Chapter 19 Where is the Second Prince?

After a while, Xia Zhengqi, the Queen, Concubine Jiang, and the numerous guests all returned to the main hall, and the banquet continued.

The graceful dancers danced on the stage in the center of the main hall, but the guests' attention was not on the dancers at all.

Only those ignorant little kids continued to play outside the main hall.

Xia Zhengqi sat on the dragon chair on the high platform, speechless and expressionless.

The Queen was also silent beside him, holding Xia Miaoyuan, thinking.

Concubine Jiang leaned on the chair, weak and boneless, with a dead face.

At the table where Jiang Zhichang originally sat, the third and fourth princes looked at each other and said in unison: "Where is the second prince?"

The prince of Qing suddenly realized: "Yes, I just remembered that we haven't seen him since he left the table."

As the three were talking, the second prince changed into a brand new robe and walked over.

"Huh? Where did you go just now?" asked the third prince.

"I'm so miserable. I just wanted to change my clothes and came here. Unexpectedly, I had a severe abdominal pain before I changed my clothes. I went to the official room three times in a row before I felt better." The second prince patted his stomach.

"Now, my legs are weak. I just went to the Imperial Hospital to get some emergency pills and I feel better now."

The fourth prince looked gossipy: "Second brother, your stomach is really in trouble at the wrong time. You missed a big show."

The second prince pretended to be surprised: "What good show? Tell me quickly."

The fourth prince sat next to him and muttered to him about the romantic incident just now.

Xia Miaoyuan lay in the queen's arms, blinking and staring at the second prince

in a daze. [Eh... There is something strange, there must be something strange about Er Guoguo. ]

[He clearly went to change clothes with Jiang Zhichang, but there was no trace of him in the Zhonghe Hall. ]

[Now that Jiang Zhichang has caused a scandal and been arrested, he looks like he knows nothing. 】

Xia Miaoyuan raised her head and looked at the queen, her face calm and composed.

【Could it be that the queen mother and Er Guoguo teamed up to kill the treacherous concubine?】

After hearing this, the queen's eyes flashed with a hint of pride.

In a blink of an eye, it was already three quarters past noon, and the guests had already eaten and drunk their fill, but because they were anxious to see the results of Jiang Zhichang's interrogation, none of them wanted to leave.

Seeing this, Xia Zhengqi ordered the palace servants to decorate Yanyue Lake and led the guests to play in Yanyue Lake.

The meaning couldn't be clearer, just let everyone play while waiting.

Yanyue Lake is a garden built next to Shanglin Garden.

It is called a lake, but it is not just a lake. There are also artificial hills in it, and pavilions and towers are built on the lakeside. The scenery is very pleasant, and it is a good place to play in summer.

The guests were either rowing boats on the lake or drinking tea in the pavilion, and all of them seemed to be in high spirits.

[Oh, these people, wearing cumbersome formal clothes, entered the palace early in the morning, and stayed for three or four hours, and they didn't feel tired at all. These people have terrible gossiping minds, tut tut tut.]

After waking up from a nap in the pavilion, Xia Miaoyuan glanced at the group of energetic guests and complained.

Suddenly, Eunuch Debao came to Xia Zhengqi with a stack of papers and a serious expression, and whispered: "Your Majesty, I have done this job. These are the testimonies of the palace maids and the confession of Jiang Zhichang. This is a temporary draft." Then he handed the stack of papers to Xia Zhengqi with both hands.

Xia Zhengqi looked at the documents intently.

[Oh, what's written on it? Let me see it, let me see it!]

Xia Miaoyuan's two little hands tried to grab in the direction of Xia Zhengqi.

The queen picked up Xia Miaoyuan and sat next to Xia Zhengqi, deliberately holding Xia Miaoyuan's head higher.

The queen and Xia Miaoyuan looked at the documents in Xia Zhengqi's hand at the same time.

[Mommy, in Jinxiu Palace, 12 of the 16 palace maids are no longer virgins, and among the 12, 4 have been pregnant and were fed abortion pills.]

[And in the past five years, 9 palace maids have disappeared in Jinxiu Palace for no reason!]

[These 9 missing ones were probably thrown into a dry well, how pitiful!]

Xia Miaoyuan complained in his heart while reading.

【Lanxiang has been pregnant for more than two months. Jiang Zhichang admitted that it was because he raped Lanxiang in Jinxiu Palace.】

【Tsk, tsk, tsk, only the treacherous concubine Jiang Qiqiu could do such a conscienceless thing.】

【Knowing that Lanxiang was pregnant with Jiang Zhichang's child, he still used this as a threat and sent her to frame Erguoguo.】 【

Fortunately, my Erguoguo is a good person and my mother is alert. She noticed Lanxiang's abnormality early and transferred her away.】

Xia Zhengqi was concentrating on reading the documents. Hearing his daughter's voice, he was shocked.

What, Concubine Jiang actually sent Lanxiang to frame the second prince?

He quickly flipped through the pages of Lanxiang's confession and saw that Lanxiang's identity information and transfer situation were clearly written on the front. Lanxiang first worked in Jinxiu Palace. She had been there for 8 months and had not made any mistakes. However, she was suddenly transferred to Yu Garden for no reason. She had been in Yu Garden for less than half a month before she was transferred to Kunning Palace.

After staying in Kunning Palace for a month, she was transferred to Zhonghe Palace.

"Ruoyu, did Lanxiang from Zhonghe Palace work in your palace today?" Xia Zhengqi raised his eyes and looked at the queen.

"That's right. Lanxiang was originally transferred to Kunning Palace by the manager of Yu Garden. He said that Yu Garden had a lot of people and didn't need so many people." The queen said in a light tone.

"At first, I didn't pay attention to her. She just did rough work in my palace. It wasn't until Chengnian returned to the palace that I realized there was something wrong with this girl."

"She would rather be scolded by the nanny than dress according to the palace rules. Whenever Chengnian was in the palace, she would dress up gorgeously."

"One night, Chengnian secretly drank in his room and got drunk. Yingxue actually found her wandering outside Chengnian's room."

"I'm worried that she is too cunning and wants to climb up the social ladder. If Chengnian's reputation is ruined because of a little palace maid..." The queen hesitated.

"I thought about it again and again, and just in case, I sent her away."

Xia Zhengqi nodded slightly to show his agreement, his eyes full of shock.

It matched, everything matched.

Concubine Jiang really sent Lanxiang to seduce the Second Prince.

Fortunately, the Queen was alert, otherwise it would be her own naive Second Son who would be in turmoil because of the affair.

Alas, Concubine Jiang came up with a vicious plan to harm Chengnian, but her own nephew committed a crime because of his lust. It was really retribution.

Xia Zhengqi held the stack of confessions and fell into deep thought.

Eh? That's not right! Why did the eunuch who reported the news today say that the Second Prince and Lanxiang were having sex in the Zhonghe Hall?

Concubine Jiang's attitude at that time was also strange.

While thinking, Xia Zhengqi continued to read Lanxiang's confession.

When he saw the second half, he felt his heart beating like thunder, and pounded his left fist heavily on the stone table.

The Queen and others were all shocked when they saw this.