Everyone around was stunned, even the little palace maid herself turned pale with fright. Bai Ying thought she didn't hear anything. After all, this palace maid was Concubine Hong's person, how could she be detained at will?
At this moment, Yao Niang put away her smile and repeated, "Someone, arrest her for me."
The chief eunuch of the prince's office came in from outside and held the little palace maid down, "Princess, what should we do now?"
"Xing'er is a useful person by my mother's side. She is usually humble and cautious. How could she let me make a personal trip for just one thing and send a sedan chair to pick her up? She may not know that the Royal Concubine once told me that when the sun is setting, the doors should be closed and not allowed to go out. Besides, how can a sedan chair be used to pick me up casually? Is the Royal Concubine's sedan chair the same as that of the princess? Therefore, I concluded that she did not come from Kunning Palace at all. Even if she came from Kunning Palace, I would not do such an unruly thing." Yao Niang said, stroking her belly.
Bai Ying and the others were even more shocked, because after being in the palace for so long, they had long forgotten what kind of violent temper the real Miss Luo Wu had.
Thinking back to the time when the Fifth Girl was at the Grandmother's place, she was so young that she dared to rush in and chase that cunning old woman out to avoid disaster, let alone now.
It's just that her face usually looks too gentle, and she is very kind to her servants. Most importantly, no one in Prince Chen's Mansion dares to confront her, so she is very calm and peaceful, so no one knows that Yao Niang is like this.
After the little palace maid was detained, she was interrogated by the female official of Prince Chen's Palace. Yao Niang asked Ziying to keep an eye on her and asked Baiying to go to Kunning Palace to interrogate her.
Bai Ying hurried out of the house without hesitation, but she had no idea that there was no such sedan chair as the little palace maid said, which meant that Princess Chen was almost tricked.
At this time, in Kunning Palace, Concubine Hong was reciting scriptures. How could a mother not feel distressed when her son went to the battlefield?
But Bai Ying came running over and said, "My Lady Imperial Concubine, something happened in our palace."
When she heard about the accident, Concubine Hong's heart skipped a beat: "Is it Chengyun?"
"No." Bai Ying explained the whole story again.
The more Concubine Hong listened, the angrier she got. "What's going on? Xing'er has already left the palace. I'm afraid she will be back soon. How could they just randomly arrange a little girl for your princess to come? Since your princess has detained her, why don't you hand her over to me? I want to see who is causing trouble."
It’s a blessing, otherwise, my daughter-in-law would not bring many people with her when she goes out. If something happens, or if something happens to the baby in her belly, what should I do?
But there is not even a female mosquito around my son, so who would attack my daughter-in-law?
However, this little palace maid bit her tongue and committed suicide on the way to be handed over to Concubine Hong in order to prove her innocence. Concubine Hong only found out that she was a palace maid in the laundry department and had only entered the palace a few days ago. It happened that the aunts sent her out to deliver clothes and someone asked her to come over, so she came to Yao Niang to pass on a message, but was wrongly accused, so she committed suicide.
Even Concubine Hong had some complaints about Yao Niang, and even suspected that she had resorted to lynching.
Although Concubine Hong tried her best to defend her daughter-in-law in front of Emperor Jianzhang: "She is a child, the third child is not around, and she is pregnant, so she overreacted."
Without evidence, Concubine Hong couldn't insist that it was the little girl's fault. How could a young maid who had just entered the palace dare to plot against Princess Chen?
Moreover, before she entered the palace, her hometown was in Gansu, which was completely unrelated to the palace.
Emperor Jianzhang said, "There has never been such a thing in our palace. Even I was a vegetarian for three months because of famine. Once in the palace, someone accidentally put leeches in the noodle soup. I ate it and although I had a stomachache, I kept it to myself because I was afraid that something might happen to the cook. The higher the position, the more tolerant one is."
This was a criticism, and Concubine Hong quickly apologized for her daughter-in-law: "Yes, everyone in the world knows that Your Majesty is extremely kind. I often think that if you hadn't treated me so well, I'm afraid Xuan Ce and I would have died long ago. I will teach this child a lesson, Your Majesty, please rest assured."
Emperor Jianzhang said again: "She is pregnant, so don't speak too harshly."
"Don't worry about that." said Concubine Hong.
Everyone in Prince Chen's Mansion was shocked by this incident. According to common sense, it was a good thing that the princess was alert. However, since the maid died to prove her innocence, the people in Prince Chen's Mansion began to doubt whether the princess overreacted, leading to the unjust death of the maid.
Because what the head official found out that day was that the little palace maid was a messenger, and it wasn't even Xing'er who said it herself, but someone on the road asked her to pass on the message, and that person had a badge from Kunning Palace.
When Concubine Hong paid her respects the next day, she also scolded Yao Niang harshly in front of Xu Qingrong. It was rare for Xu Qingrong to hear Concubine Hong talk about this sister-in-law.
You know, they are both daughters-in-law of Concubine Hong. Luo Yaoniang treats her like her own daughter, but she treats her like an outsider. How could she possibly accept this?
Sure enough, now that Gao Xuance is not around, Luo Yao's mother is in big trouble.
She said how could the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law get along so well, she was too naive before.
Therefore, Xu Qingrong looked at Yao Niang's face. Who knew that Yao Niang was sincerely convinced and said: "Mother is right. I was only concerned about the child at that time, but did not think so much. It is all my fault. I will be confined to my house and copy the "Ksitigarbha Sutra" and "Buddha's Sutra of Infinite Life" by hand so that she can be liberated as soon as possible. As for this palace maid, whether she died unjustly or not, I did not kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of me. I will give her family a generous reward to comfort her in her old age."
This treatment is acceptable, but there is no need for house arrest. The daughter-in-law did not punish her or scold her, and Luo was famous for being lenient to her servants.
Concubine Hong Guifei said, "There is no need to confine her. You should make proper arrangements for her family members."
Yao Niang said, "Mother is the Imperial Concubine and the head of the harem. If you can't even handle your daughter-in-law's affairs fairly, how can you serve the public? Don't worry, your daughter-in-law will take good care of herself."
She said it sincerely, and with a hint of self-blame.
Concubine Hong was also afraid that her daughter-in-law would really kneel down and copy the scriptures foolishly, so she comforted her: "You don't have to blame yourself too much."
"Thank you, mother, for your comfort." Yao Niang bowed and expressed her gratitude.
After leaving here, Xing Er chased after him, looking very guilty, "Princess Chen, it's all my fault. I didn't send anyone else. I just wanted to make sure the things you sent were safe. It was getting late that day, so I left."
Yao Niang smiled and said, "Sister Xing'er, why do you blame yourself? This matter has nothing to do with you."
After she said this, she took Bai Ying's hand and walked out, as if she didn't take it to heart.
But Bai Ying was a little worried. She felt very sorry for Yao Niang. "This matter is basically someone who wants to harm you. What does this have to do with you? Why did the Royal Concubine punish you? If this continues, will the people in Prince Chen's Mansion make any changes?"
Yao Niang said, "I didn't take good care of you to keep an eye on her and prevent her from committing suicide. If things are not done perfectly, that's my fault. I know you feel unfair for me, and I feel very wronged myself, but sometimes you can't get things done just by feeling wronged."
Bai Ying thought, this is different in the husband's family and the parents' family. I still remember that Miss Fang went to play in the winter, but she said that she heard the girl say that the plum garden was fun, so she went there. At that time, the first wife Ren came to the house and even blamed the fifth girl. She was slapped twice by the wife, and the old man also left for the girl. This is a real family.
But as a mother-in-law, Concubine Hong Guifei didn't care at all whether the girl was wronged or not. She knew that the girl was the victim, but she blamed her instead.
In the palace, you don't hit people in the face. At the same time, face is also very important. Just now, when the Royal Concubine scolded her own princess, the servants and Princess Zhou were all there. How should the girl live her life?
But the girl endured it.
After returning to her palace, Yao Niang ordered them to close the door and told everyone that she wanted to stay indoors to take care of the fetus. Of course, she did not tell anyone the reason, but only called in a few trusted people to talk.
She said to Ziying: "In the future, you must pay more attention to my diet. Also, people who come in and out of our palace must be strictly checked. We must be lenient on the outside and strict on the inside."
The person who sent the young maid to Kunning Palace this time was Ziying, but this happened. Ziying felt guilty and said, "Princess, please punish me. I didn't do my job well this time."
"No, every failure makes you wiser. It's actually a good thing now. As long as you do what I asked you to do and make up for your mistakes, then what crime have you committed? Besides, the fact that this palace maid bit her tongue and committed suicide immediately makes me more certain that this was not an accident but a man-made one. This person knows me very well." Yao Niang stood up with interest in her eyes.
In this palace, because of Gao Xuance's influence and the identity of Concubine Hong, almost no one dared to go against her. But now someone wanted to deal with her, which made her even more curious.
Bai Zhi couldn't help but say, "Princess, could it be Princess Zhou? She and you have always been at odds with each other, so she is the most likely suspect in framing you."
"No, she may want to harm me, but she can't command the people in the palace. Her relationship with the Imperial Concubine is average. The Imperial Concubine has many eyes and ears in the palace, but she won't harm me. Besides, Prince Zhou may try to steal my mother's favor, but Prince Zhou and Xu Qingrong are not of the same mind, and he won't use such despicable means. I think this person must have a long history in the palace, otherwise how could he command the laundry bureau?" Yao Niang thought.
Danju said: "The most favored one now is Concubine Li, could it be that she——"
“那也不會，麗妃貧寒出身，雖然在妃位，如今也頗受寵愛，可越是她這個位置的，反而越不能輕舉妄動。因為，後宮還有靜嫔，恬昭儀進來也是皇上極其寵愛的。她若主動對付我，反而讓別人抓住把柄。”瑤娘搖頭。
甚至有人猜測是李夫人，理由也是現成的，丹橘就道：“若是您有何事？那咱們世子沒有母親庇護，王爺遠在外面，以王爺對您的癡情，恐怕也覺得沒意思活着了。”
瑤娘想了想：“昔日楚靈王原本在外打仗，就是聽到兩個兒子的死訊，才急的從馬車上跌落，從此無生還意志。可話又說回來，李夫人尚且連周王府的門都出不去，她是如何知道我的事情的？”
她又不是沒見過李夫人，即便她私心藏奸，可李夫人完全不受寵，她連看兒子都一個月才能探望一次，怎麽可能還害自己的兒子？
當然，也不是沒可能，但李夫人現在自己腳跟都沒站穩，不去害次妃位的侍妾王氏，反而害她，這就說不通。
見瑤娘否定李夫人，丹橘又提起一人：“四皇子妃呢？她以前就忌憚您生下皇長孫，當年您有孕時，她還故意刺激您呢。嚴妃娘娘時常稱贊您，現在為了她生的龍鳳胎，死了男孩兒，存了女孩兒，氣的天天吃齋念佛，人憔悴許多，那次奴婢還聽聞說嚴妃娘娘在四皇子妃那裏就說她生孩子一直嚷嚷說不生了不吉利，所以把小王子才吓走，還說您生孩子一聲不吭如何如何。”
“她倒是有可能，可她不喜一個人就是明火執仗，再有，她那個龍鳳胎女兒體虛病弱，整個太醫院的人都過去了，她這是怎麽想着抽空還關心我的事情的，再者，她以前在坤寧宮學規矩，和坤寧宮的人關系處的非常差，誰會把這件事情透露給她。”瑤娘如是說起。
她不知道背後的人是誰，但卻對她們道：“杏兒那裏你們要多留心，不可再和以往一樣。”
杏兒？
白英吃驚：“怎麽會是她？您不是說杏兒是王爺吩咐過的……”
“欸，我又不是王爺，再者，王爺也走了這麽久了，許多事情也未必還是她以前想的那樣。我雖然不知道背後之人是誰？可我知道這綠玉佛母送它來的是杏兒，你送禮單過去接洽的人也是她，除了她之外，還有誰會知曉此事？即便不是她對我下手，也肯定是她或者她身邊的人透露出消息，才會讓人有機可趁。”瑤娘分析。
她一貫不喜什麽熟人推薦，熟人推薦只是做參考，不能完全一概而論，就是高玄策說的也是一樣。
白英點頭：“這宮裏人心隔肚皮，誰也不知道誰是什麽鬼樣子。王妃，雖然咱們懷疑杏兒，但是她始終是皇貴妃身邊的人，咱們也不好監視她啊。”
“你只留心和她的往來就是了，至于人啊，不可能藏得住狐貍尾巴的。”瑤娘颔首。
“王妃，您這樣關自己禁閉，在府上養胎反而是好事。可是，若一直關在此處，本來您無事的，旁人還真的以為您真的害了那宮女了。”紫英很快點出問題所在。
這也是瑤娘快速自罰，否則真的讓皇上罰她，那就是罰俸，還有上谕告誡，豈不是坐實了。自己先罰了自己，別人就不好再說什麽了，否則她當沒事兒，天天出去點眼，那就是活該了。
宮裏沒什麽規矩可講，不看過程看結果。
瑤娘負手道：“再過三個月，承運就要受封世子了，到時候我不出來也要出來了，你們就放心吧，這幾個月，我們重點先看杏兒常常和誰往來。”
四位大丫頭皆躬身。
宸王妃受了這麽大的氣，居然忍了下來，甚至還在皇貴妃面前認錯，這讓沐宛童非常吃驚。
四皇子則道：“三嫂待下人素來寬厚，只可惜那宮女自己害怕死了，三嫂心中怕是內疚不安吧。”
“那也未必，也許是做賊心虛呢。”沐宛童反駁。
“做賊心虛的人肯定會虛張聲勢，三嫂何苦和一個小宮女過不去，她不知道從哪兒來的，傳錯了話，宸王府規矩森嚴，層層問責，只是送她到坤寧宮，交給皇貴妃。我看這事兒，十有八九是這小丫頭怕被對質，到時候被姑姑責罰，所以畏罪自盡。”四皇子說完還搖搖頭。
沐宛童心道，你還為羅瑤娘開解，殊不知，這正是你親娘幹出來的好事。
不過，這羅瑤娘倒是很沉的住氣，以前只知道她在洪貴妃那裏受寵，卻不知道洪貴妃罵她，她也乖乖聽訓，并不反駁。如果是她，恐怕早就鬧開了，平白無故受氣，這些做婆婆的，沒一個好東西。
可她也不會說出來，嚴妃大概是想通過這個丫頭引羅瑤娘出來，再趁機弄的她跌倒或者如何，流掉那個孩子，只可惜羅瑤娘非常聰明的識破了。
“母妃這幾日又在禮佛，也不讓我去請安，四爺你若是有空就去看看吧。”沐宛童淡淡的道。
母妃和妻子鬧的很僵硬，因此，四皇子夾在中間也不好做，現下聽妻子主動提起母妃，于是，他很高興，無論如何，沐宛童只是嘴硬，其實心地是極其好的。
“知道了，明日一早我就過去請安，只是平日母妃那裏，她若閑着你再過去，她若禮佛，你也別打擾她做早課。”四皇子也是為了沐宛童好，不讓她們婆媳一處，反而少生事。
沐宛童輕柔的點頭。
周王府
徐青容看向洪淑怡道：“可以啊你，真是算無遺策，你料到她這個人多疑，警惕，故而利用嚴妃的手做下這一切，讓羅瑤娘背上一條人命，無論她是否是冤枉，反正結果都是她被逼着受了這條人命。”
洪淑怡遺憾道：“可惜她沒有努力辯白，以我知曉的姑母，絕對是一個不喜歡聽人狡辯的人，以前有玄策表弟在的時候還好一點，姑母最疼他了，可現在他不在，羅瑤娘就慘了。可惜她這個人，居然最後一步認了錯。”
“無論如何，皇帝那裏對她很是不滿，這就已經是我們的收獲了。”徐青容笑道。
但說完這話，她又肅容：“可惜，這還不夠，遠遠不夠。”
畢竟羅瑤娘毫發無損。
洪淑怡卻不以為然：“在這個宮裏，人的名聲最重要，這只是第一步，現在，我勸您要耐心等候，我們還會再找下一個時機的。”
這次找的嚴妃，膽子忒小了，得知此事後，膽小如鼠，一個妃子居然躲起來吃齋念佛，生怕被人發現。
徐青容搖頭：“那也等太久了，等這個嚴妃就已經等了這麽久了，再等下個人，豈不是她的孩子都要出來了。”
她可不是單單只要羅瑤娘死，最好是死的越慘才越好，讓宸王失去心智，從此一蹶不振，将來就沒人和周王争那個位置了。
不管周王如何不喜她，她和林正妃不同，她終究會是太子妃，日後會是皇後。
生下男孩的李夫人出身低賤，周王絕對不許這麽卑賤的人爬上皇後之位，而其他人也許都不會再有孕。
洪淑怡冷聲道：“周王妃，常言道欲速則不達，我們必須做的一點尾巴都不能有，否則，以她的聰慧，若是發現我們的陰謀，我們的把柄。奴婢倒是無所謂，大不了孤寡一生，可您若是讓宸王知曉是您害的她，甚至羅家知道您下的手，外有羅家，內有宸王皇貴妃，您如何自處？”
光腳的不怕穿鞋的，她洪淑怡現在什麽都沒了，丈夫出家，老母已死，而敵人卻活的越來越好了。
那些上門說親的，年紀大了，不是續弦就是條件污糟的，她怎能下嫁，如此，還不如進宮呢？
羅瑤娘百般阻止她回姑母身邊，她是新仇舊恨一起算，好歹，她的功夫夠多。
徐青容則聽到洪淑怡的話，一邊惱她不知分寸，敢和王妃如此說話，另一邊則是覺得她是一針見血。
因此，徐青容道：“依你之見，現在該如何是好呢？”
洪淑怡笑道：“以靜制動，不可輕舉妄動，就是杏兒那邊，我也要保持距離。”
“哦，這是為何？”杏兒是皇貴妃身邊的大宮女，就是來往密切，誰又會說什麽。這個杏兒一直心向高玄策，現在拉攏過來豈不是很好。
Hong Shuyi shook her head: "First, although Xing'er only revealed it when I asked her that time, she has always liked cousin Xuance and has admired him for many years. Even if you try to persuade her in every way, she will still only reveal the news to Gao Xuance. Why do you need to do it? Secondly, Luo Yaoniang is very careful. She has always been jealous of you and me, but there is no evidence. If we are very close to Xing'er, wouldn't she suspect that we are in collusion? If she has any doubts, she only needs to tell Gao Xuance that my cousin Xuance would even risk everything for her, even his life. Others may not believe what she says, but Gao Xuance will. Now we are trying to get ourselves out of trouble, so why would we take the risk?"
After hearing this, Xu Qingrong suddenly realized and stood up again. She held Hong Shuyi's shoulders and said, "Cousin Hong, you are indeed a wise woman. You have a lot of wisdom and you have planned everything. Please rest assured that as long as I, Xu Qingrong, live, you, Hong Shuyi, will live too."
Hong Shuyi turned slightly and said, "Princess Zhou, let's plan first. How can we spread the news that Luo Yaoniang killed the maid outside the palace while she is under house arrest? Then, the Royal Concubine will want to ask the Emperor for mercy. Our Emperor attaches great importance to the reputation of benevolence. I am afraid that she will be criticized by the outside officials. How can the Emperor forgive her? And the Emperor loves the Prince of Chen so much, how can he see the evil woman around the Prince of Chen? When the Prince of Chen has more wives and concubines, it will be easier to pick on her."
"You are absolutely right." Xu Qingrong understood.