Hong Ling's sudden death soon reached Li Wei's ears. Li Wei immediately ordered people to block the news. She didn't want more people to know about it. The more people knew about it, the worse it would be.
Hong Ling chose to hang herself. It seemed that she could not escape the involvement in the murder of the emperor. How could she, a small palace maid of Hanyuan Palace, plot to murder the emperor of the dynasty? What she was risking was the lives of her own family. Besides, even if she succeeds and doesn't need to be exposed, what will happen? Can she still be the emperor
Logically speaking, it is obviously untenable. There must be an instigator behind this. Next, it’s time to investigate Hongling’s relationship network.
The former Wan Su and the current Hong Ling both have similarities with Li Wei. The first thing Li Wei thought of was Hong Ling's godfather, and he immediately asked someone to remove him from his position as the manager of the imperial kitchen and wait for further questioning.
Then they started to investigate the relevant personnel related to Hongling. This is a huge network of relationships and cannot be fully investigated in a day or two.
Just when Li Wei was extremely busy and restless day and night, Princess Dun came to greet her with Fukang.
If someone else, Li Weizhen, disappeared, but Princess Dun was different from others, so Li Wei still invited her to come in and sit for a while.
"Queen Mother, you are busy."
"Yeah, I've been a little busy recently." Li Wei said and glanced at Fukang in front of him. Fukang's face was white and there was no blood at all. When I saw Fukang, I would always think of Li Guang, so I asked with concern: "How about Xiaoliu coming in?"
Concubine Dun replied with a smile: "He is not bad, he has become a lot stronger."
Li Wei said happily: "That's good."
Concubine Dun stood in front of her for a while and suddenly asked: "Queen Mother, did something happen in the palace last night?"
Li Wei hesitated for a moment, then said: "A maid who served the emperor before hanged herself."
After hearing this, Princess Dun was all surprised and said: "Okay, what's going on?"
"Perhaps he has a guilty conscience." Li Wei said lightly.
Princess Dun held her son in her hands, her expression was dull for a while, and she didn't know what she was thinking. After a long while, she bent down and said a few words to Fukang, and then asked someone to take Fukang down.
"Your Majesty, I have something I want to talk to you about."
Li Wei glanced at her in surprise and said without knowing what was going on: "It's a little busy here. If it's not something important, you can come back to discuss it with me another day."
Concubine Dun said: "No, it is a very important matter."
Li Wei finally put down the record book in his hand, sat upright, ordered someone to serve tea to Princess Dun, and had the door closed, leaving Princess Dun alone.
Concubine Dun became more and more uneasy. What she was going to say next could turn the entire palace upside down.
"Your Majesty, you have been investigating the real cause of the Emperor's death in recent days, right?"
"Yes." Li Wei had nothing to hide from her. She then asked, "Did you discover something?"
Princess Dun immediately knelt down in front of Li Wei, and the first sentence she spoke was the sentence that Li Wei had heard so many times these days: "I am guilty."
"Crime? What crime have you committed?" Li Wei looked at her probingly.
"In the previous incident involving King Shu, I knew some information in advance, but I never told the truth."
"Oh? Are you talking about Concubine Qi and the King of Shu? Concubine Qi is dead, and so is the King of Shu. They have all met their own fate. The conclusion has been sealed, what else is there to say."
"The Queen Mother... there was another person involved in this matter."
Li Wei was shocked and asked hurriedly: "What did you say, there is someone else? Who is that?"
Concubine Dun bit her lip and said with difficulty, "It's Concubine Jinggui."
Li Wei stood up immediately, and she asked again as if she didn't believe it: "Is everything you said true?"
"Absolutely true."
"Wanwan, let me ask you, what evidence do you have to prove that the noble concubine was involved in that matter?"
Princess Dun said hurriedly: "I heard their discussion with my own ears, and I can testify."
Concubine Dun is willing to be a witness, so that means it is true? But that's not right. Li Wei immediately asked: "Since you heard something with your own ears, let me ask you, why didn't you tell me the situation at that time?"
Concubine Dun trembled and said, "I am afraid."
Li Wei found it funny: "Afraid? What nonsense. Even if she, a noble concubine, can cover the sky with one hand, how can she get past me? I am the empress dowager who was personally named in the late emperor's decree. No matter how cowardly and incompetent she is, how can she still protect her?" I can’t help you. Besides, we have been very close to each other over the years, and yet you kept it secret from me when something so big happened. Don’t you really know that I was almost killed by them?”
"So I am guilty, and I can't forgive you. I have been holding these words in my heart for so long, and I am unhappy if I don't say them out. Please give me a clear warning."
"Mingjian, how can you tell me how to tell the truth now that we have come to this point? It can be seen that the good relationship between you and me in the past was all fake, and any talk of sisterhood and one heart and one mind was also fake." Even sisters in the deep palace sometimes fall out. , let alone such a pure friendship, it really means that the boat will capsize.
"Your Majesty, I deserve to die for my crime, but I am willing to come forward and point out your crimes. Please give me a chance to atone for my sins."
It seems that Princess Dun is determined to unseat Princess Jinggui. If her testimony is effective, then Prince Ping's succession will be greatly affected.
Could it be that Concubine Dun's true intention was for the throne? She had a biological son. Li Wei had already figured out Princess Dun's intention, otherwise how could she explain that she didn't mention the incident at the time but brought it up at this critical juncture.
Li Wei gave Princess Dun this opportunity and promised her: "Okay, I can arrange this."
At that moment, Li Wei invited the concubines, concubines, princesses in Beijing, princesses, and concubines of the feudal lord into Chongqing Palace. When these people got together, they thought they were going to discuss the throne.
Before that, most people still stood by King Ping who was the most promising.
Li Wei changed into a plain suit of azurite, put on a dark bun, and inserted a peach wood hairpin.
The invited people had already arrived at the main hall and sat down, waiting quietly for the Queen Mother to appear.
Li Wei changed her clothes and finished dressing up. Lan Hui and Qingxiang helped each other and then went to the main hall.
The main hall was crowded with people, whispering, and then fell silent again the moment Li Wei appeared.
Li Wei looked straight ahead and walked towards the throne. When she ascended the throne, a group of ladies, both inside and outside, saluted Li Wei.
Li Wei said "Excuse me", and then said "I'll give you a seat", and everyone returned to their seats.
She glanced around and informed everyone who could be informed. Except for one or two who were absent, everyone else had arrived.
"It's hard work for everyone to make this trip, and it's not easy to gather you all together. I have brought you all together today because I have something to tell you."
As soon as Li Wei finished speaking, someone was coming towards the main hall. The person who came was none other than Princess Dun.
(End of chapter)