Chapter 106 Man is the butcher, I am the fish on the chopping block.

Guided by Qin Huai'an, Niohuru stepped into the side hall of Kunning Palace.

Qin Huai'an stopped at the door and waved for the two eunuchs who were guarding the door to step back a few steps.

His face was plastered with feigned respect.

"Your Majesty, please go in and have a cup of tea while I wait a moment. I will go and inform the Empress immediately."

Niohuru glanced at him, a cold smile playing on her lips, but her face remained impassive.

"I understand."

Having said that, she was about to go inside with her personal maid and the head eunuch.

"Your Majesty, please wait!"

Qin Huai'an immediately stepped aside to block him, and said with a forced smile.

“Your Majesty, with such a commotion… this is, after all, Kunning Palace. The Empress is resting quietly, and too many people and noise might disturb her. It would be more appropriate for your servants to wait outside the palace.”

His words, though seemingly a suggestion, actually carried an unquestionable implication.

Niohuru stopped and slowly turned her head, her gaze piercing Qin Huai'an as she scrutinized him for a long while.

Qin Huai'an felt uneasy under her gaze, but he forced himself not to look away.

After a long while, Niohuru withdrew her gaze, her tone calm and indifferent.

"I understand."

She stopped insisting and gestured for her people to wait.

Alone, he pushed open the door and stepped into the side hall, where the eunuch guarding the door gently closed it behind him.

Just as her figure disappeared into the hall.

The respectful expression on Qin Huai'an's face vanished instantly, replaced by a sinister look.

He gave a wink to those around him.

The eunuchs, who were already prepared, immediately and silently pounced on all the palace servants brought by Niohuru.

Caught off guard, their mouths and noses were tightly covered, preventing them from even uttering a cry of alarm.

They were then quickly dragged to a corner in the distance.

Qin Huai'an watched all this with cold eyes, a triumphant smirk curling at the corner of his mouth.

He whispered instructions to a young eunuch beside him.

"Go, quickly report to Her Majesty the Empress that the matter has been accomplished and we await Her Majesty's arrival to catch the culprit red-handed."

"Yes, sir."

The eunuch obeyed the order and quickly ran towards the Empress's bedroom.

Qin Huai'an then stepped forward personally, gently pushed open the palace door, and instructed the two eunuchs in a low voice.

"Keep a close watch on our house. Not a single fly is allowed to escape before the Empress arrives."

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Inside the side hall, Niohuru had only taken a few steps in...

They immediately detected the bloody smell in the air, which was masked by incense.

Her heart sank.

She stopped and quickly scanned the dimly lit hall.

Soon, her gaze settled on the corner against the wall, where a figure seemed to be huddled up.

She walked quickly closer and saw the person's face clearly.

It was none other than the shrewd and capable old nanny from the Hesheli family, Granny Jing, who served the Empress.

Her eyes were wide open, her pupils were unfocused, her clothes were stained with blood, and she was already lifeless.

A short blade was stuck in her chest, held in her stiff hand.

Granny Jing is dead? Died in this side hall?

Niohuru suddenly realized that what was waiting for her was indeed a trap.

However, it was indeed so simple and brutal; the Empress wanted to frame her for murder in Kunning Palace.

Ha... Hesheli, is this all you've got? Such a clumsy scheme.

She scoffed inwardly; this was clearly a shameless act, not even bothering to pretend.

She had already guessed that the Queen would soon rush in with a large number of witnesses, catching them red-handed.

When that time comes, Niohuru will be standing alone beside Granny Jing's corpse, and even if she had a mouth full of words, she wouldn't be able to explain herself.

She immediately turned around, walked quickly to the palace door, and pushed it hard, but it wouldn't budge.

The door was indeed locked from the outside.

Sure enough... it was like catching a turtle in a jar.

Niohuru gave up her futile struggles and cries, knowing full well that everything would be in vain until the Empress arrived.

Instead, she turned around, calmly walked to a spot a little distance from the corpse, and sat down steadily.

She maintained the dignified demeanor of a concubine, as if she were detached from the matter.

Now that things have come to this, she is at their mercy, like a fish on a chopping board.

She was not afraid of death; from the moment she entered Kunning Palace, she had anticipated all sorts of consequences.

If she were truly doomed to die today, she believed that her father and the Niohuru family would not let it go so easily.

They will surely seek justice for her and make Hesheli pay an even heavier price.

Her only regret was that she might not live to see the day when Heseri completely broke down and went mad.

The hall was silent, save for her steady breathing and the faint sound of the wind coming from outside the window.

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Niohuru did not have to wait long.

The door to the side hall was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and blinding sunlight rushed in, dispelling the gloom inside.

Empress Hesheli, supported by two personal maids, slowly stepped inside.

She was still pale and weak after giving birth.

But those eyes burned with an almost insane hatred and the excitement of impending success.

She stared intently at Niohuru, who sat upright in the hall, her voice trembling slightly with excitement.

"Niohuru clan! You never expected this, did you? You are truly audacious to commit murder in my Kunning Palace, and the victim was none other than my most trusted head maid. What is your punishment?"

Niohuru slowly raised her head, meeting the Empress's resentful gaze.

There was no fear on his face, but rather a mocking smile.

She did not rise to greet him, remaining composed as if she were detached from the situation.

"The Empress has finally arrived. Your Majesty is truly ruthless. To put me to death, you even sacrificed the capable nanny sent by your own mother. I think that old nanny, on her way to the underworld, will never understand that the one who took her life was the very master she served so loyally. It is truly... extremely ironic."

The Empress's chest heaved as she was provoked by her calm demeanor and pointed sarcasm, and she spoke sharply.

"Niohuru, even if you knew, so what? Now you've been caught red-handed, the evidence is irrefutable, can you still deny it? I say you killed someone, so you killed someone. Jing Mama was my mother's dowry, and the Hesheli family will never let her death go unpunished. I'm not afraid to tell you, I won't kill you in private. I will report to the Emperor and ask him to personally issue an edict to depose you according to the law. Let's see who can protect you then."

Niohuru's heart sank.

The Empress is trying to escalate the situation and use the influence of the Hesheli family in the previous dynasty to put pressure on Emperor Kangxi.

A concubine who was conclusively accused of murdering an old palace maid.

In order to uphold the fairness of the law and quell public opinion.

Emperor Kangxi would likely have no choice but to issue an edict to severely punish her, or even execute her.

By then, if no irrefutable evidence is found to overturn the verdict, the Niohuru family will have nothing to say.

This move was indeed ruthless.

She sneered, her tone filled with undisguised contempt.

"Her Majesty the Empress has truly grown; she has learned to use the Emperor to eliminate dissidents. If the Emperor knew the inside story, would he praise Her Majesty's skillful methods, or would he be heartbroken that Her Majesty would use his authority in this way?"

"shut up!"

The Queen interrupted in a shrill voice.

She hated Niohuru's current condescending attitude, as if she knew everything, even on the verge of death.

"I have no interest in listening to your excuses, Niohuru. My little prince Chenghu is born with a deficiency that medicine cannot cure. Did you do it? Tell me the truth."

Upon hearing this, Niohuru laughed out loud, her eyes filled with pleasure and undisguised malice.

"So what if it is? So what if it isn't? Your Majesty, how many dirty tricks have you played on me and all the other sisters in the harem? What, now that it's your turn, you can't take it? Isn't this karma, your own fault? I'm just the first one to stand up and demand my revenge. There are so many people in the harem who hate you to the bone and are waiting to settle scores with you. If you have the guts, then kill them all."

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Are there no more book reviews? Is there only one new book review with a conscience?