Mrs. Jiang remained calm in front of the Queen Mother and didn't lose her composure. When she learned that His Majesty had stayed by her daughter's side, never leaving her side, she felt a little more at ease. She knew that now she could only wait patiently.
Back at Yongning Palace, the emperor questioned the imperial physicians regarding Jiang Meiyu's condition. They explained that despite being poisoned, Jiang Meiyu's pulse and physical condition were normal, but she remained unconscious, leaving them perplexed. The emperor instructed Chenfeng to continue the search for the murderer, while he remained at Jiang Meiyu's bedside, hoping she would miraculously awaken.
Since Jiang Meiyu's accident, Emperor Wu of Yan hadn't slept for three days, his eyes bloodshot. He remained convinced that Jiang Meiyu would wake up, as the imperial physician had told him she was fine and simply in a deep sleep. Despite this, he couldn't help but worry, fearing she would never wake up again.
As the investigation deepened, Chen Feng finally discovered some unusual clues. It turned out that the people who went to the Imperial Household Department to collect the charcoal that day were all palace maids and eunuchs from Yongning Palace. After a careful investigation, he determined that there were no suspects in the Imperial Household Department. However, what was puzzling was that from the time they collected the charcoal from the Imperial Household Department to the time they returned to the Yongning Palace storehouse, no other palace servants approached. This meant that there was a traitor in Yongning Palace! But the question was, if someone in Yongning Palace had swapped the charcoal, how did they do it? After all, the storehouse was locked, and only the head maid and Aunt Xiubi could enter and exit freely.
Speaking of Aunt Xiubi, she was a loyal and trustworthy servant who had served the Emperor for many years. Therefore, the Emperor specially dispatched her to serve the Concubine Xian. As for Qiuping, although nominally a maidservant to the Concubine Xian, she had always treated her like her own sister. Furthermore, they had grown up together and had a deep bond; Qiuping would never do anything to harm the Concubine Xian. Furthermore, Qiuling, originally a simple maidservant, was fortunate enough to be recognized by the Concubine Xian and become a head maid, for which she was filled with gratitude. Furthermore, Chenyu was always by the Concubine Xian's side.
After sorting out all this information, Chen Feng decided to report it to Emperor Wu of Yan intactly.
Emperor Wu of Yan frowned slightly, lost in thought. After a moment, he ordered Chen Feng, "Call in all those involved in the charcoal extraction that day for questioning!"
Chen Feng nodded in agreement and continued, "Your Majesty, there's one more thing. Xiao Shuzi, the eunuch in charge of Yongning Palace, has a twin brother named Xiao Fazi. They look almost identical, making it difficult for ordinary people to tell them apart. Xiao Fazi works in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Furthermore, Xiao Fazi has a fellow villager in the Imperial Household Department, and most importantly, he has a close relationship with Zhulan, Concubine Zhang's maid."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Wu of Yan's expression grew grave. "Arrest that little scholar, Xiao Fazi, and his fellow villagers and interrogate them strictly!"
After severe torture, Xiao Fazi finally confessed. It turned out that Xiao Fazi had always liked Zhulan. Zhulan took advantage of this and asked Xiao Fazi to find a way to replace the high-quality charcoal in Yongning Palace with charcoal containing poisonous substances. On the day of getting the charcoal, Xiao Fazi went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and was knocked unconscious by a fellow villager. Xiao Fazi disguised himself as Xiao Shuzi and put the poisonous charcoal in. He did not manage to escape until the charcoal was carried into Yongning Palace. Xiao Shuzi did not know what was going on. When Concubine Xian was poisoned, Xiao Shuzi understood what was going on. In order to save the lives of his brother and family, he concealed the truth and has been trembling with fear these days.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Wu of Yan was furious. He slammed the table hard, stood up, and shouted, "Immediately investigate why Zhu Lan did this! Also, this matter involves Consort Shu, Wang Youquan. Go summon Consort Shu to me immediately and tell her I have something to ask her."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will do it right away." Wang Youquan quickly agreed, and then took a group of people to Yongfu Palace.
Inside Yongfu Palace, Concubine Zhang Shu was terrified and restless, pacing the room, her fingers tightly clenched around her handkerchief, nearly crushing it. Her heartbeat raced, and she was filled with fear and anxiety. She had learned that Xiao Fazi had been arrested and interrogated, and she worried that he would betray Zhulan and ultimately implicate her. At this thought, Concubine Zhang Shu's face turned pale, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
After a while, Zi Lan hurried in and reported, "Your Majesty, Eunuch Wang is here. He said the Emperor wants you to go to Yongning Palace for questioning!" Hearing this, Concubine Shu's heart sank. She knew the truth might have been revealed, but she still held on to a glimmer of hope. She patted her chest gently, adjusted her makeup, and slowly walked out. With a smile on her face, she greeted him and said, "Eunuch Wang, you're here! I heard the Emperor summoned me for questioning. What's the matter?"
Wang Youquan cleared his throat and replied, "Your Majesty, how could I know? You will know if you go there! Please come in, Your Majesty!" After saying that, he respectfully made a gesture of invitation.
Elsewhere, Chen Feng had already tied up Zhu Lan and forced her to kneel before the Emperor. As Chen Feng tortured her, her fingers were pinched to a bloody pulp, causing her to scream in agony. When she saw Concubine Zhang approaching, she quickly called out for help, "Your Majesty, save me! Save me!"
Emperor Wu of Yan said expressionlessly, "Continue to torture her until she confesses!"
"Yes!" the guards responded in unison.
Zhulan was tied to a rack and was dying, but she still gritted her teeth and held on. She knew that if she confessed, not only would it bring trouble to her family, but it would also put Concubine Zhang Shu in trouble. So, no matter what, she couldn't confess.
Seeing Zhulan being tortured and in excruciating pain, Concubine Zhang was so frightened that her hands and feet were shaking. Although she appeared arrogant and domineering on the surface, she was actually not very courageous, but rather a simple and brainless person who was easily exploited by others. Moreover, she was not kind to her servants, and she was not very kind to Zhulan either. At this moment, she knew that with Zhulan's personality and physical condition, she could not withstand such torture and would definitely confess. Instead of asking Zhulan to confess, it would be better for her to admit her mistakes and strive for a lighter sentence.
Thinking of this, Concubine Zhang Shu trembled all over, her face full of fear. Her legs softened, and she fell to her knees on the ground with a plop. Tears welled up in her eyes and she said, "Your Majesty, please don't torture Zhulan. I confess. It was I who killed Concubine Jiang. I ordered all this. But I was just jealous of Concubine Jiang's favor and wanted to kill her. I definitely didn't know that she was pregnant with the dragon seed. If I knew, I would not dare to murder the emperor's heir even if I had ten times the courage. Moreover, this was done by me alone. My family is unaware of it. Please, Your Majesty, spare my family. I am willing to accept whatever punishment you give me."
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