The queen didn't even look at Concubine Shu, she lowered her eyes and said gently, "The harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs, I don't know!"
The Queen had naturally heard about the recent affairs between Concubine Liang and Xiao Ruoyi. This matter involved Concubine Liang, and now the Emperor asked her to speak. What did it mean?
In the past, this kind of serious crime of treason was always dealt with directly by Emperor Donglin, who never came back to ask her, the queen.
The harem cannot interfere in politics, even if the implicated concubine is a member of the harem.
However, the Queen more or less guessed that it might be because of Concubine Liang and her daughter.
Now that I ask her with such respect, she is just a tool!
"Empress, this matter involves the affairs of the harem, so I came here to discuss it with you!"
The Queen knew that Emperor Donglin was determined to involve her in the incident between Concubine Liang and Concubine Shu, and she could not escape even if she wanted to.
She is just a concubine, so it is fine to offend her, not to mention that she is now involved in the Beizhao Kingdom spy case.
"We have all the evidence and witnesses, so there is no reason for injustice. The emperor is wise and powerful, and he must have seen through their tricks long ago and made a decision!"
...
...
The Queen smiled and flattered Emperor Donglin a little.
As expected, Emperor Donglin really enjoyed the flattery of the Queen. "Duke Lu should be exterminated for collaborating with the enemy and treason, but Concubine Shu still needs the Queen's advice!"
Concubine Shu didn't care what punishment the Queen would give her. After hearing Emperor Donglin's verdict on Duke Lu, she felt like she was struck by lightning. Her father was really going to die! And his entire clan would be exterminated!
The nine clans were gone, so what would happen to the Lu family? What would happen to her and Huang'er?
The panicked Concubine Shu had forgotten her image, and hurriedly crawled to her knees in front of Emperor Donglin, holding the corner of the dragon robe tightly with both hands, "Your Majesty, my father is innocent, he is innocent!"
Emperor Donglin angrily kicked Concubine Shu who was holding his dragon robe and shouted angrily, "Innocent? Now the evidence is irrefutable, and you tell me you are innocent? The evidence is irrefutable and you still dare to deny it!"
In a rage, he kicked Concubine Shu, causing her to fall to the ground. She couldn't help but spit out blood from her mouth, which shocked the Queen.
The queen looked at Emperor Donglin in horror, knowing that the emperor was very angry at the moment.
Concubine Shu didn't care about the injuries on her body at all. She covered her chest and knelt on the ground to kowtow and admit it.
"Your Majesty, my father did not work with Xia Huai to harm Concubine Liang. It was me! It was me who harmed Concubine Liang. Only my father and I conspired together to harm Concubine Liang!"
At this moment, Concubine Shu no longer dared to hide it.
Compared to killing nine generations of her clan, her own son would definitely not be able to ascend to the top. Concubine Shu would rather admit that she and Duke Lu had killed Concubine Liang together, rather than Lian and Xia Huai.
The plan succeeded, and Emperor Donglin smiled in his heart, but he did not show it on his face. Instead, he looked unbelieving.
Emperor Donglin sneered, "Now you admit that it was you who framed Concubine Liang? Are you trying to mitigate your crime? I have evidence here to prove that it was you who conspired with the Northern Zhao Kingdom to infect the harem. Do you have it?"
Concubine Shu shook her head, then quickly nodded with tears in her eyes, "Yes, I do! I have evidence!"
Emperor Donglin was suspicious. Didn't the little girl say that there was no direct evidence? How come Concubine Shu had it?
Emperor Donglin stretched out his hand, "Since you have evidence, show it to me!"
Concubine Shu was immediately delighted, "My maid Xiao Tao can testify that it was me who asked her to contact and bribe the maids and nurses around Concubine Liang to threaten them!"
"Wang Dehai, bring the person in!"
The maids and palace servants brought by Concubine Shu were all stopped outside. Now if they wanted to be questioned, they had to be called in.
Xiao Tao, who was standing outside the palace waiting, had already heard the voice of Concubine Shu's defense inside. Combined with the purpose of their visit this time, Xiao Tao already knew what she was about to face.
Now that she was asked to come in, Xiao Tao felt her legs go weak. She knelt down on the ground as soon as she entered. "Your servant...your servant greets the emperor!"
"Your master said that you were also involved in her slandering Concubine Liang?"
Her master has admitted it and said that she was involved, so doesn't that mean she will be implicated as well?
Xiao Tao's body trembled suddenly, and she couldn't hold it in and urinated.
A strong smell of urine wafted over, causing Emperor Donglin and the Empress to frown in disgust and dissatisfaction.
Although Concubine Shu also smelled it, this was not the time to think about it. She quickly looked at Xiao Tao and said, "Xiao Tao, tell me!"
Xiao Tao kowtowed on the ground, then tremblingly and stammeringly told the truth of that year, which was exactly the same as what Concubine Shu had told her.
"Damn you, bitch! How dare you bully me!"
Xiao Tao was so scared that she kowtowed repeatedly and burst into tears, "Your Majesty, please spare me! Your Majesty, please spare me! I know I was wrong! It was the Concubine Shu who asked me to do it!"
"Humph, you deserve to die!" Emperor Donglin snorted coldly, "Come here, drag this bitch away and beat her to death with sticks!"
Xiao Tao suddenly stood up in shock, staring at Emperor Dong Lin with wide eyes of fear.
The eunuch outside the hall came in, lifted Xiaotao's shoulders and dragged her away.
Xiao Tao, who was being held up, finally came back to her senses and quickly begged for mercy from Emperor Donglin, "Your Majesty, please spare me! Please spare me, Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please save me!"
But Emperor Donglin didn't even look at Xiaotao, and Concubine Shu was even less so. She was only defending herself at this moment.
Xiao Tao's words immediately made Concubine Shu feel that she had found hope. She quickly looked up at Emperor Donglin and pleaded, "Your Majesty, so it was my father and I who conspired together to drag other concubines to frame Concubine Liang. I didn't contact Xia Huai at all!"
Emperor Donglin remained unmoved. Originally, all he wanted was Concubine Shu's confession.
However, Emperor Donglin did not want such ambiguous testimony and evidence. "The maidservant beside you is your confidant. Her words do not count! What I want is solid evidence!"
After hearing this, Concubine Shu was immediately confused. "Yes, I will produce the evidence right away. I... I..."
At that time, she had only asked people to contact the palace maids and the nanny around Concubine Liang, and her father had someone arranged for them. As for conclusive evidence, she really couldn't produce any.
Emperor Donglin raised his eyes and asked sarcastically, "What's wrong? No evidence?"
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty..."
Emperor Donglin snorted smugly in his heart. As expected, Yiyi was right. You don't have any solid evidence to prove that you were the one who did what happened back then.
They are just witnesses who can be easily bribed. Moreover, those are their trusted aides, so they are completely useless.
If I hadn't known this earlier, I wouldn't have designed this scene.
The Queen held the handkerchief in her hand, covering her lips, and said with a chuckle, "Your Majesty, Concubine Shu probably has no solid evidence to prove that what she said is true!"
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