As usual, it was the main hall of Jiuchen Palace, but the queen was not there.
The ones who came were Concubine Shu, Concubine Wende and Ye Jun.
Yao Xiang had lived two lifetimes and was well aware of the Dark Cabinet's methods. From the beginning, he never thought he could escape.
Sure enough, as soon as he came in, he heard Yuan Jiu explain in detail what Qiwen had done.
"Your Majesty, I definitely did not instruct Qiwen to commit such a crime, but I failed to discipline my servant and I am guilty. Please punish me, Your Majesty. I have no complaints!"
After he finished speaking, he knelt down without hesitation, kowtowed, and never stood up again.
No one expected her to confess so readily, which made it difficult for them to speak.
It was also because Yao had the credit for saving the emperor, so no one dared to speak rashly. What if the emperor was grateful and protected her
Moreover, it is said that Qiwen did not say that it was Fang Xiuyi who ordered it when she was punished.
He just said that he couldn't stand the fact that both Concubine Ming and Concubine Yi were favored, while his own master had risked his life to save the emperor but was ignored, so he used this method to kill two birds with one stone.
In the end, Liuzhi changed his words before his death, also in order to muddy the waters and make the matter more difficult to investigate.
"A palace maid could do so many things right under Fang Xiuyi's nose. I don't know whether Xiuyi is really unaware or deliberately condones it." Ye Jun said lightly.
Although it was possible that the maid had done it on purpose behind her master's back, she didn't fully believe it.
But she also knew that Yao would not be dealt with easily, and the merit of saving the emperor was enough to save her life.
What's more, there is no conclusive evidence so far that it was Yao who ordered it.
Either she was very careful and didn't reveal anything, or she was really unaware of it.
Perhaps it was because Ye Jun spoke up that the eager Concubine Shu also followed suit.
"Fang Xiuyi is in a high position at a young age, so it's inevitable that she has grown up with thoughts. The Sun family is a lesson for us."
Speaking of which, Sun was a very favored concubine last year, but she fell out of favor and was demoted this year. She was also disfigured in the plague. Now she is very ill. It is said that she often suffers from joint pain. She can no longer show off her dancing skills, which she was proud of. She can only sit or lie down on weekdays.
"Your Majesty, I have only you in my heart since I entered the palace. I have given my life to you. The fetus in Concubine Yi's belly is your bloodline. How could I harm your bloodline?"
"Besides, I am already the ninth concubine. Even if Concubine Yi gives birth to a child, she may not be able to surpass me in status. This is even more true for Concubine Ming. I am in good health and not infertile. Why bother with this?"
Yao Xiang raised her head. There was a red mark on her forehead because of the heavy knock just now. It was very glaring against her snow-white skin. Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears as she looked at the man in the main seat with infatuation.
Regardless of whether she was acting or not, the affection in her eyes was definitely not fake.
And her words can also prove her point.
Xiuyi's position is already high enough, and she also has the merit of saving the emperor, so there is really no need to take action.
But Ye Jun always felt that this matter was directed at her, and it was hard to explain.
At this moment, someone outside the door came with a message, saying that the head nanny in the Imperial Concubine's palace wanted to see her.
"The Imperial Concubine doesn't need to worry about the affairs of my harem. Tell her to go back." Ning Chen frowned.
"Your Majesty, the maid only asked me to tell you that the Grand Concubine said that she did not teach her daughter well, so Fang Xiuyi could not discipline the servants, which almost caused a disaster. But Your Majesty, please spare Fang Xiuyi's life for the sake of the Yao family's loyalty."
The eunuch who delivered the message lowered his head.
Ye Jun's eyes flashed and he sneered in his heart.
These aunt and niece are really of the same mind, and they are masters at using the strategy of retreating to advance.
The Grand Concubine is the elder, and she personally pleaded for mercy, so Ning Chen had to give her some face and move out of the Yao family. Yao Xiang himself has made contributions, so there is no way he can be severely punished this time.
Although Ye Jun had expected this, he still felt uncomfortable.
"Fang Xiuyi failed to judge people and failed to employ them properly, which led to her servants plotting to murder concubines and the heir to the throne. She is to be demoted to Xiuyuan, confined to her house for three months, fined for three months' salary, and ordered to copy the palace rules a hundred times. The slave Qiwen is to be beaten to death. All those who are directly related to this incident are to be sent to serve in the Ministry of Punishment."
Ning Chen finally didn't take any drastic measures and only demoted him by one level. However, the three-month house arrest meant that Yao wouldn't be able to leave the house during the New Year.
It is quite embarrassing not to show your face at important royal banquets, but it can also be regarded as a warning.
Although he lost Qiwen, at least his loss was not as great as he had expected. Yao Xiang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, there is no such easy price in the world. Ye Jun has never been a soft-hearted person, so she will not feel easy about it.
"Your Majesty, I think that the slave Qiwen is arrogant and dares to murder the master. The servants in the harem must watch and be alert. If there is another Qiwen, the harem will be in chaos and the masters will be in a state of panic all day long."
Ning Chen glanced at her and saw that the girl's eyes were cold and stubborn.
He knew she was so angry that she wanted everyone to watch the execution.
Ning Chen was not stupid and knew that it was impossible for the Yao family to be completely unaware of this matter.
But firstly, there was insufficient evidence, and secondly, Yao and even the Yao family were now useful and meritorious, and he could not touch them, so he could not do anything to Yao.
But when he met the girl's eyes, he still stepped back.
He spoke again, "The caning will begin in half an hour. The servants in the harem must go to watch the punishment to serve as a warning to others."
Hearing this, Yao Xiang's eyelashes trembled and she clenched her fists. Only the pain of her nails piercing her palms made her control the impulse in her heart.
This matter has come to an end here.
After leaving Jiuchen Palace and waiting for the two high-ranking officials to leave, Yao Xiang stared at Ye Jun closely and gritted his teeth, "I always thought that Concubine Ming was just domineering on the surface, but I didn't expect that she was also cruel inside!"
"Xiuyi, oh no, Xiuyuan, Xiuyuan knows that I am domineering, and you should also know that I am not easy to mess with. If you do something wrong, either it will not be found out, or if it is found out, you should be punished. There is no good thing in the world that does not come at a price. If I am not cruel, I will be the one to be beaten to death today."
Ye Jun also looked at her. The murderous intent in her beautiful eyes seemed inconsistent with her charming face, but there was a hint of harmony. The aura around her was so oppressive that it made people's scalps numb.
"We are master and servant. If Xiuyuan has feelings for you, why don't you go and watch the execution? After all, she is a maid who comes with the dowry. I am tired, so I will take my leave first."
Ye Jun bowed casually and left with a sneer.
No matter what, this time the relationship between me and Yao has been exposed. I don't have to pretend to be a loving sister anymore.
I haven't performed it a few times in the first place, so as to avoid being disgusting.
Yao Xiang naturally would not go to watch the execution, but as a servant, Zizhu had to go.
Qiwen had nothing stuffed in her mouth when she was executed. As she was hit with the boards one after another, she began to cry out in pain. Finally, she had no strength left and just kept spitting out blood foam from her mouth until she was completely dead.
Seeing the sisters who grew up together being beaten to pieces and bloody, she wanted to cry but couldn't. In the end, she fainted and was carried back to Weiruixuan, where she fell ill.
Not only did a maidservant die during the dowry, but he was also demoted and confined to his room. This price was enough to make Yao Xiang feel painful for a while.
Of course, the more pain you feel, the more hatred you feel.