Yun Xi followed Miss Zhuyue to Chengqian Palace. On the way, they heard Zhuyue talk about it. From yesterday to now, according to what Miss Yun Xi said, they noticed something strange about several people in the palace. Among them, the second-class palace maid Zirou was the

most.

"That girl Zirou has a soft personality and has never had a strong backbone. She is always watched over by a few palace maids who accompany her, for fear that her innocence will be deceived again."

Zhuyue said, looking slightly hesitant.

"But you found out that Miss Zirou has something wrong with her body, right?" Yun Xi asked warmly.

"Yes. She has many wounds, large and small, of varying depths. We...have never seen them before."

Zhuyue's face darkened: "When I asked how she was injured, she refused to say whether she was alive or dead. It was only after the imperial concubine spoke that she said she was beaten."

As for who he was beaten by, it goes without saying.

"We secretly followed Zirou to the Royal Garden at night and saw her secretly meeting with an adult from the Hanlin Academy. The two exchanged their heartfelt complaints about her husband's atrocities..." Zhuyue couldn't continue talking after all, and kept shaking her head.

.

Zirou also had a hard life. In the past five years, she had been beaten by her husband Tai Yuan until she had no good flesh left on her body!

"Now that the reason for Zirou's poisoning has been found, and the reason for her strange behavior has also been found, the empress asked the servant to invite the girl to come and see the result."

Yun Xi nodded, expressing understanding.

Sure enough, as soon as the two of them entered the inner hall of Chengqian Palace, they felt a strong feeling of approaching storm.

The palace was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, except for the silent sobs of the girl Yu Zirou, which echoed quietly in the palace.

Sitting in the main seat, the imperial concubine still looked as noble as a harem queen, which was in sharp contrast to her trembling shoulders and silent tears.

Next to her, Tianxing and several other first-class maids looked at her nose and heart, but said nothing.

Yun Xi bowed to the imperial concubine and stood aside respectfully to listen.

The imperial concubine bowed slightly, looked at Zirou who was sobbing on the ground, and said in a deep voice: "You are a member of this palace, and you were treated like this by that guy from Taiyuan. Why haven't you said a word about it in the past five years?"

After all, she was the second-class maid of Chengqian Palace. She was given honor and face to Tai Yuan for the sake of the prince. How could the imperial concubine sit back and watch if Tai Yuan was so disrespectful to the concubine?

Zirou seemed not to have expected that the imperial concubine's first reaction was not to plead guilty, but to seek justice for her. She raised her head in a noisy manner, and I felt pity for her pear-shaped little face.

When Yun Xi saw this, she secretly sighed. With such a beautiful face, the name "Zi Rou" really lives up to her name. No wonder Tai Yuan would rather beat her every day than give up.

Having such a beautiful woman as your wife will bring you glory even if you talk about it!

"Slave, slave..." Zirou was speechless, her heart and mouth full of regret.

She knelt on the ground, kowtowed in tears, and said: "This slave was coerced by Tai Yuan. I only thought that the queen would care about her face and not stand up for the slave, so she endured it silently for several years and had deep grudges. Under the instigation of Mr. Liu, she chose to give the queen day and night.

Poisoning in meals.”

When Yun Xi heard this, she couldn't help but ask: "Miss Zirou, have you ever thought about what if you are being used by others?"

How can a person who truly loves be willing to see his sweetheart risking his life alone?

Liu Xiaogang is irresponsible and has evil plans. The future wrapped in the fantasy of love makes Zirou lose every move.

Zirou was startled and couldn't help but raise her head and looked at Yun Xi in surprise, as if she didn't understand what she meant.

"Master Liu and this slave treat each other sincerely, nothing else."

Really?

Seeing that the imperial concubine did not stop her, Yun Xi took a step forward and continued to say seriously:

"Miss Zirou, have you ever thought about why Mr. Liu chose you? He never expressed his feelings for me when my mother made the decision to marry you, and he never behaved like a gentleman after you have been married for several years. Instead, he provoked you everywhere and caused troubles all the time.

, causing you to betray the imperial concubine, the master and the servant, and separate from Mr. Tai and his wife."

Even if Taiyuan is worse than a beast, it is still a household matter for the couple. It would be inappropriate for Liu Xiaogang to interfere.

Zirou went from being a dependent maid beside the imperial concubine to a lonely situation where she was helpless and could only rely on the plans of her sweetheart... Comparing the two contrasts, it is difficult not to suspect Liu Xiaogang's true intentions.

Yun Xi is not an innocent target.

On the way into the palace, she kept thinking about the actions of Liu Xiaogang and Chai Hang in the hall, and was sure that the motives that Chai Hang and Liu Xiaogang wanted to hide the most have not yet been discovered...

Apart from the so-called "true love" and the relationship between brother and sister, if Zirou was exploited from the beginning, then Liu Xiaogang and Chai Hang were most likely to be in contact with each other and work together to scheme. Wouldn't that be a big show for the Ministry of Punishments to watch?

Based on Miss Zirou's confession, Yun Xi increasingly felt that the case seemed simple, but in fact it was full of doubts.

"Zirou, Yun Wuzuo is asking you something, why don't you think about the key point?"

The imperial concubine is such a shrewd person. She immediately connected the situation inside and outside the palace: "Are Liu Xiaogang and Chai Hang working for King Yi, trying to poison me, the influence of the cholera prince's relatives?"

"No, this servant is just resentful in her heart. She wants to follow Liu Lang's actions and leave that beast in Taiyuan and leave the palace. She has no intention of subverting His Highness the Crown Prince!" Zirou hurriedly defended herself.

"Just because you don't have this intention doesn't mean that others don't want to use you to achieve this goal." Yun Xi reminded with unclear meaning.

Several other first-class maids in the room finally couldn't wait any longer.

Tianxing said in a cold voice: "You didn't think that far-reaching, but you poisoned me with your empress, and disguised yourself to allow the ambitious man to succeed!"

"It's a waste of time for your wife to take care of us like that. You are really a cruel person!" Zhuyue scolded angrily: "You only care about love and forget the loyalty and purity of the slave."

Finally, Liri and Yuchen sighed silently.

Without the so-called "deep love", once Liu Xiaogang asked about the imperial concubine's diet, daily life, and habits, even if it was only one or two bits of information known to those close to her, it would be enough for the imperial concubine to be on guard.

Following Yun Xi's clues, Miss Zirou looked back, and the details that she had ignored came to her mind again...

"Yes, my brother and Liu Lang have both made insinuations about the situation of the empress."

"Did you say it?" Zhuyue asked sharply.

"I never did." Zirou waved her hands hurriedly.

The rules in Chengqian Palace were very strict, and Zirou's instinct to protect her master was still there. Even though her sweetheart inquired from time to time, she never revealed a single word.

Yun Xi looked at Miss Zirou with a complicated expression.

How conflicting human emotions are! Although he has made up his mind to poison his master, he still protects him with all his heart outside.

The imperial concubine's expression was also a bit complicated. Just as she was about to speak, she heard the prince's low roar coming from outside the palace door: "Father, please grant me your permission!"

Coming!

Yun Xi's expression tightened and she saw the Tian family's father and son confronting each other in the yard!

"Take Zirou down, don't scare the holy driver." The imperial concubine stood up calmly, glanced at Yun Xi, and motioned for her to follow him.

Yun Xi lowered her eyes and followed respectfully.

"You traitor!" the emperor angrily shouted with a livid face: "Do you know what you want?!"

"Even the moon in the sky, as long as I can keep my mother and concubine safe, my sons and ministers will still try to disobey me!" His Highness the Crown Prince seemed to be willing to go all out, and kept knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

It seems that the emperor has not yet relented in agreeing, Yun Xi secretly thought in her heart.

"Why is the emperor so angry? I have prepared a cold soup that can clear away heat and relieve the heat. Please taste it."

The imperial concubine is dazzling in appearance, and her words and deeds are full of charm. Even Yun Xi, a daughter of a family, is numbed by these soft words and cannot use any strength, let alone the current Holy Emperor?

The emperor, who was still full of anger just now, turned slightly brighter, took the imperial concubine's hand and said calmly: "My beloved concubine is not feeling well, why do you do this? Come on, come and try it with me."

The group of people re-entered the inner hall, and Yun Xi fell at the end of the crowd, silently looking at Wu Quan who was standing beside them with small and inquiring eyes.

Wu Quan lowered his voice and said, "His Royal Highness bumped into the Emperor in the Imperial Garden."

The emperor heard that the concubine was unwell and wanted to visit her. The prince who went to ask for the "Chonglou Flower" asked for her order in public in the imperial garden, which completely annoyed the emperor.

Along the way, the prince kept begging and begging, but he didn't get the slightest warmth from the emperor.

Yun Xi sighed in a low voice: "It's really not easy to get a 'high-rise flower'!"

Wu Quan's face turned gloomy, and he nodded helplessly: "It's all our fault." He was taken advantage of by others without knowing it, and pushed His Highness the Crown Prince into such an unkind and unjust place.

Yun Xi could not comfort her, so she had no choice but to remain silent.

The imperial concubine and the emperor were enjoying each other's sweet soup while sitting in a high position, showing an indescribable affection for each other.

His Royal Highness, who was sitting below, felt more and more uncomfortable the more he looked at it, and he spoke loudly again:
Chapter completed!