Ye Jun chuckled and narrowed his eyes.
"That's right, but I have already interrogated this girl for you. She told me that she did not steal, and she also told me another important thing."
Having said this, Ye Jun deliberately paused and looked straight ahead with sharp eyes.
Yao Xiang was able to remain calm. "Shunyi must not listen to this girl's one-sided words. How can I slander a servant like her? Besides, this girl had a cough some time ago, and her throat was damaged. How could she tell Shunyi?"
"Really?" Ye Jun looked surprised and slowly walked to stand in front of Nian Wen. "But she just answered my question. You poisoned her and made her voice hoarse. Moreover, she also said that Fang Xiuyuan wanted to kill me."
For just a moment, Yao Xiang's eyes dimmed, and then returned to normal.
He smiled and said, "Shun Yi would believe that. She is just trying to make up something else to try to escape punishment for stealing."
But when she said this, Nianwen shook her head desperately.
At this point, Yao Xiang wished he could kill the man on the spot.
It was also because of her negligence that Nianwen took the thing and ran away, but fortunately, the thing was snatched away.
Otherwise, it would be difficult to excuse myself if I were found out.
"Look, this girl still refuses to admit it. I'm curious about what imperial gift she stole. Why can't I find it on her now?" Ye Jun said with a smile.
Yao Xiang pursed her lips, "She stole my gilded peacock hairpin, which was given to me by the Emperor when the Third Princess was one year old. I haven't found it yet, so maybe she left it somewhere while running away. If Shunyi doesn't believe me, you can send someone to look for it."
Although he knew that Yao Xiang must have been prepared when he said this, Ye Jun still cooperated and asked someone to go find him.
During this gap, the imperial physician who had just been invited arrived.
"What does Ming Shunyi mean?" Yao Xiang's pupils shrank and he looked a little nervous.
The imperial physician has arrived and will definitely be able to tell what’s wrong with Nianwen’s throat.
When Ye Jun saw her reaction, he felt more confident.
"It's nothing. I just wanted to show this girl her throat. Since she said Fang Xiuyuan wanted to kill me, I have to find out the truth. There is no such thing as a wall without air holes. You can't just say something like that for no reason."
After he finished speaking, he didn't give Yao Xiang a chance to say anything more and asked the imperial physician to check Nianwen's throat.
Sure enough, the conclusion was reached that he was poisoned and became mute.
Ye Jun's expression immediately turned cold, "Fang Xiuyuan, how do you want to explain this? Didn't you just say that her voice was hoarse due to illness?!"
"As far as I know, she is mute due to illness. As for why she became mute due to poison after coming to Ming Shunyi, I have no idea at all!" Yao Xiang raised her chin, her eyes sharp.
It was obvious that he had already thought of this excuse in advance.
At this moment, Nianwen suddenly tore open her outer coat, revealing the white undershirt underneath. There was a ball of light red powder near her chest.
She wiped it with her hand and then stretched it in front of the imperial physician, as if she wanted the imperial physician to ask her some questions.
Ye Jun winked at the imperial physician.
The latter leaned close to Nianwen's hand and smelled it, and his expression changed immediately.
"Shun Yi, this smells like safflower. Even though there is less powder, the smell is unmistakable."
Ye Jun immediately turned around and asked sternly, "Fang Xiuyuan, how do you explain this? You said she stole the gift from the emperor, but you found safflower powder on her. Nianwen is someone in your palace, your personal maid, why did she have this thing on her? Shouldn't you explain it properly?"
"It's still what I said before. I have no idea why she has these things on her. This girl has been staying with Shunyi for quite a while. Shunyi, please don't slander me!" Yao Xiang retorted.
Anyway, I will never admit it even if you kill me.
"Okay, then let's search the palace!" Ye Jun's beautiful eyes flashed and she spoke directly.
"You and I are both concubines, why do you search my palace?"
"Then pass on my order to search the palace!"
As the two were confronting each other, Ning Chen's voice was finally heard from outside the door.
Yao Xiang's expression froze visibly for a moment.
The two of them hurriedly saluted.
Ning Chen strode in, glanced at the inner room, saw Nian Wen with wounds all over her face and dirty body, then looked at the eunuchs tied up beside her, and his face darkened.
"Your Majesty, it's late at night and the Third Princess is asleep. It's not that I feel guilty, but it would be bad if the people searching the palace startled the child. If Your Majesty and Ming Shunyi insist on suspecting me, then send someone tomorrow morning."
Yao Xiang knelt down with red eyes, looking very aggrieved.
She glanced at Ye Jun, then lowered her eyes and started crying.
"Ming Shunyi suspected me because of a few words from that maid. I dare not cry out for injustice, but I beg the emperor to have some mercy on the third princess."
Ye Jun felt really disgusted by her behavior, frowned slightly, and said.
"Fang Xiuyuan just suspected me and slandered me. Your Majesty knows my character. If there is no result today, I will not be able to sleep or eat. I am willing to accept the palace search with Fang Xiuyuan. If you are worried about the child, then just skip the child's residence."
When she said this, Yao Xiang, who had his head down, moved his eyes slightly.
"Since Ming Shunyi insists on doing so, I am willing to accept the search according to Ming Shunyi's instructions."
Ning Chen's eyes darkened, he looked at Ye Jun and waved his hand.
"Yuan Jiu, take your men to check Jiao Tang Garden. Huai An, take your men to check Ting Lan Garden. Remember, don't disturb the princess and the prince."
As he said this, Ning Chen's gaze swept over Yao Xiang, he narrowed his eyes slightly, and turned the jade ring on his hand.
Yuan Jiu glanced at the emperor silently, then went out with Huai'an.
What follows is anxious waiting.
However, Yao Xiang and Ye Jun both had the same indifferent expression, and it was hard to tell who the one with the problem was.
Yao Xiang was not panicked. Although she had things in her palace, they were placed in places that people who searched the palace would not go to.
After searching the palace, the emperor's doubts about her should be dispelled.
She was even prepared to cry and complain in front of the emperor. After all, it was Ye Jun who forced her to search the palace.
This is very humiliating.
However, half an hour later, Huai'an came back with his men, pushed the door open and handed over a red tray with several things on it.
In an instant, Yao Xiang's face suddenly turned as pale as paper.
"Your Majesty, the imperial physician has examined them. These are safflower, musk, strychnos nux vomica, and mute medicine."
As Huai'an called out the names one by one, Yao Xiang's blood began to run colder.
After just a moment, she immediately knelt down.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am wronged. It is impossible for me to hide these things. Someone must have wronged me. It is Ming Shunyi. She and Nianwen must have teamed up to frame me for all the abnormal things I have seen today. Your Majesty, you must believe me!"