After Xiao Fubao's life was stolen, he became the favorite of everyone in the capital

Chapter 353 Old things
"What did you confess?" asked the Queen Mother.

Qian Rongsheng looked at the emperor hesitantly.

After the emperor nodded, he dared to speak: "Five years ago, Concubine Lin was sent to the cold palace. It was the imperial concubine who used tricks behind her back to drive her crazy."

Concubine Lin was also an old lady who followed the emperor. She suddenly went crazy five years ago. The emperor asked the imperial physician to treat her, but when it failed, he thought that this crazy person was a hidden danger to others, so he had to send her to the cold palace.

The emperor originally thought that even if she was sent to the cold palace or even if she went crazy, he would still take good care of her. Now, thinking back on it, he felt that this name was so unfamiliar, as if it were a lifetime ago.

"How could a normal person be driven crazy? What means did she use?" The emperor still wanted to make amends for Concubine Li.

Qian Rongsheng said, "Concubine Lin has always had a headache. Concubine Li bribed Concubine Lin's personal maid to add some incompatible powder to the medicine she drank. Concubine Lin drank it for more than a year and went crazy without anyone noticing."

The Queen Mother looked unhappy when she heard this, this method looked so familiar. She was poisoned before because of this method, except that one was administered by the imperial physician, and the other was administered by the personal maid.

"How did Concubine Lin offend her?" the emperor was puzzled.

Qian Rongsheng was very thoughtful and had long been prepared for the emperor to ask such a question. He said, "Your Majesty, according to the confession of the criminal Taozhi, Concubine Lin often mocked the Imperial Concubine behind her back for being of humble origin, stealing the Imperial Concubine's position, and failing to win the support of the people with virtue."

Concubine Li was born into a wealthy family in Guanglin Prefecture, and one of her ancestors was a Jinshi. However, her status was naturally incomparable to that of Concubine Lin, who was born into a Duke's Mansion.

The Queen Mother said casually, "Emperor, Concubine Lin was the first concubine selected to enter the palace after you ascended the throne. Although she has an arrogant personality, she has always served you respectfully. Just because of a few gossips, she ended up like this. I'm afraid it will make other people in the palace feel disheartened."

The emperor's expression changed constantly. Now that the facts were before him, he had to realize that the woman he had doted on for many years was indeed a vicious person.

The Queen Mother knew that she had already stood on the opposite side of the Imperial Concubine. Since it had come to this, there was no need to smooth things over. In order to avoid any rift between mother and son, she simply confirmed the woman's guilt.

"Is it just this matter? If you have nothing else to report, you can leave first." The Queen Mother said this deliberately.

This was of course not the only incident involving Qian Rongsheng. The interrogation in the Ministry of Punishment was conducted simultaneously by him and Li Shunfu.

Li Shunfu was the Queen Mother's man, and seemed to have been informed in advance, and had been directing the interrogation of Taozhi. Originally, these old stories had nothing to do with this incident, but under Li Shunfu's guidance, Taozhi was afraid that her whole family would be killed, so she had to confess everything.

"The criminal Taozhi also confessed that Concubine Sun fell into the water eight years ago, Concubine Wu was disfigured seven years ago, and Concubine Liu fell from a high platform six years ago... a total of eleven incidents of murdering concubines."

Listening to Qian Rongsheng's words, not to mention the emperor, even the empress dowager, the previous champion of palace fighting, found it horrifying.

Concubine Li stayed in the palace for twenty years, and Taozhi served her for only ten years. During those ten years, eleven concubines were killed. If we add the palace maids who served her several decades earlier, I'm afraid that the number of lives she took would definitely be quite a lot.

"Emperor, you have married a murderer into the palace." The Queen Mother couldn't help but say.

The emperor's face was so gloomy that water seemed to drip out of it. It was hard for him to imagine that such a beautiful woman who usually looked gentle and kind could have such a true face.

Qian Rongsheng also left a big surprise at the end, saying: "According to the confession of the criminal Tao Zhi, he was once ordered to deliver something to the criminal Li Chaosheng."

The criminal, Li Chaosheng, was none other than the imperial physician Li who had previously attempted to murder the empress dowager. "How dare you!" the emperor slammed the table.

The emperor was not so angry when the concubines were murdered before, but when Concubine Li and Imperial Physician Li were involved, the emperor's eyes bulged and he wished he could eat Qian Rongsheng alive.

Qian Rongsheng knelt down on the spot in fear, and said with a terrified face: "Your Majesty, I dare not lie. The criminal Taozhi did say so, but she only sent something once... It doesn't mean that Doctor Li is Concubine Li's man..."

The Queen Mother, however, covered her chest with her hands and pretended to be in pain: "She killed other concubines because they competed for her favor. I have been praying to Buddha for many years, so how have I offended her?"

The emperor took a deep breath and said, "Mother, just because she had dealings with that criminal doesn't prove that she did it."

The Queen Mother also understood that there was too little evidence and it was difficult to prove it, but as a victim, she had already determined that the Imperial Concubine was her murderer with this little evidence.

"Even if she didn't do it, these eleven lives are not fake. Emperor, how do you plan to deal with her?" the Queen Mother asked the Emperor.

Among the concubines murdered by Concubine Li, there were those from the Duke's Mansion, those from the Marquis' Mansion, and the daughters of high-ranking officials. These good daughters were sent to the palace, but they lost their lives just because of some jealousy. If the news leaked out, these people gathered together and became a considerable force, which might cause turmoil in the previous dynasty.

The emperor took a deep breath and said, "This matter involves many people, so it is not convenient to make it public. The punishment of the imperial concubine cannot be made public either."

The Queen Mother naturally understood this truth.

"Although the imperial concubine poisoned the imperial concubines, she has served us for many years and saved our lives. Since she is sick, let her be ill for a while. My son will slowly find a reason to demote her. All affairs of the six palaces will be handed over to Li Zhaoyi." said the emperor.

The empress dowager's eyes darkened. The emperor did not say anything definite. Obviously, he had not made up his mind on how to deal with the imperial concubine. More than a dozen lives were not enough for the emperor to sentence the imperial concubine to death, and she still maintained her dignity. The empress dowager could not help feeling a chill in her heart.

From the day her son ascended the throne, the Queen Mother knew that although he was still her son, he was also the emperor. Even though she was his biological mother, she could not force her son to make a decision.

After the emperor left, the empress dowager couldn't help but sigh to Nanny Sun: "Just because of saving your life, can a man be so partial to a woman?"

Not to mention the Queen Mother, even Nanny Sun had an expression as if she had never seen such a thing before.

Nanny Sun said, "Your Majesty, if His Majesty values ​​Concubine Li, then no matter how Concubine Li tried to persuade him, His Majesty would not make her the empress. If His Majesty does not value her, then even though she has made so many mistakes, His Majesty still wants to protect her. It is really hard to understand."

The Queen Mother was also puzzled.

"He looks like he's been bewitched." After the Queen Mother said this, she suddenly had an idea.

As long as Concubine Li was alive, the Empress Dowager felt that there was always a poisonous snake hiding in the harem.

"Send a message to the eldest princess and ask her to send someone to Guanglin Prefecture to investigate whether the Li family has any relationship with Li Chaosheng." The Queen Mother ordered.

Nanny Sun responded respectfully and asked, "Since the Queen Mother suspects that Concubine Li secretly cast a poison, do you want to search the palace or summon the Imperial Master?"