Chapter 28 Self-binding
This statement caused an uproar.
The concubines were surprised and began to speculate.
Could it be that Concubine Pei was so powerful that she could even bribe Concubine Jiang's people, and the two of them colluded with each other to poison Concubine Jiang without the knowledge of the imperial physician?
However, this speculation was quickly denied by them themselves.
The people around Concubine Jiang Shu are not so easy to bribe, not to mention that Liang Yao said she was a personal maid. This person should have been brought into the palace by Concubine Jiang Shu. She was a surrogate child from her mother's family. How could a maid of such status betray her master?
If not, what then?
An absurd idea came to the minds of the concubines.
There is another possibility.
The things were found in Changxin Palace. This might be a case of the thief crying "stop thief", and Concubine Jiang Shu deliberately framed Concubine Pei!
But if she wanted to frame someone, why did she hurt herself and cause a miscarriage by taking aconite powder?
Things are becoming increasingly confusing.
For a moment, all the concubines were talking about it.
Under the suppression of Queen Cui, the palace gradually returned to peace.
Empress Cui said to Liang Yao, "Tell me in detail."
"The Emperor ordered us to thoroughly search the six palaces, east and west. We didn't dare slack off for even a moment. We started with Fenghe Palace, leaving no room untouched. We searched every palace until we found it spotless, without a trace of dirt. Finally, we searched Changxin Palace, where we made a new discovery in the back chamber."
"This package was hidden very secretly, under a hollowed-out floor tile. A young inspector in the imperial court noticed something was wrong and opened it to see if it was indeed aconite powder."
Empress Cui asked in a serious tone, "Who lives in this room?"
"The head maidservant beside Concubine Shu, Tan Wu."
Empress Cui was about to summon Tan Wu for questioning.
Unexpectedly, when Tan Wu saw that the matter was exposed, she pulled out the hairpin on her head and put it on her neck, then took two steps back and decisively admitted it.
"This servant did it alone!"
The concubines looked in the direction of the sound.
Concubine Xie was the first to react: "How could a servant like you have such great abilities? Was it Concubine Shu who ordered you to do so?"
"No!" Tan Wu was anxious and quickly excused Concubine Shu, "It was done by this servant alone."
"Seeing that Concubine Pei is deeply favored by the Emperor, I feel sorry for the Empress. Concubine Pei is just a bit pretty, how can she deserve such favor from the Emperor?"
"I was so angry that I left the palace during my day off and got some aconite powder. When no one was looking, I stuffed it into the hairpin given to me by Concubine Pei. I also bribed her maid, Xia Meng, to hide the aconite powder in Concubine Pei's bedroom."
"This plan was foolproof!"
"I didn't expect the people in the imperial court to be so alert. The thing was placed under the bluestone slab, but it was still found!"
Concubine Xie pointed out the inappropriateness and said, "Even if you wanted to frame Concubine Pei, why did you poison Concubine Shu and cause her miscarriage?"
Mentioning this, Tan Wu burst into tears. "It's all the fault of that quack doctor outside the palace. He said a little aconite powder wouldn't hurt, so I secretly added a little to the tonic to make the queen unconscious. I didn't expect it would cause the queen to have a miscarriage!"
So that's how it is. The unreasonable part has been explained.
But the emperor, empress and concubines in the six palaces still did not believe that she was the only one who did it.
Does a slave really have such great power?
These words just now sound more like this servant taking sole responsibility for the crime in order to protect her master.
Xie Chen's face was gloomy, like frost that could not be melted, so cold that it was terrifying: "Capture her and take her to the Ministry of Punishment."
The guards at the palace gate were about to enter the palace.
A fierce look appeared between Tan Wu's brows, and then he exerted force on his wrist and pressed the hairpin down hard.
Blood spurted out.
She slowly fell down, her eyes wide open.
The concubines in the palace were frightened by this scene and screamed, hiding away in panic.
The bloodstains were quickly cleaned up.
The person is dead, so the matter cannot be investigated further. It depends on what the emperor thinks.
Concubine Xie Xian naturally wanted to pull Concubine Jiang Shu down. She tentatively said, "Your Majesty, this palace maid's words are too unreliable. Not to mention her..."
Empress Cui interrupted Concubine Xie, a look of deep fatigue between her brows, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."
Xie Chen rubbed his aching temples, "Just what you say."
"Since entering the palace in the first year of Xining, Concubine Shu has been respectful to her superiors and gentle and obedient to her subordinates, never making a single mistake. Concubine Shu's mother's family, the Jiang family, were instrumental in supporting the Emperor's ascension to the throne. Regarding today's matter, I hope Your Majesty will reconsider before acting."
Queen Cui's words were both a plea and a reminder.
Xie Chen closed his eyes and thought, the air pressure around him dropped to a terrifying level.
After a long while, he finally opened his eyes and said in a cold voice, "Unfortunately, Concubine Shu had a miscarriage. I feel pity for her. Let her recuperate in the palace for the next six months."
This was because of past friendship and Jiang's contributions that Concubine Shu was spared.
There was no demotion or severe punishment, just house arrest, and a decent reason was used.
Empress Cui lowered her eyes and said, "I, your concubine, thank the Emperor on behalf of Concubine Shu."
Concubine Xie, who was sitting on the side, gritted her teeth. This was a good opportunity to overthrow Concubine Shu, but now it was ruined by the Queen!
Their queen is so kind!
The assassination and miscarriage were already clear, and everyone's eyes turned to the kneeling figure in the hall.
Empress Cui hurriedly ordered, "Zhiwu, quickly help Concubine Pei up. She has been kneeling for so long, it must be very hard for her."
Zhiwu and Yunshu hurried to support the thin figure.
Pei Tingyue knelt for nearly an hour and her legs had long lost all feeling.
Zhiwu and Yunshu were unable to help her up for a while.
"Back off."
It was the voice of Xie Chen from the main seat.
Although the two men didn't understand why, they still obeyed the order and retreated.
Xie Chen lowered his eyes and looked at the woman on the ground.
The woman's face was pale and transparent, she sat helplessly in the hall, her eyes had lost their former luster, and there was a look of confusion in her eyes, and a hint of embarrassment in the deepest part.
He sighed helplessly, stood up, picked up the person on the ground, and placed her safely.
The moment their eyes met, a glint of light flashed in the woman's eyes. She forced herself to turn her face away, looking extremely pitiful.
Xie Chen thought about it and told Queen Cui,
"Concubine Pei has been wronged. We will send a sedan chair to take her back to the palace soon."
After he finished speaking, he left quickly without staying in Changxin Palace for long.
Queen Cui stayed to take charge of the situation.
Concubine Xie Xian no longer had any scruples and sneered, "This Concubine Shu is really tying herself up in knots. She wanted to harm others, but she ended up causing herself a miscarriage. It's really sad."
Empress Cui said calmly, "Xianfei, please be careful with your words. The Emperor believes that this was done by Shufei's maid."
Concubine Xie was furious and spoke in a rare, sarcastic tone, "Everyone knows who did it. But I didn't expect that this matter would almost implicate the Empress. The Empress, however, put aside the past grudge and spoke up for Concubine Shu. How magnanimous of you."
This time, it was Lin Zhaorong who challenged her, "This is the demeanor of a mother who rules the country. I'm afraid people like us will never be able to learn it."
"Lin Zhaorong is quite eloquent." Concubine Xie narrowed her eyes and bowed to the main seat. "After such a long time, I am exhausted. I will return to the palace first."
When passing by Lin Zhaorong, Concubine Xie glared at her coldly.
After a while, Empress Cui dismissed the remaining concubines and stayed alone in Changsheng Palace.
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