After waking up, Eunuch Li stayed in Guangming Hall.
He stood cautiously in the very corner.
Every day at dinner time, the emperor would dismiss the other palace servants, leaving only him, but he would not ask him anything.
On the contrary, Consort Gu would ask him a few questions about the Empress whenever she saw him.
Even in front of the emperor, he dared not neglect Consort Gu, and answered whatever she asked.
But no matter how many questions he asked, they were all about trivial matters, and he dared not directly ask the emperor what he wanted to know.
The emperor wouldn't let him leave, and he dared not leave.
This dragged on for several days.
Gu Jiangli also noticed Li Gonggong's helplessness.
When I first met Eunuch Li, he was so arrogant and domineering, but he didn't dare to show it in front of the emperor.
It seems he's someone who bullies the weak and fears the strong.
It's about time; it's time to ask some questions.
After dinner, Gu Jiangli and the emperor exchanged a glance, their understanding of the plan remaining unspoken.
The emperor said, "All of you may leave, except for Eunuch Li."
Eunuch Li's back stiffened instantly, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.
The other palace servants quietly left the room one by one, leaving only the three of them.
Eunuch Li had experienced this scene several times before, but he still couldn't get used to it.
He knelt on the ground, waiting to be questioned.
"Eunuch Li, there's no need for such a grand gesture or fear. His Majesty doesn't eat people; he simply wants to ask you about the theft."
Eunuch Li trembled like a leaf; he dared not act rashly in front of the emperor.
"Your Majesty, I am innocent! Even if you gave me a hundred lives, I would never dare to steal Your Majesty's things!"
Gu Jiangli curled the corners of her lips and said in a soft and gentle voice, "His Majesty knows your character. You are loyal to the Empress and would never do anything to tarnish her reputation."
Eunuch Li's trembling shoulders calmed down a little. "Thank you... thank you very much, Consort Gu."
"However, Eunuch Li, you have served the Empress for so many years, you should know some things about her, right?"
Eunuch Li's heart was on high alert. He swallowed hard and answered tremblingly, "This servant has indeed served Your Highness for many years and followed Your Highness's orders, but this servant dares not presume to know Your Highness's thoughts."
In short, what he meant was that he only did the work, and knew nothing else.
Gu Jiangli wasn't in a hurry. She then took out the jade pendant, squatted down in front of him, and asked:
"Look at this thing, you've seen it before, haven't you?"
Eunuch Li's eyes widened as he tried to back away, but Gu Jiangli grabbed his shoulder.
"This originally belonged to the Empress. The jade is of extremely rare quality. It's really strange that such a precious jade artifact has a hole the size of a pinhole at the bottom."
"You've been by Her Majesty the Empress's side for so long, have you noticed this hole before?"
Eunuch Li trembled even more violently.
His intention to escape was quite obvious.
Gu Jiangli even thought that if it weren't for the emperor's presence, Eunuch Li would probably have wet himself in fear.
"What is Eunuch Li afraid of? Is it something in this hole?"
"No, no, no..." Eunuch Li shook his head desperately, "What? There's nothing? Where did this come from?"
Gu Jiangli was very satisfied with his reaction.
Eunuch Li may indeed be loyal; he certainly wouldn't utter those words that betray the Empress.
But his reaction undoubtedly proved to them that their guess was correct.
Gu Jiangli continued with suggestive words, "Do you know why His Majesty hasn't inquired about your affairs for so many days?"
Eunuch Li shook his head blankly.
"Because His Majesty knows you didn't steal anything, knows you're innocent, and also knows..."
"How did he get poisoned?"
Upon hearing the words "poisoned by Gu," Eunuch Li's face immediately lost all color.
The emperor stood up, walked to Eunuch Li, and helped Gu Jiangli, who was half-squatting, to her feet.
Gu Jiangli naturally stood beside the emperor, listening as the emperor spoke to Eunuch Li in an imposing voice:
"Judging from your expression, you must have known about this already. Do you want to tell me?"
Eunuch Li waved his hands in a panic, "Your Majesty...this servant doesn't know...what poisoning? This servant doesn't understand."
The emperor's sharp eyes swept over Eunuch Li from head to toe, making Eunuch Li feel a chill run down his spine.
Gu Jiangli continued, "His Majesty's poisoning was not an accident, but a deliberate act. The Empress and His Majesty are deeply in love and would never harbor any intention to harm him. It is you, a servant, who has ulterior motives and intends to murder His Majesty!"
"Speak! Did you secretly put the Gu worms into the jade gourd, intending to harm His Majesty?"
Gu Jiangli pointed arrogantly at Eunuch Li's nose.
Feeling utterly wronged, Eunuch Li could only frantically shake his head and wave his hands, repeatedly saying, "No, no!"
But the emperor had lost his patience. He frowned and said coldly:
"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. Starting tomorrow, you won't have to stay in Guangming Hall."
Eunuch Li was taken aback, thinking that the emperor had come to his senses and was going to send him back to the empress.
Just as he was about to express his gratitude, he heard the emperor summon several guards and order them to "take Eunuch Li to the prison and detain him temporarily."
Eunuch Li's body went limp. He had never been to a prison before, but he had heard that life inside was not easy.
His face, devoid of any color, was filled with fear and terror.
As he was dragged away by the guards, he shouted:
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com