Jinwei joins hands in rebirth: villains can also eat at the table

He remained expressionless and answered respectfully with his head lowered. The eunuch who followed him presented the evidence to the emperor.

Later, several young eunuchs dragged in a man who was tied up and had a cloth stuffed in his mouth.

After hearing Jinzhong's words, Jin Yuyan suddenly felt unbelievable. She suddenly clenched the handkerchief in her hand and turned her head to glare at the palace maid Yue'er behind her.

Didn't she send someone to Yongshou Palace to hide the musk? How come she didn't find it?

If Yue'er hadn't betrayed her, then Concubine Ling must have foreseen it and had someone find the musk and hide it first.

"The middle of this hairpin is hollow, and the musk was stored inside. There's nothing left inside now, and perhaps they're reluctant to throw it away because it's valuable, but there's still a lingering scent of musk. This eunuch's name is Xiao Shunzi, and he was one of the eunuchs who delivered flowers to the Yikun Palace that day."

Jinzhong picked up the evidence, unscrewed the mechanism and showed it to everyone.

"Okay, take the cloth away. I want to interrogate him."

The emperor nodded, very satisfied with his speed, and waved his hand to let him go down and wait.

"Your Majesty, please spare me! Your Majesty, please spare me! It was all Empress Ling Fei, it was Empress Ling Fei who forced me to do this. If I didn't want to, she would have killed me!"

As soon as the cloth was taken out of Xiao Shunzi's mouth, she kept kowtowing, saying that Concubine Ling instructed her to do so.

"I have never met you before. Who sent you to slander me?" Hearing this, Yan Wan looked up in disbelief.

Jin Yuyan had been staring at Xiao Shunzi nervously. Seeing him clinging to Concubine Ling, she stroked her increasingly round belly with satisfaction and said calmly, "The witness is here, Concubine Ling, you're not going to deny it, are you?"

Yan Wan frantically knelt on the ground, ignoring Jin Yuyan's words, and instead pleaded with the emperor: "Your Majesty, this servant is full of lies. Please do not believe the words of a murderer. Please give me a chance to prove my innocence and allow me to refute it."

"allow."

The matter had not yet been sorted out, and the emperor had not yet fully trusted Xiao Shunzi's words. He approved her request, wanting to see how Concubine Ling would prove her innocence.

"Your name is Xiao Shunzi, right? Okay! Since you said I instructed you to do this, then I want to ask you, when did I bribe you? Did I meet you, or did someone close to me meet you?"

Yanwan wiped the tears from her face and asked repeatedly, each word was powerful, and there was coldness in her eyes when she looked at Xiao Shunzi.

"A month ago, Aunt Chunchan, who was with Concubine Ling, came to see me. She gave me five hundred taels of silver notes. It's still hidden in the sundries room in the greenhouse. I hid it under a loose brick on the left wall. I was so frightened that I didn't dare touch it..."

Upon hearing this, the emperor glanced at Jinzhong and signaled him to check again.

Jin Zhongxin understood what he meant. He glanced at Xiao Shunzi, who was shaking like a sieve in the audience, and his eyes turned slightly cold. He left the hall quietly.

"Okay, in that case, I still have a few questions for you. When did Chunchan meet you a month ago? Was it during the day or at night? What was the weather like that day? What color were the clothes she was wearing? What color was the bracelet on her hand? Did she give you the five hundred taels of silver directly or in a purse? Did she give you the musk when she gave you the silver, or did she find another opportunity to give it to you? You must explain everything to me in detail!"

Yanwan's mind was working quickly, and she asked one question after another, and these questions confused Xiao Shunzi so much that he was at a loss as to which direction to take.

He panicked. "A month ago, on the ninth day, no, the fifteenth, the dress she wore was... blue, and the bracelet on her hand was... white... It was the musk I gave her when I gave her the banknotes... I can't remember the rest! Empress Ling Fei, I did everything you asked. You can't burn your bridges!"

Xiao Shunzi stumbled and talked for a long time before simply saying that he couldn't remember.

Seeing that he still didn't forget to bite her even now, Yan Wan showed a sneer on her face.

She turned her head and looked up: "Your Majesty, this servant is full of lies, clearly fabricated. If it were such a serious matter, I would definitely be worried and uneasy, and I couldn't sleep peacefully at night. How could I forget it so easily? Look at his stumbling appearance, he just made it up to deceive you. He can't even remember whether the banknotes were wrapped in a purse. You want to accuse me of such a despicable behavior? I deny it! I am innocent!"

"Besides!"

Yan Wan paused, then turned to look at Chun Chan, motioning her to raise her hands for everyone to see. "Besides, Chun Chan wouldn't wear any bracelets at all. Even though I've given her countless fine things, she wouldn't wear any jewelry on her hands to avoid causing trouble for me and to make it easier for her to serve me! You're lying! Who's behind this, instructing you to frame me? Tell me!"

Chunchan rolled up her sleeves to her elbows and raised her hands high. Her wrists were completely clean, without even a trace of the bracelet.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to testify for Concubine Ling. Although I am on good terms with her, I will never shield a wicked person. Chunchan follows Concubine Ling around all day long, and I have never seen her wearing a bracelet in all the years we have been friends!"

Seeing this, Yihuan immediately knelt beside Yanwan and pleaded for mercy.

She was aloof and proud, and never disdained to tell lies, even to her relatives and friends. The emperor also trusted Yihuan's character, and she could prove it for Chunchan, so it must be true.

Jin Yuyan didn't expect that this little Shunzi was so useless. He was defeated by Concubine Ling's sharp words. Seeing that he was about to collapse, she almost couldn't sit still.

She really had no other choice. Since she couldn't put the blame on Concubine Ling, she might as well follow the old rules.

"You dog slave, confess quickly! This is an attempt to murder the royal heir. If you don't think about yourself, you should at least think about your family!" She stared at him like a venomous snake spitting out its tongue, and the threat in her words was self-evident.

The slave committed suicide and framed others, which is a common trick used in the palace.

As soon as these words were spoken, Xiao Shunzi's heart sank. The image of his family flashed through his mind, and a look of determination appeared on his face.

"It was done by me. I was jealous of Concubine Ling's favor. I used to work in the flower room and bullied Concubine Ling. Now that she's favored, I'm afraid she'll retaliate, so I want to put the blame on her. I stole the five hundred taels of silver..."

His words were incoherent and his expressions were completely crazy. Seeing this, Yan Wan quietly moved away from him, fearing that he would suddenly attack and hurt someone. Although her hands were tied, there was no guarantee that he would not rush towards her if he was in desperate situation.

Every word Yanwan said was logical and clear, and anyone with a discerning eye could see that Xiao Shunzi's words were not to be trusted.

"Your Majesty, you previously swore that Concubine Ling bribed him, but now you're reversing your words. This is truly ridiculous. I don't think he will reveal the true culprit unless he makes her suffer."

Hai Lan watched silently for a long time. It was obvious to her that someone was doing evil and wanted to frame Concubine Ling. After watching for a long time, she became somewhat certain about who the real culprit was.