Zhou Quan was shocked. He did not expect that Fu Tai would see Zheng Jiu when he entered and exited the warehouse. He quickly said: "Your Majesty, this servant is unjust. If the incident at Yongshou Palace was really the fault of a slave, I would have taken away the remaining bells."
How could Fu Tai discover the orchid incense after it was destroyed? As for his claim that the slave ordered Zheng Jiu to steal Shu brocade and blame Zhang Quan, it was even more unfounded. The slave was deeply favored by the emperor and would never dare to do such a negative thing.
A matter of the Emperor’s favor.”
Hong Li's eyes flashed, and he realized that the lily of the valley fragrance was indeed found from Zhou Quan's house. If Fu Tai was responsible for putting the blame on it, given his identity, where did he get the lily of the valley fragrance?
But if Zhou Zhou really did it, then his motive...
Hongli glanced at Xianyue without any trace and said, "Fu Tai, you keep saying that Zhou Quan plotted to murder Wei Yao and put the blame on Zhang Quan. Apart from Linglanxiang, is there any other evidence?"
"No servant." Fu Tai shook his head and said anxiously: "However, as long as the emperor tortures Manager Zhou, Zheng Jiu and Xiao Chengzi, he can definitely force them to confess the truth."
Mrs. Hu sneered and said: "It's true that you are bold. When will it be your turn to point fingers? Besides, even if I really want to torture you, you must be tortured first, you, a slave who never tells the truth!" As he said,
She said to Hongli: "Your Majesty, this person must be trying to exonerate Zhang Quan, so he did these things. You must not be fooled by him."
Hongli didn't say anything, he just looked at Xianyue and said, "What does the queen think of this matter?"
Xianyue lowered her eyes and said: "Your Majesty, I brought Zhou Quan out of the cold palace. No one knows his character better than I do. I believe he is not the person Fu Tai said he is. Please believe me, too."
.”
Mrs. Hu said from the side: "Your Majesty, although lily of the valley fragrance is rare, it is not completely unattainable. Fu Tai may not have a chance to get it."
Fu Tai said in a panic: "I'm really not a slave. I haven't stepped out of the palace in the past month. How could I get the lily of the valley fragrance? Zheng Jiu had left the palace a few days before the accident in Yongshou Palace."
Hu's expression changed slightly, but she quickly said: "Some things don't need to be done by oneself."
Fu Tai was stunned for a moment, and then shouted hurriedly: "I really didn't do anything, let alone have any comrades."
Mrs. Hu smiled coldly and said, "I didn't say anything. You are so nervous. It seems you really have an accomplice."
Fu Tai didn't expect that she would lay a trap for him without saying a word, and kowtowed hard: "Your Majesty, I can swear to God, if I make a false statement, I will be struck by lightning from the sky, and I will not die a good death!"
Hongli's eyes swept over Xianyue's face, and finally stopped on Zhou Quan's face, and said slowly: "As the Queen said, Zhou Quan has been very diligent since he joined the Ministry of Internal Affairs and has never done anything to disgrace the emperor's favor.
I believe that this incident was caused by a villain." After saying that, he looked at Fu Tai, who was shaking all over, and said coldly: "Do you know your guilt?"
He had doubts about Xianyue and Zhou Quan, but after hesitating for a while, he finally chose to believe in Xianyue. He once said that even if he couldn't be as trusting as Huang Ama, he would try his best to believe in Xianyue.
Yue, I believe in this woman who has been by my side for more than twenty years.
When Hongli said those words, a trace of gratitude and guilt flashed across Xianyue's eyes. How could she not notice the struggle in Hongli's heart? After all, Linglanxiang was found in Zhou Quan's house, let alone her.
There have been many disputes with the Wei family.
Fu Tai crawled to the steps with tears in his eyes and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, I really did not lie to you. It is Zhou Quan who should plead guilty. He first harmed Wei Yao and then harmed Eunuch Zhang. This person deserves to die!"
"
Hongli ignored his excuse and said coldly: "Who instigated you to do this?"
Facing his words, Fu Tai kept denying and defending, and Hongli snorted heavily: "It seems that you won't shed tears without seeing the coffin. Someone, come, take him to the punishment department and tell Dehai that as long as he doesn't die,
Let him torture you!"
Fu Tai said in a horrified voice: "No! Your Majesty, I don't want it. I was wronged and I didn't lie!"
No matter how much he cried out for injustice, Hongli had no intention of paying any more attention to him. When he was about to be dragged out by the palace guards, Fu Tai seemed to remember something and hurriedly shouted: "Your Majesty, I can prove that Zhou Quan and Zheng Jiu harmed Wei.
It's true, I have evidence!"
Hongli thought this was his last ditch effort, and said impatiently: "Pull it down!"
Fu Tai grabbed the door frame tightly and refused to let go no matter what, and said urgently: "Your Majesty, please think about it. There have always been very few sacred crows living in Yongshou Palace, but just a few days before the accident, the number of sacred crows living there became more and more...
More and more come, this is not a coincidence, but someone deliberately led the divine crow to the Yongshou Palace so that they can take the next step!"
Mrs. Hu and Xianyue looked at each other, with a hint of anxiety in each other's eyes. She said coldly: "He is still talking nonsense when he is about to die. Pull him down quickly, lest he taint the Holy Spirit here."
"Wait a minute!" Hongli's voice made Mrs. Hu's heart tremble, and she forced out a smile and said: "Your Majesty, this servant is full of lies. I really can't listen to him."
"I have my own sense of proportion." With that said, Hongli motioned to the palace attendants to let go of Fu Tai and said, "You said someone deliberately lured the crow to Yongshou Palace. Who is it?"
Fu Tai swallowed and said, "I don't know this, but the person responsible for feeding the crow should know something."
"Pass!" The word Hongli was like a dull thunder hitting Zhou Quan's chest, making him breathless. When did Fu Tai become so cunning that he even thought about the sudden gathering of crows in Yongshou Palace?
He encouraged Hongli to summon the crow feeder; he hoped that Zheng Jiu had told the crow feeder not to talk nonsense, otherwise it would be really troublesome.
In such anxiety, Sixi brought in the eunuch who was feeding the crows. The latter saluted tremblingly and said: "This slave sees the emperor, the queen, and the noble concubine."
"You are responsible for feeding the sacred crows in the palace, and you know them best. I ask you, why do those sacred crows suddenly gather near the Yongshou Palace?"
The little eunuch said in a trembling voice: "Slaves... I don't know. I think they thought the Yongshou Palace was relatively clean, so they gathered there."
"Impossible." Fu Tai retorted: "For so many years, Leng Palace and Fengxian Palace have been the places where the most sacred crows gather. It has never changed. There must be a reason why they suddenly gathered in Yongshou Palace. Tell me quickly!"
The little eunuch was trembling because of his drink, lowered his head and did not dare to speak. Hongli said coldly: "If you tell the truth, I will not blame you, otherwise... I will go to the Punishment Department to receive the punishment on my own!"
"Your Majesty, spare your life!" The little eunuch kowtowed nervously, and after secretly glancing at Hongli with a stern expression, he said in a trembling voice: "Actually...it was actually a slave who lured the divine crow to Yongshou Palace."