"Speak, why don't you speak!" Concubine Shu roared uncontrollably.
The Imperial Noble Consort looked at Concubine Shu, who had lost her senses, and said, "Concubine Shu, please calm yourself. Everything will be revealed. If you continue to shout here, you will only affect the progress of the matter. If anything happens to An Ru, it will be your delay."
Concubine Shu trembled all over, then fell silent.
Emperor An breathed a sigh of relief and said to the Imperial Noble Consort, "The Imperial Noble Consort indeed has a way."
The Imperial Noble Consort smiled faintly and looked at Shu Xiang. "Speak. His Majesty and I are here, and we will absolutely not show favoritism to anyone."
Shu Xiang trembled as she looked at An Ning again, then bit her lower lip and kowtowed fiercely. "Your Highness, please do not make things difficult for my family."
Suddenly, Shu Xiang stood up and lunged towards a pillar. Before anyone could react, there was a loud crash. When they came to their senses, they saw Shu Xiang had already hit the pillar and died, her forehead bloody and mangled.
"Ru Xin, quickly go and see if she's still breathing!" the Imperial Noble Consort commanded. Ru Xin stepped forward, touched Shu Xiang, and shook her head. "Reporting to the Imperial Noble Consort, Shu Xiang is no longer breathing."
"An Ning, you are so heartless!" Concubine Shu lunged forward and grabbed An Ning's neck, with great force.
"Why? An Ru never harmed you, why would you harm her?"
Concubine Shu shouted, her eyes red as fire.
"Pull them apart, pull them apart..." Emperor An urged anxiously.
Soon, someone pulled Concubine Shu and An Ning apart. An Ning coughed lightly, and Rong Cui stepped forward to support her, asking with concern, "Your Highness, how are you?"
An Ning shook her head. "I'm fine."
"Your Majesty, it is her, it is her who laid hands on An Ru! Punish her..."
"Concubine Shu, you are too ill. Escort her back. Without my command, no one is to release her." Emperor An was thoroughly enraged this time, his face ashen.
Concubine Shu was insistent, "Why don't you punish her? Why?"
The palace maids beside Concubine Shu, seeing Emperor An's murderous gaze, quickly covered Concubine Shu's mouth and escorted her out.
Emperor An walked up to An Ning, his gaze filled with concern. "How are you? Are you hurt?"
An Ning looked up and smiled. "Father Emperor, please don't worry, I'm fine."
Emperor An looked at the marks on her neck, his heart aching. "Send for the imperial physician to examine Princess An Ning."
At this moment, the Imperial Noble Consort spoke, "Your Majesty, Princess An Ning's injuries will be examined by the imperial physician later. However, Princess An Ru's whereabouts are still unknown. Should we not prioritize finding Princess An Ru?"
Emperor An was about to say that no one was more important than his little An Ning, but seeing An Ning shake her head, he could only nod. "Does the Imperial Noble Consort have a good plan?"
The Imperial Noble Consort glanced at An Ning and said, "Princess An Ning is a princess, and this consort cannot interrogate her. However, I hope to be able to interrogate her personal maid."
"No," An Ning refused directly.
The Imperial Noble Consort heard this and said, "Princess An Ning, don't you want this consort to clear your name?"
"I am innocent, so why should my name be cleared?" An Ning said faintly.
Rong Cui, standing by, said, "Your Highness, I am fine. I can endure it."
An Ning shook her head. "If one enters that place, one will be peeled alive even if they don't die. Moreover, I have done nothing wrong."
"Princess An Ning..."
"Thank you, Imperial Noble Consort, for wanting to clear my name. However, your method is wrong. Rong Cui is my palace maid, and anything she does is at my instruction. The consequence of torture is only a false confession under duress. What does the Imperial Noble Consort want her to confess to?"
An Ning's gaze was as cold as frost, and she looked indifferently at the Imperial Noble Consort.
"Sister An Ning, you have misunderstood Mother Consort. Mother Consort merely wishes to clear your name. If Rong Cui has someone behind her..."
An Ning coldly interrupted An Ping. "I am the one behind her. So, what does Eldest Sister want to say?"
An Ping was taken aback. "Sister An Ning, I didn't mean that..."
"Since you didn't mean that, can you please stop staring at my palace maid? Isn't finding Sister An Ru the most important thing now?"
"Sister An Ning has no clues," An Ping sighed.
"There are many clues. Where did Shu Mo go before he died? And why did Shu Xiang crash into the pillar? Are her family members being controlled? With so many suspicious points, why are you only focusing on my An Ning Palace..."
An Ning did not continue, her beautiful and clear face growing colder.
"An Ning is right. Why hasn't the Imperial Noble Consort sent people to investigate?" Emperor An said coldly.
The Imperial Noble Consort bowed. "Yes, this consort will send people to investigate immediately."
The Imperial Noble Consort left, and An Ping glanced at An Ning before also departing.
"Imperial physician, quickly come and examine Princess An Ning." Emperor An urged.
Only when the imperial physician said there were no major issues did Emperor An finally relax, saying with concern, "An Ning, I sent people to stop you from coming, yet you still came. Now, not only are you injured, but you have also become a suspect."
"Father Emperor, if I don't come, how will I know what their objective is?" An Ning said.
Emperor An's face was filled with anger. "They actually dared to falsely accuse my little An Ning right under my nose."
"Father Emperor, you can't catch a wolf without sacrificing your cubs. Don't be anxious. Everything will come to light. As long as Father Emperor is willing to make the sacrifice then."
Emperor An snorted a few times upon hearing this. "For causing chaos in the harem, I will not forgive lightly."
"Father Emperor, please do not interfere in this matter. I will find the murderer myself," An Ning said.
"Where are the hidden guards?" Emperor An suddenly said in a low, cold voice.
A person appeared out of thin air before Emperor An and bowed. "Hidden Guard Mo Yuan is here."
"From now on, you will follow Princess An Ning and protect her."
Mo Yuan glanced at An Ning and lowered his gaze. "Yes, Mo Yuan obeys!"
"Thank you, Father Emperor!" An Ning did not refuse Emperor An's kindness, as there were times when it was inconvenient for her to act herself.
Emperor An sighed, reached out, and stroked her head. "You must be careful."
"Father Emperor, rest assured, I will not put myself in danger."
Emperor An nodded. "Go!"
An Ning nodded and walked out. On her way back to An Ning Palace, she saw the Crown Prince of Snow Country.
He wore a spotless moon-white brocade robe. As if hearing footsteps, he turned around. His face was so clear and handsome that it elicited sighs. His eyes shone as brightly as stars, gazing at her with radiant starlight.
Upon seeing the injury on her neck, his gaze changed slightly. "Your neck?"
"Eldest Sister pinched me," she said, lowering her gaze, appearing pitiful.
Xue Jingyun stepped forward and reached out to touch her neck. She flinched back in fright, instinctively looking up. She saw that his star-filled eyes now held a great deal of concern.
Was he worried about her?
Her heart skipped a beat. Looking at the starlight in his eyes, she felt her heart beating even faster.
"Did something happen?" his deep voice sounded beside her ear.
"Second Sister is missing," An Ning said.
Xue Jingyun's expression changed slightly. He suddenly asked, "Is the hairpin I gave you still here?"