The artificial lake was not large, but it was planted with many evergreen plants and shrubs.
Hidden amongst them, it was difficult for people to see what was happening in this corner by the lake unless they walked closer.
So when the old wet nurse spoke, everyone who gathered around, including the woman in ornate clothing, believed her.
They all looked at Su Xiaoqi.
Their eyes held different emotions, but mostly anger.
Especially from the woman in ornate clothing, who, almost as soon as she heard the old wet nurse’s words, shouted at the people behind her: "Guards, seize her."
This all happened in an instant. Su Xiaoqi had barely finished listening to the old wet nurse’s words, and before she could even utter a word of defense, she was grabbed by the arms by a group of burly wet nurses and pinned to the ground.
Su Xiaoqi felt deeply humiliated.
She really wanted to curse the ancestors of these people.
But when she saw the sinister look in the old wet nurse’s eyes, she shivered and realized, shouting to the woman in ornate clothing:
"Madam… it was her, it was her who pushed your son into the water…"
"Nonsense, this is an old wet nurse from our princess’s manor, she even nursed the驸马爷 (consort)…"
Before the woman in ornate clothing could react, the people below were already busy defending the old wet nurse.
Su Xiaoqi, pinned down, felt the pressure on her intensify when she heard what she said. Her hands were bound behind her back, and the pain was suffocating.
These people truly wanted her dead.
She couldn’t care anymore. She gathered strength in her hands and pressed against the acupoints on the wrists of the two women restraining her. As their wrists went numb, she broke free. She didn't run, but rushed directly to the woman in ornate clothing and quickly said:
"It was she who wanted to push your son into the water, and I have proof."
The woman in ornate clothing narrowed her eyes, looking at the petite, seemingly frail woman before her.
But this was all an illusion. She had just broken free from two of her manor’s strong wet nurses right in front of her and darted to her side.
Half of her attendant maids and wet nurses were so startled that they retreated.
But seeing that she and some others were still standing at the front, they slowly came back to their senses and quietly moved forward.
Princess Yongle, Liang Yijia, did not turn her head, but let out a cold laugh.
Quickly regaining her former grace and nobility, she looked at Su Xiaoqi and said, "You say who pushed him?"
Su Xiaoqi pointed at the old wet nurse without hesitation.
Seeing that Su Xiaoqi had broken free and was even allowed to speak to the princess, the old wet nurse immediately felt that things were going wrong.
Panicked, her legs went weak, and she knelt directly before the princess.
"Oh, what proof?" the princess glared coldly at the old wet nurse.
She wasn't stupid, and having experienced countless struggles and dirty dealings in the palace before, she understood the situation.
She just never imagined that someone would use such tactics against her only son.
As everyone knew, her son, only five years old, was born when she was thirty. Having a child in her middle age, she cherished him dearly.
"The evidence will be presented later. May I ask Your Highness the Princess to allow me to treat the young master? I am a doctor." Su Xiaoqi looked at the little boy still held in the arms of the middle-aged noblewoman, tightly wrapped in a blanket.
She had just heard the princess immediately order someone to fetch a doctor.
However, this was an artificial lake, quite far from the various courtyards, and it would take at least fifteen minutes for someone to come and go.
She wondered if the child could hold on, thinking of his clear voice and bright eyes.
Su Xiaoqi said urgently, "The child choked on water. I have already drained it for him, and he still needs emergency treatment, otherwise, he will catch a cold."
At this time of year, a pampered child falling into such cold lake water, if the cold were not expelled promptly, catching a cold would be enough to be fatal.
She did not want her previous efforts to be in vain.
"My lady, don't believe her, she is a wicked woman." The old wet nurse, kneeling on the ground, refused to yield.
Seeing that the princess seemed to believe Su Xiaoqi’s words, she suddenly stood up and lunged directly at Su Xiaoqi.
With a "bang…" sound, before the old wet nurse could even hit Su Xiaoqi, her emaciated body was sent flying by a kick, and a low voice rang out:
"Reporting to Your Highness the Princess, I am Shen Yun from Mianzhou City, a scholar who came to the capital to take the imperial examinations. I personally witnessed the old wet nurse in your manor attempting to harm the young master's life."
Shen Yun arrived and saw the old wet nurse trying to bully Su Xiaoqi. He didn't have time to say more before kicking her.
In addition, he had been running all the way and had kicked with full force, so he was already panting.
But seeing Su Xiaoqi standing in the field, all wet, with so many people from the princess's manor surrounding her,
She looked so lonely and fragile, and it made his heart ache.
Su Xiaoqi felt a little relieved when she saw Shen Yun arrive.
However, seeing him strike someone in front of the princess, she recovered from her initial shock and anger, quickly pointing at the old wet nurse again and saying:
"You wicked old woman, it was you who wanted to kill the young master.
You stopped me from saving him because the young master saw you hitting his head with a bamboo pole, and you were afraid he would wake up and testify against you."
The princess had actually started to believe Su Xiaoqi at this point.
Because with every word she spoke, the old wet nurse’s face turned paler.
Moreover, the person who rushed up to testify later was a scholar taking the imperial examinations in the capital.
He had no reason to lie in front of her.
He also dared not lie, otherwise, at best, his scholarly career would be ruined, and at worst, he might lose his life.
She allowed it, and she followed.
As expected of the princess's retinue, the pavilion had been shielded from the wind as quickly as possible.
Several charcoal stoves were even brought in, making the pavilion warm.
Su Xiaoqi was soaked through and felt extremely uncomfortable after enduring such torment outside.
Su Xiaoqi touched the young boy's head. The water in his mouth had indeed been expelled earlier.
However, his face was flushed, indicating he had already developed a fever.
"The young master has a fever," Su Xiaoqi whispered.
She was certain that this young boy had always had a weak constitution, possibly due to being too pampered.
Therefore, after being soaked in the cold lake water, his resistance was insufficient, and he developed a fever.
She gritted her teeth. She had many antipyretic formulas that could gradually cure him.
But now she urgently wanted to wake him up, as she was waiting for him to testify.
She believed that no matter how much she and Shen Yun said, it would not be as impactful as a single word from the young master.
Su Xiaoqi hesitated for only a moment before entering her space with her mind and exchanging a spirit medicine.
She raised her hand and fed it into the young boy's mouth.
"Wait, you can't give him that," the princess cried out in alarm, seeing her administer medicine to her precious child without even asking.
Su Xiaoqi could have stopped, but she didn't. After hearing the princess’s words, she pushed the medicine in.
The spirit medicine dissolved instantly in the mouth. When the princess commanded the wet nurses to push her aside and open the little one's mouth, the pill had already dissolved.
"You… you ill-intentioned person…" The princess, hearing the report from the wet nurse below, turned pale with anxiety. She pointed at Su Xiaoqi, wishing she could kill her.
Su Xiaoqi remained silent and used her eyes to signal Shen Yun, who was being held back outside the pavilion, to stay quiet.
Shen Yun, having taken spirit medicine twice, knew that the pills worked very quickly, taking effect within moments.
As expected, before the princess could order someone to attack Su Xiaoqi, the young boy suddenly coughed loudly: "Cough, cough, cough, cough…"
He slowly woke up.
"Mother, mother, I, ah… Mother, she tried to harm me, she tried to harm me…" The young boy looked at the princess, then surveyed the surroundings, suddenly pointing somewhere and shouting.
The princess's sharp eyes shot towards Su Xiaoqi. She gritted her teeth and said, "It was you, you harmed my son, guards…"