Chapter 480 Outsiders
The next day, Lan'er could not bear the punishment and died suddenly in the Ministry of Punishment.
The emperor ordered the two eunuchs in charge of the execution to be beaten to death and ordered Zhou Yuande to continue investigating the assassination of Chu Liuzheng.
When the news reached the harem, everyone felt threatened.
The most panicked person was Concubine Xie.
She thought Shao Liyi could take the blame for her, but who would have thought that Chu Liuzheng, a Cheng Yaojin, would appear and actually save Shao Liyi.
She was so anxious that she couldn't sit still, and asked Liuli to help her think about whether there was something that was not cleaned up properly, but she must not be blamed for it.
Liuli said, "Your Majesty, let's go and ask the Queen Mother for help." Now, only the Queen Mother can protect her master from the Emperor.
"Let me think about it." Xie Jieyu bit her lip, looked out the window, and suddenly asked, "Is Concubine Yu's illness cured?"
"No." Liuli shook her head. "I've been watching at the door. The imperial physician comes every day. It seems that the patient is very ill."
"Extremely serious..." Concubine Xie repeated these two words, her eyes suddenly brightening, "I have a solution."
She waved to Liuli, "Come here and do as I say."
*
Changchun Palace, sleeping hall.
Qiu Sui combed her hair with a sandalwood comb and whispered, "Your Majesty, Lan'er is gone, and the two from the Ministry of Punishment are gone too."
"What a pity! She's such a loyal girl." Queen Zhong looked in the mirror and gently spread the cream on her face. "Clean it up and find someone else to take the vacant position."
"Yes." Qiu Sui put down the comb and asked while tying her hair, "What about Concubine Xie..."
"This matter has nothing to do with Changchun Palace." Empress Zhong raised her hand to draw her eyebrows, her hand not shaking even though her wrist bones were swollen like bamboo joints. "Send the news to Wanshou Palace."
"yes."
*
In the evening, the sky, which had been muggy all day, finally began to rain.
The drizzle made the autumn weather even cooler.
In the side hall of Wenhua Palace, Chu Liuzheng was lying on the couch wrapped in a blanket, listening to the rain. The smoke from the small incense burner curled up, filling the room with the fragrance of bamboo.
Behind the desk, the emperor was writing furiously, extremely busy.
The ancients could compose 300 poems while enjoying the rain, and I can sleep for three days. I'm just an ordinary person, so I'd better just eat some melon seeds and melon.
Chu Liuzheng ordered someone to bring a plate of melon seeds, and opened the system while eating them.
I never thought that the first one was closely related to me.
Liuli, the head maid of Yihe Hall, sneaked into Ninghe Hall with the intention of murdering Concubine Yu and was caught. Ninghe Hall's head maid Mianmian found a confession on her. The confession read...
[Frog fun! Concubine Xie, you shameless woman, actually planned to kill the seriously ill Concubine Yu and pin the blame for my assassination on her. After Xiao Xuanzi took poison, you wanted to kill her again without any evidence. How could you be so capable?]
Chu Liuzheng spat out the melon seed shells.
I've seen stupid people, but I've never seen anyone as stupid as this. Instead of putting the blame on the seriously ill Concubine Yu, it's better to ask the Queen Mother for help. After all, they're her family, and the Queen Mother won't just stand by and watch them die.
What's going on now? Are you worried we don't have evidence so you're just trying to get yourself into trouble?
[This saves Eunuch Zhou a lot of trouble. He should at least kowtow to Concubine Xie.]
She pulled it down.
"Oh, the Empress even sent someone to tip off the Wanshou Palace. They really think you're such a pushover, so they're setting a trap for the Empress Dowager right now. Trying to put the blame on me? As a victim, I'm guilty of something if I don't just sit back and wait to be killed, right?"
[This is such an obvious attempt to sow discord, wouldn't the Queen Mother be able to see it?]
Chu Liuzheng was just about to check the Queen Mother's reaction when he looked up and saw Zhou Yuande walking in with a whisk in his arms.
"Your Majesty, Liuli, the head maid of Yihe Hall, sneaked into Ninghe Hall with the intention of harming Concubine Yu. A confession was found on her." Zhou Yuande presented Liuli's confession and the confession on the imperial table. "During interrogation, Liuli confessed that she harbored resentment towards Miss Chu due to Concubine Xie's imprisonment, and so she secretly bribed Xiao Xuanzi to assassinate Miss Chu. This was all her own doing, and has nothing to do with Concubine Jieyu."
[Here it comes! The classic scene of the trusted palace maid taking the blame for her master is here! ]
Chu Liuzheng was in high spirits.
Xiao Jingfan: "..."
He glanced at the confession and the confession letter and asked in a cold voice, "Where is Concubine Xie?"
Zhou Yuande: "The Concubine is waiting outside the palace."
Xiao Jingfan: "Announce."
Zhou Yuande went out to get people.
Chu Liuzheng continued to eat melon seeds.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty be well." Concubine Xie was wearing a long crimson dress. The hem of the dress was stained with rain, leaving deep and light spots, making her look a little disheveled.
Xiao Jingfan tapped the confession on the table with his fingers, "Liuli is your senior maid. Are you really unaware of what she did?"
"Your Majesty, I was unaware of this," Concubine Xie said softly. "Ever since Your Majesty ordered me to confine myself to the palace, I have been reflecting on myself daily, chanting Buddhist scriptures to calm my mind, and I have inadvertently neglected to supervise the palace maids. Although I was unaware of Liuli's audacious behavior, I am also responsible. Your Majesty, please punish me."
[Tsk tsk, actively admitting your mistakes and taking a step back to advance. This time, you've listened to the Queen Mother's advice.]
In order not to ruin the atmosphere, Chu Liuzheng put down the melon seeds and sipped the tea.
"Since you are unable to control the palace maids, then let someone else come." Xiao Jingfan sneered, "Concubine Xie..."
"The Queen Mother has arrived!"
A loud shout interrupted the emperor's words.
"My son pays his respects to the Queen Mother."
Chu Liuzheng could no longer lie down, so he knelt down and bowed to the Queen Mother, "Long live the Queen Mother."
"Aunt." Xie Jieyu crawled over on her knees with tears in her eyes, hugged the empress dowager's legs and cried loudly, like a wronged child.
A trace of heartache flashed in the Queen Mother's eyes, and she pulled her up, "Okay, stop crying. I'm here, and I want to see who dares to wrongly accuse you."
As she spoke, her eyes fell on Chu Liuzheng who was standing behind the emperor.
Chu Liuzheng: ???
[I haven't said a word except eating sunflower seeds and drinking tea. What are you looking at me for? I haven't had time to seduce you yet.]
Xiao Jingfan asked the Queen Mother to sit down, "Mother, it's still raining, why are you here?"
"I'm here for Yu'er." The Queen Mother took Concubine Xie's hand and looked at him. "Yu'er is simple-minded. She already feels guilty and wronged enough for being deceived by those below her. She sincerely admitted her mistake, yet you still help outsiders bully her. How can that be justified?"
Chu Liuzheng didn't want to identify herself with the words, but the Queen Mother kept staring at her when she said the word "outsider", making it difficult for her not to identify herself with the words.
[Well, as an outsider, I'm not worthy of this position. Goodbye.]
It was obvious that the Queen Mother came to protect her niece Jieyu Xie and wanted to make trouble for her, an "outsider". She would not be foolish enough to confront the Queen Mother face to face, so as not to give Jieyu Xie, her enemy, an advantage.
She was about to get up and leave, handing over this battlefield to the emperor and his mother to play freely, but Xiao Jingfan grabbed her back and asked the queen mother, "Who is the outsider that your mother is talking about?"
(End of this chapter)
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