Chapter 393 She was implicated by Shen Lanxi again!
The palace maids, eunuchs, and guards dared not make a move. Without saying a word, Chunxue and Qiushuang each gagged the other and twisted their arms, pulling them aside.
Shen Lanxi let out a long breath.
"Finally, some peace and quiet."
Cao stared wide-eyed, her face filled with disbelief.
This is the royal palace, how dare Shen Lanxi commit violence against the royal family?
Are you all blind? Hurry up and arrest Shen Lanxi!
Unfortunately, no matter how much Cao wanted to say, it all got stuck in her throat.
"You, continue!" Shen Lanxi gestured for Shen Yuantang to continue.
Zhou Ruyuan initially disagreed with Shen Lanxi's actions, but since his husband, the eldest prince, hadn't said anything, he didn't dare to say anything either.
While Shen Lanxi was asking questions, Zhou Rulin said a few words to Zhou Ruyuan.
"Third brother, if it is found that Cao was behind your mother's affair, I will not cover it up. We will do whatever we have to do."
Zhou Ruyuan said in a deep voice, "I also think it wasn't my sister-in-law who did it." If it really was my sister-in-law, then she was too stupid.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Rulin said gratefully, "Thank you for your trust, Third Prince. The imperial physician said that Consort Shu is not in any danger, so please don't worry."
The reason Zhou Ruyuan is still able to stand here safely is entirely due to Emperor Renxiao's order and the fact that the Empress has already visited him.
The two most influential people in the palace have gone; anyone who dares to tamper with things is courting death.
Even if he forced his way through now, he would only be able to wait outside the Chaoyun Palace. He would rather use that time to find out the real culprit behind the scenes.
"Thank you for your comfort, Eldest Brother."
The two exchanged a few casual words, and Shen Yuantang finished his questioning.
"The Crown Prince's wife is in charge of the drinks, so it's only natural that she handles them. Who else could possibly have access to the drinks besides the Crown Prince's wife?"
Zhou Rulin: "The wines are selected from the palace's wine cellars and have to go through many people to be transported here."
Shen Lanxi: "Only a few people are needed to deliver such exquisite items to Consort Shu."
There were people responsible for guarding the wine, people for fetching the wine, and palace maids who served the wine.
Because these were important matters in the palace, each of these positions was staffed with two or three people.
Shen Lanxi: "Bring everyone in charge of drinks today."
Where is the palace maid who served wine to Consort Shu?
When Emperor Renxiao left, to prevent Shen Lanxi from having difficulty mobilizing the people in the palace, he left Wang Bao behind.
Her orders were immediately carried out by others.
Soon the group of people were brought to the scene.
Wang Bao: "Is everyone here? If anyone conceals anything, you will be punished the same as the villains who poisoned Consort Shu!"
A eunuch immediately stepped forward.
"Father-in-law, the person who was on duty with me is not here."
Wang Bao explained to Shen Lanxi, "After the incident, this old servant immediately ordered people to control the palace maid who was pouring the wine. I didn't pay any attention to the person who delivered the wine."
Shen Lanxi: "He's not here, he's very likely absconding to escape punishment. Go find him immediately."
The guards immediately went to search.
Afterwards, Shen Lanxi asked the princesses one by one. Each of them was either in charge of pastries or in charge of the decorations in the main hall. Each person's responsibilities did not overlap.
The guards who had been searching for the person returned quickly, but brought back bad news.
"My lord, we've found the eunuch. When we found him, he had already drowned in the lotus pond not far away."
Why not put forward a scapegoat so that there's no way to prove anything?
Shen Lanxi: "In your opinion, did he accidentally drown, or was he murdered?"
The guards were not coroners and dared not make a definitive statement.
Shen Lanxi: "Your Majesty means that this matter should be resolved within the palace, without disturbing those outside." It is generally not permissible to call a coroner.
“You are all martial artists, so you should be able to tell the cause of a person’s death. Send some more experienced people to take a look.”
In any case, the results are meant to be seen by others. And she's confident that no one will stand up and refute the results.
The guards glanced at Wang Bao, who waved them away.
"Investigate who the dead eunuchs had contact with before their deaths!"
Wang Bao sent his trusted aides to investigate.
Shen Lanxi: "The victim is Consort Shu. Logically, I should go and question her. However, Consort Shu is currently unwell, so it is inconvenient for me to go at this time."
Zhou Ruyuan suddenly spoke up: "How about I go over and ask?"
Shen Lanxi looked at Zhou Rulin.
Cao shouted, "No, everyone here is a suspect. No one can leave until the matter is thoroughly investigated."
Zhou Rulin scolded with a dark face: "Nonsense, Third Brother is just trying to clear your name."
Cao Shi was unmoved, her eyes darting away as she said, "The victim was Consort Shu, the mother of the Third Prince. What if the Third Prince thinks I did it and holds a grudge against me?"
How could Shen Yuantang stand by and watch the prince be falsely accused? He immediately started arguing with Cao Shi.
"If you say that, it means you have something to hide. Did you harm Mother?"
Cao became anxious: "You're talking nonsense! I didn't harm Consort Shu. I was just worried that the Prince would take his anger out on me if he couldn't find the murderer."
Shen Yuantang: "You are judging others by your own petty standards. I think the matter of poisoning the Empress is definitely related to you."
Cao was both anxious and angry, and immediately shouted, "You're talking nonsense! You're slandering me! Do you think a mere concubine, whose rank is lower than mine, is qualified to speak to me like that? You're just jealous of me, that's why..."
"Enough!" Zhou Rulin growled.
"Do you even have the demeanor of a princess consort? How dare you roar in the palace like this? Do you still have any dignity as a princess consort?" Zhou Rulin glared at Cao Shi.
Cao started crying again.
Shen Lanxi: "Since the Crown Princess believes that the Prince of Zhennan is also involved in the case, the questioning of Consort Shu will be postponed. We will make a decision after we have investigated the matter thoroughly."
Zhou Rulin hurriedly went to apologize to Zhou Ruyuan.
"Third brother, I'm sorry. I will definitely give you an explanation after the matter is investigated!"
Although Zhou Ruyuan was indignant, he couldn't lash out because Zhou Rulin apologized so sincerely.
"Your Highness, the Empress has been murdered. This matter must be related to the First Prince's Consort." Shen Yuantang ran to Zhou Ruyuan's side and whispered, expressing her indignation on Zhou Ruyuan's behalf.
"That's enough. Don't talk nonsense before the matter has been investigated."
Shen Yuantang glared fiercely at Cao Shi. She hated it most when people talked about rank. Although she, as a concubine, also had the title of concubine, she was worlds apart from the principal wife.
Cao had never gotten along with her before, and after she investigated, she found out that she had been implicated by her elder sister.
Cao Shi and Shen Lanxi were at odds. Cao Shi suffered several losses at Shen Lanxi's hands. Since she couldn't do anything to Shen Lanxi, she transferred her hatred for Shen Lanxi onto Cao Shi.
She was implicated by Shen Lanxi again.
The groups of people Wang Bao sent out earlier have returned, as have the guards.
Wang Bao: "The dead eunuch had contact with a palace maid who served the Crown Prince's wife before his death. Some people saw the palace maid who served the Crown Prince's wife give the eunuch something."
The guards took out the dead eunuch's belongings.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
