.

The old woman stared intently at the palace maid: "You'd better speak properly."

The palace maid heard the voice behind her and never imagined that she would be caught in a pincer movement.

"What's wrong, Your Majesty hasn't finished asking yet, and you're already in such a hurry, Granny? Or do you want to take over the cooking in advance?"

The Emperor looked at the Empress Dowager and the nanny.

"I told you to speak, speak now." The Emperor could probably sense that the nanny was threatening the palace maids.

The palace maid was so frightened that she dared not utter a word.

"explain……"

The emperor uttered a single word, which terrified the palace maids so much that they immediately began to cry out.

"Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life..."

Aside from constantly begging for mercy, the palace maid dared not say anything.

"If you don't speak up, your entire family will be executed!"

The emperor's patience was wearing thin, especially when he heard the palace maids crying and sobbing, which made his head ache even more.

"It was the old nanny who told me to put a sleeping potion in Physician Song's tea! This servant knows nothing!"

After the palace maid finished speaking, she lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise her head at all.

The old woman quickly dragged herself up to the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, this palace maid is talking nonsense."

The emperor didn't want to say anything at the moment, and rubbed his temples.

"Lock this palace maid in jail!"

The Emperor now has a general understanding of the situation; the Empress Dowager's attempt to frame him has failed.

The Emperor looked at the Empress Dowager with some disappointment.

"This old woman is from your Cining Palace. I will let you deal with her yourself."

"Your Majesty, it seems to have nothing to do with the Empress Dowager! Perhaps her subordinates acted on their own!" Song Miqiu said, looking pitiful.

The Empress Dowager was so angry that she wanted to tear off Song Miqiu's hypocritical face.

The Emperor was very pleased that Song Miqiu was so magnanimous and could speak well of the person who framed him. He looked at Song Miqiu with even greater admiration.

"Look, you should learn from Physician Song's magnanimity. A group of people misunderstood Physician Song, but he didn't take it to heart at all."

The Emperor showered Song Miqiu with praise, which made the Empress Dowager very uncomfortable.

"Your Majesty, thank you for your magnanimity, Physician Song. It is my fault for mismanagement that led to this incident." The Empress Dowager could only force a smile, but she was not grateful at all and wished she could tear Song Miqiu to pieces.

"Song Miqiu, you're really lucky; you've escaped another calamity." The Empress Dowager stared intently at Song Miqiu.

Seeing the Empress Dowager's look of utter hatred, Song Miqiu offered a humble smile.

After this incident, the relationship between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager grew increasingly distant.

“Your Majesty is telling the truth. The Empress Dowager is always dignified and composed, and would never do anything to frame me.”

"You have been wronged today, and I will make it up to you. You should go back now. I have something to say to the Empress Dowager."

“Your Majesty has cleared my name, and I am deeply grateful.”

Song Miqiu's words pleased the Emperor.

All the palace maids, eunuchs, and guards tactfully withdrew, and Song Miqiu also took his leave after performing the farewell ceremony.

The Empress Dowager realized her mistake. She had originally wanted Song Miqiu to be disgraced, but now things had turned out this way. She made no attempt to hide her disgust for Song Miqiu.