"I?" Mrs. Chen pointed to herself, a little embarrassed, but seeing Xin Bin's pleading face, she finally couldn't bear it and nodded: "Okay, I'll just go with you."
"Thank you very much, Your Majesty." When Xin Bin happily expressed her thanks, the palace attendant said with a troubled expression: "To express my gratitude to you, Your Majesty, the Emperor only sent a message to your Majesty, Xin Bin. You are afraid that..."
Mrs. Chen knew what he meant and immediately said: "When you get to the emperor, you just have to tell the truth. If you really are not allowed to enter, I will not force you."
After hearing this, the palace officials felt relieved and took them to the imperial camp where Hongli was staying. After getting Hongli's permission, Mrs. Chen accompanied Xin Bin and went in together.
Without waiting for Xin Bin to bow, Hongli asked: "Where did Xiao Huazi go before dawn today?"
Xin Bin's heart skipped a beat, it turned out to be because of this; she pretended to be confused and said: "Xiao Huazi? He has always been by my concubine's side and has not gone anywhere."
Hong Li looked her over and said coldly: "If that's the case, why would someone see him in the stable and take away Lie Yan's fodder, leaving Lie Yan hungry?"
Xin Bin looked at Xiao Huazi beside her in astonishment, "Is there such a thing?"
Xiao Huazi hurriedly knelt down and cried out, "What an injustice! After the master went to bed last night, the servant was waiting in the side room and never went anywhere. Besides... the servant had no reason to do this!"
Hongli sneered and said: "If Lieyan is not allowed to starve, how can we induce it to eat grass outside, and how can we give it medicine?"
"Drugated?" Mrs. Chen asked doubtfully, "Did Lieyan be drugged?"
Hongli didn't look at her and said coldly: "I personally selected Lieyan for Yongcun, and Yongcun raised him with his own hands. If he hadn't been drugged, how could he suddenly go crazy? The person who drugged him wanted to use this to kill Yongcun.
He died. Unfortunately, Yongxing should not have died, but he was saved by Fang Yanxi."
Concubine Xin's face turned pale and she said, "Your Majesty said this because he suspects that I want to harm my twelfth brother?"
Hongli said expressionlessly: "Yes or no, you know it in your heart!"
Mrs. Chen shook her head repeatedly and said: "No, Xin Bin will not harm Brother Twelve. There must be a misunderstanding, or maybe... someone deliberately wants to harm Xin Bin."
Xianyue said in a cool voice: "Concubine Wan, does it mean that I want to harm Concubine Xin?"
Mrs. Chen lowered her head and said, "My concubine, I just feel..." She thought nervously and said, "It was still dark at the time, and Qi Kuan... probably recognized the wrong person."
Qi Kuan took a step forward and said with certainty: "I can see clearly that that person is Xiao Huazi, and there is nothing wrong with him."
Without waiting for Chen's words, Xianyue turned her gaze to Xin Bin, "Before today's competition started, Qi Kuan saw Xiao Huazi leaving Xin Bin's side. Xin Bin also wanted to say, did Qi Kuan see it wrong?"
Concubine Xin lowered her head and said: "I did send Xiao Huazi to do some things at that time, but it had nothing to do with the matter of the twelfth elder brother."
Xianyue said coldly: "Really? Then please ask Xin Bin to tell me what you asked him to do."
"Concubine..." Xin Bin hesitated and did not continue. Her appearance made Hongli more and more suspicious, and he shouted coldly: "Speak!"
Xin Bin seemed to be taken aback, and said in a voice on the verge of tears: "I... I know that Concubine Wan really hopes that Brother Ten can stand out in this competition, so... I asked Xiao Huazi to tell
Brother, let him try to help a group of ten brothers." As she said that, she said urgently: "I know my mistake, please forgive me."
Mrs. Chen never expected that Concubine Xin would say such words. She was surprised for a moment and said, "Why didn't you tell me about this matter...?"
Concubine Xin said with an aggrieved face: "I was afraid that the empress would be unhappy, so I didn't dare to tell you. I knew it was wrong, but at that time... I really didn't think much about it, I just wanted to help the empress."
Mrs. Chen was greatly moved by Xin Bin's "help" and said to Hongli: "Your Majesty, Xin Bin also has good intentions, please spare her this time."
Jin Ping interjected: "I'm afraid these words are just an excuse for Xin Bin. In fact, they are not the case at all."
Mrs. Chen glanced at Jinping unhappily and said, "It's really presumptuous. She has no right to speak here. If Hongli and Xiayue hadn't been there, she would have had to give her a scolding."
Hongli didn't say anything, only said: "Go and spread the virtues."
When Xiao Wu took the order and went out, Commander Xiang Hongqi happened to come in with a few people. They were the ones who had made good friends with A Deyin. Before Hongli could ask questions, those people had already told everything about A Deyin.
I told him all the things, for fear that Hongli would be unhappy if he said it too late.
From their conversations, it can be heard that those who interacted with Adeyin were ordinary Eight Banners disciples, and there was no special person. It was impossible to tell who was instigating Adeyin behind his back.
"Is there anything else?" Faced with Hongli's inquiry, several people looked at each other. A man standing behind took a step forward and said: "For your Majesty, I remember that Adeyin had an affair with a man with a yellow flag many years ago.
People got into a fight and maimed each other's legs. It was a serious quarrel at the time, but for some reason it ended."
Hongli was keenly aware that there was something wrong with this matter, "Do you know who he was fighting with?"
The man shook his head and said, "I just overheard Adeyin mention it, but he didn't say who he was."
Seeing that nothing could be said, Hongli motioned for them to retreat. The atmosphere in the imperial camp was extremely solemn, and it was not until Wen De appeared that it was broken.
After Wende came in, he quickly looked around, saluted Hongli, Xianyue and others respectively, and then said: "I wonder what the emperor's orders are when he summons his ministers?"
Hongli stared at him blankly and said, "Has Xiao Huazi by Xin Bin's side been looking for you today?"
Wen De cupped his hands and said, "If you tell me back to the emperor, this is indeed the case."
Hongli didn't bother to beat around the bush with him and said directly: "What does he want to do with you?"
"This..." Wende hesitated for a moment, lowered his head and said: "I dare not hide it, it is for the sake of the tenth prince. Empress Xinbin asked me to take more care of the tenth prince, but I feel that this matter is not appropriate.
So even though I agreed, I didn’t send anyone to do it.”
A look of surprise flashed across Xian Yue's eyes, and she looked at Xin Bin more deeply than before. Needless to say, Xin Bin and Wen De must have colluded with each other to make a confession in advance. I didn't expect that Xin Bin would think so carefully.
Hongli stared at his hands hanging by his side and said, "Where's Adeyin, do you know him?"
Wende lowered his head and thought for a while, then shook his head and said, "No, I have never heard of this name." After a pause, he raised his eyes and said, "Why did the emperor suddenly ask about this person?"
"It's nothing, just step back." Faced with Hongli's words, Wende responded, bowed and stepped back. After the curtain was lowered again, Xinbin glanced at Hongli and timidly said: "I said that.
They are all telling the truth, and I have really never done anything detrimental to Brother Twelve."