A wisp of extremely green and extremely fine fragrance escaped from the white jade openwork incense burner. The butter wax on the edge suddenly exploded with a pop of firework. It was originally a very light sound, but because of the silence in the hall, it seemed extremely...
Real outside.
This explosion seemed to explode in Queen Lu's heart.
Empress Lu was horrified and once again asked Lu An, the chief chamberlain in the palace, uncertainly, "Your Majesty has really announced that the Minister of Punishment has entered the palace?"
"The Director of the Shen Puning Department and the Minister of Punishment were all sent to Ci'en Palace. I heard that Sun Liu's body was re-inspected." Lu An respectfully reported back again. Empress Lu's beautiful and gentle face changed drastically. She immediately knew if something was wrong.
wonderful.
The bad thing was not that she thoroughly investigated Sun Liu's matter, but that she found herself in a delicate and sinister situation where she could not defend herself. Lu An suggested softly, "Empress, would you like to invite His Highness the Crown Prince to come over?"
"No. Don't involve the prince at all in this matter." Empress Lu sighed helplessly, gently rubbing her forehead with her fingertips, "I was really too careless."
Wutong, the palace official, gently cut off the burst candles, and was a little puzzled, "It's just a slave in the water room who hanged himself. Why did Your Majesty make such a big move? It's so late, and even the Minister of Punishment has come to the palace. It's a sign of mercy.
The palace empress insists on a thorough investigation, but she doesn’t need to let everyone know about it, right?"
Wutong's words reminded Empress Lu, and Empress Lu's eyes lit up, and she finally had a countermeasure. Yes, although she wanted to push it, because the opportunity was so rare, she heard that having dinner at Ci'en Palace at noon, Yu
The one from An Dian went back full of soup, but Sun Liu died in the evening. If Sun Liu's death could be blamed on Yu'an Dian, it would be difficult for Yu'an Dian to turn around from now on.
Give it a gentle push.
I originally thought that Yu'an Palace has never been liked by His Majesty, and Yu'an Palace has no backers. Who would seriously investigate the matter of a slave in a water house? As long as His Majesty thinks it is Yu'an Palace, Yu'an Palace will not be able to argue with anyone. Empress Lu
Unexpectedly, this matter would be thoroughly investigated, and now it became Fengyi Palace where no one could argue.
Even she has become a plot in someone else's spider web!
If the death of Sun Liu and the thorough investigation of Sun Liu's death are viewed in a coherent manner, even Empress Lu can't help but feel a little frightened. Who has such a scheme?
Empress Lu frowned slightly, but before she could think about it, the royal servant beside Emperor Mu Xuan came over and asked the queen to move to Ci'en Palace. Empress Lu asked the royal servant to wait a moment and took Wutong to the inner room to change clothes.
As night falls, it is already getting late. A crescent moon hangs in the night sky, and the stars and moon in the night sky reflected in Ci'en Palace, which is as bright as day, are dimmed by three points. The glazed phoenix on the top of Ci'en Palace has been blurred, and there are occasional streams of light in the night.
If you pass by, you can catch a glimpse of light and shadow.
Empress Lu was wearing a scarlet crane cloak, with a golden phoenix hanging beaded on her temples. It was neither too dignified nor too simple. It was just that the golden phoenix walking was too gorgeous, and the hanging beads were just a few.
A pearl the size of a lotus seed, with flying red gold phoenix tails, is even more dazzling and luxurious. It is actually not suitable for Queen Lu's petite and delicate appearance.
Since childhood, Mu Anzhi heard Empress Dowager Lan say more than once, secretly or openly, that she "does not have the dignified and solemn appearance of a concubine." What he meant was that Empress Lu was thin in appearance and did not seem to have the blessing of a concubine.
Of course, these words may come from Empress Dowager Lan's selfish motives, but Mu An has never liked Fengyi Palace, so it is inevitable that he agrees with Empress Dowager Lan's words.
Queen Lu's steps were respectful and her figure was graceful, and then she followed several palace people and came meanderingly. Queen Lu first greeted Queen Mother Lan and Emperor Mu Xuan. Queen Mother Lan waved her hand, and the palace people brought a brocade stool and placed it beside Emperor Mu Xuan's bed.
Queen Lu sat down gently.
The head of the Shen Xing Department, the Minister of Punishment and others paid tribute to Empress Lu. From the beginning to the end, Mu Anzhi seemed not to see Empress Lu at all. Empress Lu spoke to him first, "The Third Highness is also here."
Mu Anzhi glanced at Queen Lu coldly and said nothing.
Emperor Mu Xuan frowned quickly and imperceptibly.
Empress Dowager Lan said impatiently, "Emperor, just ask. Fengyi Palace is the one who is dear to your heart. Ashen and I will listen and settle the matter."
Emperor Mu Xuan said to Empress Lu, "Come here and listen to the strange circumstances of Shuifang Sun Liu's death."
"Yes." Queen Lu bowed slightly and responded respectfully.
"What did Sun Liu say when he came to your palace and how did he say it?" Emperor Mu Xuan asked Empress Xiang Lu directly.
Queen Lu looked at the king in surprise, as if to say, didn’t I tell you about it before? Emperor Mu Xuan’s eyes did not change, and Queen Lu said again respectfully, "I also feel strange, this afternoon the water house manager
When he went to Fengyi Palace to ask for an audience, Chen Concubine originally ordered Wutong to tell him to just come to Ci'en Palace if anything happened. But the servant begged hard, so Chen Concubine met him and said that the deputy general manager was detained by Yu'an Palace.
, he didn't know whether he was alive or dead, and he was also very frightened. I asked him carefully what had caused him to get up, and he said that he was late in delivering water to Yu'an Palace. I said that His Majesty, the Third Highness, is the most merciful, and has always been lenient, so he would not be like this, and let him pass.
That's it, just take a cigarette and make an apology to His Highness the Third Highness. There are many masters in the palace, this one is earlier and the other is later. If they all care about it, there will be no end. This slave must be thinking too much. But he said
The deputy manager of the water room was beaten, and I thought there might be something else going on. Otherwise, everyone in the palace knew that His Highness the Third Prince was the kindest to others, and he had never punished anyone. I ordered the Chief of Punishment to go over and have a look. If any of the slaves were careless, there would be no need.
Your Highness, the Third Highness, has troubled himself. The Division of Punishment and Punishment has clearly defined rewards and punishments, so no one will say that His Highness did not handle things properly in private."
After listening to Empress Lu's eloquent words, Mu Anzhi sneered, "I really deserve the Queen's praise. However, the Queen has mistaken me, Mu Anzhi. From head to toe, I don't look like your Majesty at all, so I don't."
I am never generous! Whoever offends me, I will retaliate! Why did the deputy general manager of the Punishment Department come to my palace? It turned out to be the person who was sent to punish me by Fengyi Palace! I don’t need you to worry about my affairs! Your Majesty
Grandma is still here, so I won’t bother you with your kindness!”
Empress Lu lowered her head sadly, and only responded in a low voice, "Since His Highness the Third Prince said so, I understand."
Queen Mother Lan glanced at Queen Lu in disgust, while Emperor Mu Xuan glared at Mu Anzhi, who said, "Your Majesty, continue the investigation!"
Emperor Mu Xuan calmed down his anger and signaled to the director of the Department of Punishment and the Minister of Punishment. The director of the Department of Punishment first said, "This afternoon, I was ordered by Your Majesty to go to the Department of Internal Affairs to inquire about the case of gold and silverware. I was not in the palace. I would like to ask, Queen.
When did your Majesty send someone to the Division of Punishment?"
Lu An, the chamberlain beside the Empress, stepped forward and replied, "It was my servant who went to the Shenxing Department to report the matter. The chief manager was not here, so I told Deputy Manager Zhang."
Deputy General Manager Zhang's forehead was covered with cold sweat, and he immediately replied, "The Empress ordered me that I came to Yu'an Palace to see His Highness the Third Highness, but His Highness did not see me. I saw that Deputy General Manager Li in the water room and Zhao Fusun Gui only had flesh wounds and were not injured."
If the weight is too high, I will return to the Shenxing Division."
The Chief of the Shenxing Department glanced at Deputy Chief Zhang, "You are really smart and continue to ask the case. In fact, there is nothing to ask about this case at this point. The guards at the palace gate and the waiters in the water room can prove that Sun Liu came out of Fengyi Palace. He went directly back to the water room, and then hanged himself in his own room.
This was an incident in which a slave committed suicide. As for the reason why the slave committed suicide, the number of people in the palace who were around Queen Lu when she met Sun Liu can all prove Queen Lu's innocence. Mu Anzhi never saw Sun Liu once.
But if the case was closed like this, Emperor Mu Xuan also knew that the death of Sun Liu was strange, and he could already feel Mu Anzhi's sarcastic gaze. In fact, when Mu Anzhi roared directly and asked the Ministry of Punishment to enter the palace to investigate the case, Emperor Mu Xuan knew that this matter was about to happen. It really had nothing to do with Mu Anzhi. The water house had indeed offended Mu Anzhi. Mu Anzhi got angry at the deputy manager and the slave who delivered the water. He beat Sun Liu with a stick a few times to vent his anger. He passed Sun Liu over twice. Of course, Sun was very angry. If Liu goes to Yu'an Palace, he will inevitably be beaten. Even in Mu An's rage, he may beat the person to death with a stick.
But Sun Liu did not go to Yu'an Palace. Sun Liu went to Fengyi Palace. He left Fengyi Palace, returned to his room and committed suicide.
Mu Anzhi had always been at odds with Fengyi Palace, and Fengyi Palace never had much to do with Yu'an Palace. Emperor Mu Xuan didn't believe that Fengyi Palace had no selfish motives. But having said that, if Empress Lu really had the ability to make Sun Liu commit suicide , Empress Lu would not be so direct, go back to the house and hang herself after leaving Fengyi Palace. No matter how you look at Fengyi Palace, it will be even more suspicious.
Besides, Emperor Mu Xuan knew about this because Empress Lu mentioned it.
Emperor Mu Xuan waved his hand and ordered the Shen Xing Department and the Punishment Department to retreat. Emperor Mu Xuan said, "That's it. It can be seen that Sun Liu did commit suicide. Since he was not careful as a servant in the water house, he just chose another servant who can serve him."
"Now it is said that it was suicide, not that it was forced to death. In the future, Your Majesty had better bring out the evidence before calling me for questioning. Don't listen to wind and rain. If you hear the instigation of some bitch, just say that I forced people to death!" Mu An said this He didn't care what Emperor Mu Xuan and Empress Lu's face was, he just said what he wanted to say, "In the past, when the East Palace was not established, I didn't have the ability to force people to death. I just registered the East Palace yesterday, and I force the slaves to death today? The trend in the palace has always been It's an eye-opener for me to change so quickly, so quickly!"
"Let me make it clear, if anyone makes me uncomfortable, I will definitely make her even more uncomfortable! Tomorrow, if I hear anything related to Sun Liu's death, no one will be happy, no matter whether it is the former court or the harem! "Mu Anzhi smashed the teacup at the feet of Empress Lu. Empress Lu shrieked in fright, shrunk her skirt, turned pale and threw herself at Emperor Mu Xuan with her eyes closed tightly!
Emperor Mu Xuan stretched out his arms to protect Empress Lu and shouted angrily at Mu Anzhi, "You are brave!"
"But smashing a tea cup is not a false accusation and forcing someone to die. How bold is it?" Mu Anzhi's eyes were like fire, and he sneered and said sarcastically! He suddenly had a good idea, "When Your Majesty gives the Lu family's daughter to the East Palace, I'll smash another one at the feet of Mr. Lu's daughter, and then it's best if the man next to me is sitting next to her, to see if the aunt and nephew are descended from the same line of despicable people!" After saying this, he felt relieved, triumphant, swaggering, and fluttering his sleeves. And go.
Empress Lu didn't know whether she was angry or frightened. Her face was pale, her whole body was trembling, and her teeth were clattering. What happened to Mu Anzhi? Why did he suddenly become so ridiculous and perverse!
"Okay, Queen, please go back and rest first." Her gentle words blocked the thousands of words that Queen Lu had prepared in her heart.
Empress Lu looked pitifully at Emperor Mu Xuan with her pair of eloquent, water-cut autumn eyes. Emperor Mu Xuan did not give any other instructions, so Empress Lu meekly withdrew. Empress Dowager Lan directly sent Empress Lu back to the palace and ordered other palace officials to
The man stepped back and looked at Emperor Mu Xuan quietly without saying anything.
Emperor Mu Xuan finally felt a little uncomfortable, "It's just that Xuan Najizhan came over and asked. If you check it like this, you will understand."
"Don't blame Ashen for being angry with the Queen. If she hadn't been too talkative, you wouldn't have misunderstood Ashen. How could Ashen be such a vicious person? He would always say it directly to anyone he wanted to annoy, that is, he wanted to deal with Sun Liu.
He called Sun Liu to the palace and gave him a beating. If he was beaten to death, he would be dead. To put it at a step back, he told me, could I make him suffer? Why did he need to sneak around and force Sun Liu to go?
Die?" Empress Dowager Lan sighed, "Emperor, I know that you and your husband have a good relationship, and that the eldest prince and the Lu family are also in your favour. But think about what Ashen said, do you think you take it into account? I'm still in charge now.
Regarding matters in the harem, Sun Liu from Shuifang is also supported by me. Who in this palace doesn’t know that I favor Ashen more, and even when I look at Ci En Palace, I will treat him more respectfully. Even if he offends Ashen, he won’t come.
Why am I begging for mercy here, but I rush to Fengyi Palace instead? This has never happened before. If the reserve position is certain, there will be dirty water on Ashen's head immediately. Isn't there something fishy here? "
Empress Dowager Lan said meaningfully, "As a couple who are close relatives and distant relatives, please think about it carefully."