NFBE Chapter 157: Courageous
Chapter 157: Courageous
Perhaps it was the gentle, sweet voice that made her seem harmless, but the little maid's mood calmed down considerably, and she spoke less haltingly.
She blinked, trying hard to recall: "Replying to the young lady, that old woman was slightly plump, had a black mole on her left cheek, and spoke with a slight accent from another region."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Peining's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't the nanny that the little maid was describing Wang Mama?
But that’s not right!
She did not have Wang Mama do this herself!
She wouldn't be so foolish as to use her own people to cause trouble in the palace!
Someone must be trying to use this opportunity to harm her!
who is it?
In a flash, Xie Peining had the answer in her heart.
She suddenly looked up at Prince Chen.
The moment their eyes met, Xie Peining saw the playful smile in Prince Chen's eyes and understood everything in an instant.
Her hands tightened instantly, and her heart pounded like a drum. She knew she had fallen into the trap that Prince Chen had set for her!
Damn!
He was so focused on Xu Jiaojiao that he forgot Prince Chen and Jia Rong were still in the main hall!
It's already this late, and Wang Mama hasn't returned yet. She's probably been detained by Prince Chen!
Xie Peining took a deep breath, calming her panicked heart, and forced herself to remain composed as she began to think about what she should do…
Xu Jiaojiao kowtowed, biting her lip in unbearable humiliation, and stubbornly straightened up, suppressing the grievance in her eyes: "Your Majesty, now that there are witnesses, I hope Your Majesty can thoroughly investigate this matter and restore my innocence."
Although she wore a veil, her beautiful fox-like eyes seemed to speak volumes, evoking feelings of pity and tenderness.
The emperor's tone softened unconsciously: "Rest assured, I will investigate this matter thoroughly and give justice to the innocent."
After saying this, he looked at the guards: "Go, find this person at all costs! How dare he cause trouble right under my nose! He's got some nerve!"
At the emperor's command, the guards quickly left the hall to continue their investigation.
As the guards left, the hall fell silent once more, the atmosphere tense and stagnant.
The emperor remained silent, and Xu Jiaojiao and her maid, who were kneeling on the ground, dared not get up.
Jia Rong knew that Xu Jiaojiao was heavy and couldn't kneel for such a long time, so after a moment's thought, he got up and walked towards Xu Jiaojiao.
"Father, you may not know this, but Miss Xu is the same girl who saved my second brother's life before. She was seriously injured and is weak. She cannot kneel for so long. Please allow her to get up and sit down for a while."
The girl who saved the second son?
The emperor's eyes darted around, his probing gaze landing on Xu Jiaojiao.
When the fifth prince forced the emperor to abdicate, the second prince did indeed bring a girl covered in blood into the palace.
At that time, the court was in turmoil, and the second prince protected the girl very well, so he did not pay much attention to the girl's identity.
So it was her all along?
No wonder the second brother and Xiao Jiarong repeatedly offered this girl their help.
Upon closer inspection, it was clear that Xu Jiaojiao's forehead was covered in cold sweat and her body was trembling slightly, indicating that she was at her limit. Considering that the second-in-command now held great power in the court, the emperor pondered for a moment and then waved his hand: "Miss Xu, please rise."
Xu Jiaojiao glanced at Jia Rong gratefully and quickly thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."
After saying that, with Jia Rong's help, Xu Jiaojiao slowly stood up. After standing still, she kept her head down and looked around obediently, not daring to overstep her bounds in the slightest.
As Jia Rong got up, he noticed the letter that Xu Jiaojiao had placed to the side.
“Hiss…” Jia Rong frowned slightly, picked up the letter and examined it carefully.
After looking at it for a while, Jia Rong's eyes lit up: "Father, the paper of this letter feels soft and smooth to the touch, it seems to be no ordinary thing!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yunzheng stepped forward, picked up the letter, and looked at it: "Indeed, the paper is of fine texture and has a faint fragrance, it is definitely not an ordinary commodity."
He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, and looked up at the emperor, his tone respectful yet tinged with a hint of probing: "Father, the person who can afford this paper must be of extraordinary status. Perhaps, we can trace the person behind it back along this clue!"
The emperor remained silent, but the attendant beside him immediately understood. He jogged over, took the letter from Zhao Yunzheng, and presented it to the emperor with both hands.
The emperor picked up a corner of the letter, twirled it between his fingers, and then nodded slightly: "Indeed, it is excellent paper, almost indistinguishable from the imperial Xuan paper."
He released his grip and looked at his attendant: "Go, immediately order someone to investigate the origin of this paper!"
Before long, the guard who went to investigate hurriedly returned: "Your Majesty, this paper is exclusively owned by a study called 'Yiwenxuan' outside the palace. This study is owned by the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion and is dedicated to providing the Four Treasures of the Study for the Marquis of Xuanping's private school. The daily sales of paper in the study are all recorded."
Xie Peining's maternal clan was none other than the Marquis of Xuanping. Upon hearing this, the hall erupted in uproar. Everyone turned to look at the Marquis of Xuanping and his wife, but a few people looked meaningfully at the "low-key" Xie Peining.
Some astute individuals have already vaguely guessed what's going on.
Xie Peining is the Princess Consort of Prince Chen, and Xu Jiaojiao is Prince Chen's savior.
Judging from Prince Chen's attitude towards Xu Jiaojiao, she will definitely marry into Prince Chen's mansion in the future, and may even receive his exclusive favor. It is only natural that Xie Peining, as Prince Chen's consort, would be restless.
Xie Peining was truly audacious, daring to lay a hand on Xu Jiaojiao right under the Emperor's nose.
At this moment, Xie Peining remained seated with her head bowed, appearing completely unaware and indifferent, looking extremely gentle and virtuous, making it impossible to guess whether this matter was truly related to her.
An emperor who can sit firmly on the throne for many years is certainly not an incompetent fool.
His deep gaze swept across the hall, finally landing on Xie Peining, but he did not immediately react. After a moment's thought, he looked at the guard and asked, "Could you find a record of this letter?"
The guard immediately took out an account book from his sleeve and presented it with both hands: "Your Majesty, this is Yiwenxuan's account book for this month. In addition, the manager of Yiwenxuan is currently in the side hall, waiting to be summoned at any time."
As the night drew to a close, a hint of satisfaction finally appeared in the emperor's eyes.
He nodded slightly: "Announce!"
Not long after, the shopkeeper was brought to the main hall. Having never seen the emperor before, the shopkeeper knelt on the ground trembling, not daring to raise his head.
The emperor glanced at his attendant, who presented the letter to the shopkeeper: "Take a look, is this paper from Yiwenxuan?"
The shopkeeper took the paper, examined it carefully, and then nodded slightly: "Your Majesty, this paper is indeed from Yiwenxuan, and it is Yiwenxuan's top-grade Xuan paper. This year, only a thousand sheets of paper of the size of four feet six inches were produced."
The emperor casually glanced through the account books and asked, "Do you remember where these thousand sheets were sent and to whom they were sold?"
The shopkeeper naturally remembered these expensive and rare sheets of Xuan paper: "Seven hundred of them were sent to the Marquis of Xuanping's residence, and of the remaining three hundred, two hundred were sent to the Prince of Chen's residence, and one hundred were sent to the residence of Minister Hu, the Vice Minister of the Interior."