Under the Empress Dowager, all members will be King

Chapter 27
"The harem is full of women, so it may not be convenient for people from the Ministry of Punishment to investigate," the queen said.

"I will arrange for the criminal department to sort out the case, and the female officials will be responsible for collecting information and confessions."

"Before, the beautiful ladies lived in the Qifeng Pavilion outside the palace. The female officials in Xifeng Pavilion are very good. I am very relieved to leave this matter to the female officials."

The queen hesitated to speak, and could only act in a hurry.

Concubine Yi's eyes were empty and she was still in great shock. Concubine Rou's words were so clear that she probably guessed the truth of the downfall of the Wei family by virtue of these details.

The emperor turned and left. Since the emperor came down from Jiuhua Peak, the empress felt that he seemed to be a different person. His attitude towards people seemed gentle, but in fact he was very alienated.

Concubine Rou has been sitting on the imperial concubine position for three years. Her means and resourcefulness should not be underestimated. Before the emperor came, she pretended to be panic-stricken, and refused to reveal the cards in her hand.

As soon as the emperor came, she immediately found the backbone, and adjusted from the defensive side to the proactive side. A series of words directly caused Concubine Yi to lose her combat effectiveness.

Concubine Rou started to chase after the emperor, she stretched out her hand three times, but she didn't grab the emperor's hand once.

Quietly in the main hall of Qiwu Palace, the queen poured a cup of tea for Concubine Yi.

"Queen, I did not inflict the poison on Ning Shuyi."

"Of course I know it's not you. Someone else actually poisoned you."

"Who is it and why is she doing this?"

"If Ning Shuyi dies, you and Concubine Rou will definitely be implicated. You might as well think about who is the biggest beneficiary in this matter?"

The queen guided Yifei in the wrong way, and the conclusion Yifei deduced was naturally wrong.

She thought for a while and replied: "Imperial Concubine."

"Okay, it doesn't matter whether it's the hands of the imperial concubine or not, have you brought all the account books, these things can't fall into the wrong hands."

Concubine Yi called out the door: "Wen Qin come in."

Wen Qin took out the account book from her arms, bent down and held it to Xia Chan, who took it and showed it to the queen.

The queen held the ledger in her hand and called out, "Hold the lamp."

Xia Chan immediately lit six more candles. There was a short iron tree in Wugong Palace. There was a candlestick on the tree, and five candles were stuck in the candlestick. These candles were already bright enough.

But the queen was worried that she might have overlooked the accounts, so she ordered Xia Chan to light a few more candles. When there were more candles, the main hall immediately lit up.

The light of the candle shines on Concubine Yi's face, Concubine Yi is in the light of the candle, there is no secret to hide.

"There are too many accounts. I won't be able to read them all in a while. When I finish reading them, I will burn them. By the way, Concubine Yi, do you have any extra backups?"

Concubine Yi has already walked to the door, standing with her back to the queen, she stepped over the threshold with her left foot, half of her body was hidden in the night, the candles in the room only illuminated half of her face, she turned her head and said: "Backup? Why does the concubine need to back up?"

The queen smiled and said, "It's fine if there is no backup, I just asked casually."

"Since the queen has nothing to do, the concubine will take her leave first."

Concubine Yi was still smiling when she said this, but when both of her feet crossed the threshold, the smile on her face disappeared and was replaced by endless panic.

Wen Qin held a dim yellow lamp, and the master and servant walked in the endless darkness. They didn't slow down until they left Qiwu Palace.

Wen Qin supported Concubine Yi, she could feel Concubine Yi's rapid breathing and her slightly trembling right hand.

"Master, shall we go back to the Chunxi Palace, or go to the Imperial Hospital?"

Concubine Yi thought for a moment and said, "Go to Changning Palace."

Concubine Yi was supported by Wen Qin, and walked along the long corridor. The door of the nearby palace was firmly closed, and there were no people walking around. The light in the lantern gradually faded, and the lonely corridor was endless at a glance.

Wen Qin reminded Concubine Yi, "Master, our lanterns are about to burn out."

Concubine Yi's tone was very firm: "Keep going, even if there is no lantern or candlelight, you still have to go forward, at least there is a moon in the sky, and the moonlight can also illuminate the way forward."

After turning a corner and walking another two hundred feet, the front of the house was illuminated with an orange-red light, and there was a plaque on the door, which read three vigorous and powerful characters—Changning Palace.

Concubine Yi stood at the door, the palace door was open, she smiled, the smile reached her eyes, with a sense of joy of being saved from a desperate situation.

Wen Qin couldn't understand Concubine Yi's emotions. It would take no more than half an hour to walk from Qiwu Palace to Changning Palace. During this half an hour, Concubine Yi seemed to be walking from hell to the world, every step was extremely difficult.

An orange cat barked at Yi Fei, as if calling her to come in.

Concubine Yi touched the account book sewn into her cuff, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wen Qin, you wait here, I will go to Changning Palace to talk to Concubine Zhen."

Concubine Zhen was lazily lying on the concubine's bed, and there was an orange cat squatting under her feet. This cat was the one who led Concubine Yi just now. The orange cat squatted beside Concubine Zhen, stretched out its paws and yawned , slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Concubine Zhen's maid, Xiaoyu, retreated out of the door in an orderly manner, and stood with her back to the two of them. She was standing far enough away that even if the palace door was not closed, she would not be able to hear the conversation between Concubine Yi and Concubine Zhen.

"How did you come?"

"I have something for you."

"Don't give it to me. There are so many cats in Changning Palace, I can't handle it. You have to take care of other people's business."

"It's not someone else's business, it's my business."

"It's about you. You are Concubine Yi, the big celebrity in front of the empress. I'm Concubine Zhen, who raises cats and walks dogs in Changning Palace and doesn't want to make progress. Do I know you very well?"

Concubine Yi took out the scissors to cut the needle and thread for mending, took out an account book and gave it to Concubine Zhen, but Concubine Zhen did not accept it.

"Look at the friendship when I was a child, help me once."

Concubine Zhen's eyes flashed, thinking of the past, her expression was no longer full of guard, and she pointed casually: "Let's put it here, the table in the kitchen is missing a leg, just to use it to pad the corner of the table."

"Thank you." Concubine Yi thanked her and left Changning Palace.

It was still dark, as if it would never be light.

Ning Shuyi was lying on the hospital bed, her body was bent, her whole body was like a tight bowstring, her teeth were clenched, her hands were clenched into fists, and black air was entwined around her wrists.

The medicine boy guarding the gate looked at her pitifully and gave her a bowl of painkillers.Ning Heyu seemed to have grasped at straws, and begged: "Send me a message, I want to see someone."

Yaotong looked flustered, and hastily withdrew his hand. People in Qiwu Palace and Chunxi Palace had sent messages saying that they couldn't see her.

Ning Heyu guessed the reason why he refused to deliver the letter for her from Yaotong's dilemma expression, she took off a red gold bracelet from her wrist and stuffed it into Yaotong.

"Little doctor, go to Cangzhu Palace and ask Gu Changyi to come see me."

Yaotong twitched, Ning Heyu said: "After the matter is completed, there must be a big thank you."

The drug boy touched the gold bracelet in his hand, and nodded secretly.

Cangzhu Palace, Gu Yinwei's bedroom.

Chuchu heard that the medicine boy from Tai Hospital called Gu Yinwei by name, so she ran down, and then came back again.

"Here comes a medicine boy. He didn't bring a medicine box and didn't follow anyone. He said that he delivered a message for Ning Shuyi."

After Chu Chu finished speaking, she bent down to change Gu Yinwei's shoes, "Master, it's so late, do you have to go?"

"Go and see, in case she has something urgent to ask me."

Chu Chu wanted to persuade her again, but Ting Tao gently tugged on Chu Chu's sleeve, and Chu Chu immediately shut up.

"You don't have to follow, I'll go alone."

Gu Yinwei carried the lantern out of Cangzhu Hall, and Yaotong led the way.

Copying the path all the way, avoiding the guards, Gu Yinwei saw Ning Heyu.

Her expression was decadent and poisonous, like a flower that was about to wither. At the banquet at the Waterside Pavilion, she was so glamorous, but now she is so desolate.

"Did you know earlier?"

Gu Yinwei sat down slowly leaning against a white oil lamp, "Know what?"

(End of this chapter)