Ling Ruo's eyelashes fluttered and fell on the palace maid who had lowered her head and said nothing. It turned out to be Wen Ruqing's close maid Piao Xiang. So what did La Shi want her to say?
Piao Xiang's thin body trembled, and then she said something that shocked Ling Ruo, "Returning to the words of the Queen and Concubine Xi, the person who put musk on the Jade Guanyin statue was not a noble person, but a slave, and this matter
Mr. Wen has no idea at all."
Hearing this, Ling Ruo suddenly understood. In the short time she came here, the queen found Piao Xiang as a scapegoat for Wen Ruqing so that Wen Ruqing could escape unscathed. But she didn't understand.
Why would Xiang be willing to stand up and admit it? Didn't she know that murdering the emperor's heir was a serious crime? Wen Ruqing was a palace concubine after all. This status allowed her to escape death, but it was impossible for Piao Xiang. There was only one way to die.
Ling Ruo endured the anger in her heart and said to Nala, "Can I ask my concubine to ask Piao Xiang a few words?"
Nala looked at her calmly, nodded and said: "Of course it is possible, but I have asked you very clearly just now. This matter was indeed done by Piao Xiang without telling Mr. Wen. There is nothing suspicious about it."
Ling Ruo ignored her next words, stood up and walked to Piao Xiang, lowered her eyes and said, "Piao Xiang, why do you want to harm the dragon fetus in the belly of Lord Qian?"
"Slave..." Piao Xiang curled up her hands on the ground and said with some difficulty: "Slave made a big mistake because of her confusion. I know that my master has always wanted to give birth to a dragon heir for the emperor. Is this right?
After learning that Mr. Qian was pregnant, the master had been depressed, saying that he was useless and his stomach was not up to par.
The slave looked sad and thought that if the child in Qian Gui's belly was gone, the master would not be so sad. So when the master asked the slave to send the gift of Guanyin to Qian Gui, the slave thought of placing a statue of Guanyin on it.
The method of smearing musk on the clothes was used to make the noble Qian have a miscarriage, but I didn’t expect that the noble Qian would discover it.”
Ling Ruo didn't believe her words at all, and there were too many unreasonable things in her words, "In that case, why didn't you say anything when I asked Mr. Wen just now?"
Piao Xiang said in panic: "My slave knew that murdering the emperor's heir was a capital crime, so I was very scared and didn't dare to admit it. But later I saw that my master was deprived of his status and thrown into the cold palace because of the wrong things I committed. I felt really guilty.
, after much hesitation, he finally confessed everything to the Queen."
Nala chatted on the side and said: "I was really shocked when I heard this. I didn't expect that Piao Xiang was so bold and dared to harm even the emperor's heir. But ultimately, it was out of loyalty to the master.
, both pitiable and hateful, so I have given him the fragrance to commit suicide."
Ling Ruo didn't want her to move so quickly, and said anxiously: "If she is just a palace maid, how can I believe it so easily? Besides, there are still many doubts about this matter that remain unresolved."
Nala said with a hint of surprise or laughter: "I wonder what Concubine Xi's suspicion is?"
Ling Ruoli gathered her thoughts and raised the two most suspicious points, "Piao Xiang is just a palace maid. How could she have the courage to harm the emperor's heir? Furthermore, where did the musk come from?"
"That's why I say that she is pitiful and hateful. Her foolish loyalty has harmed herself and almost harmed noble Wen. As for the musk, Piao Xiang has mentioned it before, and it was stolen from the imperial pharmacy." Nala's words had just finished.
, Wen Ruqing, who was kneeling on the ground without making a sound, turned his head sideways.
She hugged Piao Xiang and began to cry sadly. After crying for a while, she raised her tear-stained face and said: "Empress, I know that you have always been compassionate. Please spare Piao Xiang's life. She also cares about me.
, to commit such a big mistake, it is not an unforgivable crime."
Nala shook her head sadly and said, "Oh, I don't know. It's just the rules of the palace. Giving incense to commit suicide is already an act of mercy outside the law. How can I spare her life?"
Seeing them acting there, Ling Ruo almost sneered, but had to hold back and frowned: "Even if these two doubts can be explained, I still feel that the truth of this matter needs to be considered."
Nala patted the support and said: "What Concubine Xi said really puzzles me. Piao Xiang has already admitted it. What else is there to consider? If she had never done it, would she admit such a thing?
?”
Ling Ruo remained unmoved, staring at Piao Xiang who was being held by Wen Ruqing and said, "Piao Xiang, tell me the truth, did you really do it to murder the emperor's heir?"
Piao Xiang slowly raised her head, and her delicate face beneath the tears showed silent pain, "Yes, everything was done by the slave and has nothing to do with the master." After a moment, she added: "Concubine Xi, you don't have to do it anymore.
Ask, everything this slave said is true and not a single word is false."
"Piao Xiang..." Before Ling Ruo could say anything, Nala's Shi Shiran interrupted her, "Now that things have happened, I believe that Concubine Xi is already very clear about the whole matter. As for the doubtful points that Concubine Xi just said.
, in fact, it’s not a doubt at all.”
Ling Ruo bit her lip and said nothing. There was no doubt that Piao Xiang was a scapegoat, but she didn't understand why Piao Xiang still admitted it even though he knew it was a capital crime. Was he loyal? She didn't think so. Piao Xiang's eyes were clearly full of fear.
and fear.
Ling Ruo's silence made Nala's mouth curl up slightly, and she raised her voice and said: "Someone, take Piao Xiang down and order him to commit suicide!"
"Wait a minute." Seeing Piao Xiang's thin body being held up by the eunuch who walked in, Ling Ruo said hurriedly: "I always feel that this matter is suspicious, and I shouldn't have dealt with it so hastily."
Nala narrowed her long eyes slightly and said with a hint of a hidden smile: "What Concubine Xi said really puzzled me. At first, Gui Wen kept complaining about injustice, but Concubine Xi insisted that there were witnesses and physical evidence, so she beat Gui Wen.
Get cold
Palace; now Piao Xiang personally admitted everything, but Concubine Xi said that the matter was still suspicious. After all... is it really suspicious, or Concubine Xi has a prejudice against Noble Wen, and she is happy to blame Noble Qian for harming her?
.”
Ling Ruo's eyes sharpened and she said in a serious voice, "Did the empress say that I intend to frame Wen Ruqing?"
"If not, why does Concubine Xi have so many doubts about Piao Xiang's confession and insist on dragging Guiren Wen back into this matter?" After saying this, she added: "I heard that Concubine Xi has some feelings for Guiren Wen.
Dissatisfied, is it possible that because of this, Concubine Xi is paranoid that Wen Guiren is guilty?"
"Concubine, no." As soon as Ling Ruo said these four words, Nala immediately took over, "I don't think so. The emperor has always praised Concubine Xi in front of me for being fair and impartial."
This sentence seemed to be a compliment, but it was actually blocking Ling Ruo's escape. She wanted Ling Ruo to understand that even if she brought this matter to Yinzhen, she would not get any benefits. After all, Piao Xiang's confession was an indisputable fact.
, Unless there is a way to make Piao Xiang change her story, Wen Ruqing is innocent.
[Author's digression]: There are four more chapters, a little later