Harem Daily Life

When Concubine Hui heard her own son questioning her face to face, she didn't know how to react for a moment.

"Why, mother, you don't know where to begin? Why don't you first explain why you poisoned Princess Qinghe? And why, after she had found someone to treat her, you murdered her, knocking her unconscious and then suffocating her to death."

Prince Yong had explained the entire incident in detail, leaving Concubine Hui speechless. However, since it wasn't her fault, Concubine Hui wouldn't let her son impose the blame on her.

"Yes, I did give her a chronic poison before. That was because she disregarded the safety of Prince Yong's Mansion and deliberately exposed Aunt Lin in front of the Emperor and Empress, causing the Emperor and Empress to be suspicious. But when I knew that the poison had been slowly dissipated and would not threaten her life, I stopped. Who knows why she was knocked unconscious and suffocated to death?" Concubine Hui defended.

Prince Yong sneered, not believing the Queen Mother's words at all. "Is that so? You mean someone else killed her? Then according to what Mother said, was it the Princess, or someone else?"

Although Princess Yong was jealous, Prince Yong believed that she would not kill anyone.

And how could the other concubines in the palace have the courage to attack a princess of a country?

Prince Yong's distrustful look deeply stung Concubine Hui's heart. She angrily said, "Everything I do is for you. Poisoning her was a punishment for her disregarding your safety and putting you in danger. But killing her on New Year's Day will only put Prince Yong's Mansion in the spotlight. What good will that do you? Humph, use your brain to think about it. You doubt me, and it really makes me feel cold!"

Looking at Concubine Hui's angry expression, Prince Yong narrowed his eyes and felt suspicious.

"I also want to know who is so confused that he's causing trouble for Prince Yong's mansion on New Year's Day." Concubine Hui angrily shook her sleeves and ordered Nanny Li beside her, "Go and ask how the interrogation is going."

After Princess Qinghe was found to have been murdered, everyone who served her was arrested and interrogated. Nanny Li left in a hurry and returned in a panic, "Madam Dowager, after severe torture, Nanny Qiao, who served Princess Qinghe, confessed that the drug came from Xiao Cui, a servant of Concubine Lin. Xiao Cui gave Nanny Qiao fifty taels of silver and promised to give her another fifty taels after the deed was done."

"What?" King Yong widened his eyes in shock. He never expected this result.

Concubine Hui was also stunned, then sneered, "Great, what a great Concubine Lin! I was thinking about her humble background, how docile she seemed, and how you liked her so much, so I protected her. I didn't expect her to be so bold as to do such a stupid thing. Killing the Princess of Yan on New Year's Day? Where does this put the Prince Yong's Mansion in such a bad light?"

Prince Yong frowned and was in a dilemma.

"Lin Yuanyuan doesn't seem like such a cruel person. Could it be that Xiao Cui was bribed?"

Concubine Hui glared at Prince Yong fiercely and said, "Alright, then arrest that Xiao Cui and interrogate her strictly. I want to find out who is the mastermind behind this."

Nanny Li took the order and left. Just as she reached the door, the Empress Dowager stopped her and said, "Wait, arrest Lin Yuanyuan as well and interrogate her together."

"Mother!" Prince Yong hurriedly stopped her, "Madam Lin..."

"Shut up!" Concubine Hui shouted angrily, "If you want to protect her, you should also consider whether she is worthy of it."

Nanny Li turned around to do her job. Prince Yong knew that he could not stop his mother, so he could only hope that Lin Yuanyuan was innocent in this matter, otherwise, he could not protect her.

In Lin Yuanyuan's yard, she was wearing her latest clothes and was carefully admiring her face in front of the bronze mirror.

Xiao Cui put a golden hairpin in her hair and praised her, "Your appearance has become more and more beautiful. Your skin has become whiter these days, and you have become even more charming."

Lin Yuanyuan was very satisfied with her appearance. In the past, she didn't have access to such fine rouge and powder, and she didn't dress up often. She just thought she was a pretty girl from a small family. She didn't expect that the food and clothing in the palace were all the best, and after dressing up, she could look so beautiful.

However, her brows furrowed involuntarily. Thinking of the way the prince looked at her recently, as if he was looking through her to see someone else, she felt sad: "Xiao Cui, do you think I'm becoming more and more like the one in the palace?"

Xiao Cui hurriedly stopped her: "Auntie, don't say that carelessly, be careful not to offend that person."

Both of them knew very well that the reason why Lin Yuanyuan was favored was mostly because of this face that looked somewhat similar to someone else.

This is Lin Yuanyuan's blessing, but also Lin Yuanyuan's disaster.

Seeing her unhappy face, Xiao Cui thought for a moment and said, "A concubine has her own advantages. Let me tell you, you are much younger than the one in the palace. You are only eighteen years old now, and the one in the palace has already given birth to three children. I think she must have gained weight and lost her youth. How can she compare to you, the concubine, who is in the prime of her life."

Lin Yuanyuan's expression of surprise relaxed a little. Thinking of Princess Qinghe's sarcasm towards her a few days ago, she sneered, "That's right. I'm so young and beautiful, how can I belittle myself? She even mocked me for trying to imitate others. I think she's dead, how can she still mock me?"

Xiao Cui looked outside the door in fear. Seeing no one coming, she felt relieved and whispered hurriedly, "Auntie, please don't mention Princess Qinghe anymore. I heard that everyone around Princess Qinghe has been arrested and interrogated. I wonder if Aunt Qiao is stubborn enough..."

Lin Yuanyuan glared at Xiao Cui and said, "If she confesses, she will die too. She is not that stupid." Although she said this, Lin Yuanyuan felt uneasy for some reason.

When Li Ma, who was beside Concubine Hui, broke into the courtyard with her men, Lin Yuanyuan and Xiao Cui were so scared that they took several steps back.

"You, what are you going to do?" Lin Yuanyuan looked at Nanny Li who was coming aggressively and asked while grabbing her sleeve tightly.

Nanny Li didn't even look at Lin Yuanyuan. She said in a deep voice, "I'm here by order of the Concubine Dowager to ask Madam Lin a few questions."

After she finished speaking, she raised her hand, and several strong maids came forward to hold Lin Yuanyuan and Xiao Cui and dragged them away.

"Let me go, I am the concubine of the mansion, the master, you servants cannot touch me!" A few months ago, Lin Yuanyuan would not have the idea of "I am the master", but in the past few months she has been favored by King Yong, and gradually she has come to think more highly of herself, and has become more and more like a "master".

Nanny Li scoffed lightly, "You better save your breath. In Prince Yong's mansion, only the Consort Dowager, the Prince, and the Princess are the masters. Oh, if Princess Qinghe wasn't dead, she would be a master too."

Nanny Li rolled her eyes at Lin Yuanyuan and said, "Some people are plotting to murder their master. I'm afraid they think their life is too long and don't want to live anymore."

Lin Yuanyuan's face turned pale, and she hurriedly glanced at Xiao Cui, who was also being held, with pleading eyes.

Xiao Cui's heart skipped a beat, and a terrible thought arose in her mind.