Hongli sneered and said: "Not to mention whether this is possible, I just want to ask you, how come Concubine Yi is still in the mood to lock the palace door when she is seeking death?"
Little Mencius nervously picked at the fine cracks in the bricks and said in a trembling voice: "I think I was afraid of being discovered, so I closed the doors and windows."
Hongli snorted again, stared at Little Mencius and said, "Tell me, is Concubine Yi's death related to you?"
Little Mencius was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly and said with fear on his face: "It's none of my business. I don't know anything." Seeing that Hongli didn't speak, he said anxiously: "Even if my servant has eaten the heart of a bear, he still doesn't dare to say anything to his master."
If there is any disadvantage, please ask the emperor to investigate clearly."
"I won't shed tears until I see the coffin!" After uttering these words coldly, Hongli raised his eyebrows and said: "Take him down and take responsibility for twenty people. If he still refuses to recruit, he will be handed over to the Division of Punishment. In addition, we can't let him die.
Apart from that, I will leave it up to the people of the Criminal Punishment Department to see how long he can keep his mouth strong."
Little Mencius repeatedly begged for mercy. For the palace people, the most terrifying thing was the Shenxing Division. Once they entered there, even if they could come out, half of their lives would be gone. However, Hongli had already become suspicious of Huang's death.
How could he change his mind just because of a few words of begging from him?
After Xiao Mengzi was dragged down, Hongli said in a deep voice: "Xiangyue, did you just say that Liu Qi had some contact with Xiao Yuanzi?"
At this time, Xianyue no longer needed to hide anything, and said truthfully: "Yes, and I heard what Zhou Quan said, he saw Xiao Yuanzi going to Liu Qi last night, and early this morning, I sent Liu Qi to ask questions
, but before asking a few words, Zheng Jiu came to report that Concubine Yi... had gone.
." Xianyue endured the sadness in her heart and continued: "I know that the emperor does not want to believe that your concubine is such a scheming person, but if it really has nothing to do with her, why did she send Xiao Yuanzi overnight?
Meeting Liu Qi? And why was it so coincidental that Concubine Yi died on the night they met?"
Hongli listened quietly for a long time, then he nodded slowly and said: "I understand, I will work with you to thoroughly investigate this matter, and we will not let Fulong die in vain."
Xianyue nodded vigorously and said with choked sobs: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your willingness to do justice to Concubine Yi. If Concubine Yi is alive in heaven, I believe she will be comforted."
Hongli shook his head and said: "This is what I should do, there is no need to thank me. I just didn't expect that there are people in my harem who are so bold and reckless, even the imperial concubines dare to harm me."
"People's hearts are unpredictable, and some people are willing to do anything for their own benefit." While they were talking, Sixi walked in, bowed and said: "Your Majesty, the twenty sticks are dead, but the little one is dead."
Mencius always insisted that he had never harmed Concubine Yi!"
Hongli waved his hand and said: "Take him to the Shenxing Department, and also go to Kunning Palace to bring Liu Qi over."
"Hey!" Si Xi knew that this matter involved the death of Concubine Yi, which was not a trivial matter, so she did not dare to delay for a moment and brought Liu Qi over not long after, with panic in the latter's eyes.
Without waiting for him to salute, Hongli asked: "Did you meet Xiao Yuanzi last night?"
Liu Qi quickly glanced at Xianyue, lowered his head and said: "When I return to the emperor, the Queen also asked the servant the same thing before, but I did not see Xiao Yuanzi last night."
Upon hearing this, Xia Yueliu's eyebrows stood up, and she said in a cold voice: "Zhou Quan has seen it with his own eyes, how can it be false? Liu Qi, do you have to ask me to serve you before you are willing to tell the truth?"
Liu Qi was so panicked that he quickly fell to the ground without saying a word. Hongli was afraid that Xianyue might have another baby, so he reassured him: "Queen, don't be anxious, I'm here to interrogate him. Don't worry, I will definitely get to the bottom of it."
After Xianyue nodded, Hongli turned his attention to Liu Qi again and said coldly: "Do you think everything will be fine if you don't speak? Xiao Mengzi has already gone to the Shenxing Department, and I believe it won't take long for him to say something.
Everything he knows, until then, even if you are willing to tell the truth, you will not be able to survive. Tell me, is the death of Concubine Yi related to your concubine?!"
Liu Qi gritted his teeth, kowtowed hard and said, "I'm wronged. I really don't know anything. I beg the emperor to investigate!"
"Okay!" Hongli slowly spit out the word. Although Liu Qi kept complaining, Hongli's suspicion could not be dispelled by just a few words of injustice. He said in a cold voice: "Take him to the Criminal Division and tell Fulong.
I promise him to use all means to pry open the mouths of these two dog slaves!"
Liu Qi was trembling and begging. Just when he was about to be dragged down, Yehenala came in. Seeing this scene, he said in shock: "Your Majesty, what happened?"
"This person and Xiao Mencius are suspected of plotting to kill Concubine Yi." Hearing Hongli's words, Yehenala looked shocked and said in horror: "Concubine Yi? Didn't she hang herself?"
Hongli said coldly: "Concubine Yi did not hang herself, but was murdered."
"Is there such a thing?" Ye Henala lightly covered her lips and said in disbelief: "Who is so bold and dares to murder Concubine Yi? This... this is impossible!"
"I'm not willing to believe it, but it's a pity..." As he said that, Hongli shook his head, "If there is no evil in his heart, how could he refuse to admit that he met Xiao Yuanzi last night?"
Yehenala's eyes flashed, and she exclaimed: "May I ask your Majesty, do you know the specific time when he met Xiao Yuanzi?"
Hongli raised his eyebrows and said, "Why does Concubine Shu ask this?"
Yehenala did not hide anything and said truthfully: "Because Xiao Yuanzi came to see my concubine last night. I calculated the time and found that it is almost Haishi. I am afraid it will take a lot of effort to come and go."
Xianyue stared at her and said coldly: "Why did Xiao Yuanzi go to see Concubine Shu for no reason?"
Yehenara lowered his head and said: "In reply to your concubine, Xiao Yuanzi said that my concubine has been crying since she woke up. No matter how much he tried to persuade me, she refused to stop crying. He was worried that her tears would hurt her body in the middle of the month.
, so he came all night long to ask me to go over and persuade him. Seeing that it was already getting late, I promised that he would go over to persuade me today, but I didn’t know that... this kind of thing happened in the Qing Dynasty."
Xianyue looked coldly and said: "According to Concubine Shu, Zhou Quan is lying?"
"Zhou Quan is the deputy general manager of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and he was promoted by Empress De from the cold palace. I don't think I will lie to you. However, it is indeed impossible for Xiao Yuanzi to appear in the Ministry of Internal Affairs during the period from Haishi to Zi."
She glanced at Xianyue and said softly: "I am wondering if Zhou Quan may have made a mistake. The person talking to Liu Qi is not Xiao Yuanzi."
Liu Qi said anxiously: "Yes, I remember that I told someone about the errand last night. Manager Zhou probably recognized him as Xiao Yuanzi." As he said that, he kowtowed to Hongli hurriedly, with a look of injustice on his face.
: "Your Majesty, I am really innocent. Even if I borrow a hundred courages from you, I will not dare to harm the imperial concubine at all."