Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Palace Maid Twenty Days
After a cup of tea, Wang Jigui returned with a palace maid. He lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, according to other palace maids, only this palace maid had contact with Du Baolin for a long time, and Du Baolin was very close to her..."
The palace maid knelt down, buried her head in the ground, and said nothing, as if she agreed.
Du Baolin looked at her intently and interrupted her bluntly, "It can't be her. Did Eunuch Wang check the wrong person? Have you really checked every person who has come into contact with me?"
"Your Majesty, this maid is called A Lan. I know her. It is impossible that she plotted against me. There must be someone else behind this. If you easily convict her, the person who plotted against me will inevitably go unpunished. Please send someone to investigate again."
Du Baolin made it clear that she didn't trust Wang Jigui. Even though she tried to please Wang Jigui when she was a concubine, she was the master and Wang Jigui was the servant after all. She didn't need to lower her posture, especially in this occasion.
If the emperor's concubines were servile to a eunuch, the royal family would no longer have any reputation.
Upon hearing this, Wang Jigui asked the eunuch behind him to present the evidence, which was a small knife about the length of a finger with a ring attached to it. The ring at the end was wrapped with several layers of thick thread.
"Don't worry, Du Baolin. This was found on this lady, Alan. We left quickly, and when we got there, we found the knife still on her middle finger. We have evidence, and it is definitely not the result of our failure. May I ask, Du Baolin, why are you so familiar with this maid Alan?"
Du Baolin looked at the emperor, his expression puzzled but calm: "Alan tried her best to please me, and I was in need of a maid to serve me. After I ordered her around a few times, I got to know her name, so we are considered familiar with each other. Why, can't I trust her?"
She asked the last sentence in a tender and naive tone, and was quite innocent. Her eyes were only focused on the emperor, as if she was devoted to him wholeheartedly.
Concubine Yu quietly rolled her eyes, and Concubine Mei curled her lips.
The expressions of the ladies remained unchanged, and they were not affected by Du Baolin in any way.
Du Baolin would speak up for the palace maid whom he met casually, and he did not believe that she was plotting against him.
Fang Baolin, who was also in a low position, said, "Sis Du is so considerate of the palace maids. I think she must have followed the emperor's order and reflected seriously on her mistakes in the Siguo Hall. As the saying goes, it is a great help to admit mistakes and correct them. Du Baolin is still young, so her temperament must have been corrected."
Shen Qingqing: “…”
She was looking forward to the time when Concubine Xian would use her to slap Du Baolin in the face.
Fang Baolin wanted to please Du Baolin. First, she had always been unknown in the palace and had never negotiated with Du Baolin. Now she planned to make Du Baolin remember her kindness after he regained favor. Second, the Du family held a high position in the court. Helping Du Baolin would also help the Fang family to successfully climb up to the Du family.
Her position is low, and if she doesn't show up, she will never have the chance to do so in the palace.
In the palace, you are not afraid of being hated by others, but you are afraid of being forgotten.
But what she said would be very appropriate if it were said by a high-ranking concubine. Now, Fang Baolin was calling Du Baolin "sister" and saying that Du Baolin was young, which sounded incongruous.
Mei Cairen said to her, "You are young? The ages of the concubines in the palace are almost the same. If Du Baolin was able to assassinate two palace maids today because of his young age and was easily excused, then tomorrow everyone can act recklessly under the pretext of being young. Will the masters in the harem still be human beings in the future?"
The eyes of the concubines in the harem all fell on Mei Cairen, and they suddenly realized that there was such an impolite talent in the palace, which they could not see on weekdays.
Mei Cairen held her head high and said, "My words may be harsh, but this is the truth. Your Majesty and my sisters, please don't blame me."
Ji Chen said without even raising his eyes: "Ms. Mei is right."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Mei Cairen stood up, bowed, and then sat down again.
Ji Chenchong signaled to Wang Jigui, and Wang Jigui looked at Ah Lan and said, "Please repeat what you just said to the emperor and the ladies."
Du Baolin was too anxious. As the eldest eunuch, Wang Jigui would definitely investigate everything before bringing people to report. Of course, perhaps Du Baolin took this opportunity to show the emperor her repentance.
Ah Lan kowtowed several times and said stumblingly, "Your Majesty, the ladies, I saw that Du Baolin was so generous that I approached her and tried to please her. Du Baolin also gave me a reward, but because the reward was not what I wanted, I held a grudge and secretly destroyed Baolin's clothes."
"I regretted it afterwards, but there was no way to make amends. It was not until the eunuch Wang arrived that I realized it was too late. I am guilty, please spare my life, Your Majesty!"
Ah Lan took all the responsibility on himself and knocked his head against the wall, as if this way he could escape the pressure in the hall and Du Baolin's condemning gaze.
"Impossible!" Du Baolin's expression changed. Ah Lan was someone the Du family had arranged in the palace, otherwise why would she choose this timid maid over anyone else?
Is she really that stupid?
Du Baolin was stunned, and then realized that Ah Lan had been bribed. She immediately looked at the emperor in despair: "Someone must be harming me!"
This excuse is too poor. Which palace maid would attack her master just because the reward is not enough? If this is true, can the concubines living in the palace and served by the palace maids still be safe?
Yan Xiuyi was surprised, "Hey, who would harm Baolin who has lost the emperor's favor and been demoted? Du Baolin might have someone who suspects him. It would be better to say it directly instead of playing tricks on him."
Lady Gao sneered, "I'm afraid Du Baolin is referring to me. When Du Baolin was arrogant, he slapped me twice. I naturally remember it and hate him deeply. But a month ago, I made Du Baolin kneel in the palace for an hour and returned all he gave me. If Du Baolin is trying to bring me up now, I'm not afraid of investigation."
Concubine Yu looked down at the imperial dishes, then looked up at the emperor: "Your Majesty already knows about the previous grievances between this concubine and Du Baolin. Why would this concubine use such a method to frame the emperor's concubine? This concubine is not afraid of investigation."
Mei Cairen smiled and said, "Sister Gao and Concubine Yu are not afraid of being investigated, so why should I be afraid of being investigated? I have also had an argument with Du Baolin, but let me ask you, which concubine in the palace has not had a dirty fight with Du Baolin?"
"I'm afraid after checking, Fang Baolin will be the only clean person."
Fang Baolin's face turned bad and she smiled awkwardly. If she had known this, she would not have gotten involved. Who could have thought that in front of the emperor, a group of people would be so resentful and hold on to Du Baolin, losing the dignity that a concubine and her master should have.
Xian Fei suddenly sighed, drawing everyone's attention to herself. She looked at the emperor and said, "The concubines in the palace have many complaints about Du Baolin. I failed to notice this. Please forgive me, Your Majesty. However, I have something to tell you about Du Baolin, but I don't know whether I should tell you now."
Du Baolin looked at Concubine Xian, and naturally saw Shen Qing who was lowering his head behind Concubine Xian. His eyes suddenly became bloodshot and his breathing became heavy. He instantly guessed what Concubine Xian wanted to say.
It’s a pity that Concubine Xian usually pretends to be gentle, but now her true face is exposed.
But now she doesn't even have the ability to stop it.
Shen Qingqing naturally felt Du Baolin's vicious gaze, and her body trembled subconsciously. No matter how optimistic she was, she still had a shadow in front of Du Baolin, and she couldn't help but feel a little anxious about the confrontation that would follow.
Xuancao put her hand on the back of Shen Qing's hand and watched her mouth: Don't be afraid, the Queen is here.
The virtuous concubine is leading the charge, so she must have known how to strike with perfect measure and hit the target with every strike. As someone under her protection, why should she be afraid of Du Baolin who is already in a losing position?
Shen Qing closed his eyes and silently calmed himself down.
She will be staying with Concubine Xian for a long time, and she will inevitably face big occasions, so she might as well start adapting herself from today.
Concubine Xian has already said: "...I saw that the palace maid Shen Qing was really pitiful, with scars all over her arms, so I transferred her to Jingren Palace without informing Du Baolin in advance."
Shen Qing stepped forward and folded his sleeves, exposing his thin arms covered with scars to everyone.
A gasp sounded from the direction of the concubine.
Concubine Xian showed pity: "Poor Shen Qing is only thirteen years old, still a little kid, yet he has suffered such a disaster. I can't help but ask Du Baolin, what is the fault you are thinking about? If Du Baolin doesn't know, Fang Baolin can answer for him."
Fang Baolin's face turned pale. No matter how dumb she was, she knew that Du Baolin's nature was hard to change, so she explained with trembling lips: "I have been staying at my residence all the time, and I don't know Du Baolin's character."
Ji Chen's eyes were calm: "Can you speak nonsense if you don't understand?"
He remembered this palace maid. When they were in Zhiyun Palace, he always had a good memory. The palace maid on that day was very brave, not as static and timid as she was now.
Shen Qing lowered his arms, and his sleeves dropped to his wrists.
Fang Baolin was so frightened that he knelt on the ground. Her appearance was only pretty, and she might be attractive if you looked closely, but there were many beauties in the palace, and she was too inconspicuous. She was chosen by the Queen Mother during the election, and the Queen Mother liked her character.
Fang Baolin might have a good character, but that was because her father Fang had used the good deeds she had done before the election to make her famous. At that time, the late emperor had passed away, and a new emperor had new ministers. The officials in the capital restrained the family members from causing trouble. This allowed Fang's father to take advantage of the opportunity, create momentum, and successfully make her win the favor of the empress dowager.
So Fang Baolin was too eager to give back to his family and was unwilling to be just an insignificant little Baolin.
But what can she do? She has no beauty and no favor. Who among Concubine De, Concubine Xian, Concubine Yan Xiuyi and Concubine Hui would look up to her? She only has the opportunity to help Du Baolin in his time of need.
Fang Baolin closed her eyes in regret. Next time she should pick a better potential stock.
Shen Qing had no idea that Fang Baolin was secretly resenting Du Baolin's outburst. After the emperor announced that Fang Baolin would be fined one month's salary and required to copy the palace rules, everyone's attention returned to Du Baolin, Concubine Xian and Shen Qing.
Du Baolin simply knelt down and said: "I am guilty."
The smile on Concubine Xian's lips had already disappeared. "Why not let Shen Qing repeat what Du Baolin did, and then talk about Du Baolin's guilt? When I first heard it, I was also extremely shocked by Du Baolin's cruelty. I think this is not the first time she has attacked a palace maid. Why don't you ask your Majesty to send Du Baolin's former palace maids and ask them about it?"
The fact that the usually gentle Concubine Xian was described as cruel and ruthless has already shown its seriousness.
Ji Chen looked up at Wang Jigui, and Wang Jigui stepped back to look for the palace maid that Du Baolin used to serve.
Concubine Xian passed the words to Shen Qing and glanced at her.
Shen Qing guessed that Wang Jigui would not be back soon, so he started from the beginning when Shanhu's hand was injured.
Inside the palace, a calm voice narrated the entire incident clearly and fluently, but if one focused one's eyes on the palace maid, one could realize from her slightly trembling hands that she was not as calm as she appeared.
The more he listened, the more depressed Du Baolin became.
She heard Shen Qing's voice stop, and heard the emperor ask her: "Du, do you know which palace rule is responsible for the crime of harming a palace maid?"
Things had gotten so out of control that everyone had completely forgotten that it was Du Baolin who asked the Emperor to find out who had destroyed her dance costume.
But she had offended too many people, each one more stubborn than the other, and Concubine Xian had also interfered, so it seemed that the matter she was investigating would be left unresolved.
Du Baolin replied with difficulty: "Article 14 of the palace rules states that concubines should treat palace maids with kindness and be lenient, and not oppress, humiliate, or kill them."
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