Chapter 109: Revocation of Title

Shu Fei propped herself up and quickly stepped forward to pick up the bag.

She placed the bag under the candlelight and turned it around. Everyone could clearly see that the fabric used to sew the bag reflected different colors as the light changed.

"Your Majesty, look! This bag is made of floating brocade! You have only given floating brocade to Concubine Chen! How could I have it?"

Shu Fei handed the bag to Xiao Jingheng, then looked at Chen Fei who looked surprised, and said sternly:

"Yesterday I was wondering why you came to see me out of the blue. Now that I think about it, you must have hidden this dirty thing in my inner chamber at that time! Concubine Chen! I have no grudge against you, why did you want to harm me like this!?"

Just now, Concubine Chen was still in a strong momentum, thinking that since she had caught the criminal red-handed, Concubine Shu would have no way to defend herself and would have to accept the defeat.

But now she could see clearly the bag in Jamel Xiao's hand.

That bag is indeed made of floating brocade!

She panicked for a moment and felt strange...

She had clearly seen Yingxiang make this bag with a piece of ordinary blue cloth.

Why did this thing turn into a glittering brocade after lying in Shu Fei's room for a night?

Seeing Yingxiang's expression was also filled with fear and surprise, Concubine Chen soon figured it out:

Shu Fei must have discovered the clues early, so she made an identical bag with Fuguang Brocade, just waiting to counterattack!

She said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, although you have bestowed this Floating Light Brocade on me, I have already made two sets of clothes with it years ago. Liu Sizhi from the Sizhi Office can testify for me! Moreover, although this Floating Light Brocade was bestowed by the Emperor, it is not unique in the world! If other concubines want it, they can always find a way to get it!"

Xiao Jingheng ignored the Concubine Chen's explanation.

He carefully examined the bag in his hand and found a dark pool of dried water at the bottom of the bag.

He handed the bag to Judge Chu and said, "Take a look, what is this?"

Judge Chu took a small silver spoon, scraped off some of the dirt that had dried into powder, and put it into water to dissolve it.

After confirming that it was non-toxic, I dipped some of it with my fingertips and put it into my mouth. After a quick taste, I came to a conclusion.

"Your Majesty, this should be the Wen Yang Seed Soup, which is used to aid pregnancy."

He paused, looked at the Concubine Chen unconsciously, and whispered: "I have only prescribed this prescription to the Concubine Chen recently..."

The judge Chu's words further confirmed the guilt of Concubine Chen.

All the evidence suddenly turned around and pointed at Concubine Chen.

She obviously had not expected such a situation to happen. She was so shocked that she was speechless for a moment, standing there like a wooden stake.

Shu Fei cried and said, "You were jealous of Concubine Yang's favor, so you poisoned her to death with a mean trick! Now that Concubine Song is favored, you are back to your old ways!

Judge Chu said that the Soul-Separating Powder came from Miaojiang. Your brother led troops to conquer Miaojiang. If you want this thing, it can be said to be effortless. But my mother's family is far away in Longcheng, which is completely different from Miaojiang. How can I have the ability to get so much Soul-Separating Powder?

It's obvious that you are using your old tricks again, trying to kill Concubine Song, and you want me to take the blame for you! Concubine Chen! You are really calculating!"

Shu Fei is very clear and organized.

Each of these is well-reasoned and reasonable.

The Concubine Chen was speechless after being rebuked by her and had to put on a domineering attitude as a disguise.

She pushed Shu Fei's shoulders hard and cursed:

"Bitch! How dare you frame me!?"

"How dare you!" Xiao Jingheng glared at Concubine Chen and shouted, "Explain to me why this bag made of floating light brocade is stained with the residue of the decoction that only you use?"

explain?

The Concubine Chen herself didn’t know what had happened, how could she explain it?

Seeing Xiao Jingheng was furious, she had no choice but to kneel on the ground and repeatedly protest her injustice.

The affairs of the former court were already busy enough, and the affairs of the harem made him even more anxious every day.

Xiao Jingheng really had a headache.

He didn't want to hear what the Concubine said, so he said:

"Come here, arrest the Concubine Chen, and take all the palace servants who serve her into the dark cell for strict interrogation. We must get to the bottom of this matter!"

The concubine cried out, "Your Majesty, do you really suspect that I was the one who did it?"

Song Zhao, who had been watching the show for a long time, also stood up and said something for Concubine Chen.

"Your Majesty, this matter is really strange, or else..."

"I know my limits." Xiao Jingheng waved his hand to interrupt Song Zhao's words, and then shouted at the palace servants, "Why don't you take action?"

Seeing Jiang Deshun and his men surrounding them, Concubine Chen was completely panicked.

Once this matter is thoroughly investigated, clues will always be revealed from the people around her.

If her brother is implicated again, she will be in trouble!

At this critical moment, Yingxiang suddenly knelt in front of Chen Fei and opened her arms to protect her behind her.

"Your Majesty, calm down! This matter has nothing to do with the Empress!"

She gritted her teeth and said loudly, "This is all my fault. I was the one who acted without telling the majesty. The soul-leaving powder that Yang Guiren and Song Guiren were poisoned with was all caused by me!"

Yingxiang jumped out at this time, obviously wanting to sacrifice herself to exonerate Concubine Chen.

If she admitted to these two things, she would surely not be able to escape death. Moreover, she was the naturalized servant of Concubine Chen and had been serving her since she was young. Her relationship with her was not an ordinary master-servant relationship.

Concubine Chen pulled her aside and shook her head sadly, "Yingxiang, don't talk nonsense!"

But Yingxiang pushed Chen Fei away and crawled all the way to Xiao Jingheng's feet, kowtowed repeatedly.

"After gaining the favor of the emperor, Concubine Yang and Concubine Song both relied on their own success to show off in front of the emperor! The emperor really likes the emperor, and his love for them is like a knife that pierces the emperor's heart deeply! I have seen the emperor often hiding from people and crying, how can I not feel wronged for the emperor?"

As she spoke, blood was flowing from her forehead.

She looked up at Song Zhao and said viciously, "That's why I had evil thoughts and poisoned Concubine Song! Concubine Chen didn't know about the whole thing! Concubine Chen is the only one in the harem who is most sincere to Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please don't doubt Her Majesty and hurt Her feelings again!"

"Yingxiang! I told you to stop talking!"

Even someone as arrogant and domineering as the Concubine Chen was already in tears at this moment.

She held Yingxiang in her arms, performing a drama of deep love between master and servant.

Xiao Jingheng is not a fool. How could he not see that this was a sacrifice of the pawn to save the king?

But now is indeed not the time to deal with Concubine Chen.

Seeing Xiao Jingheng's heavy breathing and livid face, Song Zhao took the tea from the dragon table and offered it to Xiao Jingheng.

She knew that Jamel Xiao was not in the mood to drink tea at this time.

But this cup of tea should have another place to go.

Sure enough, as soon as the tea was served, Xiao Jingheng, in a rage, picked up the teacup and smashed it next to Chen Fei.

The broken porcelain pieces flew up and cut a bloody wound on the wrist of Concubine Chen.

It was deeper and longer than the one on Song Zhao's wrist that day...

Song Zhao smiled for a moment, then knelt on the ground and said in fear, "Your Majesty, please calm down."

Xiao Jingheng didn't even want to look at the Concubine Chen, and issued an order in a solemn voice:

"The maid Yingxiang plotted to murder the empress. She had evil intentions. She should be dragged away and executed by slow slicing! As for the Concubine Chen... she was disrespectful to her superiors and did not discipline her subordinates. I have ordered that her title be stripped and she be sent back to the palace overnight. I do not want to see her again!"

Deprivation of title is a more severe punishment than demotion.

Chen Fei cried until her voice became hoarse. She grabbed Xiao Jingheng's trouser legs and choked with sobs to beg for mercy.

"Your Majesty, I know nothing about this matter! Yingxiang has served me since she was young. She did this out of confusion. Please, Your Majesty, spare her life!"

Xiao Jingheng raised his foot to push her away and said in a cold voice:

"You know whether you know or not. And if you plead for me again, I will let the people from the Dali Temple investigate this matter thoroughly!"

Xiao Jingheng's words were like a heavy whip whipping the Concubine Chen's heart.

Once upon a time, Xiao Jingheng hugged her and said to her:

Don't worry, I will protect you all my life and will not let you suffer any injustice.

But now, the man who made promises to her kicked her away and didn't even want to look at her.

She fell to the ground, as if her soul had been taken away, and murmured in a lost voice:

"Your Majesty...are you really so cruel?"

But the only response she got was Yingxiang's miserable cries as she was dragged away by palace servants.

And her tears falling silently on the ground...