The Gentle Couple

Held captive in the palace

'Yn, why did you kill my son?' Namjoon asked.

Yn was prepared for Namjoon's accusation. She cried and hit her forehead on the ground.

'Imperial father, it's true I asked Yea ji to pour the tea for big sister Jennie,' Yn said. 'But I didn't know what was inside the tea. I also drank the tea and was harmed too... my son could have died...'

Yn sobbed pitifully.

'Who can be certain you didn't risk your son's life to kill my son?' Namjoon asked. 'Even though you drank the tea, you and your son are safe. What about my son? Your venomous snake heart schemed this!'

Yn heard Namjoon spit blood lies and threw dirty water over her body.

'Seventh brother, what are you saying?' Yn asked. 'Are you saying because I want to kill your second wife's child that I would risk harming my own child?'

'To succeed you would willingly do anything!' Namjoon said.

'If what seventh brother saying is true then wouldn't it also be true seventh brother would be willing to kill your son to frame me?' Yn asked.

Namjoon was choked by Yn's sharp words. 'Why would I ask my second wife to kill our son to frame you?'

Yn laughed coldly. 'Seventh brother can suspect that I have a venomous snake heart and willing to sacrifice my son to succeed. Then why can't I suspect your second wife?'

'Everyone talk less,' Consort Mu said. 'What scheme? What frame? Take back your words!'

'Mother, you're also a mother,' Yn said. 'You understand the importance of flesh and blood. As long as a conscience exists, a mother would never risk their own child's life. I didn't commit the crime and I believe big sister Jennie didn't commit the crime either. Although we don't know who the culprit is but I didn't accuse big sister Jennie. So why is seventh brother certain that I'm the culprit?'

Yn could only deflect suspicion on Namjoon because Jennie swallowed the evidence.

'I can also empathise with seventh brother's state of mind,' Yn said. 'If I lost my son I believe I would act more irrational than seventh brother and his second wife. But I don't want dirty water to be poured over my body.'

Yn's breaths were shallow and her body swayed.

Taehyung caught Yn before she fell on the ground.

'Imperial father, you know clearly what kind of person I am,' Yn said. 'Imperial father, everything I said earlier was true-'

Yn fainted.

'Yn!' Taehyung cried out.

'Imperial father, even if she isn't the culprit,' Namjoon said. 'But they drank from the same cup. Why is it the person who drank the tea first is affected more than the second person who drank the tea?'

'Your majesty, it's because my mistress' body is healthy but seventh prince's second wife's body is weak,' Yea ji said.

The emperor's imperial guards reported that Yn was healthy and active at the Feng Zhao villa while Jennie was mostly bedridden after just being seven months pregnant. So the emperor didn't believe Yn was the culprit. But... he looked at Taehyung asking the imperial physicians to save Yn the he looked at Namjoon's tears and heard Jennie's sob... it conflicted his heart.

'Ninth son, your wife is weak,' the emperor said. 'Your wife and son should stay in the palace until they recover.'

Taehyung's back stiffened. His father wanted to hold his wife and son captive in the palace. It meant his father suspected him.