Chapter 257: The true culprit is revealed
As dusk fell, the lights in Prince Rong's study lit up again. The snow outside had subsided, leaving only tiny flakes of snow swirling against the window lattice. The charcoal brazier inside burned ever more vigorously, casting a flickering light on the faces of the three people.
Yongqi was frowning over the account book, his fingertips running across the lines of ink, when he suddenly heard familiar footsteps coming from outside the courtyard and looked up suddenly: "Are you back?"
The door curtain was lifted, and a cold guard walked in quickly, followed by a young eunuch holding something wrapped in oil paper. The guard knelt on one knee, his voice hoarse from the rush of travel: "Your Highness, Master Fu, Master Xiao, we've found it!"
Xiao Jian stood up and helped him up: "Get up and tell me, what did you find out?"
The guard stood up straight and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "This is the account book we seized from Shopkeeper Liu's house in the south of the city. It records a large expenditure a few days ago. The payer was... the head eunuch in charge of Concubine Chun's palace." He paused and added, "I also questioned Shopkeeper Liu. He said that the woman who went to buy locust flowers that day was wearing a silver bracelet with a magnolia flower engraved on it - that's the mark of someone in Concubine Chun's palace."
"Empress Chun?" Yongqi slammed the table, his eyes filled with astonishment. "How could it be her?"
Erkang picked up the account book and took a closer look, his brows furrowing ever tighter. "The flow of these sums of money all point to a few eunuchs near Jingren Palace. It seems she wants to use this incident to throw dirty water on Concubine Gao Gui."
Xiao Jian walked to the window, looked out at the darkening sky, and said in a voice as cold as ice, "What a deep plan! She sent flowers under the guise of Jingren Palace, and then released bees to injure Xiaoyanzi. This not only avenged her, but also put the blame on the confined Concubine Gao Guipin, killing two birds with one stone." He turned around, his eyes sharp, "Why did she target Xiaoyanzi?"
"Perhaps she's holding a grudge against Xiaoyanzi for blocking Ziwei's troubles during the last enthronement ceremony." Erkang put down the account book and said solemnly, "I heard that Concubine Chun has been trying to win over Lord Emin, but the Fang family's recent rise in prestige in the court has hindered her path."
Yongqi clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. "If she wants to deal with the Fang family, she can do it openly. How dare she use Xiaoyanzi's marriage as a bargaining chip!" He looked at the guards, "Do you have all the evidence?"
"It's all here." The guard handed the young eunuch the oil-paper bag. "This is the silver bracelet we found in Shopkeeper Liu's house. The magnolia flower mark is clearly visible on it. Shopkeeper Liu is also willing to come forward to testify."
Xiao Jian picked up the silver bracelet and took a closer look. The engravings on it were indeed the same as those in Concubine Chun's palace. He snorted coldly, "It seems that Concubine Chun is determined to ruin this marriage."
"What should we do now?" Yong Qi looked at the two of them. "Should we just present the evidence to the Emperor?"
Erkang shook his head. "That's inappropriate. The wedding is in a few days. If a harem scandal were to be exposed now, it would alarm the Empress Dowager and might even cause further complications." He thought for a moment and said, "It's better to suppress this matter for now. Once Xiaoyanzi's face has healed and the wedding has gone smoothly, I'll find a chance to report it to the Emperor."
Xiao Jian nodded in agreement. "Erkang is right. What Xiaoyanzi wants most right now is a peaceful and stable marriage. We can't let her be frightened again." He looked at Yongqi. "But we can't just let it go like this. We have to find a way to let Concubine Chun know that we've found out about her, so she won't dare to act rashly."
Yongqi pondered for a moment, then suddenly his eyes lit up. "I've got it. Tomorrow when I go to pay my respects to Mother, I'll specifically mention that Xiaoyanzi was stung by a bee, and then 'accidentally' mention that the locust flowers were bought from the greenhouse in the south of the city. See how she reacts."
"That's a good idea." Erkang said with a smile, "Concubine Chun has always been timid. If she knew that we had found the greenhouse, she would definitely feel guilty."
Xiao Jian handed the silver bracelet to the guard and said, "Keep these evidences safe and keep Manager Liu under strict watch. No word of this can leak out without my permission."
"Yes!" The guard took the things, bowed and retreated.
The study fell silent again, with only the occasional crackling of sparks from the charcoal basin. Yongqi walked to the window, watching the snow gradually subside outside, and said softly, "Thankfully, we found out in time and didn't let Xiaoyanzi suffer in vain."
Erkang walked over to him and patted his shoulder: "Don't worry, everything will be fine. Xiaoyanzi is so optimistic, maybe the swelling on your face will go away in a couple of days."
Xiao Jian looked at the moonlight outside the window, a trace of relief flashing in his eyes: "I hope that after this storm, the palace will be truly peaceful."
As the night deepened, the lights in Prince Rong's mansion remained lit for a long time. The snow had stopped, and a bright moon hung in the sky, casting a cool glow, as if foreshadowing that the undercurrent of the storm would eventually subside.
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