"In the final analysis, the question is, who put the sachet in Huanhua Palace that was stained with the juice of incense?" Empress Ji casually took a sip of tea and said, "Then I first ask Concubine Xuan, that sachet, Does it belong to someone in your palace? Who does it belong to? When did it disappear? Did I tell you? Why didn't you investigate after you found out?"
Concubine Xuan took a deep breath, calmed her mind, and said in a deep voice: "Returning to the Queen: I took a look at the sachet, and it is indeed very similar to the one I used for dowry. But who belongs to me, I also have a lot of details here. It is difficult to find out. Because last night, Sister Zhenfei sent someone to send a group of civet cats raised by Xuanqing Palace to Yanlan Palace. I thought that those civet cats were ordered by my mother, the Empress Dowager, to be released into the palace, so I did not dare to neglect them. Several servants were sent to receive it."
"Due to the busy work, the people in the palace were sweating all over, so before returning to serve me, they all went to the side hall to freshen up and change clothes. As a result, the clothes they changed were piled up and were accidentally knocked over by the palace people. The candlesticks were all burned. Among them were several sachets of this kind, and the specific number has not been counted yet... Therefore, even if someone in the palace lost the sachet, they would probably not expect to go to Huanhua Palace for a while, and would only think that it was... It burned down when the water broke out.”
Yun Fenghuang sneered: "This is really a coincidence. If there hadn't been a so-called leakage at the right time, wouldn't it be possible to find out?"
Who knows if you are guilty of committing the crime and destroying the evidence
"Sister Zhenfei is right." Concubine Xuan glanced at her with a hint of ridicule, "I asked the wet nurse to take good care of everyone around me this morning to avoid such frivolous things happening again."
You know who is guilty of committing the crime!
The two glared at each other and once again asked the Queen to make the decision in unison.
Empress Ji said: "Well, I have some idea about the sachet. Then I ask the real concubine, did the palace staff wipe the place where the sachet was found? Did the palace staff wipe it last time? Have you asked? Furthermore, from the time Concubine Xuan visited you yesterday to the time she found this sachet, how many people had the opportunity to put the sachet in? Were all the palace officials arrested and questioned separately? "
Yun Fenghuang said: "Madam, that seat is wiped every day. There was nothing there the day before. I asked about it after I found the sachet. And the relevant people have been interrogated separately, and no suspicious things have been found. .”
Concubine Xuan sneered and said, "Sister Zhenfei really trusts the people around her."
It’s not just empty talk!
"After all, I have never had any frivolous servants around me." Yun Fenghuang glanced at her and said with a half-smile, "Xuanqing Palace has never done anything right, so why don't I trust them?"
You yourself said that the people in your palace are careless, but I never said that the people around you are unhelpful!
The two glared at each other again, and asked the queen to make the decision.
Empress Ji said calmly and calmly, as if she hadn't noticed the tense situation between them, "In this case, it's clear: it has nothing to do with Concubine Xuan."
Concubine Xuan was startled and immediately said: "I would like to thank the Queen for upholding justice!"
"I dare to ask the Queen, who is responsible for murdering me?" The real concubine frowned, her tone was not good, and asked, "Or does the Queen think that I am incompetent?"
Empress Ji said calmly: "Zhenfei, when you sent the civet cat to Yanlan Palace last night, Concubine Xuan sent a close servant to deal with the matter out of respect for Empress Ji. You have always been respectful and considerate, so you sent someone When I went to see off the civet cat, was it also my close attendant who came forward?"
Yun Fenghuang said: "Yes."
"Isn't it settled then?" Queen Ji said, "Concubine Xuan visited you during the day, and you received her in the main hall. Who else is qualified to enter and exit such a place other than a close servant? If Concubine Xuan had left that dipping How could the sachet of incense juice not be tainted with the smell of your close attendants? After entertaining Concubine Xuan with you, and then going to take care of the civet cats, the civet cats would definitely become restless on the spot... But you never mentioned it from the beginning to the end. Regarding this matter, Yanlan Palace has also acquiesced that it will be fine when the civet cat is sent over."
"So it can be seen that the sachet was put into the Huanhua Hall after Concubine Xuan left, and even after Concubine Zhen, the attendant you sent to deal with the civet cats, left the main hall."
Empress Ji blew the foam from the tea bowl in front of her and asked quietly, "Is there any problem with this conjecture?"
"Your Majesty is very aware of everything, but I am beyond my reach!" Concubine Xuan raised the corner of her mouth and said softly, "My Majesty's speculation is well-founded, and anyone who is reasonable will believe it!"
The implication is that if the true concubine still has objections, she is being unreasonable.
The true concubine glanced at her and hummed: "What the Queen said is reasonable and reasonable. I just dare to ask the Queen, who is the real culprit in this matter? Why do you want to target me like this?"
There was silence in the palace for a while. Everyone felt that the real concubine was really shameless. Isn't the matter still unclear at this point
It must be the Yunfenghuang thief shouting to catch the thief!
Fortunately, she had the nerve to pester her!
Empress Ji was so good-humored that she was not angry. She thought about it seriously and said, "Zhenfei, you were planning to send all the civet cats to Yanlan Palace. If so, then even if Huanhua Palace has Xiangzhi juice, Soaking the sachet is not a big deal. After all, the sachet juice itself is harmless to humans, but it can only attract civet cats."
"In the final analysis, what caused trouble is because when the people under your command gathered the civet cats, two of them escaped, right?"
"This is because it's getting late, and the servants I sent to do this are all old people who have followed me since I entered the palace." Yun Fenghuang immediately said in alarm, "They were also at that time I planned to catch the civet cats immediately because I thought it was too late and there was no need to delay the time for the two civet cats and cause any trouble to Yanlan Palace."
Empress Ji had no intention of holding her attendant responsible, and just said kindly: "That's it. In my opinion, the real culprit behind the scenes probably knew that the two civet cats had escaped and were hiding in Xuanqing Palace. Stuffing the sachet of Xiangzhi juice into the Huanhua Palace - according to what the real concubine said, it was already late at that time, the people from the Yanlan Palace had already left, and the Xuanqing Palace was quickly locked. In this way, the real culprit was Who, the real concubine will investigate on her own after she returns, and the results will surely come out soon."
Her speculation was reasonable and reasonable. Compared with the time when Yun Fenghuang said "I was pushed into the water" and immediately took action to clean up the palace for Yuan Yuniang, now she just let Yun Fenghuang investigate the palace by himself, which was already very gentle and tolerant.
But Yun Fenghuang was still dissatisfied and frowned: "What do you mean, the concubine's concubine did this? But although the conjecture just now seems reasonable, there is no substantive evidence at all. That's it. It is too chilling to slander a palace official who works hard!"
Before anyone could speak, she added, "Furthermore, even if it was really someone from this palace who did it, why didn't you do it earlier and later, but something happened as soon as Concubine Xuan left? This is too confusing. "
"Sister Zhenfei is still doubting my identity?" Concubine Xuan glanced at her and said lightly, "It's just that my sister keeps saying that the Queen has no evidence. Do you have any evidence yourself? So far, the whole thing has been You said it alone. I haven’t questioned my sister yet, but my sister wants to question the empress who dealt with it impartially, but she is a little too messy. "
Yun Fenghuang sneered and said: "If you have never questioned me, but you still go around clamoring for justice? At such a young age, it is quite smooth to say that you do one thing and then do the other!"
"... Sister Zhenfei, please be careful what you say." Anger flashed in Xuanfei's eyes, "Is it possible that my sister suspects that she is a concubine, and I should just let you do it without saying a word?"
Yun Fenghuang said: "I have been living a good life in Xuanqing Palace and raising the emperor's heir. However, when you left, this and that happened. What? I shouldn't suspect what you did? Then how should we doubt it? Is it true that you, Concubine Xuan, are a disaster star and that there will be no peace wherever you go? Or should I just swallow my anger and bear the disaster you brought? "
Concubine Xuan took a deep breath, turned her head to the side, and stopped talking to her!
Yun Fenghuang smiled sarcastically and continued to talk to Empress Ji: "I don't dare to doubt my concubine's identity. It's just that I have been sick these days. I think she is unfamiliar with palace affairs."
This gave the queen a step up, and then continued, "As the empress said, it is clear that the real murderer is in the Huanhua Palace. The question is, wouldn't the murderer understand such a simple truth? Why would he still do this? Aren’t you just throwing yourself into a trap?”
There can't be anything wrong with her people anyway.
Even if there is a problem, it is because everyone is loyal to her in the scene of sudden death in private. Her true concubine is the one who has always been loyal and has never betrayed her!
Empress Ji stared at her for a while and said quietly: "What do you think the real concubine should do?"
"Please let the Queen make the decision!" Yun Fenghuang didn't respond and kicked the ball back.
The queen was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled, leaned back, and said softly: "I have been sick for the past few days. I feel better today, but now I have a headache... Either way, it's already getting late. , let’s go to pay our respects to our loving mother, the Queen Mother, so as not to make the Queen Mother wait for us, which would be unfilial on our part. When we come back, I will think carefully about how to deal with this matter, okay?”
Everyone looked at Yun Fenghuang, but Yunfenghuang pursed his lips, quickly calculated, and nodded: "Everyone is in agreement."
So the queen got up and led a group of concubines to Chunwu Palace.
Queen Mother Yuan had already received the news. After asking for a seat, she asked about the queen's current situation: "The Ai family has already told you that if you feel uncomfortable, just rest, why bother with these false courtesy?"
"My mother-in-law loves me so much, and my daughter-in-law understands it. It's just that today I'm a little better and a little quiet, so I just happened to come with them to see you." Empress Ji smiled and said, "I'll go back and lie down later. It doesn't matter." of."
Just hearing these words, I thought she was a loving mother-in-law and a filial daughter-in-law. The two of them exchanged pleasantries with each other. Empress Dowager Yuan looked at Yun Fenghuang: "What happened to Huanhua Palace yesterday? It was so late at night that the emperor's son was killed." I called over, but I don’t know what happened. Is this so important?”
Seeing this, all the concubines were looking at their noses and minds, acting obediently and obediently for fear of getting into trouble, and their eyes were open to gloating over misfortune.
Especially when it was so easy to bring Chun Jia back to Yuzhen Palace yesterday, Meng Youyi was waiting but was interrupted by Xuanqing Palace. The corners of her mouth were slightly raised, half-smiling, and she was quietly watching Empress Dowager Yuan lecture the restless true concubine.
Then I heard the true concubine swearing: "The Queen Mother, this matter involves the emperor's heirs. I don't dare to take charge of it, so I disturb your majesty. Please punish me!"
She dared to ask people to go to Yuzhen Palace at night to summon people. How could she not be prepared to be scolded by Empress Dowager Yuan
Anyway, the two children were raised in the side hall next to her dormitory. The civet cat found the main hall and said that it had disturbed the emperor's heirs, so there was nothing wrong with it - now the six palaces were all empty, and she was the only one raising the two emperor's heirs. It was so good. It is simply a waste to not use the precious opportunity of mother and child!
"..." As expected, such a reason was given, including Queen Mother Yuan, who was speechless. Chunjia was already this old, and she only had a son and a daughter. No one dared to say that they were unimportant.
In particular, Empress Dowager Yuan herself did not emphasize the value of money for the emperor's heir again and again.
What else can I do now
Sighing, he calmed down and said, "Well, you know that the emperor is busy with government affairs. Don't make such a fuss in the future and tire the emperor. Is it good for you?"
Without waiting for Yun Fenghuang to answer, he glanced at the queen again, "It's rare that the queen is in good spirits, so I'd better teach these concubines the rules of the house. Don't always cause trouble for one or two people, make the harem restless, and make the emperor worry. !”
Empress Ji lowered her eyebrows and responded submissively.
Queen Mother Yuan looked at it rather boredly and waved her hand to let them go.
After leaving the door, Empress Ji ordered: "Concubine Xuan and Concubine Zhen are coming with me."