The Empress of Zhen Huan Reborn

"Noble Concubine Hua, I want to ask you, was it you who did what happened to the Sixth Prince?" The emperor's voice was full of majesty.

"Your Majesty, I have no intention of harming the Sixth Prince." Nian Shilan quickly explained, "I just learned about this matter. Someone must have deliberately framed me."

After hearing this, the emperor's expression softened slightly, "Then do you have any evidence to prove your innocence?"

Before Nian Shilan could speak, the young eunuch kneeling on the ground said in a hurry: "Madam Hua Guifei, you told me to do this. You can't abandon me after the truth is revealed."

Nian Shilan turned to look at the eunuch and asked sternly, "You said that I ordered you to do this. I have never seen you before. How did I tell you to do this for me?"

The eunuch kowtowed desperately in the direction of the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, please understand. It was the maid from the Yikun Palace who came to see me and promised to give me two taels of gold after the task was completed. My parents died early and my sister is seriously ill and needs money for medical treatment. I was really forced to do this."

At this moment, a guard came hurriedly and knelt on the ground to report: "Your Majesty, I found a letter in the imperial kitchen that seems to be related to this matter."

The emperor took the letter, opened it, and saw that it said: "Noble Concubine Hua is jealous of Concubine Hui's favor and wants to harm her son." The signature was "Noble Lady Cao."

Shen Meizhuang has been standing behind the emperor without saying a word since Nian Shilan entered the palace. She doesn't believe that Nian Shilan would harm her Sixth Prince. If Nian Shilan was really jealous of her favor, she would not have helped her to stabilize the emperor's heart in both open and covert ways during the years since she entered the palace.

After reading the letter, the emperor was furious and trembling all over. He threw the letter to the ground like a worn-out shoe. Then, with his eyes wide open, he roared at Nian Shilan: "Look for yourself!" The sound was like thunder, echoing in the palace, making people shudder.

When Nian Shilan saw the letter, she was also shocked. She didn't expect Cao Qinmo to betray her. "Your Majesty, this letter was clearly forged by someone in an attempt to frame me." Nian Shilan cried out in injustice.

The emperor sent someone to summon Cao Qinmo to Chengqian Palace. Nian Shilan was kneeling on the ground as straight as a sculpture, and her back looked lonely and desolate.

Not long after, Cao Qinmo arrived at Chengqian Palace. She looked at the emperor with a puzzled look on her face and asked, "I wonder why the emperor summoned me here so late at night?"

The emperor motioned Su Peisheng to pick up the letter on the ground and hand it to Cao Qinmo. Cao Qinmo took it and looked at it. She was shocked and said hurriedly: "Your Majesty, this letter is definitely not written by me. Although the handwriting is slightly similar to mine, it can still be distinguished if you look closely."

After hearing this, the emperor asked Su Peisheng to bring paper and ordered Cao Qinmo to rewrite the words in the letter.

After Cao Qinmo finished writing, Su Peisheng presented both pieces of paper to the emperor. At first glance, the two were indeed very similar, but upon closer inspection, one would find that Cao Qinmo's handwriting was more feminine and delicate, not as strong and powerful as the handwriting on the letter.

The emperor was silent for a moment. "I will investigate this matter in detail, Concubine Hua, if someone really framed you maliciously, I will never tolerate it. But until the matter is clear, you should stay in Yikun Palace and don't go out."

When Nian Shilan heard what the emperor said, she knew in her heart that the emperor still had doubts about her. Her face was normal, but she could not hide the hurt in her eyes. She looked at the emperor like a candle swaying in the wind and said softly, "I obey your order."

After the emperor ordered Nian Shilan and Cao Qinmo to return to Yikun Palace, he cast a hawk-like gaze straight at the eunuch in the palace and said sternly: "Su Peisheng, drag this man down and beat him to death with sticks!"

The eunuch tried to plead for mercy, but Su Peisheng covered his mouth with his iron-like hands and dragged him out forcibly.

When the emperor and Shen Meizhuang were the only ones left in the palace, the emperor slowed down his voice and said, "Hui'er, what do you think about this?"

After Shen Meizhuang thought it over, she looked at the emperor cautiously and replied, "I don't think Concubine Hua has any need to frame the Sixth Prince. If she really feared me and the Sixth Prince so much, she could have saved me and my child on the day I gave birth and let us die in childbirth."

The emperor recalled that day when Nian Shilan searched Shen Meizhuang's bedroom like a hound, which saved Shen Meizhuang from being plotted against by villains and from dying in childbirth. His trust in Nian Shilan deepened a bit, so he nodded and continued to ask, "Do you suspect anyone?"

Shen Meizhuang shook her head slightly and replied in a low voice: "I don't know."

The emperor frowned slightly and said solemnly: "I will send someone to investigate it thoroughly." After that, he turned to look at Shen Meizhuang, a trace of pity flashed in his eyes, "You are still weak now, you need to take good care of yourself. As for the Sixth Prince, I will send more people to protect him." Shen Meizhuang was grateful and kowtowed to thank him.

Before the Emperor investigated the matter, the Sixth Prince had been saved by the superb medical skills of Doctor Wen. Wen Shichu checked the remaining sugar cakes and finally found that a large amount of arsenic was mixed in them. Fortunately, the Sixth Prince consumed relatively little, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

That was why the emperor was so furious. In fact, the distrust the emperor showed in front of Nian Shilan was just to paralyze others. The emperor knew in his heart that Nian Shilan would not deal with a child like this. He just wanted the person behind the scenes to let down his guard. A little concubine would not be able to bribe the people in the imperial kitchen to frame Nian Shilan. I'm afraid the person behind the scenes was either as powerful as Nian Shila, or even more powerful than her.

The reason why Zhen Huan's Seventh Prince and Third Princess were not poisoned was that Zhen Huan did not eat the food prepared by the imperial kitchen today, but asked the small kitchen of Sui Yuxuan to prepare it, so they luckily escaped.

When I got up the next day, I heard what happened in the harem last night, and I felt a little scared.

Zhen Huan rushed to Chengqian Palace, and the emperor was also preparing to attend the morning court. The two met unexpectedly at the corner. When the emperor looked at Zhen Huan, his eyes were full of inquiry: "I see you in a hurry so early in the morning. Are you here to visit Concubine Hui?"

"I heard that the Sixth Prince was poisoned, and I was very worried, so I came to see you." Zhen Huan said truthfully.

The emperor nodded to show his understanding. He looked at Zhen Huan with a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"I am about to go to court. Let's go visit him together after I leave court," said the emperor.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhen Huan bowed slightly.

The emperor turned and walked away. Zhen Huan stared at his receding figure, her heart as calm as dead water, without any ripples in her suspicion of him. She kept walking towards Chengqian Palace with a blank expression on her face.