"Since you said that I ordered you to do so, then tell me in detail how I ordered you to do so."
Ye Jun had already recognized that this was the nanny who had given her Oncidium two days ago. She was staring at her coldly, her eyes as sharp as a sword.
The old woman shuddered and spoke with a trembling voice.
"That day, when I went to deliver flowers to Lady Ye, Lady Ye gave me a purse with a hundred taels of silver in it. I was in the flower room and often went out of the palace to buy fresh things. She ordered me to find musk, dissolve it in water, and use a brush to brush it outside the flower pot. Then she selected flower seeds that were suitable for indoor cultivation and put them in the pot. She sent it to Yi Wanrong. She said that this would be done secretly and would definitely not be discovered. As long as it was done, she would find a way to send me out of the palace to retire and protect the lives of my family."
"Okay, then tell me who was the one who gave you the silver that day. My two girls are here today, please identify them."
Ye Jun slightly turned sideways and called Huiyue and Nanzhi to come forward.
The nanny squinted her eyes and looked at him for a while, then pointed at Nan Zhi and said, "It's her!"
"Nonsense, when the beauty was sick that day, I was clearly in the small kitchen boiling medicine, and I didn't see you at all!" Nan Zhi said angrily.
"Then, that's her, there's no doubt about it."
The old woman was frightened by the yelling and started to panic, pointing at Huiyue again.
Huiyue snorted coldly, "I think you are blind. I have been supporting the beauty the whole time. When have I had time to give you money?"
The old woman trembled, her face visibly pale, "I am old, so it is possible that I forgot for a moment, but the purse is correct, it is Miss Ye's purse!"
"It's strange that you could forget such an important thing." Concubine Wang interrupted.
Concubine Shu couldn't help but speak up, "These palace maids have the same hair buns and wear the same palace clothes. Even if I have seen them many times, I can't tell them apart. How can this old woman remember them? These few words are too weak to be used as evidence."
"I am still asking questions, but just as I started, Your Majesty Shufei was so eager to put the blame on me. You are so anxious, are you trying to frame me?" Ye Jun glanced over with a sharp look.
Concubine Shu was out of breath, "Stop slandering me, Ye!"
"That's enough!" Ning Chen threw the teacup in his hand to the ground. "Yan, if you say anything more, get out of here!"
Shufei was frightened when she was called by her surname, and she shrank back with a stiff face.
After Ning Chen's words, the concubines who originally wanted to intervene gave up, fearing that they would be affected by his anger.
Ye Jun turned to the old woman again, "Then let me ask you a second question. You said that you got musk from outside. This thing is not available everywhere. It is only available in large pharmacies or spice shops or on the black market. There are only a few of these places in Kyoto. Tell me where this thing came from, how much you bought, and how much money you spent."
The old woman became nervous and stammered, unable to speak.
"Why, you forgot again?" Ye Jun sneered, "Or did you ask someone to buy this thing?"
"Yes, yes, I asked someone to buy it for me. I don't know where I bought it from. I asked someone to buy it for ten coins. It cost me a lot of money..."
As soon as the old woman said this, she realized that she had been lured into a trap and regretted it so much that she wanted to bite her tongue.
But Ye Jun didn't give her any chance and pressed her again, "Who did he ask for help, what's his name, and where did he buy it? If you don't tell me something, or if what you say is different from what you found out, then it will be bad. You'd better think carefully!"
"Lady Ye, just admit it. Even if you force me to death, it won't change the fact that you are plotting to murder the heir to the throne!"
The old woman who was unable to answer suddenly resisted vigorously, broke free from the two eunuchs who were escorting her, and rushed towards Ye Jun.
Ye Jun couldn't avoid it and was knocked to the ground. The scene suddenly became chaotic. The old woman quickly got up and crashed into the pillar behind her.
Huiyue was quick-witted and quick-handed, and she hugged the man with all her might. They both fell to the ground and rolled several times. The two eunuchs behind them hurried forward and held the man down again.
At this point, everyone present could see that this woman's words were inconsistent and full of loopholes, and it was definitely a frame-up.
"Take this cunning slave away, torture him severely and interrogate him thoroughly. He dared to murder the royal heir and frame the concubines. He should be put to death!" Ning Chen growled in a low voice, his eyes frighteningly gloomy.
Yuan Jiu responded, and to prevent the old woman from biting her tongue to commit suicide, he removed her jaw before dragging her away.
The field became quiet. Ye Jun had been hit hard just now, and he had to ask Nan Zhi and Hui Yue to support him on both sides, and he was a little unsteady on his feet.
The Queen hurriedly said, "Hurry up and give Lady Ye a seat. You have been wronged this time. I am sorry for what you have done."
"I won't mention the grievances. I am just angry. It is true that I am arrogant and ostentatious, but I am not a vicious and stupid person. In just a few months since I entered the palace, two cases of murdering the royal heirs have been framed on me. You in the harem, do you think I am weak and can be bullied just because I don't have a father?"
Ye Jun felt pain and anger, and felt a little aggrieved. She held back tears and stared at Ning Chen.
"Your Majesty, my father sacrificed his life for the country and was loyal all his life. Although I am not as good as him, I have never forgotten his teachings. Even if I were to ask someone to put a knife to my neck today, I would never do anything that would harm the world or hurt Your Majesty!"
"It's my fault this time. I shouldn't have doubted you. You've been wronged." Ning Chen's voice was low, and the emotions in his eyes were very complicated. There was a hint of guilt, but more was hard to guess. "Lady Ye is an upright person, and you are also beautiful, as bright as the clouds and jade. I will give you the title of Ming."
Ye Jun lowered her eyes slightly, and a tear fell, slid across her fair chin, hit the ground, and fell into Ning Chen's eyes, which made his heart tighten, and the hands in his sleeves couldn't help but clench a little.
The queen hid the strange look in her eyes and smiled to smooth things over, "Ming is indeed the best title."
"Yes, congratulations, Miss Ming." Concubine Wang smiled, holding her belly.
"I thank the emperor for his grace." Ye Jun bowed her head like a wounded cat, and her voice sounded exhausted.
After the storm, just when everyone was relieved, Concubine Jing suddenly spoke.
"Yi Wanrong said she was almost two months pregnant, how come no one noticed it? Now something like this has happened, it's really a blessing that has been lost before the celebration. The person in charge of recording the Tongshi was too careless. If the Empress had known about it and taken better care of it, this would not have happened."
After these words were spoken, the queen's face turned unhappy.
The time when the women in the harem sleep with the emperor and have their menstrual periods is carefully recorded and given to the empress for review every month.
But no one discovered what happened to Yi Wanrong, which meant that the Queen had failed in her duty.
"Your Majesty, I am indeed responsible for this matter. I hope Your Majesty will give me a chance to make amends. I will investigate this matter myself, find out the real culprit, and give Yi Wanrong an explanation!" The Queen immediately stood up.
Ning Chen glanced at her and was indeed a little disappointed with the Queen on this matter.
After all, Mrs. Wu was an important person. It would be unreasonable for her to lose her child without giving an explanation to the Wu family.
"Then I'll leave this matter to you. Don't make any more mistakes."
"I obey your order!"