Cen Yunchu glanced at the roster and memorized the names of the people on it and their respective positions.
"Cen Zhaoyi, if we finish asking more than a hundred people, how long will it take?" the queen said, "Wouldn't it delay all the sacrifices?"
Everyone present also felt that even if someone had tampered with this matter, it would not be clear for a while.
There were so many people here, not only did people clean the altar, but they also placed offerings, replenished the lamp oil, and did other chores.
Secondly, if someone puts ice cubes on top, it will be difficult to detect.
Moreover, it is difficult to find proof. The weather is hot now, and all palaces use ice cubes.
It's not difficult to get a piece of ice from anywhere.
So trying to track it down is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
But Cen Yunchu didn't think so. The ice cubes covering the spiritual tablets couldn't be too big, as that would be too obvious, and since it's so hot today, too much melted water would flow everywhere.
When Cen Yun first looked at it, he saw that the red felt strips on the altar were only as big as the palm of his hand wet. Combined with the height of the base of the memorial tablet, the ice cube was only the size of a longan.
It would only take one meal to melt such a small ice cube.
It can be deduced from this that the time when the ice cubes were put on was when Cen Yunchu and others welcomed the officials and their families into the palace.
The suspects are the palace maids and eunuchs. It is impossible for others to unknowingly touch the magic tablets.
"Empress, you don't need to ask too many people." Cen Yunchu thought for a while and said, "I have a way to find out who did it with a stick of incense."
Everyone didn't believe it, but the queen said: "Since Cen Zhaoyi is so sure, let me give it a try."
"Thank you, Queen," Cen Yunchu said, "the ice is not big, and the person who brought it will not have to walk too far.
I looked at your respective positions, and I can roughly tell the distance of the route you took.
Now I will call a few people’s names and you will come out alone. The rest of you will leave.”
When everyone heard what she said, they understood that she must have singled out those who were most suspicious.
"Double blessings, double longevity, pearls, Keren, Suqiu, Chunshan..." Cen Yunchu read out the names of nearly twenty people in one breath.
Those whose names were read all stood up.
"Empress, I need a secret room now. The doors and windows of the secret room are all covered with black cloth so that no light can be seen." Cen Yunchu said after ordering the people.
"What is this going to do? Interrogate them?" The queen was puzzled.
Cen Yunchu smiled and explained: "That's right, the altar is covered with gorilla felt, which is extremely resistant to fading.
But the hands of the person who put the ice cubes must be wet. After contact with it, although it cannot be seen with the eyes, if it is coated with a special white powder and left in the sun for a while, it will appear red.
But this powder cannot be exposed to light, otherwise it will be useless.
Moreover, this method can only detect if the orangutan felt has been touched with wet hands within half an hour. Even if someone has cleaned the place before, it cannot be detected because the hands have been touched with wet hands.
I see that the ice cube is not big, and it only takes half an hour from the time it is placed to the time it melts. So this matter cannot be delayed and must be tested immediately."
"So that's the case, let's check it out," the queen said.
In the side hall next to it, the doors and windows were covered with black cloth, and a large basin was placed in the center. What kind of powder was placed in it.
These people went in one by one, grabbed a handful of powder from the basin, applied it to their hands, and then came out.
Everyone stood outside to watch. These people were all standing in the sun, spreading their hands flat.
But after a long time, no one’s hands turned red.
"It seems that Cen Zhaoyi does not have the person you are looking for among these people." The queen said, "Do you want to continue the investigation?"
"The matter is not over yet, Queen Mother." Cen Yunchu said with a smile, "Now please condescend to go to the side hall and let these people in."
Everyone didn't know why, but they all went to the side hall.
The black cloth that had previously been blocking the doors and windows had been rolled up. Cen Yunchu and others had all sat down. The suspicious palace maids and eunuchs all stood in a row before ordering someone to cover the black cloth.
The room suddenly became dark, and everyone was inevitably a little uncomfortable.
Someone noticed something strange in the darkness.
I saw that the hands of the people who were suspected before were all glowing green, and they looked a little scary.
Among these people there is a hand that does not shine.
"That's him," Cen Yunchu pointed at the man and said, "Come here, hold him down."
The black cloth was removed and everyone saw clearly that the person was Hou Zhun, the eunuch in charge. He was only in his early twenties and was very clever. He was nicknamed Little Monkey.
He is a small eunuch in charge of the sacrificial affairs of Haide Palace. He actually watches the maids and eunuchs at work and keeps them from making mistakes.
He took advantage of his position and put the ice cubes on it in the name of inspection.
The powder placed in the big basin is fluorite powder, which does not glow in the dark, but will emit light after being illuminated by the sun and placed in a dark place.
Hou Zhun felt guilty and did not dare to apply the powder. He also thought that since he was in a dark room, others could not see whether he had applied it or not.
The walls in the hall were all plastered with lime, so he rubbed his hands on them, thinking he could pass them by.
Anyway, Cen Yunchu also said that it can only be tested within half an hour, and it is useless to test again after that.
But he didn't expect that Cen Yunchu was using the method of making false claims in the east and striking in the west, and he was exposed with one move.
"My slave deserves to die! My slave deserves to die!" Hou Zhun knelt on the ground and kowtowed violently.
The officials and family members present also understood that it was not Cen Yunchu who was unlucky, but someone deliberately framed her.
"Take Hou Zhun down for careful examination," the queen said. "That's all for today's sacrifice. All the officials and family members please go back. Today's matter must not be mentioned again to the outside world."
Before these people left, Bai Fu came and said to the Queen: "The Holy One heard that something happened in Haide Palace and asked the old slave to come over and take a look. He also said that the old slave should come to interrogate this matter and make sure to find out what happened.
Who instigated him to desecrate the Queen Mother’s spiritual throne?”
If this plan succeeds, Cen Yunchu will definitely be criticized.
But when she found out Hou Zhun, Hou Zhun and the people behind him were unlucky.
Dare to tamper with the Queen Mother's spiritual tablets, this is a crime of great disrespect and will punish the nine tribes.
Although the Queen had explicitly prohibited everyone from talking about this matter, everyone present knew in their hearts that someone would be unlucky soon.
"Manager Bai, there is another person you have to take away." Cen Yunchu stopped Bai Fu and pointed at the palace maid named Su Qiu. "When the spirit tablet fell, she was the farthest away and she may not have seen clearly what happened.
But he pushed the sea lantern and caused a fire in the palace."
"Old slave, I know." Bai Fujiang waved his hand, and the eunuch following him immediately picked up the palace maid.
"Your Majesty, Mr. Bai, this servant didn't... I was just timid, that's why I accidentally overthrew Hai Deng."
However, no one listened to her explanation. The emperor asked Bai Fu to investigate this matter, and not even the queen could interfere.
