Cold-faced Empress

Could it be that making snake soup wasn't just an excuse Fu Siying came up with on a whim?

Prime Minister Fu then asked the cook, "Why did you suddenly make snake soup? Did the young lady order it?"

The cook nodded: "It was the young lady's order. She said she saw a snake seller on the street a few days ago and made a deal with him for a snake, asking him to deliver it this morning. Today, the kitchen is busy preparing vegetarian meals, and no one is available, so Qingyin, who is by the young lady's side, went to carry the snake to the kitchen."

Prime Minister Fu glanced at Qingyin and said in a cryptic tone, "You're quite bold, daring to go and move the snake basket all by yourself."

Qingyin pursed her lips slightly: "Since it's something the young lady wants, this servant will naturally do it if I can. Besides, the snake basket is very secure, so I can't see the snake and therefore have nothing to fear."

Fu Siying scoffed, "Does this have anything to do with whether Qingyin is bold or not?"

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Fu sighed and then asked the cook, "Since the snakes were delivered to the kitchen, how did they end up in the garden? Didn't any of you watch over this basket of snakes?"

"It was my oversight! I was busy with other things and didn't have time to look after it. Seeing that the snake basket was secure, I asked Qingyin to put it in the corner of the courtyard wall. Who would have thought..."

The cook, looking miserable, turned over the empty snake basket in his hand, showing Prime Minister Fu the damage to the bottom of the basket: "Who would have thought that the rats had gnawed the snake basket! I guess the snakes escaped, smelled the fragrance of the flowers, and went into the garden through the hole in the corner of the wall!"

Upon closer inspection, everyone saw that there were indeed holes gnawed by rats at the bottom of the snake basket.

Seeing the situation change, Wang immediately threw a tantrum, relentlessly questioning, "What rubbish you're spouting! Rats would run away before they could even see a snake, why would you let them gnaw on the basket? You cook are a heartless scoundrel, teaming up with your young lady to bully people!"

The cook was very aggrieved: "Master, I am telling the truth. I really don't know what kind of partnership I could have with Miss."

Afterwards, Prime Minister Fu led everyone to the kitchen courtyard behind the small garden to inspect the scene. They found a rat hole in the corner of the yard, along with several snakes slithering around. A servant dug along the rat hole and confirmed that it did indeed lead to the small garden.

The cook said timidly, "Actually, mice aren't afraid of snakes. If they encounter a hibernating snake, they will eat it. The mice in the yard didn't know there was a snake in the snake basket. They gnawed through the basket and ran away, naturally leading the snake into its hole."

The rat hole was a mess, with dead rats and snakes. Although the scene was gruesome, it proved one thing: the snake's appearance in the small garden was indeed a coincidence!

Now that things had come to this point, the truth was basically out. Prime Minister Fu, worried that guests would soon arrive, hurriedly ordered his servants to clean up all the mess in the mansion, especially the dead snakes.

Now that she was free of any suspicion, Fu Siying looked at Wang Shi and Wei Lanling with a cold smile: "The snakes went to the garden through the rat hole. What does this have to do with me? Do I have any say in the matter? Do you think I can let rats lead the snakes to ambush you in the garden? Besides, who gave you permission to go to the garden?"

Her sarcasm left Wei Lanling hanging her head, too ashamed to respond. Who could have imagined such a coincidence!

Fu Siying scoffed lightly: "If I had known you all wanted me to harm you so much, I wouldn't have let that snake seller pull out all the snake's fangs. What kind of snake soup would I be making, huh?"

Even if it were a non-venomous snake, if its fangs hadn't been removed, given how the snakes had coiled around Wei Lanling just now, they would have surely bitten her into a sieve!

Wei Lanling turned pale with fright.