Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 36 I Really Don't Want Her to Enter the Palace

"Why are you trying to scare her like this? When has she ever done anything to harm the head maid? There's irrefutable evidence that the maid named Qinlan is plotting to murder the heir to the throne, yet she's trying to mitigate her punishment, risking offending others by saying that you were the one who constantly instigated her to have evil intentions. I wonder if she's right, and that's why you're being so aggressive and biting back!"

Unexpectedly, the queen didn't even open her mouth, but Concubine Wei spoke first for Liu Zhi.

Xie Jiu glanced at her and saw her righteous look, and he was speechless.

She thought that this person had a deep prejudice against her, so he didn't believe her at all. Or he was too stupid, only caring about what he thought in his heart and not thinking much.

Anyway, no matter which one it was, when Concubine Wei spoke at this time, Xie Jiu would undoubtedly attack her as well.

"This matter has nothing to do with Concubine Wei, yet she spoke so sharply on behalf of this maid named Liuzhi. I have never offended Concubine Wei, yet you insist that I am guilty as well. You are so eager to put the blame on me. It makes me suspect that Concubine Wei was also involved in this matter, and now that it has happened, you are eager to find someone to take the blame."

"Eunuch Yang has already found the stolen goods in the residence of that palace maid named Qin Lan. Is this irrefutable proof?" Concubine Wei raised her eyebrows. "If Sun Baolin hadn't eaten so few snacks, the dragon fetus would have been in danger. With all the evidence, you're still trying to argue. It's simply unreasonable!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Jiu stopped paying attention to her and turned to look at Zhao Xingjin, "Your Majesty, I would like to see the stolen goods that Concubine Wei mentioned. May I ask if this is possible?"

When she said this, Zhao Xingjin's face showed no emotion. He pondered for a moment and then said.

"You left the palace early this morning and returned only after the incident. I know this matter has nothing to do with you. I called you here just to ask you if you have ever spoken ill of the concubines in front of Wenxi, causing Wenxi and those around her to harbor resentment towards them."

Obviously, one thing is certain, it was definitely not Xie Jiu who did the harm.

But he was answering the wrong question.

But it also told her a piece of information, that this matter had probably been determined to be Qin Lan's doing.

That's right. By pushing Qin Lan out to take the blame, there's no need to hold Concubine Zhuang accountable, and Sun Baolin can be given an explanation. Princess Wenxi is young and has lost a head maid she likes, so just arrange a good one for her.

This is indeed a simple and good way to do it.

Reason told Xie Jiu that she didn't need to take this matter seriously, she just needed to make Zhao Xingjin believe that she was not gossiping. But when she thought of Princess Wenxi with tears in her eyes, and Qin Lan who usually treated her gently and politely, Xie Jiu couldn't help it, and had to bite the bullet and rescue the person.

"I understand your Majesty's intentions. The princess lost her mother at a young age. Without proper guidance, I'm afraid she will develop a bad character. Your Majesty has ordered me to be her teacher. Regardless of the reason, I will now face this task with all my heart. If your Majesty doesn't believe me, you can ask the princess yourself. A seven-year-old child's thoughts are hard to hide from anyone."

Xie Jiu spoke calmly, but after answering this sentence, he said again.

"I've heard that the late Consort Xian was a very kind and gentle person. The Emperor posthumously conferred the title of 'Xian' on her, which must have indicated his approval of her character. Qinlan was Consort Xian's maidservant, and the Emperor entrusted the princess to Qinlan's care, which must have meant that he trusted her greatly."

"I've seen with my own eyes these past few days that Princess Wenxi almost regards Qinlan as her adoptive mother and is very dependent on her. She also takes excellent care of the princess. I believe such a person would not take such risks, because if this matter were discovered, it would be a capital crime. Qinlan would not be able to continue to accompany the princess to grow up, which she would definitely not want to see."

Having said that, Xie Jiu bowed deeply and spoke sincerely.

"Your Majesty, there's a dessert that Empress Zhuang ordered to be made. It was prepared in the imperial kitchen, then mistakenly taken by Qin Lan, who then sent it back. It was then taken away by someone close to Empress Zhuang and given to Sun Baolin. I don't know how many people it passed through. I hope you can investigate it thoroughly again."

Zhao Xingjin sat at the top, and looking at Xie Jiu standing below, he felt inexplicably irritated.

He summoned Xie Jiu to come and ask him face to face if he had gossiped about her in front of the princess. He wanted to get this matter out of the way so that Xie Jiu wouldn't be saddled with a bad reputation before he even had a proper title. Otherwise, since it was related to the dragon fetus, he was afraid that when Xie Jiu was given a title in a few days, the imperial censors would seize on this point and strongly oppose it, accusing him of lacking moral character.

At that time, even with the Queen Mother's help, things would still be difficult.

No matter how unruly he behaved, he could not completely ignore advice. Otherwise, his reputation would be ruined and he would be labeled a tyrant. This was different from the reputation of lust that he had created before to disguise and paralyze his enemies.

Zhao Xingjin knew that Xie Jiu was a very perceptive person and would be able to see through his intentions, but Xie Jiu still insisted on saving Qin Lan, which made him a little unhappy.

But besides being unhappy, Xie Jiu's words also made him feel guilty towards his daughter Princess Wenxi.

He could indeed arrange for another loyal and reliable person to take care of Princess Wenxi, but if that person was not Qin Lan, it would be different for the princess.

Another thing is that he and Xie Jiu originally came together for profit, but at this time Xie Jiu put aside her interests and worked for two people whose interests had nothing to do with her. This made Zhao Xingjin suddenly see the kindness and sincerity in Xie Jiu, and he was also vaguely touched.

The queen sat closest to Zhao Xingjin and was the first to notice the relaxation in Zhao Xingjin's eyes. She couldn't help but lower her eyes slightly.

The next moment, she took the initiative to say, "Your Majesty, I know that Miss Xie, as Wenxi's teacher, must have had feelings for someone in Changle Palace. I want to plead for Qinlan, but as Concubine Wei said, the evidence is overwhelming, and I'm afraid the same will be true even if we investigate further. If Qinlan is truly the murderer, even if she is loyal to the princess, I'm afraid she will lead her astray in the future. She must not be allowed to stay."

After hearing what the queen said, Xie Jiu felt completely certain.

The biggest manipulator behind this matter must be the Queen.

There were people bribed by the Queen around Concubine Zhuang and in the imperial kitchen, including a person named Liuzhi who was beside Princess Wenxi.

Taking advantage of the opportunity when Concubine Zhuang sent snacks to Sun Baolin, through the operation of the imperial kitchen, Qin Lan was allowed to come into contact with the snacks, and then Liu Zhi secretly took action to create the illusion that Qin Lan had drugged Sun Baolin's snacks, and then it was revealed that Qin Lan harmed others because of her usual instigation.

Everything is connected to each other and is aimed at her.

If Xie Jiu had not left the palace today, she would probably have faced the situation that she had instructed Qin Lan to harm others, rather than just Qin Lan listening to her instigation, harboring resentment in her heart, and harming others herself.

It seemed that this was a rare opportunity, so even though Xie Jiu had left the palace, the Queen still took action.

Perhaps he thought that although the killing power was not that great, at least he could give her a bad reputation and leave a bad impression on her in Zhao Xingjin's mind, which would prevent her from entering the harem smoothly.

In the end, even if she still entered the palace, Sun Baolin would have a grudge against her, no matter if she really had a miscarriage or just had a baby trouble, and she would make many enemies, and her future would be more difficult.

Xie Jiu was so angry that she almost laughed. She really didn't expect that the Queen would be so wary of her and would go to such a length. It must be that she really didn't want to see her enter the palace.

Now the Queen is eager to kill Qin Lan because she doesn't want Zhao Xingjin to investigate again to avoid implicating her. And Xie Jiu will naturally not let her get her wish.

"Your Majesty's statements are inconsistent, and this matter is full of doubts. If we hastily decide on this, I'm afraid it will leave a shadow in the princess' heart and affect the relationship between the emperor and the princess. Furthermore, this matter concerns the safety of the royal heir. If we don't investigate it thoroughly, it will show the emperor's importance to the royal heir. I'm afraid that someone will dare to plot against the royal heir in the future, which will only leave disaster!"

(End of this chapter)