Chapter 58 Punishment

Jun Zechen frowned slightly and explained solemnly.

"Qin'er and Ping'er from Concubine Chun Shu's palace secretly made an appointment to meet last night and did something unspeakable. I have already locked them both up in the Ministry of Punishment and are preparing to interrogate them strictly."

When Ling Yue heard this, she suddenly felt panicky.

Ping'er in Zhaochun Palace was her spy planted in Zhaochun Palace.

It was Ping'er who brought the news that His Majesty was going to take Concubine Chun Shu out of the palace on her birthday.

She originally thought that by poisoning herself, she would be able to prevent Jun Zechen and Concubine Chun Shu from leaving the palace, making Concubine Chun Shu feel alienated from Jun Zechen because of Jun Zechen's breach of promise, and at the same time frame An Zhaorong.

After all, An Zhaorong has harmed her many times. Is she going to continue to tolerate it indifferently?

She was just fighting back, just protecting herself.

But His Majesty actually arrested Ping'er and Qin'er and brought them to the Ministry of Punishment. If these two people confessed anything during the interrogation, then she...

Absolutely not!

Ling Yue tried hard to force a smile, but it was obviously forced.

"Since Ping'er is a member of Concubine Chun Shu's palace, and Concubine Chun Shu is investigating my poisoning, isn't this unfair?"

Jun Zechen didn't expect Ling Yue to doubt Yaoyao. Did Ling Yue forget that Yaoyao once saved her?

Jun Zechen's eyes became deeper and deeper, revealing a hint of disappointment.

"Concubine Chun Shu came here today to explain this matter. I will let An Shun continue to investigate. Concubine Gui does not need to worry."

"Yes, I understand."

Ling Yue heaved a sigh of relief. This case was originally investigated by His Majesty himself, and everyone in the palace knew that His Majesty cared about and valued her.

Your Majesty originally wanted to punish An Zhaorong directly to vent her anger, but the Queen Mother asked Concubine Chun Shu to investigate the case.

Why should the case of a noble concubine like her be investigated by a concubine of lower rank than her?

What's more, Concubine Chun Shu spent two days investigating and only helped An Zhaorong clear her suspicion. Now she has arrested her people and sent them to the Ministry of Punishment!

After Ling Yue found out that it was An Shun who was investigating the case, he felt relieved and planned to withdraw.

But when he saw Su Jingyao staying quietly beside His Majesty, he inexplicably felt a strong surge of jealousy in his heart.

"Your Majesty, I see that it is almost time for dinner, and the people from the Jingshifang will soon be here. I am in charge of the Jingshifang now, and I have read the records. It seems that Your Majesty has not turned over the card recently?"

Ling Yue gritted her teeth, trying to suppress her unhappiness, and used the excuse of managing the Jingshifang to get Jun Zechen to turn over the cards so that everyone would benefit.

She didn't want Jun Zechen to stay with Concubine Chun Shu all day.

Ever since the night Jun Zechen ascended the throne, she knew that his heart was full of Concubine Chun Shu, and Ling Yue could never look at Concubine Chun Shu with a normal heart.

She would rather Jun Zechen favor those concubines he didn't like than to see Jun Zechen and Concubine Chun Shu together.

There was a subtle flash of complex emotion in Jun Zechen's eyes. Ling Yue actually let him flip the card.

"I will rest in the Qianqing Palace tonight. Be safe. Tell the Jingshifang not to come tonight."

An Shun on the side quickly responded: "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty is staying in the Qianqing Palace today because you are busy with government affairs. If so, why don't Concubine Chun Shu return to the palace with me so that she can keep you company."

When Su Jingyao heard Ling Yue mention her, she looked up at the Imperial Concubine with a little surprise.

Then she turned to look at Jun Zechen, her brows slightly furrowed, her eyes full of grievance.

Without waiting for Su Jingyao to speak, Jun Zechen responded with a frown.

"Your Highness, please go back to the palace first. I will leave Concubine Chun Shu to grind ink for me."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I'll take my leave." Ling Yue hid a jealous look under her eyelashes.

After Ling Yue finished her ceremony, she walked slowly to the entrance of the palace with heavy steps.

After she walked out of the palace gate, she looked back inadvertently as if she was unwilling to leave.

This glance made her body suddenly stiffen.

Jun Zechen actually held Su Jingyao in his arms affectionately, both of them had smiles on their faces and were laughing and joking.

That scene was so joyful!

Ling Yue's lips were bitten so hard that they almost bled. She glared at the two of them fiercely, then quickly turned around and left with stiff steps.

Su Jingyao stayed in the Qianqing Palace for another night tonight. This night, just like last night, nothing substantial happened.

Su Jingyao actually doesn't quite understand what love is, as she has never loved a man.

But whether in modern times or ancient times, her learning ability has always been outstanding.

She was not a worm in Jun Zechen's stomach, and she didn't know to what extent Jun Zechen liked her.

But she had seen all sorts of descriptions of liking and loving in modern times.

Like is a momentary heartbeat, love is a piercing heartache.

Liking is reckless and unbridled, while loving is cautious restraint.

It is easy to give up liking something, but it is absolutely hard to give up loving something.

Like is like meeting an equipble opponent, love is like admitting defeat.

Liking is appreciating the advantages, and loving is tolerating the disadvantages.

Although she doesn't understand love, she knows how to make Jun Zechen feel right.

At least Jun Zechen had felt heartbroken for her, restrained himself towards her, and was increasingly reluctant to let her suffer the slightest injustice.

But this bastard is the emperor. It is really difficult to make him bow down to you, except at certain times...

It is even more difficult to tolerate her shortcomings. If he were to understand her vicious nature, she would kill people and he would stab her. It would be a long and arduous task.

After all, Jun Zechen has always liked girls as pure as little white flowers. If she suddenly turns into a black-hearted lotus, can Jun Zechen bear it?

Would he be so angry that he would die?

Today is already the third day of investigating the poisoning case of Concubine Gui, and it is also the deadline set by the Queen Mother for her.

However, Su Jingyao felt relaxed at the moment, as she had already achieved the purpose of the Queen Mother asking her to investigate the case.

It cleared An Zhaorong's grievances and stopped Jun Zechen from acting recklessly.

As for whether Jun Zechen was dissatisfied or not, he was the one who took over the case anyway, so wouldn't he have to bear the consequences of the final investigation?

Palace of Heavenly Purity.

An Shun stood respectfully in the middle of the hall, with his head slightly lowered, his expression serious and cautious.

He began to report to Jun Zechen who was sitting on the majestic dragon chair.

"Your Majesty, I have found out that the poison was given by Qin'er, and Guo'er was actually framed by her."

"Qin'er's clothes were stained with blackhead powder, and this was confirmed by the imperial physician after a careful examination."

"The reason why I didn't check on Qin Er that day was because of the Imperial Concubine's obstruction."

When speaking An Shun, he looks straight ahead and speaks in a steady tone.

"However, Qin'er has always insisted that Ping'er was behind all of this, and even claimed that Ping'er had buried the blackhead powder under the roots of the tree yesterday."

"But after careful investigation, I found that no one had buried blackhead powder under the tree roots last night."

"Based on Qin'er's remarks, I boldly speculate that she is trying to pin the blame of poisoning Concubine Gui on Concubine Chun Shu."

As An Shun said this, he glanced upwards quietly and carefully, secretly observing His Majesty's expression.

Jun Zechen's ink-black eyes stared straight ahead, his face expressionless.

One hand was placed on the armrest, while the other hand was gently turning the ring on his hand.

He just uttered two words: "Continue."

An Shun hurriedly continued, "The servant then used some special methods to interrogate Ping'er. Ping'er said that she was only passing on news from Zhaochun Palace to Qin'er."

"She herself has never been exposed to blackhead powder and doesn't even know what blackhead powder is."

An Shun paused for a moment, as if he was organizing his next words.

Then she said, "Ping'er also said that she had told Qin'er that Your Majesty was going to take Concubine Chun Shu out of the palace on her birthday."

"Your Majesty also knows the way I interrogate people. Ping'er is telling the truth."

When Jun Zechen heard this, a cold light suddenly shot out from his eyes that seemed to be able to penetrate everything, and a cold aura spread instantly.

“Bang!”

A crisp sound echoed in the hall.

Jun Zechen suddenly swept the teacup on the table to the ground, and the fragments of the teacup flew everywhere.

An Shun's heart trembled suddenly, and he knelt down hurriedly, his voice trembling, "Your Majesty, calm down."

"Qin'er is the concubine's person?"

Jun Zechen narrowed his eyes slightly, and his voice was low and majestic, suppressing the anger that was about to burst out.

"Qin Er said she was An Zhaorong's person..."

An Shun answered reluctantly, his expression slightly helpless and a little hesitant.

After all, even he himself did not believe that Qin'er was An Zhaorong's person. After all, the imperial concubine knew all the news that Qin'er had found out from Zhaochun Palace.

Even the noble concubine has been helping to hide what Qin'er has been doing.

It is obvious that the noble concubine not only had spies in Zhaochun Palace, but also tried to kill three birds with one stone in this poisoning incident.

She wanted to stop His Majesty from taking Concubine Chun Shu out of the palace, wanted to frame An Zhaorong and Concubine Chun Shu, and even more wanted to regain His Majesty's mercy.

Jun Zechen naturally didn't believe that Qin'er was An Zhaorong's person.

In fact, he had guessed at the very beginning that all of this might have been directed and acted by Ling Yue herself.

If she just wanted to take revenge on An Zhaorong, then so be it.

An Zhaorong has always been scheming, and has been restless since entering the Eastern Palace. So take this opportunity to punish her.

But he didn't expect Ling Yue to be so unreasonable. Has Yaoyao done anything wrong to her?

Even after Yaoyao entered the East Palace in the beginning, she deliberately avoided him and kept her distance from him for Lingyue's sake.

After that, he sincerely treated her as a sister and even risked his life to save her.

Just to win favor and because of the uncontrollable jealousy in her heart, can Ling Yue resort to such unscrupulous means?

"Qin'er and Ping'er will all be executed by caning."

"Juxiang, the maidservant beside the noble concubine, recommended a palace maid with ulterior motives to the master. She will be slapped thirty times."

"Tomorrow, all executions will be carried out outside the Yikun Palace, and the noble concubine will be there to watch."

Jun Zechen's cold voice sounded slowly, without a trace of ripples, but it made people feel a chill.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

An Shun responded quickly, but he was shocked when he heard this arrangement.

Qin'er and Ping'er did deserve to be put to death. His Majesty did not punish the Imperial Concubine directly on the surface, but by carrying out the punishment in the Yikun Palace, wasn't he indirectly telling everyone in the harem that the Imperial Concubine's poisoning was actually staged and acted by her herself?

In this case, how can the imperial concubine still have any face?

Jun Zechen sighed in his heart. He had indulged Ling Yue many times. No matter what she did, even when his mother wanted to punish her, he stopped her. So was Ling Yue so unscrupulous now?

Jun Zechen doesn't mind women having the ability to protect themselves in the harem, nor does he care whether these women are scheming.

Because he doesn't care about them.

But Yaoyao and Lingyue's innocence is precious, and he wants to protect it.

But now...