Gu Jiangli was extremely surprised, "How...how did this end up with Aunt Zhang?"
The Empress Dowager seemed to have discovered something and immediately asked:
"What's this?"
"Your Majesty, this is the first swaddle blanket I was ever given after I was born. It was blessed by a master in the mountains. My family says that a child who has been swaddled with this blanket will grow up healthy and carefree."
"Since entering the palace, this swaddling blanket has always been with me, but it's been kept at the bottom of a trunk. Some time ago, when I became pregnant, I took it out again, thinking that it might be useful after the child is born..."
The emperor continued:
"I know about this. Later, I also discovered that a piece of cloth was missing from Li'er's possession."
The Empress Dowager's eyes darkened. "So, these two pieces of cloth in the Emperor's hand are the missing parts of Consort Gu's original swaddling cloth?"
The emperor's voice was deep, "It seems that this is indeed the case now."
The Empress Dowager snatched two pieces of red and green cloth from the Emperor's hand, went to Aunt Zhang, and asked fiercely:
"Tell me! Did you secretly do something with Gu Jieyu's bag?!"
Aunt Zhang was completely taken aback.
She wasn't shocked when she saw the two tattered pieces of cloth being found.
However, the conversation between the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and Gu Jiangli left her completely puzzled.
This situation has already developed in a way that is beyond her control.
She stammered, "No... Your Majesty, it's not as complicated as you think! I'm just making clothes! And it was Consort Gu who asked me to make them!"
Gu Jiangli weakly propped herself up. "Aunt Zhang, what are you talking about? This quilt was damaged because it had been at the bottom of the trunk for too long. You offered to help me repair it."
“You…” Aunt Zhang’s eyes widened in disbelief.
She now completely believes what her daughter says.
Gu Jiangli is not stupid at all!
She's a heartless monster in secret!
She kept the matter of making clothes a secret from everyone, including her own daughter, in order to have some kind of leverage over them.
Now that she denies it outright, no one can vouch for her!
Just as she was thinking about how to deal with it, Gu Jiangli tearfully said to the Empress Dowager:
"Your Majesty, Aunt Zhang is not a bad person. She must have misremembered, or she may have used the scraps of cloth from the swaddling blanket for something else. But she would never harm me."
The Empress Dowager's fierce gaze softened considerably after she looked at Gu Jiangli.
She sighed, "Oh, silly child, you are still so kind and considerate of others. Do you know that the first swaddle blanket a child wears after birth is the most blessed?"
"If anyone wants to use... curses to harm others, using your blanket will make the curse more effective, achieving twice the result with half the effort!"
Gu Jiangli's face suddenly turned pale.
The Empress Dowager's words made her momentarily roused from her daze.
"What...how could this be? Your Majesty, do you mean...that Consort Zhang secretly took part of my swaddling clothes and then used witchcraft to harm my child?"
The Empress Dowager sighed again.
The outcome was already obvious. Looking at Gu Jiangli's vulnerable state, she felt a little reluctant to let him go.
But after thinking for a moment, he said, "Child, you must know that the child in your womb left in a very strange way. If it weren't for this kind of crooked and evil magic, it wouldn't have turned out like this."
Gu Jiangli felt utterly devastated.
She covered her face and started sobbing.
In the eyes of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, she was so heartbroken that she didn't want to face it all, which is why she didn't look at Aunt Zhang's face.
Aunt Zhang was so anxious upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words that she nearly went mad.
"Your Majesty! How could I possibly use such evil magic to harm someone? It was really Consort Gu who asked me to make clothes for her child, and she herself gave me the swaddle blanket! I didn't harm her!"
In her extreme tension and fear, Aunt Zhang's voice became even sharper and more shrill.
Her fears were justified.
In the imperial harem, anyone who gets tainted by this evil magic is destined to die a horrible death.
The Empress Dowager frowned. "Shut up! Whether it is true or not, the Emperor and I will find out for ourselves!"
At this moment, Lotus stepped forward and knelt down, saying meaningfully:
"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, Consort Gu arranged for two palace maids to serve Consort Zhang, who was unfamiliar with palace rules, so that if Consort Zhang behaved strangely, the two maids might be able to find out something."
Gu Jiangli mentally gave the lotus a thumbs up.
Well done, lotus flowers!
Without a moment's hesitation, the Empress Dowager said, "Quickly let those two palace maids in!"
After saying that, she glanced sadly at Gu Jiangli.
She never expected that Consort Gu would be so kind, specially finding two palace maids to serve Aunt Zhang personally.
Thinking of this, his resentful gaze fell on Aunt Zhang again.
A mere concubine needs palace maids to serve her; what audacity of her!
Gu Jiangli noticed the Empress Dowager's displeasure and wisely remained silent.
Xiaolan and Xiaotao were both very sad when they came in.
In their eyes, Gu Jieyu was a good mistress, and now that she had lost her child, they felt the same sorrow.
Before they came in, they had heard about Aunt Zhang's affairs. They had long suspected Aunt Zhang's behavior and were already indignant.
They were convinced that the young mistress's child was lost and that it was inextricably linked to the shady Aunt Zhang!
Before the Empress Dowager and the Emperor could even ask questions, the two of them eagerly pointed out Zhang Yiniang one after the other.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Consort Zhang has been behaving suspiciously lately, as if she is doing something shameful!"
“That’s right! We’ve tried to clean Zhang’s room several times, but she’s refused. She even said that no one is allowed in her room.”
"This servant believes that if Aunt Zhang wasn't feeling guilty, why would she be so attached to her own room, even refusing to let us clean it?"
"Aunt Zhang has received so much kindness from the young master during this time, yet she still does such evil and harmful things. It is truly despicable!"
Aunt Zhang was truly speechless. She pointed at the two palace maids and roared:
"Where have I been acting suspiciously? You're making baseless accusations!"
Xiao Lan retorted, "Whether I'm making false accusations or not, Aunt Zhang, you know perfectly well! If there weren't some unspeakable secret hidden in your room, why would you have been so afraid and worried when the young mistress unexpectedly came to rest in your room that day?"
Xiao Tao chimed in, "Exactly! I just went into your room for a moment, and you're acting like someone's trying to steal from you. Isn't that just a guilty conscience?"
"You must have hidden all the evidence to prevent anyone from discovering that you were practicing evil magic! Those scraps of cloth are the evidence! You must have used other fabrics to make the harmful dolls!"
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's forehead veins bulged.
"Zhang, what else do you have to say!"
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