Chapter 140 Confirmation of Adultery
"…Although the Forbidden City is majestic and grand, compared to the Old Summer Palace, the Yu Garden is still a little smaller."
"Isn't it? There were only two or three maple trees in the Yu Garden, not as many as here."
"'One mountain, two mountains. The mountains are far away, the sky is high, the smoke and water are cold, and the maple leaves are red.' Thanks to my sister, today I can imitate the ancients and look for quiet places with lanterns. I am lucky to have such an elegant time."
The Emperor was about to set off tomorrow and went to the Empress' place. Since Zhen Huan was in Xianyue Pavilion, Concubine Jing invited the two of them to have dinner together.
After dinner, it was still early, so the three of them took a walk along the lake to digest their food. They saw the sunset glow and the maple forest on the other side of the lake that looked like fire. Shen Meizhuang remembered that Concubine Hua Gui had been mentioning the maple forest these days, so she suggested taking a look at it before leaving.
When I walked over from the other side of the lake, I ran into Concubine Cao and Concubine Xin again.
The five of them walked into the woods together. The sun had already set. Liuzhu and Caiyue each held a lantern to illuminate the way ahead. Jingpin said she was a little tired.
A few people were chatting as they went to Wanfeng Pavilion to rest. Before they got close, they heard some charming sounds.
"Listen, what's that sound?"
The concubine raised her hand and everyone stopped.
Shen Meizhuang and Zhen Huan looked at each other and said, "This seems to be..."
The maple leaves rustle and the shadows of the branches shake.
Behind the screen, the two were making love, not knowing what the world was.
Just as Xin Guiren was about to speak, Cao Qinmo covered her mouth and whispered, "This is a serious matter. We need to ask the Queen to come and make the decision."
Liuzhu and Caiyue blew out the candles without hesitation.
The Queen was soon invited over.
Seeing this scene, she couldn't help but think of Nian Shilan's words: "When she saw it, the two were still sweating profusely in the flowers, and the red birch bellyband that Sun agreed to wear was still hanging on the belt of the madman. It was absolutely irresistible."
The promises may not be the same, but they are all Sun's promises.
The madmen may not be the same madmen, but they all have red bison bellybands hanging around their waists.
It is indeed true that it cannot be relied upon.
The queen was embarrassed and turned to ask:
"Your Majesty, please look..."
The emperor is in the harem tonight. How can he sit still after hearing such a thing?
The emperor was so angry that he said without hesitation: "Whore! Drag her away! Execute her immediately!"
Sun Miaoqing didn't care about her dishevelled clothes, she struggled to kneel at the emperor's feet, and cried:
"Your Majesty, I am innocent."
Xin Guiren said bluntly: "Catch the thief and the stolen goods, catch the adulterer in bed, the adulterer is here, the emperor and the empress came late, when we came, you two were still together?"
Every word was like a slap in the emperor's face.
Xin Guiren continued, "So, how dare Sun Meimei say that it's an injustice? Isn't it true that everything in the world is just injustice?"
"Your Majesty, I am innocent. I was really framed..."
In the past, the Emperor had always heard Concubine Hua Gui talking about being cuckolded in her heart, but she always refused to believe it.
Now that he had seen it with his own eyes, his hatred towards Zhen Huan, Shen Meizhuang and the Third Prince grew even deeper.
The emperor was too lazy to say another word and kicked the man away.
"Su Peisheng!"
Su Peisheng brought two eunuchs forward, and Sun Miaoqing screamed and knelt down at the feet of the empress.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Please help me!"
Xin Guiren said in disgust, "Framed? Did someone force you to lie under the guard?"
Cao Qinmo half-closed her eyes, thinking: Sun Miaoqing and Concubine Hua Gui have always been at odds. If she just kills her without explaining the details, if someone makes a fuss about it in the future and claims to have framed her, Concubine Hua Gui will be the first to bear the brunt.
She had no choice but to eliminate this hidden danger for Concubine Hua Gui.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am a foolish person. I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it or not."
The queen frowned, "You say."
"Your Majesty, the evidence is overwhelming, but Sun Daying still keeps saying that she was framed. There must be some injustice. She made a mistake, so it's not a pity to die. It's just that this concerns the reputation of the royal family. If there is a bigger conspiracy behind the scenes, and it has not been uncovered today, I'm afraid it will cause endless harm."
Those who listen to gossip never mind the amount of gossip, and Concubine Jing and Concubine Xin also chimed in, somewhat like they just wanted to watch the excitement and make more trouble.
The Queen would naturally investigate the matter, but this was not a decision she could make.
"Your Majesty, please look..."
Harmful?
What harm?
Are there other cuckolds hiding in the palace?
The emperor wanted to hear what bigger conspiracy might be behind this.
The lights in the pavilion were lit again, and the guards, holding torches, stood around the open space in front of the pavilion.
The emperor and the empress sat in the pavilion, while Jingpin, Caopin and four others stood on the side of the empress.
Knowing that Sun Miaoqing was reborn, in order to prevent her from dragging them into the dirty water, Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang stood in the dark at the back, trying to reduce their presence as much as possible.
Sun Miaoqing knelt at the feet of the Emperor and Empress, crying and explaining what happened tonight.
"I am ready to go to bed tonight. Someone came to tell me that the emperor wanted me to come here to enjoy the maple forest tonight, so I came here."
"After I arrived, I bowed and greeted you, and I called you Your Majesty in a proper manner. He also called himself "I" and "My beloved concubine". It was dark under the forest, and I had no idea that he was so bold as to pretend to be Your Majesty."
There was another thing that Sun Miaoqing didn't dare to say, which was that when the guard approached, she had no ability to think at all, and she couldn't wait to get close to him.
She even suspected that she had been drugged, but there was no point in saying more since there was no evidence.
"But the emperor has been in my palace all the time." The queen looked at the emperor and asked deliberately, "I wonder if the emperor can send someone to tell Sun to agree. If there is any..."
The emperor gave the queen a cold look.
Xin Guiren said directly, "Everyone is here. Since you said someone passed the message before, why not point out the person who passed the message so that we can have a face-to-face discussion and make things clear."
Sun Miaoqing twitched and said, "It was the servant who passed the message. I, I have never seen it with my own eyes..."
At this moment, a scream came from the entrance of the forest.
The queen looked into the darkness, "Who's there?!"
Su Peisheng came over and said, "Your Majesty, these are the two maids that Sun agreed to give you."
Sun Miaoqing's face lit up with joy. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Han Ying and Han Rui have seen the person who brought the message from Yu. They will definitely be able to identify who brought the message. As long as they come over, as long as they come over, the truth will be revealed."
The Queen was now Sun Miaoqing's lifeline. She grabbed the Queen's clothes and dared not let go.
"Telegraph."
The Queen spoke, and Su Peisheng brought the people into the pavilion.
"What are you two doing hiding in the woods so late at night?" asked the queen.
"To answer your Majesty, my lady was in a good mood tonight and wanted to imitate the ancients in finding a quiet place. When she got here, she felt hungry, so she ordered two servants to go back and get tea and snacks. When we came back, we didn't expect there were so many people and we were frightened for a moment."
Every word Han Ying said was like a huge rock hitting Sun Miaoqing's head.
I had hoped they could clear my name, but unexpectedly they confirmed my guilt of adultery.
Sun Miaoqing suddenly rushed over to her, grabbed Hanying's neck with both hands, and cursed:
"You bitch! How dare you harm me! Who? Who ordered you to do that?"
"It's Concubine Hua, right? It's Nian Shilan, right? Bastard! How dare you betray me! I will kill you!!"