Chapter Thirty: Death Tells No Tales

"There must be no one watching at the table." After a brief silence, Chun Jia said slowly, "Concubine Xuan Rui, you go and take care of her."

Concubine Xuan and Concubine Rui were a little bit unwilling, but they didn't dare to show it, so they were blessed: "Yes."

After they left, Chunjia said, "Then pass Anliu on."

"Wait a minute." Empress Dowager Yuan's eyes were fixed, and she suddenly said, "My lord, the Longevity Banquet is hosted by the three concubines. Since Concubine Xuan and Concubine Rui have avoided it, it is not suitable for Concubine Zhen to be present."

Empress Dowager Qu interjected: "That's the reason, but the three concubines always have to stay to observe the process, so as to sum up the experience and reform. Or let the real concubine hide behind the screen."

Empress Dowager Yuan did not allow Yun Fenghuang to be present, mainly because she was afraid that An Liu would be instructed by Yun Fenghuang, but she dared not speak out in front of Yun Fenghuang.

At this moment, after listening to Queen Mother Qu's words, although he glanced at her complicatedly, he didn't object anymore.

Chunjia hesitated for a while, then nodded slightly: "It's okay."

He didn't doubt Yun Fenghuang before, but now he can see the suspicion of Queen Mother Yuan, so he is also a little suspicious...

But with things developing like this, he can't say whether to call An Liu to confront him?

That's too partial to the real concubine, and the Queen Mother Yuan must not accept it.

There was no other way, but I could only hope that An Liu would be more sensible and characterize the matter as a carelessness of her servant, rather than any insider information.

If Anliu can't bear the cross-examination... Chunjia quickly thought about the excuses that could excuse Yun Fenghuang, and pinched his brows: "Go pass on Anliu."

After An Liu was brought over, her hair was disheveled and her dress had many folds, and her expression was even more panicked. After entering, she prostrated herself on the ground, begging for mercy one after another.

It's just that no one present had the heart to sympathize with her. Zhan Liu, who was beside the Empress Dowager Yuan, was the first to speak: "An Liu, you have always served at palace banquets, and you have never made a mistake! Why are you so reckless today?!"

"Maid...servant...the dish served by maid was a little heavy, and for a while...for a while..." An Liu's face was full of tears, and she choked up tremblingly, "Your servant is guilty, I beg the queen mother for mercy! "

As he spoke, he continued to kowtow——Zhan Liu snorted, and said, "The dish that was served on the empress dowager was roasted duck in duck waist and mushroom pot. Tonghua Soft Beef Intestines, in terms of weight, is even higher than roasted duck in duck waist and mushroom pot! How can there be no mistakes? And there are a few small dishes in the middle, and there is no such thing as too tired to miss it! How dare you argue ?!"

"Your servant dare not!" An Liu trembled, her whole body wishing she could stick to the ground, "My servant... I really... really just was careless for a while... I am guilty of a crime, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me!" !"

Chunjia coughed dryly and said, "The two queens, this...seems to be just an accident?"

Empress Dowager Yuan pursed her lips and did not answer right away, nor was she a narrow-minded person—if it was a momentary mistake by a palace official, Empress Dowager Yuan could forgive her. Make a fool of yourself.

If this is the case, then wouldn't she be stupid and deceitful for her peace of mind?

Just as he was hesitating, he didn't want someone from the first palace to come up at this time, saying that Yuan Zhaoyuan brought Concubine Xuan's attendant out to ask for an audience.

"What's the matter?" Chunjia asked people to come in to ease the atmosphere.

As a result, Yuan Zhiniang walked in with a face as heavy as water, and after saluting, she signaled Concubine Xuan's attendant beside her to speak, and the attendant said, "My mother came back to the table just now and told people to check on Sheng Nadao. The utensil for roasting duck in a mushroom pot, although the utensil was broken, but there were a few pieces, and it was found that the outer layer was greased."

Chunjia was startled, and said, "Look carefully? Was it stained after the dish was knocked over, or was it wiped off?"

"Returning to Your Majesty, the oil should have been wiped on." The waiter said respectfully, "Because it was the maid in front of the empress who went to see, and she recognized that the oil on the fragment was not used by the cook, but... used in the palace. The jasmine flower head oil for combing hair. The roasted duck with mushrooms in duck waist has a strong smell, so it covers up the scent of jasmine, but when you pick up the pieces and sniff carefully, there are still traces."

Yuan Zhiniang added from the side: "The two empress dowagers, Your Majesty, the concubine was at the table listening to the waiter report to Concubine Xuan, and I went to see it. It does indeed have a bit of jasmine scent, which is used to comb hair in the palace. Kind of."

As he spoke, he took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and opened it. Inside was a palm-sized fragment, stained with a little oil. Chunjia signaled Yanyin to come forward, lowered his head to sniff, and nodded: "That's true."

Zhanliu immediately asked Anliu: "You missed your hand at the time, but your hands felt slippery, so you couldn't hold the utensil? Why didn't you speak up?!"

An Liu knelt on the ground and said in a trembling voice, "My maid...I can't remember clearly."

Zhan Liu frowned, dissatisfied with the answer, and a little suspicious, An Liu's fear at the moment didn't seem to be fake, how could she send it to her door as an excuse, and she didn't know how to accept it?

Even if I really can't remember clearly, I just need to say that this is true, and I can escape, right?

She suspected that Anliu had indeed been coerced, so she dared not tell the truth: "At the moment, only the two empress dowagers and Your Majesty are here, so you can speak up if you have anything to say... Concubine Zhen and the others must either return the banquet, or go back to the palace to have something to do." , don't worry, the queen mother will decide everything for you!"

Sure enough, when An Liu heard that the third concubine was not there, she breathed a sigh of relief, but still shook her head: "Aunt Xie for your reminder, it's just the servant girl...The servant girl was too flustered at the time, so she didn't notice."

"Then we can only deal with you according to the palace rules." At this time, the Empress Dowager Qu interjected slowly, "Originally, this is not a big deal. Sister Yuan has always been tolerant, and a little punishment is enough. But today is not as usual, and the Longevity Banquet If such a mistake happened in the world, if you are lightly forgiven, the people in the harem will slack off, and if things go on like this, how good will it be?"

Zhan Liu chimed in: "You disturbed the Longevity Banquet, even if the whole family is exiled, you deserve it!"

After such threats, An Liu really couldn't take it anymore, collapsed on the ground, and said in a mournful voice: "My servant...the servant did touch a hand of oil, so I couldn't bear it anymore, and knocked the dishes on the empress dowager!"

"Then why did you say that you can't remember clearly?" Zhan Liu's eyes sharpened, "In front of the two empress dowagers and Your Majesty, you dare to hide such a thing, what is your intention?!"

"My maid..." An Liu gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and almost shouted, "My maid is afraid!"

Zhan Liu had a sullen face, almost laughing angrily: "Afraid? What are you afraid of?"

The two empress dowagers are with the current emperor, what else do you dare not say! ?

Conversely, the one who can make a servant girl who is full of fear dare not tell the truth in front of these three... who is that?

"The maid is afraid of the concubine..." An Liu's face was soaked with tears, she clenched her hands, opened and closed her lips for a moment, and said tremblingly, "The maid is afraid that the concubine will treat the maid...to the maid... ..."

Zhan Liu's eyes flickered, and he scolded: "Nonsense! The real concubine has always been valued by the loving mother and empress dowager, and today is His Majesty's longevity feast. How can the real concubine do such a thing?!"

To focus, the loving mother, the empress dowager, is very good to the real concubine and values ​​it very much.

Therefore, if it is verified that Concubine Zhen really arranged for the Empress Dowager to embarrass her mother at the Longevity Banquet, it means that Concubine Zhen will avenge her kindness, and she did not take the Emperor's Longevity Banquet seriously!

"...Because Her Royal Highness Princess Zhaoqing was unable to host the full moon banquet alone, the real concubine has always been resentful towards the loving mother, the Empress Dowager, so..." Before An Liu finished speaking, Empress Dowager Qu's eyes were already angry, and she snapped: "Slap your mouth! "

Before the Empress Dowager Yuan and the others could say anything, she hurriedly explained, "Sister Yuan arranged for the two heirs to celebrate the full moon together. Sister's kindness? How can you hate Sister Yuan? It's too late to be grateful to Sister Yuan!"

"This lowly maidservant has bad intentions. She is trying to sow dissension—it's better to hand it over to the Imperial City Secretary for trial, and find out who is so vicious and deliberately provokes discord in the harem!"

"What are you in a hurry for?" Chunjia was about to agree, but Empress Dowager Yuan glanced coldly at Empress Dowager Qu, looking at Anliu who was on the ground, "Of course the Ai family believes that Concubine Zhen is a sensible person, but as the saying goes, there are no waves without wind, the two children's love It’s been a few days since the full moon banquet, but there are still such rumors in the palace, so it can be seen that someone must be instigating it...Since it happened, why bother? Just ask here!”

He said, "Come out, Concubine Zhen. Do you have any thoughts about An Liu's words?"

An Liu, who was kneeling under His Highness, turned pale instantly when she heard this—Yun Fenghuang stepped out from behind the screen, but didn't even look at her. What the empress dowager said was nothing more than slut separation. Not to mention that the loving mother, the empress dowager, has always been kind to the concubine and the two imperial heirs. The concubine has only gratitude to the loving mother and the empress dowager. Do things like this at the banquet?"

An Liu was trembling and speechless.

At this time, Yuan Zhiniang suddenly said: "I heard that sister Zhenfei served Mrs. Chunke's meals when she first entered the palace, did similar things happen?"

Everyone was stunned when they heard the words, and their expressions became subtle: it was Yun Fenghuang's fame battle, she splashed Yuan Niangniang's body with soup, and tore off Yuan Niangniang's dress in public, but in the end, she was safe and sound, and even took a bunch of rewards. It opened up the situation where the six palaces joined forces to deal with the Dendrobium and Pearl Palace.

"Even you know about this, so I can't blame someone for using this method to frame me." Yun Fenghuang looked calm, walked to Chunjia's side and stopped, and said slowly, "Otherwise, where did such a coincidence come from? Please Two Empress Dowagers, Your Majesty, please be careful and return this concubine's innocence!"

... If it weren't for knowing her nature, everyone would have believed that she had been wronged with this attitude of clear conscience.

It was only at this time that Yun Fenghuang glanced at An Liu who was still trembling on the ground, "You kept saying that this matter today was arranged by me, but you should talk about the details, how did I order you? If you don’t come out, don’t blame Ben Gong for being cruel!”

Zhan Liu frowned and said: "The real concubine, the two empress dowagers and your majesty are all here, please be careful!"

Are you going to threaten An Liu in front of these three?

"Auntie, just because these three are here, this servant girl still dares to talk nonsense. This kind of people are naturally rebellious and hopeless." Yun Fenghuang said indifferently, "If you don't show her some color, you can't do it. Take the blessings given by the heavenly family as due, and truly shameless!"

Zhan Liu didn't want to argue with her on this topic, so he looked at An Liu: "Tell me more carefully, if you made a mistake unintentionally, or if you have any difficulties, the empress dowager will make the decision for you."

Don't be afraid just because Concubine Zhen is here, anyway, you have offended her, now hugging the empress dowager's thigh without hesitation... Do you want to wait for death?

An Liu covered her face with her sleeves and choked up a few sobs, and said, "Maid...Maid..."

Maybe crying urgently, she started to cough, "cough cough cough cough..."

Everyone looked at them frowning, Zhan Liu was about to speak out, who knew that An Liu started to scratch his throat as he coughed, and dark red blood stains quickly flowed from his seven orifices—Chunjia's pupils shrank suddenly, and he ordered in a deep voice: "Open the doors and windows! Call the imperial physician!"

...After a while, the imperial doctors arrived, but it was already too late. An Liu swallowed the poison by raising her sleeves to cover her face, and died quickly and horribly, with no possibility of rescue.