Chapter 36: Several Changes

The eunuch seemed to have developed a conditioned reflex. When he heard Zhang Huaide's voice, he mechanically replied, "Your Majesty, I often take money from people and collect some small things for them, mostly rouge and powder. But, about three months ago, a maid from some palace came to me and asked me to find her a pot of money grass, saying that she wanted to keep it in her room."

"I asked her where to find moneywort in the middle of winter, but she said there was some in the palace greenhouse. She said she would give me a hundred coins if I found it. I was reluctant to spend the hundred coins, so I went to the greenhouse to ask. I didn't expect there was some in the greenhouse, and she said it was bought as copper moneywort. I spent thirty coins to buy two pots and gave them to the palace maid."

"Is it her?" After hearing this, Xu An immediately pointed at Zisang.

The eunuch was a little slow to look at Zi Sang, then shook his head, "No."

At this time, Zi Sang, who had been crying silently with half of her face covered, said loudly: "I am innocent. Rong Zhi is simply a lunatic. She thinks she can't live anymore, so she just bites me at will!"

"There are so many people in the palace, why does she only bite you instead of others?" Xu An said angrily: "You'd better tell the truth, otherwise you will suffer in a while!"

Zisang was not like Rongzhi. She remained calm at this moment. "I don't know, Your Majesty. Rongzhi has gone mad, but you can ask Huiyue who is still in the palace. I have been persuading Rongzhi not to be so stubborn. How could I give her medicine to let her frame Yunqin and poison Concubine Hui!"

Huiyue, who was lying on the ground, shuddered immediately when she heard someone mention her name.

"Huiyue, why don't you tell me what you know!"

Hui Yue then raised her head slightly, looked at Xu An and said, "I have heard her persuade Rong Zhi, but, but when she came, Rong Zhi would chase me out of the room. I only heard a word or two from time to time."

These one or two sentences might not have been intentionally said by Zisang for her to hear.

This thought flashed through Yunqin's mind, and then she heard Huo Jinchi tell the eunuch beside him, "Go to Shanglinyuan and ask."

Even he had not expected that this matter would involve such a wide range of issues. The Ministry of Internal Affairs was not enough, and Shanglin Garden had to be involved as well.

Even if it was Zisang who did it, could she, a palace maid, have such great power?

Hawking Chi's gaze immediately fell on Kong Danying.

Kong Danying, who was looked at by Hawking Chi, seemed to react suddenly. He knelt down along the stool, and tears fell down as if they were free.

"Your Majesty, this was definitely not done by Zi Sang. She has been with me for so many years, I know her character very well!"

She said this with such sincerity, as if she truly believed Zisang was innocent, and she cried extremely sadly.

Seeing her like this, Zisang quickly knelt down beside her and cried, "Dou Ying, please get up quickly. Even if I die, I will never let Dou Ying get implicated..."

Yun Qin heard this and looked up at Zi Sang.

To her, Zisang's words seemed more like a hint to Kong Danying that she would never betray Kong Danying.

A drama of deep affection between master and servant was being played out here when a eunuch quickly walked up and presented Rong Zhi's confession.

Huo Jinchi did not reach out to take it, but said to Xu An: "Read it to them."

The confession described in detail how Zisang approached her and said that he also hated Yunqin and wanted to work with her to deal with Yunqin.

How the two of them conspired, how Zisang found the medicine, and how he persuaded her. She even wanted to give up because she was worried about Huipin's health, but was persuaded by Zisang.

After Xu An finished reading, the hall fell silent. Everyone was probably shocked by Rong Zhi's stupidity.

"What else do you have to say!" Xu An threw the testimony in front of Zisang.

This was a confession from the Ministry of Punishment. Under the urgent trial, the people in the Ministry of Punishment would have used every possible means. Even so, Rong Zhi did not change her confession, which was enough to prove the credibility of this testimony.

"I am really innocent!" Zisang still shouted that she was innocent, and even said loudly: "Someone must have planned to harm me, or maybe, maybe they want to harm Kong Danying, please Your Majesty, please look into it!"

Everyone can see clearly who Rongzhi is loyal to. When she said this, wasn't she clearly saying that Huipin wanted to frame Kong Danying?

Huipin, who was suddenly blamed, was so angry that she fell backwards and shouted angrily: "If I wanted to frame Kong Danying, would I risk my life and the dragon fetus in my belly?"

"Isn't Concubine Hui okay?" Although Zisang lowered her voice, the people in the palace could still hear it clearly.

Huipin was so angry that she almost jumped out of bed and hit her.

Doctor Zhang Yu stopped Concubine Hui and shouted angrily, "Don't talk nonsense. We saw with our own eyes how dangerous the Empress was. According to what you said, were all of us doctors bribed?"

While they were arguing, people from Shanglinyuan also arrived.

The evidence provided was very simple, namely the purchase list and account book. They did purchase a batch of copper coin grass three months ago and were waiting for the spring to transplant it to various palaces to decorate the courtyards.

Who would have known that there would be a few pots of money plants that look similar to copper money plants mixed in.

Except for those bought by the eunuchs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the rest had been returned to their original places, and the account slips clearly recorded them, which was enough to prove that they did not deliberately buy the money grass.

Of course, the gardener still cannot escape responsibility for buying and selling money grass privately.

"Do you have any impression of this palace maid?" Xu An immediately pointed at Zisang and asked them.

The gardener who was secretly selling moneywort actually recognized her and immediately said, "I recognize her. One day she came to the greenhouse and said she wanted to pick two pots of flowers for her master. When I heard that she was going to choose a flower for her master, I hurried to show her. But she didn't look at the flowers. Instead, she stared at the copper-coin plants that had just grown new leaves."

"I thought she wanted it, so I told her that it would take a long time for the copper coin grass to bloom. She didn't say anything, just asked for two pots of flowers and left. I thought it was a bit strange, so I kept it in mind."

After hearing what he said, Zi Sang finally showed some guilt on her face, "What's wrong with me picking some pots of flowers? It's just a coincidence!"

Seeing that she was still trying to make excuses, Xu An could no longer tolerate it and said angrily: "Send her to the Ministry of Punishment. I believe that she will tell the truth there!"

The three words "Ministry of Punishment" finally made Zisang's face change, but she still pursed her lips and said nothing.

"The slave has something to report!"

When everyone heard the voice, they looked towards the door. It was Xiao Dezi. He was standing at the door of the palace and did not dare to enter without being summoned.

"What's the matter!" The interrogation was interrupted again. Xu An frowned, obviously really angry.

Only then did Xiao Dezi come up to the palace, and everyone saw that he was followed by a eunuch. The eunuch was holding a little palace maid in his hand, and the palace maid was carrying a large bag on her back.

"Your Majesty, Madam, I was ordered to guard the palace gate. At the corner gate, I saw this palace maid sneaking around and trying to crawl out through the dog hole. I quickly tied her up and brought her to see Your Majesty."

When he said this, he glanced at Yun Qin subconsciously.

Obviously, it was not as he said, that he saw her at the palace gate. Instead, he listened to Yun Qin and secretly watched the West Palace, and only then did he catch this palace maid.

Yun Qin didn't expect that there would be such a surprise. She exchanged glances with Xiao Dezi and looked at Zisang.

Sure enough, when Zi Sang saw the little palace maid, the calmness on his face disappeared and he even looked a little panicked.

The first person to speak was the eunuch that Zhang Huaide had kidnapped. He seemed to suddenly come to his senses, and he looked at the palace maid and said loudly, "It was her, it was her, she was the one who bought the money grass from me!"