Liudan Hall is relatively close to Jiangwuyuan where Concubine Xuan lives and Concubine Ruixiang’s Broken Bamboo Pavilion. Therefore, when Yun Fenghuang arrived, Concubine Xuan and Concubine Rui were already here. The first ones to arrive were Mrs. Manya and Yaoning. The two madams were sitting upright with solemn expressions.
Chunjia was standing high at the top, with a pale face that showed no trace of happiness or anger. Beneath her was kneeling Zhaoyi and Yinxiang. Because she had gotten up early to accompany the emperor for dinner, she had already dressed up, so her hair was not disheveled. However, at this moment, her makeup was also covered up. He couldn't help but hurriedly defended himself with sobs: "... I am really unjust. How can I be disadvantageous to Your Majesty?"
Concubine Xuan and Concubine Rui looked embarrassed. She looked at her and the emperor for a while. When they saw Yun Fenghuang, they were relieved. They both stood up to greet her. In her words, she wanted to pass the blame to her.
Chunjia also meant the same thing. Although Zhaoyi and Yinxiang had some bad feelings in their relationship with Concubine Xuan and Concubine Rui because of their recent series of vying for favors, after all, they had grown up together. Due to emotions and reasons, it is not suitable for Concubine Xuan and Concubine Rui to be responsible for such changes in Liudan Hall.
As for the current situation in the palace, only Yun Fenghuang can deal with it.
"I just arrived, and I don't know what happened." Yun Fenghuang didn't refuse. After sitting down, he asked, "Yin Zhaoyi, please tell me from the moment you open your eyes."
Yin Xiang glanced at her with some fear, stopped sobbing, and said with choked sobs: "This morning, I counted the time for His Majesty to get up. I got up first to change clothes and wash up. I went to the small kitchen to make porridge. I was the whole process of making porridge. I personally watched it, and tasted it twice in the meantime. My servants were all watching, and they can testify. If there was anything wrong with the porridge at that time, I must have poisoned myself first... Later I watched the porridge being cooked. I picked it up myself, put it in a food box, and brought it to the flower hall where we were dining."
"At this time, His Majesty also got up, and I went into the inner room to wait on you."
Yun Fenghuang said: "Then the food box containing the porridge is in the flower hall at this time, and no one is watching?"
"...I didn't think well enough and left no one to keep an eye on me, but there were maids guarding the entrance to the flower hall. They said...that they didn't see anyone coming or going." Yin Xiang almost cried again, twisting the handkerchief in her hands, " They both testified to each other that they did not see the other sneak in."
In this process, the current confession is that no one went in to touch the food box, but Yin Xuan helped Chun Jia clean it up and went into the flower hall to set up the meal. There were many people watching, and it seemed that there was no chance to poison.
So who did the poison in the porridge
If it really cannot be found out, Yin Xiang will definitely become the target of public criticism.
After all, who told the matter to happen on her territory? Even if she was unjustly accused, she could not deny her fault for failing to disturb the emperor.
Yin Xiang also understood this truth, and looked at Yun Fenghuang with a bit of pleading in her eyes, "I hope the wise concubine will understand everything and avenge me!"
Yun Fenghuang did not answer these words, only said: "What is the origin of the little palace maid guarding outside the small flower hall?"
"... They are all dowries for my concubine." Yin Xuan said hurriedly, "Earlier, they were all children of the Yin family. They have always been diligent and sensible, and have never lied."
The servant who still needs to be protected at this time is obviously a confidant. Of course, Yin Xiang is still young, has not suffered much, and has not yet developed a ruthless and decisive character. Therefore, although he knew that the current situation was unfavorable, he still refused to give up his car to protect his commander.
"Whether you lie or not is not something you can decide on." Yun Fenghuang glanced down at her, then turned to Chunjia and said, "Your Majesty, I request that everyone in Liu Dantang, including Yin Zhaoyi, be interrogated separately to thoroughly investigate the matter. Find out the truth!”
Chunjia's eyes were dim, and she looked around. Her eyes stopped on Yin Xuan and Yun Fenghuang respectively, and said slowly: "That's right."
Then he got up and left. After all, Xingxintang still had a lot of things waiting for him - he just left two imperial servants down so that he could check the details with the people from Liudantang.
"Sister, Sister Yin will never do this." After sending the emperor off, Concubine Xuan turned around, pulled Yun Fenghuang and whispered, "She has been taking the initiative to compete for favor these days, and it is too late to please His Majesty. How could it be possible to tamper with His Majesty's breakfast? I'm afraid someone is deliberately setting it up."
Yun Fenghuang said without comment: "Who do you think did it?"
"Didn't Sister Meng and Yuan Zhaoyuan have an argument when they arrived at the palace?" Concubine Xuan reminded, "I think the situation will be similar this time. After all, after Sister Meng's incident, although we cleaned up the palace, but that After all, the family has been in charge of the palace for three generations, and it has deep roots. How can it be so easy to eradicate the roots?"
Concubine Rui also came over and said, "Concubine Xian, Sister Yin has no heirs yet. Once your Majesty makes a mistake, her fate will be unknown! I also feel that this matter has nothing to do with her, and she must have been harmed by someone else."
"The two of us have a deep love for each other as sisters." Yun Fenghuang smiled and said leisurely as he crossed the threshold, "It's not just a day or two that Yin Zhaoyi has entered the palace, and it's not the first time that His Majesty has stayed with her..." Meals, even if they are prepared by the concubine herself, must be tasted by the servants, and she will not be unclear about this regulation."
"I heard that the waiter at the meal tasting immediately became poisoned and died."
"How could such a poison harm Your Majesty?"
"In addition, Yin Zhaoyi has nothing to do, and neither emotionally nor rationally would wish anything bad to happen to His Majesty right now."
"Do you think this is true?"
Concubine Xuan and Concubine Rui were startled when they heard this, and looked at each other with a slightly subtle expression.
They believed from the bottom of their hearts that Yin Xiang could not murder the emperor, let alone poison the porridge she made with her own hands, but when Yun Fenghuang said this... it is true that the poisoning this time was both sudden and rough.
It is basically impossible for Chunjia to fall into this trap.
So could it be that Yin Xiang directed and acted in order to create a situation in which she was murdered because she took the initiative to put aside the reserve of a noble girl to compete for favor
The second concubine subconsciously speculated that if the truth was really like this, what was Yin Yuan trying to do
Do you want to take the opportunity to eradicate someone, or do you want to win Chunjia's pity
Or both
"My Lady, these are all speculations. Why don't you ask everyone at Liudan Hall?" The second concubine calmed down, suppressed all her thoughts, raised her head and said to Yun Fenghuang, "After all, I need evidence to explain to Your Majesty. "
This virtuous concubine has an unpredictable mind, and no matter how reasonable the possibility she proposes, she must have a plan—perhaps she wants to sow discord between these concubines, who have similar backgrounds and are friends with each other
Concubine Xuan and Concubine Rui would not have a grudge against Yin Huan just because of Yun Fenghuang's empty words.
Although there had been a rift between them since Yin Xuan took the initiative to perform dances and invite favors, the two concubines both believed that they had fallen out, and after all they could not let Yun Fenghuang, who came from a poor family to sow discord, laugh at them.
This is the tacit understanding and arrogance between noble ladies.
Even though Yun Fenghuang was above them in rank, he was not regarded as someone like them.
"I think so too, but do you also want to watch together?" Yun Fenghuang knew their thoughts very well. He smiled softly after hearing the words and sat down inside. Shi Shiran asked, "That's not what you said in front of His Majesty just now. , His Majesty has also said that he knows that you have a good relationship with Yin Zhaoyi and that your family is a family friend, so he is afraid that it is inconvenient to intervene, so he has asked me to conduct a thorough investigation alone... If you stay now, I will be embarrassed. "
Concubine Xuan and Concubine Rui reluctantly resigned: "I didn't mean that. I just saw the empress walking in, so I followed her subconsciously."
After sending them away, Yun Fenghuang asked Chen Zhu to gather all the people in Liudan Hall into the courtyard. They were not allowed to speak or gesture, and in short, they were not allowed to communicate. Then he called them one by one to the side room for questioning.
This recording of the confession took a lot of time, and Yin Xiang's own confession was asked by Yun Fenghuang himself. It had many more details and traps than when it was in front of the emperor. Yin Xiang wiped her tears halfway through the questioning, She felt that Concubine Yun Xian didn't trust her. She was already frightened, so she couldn't help but break down a little: "Is there any benefit for me to harm Your Majesty?! Your Majesty is not unkind to me, so far I have nothing." Even if you are ignored by His Majesty, it is better than being a concubine! Why does the Concubine Xian not trust me?! Or does the Concubine feel that what I have done these days displeases you and wants to take advantage of the situation to eliminate me? body?!"
"Presumptuous!" Qingdu, who was waiting at the side, immediately scolded him, "How dare Concubine An talk to my mother-in-law like this!? You cooked the porridge yourself, and the waiter who tasted the meal died suddenly with His Majesty's own eyes. No matter what, you can't help it!" Abstain from the blame! My mother-in-law was ordered to thoroughly investigate the truth, but instead of answering her properly, you wanted to bite back and frame my mother-in-law. Your intentions are so despicable!"
"Moreover, my mother-in-law is a virtuous concubine, and she has two children. Jilai is the most virtuous and generous. Who are you, worthy of my mother's efforts to eradicate you?"
Yun Fenghuang waved his hand to stop Qingdu who was about to continue speaking. He glanced at Yin Xiang who was still dissatisfied and said lazily: "Yin Zhaoyi is neither the most beautiful nor the most talented nor the most talented among the three palaces and six courtyards. Your Majesty, I have no children, and my family background is not unparalleled... What qualifications do you have to let me target you? The palace is not very peaceful. Last year, before you entered the palace, A concubine who was thought to be pregnant with a male child disappeared inexplicably."
"This is also the reason why I have only come to the palace this year. When Mrs. Manya competes with Yuan Zhaoyuan for the palace, I will take advantage of the situation to rectify the situation."
"Now even His Majesty's breakfast has gone awry. Such a major incident is no longer a palace turmoil. It will definitely spread to the previous court. You thought it was still a small quarrel in the boudoir. I believe you, Xuan. Fei Ruifei said that if she believed in you, everything would be fine? Let me tell you, even if His Majesty himself says that he trusts you, it will not stop just now!"
"The civil and military officials of the previous dynasty have to give an account, the empress dowager and the empress dowager who are staying in the palace have to give an account, and the loving mother empress dowager and the holy queen dowager who are far away in the imperial palace also need to give an account!"
"You are a noble girl after all. Don't be like a country woman. When something happens, you will rush to the heaven and earth. If you don't follow your will, you will die, okay?"
Concubine Xian said coldly, "Wipe your tears and tell me what happened again!"
Yin Xiang was ridiculed by the master and the servant, but she felt calmer, mainly because she remembered the status and power of the concubine Xian in the palace, and it was indeed not necessary to target her specifically, although she had begun to compete for favor, but she had the number of bedtimes, the right to speak, and the right to have children. Someone who is not as good as a virtuous concubine.
If you want to deal with Concubine Xian, you should start with Concubine Xuan and Concubine Rui.
So even though Yun Fenghuang didn't have any preconceived intention to trust her, he didn't deliberately frame her
... On this day, Yun Fenghuang stayed in Liudan Hall until the evening, leaving a group of people to guard him. He took Qingdu and other attendants to Xingxin Hall to ask for an audience.