Not long after they left, Xiao Yuanzi came to the vicinity of Chonghua Palace. He did not dare to show his face directly, so he pulled a passing palace official and asked him to help him call Liu Qi out.
As soon as he saw Liu Qi, he asked: "Where is Little Mencius?"
"I just saw little Mencius going out with his master, as if he was going to see the imperial concubine. What are you doing looking for him?" Hearing this, Xiao Yuanzi said in annoyance: "Damn it, you're a step too late!"
Seeing him like this, Liu Qi asked in confusion: "What happened?"
Xiao Yuanzi said angrily: "Master said that the imperial concubine might be suspicious of Xiao Mengzi. After all, he left Chonghua Palace last night. He asked me to try to deal with Xiao Mengzi. I came as soon as possible, but it was still too late."
Liu Qi stared at Xiao Yuanzi and said in a trembling voice: "Deal with Xiao Mengzi, what do you mean...?"
Facing his gaze, Xiao Yuanzi sighed and said, "Brother Liu, that's what you are thinking."
Liu Qi grabbed Xiao Yuanzi's arm excitedly and said: "No, you can't do this. Xiao Mengzi doesn't know anything at all, and he can't interfere with your concubine's affairs. Kill him...are you crazy?"
He grasped it so tightly that his nails seemed to dig into his flesh through his clothes. Xiao Yuanzi endured the pain and said: "Brother Liu, do you think I want it? But this is what the master told me, I have to do it."
.”
Liu Qi gritted his teeth and said: "How many harmful things will your concubine have to do before she is willing to give up?!"
Xiao Yuanzi hurriedly covered his mouth and said: "Don't talk nonsense, if it gets to the ears of the master, you and I will be in trouble." After he put down his hand, he said with shame: "It's all me who has caused you trouble. If
If I didn't go to you at that time, there wouldn't be so many things happening today. Brother Liu, I...I'm sorry for you."
Liu Qi thought that Xiao Yuanzi was really feeling guilty, and quickly comforted him: "I don't blame you, it's just your concubine... Oh, I really don't know what to say." After a moment, he added: "Otherwise you
Please advise the empress to let Xiao Mencius go, he won’t talk nonsense.”
Xiao Yuanzi sighed: "Brother Liu, don't you understand? If Xiao Mengzi doesn't die, he will definitely tell you that you asked him to bring the money to me. When the time comes, you will be the one who dies. Concubine Yi will never let it go."
Yours, do you want me to watch you die?"
Liu Qi was so frightened by his words that he trembled all over and said at a loss: "What should we do? Little Mencius..." Halfway through the words, he seemed to be strangled by the neck and screamed: "Oh no, little Mencius has been
The master took me away, will he...will he confess me? If so, I..." He was so scared that he couldn't speak, and even shed tears.
There was a hint of disgust in Xiao Yuanzi's eyes, and he pretended to be concerned: "Brother Liu, don't be nervous, wait until I go back and ask the master, maybe she will have some ideas; if Concubine Yi asks you before I come, no matter how she talks.
, you must not admit it and wait until we find a way to save you."
"I know! I know!" Liu Qi responded in a panic. With Xiao Yuanzi's comfort, he returned to Chonghua Palace and began to wait uneasily.
Huang came all the way to Changchun Palace, and after bowing to Xianyue who was sitting at the head, she said with a stiff expression: "I followed the imperial concubine's instructions and brought the three people from Jinping to the imperial concubine for questioning.
"
Xianyue smiled slightly and said, "Concubine Laoyi is here, please sit down."
After she sat down, Mrs. Hu next to her whispered: "What's wrong, sister? Why does her face look so ugly? Are you feeling unwell?"
Huang forced a smile and said, "I'm fine, sister. There's no need to worry."
She didn't look like she had nothing to do, but she didn't want to say anything, and Mr. Hu didn't ask any more questions. He nodded and focused on the Jinping people.
Xianyue scanned the three of them one by one and said, "You all went out of Chonghua Palace last night, right?"
Jin Ping looked at Xianyue in surprise, nodded and said, "Yes, a palace maid whom I knew asked me to borrow some money. When I saw that my master had rested and had nothing to do, I took the money over."
Xianyue nodded, looked at A Ji and said, "What about you? What are you going to do?"
A Ji quickly said: "When I return to the imperial concubine, I saw that there is no cinnamon for use in the kitchen, so I want to go to the imperial kitchen to get some."
Xianyue flicked her translucent nails and said with a half-smile: "It's just a little cinnamon. Why don't you wait until daybreak before going? Do you need to be in such a hurry?"
"Eunuch Wu stopped and said that Brother Si will use eight-treasure meat for lunch tomorrow. This dish requires cinnamon. The cooking time of this meat is very long. If we wait until tomorrow to pick it up, we may not be able to make it in time for lunch, so I will
I rushed over night to get it. If your Majesty doesn't believe it, you can send the master of the imperial kitchen to ask questions. When I went there, he happened to be there and said a few words. He can testify for me."
"I will ask him." As she spoke, Xianyue turned her gaze to the last one. Before she could ask, Xiao Mencius hurriedly said: "I'm reporting to you, my servant was pruning the trees today and found that there are still many free spaces in the back courtyard.
I want to go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to get it.
I wanted to plant some flowers and seedlings, but when I arrived at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the lights had been turned off. I thought I could get them today, so I came back." He did not dare to say that he went to the place where gambling was held. If it was the Huang family,
If you know it, you will definitely punish him.
Xianyue leaned forward and said in a cold voice: "It's late at night and you go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to get flowers and seedlings. Should I praise you for your diligence, or should I give you a slap in the face?"
Little Mencius said in shock: "What I said is true. I did go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs!"
"You still refuse to tell the truth, do you? Come here, pull him down and give him a heavy punishment. If he refuses to tell, give him another twenty punishment. I want to see if it is his fault or his words!" Xia Yue Leng
He said that among the three, Xiao Mengzi's confession was undoubtedly the weakest. Coupled with his connection with Liu Qi, Xianyue was most suspicious of him.
"No! I don't want it!" Xiao Mencius quickly knelt down and begged for mercy, and then said to Huang: "Master, save this slave, I didn't lie!"
Qi Kuan and others ignored his pleas and pulled him down forcefully. Huang's hands tightly grasped the armrests, her chest rising and falling slightly. When little Mencius was pulled to the threshold, she stood up suddenly and said: "My queen is beating me like this."
Mencius, is this inappropriate?"
Seeing Huang questioning her words in public, Xianyue was slightly unhappy, "I know that your concubine is kind-hearted, but this person's words and deeds are suspicious. I'm afraid he won't be punished without punishment."
Mrs. Huang said coldly: "Aren't you afraid of being beaten into submission and causing an unjust, false or wrongful conviction?"
Xianyue said with a serious face: "The noble concubine said so, but she has objections to my actions?"
"I know what the nature of the people in my palace is like. I know very well why my empress must doubt them. First it was Liu Qi, and now it's Xiao Mencius. I know that things outside the palace make my empress very unhappy, but I
How can I tell that someone in my concubine's palace must have leaked the secret, maybe someone close to the empress."