123 Frame-up
◎Do you know the origin of this bead◎
"All right."
Fu Hua still agreed.
"Your Majesty, do you think it would be a good idea to have a daughter this time? Shu'er is so well behaved, I'll give birth to a daughter to keep her company."
Fu Hua said without emotion, "Both boys and girls are fine. Whatever you give birth to is fine."
The two walked back to the bedroom, and An Moru happened to be looking at An'er. The child was sleeping in the cradle, looking very cute. She reached out to touch An'er's round little face.
"Your Majesty, please be quiet. An'er is sleeping..."
As soon as the two entered the house and saw An Moru reaching out to touch the child, Cui Rumei changed her tone, hurried back, and stopped An Moru from touching the child.
"Why is Sister An here?"
"Sister! Your Majesty!" An Moru, apparently still unaware of the situation, stepped forward to greet her. "Sister is finally back."
"Why are you here?" Cui Rumei tightened her grip on Fu Hua's hand, her expression tense. "Did you... touch An'er?"
An Moru didn't notice for a moment, she had already rushed to the side of the crib, trying to wake An'er up, "An'er... An'er..."
After patting him a few times with no movement, Cui Rumei shook him vigorously, but he still wouldn't wake up. An'er was almost a year old now, and unlike when he was younger, he would sleep most of the day. Before dusk, he would wake up and sit up to play.
But this time he just wouldn't wake up.
Seeing that the little person on the bed didn't respond, An Moru became a little anxious. She was alone in the bedroom and couldn't explain herself clearly. Besides, Cui Rumei had a perfect alibi.
Cui Rumei burst into tears, stroking the bed and crying. She picked up An'er, whose little head was drooping. "What did you do? Why isn't An'er waking up?"
"elder sister?"
An Moru was frightened and staggered back, but unfortunately she couldn't defend herself.
Fu Hua was also confused for a moment, "Imperial Physician, quickly call the Imperial Physician!"
Cui Rumei knelt on the ground, pregnant, reaching for the corner of Fu Hua's clothes, pounding her chest with both hands, crying heartbreakingly. Fortunately, An'er was just having trouble breathing and was not seriously injured. If it had been a few moments later, it would probably have been irreversible.
"Your Majesty! You have to make the decision for me. An'er... When will An'er wake up?"
"Sister, what are you talking about?" An Moru couldn't prove herself, and she couldn't say anything. She cried, "Your Majesty, it was Concubine Ke who asked me to come here this afternoon. Your Majesty, please understand!"
Cui Rumei turned around and looked at her with tears in her eyes. "An'er always takes a nap at this time. Why would I call you over here at this time? You have no evidence. Don't slander me. Would I harm my own son?"
Although Rong Qianyu was a bit anxious about the last poisoning incident, Cui Rumei was not unmoved. She knew that without this child, she would have died of old age in the palace. Since God had given her this opportunity, she must seize it and eliminate all those she considered obstacles.
The first to be hit was An Moru, a person Rong Qianyu found annoying. From the very beginning, Cui Rumei had been using her without any real feelings for her. Success had made her the enemy of Rong Qianyu. All those who had competed with her for her favor deserved death, and so they would take them one by one, starting with this insignificant one.
Fu Hua was already exhausted after the last ordeal. She didn't know what happened this year, but from the beginning of the year till now, there has been constant turmoil inside and outside the palace.
"Take this rag and go to the Queen Mother to have it cut off."
When they arrived at Baiyi Palace, An Moru was crying softly, and Cui Rumei fainted several times from crying. Since it was a matter concerning the harem, even Rong Qianyu was alarmed.
"Your Majesty, please be wise!" An Moru was framed for no reason and her mind was no longer working. She just accepted whatever Cui Rumei said.
Cui Rumei: "Your Majesty, I have an important matter that has come to my mind. It is related to the murder of the Empress."
Fu Hua: "Speak!"
Cui Rumei held the cloth An Moru had brought, thinking hard, "This cloth is the ready-made dress sent to An'er on his hundredth day! Your Majesty can send someone to check it out, and we'll know once we check the archives. This dress is still here, how could I possibly harm the Empress? Only someone from Sister An's palace has ever received this cloth!"
Rong Qianyu heard the hidden meaning in this. What a series of schemes. She probably took the initiative to admit to the dirt on purpose.
She had known for a long time that she was pregnant, and she would not be severely punished anyway. She admitted it first, and then found a reason to frame others and clear the suspicion of framing herself. Fu Hua's suspicion of her was also completely dispelled.
It was unexpected that Cui Rumei would come up with such a meticulous and thoughtful plan on her own. Rong Qianyu had a hunch that there must be someone behind this.
But who would help her like this, Rong Ruoyu?
Rong Ruoyu is even more impatient than her, so it shouldn't be the case.
This person had good intentions and a thorough plan. If he hadn't taken action, it would have been fine. But once he took action, he put An Moru to death, which was an even more serious crime and there was no way for him to defend himself.
Rong Qianyu didn't want to implicate the innocent, so she tried to plead for mercy, "Your Majesty, this is strange. Why would An want to harm me?"
But before Fu Hua could agree, Cui Rumei started crying. "The Queen doesn't understand why Sister An framed you, and how could I understand why Sister An framed me? I have always been sincere to her, and I didn't expect Sister An to be so vicious and want to kill us mother and son!"
Bai Yi didn't give her time to say more: "Emperor, you decide, but don't let the Empress suffer."
Rong Qianyu looked at An Moru, who was lying on the ground and was almost unable to argue, and felt a trace of pity. She was innocently involved in this court struggle. She could have been a palace maid who left the palace at the age of 25 and lived the rest of her life in peace and stability.
But the king suddenly changed his mind, and with a single casual remark, he changed her life. Now, framed like this, she is powerless to confess, and must bear all the blame alone, lest it bring disaster to her family.
Rong Qianyu felt sympathy for these women like herself. If she had a choice, she would not want to be the mother of a country.
An Moru cried, but could only say a few words that she couldn't repeat herself, "I used this fabric to make clothes for the Second Prince, but this is really not made by me. Your Majesty, please investigate!"
Fu Hua hesitated, and Bai Yi said, "Emperor, you must investigate the matter thoroughly. You must not wrong the Empress, nor let the murderer go.
Cui Rumei refused to give up and continued to harass her. "Your Majesty, please listen to what I have to say. Sister An once complained to the Empress, saying that she ignored her own sister and was too harsh and unkind to her. During the imperial examination, her brother's misconduct was discovered by the academician. She went to the Empress to plead for mercy, but the Empress refused. So she wrote a letter to complain to the Empress."
Fu Hua: "What about Concubine Min?"
Rong Qianyu explained everything in detail, "I told Your Majesty a few days ago that the cause was Cui Zhicong's bribery. At that time, I saw Concubine Min always wearing a string of red beads. With the imperial examination approaching, I told her to be fair, not extravagant, and not to sell official positions and titles. But I don't know what material the beads were made of."
Fu Hua nodded, "I know about this."
Rong Qianyu asked Cui Rumei, "Do you know the origin of this bead?"
She didn't mean to favor Rong Ruoyu, she just didn't want to make a big deal out of it. Rong Ruoyu was a princess married into a foreign kingdom. If she was involved in selling official positions and framing the empress, it would not just be the concubines interfering in politics and competing for favor.
Even if the Great Zhou finds a reason to declare war on its motherland, it will have a legitimate reason.
Cui Rumei obviously didn't gain any advantage from Rong Qianyu. "I don't know."
An Moru: "I really have never complained to the Queen. It was you who asked me to go to your palace, Concubine Ke!?"
Cui Rumei shook her off, "Your Majesty, although I am on good terms with Sister An, you should have admitted it now. Why are you still trying to implicate me?"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I have evidence!"
An Moru didn't know what evidence she was talking about, so she could only cry helplessly, "Ke Fei, why did you hurt me like this?"
Fu Hua: "What evidence?"
"These are the letters between Sister An and her family. They are all evidence!"
"Bring it up!" Fu Hua glanced through a few pages, finding all the crucial information. Furious, he threw the letter at her, "Read it for yourself!"
"This... this wasn't written by me, this isn't it!" She was speechless and the evidence was solid, she was confused.
"You are not such a person, why do you want to harm the queen?"
"I really didn't, I really didn't..." she cried.
"The handwriting on this letter is yours, the fabric of the doll is also yours, and you are good friends with Concubine Ke, so why would she want to harm you like this?"
"Your Majesty, please believe me. I really didn't do it. I really didn't..." The evidence was irrefutable. An Moru's explanation was so pale that she could only beg Rong Qianyu, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, how dare I!"
Rong Qianyu wanted to try harder to help her, "Your Majesty, I don't think An-shi would do such a thing. I have no connection with An-shi. Why would she frame me like this? Is there some misunderstanding?"
Suddenly, the maidservant beside An Moru ran out and knelt in the hall, "Your Majesty, I beg you to show me mercy. I deserve death! I have something to say."
"Yes, Qianyun, Qianyun can testify that I really didn't do it!" An Moru seemed to have grabbed a life-saving straw. She held Qianyun's hand and cried even harder, "Hurry up and tell me!"
Qian Yun kowtowed deeply to Fu Hua, "An Ronghua did write these letters, and I helped her mail them. The palace records can prove it!"
"What are you talking about?" An Moru didn't expect her to say that. She looked at her in astonishment, then looked at Rong Qianyu, "Your Majesty, I really didn't, I really didn't..."
But the revelations of the personal maid are always credible, and Qianyun has always been steady, which gives her great persuasiveness in reporting An Moru.
The imperial physician reported that An'er's fainting was indeed caused by suffocation and the quilt was too high. Moreover, An Ronghua was the only one in the palace at that time, so...
It really makes people believe it.
At this point, Fu Hua didn't want to delve into it any further. He didn't have any feelings for An Moru, and sacrificing her for the stability of the harem was definitely worth it.
First, she had no family background to protect her, second, she had no favor, and third, she had not given birth to a royal heir. No one would miss her even if she died.
"Palace Concubine An cursed the Empress, falsely accused concubines, murdered the Imperial heir, and practiced witchcraft. Her crimes are unforgivable. She has been stripped of her title, demoted to a commoner, and imprisoned in the palace. She will be allowed to commit suicide within a few days."
Fu Hua casually ordered suicide, and such an innocent man was about to be beheaded. Rong Qianyu looked at him, and two thoughts came from behind. He was indeed different from when he was the crown prince. He had the final say over life and death. If the spearhead was ever pointed at her, she would probably not be able to escape safely.
Rong Qianyu still felt sorry for An Moru and advised, "Your Majesty, since Cui is pregnant, please spare An's life for now."
Fu Hua raised his chin and said, "Then we'll make another decision after Consort Cui gives birth to a prince."
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