Seeing that they were really leaving, Consort Jia did not insist that they stay. "Alright, then you may go back."
"Qing'er takes her leave."
Yongqi and Xiaoyanzi followed closely behind. "Yongqi/Xiaoyanzi take their leave."
After the three finished speaking, they wanted to leave immediately.
As soon as she stepped out of the hall, a palace maid rushed over and shouted to Consort Jia, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened..."
Consort Jia frowned and asked, "Can't you speak properly? What's wrong?"
"Your Majesty, the jade bracelet that the Emperor bestowed upon you has disappeared!"
Consort Jia was immediately furious, "What?"
"That was my favorite bracelet, and you actually managed to lose it!"
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and go find it!"
"None of you are allowed to eat until the bracelet is found!"
Yongqi and Qing'er's intuition told them that this matter was probably coming for them.
The moment the two had the idea, the palace maid, who had been searching for the bracelet, hurriedly brought it to them.
Then someone else came running up, carrying Xiao Yanzi's old clothes. "Your Majesty, we found it! The bracelet isn't lost!"
"Your Majesty, this bracelet was found inside this dress..."
The person speaking was working in the backyard and naturally didn't know who the clothes belonged to.
The palace maid had barely finished speaking when Consort Jia immediately rebuked her, "How dare you! These are the clothes of someone close to the Fifth Prince. Are you implying that the Fifth Prince's people are dishonest and stole my bracelet?"
The palace maid was so frightened that she immediately knelt down and begged for mercy, "This servant would not dare to speak nonsense, the bracelet was indeed found in this dress!"
"The Fifth Prince is the Emperor's most favored prince, and those around him naturally receive many benefits as well. Why would he be interested in my bracelet?"
"You little brat, you're talking nonsense! Take her away and give her twenty lashes. Let's see if she dares to spout such nonsense again!"
Consort Jia's trick made Yongqi and the others want to curse!
If they were to intervene to save this palace maid, it would mean that trouble would truly befall them!
But if they didn't save her and let her be beaten, their consciences wouldn't allow it!
Just as Yongqi and Qing'er were racking their brains for a solution, Xiao Yanzi suddenly rushed out and stopped the eunuch from hitting the palace maid. "Wait, I have something to ask her!"
Consort Jia raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Alright, let's release her first and see what else she can say!"
Xiao Yanzi frowned at the palace maid. "Tell me, was this bracelet really found in this dress?"
The palace maid nodded quickly, "This servant would not dare to lie, the bracelet was indeed found inside!"
"If this servant is lying, may this servant be cast into the eighteenth level of hell..."
"Alright, you don't need to swear anymore, I believe you!"
Looking into the palace maid's sincere eyes, Xiao Yanzi chose to believe her.
Since it wasn't the palace maid's fault, then it must have been the person who got her clothes wet and then took her to change!
Little Swallow looked up at Consort Jia, "Your Highness, this girl isn't lying, but I, Little Swallow, didn't do it either!"
"It seems someone deliberately framed me, trying to sow discord between the Empress and the Fifth Prince, and wanting to create discord in the harem!"
"If the Emperor finds out about this, he will be furious, and countless people will be implicated..."
Yongcheng also pleaded, "Mother, although I haven't known Xiaoyanzi for long, I don't think she's the kind of person who would steal!"
Consort Jia found her son's words very strange. "I have never said that Xiao Yanzi did this. Why do you think I suspect her?"
"Didn't I say that the people who serve the Fifth Prince have seen far better things than I, a mere Consort? Why would she possibly look down on the things in our Qixiang Palace?"
Consort Jia's words were better left unsaid; they were only stirring up trouble!
However, Yongqi knew that if this matter was not handled properly, there would be even more damaging rumors circulating in the palace about Xiaoyanzi!
At that time, things might not be so easy to talk to the Empress Dowager!
Yongqi smiled awkwardly, "Your Highness is too kind. This is Xiaoyanzi's first time in Qixiang Palace. She is not familiar with the people and things here. Except when she went to change clothes just now, she has been in our sight the whole time. How could she have stolen anything?"
He paused for a moment, then said, "As for changing clothes, I now have reason to suspect that the palace maid who poured tea for Xiao Yanzi just now did it on purpose, just to frame Xiao Yanzi for the bracelet incident!"
Actually, everyone present knew what was going on.
This whole thing was probably orchestrated by Consort Jia herself. She first had the palace maids wet Xiao Yanzi's clothes, and then took Xiao Yanzi to change her clothes, getting her out of everyone's sight.
At that time, someone secretly placed a bracelet on Xiao Yanzi's original clothes.
Afterwards, when they were about to leave, the palace maid discovered that the bracelet was missing.
An unsuspecting palace maid found Xiao Yanzi's dress and bracelet, and at this point, Xiao Yanzi was about to be blamed for theft.
Even if they clarify things now, rumors in the palace will probably start circulating soon. At that time, even if it's white, they will say it's black. Their reputation will suffer, and they won't be able to get past the Empress Dowager!
Yongqi grew angrier the more he thought about it, while Consort Jia was delighted.
She feigned anger and said, "Does Fifth Prince mean that my people are dishonest and deliberately framed your people?"
"Alright, then bring that palace maid over here so that I and the Fifth Prince can ask her whether she did it on purpose or unintentionally."
Unexpectedly, the palace maid jumped into the well and died!
Yongqi and Qing'er were naturally afraid of Consort Jia's ruthlessness!
Little Swallow was also frightened; the power struggle among those above was about to affect the lives of those below...
The palace maid even left a suicide note, stating that she had stolen the items and then framed Xiao Yanzi for it!
She was just jealous of Xiao Yanzi. They were both from outside the palace, so why did she have to be someone else's maid?
Xiao Yanzi, on the other hand, was cherished by Yongqi, and even Emperor Qianlong treated her differently.
Consort Jia sneered, "It seems that I have indeed failed in managing my subordinates, allowing them to frame the Fifth Prince. I apologize to the Fifth Prince!"
Yongqi said expressionlessly, "Now that the matter is resolved, we'll take our leave!"
"Little Swallow, let's go!" Yongqi turned around, grabbed Little Swallow's hand, and left Qixiang Palace.
Qing'er followed closely behind.
Yongcheng watched their departing figures, a hint of worry in his voice. "I never expected that something like this would happen on Xiaoyanzi's first visit here, almost causing her to be misunderstood..."
Although he felt something was off about the matter, he didn't dare to think about it too much and just let him deceive himself.
As Yongqi walked, he looked at Qing'er and said, "Qing'er, you still need to report this matter to the Empress Dowager today, so that she doesn't hear about it from elsewhere and misunderstand Xiao Yanzi!"
Qing'er said worriedly, "Don't worry, I will. But you two must calm down and absolutely cannot cause trouble for the Emperor!"
Yongqi nodded, "I understand!"
Today, because they almost got falsely accused of theft, they didn't have the energy to go to Cining Palace.
Yongqi took Xiaoyanzi back to Yonghe Palace. Only when they arrived at Yonghe Palace did they feel like they had arrived at a safe haven.
Consort Yu, who was in Yonghe Palace, could tell at a glance that Yongqi and Xiaoyanzi were not in a good mood today, but she didn't say much. She just said slowly, "Let's eat first. After you finish eating, you can tell me what happened to you today!"
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