newbobooks Chapter 140 Concubine Liang's Smooth Things Over
Chapter 140 Concubine Liang's Smooth Things Over
In just a short moment, Shen Zhinian thought of many things.
She had always asked Xiao Mingzi to keep a close eye on the news in the harem. If someone really set up a plot to murder her, it would be impossible that there would be no clues at all. Could it be that someone suddenly came up with an idea and wanted to frame her for Chen's death?
Although Jinghua did not directly say that she was the murderer, she put all the suspicion on her.
Was this palace maid simply speaking out what she had seen and heard, or was she bribed?
Any excuse could be exposed. Chen Da Ying's death was not her fault. Shen Zhinian had no guilt at all and said truthfully, "Your Majesty, this afternoon a young eunuch who I don't know came to Tingyu Pavilion and said that Sister Kang wanted to see me for something, and asked me to go over quickly."
"When we were almost at Jingye Pond, I gradually realized something was wrong. I tested the eunuch and found out that there was indeed something wrong with him. When he saw that the matter was exposed, he ran away and disappeared without a trace. I was worried that someone was going to harm me, so I took Fuqiu back to Tingyu Pavilion."
"I think Jinghua saw us at that time, but Chen Da Ying was definitely not killed by me! I dare not..."
Concubine Kang was confused and quickly shook her head, saying, "I have never asked anyone to go to Tingyu Pavilion to invite Sister Rou!"
Shen Zhinian said: "I know."
"From Tingyu Pavilion to Shangxiang Palace, you will definitely pass by Jingye Pond. I think the person behind the scenes also knows this, so he deliberately spread Sister Kang's words to lure me here and put the blame on me!"
Shen Zhinian couldn't help but feel a little lucky now. Fortunately, she had discovered something wrong before entering the rockery and turned around and left. Otherwise, if someone saw her with Chen Da Ying's body, it would be irrefutable evidence and she would not be able to deny it.
Concubine Qian said slowly, "All this is just Concubine Rou's one-sided story. You said that a young eunuch who was unfamiliar to you led you here. Where is he?"
Shen Zhinian ignored her and looked at the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, although the eunuch has not been found yet, what I said is true. Everyone in Tingyu Pavilion can testify..."
Another concubine who was attached to Queen Jiang sneered, "Tingyu Pavilion is full of Concubine Rou's people, so naturally Concubine Rou has the final say. It's really pitiful that Chen Ying was killed just like that..."
"Isn't it? The one who was killed today was Chen Da Ying, and we don't know who will be killed tomorrow. If the murderer continues to be at large, no one will dare to go out..."
The alliance between Concubine Liu and Shen Zhinian is very solid, so naturally they want to protect her.
She glanced at the concubines who were talking, her eyes sharp: "During the time when Chen promised to die, the person who passed by here was the murderer? If I also passed by here, then does that mean I killed her?"
Everyone in the harem knew Concubine Liu's temper. Even though they said "we dare not", they still refused to let Shen Zhinian go.
"Your Highness, that's not what we meant. It's just that we have to base everything on evidence, especially when it comes to human life. Chen promised to be murdered, and Concubine Rou is the only suspect, which makes us think too much..."
Concubine Liu wanted to protect Shen Zhinian, but she didn't dare to do it too obviously, lest the emperor suspect Shen Zhinian had defected to her: "I don't think Concubine Rou would do such a thing, but what these sisters said makes sense. Concubine Rou is indeed suspicious."
"I wonder how Your Majesty intends to deal with this?"
Nangong Xuanyu naturally believed in Shen Zhinian in his heart, especially since Concubine Qian and the others were pressing her step by step, which made her look even more vulnerable and helpless, making him feel extremely pity for her.
"You know that evidence is needed for everything. Do you have evidence to prove that Concubine Rou is the murderer?"
Concubine Qian waited with gritting her teeth, feeling jealous and unwilling!
Although Chen Da Ying was of a low rank and not very favored, she was still a concubine in the palace. Being killed in broad daylight in the harem was no small matter!
If it was someone else, His Majesty would probably send them to the Ministry of Punishment for strict investigation if they were suspected of anything. But the evidence pointed to Concubine Rou, and His Majesty was so biased towards her!
As expected, the Queen's worries were not without reason. With Concubine Yirou's great favor, if she gave birth to a prince one day, the position of Queen in the Zhenguo Mansion might be snatched away by her!
How could the concubines whose fathers and brothers had taken refuge in the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion let go of such a great opportunity?
"Your Majesty, although there is no direct evidence to prove that Chen Ying was killed by Concubine Rou, she is indeed the only suspect. If you give up on tracking down clues because you favor Concubine Rou and let Chen Ying die in vain, the concubines in the harem will be really disappointed..."
"Yes, Your Majesty! If this continues, the people will be in a state of panic, and the six palaces will not be at peace!"
"If the murderer is not found, not to mention the concubines are afraid, I am afraid that even if the officials in the court know about this, they will say that Concubine Rou seduces the emperor. Your Majesty, please think twice!"
"Think twice, Your Majesty!"
"..."
Shen Zhinian's charming face still showed a look of panic and grievance, but the corners of her lips were slightly raised.
Sometimes, arguing with reason is better for you; and sometimes, not arguing is the best argument.
Because all men in the world have this common problem, they like to sympathize and pity women who are in a disadvantaged position.
The more aggressive Concubine Qian and the others were, the more her forbearance and gentleness made the emperor feel distressed.
So from the beginning to the end, no matter how hard everyone pressed him, Shen Zhinian never argued for himself.
As expected, Nangong Xuanyu sneered: "So, you guys must let me deal with Concubine Rou?"
Since entering the palace, this little girl has always abided by the palace rules and treated people kindly. Even though she was besieged by everyone at this moment, she did not become hysterical or look hateful.
What had she done wrong that the concubines in the palace could not tolerate her? In the final analysis, they were just jealous of her favor.
But the more this happened, the more he wanted to pamper her and protect her!
Not to mention the people who had just spoken, even Concubine Qian, who was dancing the most happily, felt the emperor's wrath. They looked at each other and dared not say a word.
The atmosphere froze for a moment.
Concubine Liang gently tried to smooth things over: "Your Majesty, please calm down."
"These sisters in the harem did not intentionally target Concubine Rou. I also believe that Concubine Rou is not capable of doing such a vicious thing."
"It's just that a murder happened near Jingye Pond, and the victim was a concubine. If the murderer is not found soon, not only will everyone in the harem be uneasy, but if the news gets out, it will also damage the reputation of the royal family."
"In my opinion, it would be better to confine Sister Rou to her own palace first. Once the murderer is found, she can be cleared of all charges. This will also help calm the hearts of the people in the harem."
Concubine Liang and Concubine Gui jointly assisted in managing the six palaces, so there was nothing wrong with this approach. It was even somewhat biased towards Shen Zhinian, allowing her to avoid the humiliation of being interrogated.
However, for Shen Zhinian, she would never hand over her innocence to anyone else!
"Your Majesty, may I ask the person in charge of investigating this matter at the Ministry of Punishment?"