Scum Consort

chapter 20 - promise

"what did you say ?" Zixuan looks at the guard with a frown.

"Your highness, this .. this potion was found from the noble consort's chamber." The guard almost whispers.

Yuzu frowns. He looks at the potion bottle. He hasn't seen this bottle before and this bottle was not in his chamber till yesterday.

Zixuan takes the bottle in his hand and passes it to the new healer. "Is it a Growth promoting potion ?"

The new healer takes the bottle with bow before pouring it's content in his hand. He tastes it a little."yes, your highness. It is a growth promoting potion."

"Your highness, see ... consort Yuzu tried to frame me. He planned to sneak that potion into my chamber then blame me. Your highness it's all his plan." Jia li wails like a dying fish.

"Noble Consort Yuzu, do you have any say in this ?" Zixuan asks Yuzu with an worried face.

Yuzu sighs "If I would have planned to do that, I would have done it before blaming concubine Jia-li. Why would I store such a potion in my chamber ?"

The ministers nods with consort Yuzu's explaination.

"Maybe because, you didn't get the time. Because of her pregnancy Jia-li couldn't leave her chamber for days. So you didn't get the time to frame her ." Afreen interrupts.

The ministers nod again.

"Then why would I blame her ? Just to get myself caught ?" Yuzu looks directly at Afreen.

Afreen shivers with the cold gaze of Yuzu. Last time consort Yuzu looked at her such a way, she lost all of her hairs. Still she can't back up. It's a golden chance for her.

"You didn't blame her. Minister Xingchen blamed her. You did all the dirty work using minister Xingchen. You used him to threat the ex. Healer and you wanted to use him to blame concubine Jia-li. But because of communication gap, you two are trapped in your own net." Afreen utters without a pause.

Xingchen who was silent till now and was digesting the ex healer's betrayal , finally finds his voice back. He can"t let consort Yuzu to be trapped because of him.

Xingchen raises his head"your highness, this is all my fault. Consort Yuzu has nothing to do in it. It was me, who misunderstood the healer's words and asked for his help."

"You didn't misunderstand the healer, minister, you threatened him to lie about my baby." Jia-li sniffs.

"I never threatened anyone in my life. And that's what worrying me, your highness. There is something that is escaping my eyes." Xingchen ignores concubine Jia-li and replies to Zixuan who is still busy in his thoughts.

"Minister Xingchen why do you think his highness's punishment to Jia-li was not enough ? Why did you go to ex. Healer plotting revenge for consort Yuzu ? What's your relation with consort Yuzu ?" Afreen asks hitting the exact rumour that was roaming all over the palace.

Jia-li smirks. She was planning to save the rumour for last but she is satisfied now as she sees Zixuan snapping out of thoughts with a jerk.

Yuzu was listening to the conversation silently snaps too. "Concubine Afreen, don't forget I am still the noble consort of Zi kingdom."

"You are just a criminal now." Afreen retorts losing her control.

"How so ?" Zixuan's cold voice slienced the whole court's chaos. "Concubine Afreen how is noble consort a criminal and who are you to decide his crime ?"

Yuzu looks at Zixuan in surprise. Isn't everything actually against him ? Does Zixuan still trust him ?

"That potion was in his chamber, your highness. It's clear as day that consort Yuzu tried to frame my friend Jia-li."