The Empress Dowager had no time to react.
Yu Linglong followed Chu Qianli's gaze and looked up.
Suddenly, her expression changed.
She wanted to stop it, but it was too late!
Chu Qianli casually flicked her wrist, and the Sky Silkworm Silk that flew from her sleeve hooked onto the beam. She leaped up lightly, wrapping the white silk around the beam.
The white silk dangled down.
Back on the ground, Chu Qianli looked up and almost laughed.
"Empress Dowager, it seems I've overlooked something. The length of this white silk isn't quite satisfactory."
She could still reach it with her hand, but to tie a knot, one would truly have to jump up and hang themselves.
It was a bit short.
Granny Yao was still unwilling to admit defeat and said anxiously, "Miss Yu knows Qinggong, she can jump up."
"I didn't say she couldn't, I just find the scene a little comical," Chu Qianli smiled faintly.
Everyone fell silent.
Thinking about it, a sickly person wanting to commit suicide, jumping around to hang themselves with white silk, to hang their neck—
The scene was truly awkward no matter how one thought about it.
Yu Linglong's face was pale.
Her paleness at this moment was not an act.
She already knew what mistake she had made.
This mistake was something ordinary people wouldn't notice.
She never expected that that bitch Chu Qianli could see it at a glance!
Why had she become so formidable, so meticulous, so powerful in her thinking!
She was nothing like the cripple she used to be!
"Empress Dowager, I will now give you more convincing evidence!"
Chu Qianli raised her hand, holding both ends of the white silk, and pulled with the force of someone attempting to hang themselves.
Afterward, she took down the white silk and presented it to the Empress Dowager with both hands.
"Empress Dowager, because this beam is too high, it would be difficult for ordinary people to climb up, so I suspect there must be a lot of dust accumulated on it."
Even if palace maids and eunuchs cleaned regularly, they would only clean the visible areas out of laziness.
Hidden corners were always handled carelessly.
There was bound to be dust above the beam, it was a no-brainer.
"If Yu Linglong had really used this white silk to hang herself, how could her white silk be so clean?"
The Empress Dowager's face gradually turned pale.
She saw it clearly now.
The white silk Chu Qianli held in her hand, where it had been on the beam, was covered in dust!
The Empress Dowager took a deep breath and suddenly stood up.
"Empress Dowager!" Yu Linglong finally began to panic.
The Empress Dowager cared for her, and would even eliminate Chu Qianli for her!
But the Empress Dowager hated the schemes and deceit among concubines in the harem the most.
She hated being deceived by others the most!
"Empress Dowager, Miss Yu... Miss Yu might not have used this white silk," Granny Yao quickly interjected.
Yun'er, who was almost out of her mind with panic, immediately reacted to Granny Yao's words and quickly said,
"Yes... yes, Empress Dowager, my lady did not... did not use this white silk to hang herself..."
"Are you really taking the Empress Dowager for an idiot? Can't you see your collusion and cover-up?" Chu Qianli snorted coldly.
The Empress Dowager's heart instantly turned cold.
Suddenly, she felt weak all over.
After standing up, her frail body couldn't help but sway.
"Empress Dowager!" Granny Jin, who had been silent, quickly stepped forward and supported her.
Yu Linglong climbed down from the bed and knelt on the ground with a thud:
"Empress Dowager, Linglong was just... Linglong was just unwilling. Linglong did not harm the Fourteenth Prince! But Ye Xuan was deceived by Chu Qianli and wanted to convict Linglong without evidence. Linglong was just..."
"So, you deceived me like this?"
The Empress Dowager's heart felt as if it were bleeding.
This was the girl she had trusted for so many years!
"Empress Dowager..."
"Let's go back." The Empress Dowager turned away.
She was truly too disappointed in Yu Linglong.
Granny Jin immediately helped her out, not even looking back.
Yu Linglong wanted to chase after her, but Granny Yao shook her head, signaling that it was not the time.
Granny Yao also chased out.
Chu Qianli glanced at Yu Linglong indifferently and turned to leave.
Yu Linglong gritted her teeth and said, "You are not Chu Qianli, who are you?"