NFBE Chapter 156 His crimes are truly unforgivable
Chapter 156 His crimes are truly unforgivable
Xu Qingran's face was also deathly pale, and she shook her head in terror and helplessness: "No, it's not like that..."
At three-quarters past Xu hour, they were changing clothes in a side hall! They didn't go to the Imperial Garden at all!
However, given the "facts" before them, no one would believe Xu Qingran's pitiful mutterings.
Perhaps because his trust had been shattered, the emperor was particularly furious at this moment, even more so than when he had just learned of the drowning.
He waved his hand and threw the letter toward Xu Jiaojiao, angrily shouting, "Good, good, good! I didn't know that a mere councilor's daughter would dare to do such a vicious thing right under my nose!"
Xu Jiaojiao, you plotted to murder an innocent maid and attempted to steal royal artifacts. What is your crime?!
Xu Jiaojiao's face turned pale. She immediately stood up and went to the main hall to pick up the letter that had fallen to the ground.
After a quick glance, she immediately knelt down and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Majesty, this is a deliberate attempt by someone to frame me. The handwriting on this letter is not my own. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"
She paused, then added, "At three-quarters past Xu hour, Qingran and I were changing clothes in the side hall. The palace maids and eunuchs who served in the side hall can testify to this!"
Madam Hu shook her head, her voice carrying just the right amount of surprise and regret: "Miss Xu, now that the evidence is conclusive, do you still want to argue?"
The handwriting on the letter is blurry, distorted, and difficult to decipher, clearly done intentionally by the writer to mislead the reader.
As for what you said, the third quarter of the Xu hour...
Madam Hu sighed, "Changing clothes is such a private matter, how could the eunuchs and maids follow you all the time? Miss Xu, you've been gone for so long, who knows if you secretly slipped out when the servants weren't looking..."
Xu Jiaojiao frowned and gave Hu Gaoshi and Xie Peining a cold glance. She thought to herself that Xie Peining was ruthless, vicious, and audacious, and that she was being driven to her death by a series of events.
Those inside the hall nodded thoughtfully upon hearing these words, agreeing with Hu Gao's reasoning.
Seeing Xu Jiaojiao looking over, Madam Hu turned her eyes away to the Emperor and said loudly, "Your Majesty, the evidence is now conclusive. Miss Xu has committed such a disgraceful act against the royal family, and her crime is truly unforgivable!"
The emperor snorted coldly and looked at Xu Jiaojiao: "Do you have anything else to say?"
Xu Jiaojiao straightened up, looked at Hu Gaoshi with a half-smile, and raised the letter in her hand: "This letter was opened by Eunuch Rongji, who is by the Emperor's side. Now, the only people who have read the letter are the Emperor, Eunuch Rongji, and me. How did Madam Hu know that the handwriting on this letter is blurry, distorted, and difficult to read?"
A moment of silence fell over the hall. Hu Gaoshi was also slightly taken aback, and then her face twisted in pain.
At this moment, Zhao Yunzheng chuckled mockingly, "Interesting..."
The mocking smile was so obvious that Hu Gaoshi's face flushed red again, and she subconsciously looked at Xie Peining.
The latter, however, lowered his eyes and looked indifferent, as if it were none of his business.
Hu Gaoshi stiffened her neck and stammered, "I...I was just guessing randomly..."
"What a load of nonsense!" Jia Rong rolled his eyes at Hu Gao Shi: "How dare you spout such nonsense in front of the Emperor! Your wild guess will only slander someone who should be innocent!"
Tu Zhannan also cupped his hands in greeting and echoed, "Your Majesty, I also find this matter quite suspicious! Since Miss Xu says that the eunuchs and maids serving in the side hall are all witnesses, Your Majesty might as well bring them all here and question them one by one. The palace is heavily guarded, and if someone is deliberately framing someone, they will surely leave clues!"
Perhaps because of the saying "love me, love my dog," Tu Zhannan's righteous assistance seemed especially important at this moment. The emperor's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and the anger in his eyes subsided considerably.
Being able to catch her breath meant she could struggle for a glimmer of hope, and Xu Jiaojiao cast grateful glances at Jia Rong, Prince Chen, and Tu Zhannan.
As the three spoke, whispers arose in the hall, and many began to question the authenticity of the letter.
In fact, the emperor didn't care about the truth of the matter. She was just a maid; once she died, she was dead. He would just kill anyone suspicious.
However, today is the eve of the Lunar New Year banquet, and there are many officials and dignitaries seated below. If this matter is not handled well, he will definitely be criticized.
After a moment's thought, the emperor felt that what everyone said made sense, so he waved his hand and said, "Issue my decree: immediately investigate the palace maids and eunuchs serving in the side hall, as well as the guards patrolling near the Imperial Garden tonight, to see if anyone has seen anyone suspicious."
At the same time, Xu Qingran seemed to suddenly remember something and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, when I was changing clothes in the side hall just now, I remember a maid looking flustered. I didn't pay attention to it at the time, but now that I think about it, it may be related to this matter!"
Upon hearing this, the emperor's eyes sharpened: "Go find that maid immediately!"
At this point, Hu Gaoshi began to panic.
When Xie Peining found her, he made a solemn promise that the plan was flawless and that Xu Jiaojiao was doomed.
Forced by pressure and because Xie had control over many of her family's secrets, she had no choice but to agree to Xie Peining's request.
But now it seems that this is not the case!
Hu Gao was drenched in cold sweat and felt restless.
Xie Peining remained calm and composed. In her opinion, there were many maids serving tonight, so the little maid might not be found out. Even if she was found out, she had not personally intervened in the matter from beginning to end, so she would not be implicated!
But if the maid isn't found out, Xu Jiaojiao will still be unable to defend herself. No matter how you look at it, she has a better chance of winning.
Xie Peining kept her eyes on Xu Jiaojiao, but she overlooked the scrutinizing and disgusted gaze that lingered on her for a long time not far away.
Zhao Yunzheng saw the calculation in her eyes, lowered his gaze for a moment, then glanced at the young eunuch serving beside him...
……
Before long, the guards brought a trembling little maid into the main hall, and everyone looked over.
The young maid had never seen such a scene before. She was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, "Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life!"
Her first words were "Your Majesty, spare my life!" and everyone in the hall looked at the maid with subtle expressions.
The emperor's brow furrowed, and he demanded sharply, "You maid, tell me the truth: what exactly happened while you were serving in the side hall tonight?"
The young maid trembled and kowtowed timidly, reporting, "Your Majesty, when those two young ladies were changing clothes in the side hall, a matron gave me a silver ingot, instructing me to secretly take their jade pendants and delay their return to the main hall. She also said that if I did as she said, I would be richly rewarded afterward..."
As she spoke, the maid burst into tears: "I...I was greedy for a moment, so...I agreed..."
The pitiful sobs of the little maid echoed through the hall, causing people to shake their heads and sigh, thinking to themselves that she was foolish and worthless.
Xu Jiaojiao's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately asked gently, "Miss, don't be afraid. What did that old woman look like? Do you remember?"