In less than fifteen minutes.
Gao Yong returned with Li Kong.
"Your Majesty, Li Kong has been brought here."
Li Kong initially had no idea what was going on until he saw Sun Hai, who was bound hand and foot, and he was completely dumbfounded.
No way!
Isn't the task of covering shifts for others the responsibility of the head guard? How did it manage to alarm the entire palace?! Even the Empress Dowager has intervened!
Ye Ling: "Li Kong, I have a few questions for you, and you must answer them truthfully."
"Yes! This servant will tell the truth."
"Were you on duty for Sun Hai from the first to the eighth day of the fourth lunar month?"
"Yes! This servant has a very good personal relationship with Sun Hai. After he asked, this servant agreed without much thought. This servant is very good at imitating other people's handwriting, so I imitated Sun Hai's handwriting and signed my name on the attendance sheet."
"So, Sun Hai wasn't in the palace those days."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Where is he?"
“This servant did not ask, but this servant guesses that he probably went to the Golden Hook Gambling House. Sun Hai likes to go there most in his spare time.”
Ye Ling glanced at Chunlan and Dongxue.
“Since Sun Hai was not in the palace those days, how could he have an affair with Consort Jin? Don’t tell me that Sun Hai dug a tunnel in the palace and secretly entered the palace through the tunnel to have an affair with Consort Jin.”
The two women were now trembling on the ground in fear!
"Your Majesty, spare my life! Empress Dowager, spare my life!"
Li Kong still looked completely bewildered.
What does this have to do with palace maids?
Ruoqiu returned at this time.
She brought back the manager of the Golden Hook Gambling House.
"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, this is Sun Changgui of the Golden Hook Gambling House."
"This humble subject pays respects to the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and all the ladies! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress Dowager! Long live the Empress—"
"Alright, alright, no need for formalities!" Ye Ling asked directly.
"Was Sun Hai at the Golden Hook Gambling House from the first to the eighth day of the fourth lunar month?"
"Your Majesty, Sun Hai was indeed at the Golden Hook Gambling House those days. I have records of that."
Sun Changgui presented the notebook with both hands.
Ye Ling flipped through it.
He put the notebook aside.
Does he have any debts at the gambling den?
"Your Majesty, Sun Hai owed a total of one thousand taels of silver in gambling debts, but he paid it off this morning."
【Oh dear! The timing of paying off the gambling debts and the timing of framing my mother match up perfectly. I'm afraid the person behind these gambling debts is the one who instructed you to pay them for you, on the condition that you cooperate in framing my mother!】
Ye Ling smiled inwardly.
This girl didn't see anything, but based on what she heard at the scene, she made a very logical analysis!
Ye Ling asked Sun Hai sharply.
"Who paid off your gambling debts?"
"Yes, yes—"
Sun Hai no longer dared to frame Consort Jin.
Now, all the evidence proves that Consort Jin is innocent! She was framed!
What the Emperor needs to know now is who is the mastermind behind this.
Sun Hai glanced at Consort Lin, but didn't dare to say anything.
Ye Ling's gaze shifted to Consort Lin.
"Consort Lin, you were the first to stand up and expose Consort Jin's affair! Now that Consort Jin's innocence has been proven, how will you defend yourself?"
Lin Zhaoyi also became frightened.
In the imperial harem, falsely accusing a concubine of being innocent is a capital offense!
Consort Lin glanced at the Empress.
What should we do? Should we expose the Empress? Should we tell the Emperor that the Empress was behind all of this?
But will the Emperor believe me? I don't have enough evidence to prove that the Empress is involved in this matter!
If the Empress says I am framing her!
Then in the eyes of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager today, I am a sinner who has framed others twice in a row!
But what if I really take the blame for the Empress?
Will the Empress plead for me?!
Based on her past actions, she is the type of person who disclaims all responsibility and prioritizes her own safety when it matters most!
Fine! You want me to take the bullet for you? I'll just drag you down with me!
Consort Lin was about to reveal that the Empress was the mastermind behind it all.
At that very moment.
Consort Lin noticed that the Empress was playing with a jade pendant in her hand.
That's Hejing's jade pendant!
The Empress... she took He Jing hostage!
What a vicious heart!
Consort Lin instantly understood that she would have to take the blame for the Empress's framing today! Otherwise, her daughter might die a horrible death!
Lin Zhaoyi closed her eyes in despair!
"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, it was I who deliberately plotted and bribed Sun Hai to frame Consort Jin!"
"Consort Jin, you've been enjoying immense prestige these past few days! I am of higher rank than you! I also gave birth to a princess, so why do I receive less favor than you? I refuse to accept this! I'm going to frame you!"
[Wow~ You're really good at taking the blame! Would you dare do something so serious all by yourself without the Empress's orders? Everyone knows you're part of the Empress's abortion squad! Although I don't know what happened outside that made you willingly take the blame, I think it must be related to He Jing. Perhaps He Jing has become the Empress's hostage!]
Empress Dowager, a smile immediately appeared on Ye Ling's lips.
As expected, she's incredibly clever! She can guess who the real mastermind is even through someone's belly.
[Father! Although there's no evidence to prove the Empress was the mastermind, such a serious matter as adultery was accepted without investigation, and the Empress simply believed Consort Lin's one-sided account! Doesn't that mean the Empress neglected her duty in managing the harem? Shouldn't she be punished for dereliction of duty?]
This girl knows quite a lot!
Ye Ling immediately turned his attention to the Empress.
"Empress, why didn't you investigate properly before causing such a commotion? Do you like this outcome?"
The empress immediately knelt on the ground.
"It is my fault for dereliction of duty! Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
Ye Ling: "The Empress has been staying in Jingren Palace these days to reflect, and Consort Xu has been in charge of managing the six palaces."
Consort Xu immediately stood up.
"Your Majesty, I obey."
"Sun Hai, Chunlan, Dongxue, you framed Consort Jin! Drag them out and tear them apart by five horses! Chop them into mincemeat!"
Sun Hai, Chunlan, and Dongxue's heads were banging loudly!
"Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life!"
Ye Ling ignored him.
"Li Kong forged Sun Hai's signature. Although he was not the one who directly caused today's outcome, he indirectly implicated Consort Jin. He is hereby sentenced to death!"
Sun Hai's fate had already terrified Li Kong. Now that the Emperor had granted him a complete corpse, he was already extremely fortunate. He kowtowed repeatedly to express his gratitude, saying that he had made a bad choice of friends, which led to his current predicament.
"Consort Lin, you have falsely accused Consort Jin of innocence; you are hereby sentenced to death!"
Lin Zhaoyi immediately collapsed to the ground.
After realizing what had happened, he immediately kowtowed and begged for mercy!
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I still have Princess Hejing to raise! If I die, what will happen to the princess?! I beg Your Majesty, for the sake of the princess, please spare my life!"
“With a mother like you raising her, Princess Hejing is likely to become another you! For now, let the Empress Dowager raise Hejing. Guards, take Consort Lin back and execute her.”
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