The concubine is extremely cautious

Something happened to Concubine Zhuang.

Helian Qi ended the winter hunting early and set off for the palace.

"Your Majesty, Miss Zhenzhu is still ill. Do you think she will get better?" Cai Quan, the eunuch in charge of Jingxi Palace, asked respectfully.

Ever since Zhenzhu fell ill, he has been serving Concubine Shu.

Concubine Shu said calmly, "We have to act completely. How can Pearl be cured as soon as the case is investigated? Let her be sick for another half a month and slowly recover..."

"Yes!" Cai Quan accepted the order, with a flattering look on his face:

"Our queen is indeed a brilliant planner. Now everyone thinks that Concubine Zhuang was murdered by Xue Jinyan."

The Wang girl deliberately pretended to come out of Jinxiu Pavilion in front of Nanny Ping.

In fact, she couldn't see Xue Jinyan at all.

I was just wandering outside Jinxiu Pavilion.

Concubine Shu knew very well that she and Concubine Zhuang were not on good terms. If something happened to Concubine Zhuang, even if all the evidence had nothing to do with her, the emperor would still suspect her...

If you want to get out of this game...

Unless the Wang girl frames her.

Prove again that this is a false accusation.

In this way, Ms. Wang can be ordered around by anyone, but never by her.

Although Concubine Wang was chosen by Empress Xue...

But when Wang wanted to ask the Xue family for help in revenge, Xue Jinyan would not pay any attention to her.

Therefore, this chess piece fell into the hands of Concubine Shu.

Of course, in the eyes of outsiders, Xue Jinyan had sufficient reasons to commit the crime.

She once burned down the Linlang Palace!

She and Concubine Zhuang had a life-and-death feud. If she was afraid that Concubine Zhuang would retaliate against her, it was only natural for her to strike first.

Furthermore, now that Concubine Zhuang is dead, the eldest princess has fallen back into the hands of the Xue family, which is also a good thing.

and so……

Concubine Shu deliberately made this game very similar to the burning of Linlang Palace.

He plotted to murder Concubine Zhuang and put the blame on others.

After the conspiracy was exposed, the assassins took the blame.

The so-called putting the blame on others.

Of course, it is not enough to point crude evidence to one person.

And let this game be like this person's usual style of doing things. There is no need to blame her, but everyone knows that she did it.

Only then can it be considered exquisite.

“But why doesn’t Your Majesty add more evidence to make Xue Jinyan completely gone…” Cai Quan was puzzled.

Concubine Shu shook her head. "If the evidence is solid, the emperor might become suspicious... When the water is full, it will overflow. It's best to stop when it's enough."

And, there’s one more thing…

That is the measure of bargaining with the Xue family.

Xue Jinyan is the legitimate daughter of the Xue family. If she dies, how can Queen Mother Xue let it go?

The life-and-death struggle between the Xue and Cen families was a thing of the previous generation.

Now both sides know that when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. Although they are in a confrontation, both sides have room for maneuver.

As a member of the Cen family faction, it didn't matter if she killed a few small figures when dealing with the Xue party, but the niece of Empress Dowager Xue and the biological daughter of Duke Xue must not die in her hands.

Although she framed Xue Jinyan, she did not kill her. This was just the right measure.

"It's a pity that Concubine Zhuang didn't die this time... But it doesn't matter. What's the difference between her being alive and dead now? It's also good to let her live a life worse than death." Concubine Shu curved her thin lips into an arc that seemed like a smile.

……

Although Ning Wanyin was far away in the palace, her spies passed the news back immediately.

"...Master, His Majesty and his men are now on their way back." Lian Rui reported the whole story of Concubine Zhuang's case.

Ning Wanyin remained silent after listening to this.

It looks like Xue Jinyan...

But Concubine Shu is not necessarily clean.

But it doesn't matter who she suspects. What matters is that the emperor thinks it was Xue Jinyan who did it...

Seeing how Concubine Zhuang was murdered, the emperor must hate Xue Jinyan to the core.

"Xiao Xia Zi, help me get something into the palace..." Ning Wanyin looked at Xiao Xia Zi.

She had to instruct the emperor's people to do this.

After hearing this, Xiao Xiazi was surprised and took the order to leave.

Ning Wanyin looked at Lian Rui again and said, "Your Majesty and the concubines will be back soon. The charcoal fires in each palace should be prepared in advance. When Xiao Xiazi comes back, ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to send some more to each palace."

"Yes." Lian Rui obeyed the order.

……

Dusk.

Your Majesty returns to the palace.

Ning Wanyin led a group of concubines to greet them.

Concubine Zhuang woke up once in the morning and found herself very sick. She hugged the emperor and cried for a while, then fell into a deep sleep again.

Helian Qi personally escorted Concubine Zhuang back to Linlang Palace.

Ever since Concubine Zhuang got into trouble, his expression has been gloomy.

Wang refused to confess, so Helian Qi ordered the extermination of her entire clan. Although the manager who hired her left the capital, the emperor sent spies to capture him.

The other officials in charge of the Purple Gold Palace were held accountable for their negligence...

Despite all these things, Helian Qi still couldn't feel relieved.

Because the mastermind got away with it.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report!" Ning Wanyin knelt down and saluted.

"I already know about Shi's case. He should be executed." Helian Qi said casually.

Ning Wanyin said, "I have another matter to report. I heard that Madam Ping had personally witnessed the person who poisoned Concubine Zhuang coming out of Jinxiu Pavilion..."

"Why are you making such a fuss? It has nothing to do with me!" Xue Jinyan glanced at Ning Wanyin angrily.

Ning Wanyin turned a deaf ear to her words and continued:

"Ever since Concubine Zhuang got into trouble, Your Majesty immediately sealed off the Zijin Palace and searched it, but nothing suspicious was found. I thought that since the medicine had already been used, it would naturally be impossible to find anything at this time..."

"But if Lady Xue is the mastermind, then the poison may still be in her residence. We should search Qionghua Garden!"

As she spoke, Ning Wanyin raised her eyes and looked at Helian Qi.

Eyes facing each other.

it is more than words.

"Come here, seal off Qionghua Garden! Search!" Helian Qi gave the order immediately.

Xue Jinyan was almost mad with anger. Everyone thought it was her who did it, and now they wanted to search her palace. It was ridiculous.

"Ning Zhaoyi is so suspicious of me. What will you do if you find nothing?" Xue Jinyan looked at Ning Wanyin coldly.

Ning Wanyin said slowly, "That will just alleviate some of the suspicion on Lady Xue. Lady Xue, there is no need to thank me. This is what I should do."

"You——" Xue Jinyan was so angry at her.

Jin Zhong had already brought the eunuchs from the Weilin Division to seal off Qionghua Garden and search it.

A quarter of an hour later.

Jin Zhong came in with two eunuchs, carrying a blue and white porcelain ornament that was half a person's height.

This blue and white porcelain is a display in the lobby of Qionghua Garden.

Two eunuchs turned the blue and white porcelain upside down——

Ta-ta-ta-ta.

A few wax pellets fell into the bottle.

The fragrance of the Soul-Separating Incense poisons people. This poison, which spreads by smell, is usually sealed in a wax pill and isolated from the outside world.

So when Jin Zhong saw the wax ball, he quickly ordered people to bring it over.

"Your Majesty, I found some wax pills hidden in this vase...Please ask the imperial physician to check!" Jin Zhong unscrewed a wax pill and saw light green powder inside.

Judge Zhao stepped forward to identify it and said in shock, "Your Majesty, this is the Soul-Separating Incense!"

Xue Jinyan couldn't believe it, "Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! Someone is framing me!"

"The evidence is irrefutable, and you still want to deny it?" Helian Qi ignored her rebuttal and ordered coldly:

"The criminal Xue, plotted to murder Concubine Zhuang, her crime is unforgivable! Come, beat Xue with a hundred sticks and banish her to the cold palace."

Xue Jinyan's body swayed and she fell to the ground, unable to believe it.

How could this be?