Could it be that Consort Shu had already discovered something was amiss and sent someone to redeem the items from the pawnshop overnight?
This shouldn't be happening!
There were always people guarding the outside of that pawnshop, and no suspicious people had ever gone in or out.
What exactly happened?
Which link in the chain went wrong?
The Empress felt as if there was a tangled mess in her mind that she couldn't untangle, and the more she tried to sort it out, the more confused she became.
"Your Majesty, Xiao Shunzi has not met the person who delivered the gold and silver, and I cannot be sure whether this person was really sent by Prime Minister Meng." Seeing that the Empress was silent, Consort Shu hurriedly replied, "I think we must not wrong an important minister because of the words of a villain."
Emperor Yuanwu seemed to agree with what Consort Shu said, and nodded: "My dear consort is right."
"So when Xiao Shunzi reported this matter to me, I immediately had someone send that box of gold and silver to the palace. Now that the border of Yuan Kingdom is in turmoil, sending this gold and silver to the front line can also provide some cotton clothes and a meal for the soldiers who are defending the country on the border." Consort Shu's tone was sincere and succinct, showing no fear in the face of the Empress's slander.
This deeply moved Emperor Yuanwu: "As expected of the daughter of a great general, she cares about the country and keeps those soldiers who defend the country in her heart."
"I just feel that, regardless of whether this money is truly a bribe or not, it's better to use it on the soldiers than to let it go to those corrupt officials and lead them to do something they shouldn't," Consort Shu said somewhat embarrassedly.
"But..." the Empress said, looking bewildered, "But yesterday someone clearly saw Xiao Shunzi take this box of gold and silver to the pawnshop to exchange it for money."
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, I did indeed take this box of gold and silver to the pawnshop yesterday, but I didn't go to exchange it for money. I just asked the pawnshop owner to check whether this box of gold and silver was real or fake."
Xiao Shunzi scratched his head in embarrassment as he said this.
"I am just a lowly eunuch in charge of Qiluan Garden. I have been confined to Qiluan Garden with Consort Shu for so long. What have I done to deserve such high regard and to receive so much gold and silver? I am afraid that someone is deliberately trying to harm me. Therefore, I have asked the pawnshop owner to check whether this box of gold and silver is real or fake."
"What did the pawnshop owner say? Is it true or false?" Emperor Yuanwu asked with great interest as he fiddled with Mu Qianqian's hand.
"Your Majesty, this servant dares not speak." Xiao Shunzi wiped the fine sweat from his forehead.
"Speak." Emperor Yuanwu snorted and sat up straight. "With me here, as long as you tell the truth, let's see who dares to touch you."
Xiao Shunzi paused for a moment: "When the pawnshop owner was looking at that box of gold and silver jewelry, he discovered that one of the items inside was from the palace."
"What?" Emperor Yuanwu's eyes darkened: "Something from the palace?"
“Yes.” Xiao Shunzi’s voice trembled: “It is a jade ruyi with the mark of an item from the palace.”
Emperor Yuanwu stared intently at Xiao Shunzi for a long while before finally turning his gaze to the Empress.
The Empress felt a chill run down her spine under Emperor Yuanwu's gaze: "Eunuch Xiaoshunzi, could it be that you stole that thing from the palace and deliberately put it in that box of gold and silver jewelry to cover your tracks and exchange it for some silver?"
"You..." Xiao Shunzi's eyes trembled: "Your Majesty, this servant is innocent..."
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