"...After I entered the door, I saw the young father-in-law. When I saw him walking towards me, I was so anxious that I had to lie to him and say I was my mother-in-law. The young father-in-law missed his mother, so he really admitted it."

If Xue Qingyin said this seriously, she could be cleared of suspicion.

It’s not that she wants to plot against the Duke’s mansion!

"I wonder how Miss Xue escaped? According to Miss Xue, the door was locked and could not be pushed open, and she was trapped in a place where no one would go. But with Miss Xue's delicate body, she was able to escape safely.

Escape and report the matter to Princess Jinque...and ask Miss Xue to help me clear up my doubts." Concubine Wan's voice was unhurried.

Obviously, she didn't pay attention to the drama of the confrontation in the court at all, and even appeared to be relaxed and calm.

This question...Xue Qingyin wrinkled her nose.

It is inevitable to talk about King Xuan.

But King Xuan may not want to get involved...

And once we talk about King Xuan, we have to mention why King Xuan knew that she was missing, and brought up the fact that they were sitting together playing chess before.

Lin Linzongzong, if you talk too much, doesn't it sound like she has an affair with King Xuan?

The fact that the official is marrying Prince Xuan and being said to be having an affair are completely different things.

The former requires an appointment with a matchmaker, while the latter... can easily be killed.

After all, it would ruin the reputation of His Highness King Xuan.

Just when Xue Qingyin hesitated...

Concubine Wan smiled again.

It turns out that there is something really fishy about this that I can’t explain, right?

Concubine Wan sighed: "I'm afraid the princess already knows where Miss Xue is..."

Princess Jinque said angrily: "Do you mean to slander Miss Xue for cooperating with me in a play?"

"I didn't say that just now." Concubine Wan frowned and sighed softly, saying: "Why does the princess always misinterpret my meaning? Just like back then..."

Before Concubine Wan finished speaking, Princess Jinque was furious and overturned the table.

The nobleman on the throne said in a deep voice: "Golden Bird."

I guess I don't like her being so gloomy.

At this time, a cold voice sounded unhurriedly: "It's my king."

Concubine Wan was startled and tightened the handkerchief in her hand.

"Miss Xue was weak and could not play chess, so Jinque left her to play chess with me. It happened that the deputy general came to report military affairs. The maid named 'Hongzhu' came to lead Miss Xue away. I

That's when I realized something was wrong." King Xuan's voice was neither fast nor slow, without a trace of emotion.

If it falls into the ears of others, it will naturally not sound biased at all.

"I see." The nobleman pondered for a moment, and then whispered: "There must be something wrong with this palace maid being so rude! King Xuan naturally deduced where Miss Xue was taken."

Duke Zhao's voice was slightly cold: "Yes, which palace maid saw that King Xuan was here and dared to take someone away without asking a question?"

Concubine Wan pinched the handkerchief harder.

I see……

She asked, how could things be revealed so quickly?

It turned out that King Xuan was involved.

No wonder Princess Jinque feels more confident when speaking today!

Concubine Wan immediately showed curiosity and said softly: "His Royal Highness King Xuan has a compassionate heart and takes good care of Miss Xue."

These words immediately attracted everyone's attention to the relationship between King Xuan and Xue Qingyin.

Xue Qingyin said quickly: "This is what a gentleman did. If His Highness the King of Wei were passing by there, he would definitely find a way to rescue me."

Concubine Wan fell silent for a moment.

She turned the personal relationship into a gentleman's behavior at once, and if she continued to entangle her, she would be downgraded.

The noble man said solemnly: "Yes, any gentleman will try to help him when seeing such a situation. But I don't know who it is. He used such vicious methods to not only harm the son of Duke Zhao, but also to drag Princess Jinque into trouble, and almost killed Shilang Xue.

's daughter."

Princess Jinque couldn't help but said: "Didn't my palace maid Hongzhu make it very clear? The one who gave her instructions was a domestic slave of the Xu family. The Xu family is the natal family of Concubine Wan. I think if Concubine Wan nods

,How can the Xu family be so bold?"

Xue Qingyin felt that she was not very smart, but she also felt that Princess Jinque was too impatient.

In comparison, Concubine Wan is as stable as Mount Tai.

Princess Jinfeng naturally fell behind.

Concubine Wan shook her head and said: "After all, Princess Jinque still can't produce any evidence today. I would like to ask the Holy One to issue an order to trace my natal family, starting with that slave, to the end..."

Xue Qingyin secretly pouted.

This is an old trick used by those in high positions.

When you set out to do something, you must have found a scapegoat early on.

"The imperial concubine's mother-in-law's behavior is really arrogant. Did they have a fight with people from Zhongyong's Mansion at Ruixiang Bridge last month?" the nobleman said suddenly.

Following him, he vaguely looked at the figure who looked like a eunuch, and whispered in agreement: "That's what happened. Could it be that the Xu Mansion also had a quarrel with the Zhao Guogong Mansion? In addition, Princess Jinque and the Imperial Concubine

Your Majesty also has many misunderstandings..."

The noble man nodded: "You deserve to be punished."

Princess Jinque suddenly lost her temper. She lowered her head and could no longer see the expression on her face clearly.

Nothing more was said for a while.

Concubine Wan of the Xiang Dynasty said sadly: "I dare not plead for them. If they are punished severely, things will get better in the future. This will just change the arrogant habit of the people in the family."

"Well..." The nobleman paused and whispered: "The Xu family relied on the emperor's favor and indulged their servants. Xu Jiawei was punished. Xu Jiazhi was given a year's salary, the Xu family's palace card was taken back, and the Xu family's children were not allowed to enter the East Palace again.

Read. The imperial concubines are members of the Xu family, so they are jointly and severally responsible. So they were fined with a year's salary and a three-month ban."

Sounds like a severe penalty?

But Xue Qingyin looked at Duke Zhao's face, Princess Jinque's silent look, and then at Concubine Wan's steady figure behind the screen...

It can be seen that this kind of punishment did not hurt her foundation at all.

"As for the palace maid Hongzhu, now that we have found out who the messenger is... if she dares to betray her master, she will be hanged. Anyone in the Xu family who is found to be related to this matter will be punished with a stick." The noble man continued.

A hundred sticks...

In other words, one hundred strokes of the imperial staff?

Doesn't the meat have to be smashed?

Xue Qingyin felt chills running down her spine when she heard this. Only then did she feel like she was facing the reality of imperial power.

The lives and deaths of several people were dealt with in an understatement.

But the real culprit is sitting there.

Concubine Wan said hurriedly: "If you make such a big mistake, I will definitely send a message to urge everyone in the Xu family to come to Duke Zhao as soon as possible to bring gifts and apologize."

Duke Zhao couldn't suppress his anger and snorted coldly: "I, Duke Zhao, don't care about those foreign objects. And my son is a man. Speaking of this, it is the girl from the Xue family who is more unlucky."

The noble man then agreed in a low voice: "Yes... The Xu Mansion should also compensate the Xue family girl."

Concubine Wan said: "Yes."

Zhao Guogong asked again: "How does the imperial concubine plan to compensate?"

This can be regarded as asking for something for Xue Qingyin.

Duke Zhao didn't have a good impression of Xue Qingyin at first. He only thought that she had joined forces with others to plot against Duke Zhao's house. But now things are clear...

Zhao Guogong saw that she was not very old anymore, and she stood there obediently.

After all, she is also someone else’s beloved daughter...

It's really pitiful to be involved in such a thing for nothing.

Concubine Wan took a deep breath, she didn't expect Duke Zhao to be so nosy.

In this case...

Concubine Wan suddenly laughed: "The Xu family has some wealth, so I will send two pieces of silver and cloth to the Xue Mansion. If I just send these things to my door for nothing, it will inevitably make outsiders comment."

"What your concubine means is..." Want to default on your debt?

Zhao Guogong was unable to say the last half of his sentence.

Concubine Wan followed up and said to the nobleman: "You don't know something, but the King of Wei actually has some friendship with the Xue family. The Xue Ning girl's brother, Xue Ning, is very close to the King of Wei.

Writing poems and essays. Such a friendship was almost ruined by a few idiots in the Xu family."

Concubine Wan's words were still clearing her from suspicion.

Tell everyone clearly——

We had a very good relationship with the Xue Mansion, but this was all caused by idiots who disrupted the situation.

But for a character with a dark heart like Concubine Wan, can it be as simple as clearing her name?

As expected.

She followed up and said: "My eldest brother has a son who was studying in the East Palace and is now going to attend the Spring Festival. He is the most outstanding person of his generation. So I made the decision to marry a girl from the Xue family for him.

To turn bad things into happy events, the Xu family is willing to use gold as a retainer and silk as a matchmaker. In the future, all the good things the Xu family will have will belong to the Xue family girl. Isn't this just and the most appropriate compensation?"

Xue Qingyin: "..."

You know how to compensate.
Chapter completed!