Chapter 116 The Emperor is Here
"No!" Xu Lanshan said, "Your Majesty, I am wise. I am now a Zhaoyi, and Suying is just a maid in the laundry department. Song has long been banished to the cold palace. Neither she nor Suying will pose any threat to me anymore. Why should I kill her? What good will it do me to kill her? Everyone knows that she and I have an old grudge and that she came to see me last night. If she dies, I will be the biggest suspect. Why should I get involved in such a matter? Whoever killed her couldn't be me!"
Queen: "This is your family's opinion. You are indeed the most suspicious."
"The Empress would think so, and so would everyone else, myself included. That's why I wouldn't do such a thing. Wouldn't that just bring trouble upon myself? I'm not exactly smart, but I'm not that stupid either."
"So, do you have any evidence?"
Xu Lanshan smiled bitterly and shook her head: "I don't have any. Everyone in my palace can testify, but this is probably not the kind of evidence Your Majesty wants."
"I'm glad you know!" the Queen sighed. "If there's no evidence, and you're the most suspected person, this matter will have to be handed over to the Ministry of Punishment for a thorough investigation."
Xu Lanshan was filled with awe: "Empress! I am upright and have nothing to fear from my own shadow, but I only ask that you do not force me to confess."
She was a Zhaoyi, and unless the emperor issued an order, even the empress had no power to do anything to her. The Ministry of Punishment did not dare to detain her, and could only place her under house arrest for questioning. However, the situation was different for the maids and eunuchs serving in Lianyi Palace.
The Ministry of Punishment will not be polite when dealing with them.
If Concubine Lian had someone do something or say a few more words, there was no telling what the people from the Ministry of Punishment would do.
No matter how loyal Nanny An, Yuchan, Yujuan, and Xiaofuzi are to me, who knows if they can hold back from making false accusations under severe punishment?
Xu Lanshan is not that confident.
The master-servant relationship between her and them hasn't reached that level yet.
The Queen naturally understood the trick here, and she knew that it was not just Concubine Lian. There would be many people who would want to make a move at that time.
"I will instruct the Ministry of Punishment to conduct a thorough investigation."
Xu Lanshan was stunned and felt powerless.
This matter is impossible to explain clearly. She is a suspect, but has no evidence to prove her innocence. It is a good thing that the Queen did not allow Concubine Lian to force her to confess on the spot. What else can be done?
You can't just let her go based on her few words, right?
But once the Ministry of Punishment intervenes...
Xu Lanshan felt that the result might not be what she wanted.
"Hmph!" Concubine Lian sneered at her, her eyes gleaming with excitement. Clearly, Concubine Lian had already figured out how to attack her people!
Concubine Lian urged, "Empress, since Concubine Chen herself can't explain it clearly, why not ask the Ministry of Punishment for help? Human life is at stake, so the sooner the truth is revealed, the better, to avoid further rumors and suspicions in the harem."
Yu Fei and Shu Fei also expressed the same opinion. "This matter really should not be delayed, otherwise people will panic and it will not be appropriate." "Yes, after all, this is not a trivial matter!"
The queen sighed inwardly, what a pity, even if she wanted to keep this chess piece, she probably couldn't.
It’s hard to say what the outcome will be once it reaches the Ministry of Punishment.
"Madam Yan, send someone to inform the Chief of the Ministry of Punishment, Lu."
"yes."
Lian Fei almost laughed out loud, and she looked at Xu Lanshan as if she was looking at a dead person.
Once you enter the Ministry of Punishment, there is a lot of room for maneuver, no matter what it looks like on the surface or in reality. That bitch Xu Lanshan is doomed this time!
No, she won’t die. I won’t let her die so easily. It’s too easy for her. I must let her experience what it means to live a life worse than death!
Nanny Yan was about to go down to give instructions when Emperor Yuan Yong arrived at Fengwu Palace, "The Emperor has arrived!"
The concubines were startled and quickly stood up to welcome the emperor.
"Why is the emperor here?"
Intentionally or unintentionally, everyone's eyes fell on Xu Lanshan.
Xu Lanshan herself was a little stunned, but she was not as confident as them - who knew if they were here to save her or to step on her?
The bright yellow figure was tall and slender. The young emperor had a stern expression. He glanced down at everyone from a high position, walked straight forward, and after sitting down, he said lightly: "Everyone, stand up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Please take a seat."
"yes."
The Queen and the other concubines sat down. She smiled and said, "I didn't expect the Emperor to come. Is he here because of Su Ying's death? I had originally planned to report to the Emperor after this matter was resolved."
Emperor Yuan Yong glanced at her calmly, his eyes devoid of any emotion. "Before, the Empress managed the six palaces on her own, so perhaps there were things she couldn't control. But now that Concubine Yu and Concubine Shu are assisting, why are there still mistakes? Su Ying? She was just a maid in the laundry department, who allowed her to escape? Such a grown-up person was running around the palace at will, and the Empress, Concubine Yu, and Concubine Shu didn't know either. No one asked, no one cared, and until she died, you can't wait, huh!"
The Queen, Yu Fei, and Shu Fei hurriedly stood up and said, "I have failed in my duty."
The other concubines also hurriedly stood up, not daring to breathe. "What does the emperor mean by this? It seems like he's favoring Concubine Chen..."
If this is true, isn't Concubine Chen's luck too good?
Xu Lanshan herself was a little confused. Was the scumbag emperor really here to save her?
Emperor Yuan Yong said coldly, "Since you know you have neglected your duties, you should be punished. The Empress, Consort Yu, and Consort Shu will each have their salaries deducted for half a year, and no rewards will be given."
The queen and the other two had hot feelings on their faces, but the emperor's words were golden, and looking at his angry expression, who would dare to go against him?
I can only express my gratitude honestly.
As for salaries, they actually didn't care at all. How much could half a year's salary be? It really wasn't a big deal! But rewards were all from the emperor's grace. If they didn't give them when they could, it would be a bit embarrassing.
Moreover, any rewards bestowed by the Emperor during festivals or other occasions are extremely valuable! They are much more valuable than half a year's salary.
Besides, this is a punishment!
Not only did you lose the benefits, but you also lost your face.
A palace maid ran away from the laundry department. This kind of thing can be a big deal or a small matter. In fact, it is nothing at all. The emperor is clearly deliberately using this as an excuse to make a fuss. After all, he is still protecting Concubine Chen...
The Queen's face was as gloomy as water, and it was unknown what she was thinking. Concubine Shu looked guilty, as if she was ashamed of being punished, while Concubine Yu's eyes were almost red. This was too unfair!
She had just snatched the emperor away from Chen Zhaoyi yesterday, and the emperor followed her. She was very happy in her heart, thinking that the emperor was really tired of Chen Zhaoyi and no longer cared about her.
However, the Emperor did not stay in her Baohe Palace last night, and today he supported Concubine Chen in front of so many people -
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