A moment.
The palace maids of Changchun Palace all stood in the courtyard.
The position of concubine has one head maid, four second-class maids, and four third-class maids.
There is one eunuch in charge, four second-class eunuchs, and four third-class eunuchs.
Except for Chunni, the third-class palace maid who drugged the patient and died in the Criminal Court, the remaining seventeen people are all here.
Ning Wanyin sat quietly on the rattan chair on the steps of the courtyard, looked at Lian Rui and ordered, "Let's get started."
Lian Rui was familiar with the place. She walked up to Chun Que with a book in one hand and a brush dipped in ink in the other.
"Excuse me, how old are you, when did you enter the palace, do you have any relatives at home? When did you start serving Concubine Shun? Who did you serve before Concubine Shun? Do you have any good friends in the palace?"
"What are you interrogating me about? I am loyal to the Queen!" Chunque said angrily.
Lian Rui replied calmly, "Since my sister is so loyal, why can't I tell her?"
"You..." Chunque was speechless for a moment.
"Our master said that any palace maid who disobeys the order will be expelled from Changchun Palace. But you are Concubine Shun's confidant, and Concubine Shun is pregnant, so you are the one who needs her service. If you leave the palace, you will be betraying the kindness of the Concubine Shun. So, please tell me the truth, and don't just leave and be a disloyal and unrighteous person." Lian Rui smiled with a hidden ulterior motive.
Chunque was both angry and anxious.
Even if she was kicked out, wouldn't that still mean she was unfaithful and unrighteous?
As is the master, so is the maid. This maid also has a nasty mouth!
Chunque had nothing to refute and could only answer truthfully.
Xiao Guizi who came with them was stunned. Our master didn't say a word, and the head maid of Changchun Palace was already obedient.
Lian Rui truly deserves to be the master's personal maid.
It was the first time for him to take care of a master with concubines.
Shunpin was in a high position and was pregnant. She thought that it would be difficult for her master to get things done this time, but she didn't expect that her master would be able to win the case so easily.
He couldn't get a word in and could only grind the ink diligently to show that he was of some use.
Starting with the spring bird, all the palace servants answered and registered.
Lian Rui came back with the book in hand and reported, "Master, I have found out everything. Next, we just need to investigate the people related to them and check them one by one."
"Very good. Xiao Guizi, make a copy of the family members' records outside the palace and ask the eunuch in the Ministry of Internal Affairs' External Affairs Supervisor to check with them to ensure their family's whereabouts are known. This will prevent someone from sending their family away early if someone commits a heinous crime punishable by execution of nine generations of the clan in the future." Ning Wanyin said calmly.
As soon as the voice fell, many palace servants present turned pale.
Chunque cursed in her heart, "Poisonous woman! Threatening with the lives of her family, such a style, she is indeed a vicious villain."
"Yes!" Xiao Guizi quickly took the order.
Ning Wanyin ordered again, "From now on, clean up Changchun Palace. Not only Shunpin's residence, but also the servants' rooms. Don't leave any place out."
This was obviously a palace search, to find out if there was anything wrong hidden in Changchun Palace.
This is a common method.
The palace ladies obeyed the order.
Soon, all the rooms in Changchun Palace were checked inside and out.
Ning Wanyin didn't find anything in the servants' room...
It is expected that anyone with a brain would not dare to hide directly under the quilt.
"Master, everything is normal for now." Lian Rui reported.
Ning Wanyin nodded slightly and pointed at the flower bed in front of her and said, "Go on, dig this flower bed."
"These are our queen's favorite peonies, rare varieties specially sent by the flower room. How will you compensate us if they are damaged?" Chunque retorted.
Ning Wanyin glanced at her and said with a half-smile: "It's so precious, isn't it more important than the dragon fetus?"
Chunque choked, "Of course it can't be compared with the dragon fetus..."
"Why are you talking so much nonsense?" Ning Wanyin's face suddenly turned cold, and she said coldly: "Whoever interferes with my care for Concubine Shun and affects the dragon fetus will be dragged to the Criminal Justice Department."
Chunque was angry but dared not speak, he could only complain in his heart. What does pulling out the master's peony have to do with protecting the dragon fetus?
You are destroying Changchun Palace and bullying our master.
The next time I see Your Majesty, I will definitely complain to you!
With Ning Wanyin's words, the remaining palace servants did not dare to neglect it. Several eunuchs picked up their hoes and started digging...
When Xiao Guizi saw this scene, she felt that it looked extremely familiar.
His master really digs wherever he goes! His hobby is digging three feet into the ground?
The eunuchs dug for a while and almost dug the entire flower bed down a foot. Suddenly, one of the eunuchs hit something hard with his hoe.
When I turned it over, it turned out to be a square lacquer box.
"There's something!" Lian Rui had been staring at it. She rushed over immediately, dug out the lacquer box, and presented it to Ning Wanyin:
"Master, dig out a box."
"Be careful, in case there are any traps." Ning Wanyin reminded, her eyes sweeping over the palace servants.
Everyone had a look of astonishment, except for one palace maid who avoided her gaze.
But in just a moment, the palace maid also looked surprised.
Ning Wanyin withdrew her gaze and pretended not to notice anything unusual.
Xiao Guizi used a hoe to pick up the lacquer box from a distance. The lacquer box had a copper buckle, but it was not locked.
When I opened the lacquer box, I saw half a box of dried safflower inside.
"Red flower!" Chunque screamed.
Ever since Shunpin became pregnant, things like safflower have been carefully checked. Everyone recognized it at first sight and took a step back.
"How come there are red flowers in the flower bed?" Chunque was incredulous.
Shunpin was originally lying on the warm couch in the inner hall, quietly observing what Ning Wanyin was going to do. Until she heard that red flowers had been dug out of the flower garden, she hurried out of the inner hall.
Everyone was stunned.
Ning Wanyin narrowed her eyes and said calmly, "Since that palace maid had set her sights on Shunpin, how could she guarantee success in one try? It's not surprising that there are some useless red flowers left."
No one can guarantee that the drug will work the first time. What if the medicine is spilled, what if the safflower is discovered in advance, what if the master doesn't drink it and changes the bowl...
The person who takes action must at least ensure that he does it several times.
If anything unexpected happens the first time, you can always try it a second time.
Shunpin's palace was guarded very carefully, and it was not easy to pass things in from outside. It was impossible to get the medicine one by one next time, the risk was too great.
Therefore, it is normal that there are unused safflowers in Changchun Palace.
Ning Wanyin asked directly, "Who usually takes care of this flower garden?"
The three third-class palace maids knelt down tremblingly.
One of the older palace maids bowed her head and said, "It was me and the others. I don't know when Chunni hid the medicine here, and I didn't even find it. I deserve to die."
Chunni had died in the prison during the trial. She and the three others were responsible for sweeping the courtyard and pruning the flowerbeds.
Did she not tell her that there were some remaining red flowers hidden in order to give her accomplices a second chance to strike?
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