I dress up as a poor noblewoman, and I bring my whole family home with my literary talent.

Chapter 87 Cross-examination
The east is already bright, and the hunting ground is covered with fog
Zhao Yinxian and Song Lingyi exchanged their confessions on the way back to the camp. She also knew how serious the incident was, so when the empress questioned her, Song Lingyi remained calm and only said that she got lost and met Yu Youzhi by chance, and she simply treated his wounds for him.

The accompanying imperial physician examined Yu Youzhi's injuries and reported to the empress. He first said that Yu Shaoqing was seriously injured, but fortunately the bleeding was stopped with herbal medicine, so his life was not in danger. He also said that Yu Shaoqing's wound was caused by an iron arrow, and the conditions in the camp were limited. The most important thing at the moment was to send him back to Chang'an.

The carriage carrying the seriously injured and unconscious Yu Youzhi rushed towards Chang'an.

Things are not peaceful in the camp. Yu Youzhi is seriously injured, and none of the people he brought to the southeast hunting area survived. Rumors are spreading that "someone wants to murder the emperor's close ministers."

The assassination in the hunting ground was of no small importance, and the empress ordered the Dali Temple to thoroughly investigate the case.

After returning to Chang'an, the court was in an uproar about the assassination. Because the traces of the assassination were wiped out very cleanly, the Dali Temple could not find any useful clues and could not point the finger at the assassination. In addition, an eunuch had reminded him that there were large wild animals in the southeast hunting area. It was Yu Youzhi who insisted on going to the southeast hunting area. There was a shortage of manpower, so accidents were inevitable.

However, many officials still did not agree with the results of the investigation. Let's not talk about how to explain the arrow wound suffered by Yu Youzhi. Just talk about Commander Hu of the Imperial Guard. He was a top martial arts champion. Even if there were only four Imperial Guards, they were masters picked from a hundred miles away. If they couldn't win, they could still escape. How could there be no one left and even their bodies could not be found!

During the time when Yu Youzhi was seriously injured and in a coma, even Song Lingyi, who was on duty at the Bureau of History, had no peace of mind. Some gossiping officials, hearing that it was Song Lingyi who saved the seriously injured Yu Shaoqing, were trying to find out whether the assassination was true.

It was not until the third day after returning to the imperial city from the hunting ground that the eunuch Li Huaizhong, who often served the empress, came to the Imperial Historian Bureau and said that His Majesty wanted to ask her something in the Xuanzheng Hall.

Song Lingyi had a feeling that this trip was not simple. Coincidentally, Ye Xu'an was in Daqing Hall today, so she asked Li Huaizhong to wait for a moment. She went upstairs on the pretext of getting something and asked the master to tell her fortune.

"Master, Master..." Song Lingyi hurriedly walked to Ye Xuan'an and gently shook his right hand, "Master, His Majesty summoned me to the Xuanzheng Hall for questioning. I am really scared. How about you tell a fortune for me? I will feel more at ease..."

Ye Xu'an raised his hand and flicked her forehead, saying righteously: "Nonsense, if His Majesty tells you to go, go. Life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor are determined by God. You must not reveal the secret..."

Song Lingyi covered her forehead, thinking that she had been able to predict the future before, so why couldn't she do it this time? "Master, you don't have to tell me directly, just tell me... Is my life in danger on this trip?"

"Disciple, everything is predetermined, you just need to follow your heart." Ye Xu'an's words were ambiguous. What does it mean to follow your heart? She lied about being lost, is that also following her heart?
Complex... Really complex

Unable to resist Li Huaizhong's urging, Song Lingyi followed him to the Xuanzheng Hall.

She was not idle on the way. She tried to sound out Li Huaizhong's attitude and asked him what important matter the emperor had summoned her for.

Li Huaizhong kept his mouth shut and refused to say a word.

This was Song Lingyi's third visit to Xuanzheng Hall.

Today's carved wooden doors are not as tightly closed as before, but are wide open.
Li Huaizhong respectfully asked Song Lingyi to wait for a moment while he went into the hall to report. Song Lingyi waited in the courtyard, nodding her head and lowering her eyebrows. She only took a quick glance and found that there were quite a few people inside.

After about a cup of tea, Li Huaizhong came out and summoned her into the hall.

Song Lingyi stepped over the threshold tremblingly. She glanced at the hall and saw not only Shen Liuyun but also Yu Youzhi. She didn't recognize the other officials. She heard that the assassination in the hunting ground was handed over to the Dali Temple for investigation. She guessed that these officials were officials from the Dali Temple.

"Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty!"

"No need to be polite"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"I summoned Lady Song to come here because I have something to ask you." The empress was solemn and dignified. The huge sense of oppression made Song Lingyi dare not raise her head at all. "I will tell you everything I know..."

"Yu Shaoqing said that he was assassinated in the hunting ground. Do you know about this?" asked the empress.

Song Lingyi's forehead was covered with cold sweat

Shen Liuyun clenched his hands tightly under his wide sleeves. Last night, a subordinate reported that he had met Song Lingyi in the southeast hunting ground. He wanted to kill her to silence her, but the wooden bridge broke and she fell into the river. Not only did he delay his return to the team, but he also failed to get rid of her.

Although it is not known how much Song Lingyi knows, if she testifies on behalf of Yu Youzhi about the assassination at the Southeast Hunting Ground, the situation will be unfavorable to him.

"Your Majesty, I just happened to meet Yu Shaoqing after getting lost. I had no knowledge of the assassination."

Shen Liuyun secretly breathed a sigh of relief

"Oh?"

A middle-aged man in the hall said with a sharp gaze, "But Yu Shaoqing said that when he met Lady Song, Lady Song was leading a horse. When she noticed some noise around her, she let the horse out to make some noise to lure people away. If Lady Song didn't know about it, how could she have done this on her own initiative?"

Song Lingyi side-studied the middle-aged man. He had a handsome face, was wearing a fourth-rank official uniform, and spoke clearly. She thought he must be a senior official of the Dali Temple.

"Sir, Yu Shaoqing was seriously injured at the time. I heard some noise, but I couldn't be sure whether it was made by humans or beasts." Song Lingyi answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

The official from the Dali Temple choked and subconsciously glanced at Yu Youzhi.

Yu Youzhi had received news early that Shen Liuyun would attack him in the hunting ground, so he had his private soldiers lurk in the hunting ground in advance. However, he still underestimated Shen Liuyun and not only sent hidden blades, but also mobilized soldiers.

Shen Liuyun erased all traces simply because he felt that there were no witnesses or evidence, and based on Yu Youzhi's one-sided statement alone, even if the Dali Temple determined that someone had assassinated him, there was no evidence to implicate the Prince of Jin's Mansion.

"Is Miss Song unsure, or does she not dare to be sure?" Yu Youzhi looked deep.

All eyes in the hall were focused on Song Lingyi. It was impossible for her to say that she was not afraid or guilty. She knew better than anyone what was going on in this assassination. If she made any mistake, she would be caught by the people from the Dali Temple.

She couldn't afford to offend either the Prince of Jin or Yu Youzhi, but in comparison, she would rather offend Yu Youzhi.

"What do you mean by that, Yu Shaoqing? How dare I lie in front of your majesty?"

Song Lingyi seemed surprised and knelt down to kowtow: "I dare not lie to you, Your Majesty, please understand!"

"Your Majesty, since Lady Official Song saved Yu Shaoqing, she is obviously a righteous person. How could she lie about the facts?" Shen Liuyun said.

"Your Highness, are you saying that I was lying about being assassinated?" Yu Youzhi said.

Shen Liuyun remained calm, "I dare not... Yu Shaoqing insisted that he was assassinated, but there must be evidence. Now even the whereabouts of Commander Hu and others are unknown, how can I prove your words?"

(End of this chapter)