Chapter 56: When the Wall Falls, Everyone Pushes Back
Concubine Mi was stunned for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "You want witnesses, right? All the palace maids around me are witnesses."
Seeing the situation becoming increasingly complicated, Concubine Yu's eyes turned slightly, a glint of light flowed, and her red lips raised slightly: "How can the palace maids around Concubine Mi be considered witnesses?"
"If that's true, then aren't the maids around Lady Liu also witnesses?"
Mingpin frowned and looked at Yufei in surprise and confusion.
I thought to myself: What on earth does this Jade Concubine want to do?
Just now she wanted to force Liu Cairen into a desperate situation, why did she suddenly protect her?
The Empress, who had been sitting calmly, spoke up at this moment: "Your Majesty, Consort Liu is right. Everything should be based on evidence. This matter must be thoroughly investigated. No one should be wrongly accused."
After some hesitation, Concubine Rong stood up and said, "When I left the garden, I noticed several eunuchs on duty near the rockery. I wondered... whether I should summon them for questioning."
"Transmit!" Xiao Heng tapped his fingers slightly, and the jade ring on his thumb flashed with a faint light.
In less than a cup of tea, the two young eunuchs were brought up.
When Concubine Mi saw this, her expression remained calm, without a trace of uneasiness.
"Your servant pays his respects to the Emperor, the Empress and all the masters." The two men knelt tremblingly and saluted.
The Queen looked at the two men with a captivating gaze: "Are you the eunuchs on duty at the Hundred Garden today?"
The two eunuchs didn't dare to look up, and said in a trembling voice: "Yes."
"You were on duty when the eldest prince fell. Did you clearly see how he fell?"
The two men became even more frightened after hearing this, and looked at each other, wanting to say something but stopping themselves.
Xiao Heng slowly frowned, and a low, oppressive voice echoed through the hall: "Tell me everything you saw and heard. If I discover you're hiding anything, I'll drag you out and chop off your heads."
The eunuch shuddered violently and kowtowed quickly: "Your Majesty, I dare not hide anything from you. I will tell you everything I have seen."
Concubine Yu was instantly shocked. She never expected that these two eunuchs had actually seen the truth.
This is very good... No matter whether Concubine Liu dies or Concubine Mi fails.
For me, it's all good.
One of the older eunuchs spoke up, "I was cleaning the loose rocks on the rockery when I looked down and accidentally discovered..."
As he spoke, he looked up at Liu Yuetang timidly.
Liu Yuetang's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that everything today was under the control of Concubine Mi, and even the eunuchs had been bribed in advance.
Upon seeing this, Concubine Mi's lips curled up in a triumphant smile, and she said loudly, "You don't have to be afraid. Just tell me what you saw."
The eunuch nodded: "Yes..."
"Your servant... Your servant saw with his own eyes the eldest prince joyfully descending the stairs, and Young Master Liu reached out and gave him a push."
"You're talking nonsense!" Liu Zheng retorted angrily.
"When the eldest prince fell, our young master was still in front. How could we push the eldest prince down?"
The eunuch said, "But what I saw was that the eldest prince had just come down the stairs and was pushed when he reached Lady Liu. Fortunately, the eldest prince grabbed Lady Liu's skirt in time and didn't roll down the stairs."
"If you don't believe me, Your Majesty and the ladies can check to see if there are any handprints on Miss Liu."
In an instant, all eyes fell on Liu Yuetang.
Liu Yuetang looked down and discovered that there was indeed a light mud-colored mark on her skirt.
Mi Fei was secretly delighted, but pretended to be ignorant on her face: "Sure enough, there is a handprint."
"Ean'er loves to play. He always likes to climb around on the rockery. Every time he comes down, his hands are dirty."
After saying this, she knelt down in front of Xiao Heng, tears welling in her eyes: "Your Majesty, if An'er hadn't grabbed onto Lady Liu's dress in panic, I would have rolled down the stairs. The consequences would have been disastrous!"
Concubine Chu clutched her chest, her face filled with heartache as she said, "Yes... the stairs are so high, if I really fall down, I'll definitely break my bones."
Mingpin stroked the translucent, glossy white jade bracelet on her wrist, her eyes flickering as she said, "Talented Lady Liu seems so gentle and weak on a daily basis, but I didn't expect she's bolder than any of us, even daring to harm the heir to the throne."
You Yunv hid the gratification in her eyes and brows and said softly, "Talented Lady Liu is just pretending to be well-behaved in front of the other ladies. She never treats concubines and people of lower status like Ji Yunv with a kind face, and she always deliberately makes things difficult for them and punishes them."
"Oh?" Concubine Chu deliberately dragged out the tone.
"How could Lady Liu be so arrogant and domineering behind the scenes? The Emperor must severely punish such a vicious person."
Liu Yuetang deeply understood the saying that when the wall falls, everyone pushes it; when the drum breaks, everyone beats it.
She never refuted any of the concubines' words, nor did she explain anything.
In this situation, the more she explained, the more she would be seen as covering up in the eyes of others.
The moment her mind went blank, she already had a plan in mind.
After all, even the most sophisticated network has holes.
Sometimes, it is much easier to bring people online than to take them off.
The Queen pondered for a moment, then turned her head to look at Xiao Heng, who had a stern expression on his face. "Your Majesty... Now that the evidence is irrefutable, how do you decide to deal with Concubine Liu?"
Xiao Heng raised his eyes and looked at Liu Yuetang's face with an inquiring gaze.
"I am giving you one more chance. If you still cannot prove your innocence, I will deal with you according to the law."
Liu Yuetang's clear eyes turned red in an instant, and she subconsciously lowered her head, hiding all the grievances and sadness in her eyes.
Concubine Mi's pupils shrank, and she said in disbelief, "Your Majesty, the evidence is irrefutable. Why don't you punish the bitch who hurt An'er on the spot, and give her a chance to quibble?"
Xiao Heng looked at her coldly: "I have said that if this matter was done by Liu Cairen, I will deal with it according to the law and will not tolerate it. I just gave her time to say a word. Why is Concubine Mi so anxious? What are you afraid of?"
Xiao Heng stared at her with deep eyes.
Mi Fei's heart sank and her fingers clenched unconsciously.
She looked at Xiao Heng calmly and said, "I'm not afraid. I just don't want to see the person who hurt An'er refuse to repent and complain about the crime."
Liu Yuetang raised her head and was about to put her plan into action, but was interrupted by a woman's voice behind her.
"Your Majesty, I have something to say."
Hearing this familiar voice, Liu Yuetang turned around and saw Su Nanqing kneeling on her knees, with her skirt floating on the ground like scattered flowers.
"Su Yunu, what do you want to say?" Xiao Heng looked at her.
Su Yunv lowered her head and said slowly, "In fact, I should have stood up long ago, but I thought that the palace rules and etiquette were strict, and that good and evil would be judged by the public. I would never let the innocent be wronged, so I was cowardly and selfish for once."
"But now, if I don't stand up, I'm afraid that Concubine Liu will be wronged."
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