The queen is sober in the world, and she is winning every step of the palace fight.

Faced with Lan Zhaoyi's questioning and provocation, Concubine Shun ignored her.

He walked straight past her and came in front of Concubine Yue.

"Your Majesty, this is purely a false accusation against me. If you believe one side of the story, it will only allow the person behind this evil scheme to succeed. I was confused before, but now I see the whole story—this is a scheme that anyone with a discerning eye can see. This person spread rumors to tarnish your reputation, and then implicated Concubine Zhao, Concubine Ying, and others. In this way, we are all caught in one fell swoop, while she sits back and reaps the benefits."

Concubine Yue asked: "Do you have any evidence to prove your innocence?"

"I didn't." Concubine Shun pointed at the kneeling maid, "But I know that the only way to get the truth now is to ask her. She must have been threatened. Otherwise, how could she, who has been loyal to me for many years and has such a good character, frame me for no reason? Your Majesty, we must protect her safety now, because she is the only witness at this moment."

Concubine Yue pondered in silence.

He lowered his eyes, as if thinking about something.

Lan Zhaoyi took two steps forward and was about to speak.

Fei Wan was lying opposite Concubine Yue. With a glance, Yu Sujin, who was sitting quietly beside her, stood up.

Yu Sujin walked directly to the maid Qingyun, squatted down, and spoke softly to her face to face.

"Look, even at this moment, your master is still protecting your safety. You must know Concubine Shun better than the rest of us. Do you really have the heart to follow the orders of others and frame her?"

"This servant..." Qingyun suddenly burst into tears, "This servant can't bear it! This servant knows she was wrong, Concubine Shun, this servant will tell you the truth!"

Concubine Shun was still standing in front of Concubine Yue's couch. Upon hearing this, she shuddered and quickly stepped forward, "Then tell me!"

Qingyun cried loudly, but spoke very clearly: "It was Lan Zhaoyi. It was Lan Zhaoyi who sent people to instruct this servant to frame the master. This servant had no choice. The lives of my entire family are in her hands. My parents are old, and I have brothers and sisters with several families, as well as nephews and nieces, dozens of people, young and old, the youngest is only two years old, my majesty! Lan Zhaoyi said that if I don't listen to her, she will wait until next month when the family celebrates my mother's birthday and poison everyone to death. She also said that she can wipe out all the evidence so that the government can't trace it. That's why I betrayed the majesty! I deserve to die, I deserve to die!"

This unexpected turn of events shocked everyone in the hall.

Lan Zhaoyi quickly walked back to Qingyun and angrily said, "You are slandering me. This palace..."

Snapped!

Shun Fei slapped her hard on the face: "You bitch!"

Lan Zhaoyi staggered after being hit, and managed to steady herself by holding onto the tea table next to her.

Before she could speak again, Concubine Yue had already asked Qingyun, "What evidence do you have to prove that Concubine Lan ordered you to frame the master?"

Qingyun said, "I followed Concubine Lan Zhaoyi and helped her frame someone. I knew I would die, so I asked her for a reward of silver to send back home to repay my parents for raising me. She was very generous. Not only did she reward me with two hundred taels of silver, she also gave me a gold bracelet. She placed it under my bed in my bedroom, under the second brick from the left. I told my roommates that if I died one day, they should send all the money back to my family. Your Majesty, please send someone to look for it now."

What else is there to say.

Concubine Yue immediately sent someone to search Qingyun's room.

The palace maids of Changle Palace went with people from the Palace Administration Office, asking them to be witnesses.

When he returned a short while later, he found the two hundred taels of silver and the gold bracelet, indeed under the floor tiles.

The maid who lived with Qingyun and was previously entrusted by Qingyun to send money was also brought in as a witness to confirm that Qingyun had indeed made such an entrustment with her yesterday morning.

"I was wondering why Sister Qingyun said she was seriously ill and was afraid she was going to die, even though she didn't look sick..."

Concubine Yue straightened up from the couch.

She took one look at the gold bracelet and recognized it. "This is the one I gave you as a gift. The pattern is old-fashioned and I don't like it, but you begged for it and thanked me profusely. Haha, now you're using it as a reward to plot against me?"

"My Lady, I don't have it! I've been keeping this bracelet safe in my dressing table. How could I give it to a humble servant?"

Lan Zhaoyi's face turned pale. She never expected things to take such a turn.

In her haste, she suddenly realized something and pointed at Concubine Shun, saying, "So that's how it is. It's a double-edged trick! If you succeed in framing Concubine Yue, you'll ruin Concubine Yue's chances of being crowned Empress, and you'll have a chance to be crowned Empress yourself. If the accusation fails, you'll throw the dirty water on me..."

Concubine Shun spat at her: "Why would I throw dirty water on you? You need someone else to throw dirty water on you, you are dirty enough!"

Concubine Shun has always been kind and gentle to everyone, but today she must have been very angry and her words were sharp.

"Your Majesty!" Lan Zhaoyi hurriedly argued with Concubine Yue, "Concubine Shun hasn't explained the note in her sleeve yet!"

The maid Qingyun said, "That was something I changed. Empress Shun doesn't know. While I was helping her put her clothes together, I replaced the list of heaters in each palace in her sleeve with the note that Concubine Lan had prepared for me in advance."

"Nonsense, I never gave you a note!"

"It wasn't given by you personally, Zhaoyi. You sent your maid to give it to me."

Impatient, Concubine Yue flipped the teacup on the table onto the floor. A clang sounded, silencing everyone.

"Consort Kang, Consort Shun, since you've been assisting with the management of the harem lately, I suggest that Consort Lan and her companions be sent to the Palace Administration Office for questioning. Do you agree?"

How could Kang Shun and the other one not agree?

So no matter how much Lan Zhaoyi cried out that she was innocent, she was still taken away by the Palace Administration Office.

"Qingyun, get up. I will protect your family. I will also pardon you. You were coerced for your family, but you stopped before it was too late. If no bad consequences were caused, you can be forgiven." Concubine Yue said.

The maid Qingyun kowtowed repeatedly, expressing her gratitude with tears.

Concubine Shun was so disappointed that she said, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? If you had confessed a little later today, and caused a big mistake, I'm afraid you would have died!"

"I will never dare to do that again!"

After Qingyun kowtowed to Concubine Yue, she kowtowed to her master to apologize.

Express gratitude and remorse.

In my heart, I was only secretly grateful to Concubine Zhao.

If it weren't for Concubine Zhao's help, she would have definitely framed her master, Concubine Shun, and would have ended up committing suicide.

Time goes back to three quarters of an hour ago.

After being taken to the palace by Concubine Kang's order, she thought she would die today.

But unexpectedly, he saw Bai Yuan in Gong Zhengsi's cell.

The former chief maid of Fengyi Palace.

"You were coerced into betraying Concubine Shun, weren't you?"

Bai Yuan opened the door of the cell, waved away the old woman guarding the door, walked in, and gently held Qingyun's hand.

"I'm here to save you. Do you want to live? Then do as I did and acknowledge Concubine Zhao as your master."

Qingyun looked at Bai Yuan warily.

Bai Yuan just smiled slightly.

"As close maids to high-ranking concubines like us, we either do evil for our masters and are abandoned after their death. Or we are coerced into murdering our masters, and ultimately face a bad end. Do you know why I am still alive and well after exposing Concubine Si in front of the emperor? Do you think someone like Concubine Si would let me go easily after being betrayed by me?"

"Because of Concubine Zhao, Sister Qingyun."

"She promised to protect me and my family. You see, I am safe now, but Concubine Si is destined to die."

"Sister, I'm here to advise you on behalf of Concubine Zhao. Tell the truth. You won't die, and neither will the people you want to protect. The only ones who will die are those who are using you. Do you understand?"