Chapter 543: Ministry of Justice
The Empress Dowager brought Chu Pan'er back to the Cining Palace and entered the main hall. Wang Fu tactfully led everyone out, leaving the Empress Dowager and Concubine Shu to talk to Chu Pan'er.
"I want to hear the truth. Was it you who poisoned the Queen?" The Queen Mother looked at Chu Pan'er with dignity, her eyes as sharp as a knife.
Chu Pan'er felt a chill rising from the soles of her feet. She hesitated for only a moment before she suddenly knelt in front of the Queen Mother and pleaded, "Grandmother, save me."
This is recognition.
The Queen Mother's expression became increasingly gloomy. She was not angry at Chu Pan'er for harming the Queen, but she was annoyed that Chu Pan'er did not do her job efficiently.
Why use a chronic poison? It's already been done anyway, so why not just use a highly toxic poison to kill Song Nanyue?
"Are those two palace maids tight-lipped?" the Queen Mother asked after a while.
Chu Pan'er nodded hurriedly, "It's tight. After I got married, I held the dowry indentures I brought with me. Yingxue was a maid that my mother had trained to follow me out of the palace in the future. She is loyal. Her parents, brother, and sister-in-law also followed me to the princess's mansion. Her sister-in-law is about to give birth. I have the final say over the lives of the whole family. She dare not and will not betray me. As for Xique, I promised her that as long as she survived and came out alive, I would ensure that she could enter the princess's mansion and become the concubine of the prince consort. In the future, she would enjoy endless wealth and glory."
"Just keep your mouth shut." The Queen Mother nodded.
Since the queen wanted the two to confess their guilt, she did not dare to let them die.
However, it would be a relief if he died during the interrogation, and he could also do something with this incident. But it was a hateful thing that the Queen sent him to the Ministry of Justice. Zuo Shiwen had a bad temper and would not do favors for anyone.
"Just stay in the Cining Palace for a day, and take your people out of the palace tomorrow. Use your brain when you do things next time. If you had told me, this mistake wouldn't have happened."
She would use Chu Paner's hand to kill Song Nanyue directly.
"Yes." Chu Pan'er replied, and looked at the Queen Mother cautiously. For some reason she felt that the Queen Mother was fooling her.
The Queen Mother did not allow Lu Xiang to leave the palace, so she wandered around the palace.
They first went to Zhenpin's Yanx Palace. Zhenpin was leaning on a recliner, asking Suwei to rub her head.
Fu Yue led the people into the palace, and Concubine Zhen immediately sat up: "Xiang Xiang!"
"Aunt doesn't look well. Is she feeling unwell?" Lu Xiang asked.
Concubine Zhen said with a pale face, "The Queen Mother took the Ninth Princess away, and the news spread throughout the harem. I then learned that something happened in Jingren Palace. The Queen Mother even identified you as a suspect and detained you in the palace. I wanted to go to Jingren Palace, but I thought that the Queen would be upset and would not want to see anyone. Besides, the gate of Jingren Palace was closed and I couldn't find out anything. I was shocked and panicked, and my head hurt from all the thoughts. I'm fine, how about you?"
"Don't worry, Auntie. I'm fine because the Empress Dowager is protecting me. The Empress Dowager just dislikes me and is disgusted with me. I will be free tomorrow when everything comes out. You only got the news after the Empress Dowager left, but Concubine Shu and Concubine Yi knew about it long ago. The Empress suspected that there was a traitor in Jingren Palace, so she took the opportunity to investigate thoroughly."
Not to mention Concubine Zhen, even Concubine Liang and Concubine Rong came to Jingren Palace after being summoned by the Empress Dowager.
Since Concubine Yi had taken refuge with the Queen, she would not have ordered anyone to monitor the Queen's every word and action. It would have been more likely that she had placed her own people in Concubine Shu's palace.
So Concubine Shu found out, and Concubine Yi also came very quickly.
Concubine Zhen covered her chest and nodded with lingering fear; "Are you sure, Madam?"
She said that the truth will be revealed tomorrow, so the Queen should be confident that she can convict them.
Lu Xiang pursed her lips, smiled softly and nodded without saying anything more.
"Master, you can rest assured that the Third Miss is fine. I'll have someone serve the meal. You were just worried about having no appetite, so eat something now and don't starve yourself." Su Wei advised at the right time.
Lu Xiang continued, "I just wanted to come to your aunt's place for a free meal. I thought you had already eaten. I hope you don't mind giving me an extra pair of chopsticks."
Upon hearing this, Concubine Zhen waved her hand and asked Su Wei to make arrangements: "Ask the imperial kitchen to prepare some of their specialties, and don't be stingy with the money."
The meals for concubines in the palace are regulated. If you want to eat well, you have to spend your own money.
Su smiled and replied, "Master, I will not wrong our Third Miss even if I knock on the door again."
As she spoke, she hurried to the imperial kitchen with the palace maids.
In the evening, the gorgeous rays of light spread down, landing on the red walls and green tiles, casting a warm orange glow.
Inside the Cining Palace, Wang Fuzheng respectfully replied to the Empress Dowager.
"Miss Lu San went to Yanxi Palace to have lunch with Concubine Zhen at noon. She left after an hour and went to Yuhe Palace to talk to Concubine Liang. Then she went to Zhongcui Palace and stayed there for more than an hour before leaving. After that, she went to see Concubine Li, Concubine Chen, Concubine Lin and several other ladies of lower status. Finally, she went to Yichun Palace..."
The Queen Mother frowned in disdain: "What does she think of the harem? She actually spent the whole afternoon visiting relatives."
After complaining, she motioned for Wang Fu to continue.
Wang Fu said, "I don't know what the Third Miss said to Concubine Jing, but they suddenly had a conflict. Concubine Jing accidentally pushed the Third Miss down the stairs. The Third Miss fainted on the spot and was sent back to Jingren Palace. It is said that she broke her leg and just needed to be put in a splint and take good care of herself. The Queen was furious and punished Concubine Jing to confine her to copy the palace rules."
"You deserved it. She was left wandering around. How come she didn't fall to death?" the Queen Mother said bitterly.
"In addition, I just learned that the Queen Mother has also sent Xique to the Ministry of Justice." Wang Fu said again.
The Queen Mother was silent for a while, then said, "It seems that Concubine Yi was unable to get anything out of her. The Queen was anxious and wanted to ask the Ministry of Justice to pry open her mouth. How is Yingxue?"
Yingxue was the palace maid sent to the Ministry of Justice by the Queen at the very beginning.
Wang Fu replied: "I have sent people to guard the Ministry of Justice and tortured her, but this girl was able to bear it and didn't say a word."
"Okay, keep watching."
Wang Fu agreed, turned around and walked out.
The deep night was like a huge black curtain covering the sky. Without a trace of light, it seemed silent and cold.
The Ministry of Justice's prison was still noisy and chaotic.
The sounds of torture, crying, and cursing...
Lu Xiang, who was supposed to be recuperating from his broken leg in Jingren Palace, appeared at the prison gate.
"Miss Third, I won't go in. I'll wait for you here." Xiao Liangzi said respectfully.
Lu Xiang nodded and glanced at the Minister of Justice Zuo Shiwen: "Master Zuo, you have worked hard. You can just leave a constable. Please take Eunuch Liang to find a place to wait for me for a while."
What this means is that you don't have to stay.
Zuo Shiwen bowed in response, then ordered a constable behind him to stay and listen to Lu Xiang's instructions, and then took Xiao Liangzi to have a midnight snack.
"Miss Third, please." The constable made a gesture of invitation to Lu Xiang.
Lu Xiang walked into the prison, followed by A'man, who was also dressed as a young eunuch, and the head eunuch in Queen Song's palace.
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