The letter Mu Tao brought detailed the plight of Zhang's mother in the mansion. Not only did she instigate her daughter to poison a concubine and then replace her, she also specified the dosage and method.
As for the small bag of powder next to it, there were a few white marks on it, probably because someone took it and hurriedly packed it up.
"This, this is not my concubine..."
"Is your mother's surname Du? She addressed you by your nickname, Nannan, right from the beginning? She slipped half a blade of grass into the letter and expressed her dissatisfaction with Concubine Liu. This kind of poison is called Heartbreak Powder, isn't it?"
What the emperor said was exactly the same as her actual situation!
Zhang Da Ying panicked: "Your Majesty, please listen to my explanation... Actually, this matter is caused by Concubine Wen..."
"You mean to say I'm forcing you to do this?" Concubine Wen spoke first, her expression calm. "Everyone in the palace knows I treat Concubine Yi with even more respect and courtesy than my own sisters. How would I benefit from harming her? If I had any entanglement with her, I could use revenge as an excuse. Unfortunately, I have no motive at all."
"You, you once told me that applying the powder on the food that Concubine Yi was going to eat would harm the Empress Dowager's health, killing two birds with one stone! Not only do you hate Concubine Yi, you also hate the Empress Dowager!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Shoukang Palace fell into silence again.
The women of the Qu family are always picked on by the Queen Mother. If Qu Yuexi wanted to take the opportunity to harm the Queen Mother's body, it would be a strategy that kills two birds with one stone, which makes sense.
However, Noble Lady Wen solemnly stepped out of her seat and knelt, "I swear to the gods of the Buddhist temple that if I harbor even the slightest thought of disregarding the Empress Dowager's life or harming the bond between us sisters, I will endure the pain of separation from my own flesh and blood, the torment of a stubborn illness, day and night, without a peaceful end!"
"Shut up!" The Queen Mother couldn't bear to hear any more and interrupted her. "How can you cast such a vicious curse when the child isn't even born yet?"
"Because I have a clear conscience, no matter how vicious the oath is, it will not fall on me, so what's the harm in speaking it out?" Noble Lady Wen looked at Zhang Da Ying again, "Then what about you? You dare to swear like me. If you lie even a little bit, then..."
"I won't! I can't be like you, with your heart of a viper and your shamelessness!"
Zhang Da Ying was about to pull his hair and curse, but was immediately stopped by the guards nearby.
Xie Yanci also showed an impatient look. "Zhang, you are narrow-minded and have repeatedly caused trouble in the palace! The Imperial Concubine personally taught you a lesson, but instead of repenting, you framed others! With your qualifications and character, who would be willing to befriend you and take risks for you?! Now, you are so audacious that you dared to murder my mother. Your crime is truly unforgivable!"
"That's not the case... No! Your Majesty, please don't let this vicious woman deceive you! I, your humble concubine..."
"Shut her mouth!"
At the Queen Mother's command, Zhang Da Ying had his mouth stuffed with a rag, and he sobbed and stopped making any sound.
Afterwards, the imperial teacher returned to the main hall with the fish soup, glanced at the person being held on the ground, and then walked to the side of the emperor.
"Your Majesty, I have already investigated. A sufficient amount of Blood Hand Burning Leaves was added. This item is extremely valuable. Anyone who wants to find one in the martial arts world must rely on connections and search carefully. Therefore, without an exceptional family background, it is generally impossible to obtain one."
“Is it so precious?”
"Yes, because it easily changes into a thousand colors. For example, if it's added to fish soup, it will turn a thick, milky white. If it's added to braised food, it will dissolve into a bright red, making it impossible to detect. Even using a silver needle to test for poison is useless."
Upon hearing this, Imperial Concubine Jin wiped away her tears again. "Your Majesty, you know this too. Everything in Chengqian Palace, everything I wear, was bestowed upon me by you. Besides that, my father has never given me any private aid. After all, I'm not like my fifth sister, the legitimate daughter of the family... I would lock up the imperial gifts in my inner chamber for safekeeping. How could I possibly exchange them for poison?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Concubine Wen also pleaded, "Just because one's family background is good doesn't mean it's the fault of the other. After all, in Yonghua Palace, there are many whose maternal families are powerful or even wealthy enough to rival a country. Although my elder sister would argue with me in the boudoir, she never had any intention of harming me. She wouldn't be determined to kill me just because I'm pregnant with the dragon fetus!"
Wei Shuyi listened silently, still surprised by the subtle relationship between the two Qu sisters. Even when proving their innocence, they did not forget to throw dirty water on each other.
I thought Xie Yanci would ask a few more questions, but unexpectedly, he chose to just go along with it: "Since that's the case, I will order someone to investigate this matter and clear the Imperial Concubine's name."
clean?
He was a good official, and in just a few words, he had already removed Concubine Jin from the scene. He was just short of directly announcing that it was someone else who deliberately framed her and that Concubine Jin had been wronged.
The other concubines had different expressions on their faces, but in the end they did not dare to question the emperor's decision.
After the gathering was dispersed, Concubine Wen returned to the Yanxi Palace safely.
"My lady, I'm glad nothing happened to you today. I was so scared!"
"The gift she sent has passed through the hands of the Queen, so how could I dare drink it? However, the Emperor really values her? Even after the Imperial Preceptor said this, he still favors the eldest sister... But this is also good. I need the strength of my mother's family for the time being. Anyone can fall, except the Qu family."
Mu Tao rubbed her hands in fear again. "My lady, do you think that Zhang promised not to betray us? After all, it was you who taught her the method of tampering with the crab stuffed orange."
"This idiot! She really can't act any more!" When this matter was mentioned, Noble Lady Wen cursed a few times. "I told her to endure the punishment, and I will find a way to get her out of this predicament. But she's so good! She was scared by Noble Lady Yi, and now she wants to ask me for help! If I hadn't reacted quickly, she would have dragged me into this water today!"
Mu Tao poured her another cup of tea. "Thank goodness the young lady had made all the necessary arrangements in advance. That stupid Zhang definitely didn't know that the letter she received was fake from the beginning!"
"She's the one who's taking the blame for the crab stuffed with oranges. But as for the fish soup, I think it was my eldest sister who did it." Noble Lady Wen dipped her index finger in the tea and wrote on the table. "It's well known that the Imperial Preceptor is knowledgeable and can identify poisons that even the imperial physicians haven't seen. The relationship between these two is unusual. Who knows, maybe she asked the Imperial Preceptor for it?"
Mu Tao covered her mouth in astonishment: "My lady! Have you ever seen anything with your own eyes? The Imperial Concubine and the Imperial Master..."
"I haven't seen it, I just said it casually."
Noble Lady Wen hated explaining to stupid people, so she gave her a perfunctory response and drove her out.
And on the undried marks on the table, you can vaguely see the word "Huai".
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
