I woke up as the Villainous Empress

189  Emergency Court Session XII

The courtroom erupted in commotion as no one had anticipated that Zheng Liang would produce the vendor of the toxic herbs as evidence.

"If he discloses the identity of the person who unlawfully purchased the poisonous herbs from him, all doubt will be dispelled," remarked one of the ministers, eagerly awaiting the truth to be unveiled.

Meanwhile, Yang Luoyang scowled at the unfolding events, deeply troubled by what was happening. His expressions became gloomy when the man introduced himself and revealed his vocation.

He gritted his teeth and glowered at Zheng Liang, pondering how he had managed to unearth the man's identity. He had been exceedingly cautious in his dealings with the vendor, so how had Zheng Liang managed to ferret him out?

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Zheng Liang turned to the trembling man on his knees and inquired, "Did you sell the slow-acting poison to someone from the royal palace?" The man bit his lip and hesitantly nodded. "Yes, Your Highness! I was the one who sold the poisonous herbs to the people of the royal palace," he confessed.

"In the capital, I am the sole trader of the slow-poisonous herbs imported from a distant kingdom. You won't find such an item anywhere else," he boasted.

Yang Ning scoffed at his words and remarked, "Is that something to be proud of? You smuggle illegal poisonous herbs into the capital and boast about it. Have you no shame?"

The man recoiled at her words, looking at her with terror-filled eyes as he shook his head in denial. "Consort Princess, please forgive me! I didn't mean to brag," he said, bowing his head in humiliation.

Zheng Liang chuckled at Yang Ning's reprimand of the man, but his smile quickly vanished, replaced by a somber expression. He gazed at the man coldly and demanded, "Look around and tell everyone who purchased the poisonous herbs from you."

The man's gaze flickered to his side, where he saw the bloody scratches on Bai Jiang's face. He swallowed hard, fearful that he too would be subjected to the same treatment.

As he looked at Yang Lingxin, who had struck Bai Jiang in front of everyone, his anxiety grew. However, it was the woman on the throne, glaring at him with a fierce, murderous expression, that chilled him to the bone.

Her murderous gaze was even more fierce than the Crown Prince. He swallowed nervously, regretting that he had ever given the poisonous herbs to that woman. Who could have predicted that she would be someone from the royal palace and would put him in this dire situation?

He had been delighted to sell the herbs to her because she had offered to pay him handsomely. Her price was the highest he had ever received for those herbs, and how could he resist such a lucrative deal? However, what had once seemed like a profitable opportunity had now turned into the biggest mistake of his life.

"Are you going to take the entire day to reveal the name?" Yang Ning's expression turned sour as she was growing impatient.

The man shook his head and ceased looking around, "No, I...I remember who purchased the poisonous herbs from me."

"It was her," he pointed a trembling finger at Yang Lingxin, who was standing behind him held by female guards.

Yang Lingxin's eyes widened in disbelief, "What? Are you blind?"

"I don't even know you. It was the first time I saw you. Then how could I have bought poisonous herbs from you?" she shouted.

She wanted to pummel the man who was blatantly lying in front of everyone, but the female guards restrained her.

It was true; she had never met this man before. It was Yang Luoyang who had always supplied her with the herbs. Why was this man lying and putting her in such an unfavorable position? She pondered.

The man's eyes widened as he shook his head, "Your Highness, please believe me. I am telling the truth."

"Her Majesty used to buy those poisonous herbs from me at the back of the temple near the lake. Whenever she visited the temple with her maid, she used to buy those herbs from me."

"I also have the gold coins that she gave me as payment for those herbs. You can check them if you want." The man claimed.

Gu Lan stepped forward and handed a small silk pouch to Zheng Liang. Zheng Liang took the pouch and examined the coins. He furrowed his brows and looked at Yang Lingxin with a frown, "These are indeed the gold coins from the Empress. They bear a special mark indicating they belong to the Empress's treasury."

"Lady Yang Lingxin, do you have anything to say about this?" He inquired.

Yang Lingxin was gripped with fear and confusion as she had never seen the man before nor had she given him her gold coins.

  She realized with a shock that she had given those coins to Yang Luoyang when he suggested using the poisonous herbs they had used during the time of the Late Empress, Zheng Liang's mother.

Why had the man not named Yang Luoyang instead of her?

Frowning, she looked at Yang Luoyang, who was avoiding her gaze. She felt betrayed by him. Did he have no intention of saving her and instead chose to sacrifice her to save himself?

"Zheng Liang, I know nothing about these coins. Please believe me. I have never seen this man before," she protested, her voice trembling with fear. "I am innocent."

"And what about the natural oil? Were you not the one who provided the poisonous natural oil to physician Bai Jiang to indirectly poison His Majesty's blood?" Zheng Liang demanded, his tone cold and harsh.

He could overlook minor mistakes, but in this case, Yang Lingxin committed a grave crime. She attempted to murder His Majesty, who is not only his father but also the ruler of the Empire. This time, he will not allow her to get out of this situation easily. Yang Lingxin was caught off guard and fell silent for a moment. Before she could respond, Yang Luoyang, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "Your Highness, the two witnesses have given statements against the Empress. Please punish the traitor accordingly," he said, kneeling before Zheng Liang.

Yang Luoyang was amazed at how Zheng Liang had managed to uncover the truth about the slow poison. His plan had been foolproof, yet somehow, Zheng Liang had discovered the loophole and figured out everything. Despite this setback, Yang Luoyang was relieved that he had planned everything meticulously, and his name had not been mentioned in the matter. Mao Long had not revealed his identity because he sincerely believed that it was the Empress who had purchased the herbs from him. To purchase the poisonous herbs, Yang Luoyang had arranged for a female servant to meet with Mao Long whenever the Empress went to the temple with her maid.

During these transactions, Mao Long had only caught a glimpse of Yang Lingxin from afar and assumed that she was the one purchasing the herbs. Therefore, he was convinced that he had not lied but had only spoken the truth as he believed it to be.