Forced to die for his loyalty, he was reborn in the arms of the cold and cruel regent!

"Your Majesty, I am stupid." Shen Mengyao lowered her eyes and thought quickly about countermeasures.

The emperor sneered, "Shen Mengyao, the poison that the Queen Mother was poisoned with was Youlan Powder. The substance used in this poison is the Youlan that grows in the empty valleys of the Southern Barbarians. It is not common in the Central Plains, and Youlan seeds happened to be found in your room. What else do you have to quibble about?"

Shen Mengyao's heart trembled, but she did not show any panic. She took a deep breath to make her voice sound more stable and clear.

"Your Majesty, I really know nothing about the orchid seeds, let alone how they appeared in my room. Although Xingqing Palace is my residence, the palace gates are always open and people come and go. Who can guarantee that someone will not take the opportunity to frame me."

"Oh? Are you saying someone framed you?" The emperor's eyes were as sharp as torches, staring straight at Shen Mengyao, as if he wanted to see through her.

Shen Mengyao raised her head slightly, her eyes not evading, "I dare not speak nonsense, but this is the fact. I am loyal to the Queen Mother, how could I do such a treasonous thing? Please understand, Your Majesty."

"Loyal?" The emperor sneered even more.

He suppressed his anger and stated a fact.

"You probably don't know that your father stayed there for a year when he pacified the Southern Barbarians. Your father knows this best."

Shen Mengyao had never imagined that this matter would involve her father.

If she gives a bad answer, the whole family will be implicated.

She raised her eyes and pleaded bitterly.

"When I was young, my father went to war and spent very few days in the capital. I was brought into the palace and raised by the Queen Mother. She treated me like her own granddaughter. How could I have the heart to murder her?"

There was a barely perceptible tremor in Shen Mengyao's voice, but her eyes remained firm and clear as she continued speaking.

"Your Majesty, I know my position very well. The Queen Mother is not only my elder, but also my support. I have been in her care since I was a child. I regard her as my closest relative. How could I have any disrespect or filial piety towards her? I really know nothing about the orchid seeds, but I am willing to cooperate with the investigation until the truth is revealed."

"The truth?" The emperor sneered, "Do you think I will easily believe your one-sided words? The evidence is irrefutable, what else can you quibble about?"

Shen Mengyao took a deep breath. She knew that her excuse at this moment might seem pale and powerless, but she could not give up. She had to fight for a glimmer of hope for herself and for the Shen Guogong Mansion.

She suddenly realized that this person was not only coming for her, but also for the Duke's Mansion behind her.

"The appearance of the orchid seeds has left this subject speechless, but I dare to ask Your Majesty to give me a chance to prove my innocence."

Shen Mengyao's voice was firm and powerful. She raised her head and looked directly into the emperor's eyes without a trace of retreat.

"I am willing to guarantee with my life that I did not do this. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to investigate this matter personally, find out the truth, clear my name, and give an explanation to the Queen Mother. If I am ultimately proven guilty, I am willing to accept any punishment without complaint."

The emperor looked at the flicker in her eyes and finally waved his hand.

"Come here, take Princess Shen into the inner prison, and do not let the news leak out for the time being."

After giving the order, no matter how Shen Mengyao pleaded for herself, the emperor turned a deaf ear.

She was dragged away and thrown directly into the palace prison.

This was where the palace maids and eunuchs were imprisoned. The smell was terrible and only one candle was lit in the small cell.

Perhaps because she was a princess, the people here were quite caring towards her and gave her a small, separate cell with a small skylight, barely bigger than a palm and barely enough for ventilation.

After staying there for a while, I heard the sounds of palace maids and eunuchs being tortured not far away, one sound after another, so miserable.

As she listened to the noises, she began to get anxious.

I myself am not a big deal; the most important thing is my father and brother. They are at the border, surrounded by wolves, with no news. There are undercurrents in the capital, and I am now imprisoned and restricted.

In the Qinzheng Hall, the emperor propped up his head, his eyes hidden in the shadows, and his expression could not be seen.

"Debao, do you think that the family of Duke Shen is colluding with each other to overthrow my kingdom?"

Since it was a matter involving the serious crime of treason, Debao didn't dare to say anything nonsense. He fell to his knees with a plop, almost crying in embarrassment.

"Your Majesty, I am just a useless servant who serves you. How can I understand the affairs of state?"

The emperor raised his head, looked at him and laughed.

"I was just saying it casually, why are you so scared?"

Although the emperor said so, Debao could not believe it, because he clearly saw the smile on the emperor's face, which did not reach his eyes but only floated on the surface, which was frightening.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Duke Shen and his family are guarding outside. I don't know what they are thinking. But the princess seems to be quite concerned about the queen mother's condition. This matter..."

Debao originally wanted to plead for mercy.

Unexpectedly, the emperor turned a deaf ear to the following words and muttered to himself: "If there is a problem at the border, my Daqi Empire will be in jeopardy."

When Debao heard the emperor asking such a serious question, he naturally did not dare to say much, but just asked his servants to change the tea to hot.

The study was eerily silent. Just then, a young eunuch came hurriedly to report.

"Your Majesty, Lord Wenyuan Zhangwen requests to see you."

The emperor looked up and immediately said, "Please come in."

Immediately afterwards, Wen Yuanzhang walked in quickly, with a serious expression as if he had something important to discuss.

Upon seeing this, the emperor immediately dismissed his attendants.

Upon seeing this, Debao immediately withdrew. In the imperial study, the emperor and his subjects were of one mind.

In the inner prison, it was extremely damp and cold at night. The people in the palace were kind enough to light charcoal fires for the prisoners, and even the bedding was filled with straw.

She tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Just then, she heard hurried footsteps outside, mixed with the steward's low, fearful voice.

"Aunt, you are going to see a serious criminal. You must be quick and don't make any mistakes."

"I have been in the palace for so many years. I know the palace rules better than you do. Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you."

Hearing the familiar voice, Shen Mengyao immediately sat up straight.

It’s Fuqing.

Sure enough, a figure slowly emerged from the darkness. The manager saw that they wanted to talk, so he took the person to the place and left.

Through the door, Fuqing called her anxiously.

"Princess, are you used to this place? You..."

She hesitated to speak and was about to cry.

Shen Mengyao, however, said in a tone of trying to make the best of a bad situation: "It is a little cold, but luckily there are no bugs, otherwise I would have been scared to death."