Before Ling Ruo spoke, Mingyu had already said categorically: "It can't be Concubine Zhe. She and her son are as close as sisters. It's impossible for her to do such a thing."
Ling Ruo shook his head and said: "It seems that the Ai family and the emperor have really protected you so well over the years that you have never truly experienced the sufferings of the world. Today the Ai family will remind you, never trust the so-called sisters."
Before Mingyu could speak, Ling Ruo said again: "Since the emperor feels that both Concubine Zhe and Concubine Xian are suspicious, he will search Yanxi Palace and Changchun Palace at the same time."
Seeing that Ling Ruo always doubted her words, Mingyu was angry and anxious, and said, "My son said that she couldn't be Concubine Zhe."
Disgust flashed in Ling Ruo's eyes, and she said calmly: "Since the Queen has determined that she is not the Concubine Zhe, then there is nothing to worry about."
Mingyu's next words were choked in her throat and she couldn't spit them out. She could only watch Sixi being ordered to search the palace of Xianyue and Zhefei.
After Si Xi left, Ling Ruo called Yang Hai and said, "Go and bring A Bi. The Ai family still has something to ask her."
Xianyue and Zhefei saw the scene of Sixi and Yang Hai leaving one after another. When the latter was guessing where they were going, Xianyue had already said: "Sister, are you wondering where they are going?"
Concubine Zhe glanced at her and said, "Aren't you curious?"
Xianyue smiled coldly and said: "If I guessed correctly, they should be searching my and my sister's palace?"
Concubine Zhe was startled and said quickly: "Search my palace? Why?"
Xianyue stared at her and said: "Whether my sister really doesn't know or she pretends not to know, I am suspicious of murdering the second elder brother. My sister is also suspicious, or even more suspicious. Only the queen will believe my sister and think that my sister is innocent."
Concubine Zhe's hand holding the handkerchief tightened slightly and she said, "I am absolutely innocent."
"Really?" Before she finished speaking, Xianyue grabbed her cold hand and said in a cold voice: "If that's the case, why is sister so nervous?"
Concubine Zhe didn't expect that she would make such a move, and was startled. She hurriedly wanted to break away from Xianyue's hand, "I am so nervous and talking nonsense."
"Sister knows whether she is talking nonsense or not." Xianyue held her hand tightly and said coldly: "You poisoned Yonglian, didn't you?"
Concubine Zhe's eyes flickered and she said: "You are obviously the one who harmed the second elder brother, but you still want to accuse me unjustly. It's really too much!"
Xia Yue stared at her with gloomy eyes and said: "Don't shout here to catch the thief. Seeing how you didn't rush to search the palace just now when you knew they were going to search the palace, there shouldn't be anything in the palace that can prove that you poisoned Yong Lian."
"I didn't even say that I did it." Concubine Zhe struggled and said, "Hurry up and let go, you are causing me great pain!"
Xianyue leaned close to her ear and said word by word: "Concubine Zhe, don't think that no one can do anything to you without evidence; you have harmed Yonglian, and I will definitely settle this debt with you, unless I
die!"
Concubine Zhe heard the chill in her words and said in a panic: "Have I told you yet? You lunatic, please let go. Do you hear me?"
"Anyone who dares to harm Yonglian, I will not let him go!" After saying this, Xianyue slowly let go of her hand. In just a moment, several bruises appeared on Concubine Zhe's hand. It can be seen that
Xianyue exerts great force.
Yang Hai came back ahead of Si Xi and helped A Bi into the hall. The latter reluctantly bowed and half-crouched on the ground.
Ling Ruo ordered Abi to look up at him, and then said: "Are the words you said to the Ai family before true?"
Abi nodded repeatedly, "Yes, I don't dare to deceive the Queen Mother."
"Okay." Ling Ruo nodded and said to Rong Yuan, who had been standing in the hall: "Mr. Xu, although Yonglian was poisoned before, it looked like he was infected with wind and cold. It was not as serious as it is today. Why did it suddenly happen like this?
?”
"Although chronic poisons will not kill people immediately, if they are taken for a long time and a large amount of poisons are suddenly administered, symptoms like the second elder brother will appear."
Ling Ruo nodded slightly, turned to Abi and said: "The Ai family wants you to tell us everything that happened from the time when Concubine Xian came to visit the second elder brother until the second elder brother became ill.
Don’t pull it down.”
Abi nodded repeatedly, trying to recall what happened during that time. Such a detailed and time-consuming narration, but Lingruo had always listened very carefully. When Abi mentioned that Xiao Qizi caught fish for Yonghuang and left, she once touched Yonghuang's head.
When Lian picked up his chopsticks, he asked: "What will happen next?"
Abi said truthfully: "When I return to the Queen Mother, Xiao Qizi went to the imperial kitchen to get a new pair of chopsticks for the second elder brother."
Ling Ruo pondered for a moment and said: "Immediately go and tell An Lu that he is here."
After the palace attendants left, Hongli said, "Your Majesty, do you think there is something wrong with those pair of chopsticks?"
"The Ai family didn't know, so they asked someone to check." About half an hour later, the palace attendant came back and said, "To report to the Queen Mother, Manager An said that Xiao Qi did go to get a pair of chopsticks last night.
I accidentally dropped the second elder brother’s chopsticks.”
After the orderer withdrew, Ling Ruo felt vaguely that she had missed something, but couldn't remember it for a moment, so she had to give up and order Abi to continue.
Abi kept talking until Yonglian became ill and she went to ask the imperial doctor for help. During this process, Ling Ruo did not find anything unusual.
Mingyu said: "Mother Huang, you have heard that Yonglian was fine before going to the family banquet. But for him to become like this, there must be something wrong with the dishes at the family banquet, and all those dishes were delicious.
The concubine is in charge, who else can do anything but her?"
Ling Ruo glanced at her and said coldly: "We'll talk about it after Si Xi comes back."
After waiting like this for nearly an hour, when Si Xi finally came back, the latter called Qian Qian and said: "To inform your Majesty, I have thoroughly searched Yanxi Palace and Changchun Palace and found nothing strange."
Hongli frowned and said, "Nothing?"
Sixi lowered his head and said, "Yes, I have searched inside and outside and found nothing."
Hongli was not sure for a moment who was the murderer of Yonglian, so he turned his attention to Ling Ruo, who was silent for a moment and said: "Since no evidence has been found on either side, let Concubine Xian and Concubine Zhe go back first, and everything will wait.
Let’s talk after we have the evidence.”
Hongli agreed. As for Mingyu, although she still believed that it was Concubine Xian who did it, seeing that Ling Ruo and Hongli both said so, she could not say anything else.
After Si Xi went out to deliver the order, Ling Ruo glanced at Mingyu and said, "There's nothing going on here. Queen, please go back as well. Take good care of Yong Lian during this period and don't let anything happen to him again."
After Mingyu retreated as instructed, Ling Ruo's eyes flashed coldly, calling Yang Hai and saying: "Immediately send someone to keep an eye on the Queen, Concubine Xian, and Concubine Zhe. The Ai family must know their next whereabouts and