Chapter 1144: Evidence of Frame-up
A guard walked in from outside the palace gate, knelt on one knee in front of the emperor and reported loudly:
"Your Majesty, the commander of the guards in the Queen's palace wants to see you, saying that he has important evidence to present to you!"
"evidence?"
The emperor's voice was filled with doubt. He looked at the queen with a questioning look in his eyes: "Queen, do you know about this?"
The queen pretended to be calm and tried to force a smile: "I don't know, maybe there is some misunderstanding."
However, her trembling tone betrayed her inner panic.
The commander of the guards was brought up, holding a brocade box in his hand, which he respectfully presented to the emperor.
The emperor opened the brocade box and found a letter and some jewelry inside.
The commander of the imperial guards claimed that he had discovered the letter by accident. The letter recorded Jiang Xue and Concubine Li's plan to frame the Queen and Concubine Rong, and the jewelry was the physical evidence they used to frame them.
Upon seeing these "evidences", the Queen and Concubine Rong were suddenly as excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood, and their originally flagging morale instantly soared.
The queen pointed at Jiang Xue and said sternly, "Jiang Xue, what else do you have to say? You are caught red-handed and you still refuse to plead guilty!"
Rongpin also echoed, "Your Majesty, I have said it before, Jiang Xue and Li Fei have bad intentions, they just want to frame us!"
This sudden reversal caused those who originally supported Jiang Xue to begin to waver and talk about it.
Concubine Li was so angry that she was shaking all over. She pointed at the Queen and Concubine Rong and shouted angrily: "You...you are slandering me!"
Although Jiang Xue was a little flustered, she did not show it.
She took a deep breath and tried to keep herself calm.
She knew that, especially at times like this, she must not lose her composure.
Xiao Zhan's eyes swept across everyone, finally landing on the letter and several pieces of jewelry.
He picked up the letter and read it carefully, then picked up the jewelry and looked at it, frowning slightly.
After a moment, he put down what he was holding, looked at the emperor with a firm gaze, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I think these evidences are unreliable."
His voice was steady and powerful, like a magic needle that stabilized the chaotic situation in an instant.
Jiang Xue and Concubine Li seemed to have found their backbone and rekindled their hope.
Xiao Zhan pointed at the handwriting on the letter and said, "Although the handwriting on this letter is imitated vividly, the strength of the strokes is different. It is obvious that someone deliberately imitated it."
He picked up the jewelry again and said:
"Although these jewels are from the palace, it does not prove that they were used by the princess and Concubine Li. Anyone could have put these jewels in the princess's palace to frame her."
His analysis is clear, logical and convincing.
The people who were originally wavering began to rethink, and their suspicious eyes were once again cast towards the Queen and Concubine Rong.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Rongpin's eyes flickered and she wanted to sneak away.
However, before she could take a step, she was stopped by Xiao Zhan's men.
"Madam Rong, where are you going?"
Xiao Zhan's voice contained a hint of sarcasm, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, as if he could see through people's hearts.
Rongpin's face turned pale and she stammered, unable to speak.
Seeing this, Jiang Xue and Concubine Li immediately stepped forward to question her, but Concubine Rong refused to admit it, and the situation became deadlocked again.
Jiang Xue took a deep breath, looked at the old lady who was trembling with fear, and slowly said, "Mammy, do you still remember..."
Jiang Xue's eyes fell on the trembling old lady, and her tone was gentle but with unquestionable power:
"Mammy, do you still remember how Concubine Rong asked you to put this jade pendant in the dressing box in my bedroom that day?
Do you still remember the benefits she promised you, enough to provide you with food and clothing for the rest of your life?"
The old lady's lips trembled, her eyes were wandering, and she didn't dare to look directly into Jiang Xue's eyes.
She subconsciously looked at Rongpin, but saw Rongpin glaring at her fiercely.
“I…I…”
The old lady hesitated, beads of sweat the size of beans appeared on her forehead, and she was struggling internally.
Jiang Xue took a step forward, her tone more resolute: "Mammy, I know you are afraid, but you have to know that confessing is the only way out.
If you persist in your wrongdoings and shield the criminal, you will only end up in an irreparable situation. Instead of doing that, it is better to tell the truth, and perhaps you can atone for your sins."
The old nanny's inner defenses finally collapsed. She fell to her knees with a plop and wept bitterly as she told him in detail how Concubine Rong had instructed her to frame Jiang Xue.
"Please spare my life, Madam! I am forced into this situation!"
The old nanny cried and told all the benefits Rongpin had promised her, as well as the threats she had made.
"My goodness, this reversal came so unexpectedly!"
A burst of whispers broke out among the crowd of onlookers, and the looks they gave Rongpin were full of contempt and ridicule.
Rongpin's face was pale, as if all the blood had been drained out.
Her lips trembled and she wanted to argue, but she found that she was powerless to refute.
"You...you...you are slandering me!"
Rongpin pointed at the old nanny and shouted at the top of her lungs, but her trembling voice revealed her inner panic.
Jiang Xue sneered, and her eyes shot at Rongpin like a sharp sword: "Madam Rongpin, what else do you have to say now? There are witnesses and evidences, what else can you quibble about?"
Concubine Li also stepped forward, pointed at Concubine Rong's nose and cursed: "You are a vicious woman! I used to think of you as a sister, but I didn't expect you to be so vicious!"
People around echoed and accused Rongpin of evil deeds.
The situation completely reversed, and those who originally supported the Queen and Concubine Rong also began to turn against them and stand on Jiang Xue's side.
Jiang Xue's heart was filled with joy, but she did not get carried away.
She knew that this was only the first step and she still had to work hard to completely clear her name and bring the Queen and Concubine Rong to justice.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the queen's face turned pale, like an eggplant hit by frost.
She slumped weakly in the chair, her eyes empty, as if she had lost her soul.
"Success makes you a king, take it all. I accept defeat." The queen sighed dejectedly, her tone full of helplessness and despair.
Rongpin also gave up resistance
"I... I was wrong!" Rongpin's voice was as low as a mosquito, full of regret and fear.
At this moment, a guard hurried into the hall, knelt on one knee, and reported to Xiao Zhan:
"Master Prime Minister, a large number of unidentified troops were found gathering outside the capital. It seems... it seems that they are not here with good intentions!"
Xiao Zhan's expression instantly became serious: "Pass the order down, the whole city is on alert!"
The guard's report was like a thunderclap, which seemed to instantly freeze the tense atmosphere in the hall, and the "palace drama" directed by the Queen and Concubine Rong also seemed ridiculous and insignificant at this moment.
Xiao Zhan's brows were tightly furrowed, and a cold aura emanated from his body. A hint of cold light flashed in his deep eyes.
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