Shu Chengfeng went to see the Empress.
When the Empress saw him, she greeted him and then said, "Your Majesty, I have already ordered a thorough investigation, and this person will be severely punished. The person who sent the message is far too presumptuous; he is trying to ruin Your Majesty's reputation."
"Hmm." Seeing that she knew what was good for her, Shu Chengfeng didn't elaborate.
"Summon Consort Yan. No, summon them all."
The Empress agreed and sent someone to deliver the message.
The wild geese were taking a midday nap when they were woken up. They sighed, got dressed, and then went to their destination.
Therefore, she arrived the latest.
After a whole afternoon, everyone basically knew the answer.
Yan Nangui was the last to arrive, and everyone's eyes turned to look at him.
She didn't seem to mind, and after greeting him, she took her seat.
"I have already sent people to investigate what happened outside. There will be results soon. You don't need to worry about it. When you entered the palace is no secret. I don't believe such slander. Nor does His Majesty," the Empress said.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I'm not really afraid of that. I'm just angry. Actually, it's not uncommon for palace intrigues to involve malicious slander. But saying such things not only damages my reputation but also His Majesty's. At best, it would say His Majesty is of poor character. At worst, my father is still on the frontier, and these words are not pleasant to hear. Back when His Majesty was not yet on the throne, there was quite a bit of turmoil. If these things were to get out, wouldn't it shake the foundation of the country?" Yan Nangui said.
"It's truly Consort Yan who is so sensible," the Empress smiled.
"I am not afraid of anything, but this time, all those who spread rumors must be severely punished," Shu Chengfeng said.
Yan Nangui stood up and smiled: "Your Majesty, then I can plead for leniency. The instigator of this whole affair certainly deserves to be beaten to death. But those who spread rumors in the palace, just focus on a few key figures. If others are dealt with severely, it might make people wonder if Your Majesty is hiding the truth?"
Shu Chengfeng laughed as well: "Then we'll talk about it once we find out."
"Consort Yan is quite the good person these days. Isn't it all because of you that His Majesty has been implicated? You should reflect on your actions!" Consort Ye sneered.
"What the Imperial Concubine says is quite right. It is I who have implicated His Majesty. But I am His Majesty's concubine, and His Majesty is my husband. I am just a mortal. Can I go through life without ever making a mistake or without His Majesty ever having to worry about anything? If I cause some trouble and His Majesty is implicated because of me, he must still make sure I am safe. People say that once you get married, you have someone to rely on. We concubines may not dare to say that we get married, but does that mean that if something happens, we can't rely on our husbands?" Yan Nangui's particularly serious words left Imperial Concubine Ye stunned.
Shu Chengfeng laughed again: "Alright, I will naturally investigate."
"Your Majesty, I thank you."
Everyone was seated, and soon, Su Minghai, the head eunuch in charge of the Empress's affairs, entered.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness. This servant has brought two people with me; they might know something."
"Bring him in," Shu Chengfeng said.
Soon, two palace maids were brought in; one looked to be in her thirties, and the other was only a teenager.
They were all trembling with fear; they were all maids who tended the flowers and plants in the Imperial Garden.
"Speak," Shu Chengfeng said calmly.
The older woman didn't hesitate: "This servant heard these words from the lowly palace maids of Linhua Palace. They said..."
Upon hearing the mention of Linhua Palace, Ding Liangren suddenly stood up: "How could that be! I didn't! Your Majesty, Your Highness, I didn't!"
"Alright, which palace servant is it? Bring them here. Bring all the servants from Linhua Palace to me," Shu Chengfeng said.
Yan Nangui glanced at Ding Liangren and saw that she was terrified.
But Wu Baolin was also very nervous.
You'll have a general idea of what's going on.
Before long, everyone from Linhua Palace was brought here.
A lowly palace servant was dragged in and made to kneel. He was terrified. They were just gossiping and never imagined it would be so serious.
Naturally, she immediately betrayed one of the second-class maids serving Ding Liangren.
Ding Liangren was terrified and called in the maid named Baozhi.
She insisted that it was Ding Liangren's doing.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, it wasn't me, it wasn't me, I absolutely did not do it, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am innocent!" Ding Liangren knelt down and said.
“Back then, Consort Yan beat Ding Liangren. It’s not impossible that he holds a grudge,” Luo Wanyi said.
Today's event is important, so both pregnant women are naturally present.
“Yes, if we’re talking about grudges…” Consort Murong glanced at Consort Ye, then at Consort Ding, “It should be her.”
That one glance was enough to stir up some thoughts in one's mind.
Yes, Yan Nangui also beat up Consort Ye back then.
"No, no! Your Highness, it wasn't me, how could I possibly hold a grudge against you? It really wasn't me, Your Highness..."
Ding Liangren was genuinely terrified, extremely terrified. And it wasn't just fear of being hit.
Once inside the palace, she became extremely cautious, fearing that if she ended up in a place like the Cloud Pavilion, she would never be able to rise above her circumstances.
"Ding, explain yourself clearly. If you can explain it clearly, I will naturally believe you," the Empress said calmly.
Actually, it doesn't matter who the Empress is, especially since Lady Ding is not favored.
However, she still had to appear magnanimous.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness," Yan Nangui stood up at this moment, "Ding Liangren is certainly a suspect. However, we cannot convict our master based solely on a servant's words. If we do, there will be no loyal servants in the palace in the future."
"Yes, we should interrogate them properly. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
"Then send it to the Ministry of Internal Affairs," Shu Chengfeng said.
Everyone knows how to interrogate a servant girl after she has made a mistake.
No one could emerge from the Imperial Household Department's torture chambers without saying a word.
Those who don't speak up either can't get out, or they can only get out when they're crippled.
"No, no, no, this servant won't go, won't go!" Baozhi knelt and hid behind her. "It was Ling'er, it was Ling'er who gave me the money and told me... told me to spread these words... It was Ling'er. It was Ling'er!"
"And who is this Ling'er?" the Empress asked.
Ding Liangren snapped out of her daze and replied, "Your Majesty, it's Wu Baolin's personal maid." She gritted her teeth and looked at Baozhi.
It hasn't been long, and he's already been bribed.
"Ling'er? What have you done behind my back?" Wu Baolin stood up and said angrily.
Ling'er trembled and knelt down: "This servant...this servant...this servant only watched...watched her humiliate you..."
"Oh, Wu Baolin, this servant girl, is quite loyal." Consort Huo smiled. "How could this be considered an insult? Did she try to intercept someone in the Imperial Garden and fail?"
"I told you last time that Wu Baolin is no simple woman. She's only been in the palace for a few days, and she's already so impatient?" Consort Qu snorted.
"It wasn't me, it was Ling'er... she acted on her own." Wu Baolin knelt down: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, it wasn't me, I was unaware of it."
Ling'er trembled, letting her say that without refuting her.
"Send Wu back first. Take these maids to the Imperial Household Department's torture chamber and interrogate them thoroughly for me," Shu Chengfeng said calmly.
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