Chapter 72 Winter Snake Disaster 5

The hall was very quiet, so quiet that Xiao Changzai's heavy breathing due to nervousness sounded particularly abrupt.

Song Zhao looked at her frightened expression calmly, and he really looked like someone who knew nothing about it.

But everyone in the palace is acting like this, and the irrefutable evidence is right in front of you. It won't help even if you go on stage and sing "The Injustice of Dou E".

However, Xiao Chang's plan for this game was too sloppy, and full of loopholes.

Since she has taken action, she should be prepared for the truth to be revealed.

At the very least, you should think of some responses in advance, so that when someone criticizes you, you won't just keep your head down and say that you are innocent.

Anyone who has committed a crime in the palace, from concubines to servants, the first words that come out of their mouths are all crying out for injustice.

But who will listen?

Most of the masters present had already determined Xiao Changzai's guilt in their hearts.

Concubine Ying said, "How can you be so vicious? You put snake grass in everyone's sachets? Do you want us to be bitten by snakes so that you can feel good?"

Concubine Yun also said, "I was wondering, how could two snakes suddenly appear in the middle of winter? It seems that you had planned this long ago. Maybe you arranged these snakes in advance! Is your appearance ruined and your heart also blackened?"

Yaopin couldn't help but criticize her, "Normally, since you were disfigured, no one would ridicule or mock you. Everyone would say nice things to you. I never thought you would do such a crazy thing..."

Voices of doubt and abuse came towards Xiao Changzai from all directions.

She cried and explained: "I don't know where the snake came from. I didn't do it, really! Please let the Queen see for yourself!"

"Bitch!"

Xiao Changzai was talking when the Concubine suddenly got angry.

She no longer cared about her manners as a concubine and kicked Xiao Changzai on the shoulder, knocking her to the ground.

"Do you think I don't know what you are thinking? You secretly think that I tampered with the Phoenix Pipa in the past, causing your appearance to be ruined, so you are waiting for an opportunity to take revenge on me!"

The Concubine Chen looked down at Xiao Changzai and said fiercely:

"Who are you? What is my status? Do you think you are worthy of me destroying the relics of the Holy Mother Queen Mother? Pah! Shameless thing!"

After saying that, he wanted to kick and hit Xiao Changzai again.

Yingxiang stepped forward to stop her and advised, "Your Majesty, don't get angry with her. It's harmful to your health. I just remembered that when we were avoiding the vipers in the plum garden just now, it seemed that Xiao Changzai was right beside you before you stumbled. Maybe...she tripped you on purpose."

Seeing that his suspicion had deepened, even his motive for doing this was completed by others,

Xiao Changzai broke out in a cold sweat, jumped up from the ground, and kowtowed to the Concubine Chen.

"I never did that! At that time..."

She suddenly raised her head, and passed her fingers over several people one by one, saying, "Beside me at the time were Concubine Liu, Concubine Song, and I think Aunt Qingyue. Everyone was panicking at the time, and maybe one of them accidentally tripped the queen in the panic!"

"Xiao Changzai, don't talk nonsense!"

Xiao Changzai had barely finished her words when she heard Liu Changzai hurriedly explain:

"Who wouldn't look at the road beneath their feet when they're busy running for their lives? Who would put their feet under the feet of the Concubine Chen for no reason?"

In response, Song Zhao remained silent, and Xiao Fuzi explained for her,

"Then it is even more impossible that it was my young master. If my young master had such evil intentions, why would she risk her life to save the Empress Chen?"

Shu Fei also looked at Qing Yue and asked, "Did you trip the Empress Chen Fei?"

Qingyue said somewhat embarrassedly: "I should have been by your side serving you, but because of some hidden illness, I walked slowly..."

The Concubine rolled her eyes at her and said, "Do you have calluses on your feet? Your own master didn't protect you, and you fell down in front of me."

Qingyue reluctantly lifted up the hem of her trousers, revealing her palace shoes.

The shoes were very small, not at all the size that could wrap around the feet of an adult woman.

"I am a Yue people, and Yue women have the custom of foot binding. Although my feet were removed when I was sold to follow Concubine Shu at the age of eight, my foot bones are deformed, so my feet are particularly small. I can't even take big steps when I walk. How could I trip Concubine Chen?"

Shu Fei then explained, "Qingyue has been unable to walk fast since she followed me to my mother's house. This is not her fault."

That's good.

When the Concubine Chen was tripped, everyone had evidence to prove that it was not them.

Although the evidence against Concubine Liu was weak, she had previously intended to show her favor to Concubine Chen and had helped her many times, both openly and secretly, so Concubine Chen naturally would not suspect her.

This further increased the suspicion against Xiao Changzai.

The Concubine Chen groaned and gave the order in a solemn voice:

"Someone, take this bitch to the Ministry of Punishment and torture her severely. Let's see if she can still keep her mouth shut!"

"Wait." The Queen said in a deep voice, "The matter has not been concluded yet. Xiao Changzai is still the Emperor's cousin after all. We can't deal with her carelessly. If she is really sent to the Ministry of Punishment, and she is tortured to death to prove her innocence, wouldn't it be chilling?"

Concubine Chen sneered and said in a sarcastic tone, "The Queen really knows how to behave. So what do you say we should do? Let her do whatever she wants. Do you expect her to do it again next time if she doesn't harm me this time?"

"Concubine Chen, please don't lose your sense of propriety." The Queen reprimanded Concubine Chen, and ignored her temper. Instead, she looked at Xiao Changzai and asked her calmly, "The biggest doubt in this matter is about the sachets you gave out. Why did you give out sachets to everyone for no reason?"

Xiao Changzai said, "This sachet was made by Concubine Shu. Concubine Shu said that I had committed a sin by not coming to pay respects to the Empress for such a long time. That's why she asked me to make some sachets for everyone to send over, firstly to pray for blessings and safety, and secondly, everyone would not mind me..."

Shu Fei said calmly: "I asked you to make a sachet, but I didn't ask you to put any snake grass in it."

"If that's the case, why did Xiao Changzai put the snake grass in it?" The Queen gently stroked the hot water bottle that Shuang Ruoxin had brought back to her and added, "Although this snake grass can calm the mind, it is definitely not something that is put in an ordinary sachet."

Xiao Changzai explained: "I don't know anything about medicine, I just asked the imperial pharmacy to send some dried flowers and herbs that can calm the nerves..."

Upon hearing this, the Queen glanced at Jiang Deshun, and he immediately sent someone to fetch the people from the imperial pharmacy.

When the medicine boy arrived, he made it clear that Xiao Changzai had done something evil.

"Reporting to the Queen, it was indeed me who was responsible for preparing the medicine for Xiao Changzai that day. But the Snake Ying Grass, it was..."

He looked at Yinzhi who was kneeling on the ground with Xiao Changzai and said, "It was Yinzhi who was beside Xiao Changzai who specifically asked for it."

Xiao Changzai suddenly turned her head to look at Yinzhi, her pupils trembling, she was shocked beyond words.

Yinzhi admitted the matter directly and said in a trembling voice:

"I only knew that it was a good thing to calm the mind, but I didn't know that it would attract snakes and insects..."

At this moment, Yinzhi's explanation seemed very pale.

Boundless despair filled the air, like surging waves, sweeping towards Xiao Changzai.

Ba couldn't crush her or knead her into pieces.

Perhaps because he was too nervous and scared, Xiao Chang wanted to explain, but his chest suddenly surged and he couldn't help vomiting in class...

Seeing her like this, the Queen was afraid that she couldn't ask anything more, so she could only say:

"In this case, I have no choice but to detain you first and wait until the emperor is done with state affairs before making a decision."

"Come here, take Xiao Changzai to the dark cell and keep him under guard."