Chapter 185: Unspoken (Part 1)
After a while, Chunjia hurried over: "Mother, this is?"
The emperor must have heard people talking about it on the way here, but when he entered the palace, he saw Concubine Xian knelt down and sobbed silently, and she still pretended not to know and asked, which was not without a sense of relief.
In the past, even if Empress Dowager Yuan felt uncomfortable, she would definitely give him face.
But today, no!
With a cold face, she leaned back and said, "Emperor, sit down."
Chunjia had no choice but to go over and sit down, and said softly: "Mother, but I don't know what mistake Xianfei has made?"
"You also know the movement in Xuanqing Palace these two days. It has been many years since there has been such an uproar in the palace." The Queen Mother Yuan did not answer his words, but said with a sneer, "But since the former queen often fell ill and got up, Concubine Xian took the lead in taking care of the palace affairs, and Ai's family didn't take care of them. What happened? Last night, the two palace people ran out from Xuanqing Palace and talked to Ai's family about what they had and what they didn't, but they couldn't help it. Don't ask the emperor to come and listen!"
When it was over, he didn't give Chunjia a chance to speak, but asked the two palace servants to come up and repeat what Yun Fenghuang had done?
Among the charges reported by these two people, the Empress Dowager is of course the one who conspired with the commoner Zheng Shangchu against Yuan Niangniang, and the second is the death of Concubine Shu—but Chunjia frowned after hearing this: " I don't remember seeing you in the Huanhua Palace, I think you are not the proud people in front of Xianfei, but how do you know all these things?"
The two palace servants replied timidly: "The maidservants mentioned it in private when Sister Nianxuan and the others were chatting, and secretly wrote it down. I didn't dare to say it at first, but this time, the empress is afraid that I won't spare the maidservants. , so I have the courage to tell the empress dowager."
"Your Majesty, they are talking nonsense!" Yun Fenghuang stepped forward on two knees and said in a sad voice, "Not to mention that although Nian Xuan is a bit naive, she is not inappropriate. How can she chat with people about such things? Just say Nian Xuan Although Xuan was the concubine's dowry when she entered the palace, she has long since stopped serving in front of her, so how would she know all the secrets?"
Empress Dowager Yuan sternly shouted: "Now the emperor is asking the palace servants, what are you talking about!"
Yun Fenghuang lowered his head: "Yes."
Chunjia coughed dryly and said to the Empress Dowager: "Mother, it is true that Nian Xuan has not appeared in front of Xian Concubine for a long time, and my child remembers that Nian Xuan is not a talkative person."
"Are you talking too much? Just call and ask." The Queen Mother Yuan took a deep look at him and said slowly, "Although the commoner Zheng is no longer here, there are so many people who have served her, it is impossible for one Are they all gone? Call them over and ask one by one, there is no impenetrable wall in the world, as long as it has been done, there will always be clues!"
Chunjia noticed that when the Queen Mother said this, Yun Fenghuang clenched her fists.
He vaguely remembered that the dowry loyalty that the concubine brought with her when she first entered the palace was loyalty, but she was not a smart person, so she was probably worried about it.
Sure enough, after Nian Xuan came, she first insisted that she had never said such a thing, and she was transferred away from Yunfenghuang for more than a year, and she didn't know much about the master's situation at all, so how could she mention it to others?
The Empress Dowager said: "I heard that you grew up with Concubine Xian. When Concubine Xian came to the Imperial Capital from the north, she did not even bring her wet nurse with her. , As a result, Concubine Xian got a new attendant later, and immediately sent you away... It's pitiful to be with such a cold master."
Nian Xuan hurriedly defended Yun Fenghuang, saying that there was no such thing, Yun Fenghuang had always treated her very well, but she was not good at herself and was not suitable to be Yun Fenghuang's servant, so she transferred to other errands.
"Did the emperor hear that?" Empress Dowager Yuan turned to Chunjia with a sneer, "This palace man is honest at first glance, and he is also loyal to the concubine Xian. You said that if the concubine Xian is a down-to-earth concubine, this kind of waiter is absolutely the only one. How can you be willing to move away from your side if you don’t like too little? It must be planning something shady in private, and you think this palace man is too honest and kind, which is not to your liking!”
Nian Xuan hurriedly said: "Your Majesty Mingjian, it's the servant girl who is clumsy and doesn't serve her well..."
"Although the Xie family is not a wealthy family, they have no worries about food and clothing. Ai Jia remembers that there are four personal servant girls who are played by the concubine Xian?" The Empress Dowager Yuan smiled half-smile, "If you didn't serve well, the Xie family would have Let you serve Concubine Xian alone to come to the imperial capital?"
"The Empress Dowager's enlightenment is because Nianxuan has a little understanding of medical principles. At that time, Concubine Xie and Yi Shi were both pregnant. I myself had no experience in childbearing. I was afraid that I would not be able to take good care of it. I specially arranged for a reliable and available person like her to serve. " Yun Fenghuang had no choice but to personally deal with the aftermath, explaining, "After a few months, the people in front of my concubine have all gotten used to it, and they all work hard, and it's hard to replace anyone. It happened that Nian Xuan was serving there. I’m still used to it, so I’ve just come down like this.”
Empress Dowager Yuan nodded and said, "So, you can still order Nian Xuan to do things, and if something goes wrong, you can blame it on the pregnant concubine she is serving, right?"
Yun Fenghuang wept and said: "I have been wronged, please see clearly!"
"How can the person being questioned not complain?" The Queen Mother said coldly, "How come there is no safety in your palace if there are no mistakes in other people's palaces? Besides, the Ai family has no evidence for Concubine Shu. Tell Yi Guogong and his wife to listen, let them judge for themselves. But Mrs. Chunke, you just confessed yourself that you once conspired with the common man Zheng to frame her!"
When she said this, she glanced calmly at Chunjia next to her.
Chunjia frowned slightly, looked at Yunfenghuang below, her expression was gloomy, and she couldn't see any happiness or anger.
The queen mother was a little disappointed, although she already knew that the root of the break between Chunjia and Yuan Yuniang was that Chunjia's patience and love were exhausted by Yuan Yuniang's actions during the eight years since Chunjia's accession to the throne.
It was only later that Yun Fenghuang made a slight attempt to sow discord, and the originally loving emperor and concubine became strangers.
But after all, they were childhood sweethearts who grew up together, and she was in the middle to mediate. Thinking about how Chunjia should be touched when he heard the news?
However, Chunjia's mind seemed to be entirely on Yun Fenghuang.
Empress Dowager Yuan did not want to admit that she had raised a heartless emperor. She felt that it was the virtuous concubine who had seduced the emperor, so that Chunjia's temperament changed drastically.
This made her resentment a little more.
"The concubine just said that the concubine Zheng's family went to the Huanhua Palace at night and told the concubine many things about Mrs. Chunke, but never said that the concubine murdered Mrs. Chunke." Yun Fenghuang choked up and argued, "Furthermore, Mrs. Chunke entered the palace eight years before my concubine, and there was the empress dowager and Your Majesty to take care of her. I was a newcomer at the time, and I was just a concubine, so how could I have the right to plot against Mrs. Chunke?"
"Of course you don't have this ability by yourself. Don't you still have the common Zheng family as your backer?" The Queen Mother Yuan sneered, "Or do you think that if the common Zheng family is gone, you can die without proof?"
Yun Fenghuang lowered his head, sobbed a few times, and said: "Madam, to be honest, the commoner Zheng is also an old man who entered the palace when His Majesty got married. If you want to do something against Mrs. Chun Ke, why wait until the concubine enters the palace?" During those eight years, what could she not do? It was just that the common man Zheng was pregnant at the time, and in order to prepare for a rainy day, she wanted to win over the concubine, and told the concubine some taboos about the temperament of concubines in the sixth palace. "
"If it's just like this, what kind of thing are you, worthy of the concubine Zheng who was still a noble concubine at the time to visit the door in person?" The Queen Mother Yuan snorted, "She was pregnant at the time! She was not afraid that you would harm her? Aijia sees you early There is collusion!"
In fact, to prove that Yun Fenghuang did not conspire with Zheng, the simplest point is that Zheng was basically forced to death by Yun Fenghuang.
But although everyone knows this, they can't say it.
Otherwise, wouldn't Empress Dowager Yuan take advantage of the situation and ask her for murdering the noble concubine?
Mrs. Zheng was bestowed to death by Chunjia for violating the palace rules—it has nothing to do with the concubine Xian——Yun Fenghuang thought for a while, and pursed her lips: "Concubine status is nothing, but concubine status was greatly loved by His Majesty at the time. , the six palaces are very envious. Mrs. Zheng was a noble concubine at that time, but she was not as comfortable as my concubine, so naturally she didn't dare to take Joe in front of my concubine."
Empress Dowager Yuan said: "You mean that the emperor will let you down regardless of his superiority or inferiority?"
"I don't dare to be a concubine. What I mean by being a concubine is that Mrs. Zheng is in awe of His Majesty, and even refuses to despise my concubine. As for going to Huanhua Palace while pregnant, please think about it, if other people might treat Mrs. Zheng There is jealousy in being pregnant, but the reason why the concubine was appointed concubine at the beginning was because she was harmed by Kang Jieyu and could not bear children, and the former queen gave compensation on behalf of the Ji family."
"I can't give birth by myself, so how can I stop the sixth house from giving birth? Sooner or later, someone will spread the leaves for His Majesty. Why should I do such a thankless thing like that?"
"If you want to say who in the Sixth Palace is the least jealous of others continuing the bloodline for His Majesty, it is only a concubine!"
"After all, although the ex-queen and the others are incapable of giving birth because of the three corpses in their bodies, they don't know it! Only concubines, they really know that they don't have that blessing."
"Mother, there is no basis for these words." Yun Fenghuang repeatedly showed Chunjia the pain of infertility in private. Chunjia couldn't bear to listen to it now, and persuaded the Queen Mother in a low voice, "Just for two It is inappropriate for the palace man to suspect one of the four concubines in his confession. Or should the palace man be handed over to the Imperial City Secretary for a thorough investigation, and then we can discuss it when we have clues and evidence?"
Empress Dowager Yuan turned her head to look at him, and said neither sad nor happy: "If such clues and evidence are so easy to investigate, why did I find out today that Mrs. Zheng had met with Mrs. Xiaoyun in private?"
Seeing what Chunjia had to say, she showed a sad look, "My lord, in the past two years, Xiaoyun's family has been questioned not once or twice. Before, the Empress Dowager and the common man Ji Sheng came forward in person, and It is witness and physical evidence, at that time, you are also on her side. Why did Niang Niang grow up with you, and you don’t even remember what kind of person she was?"
"You believe that she is a nuisance by nature?"
"In that case, you will feel sorry for your family, and you will keep her by your side for many years?!"
Chunjia sighed in her heart, lowered her head and said, "That's not what my child meant."
After a pause, "My son is just thinking about my mother's recuperation for a few days, and I'm afraid you will worry too much."
"The Ai family doesn't want to worry about it, but there are some things that the Ai family can't talk about, who dares to point them out to the emperor?" The Queen Mother Yuan glanced at Yun Fenghuang under her eyes, and pointed out, "Others also Forget about it, it's just Niang Niang, the Ai family would like to ask Concubine Xian to clarify, can you agree?"
"...the child obeys the mother's orders."
The Empress Dowager stared at Yun Fenghuang: "You said you didn't conspire to kill Lianniang, then tell me, how did Mrs. Zheng tell you about Lianniang that night?"