Chapter 567: Beaten to death
When Yan Ning and Ma Yan saw this scene, they were both panicked for a moment.
Ma Yan couldn't help but kneel on the ground with his legs softened, "I pay my respects to the Queen Mother..."
Yan Ning widened his eyes and stared at the bracelet, wondering how Qin Yuwei found it.
"Ning'er got such a beautiful bracelet, but she didn't bring it to me to show me. It seems she is really too busy."
Yan Ning pursed her lips tightly, took a step forward and asked Qin Yuwei to return the bracelet to her.
Qin Yuwei smiled slightly and motioned for him to come closer.
Yan Ning was obviously very nervous and walked forward slowly. However, Qin Yuwei was not annoyed at all. She just asked him to stretch out his hand and gently placed the bracelet in his hand.
"Ma Yan." Qin Yuwei's voice sounded quite friendly.
"I'm here...!" Ma Yan said in panic.
Qin Yuwei asked him with a friendly look what reward he wanted.
Ma Yan was stunned. He had not done anything meritorious, so how could he deserve a reward?
Qin Yuwei chuckled and said:
“This bracelet looks very similar to the Eastern Pearl bracelet that the late Empress Dowager had. It must have taken a lot of effort to imitate it.
The late Empress Dowager died young. Your action can help ease the Emperor's longing for her.
You are so loyal to the emperor, shouldn't I reward you?"
When Yan Ning heard this, he subconsciously turned to look at Ma Yan, with a hint of surprise and doubt in his eyes.
Ma Yan suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.
He looked up cautiously at Qin Yuwei, then at Yan Ning.
Thinking of his future wealth and glory, he had no choice but to take a gamble and give it a try!
He summoned up his courage, prostrated himself on the ground and said loudly:
"Your Highness, this bracelet was not made by me, but was once owned by the late Empress Dowager!"
It was so loud, like a warrior ready to die.
"How dare you!" Qin Yuwei's expression suddenly changed and she scolded coldly.
"All the things that belonged to the late Empress Dowager have been buried with the coffin. You said this bracelet belonged to the late Empress Dowager. Could it be that you sneaked into the imperial mausoleum and stole it?"
"Slave, slave..." Ma Yan was speechless for a moment.
But he quickly calmed down and repeated the story he and Li Zhengqing had prepared in advance, saying that he discovered someone was reselling items from the palace and he bought them back with his own money.
"You said you happened to see someone doing something? Then I want to ask you, when, when, where, and who did you see stealing and selling items from the palace?"
Ma Yan immediately told a set of time and place that had been prepared long ago. As for the person, he claimed that the person was wearing a hat and he could not see clearly, but judging from her clothes, she was a palace maid.
"Heh." Qin Yuwei sneered.
"Your statement, with the phrase 'I can't see clearly', makes it impossible to verify. Is there really anyone who would believe it?"
Qin Yuwei glanced at Yan Ning vaguely.
Ma Yan stuck out his neck and said that he did see someone outside the palace taking items from the palace, and he also mentioned a few names.
Qin Yuwei narrowed her eyes slightly, realizing that this little eunuch was obviously well prepared.
There had indeed been several cases of reselling items in the palace before. I had already privately found out that they were committed by several palace maids and eunuchs, and I had already taken action.
However, the items they secretly sold were not valuable. Most of them were low-end decorations and ornaments in the palace. The categories were mixed and difficult to trace.
So after I plugged this loophole, I didn't investigate the whereabouts of those things.
But now this little eunuch has used it to make a fuss.
Qin Yuwei's eyes gradually turned colder, and her voice was full of pressure:
"You mean, I secretly kept the late Empress Dowager's relics?"
"I dare not."
Qin Yuwei stared at him with deep eyes.
The problem now is that this Dongzhu bracelet is almost exactly the same as Dong Lanxin's, and it is difficult to tell the real thing from the fake with the naked eye.
At that time, it was he who arranged for the inventory of Dong Lanxin's old things and buried her with him. Although there were other palace servants present at the time, it would not be convincing to ask them to testify. After all, due to his status, those people did not dare to say anything against him.
We can't dig up the imperial tomb now and find a real Dongzhu bracelet to prove that this one is fake, right?
Qin Yuwei sighed slightly in her heart and closed her eyes.
Yan Ning was a thoughtful child, and she had wanted to explain the matter clearly in front of Yan Ning to prevent him from thinking too much.
But now it seems that we can only use the simplest and most direct method.
When she opened her eyes again, those phoenix eyes were like a cold pond.
"Someone come here." Qin Yuwei said indifferently, and immediately several strong eunuchs walked in.
"This man has deceived the Lord and spread rumors. Drag him out and beat him to death."
Ma Yan's face changed drastically and he shouted for mercy.
Seeing that Qin Yuwei was indifferent, Ma Yan immediately threw himself beside Yan Ning, begging bitterly, tears streaming down his face.
"Your Majesty, please save me! I have been by your side for so long and have been loyal to you. If I die, who will accompany you?"
Yan Ning also didn't expect that Qin Yuwei would suddenly order the execution of Ma Yan.
He only knew that in the past few years, Ma Yan, who was a few years older than him, was the most caring person in the entire palace.
Everyone warned themselves that as the crown prince, they could not do this or that.
Only Ma Yan knows how to make himself happy.
And on the countless nights when he cried because of missing his mother, only Ma Yan was there to accompany him silently.
Both my father and mother have passed away. If Ma Yan is also dead, who can I talk to in this palace?
A huge sense of fear suddenly surrounded Yan Ning.
After all, he was just a ten-year-old boy. He finally couldn't control himself. He hugged Ma Yan and cried, not letting anyone get close to him.
Seeing this, several eunuchs who came in hesitated. No one had the courage to pull the emperor, so they had to look at Qin Yuwei.
Qin Yuwei's face became more and more ugly, and her scallion-white fingers gradually clenched into fists.
Her eyes were fixed on Yan Ning's eyebrows, which were extremely similar to Dong Lanxin's.
Finally, Qin Yuwei turned away.
Ma Yan, who survived the disaster, fell to the ground, his back soaked with cold sweat.
He began to comfort Yan Ning who was still sobbing, coaxing:
"Your Majesty, please don't cry. Your Majesty gave me this life. I will definitely accompany you well, ah."
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