kingnovel Chapter 269 Original Plot
Chapter 269 Original Plot
Qin Keqing was extremely jealous when she saw Qin Feiling's tenderness towards Zhou Lingge.
Is a female supporting character who should have been controlled by the heroine long ago worthy of the emperor's true love?
Humph, she would just let Zhou Lingge be proud for a while.
Once Eunuch Liu finds evidence that Zhou Lingge poisoned the empress dowager, she wants to see how the emperor can continue to protect his beloved concubine.
By then, the officials in the court will unite and impeach the vicious and evil concubine Zhou Lingge. No matter how tough or desperate the emperor is, he probably won't be able to protect Zhou Lingge.
As long as Zhou Lingge is pulled down from the position of imperial concubine, she will send someone to secretly drug Zhou Lingge... The heroine can take the opportunity to reverse the current situation, control Zhou Lingge, and turn the story line here back on track.
Everything will go according to the original plot.
Zhou Lingge will give birth to the emperor's heir.
The royal heir will become the heroine's biological son and the trump card for the heroine to ascend to the supreme throne.
Afterwards... Qin Feiling died while blocking an arrow for Zhou Lingge.
The heroine greatly supports the young prince to ascend the throne... and she rules the country from behind the scenes, becoming the most noble and powerful woman in the Jin Dynasty.
As the heroine's best friend, she can naturally share the wealth, power and status with her.
About an hour later.
Eunuch Liu found some evidence and immediately stepped into the inner hall.
"Your Majesty, I have found some evidence... A maid in the cold palace claimed to have seen Jin Xin, the maidservant by the Imperial Concubine's side, go to the cold palace."
The Queen Mother's expression changed. She immediately said, "Let the maid come in. I want to hear her testimony in person."
Eunuch Liu responded in a low voice.
The next moment, a palace servant escorted a disheveled young palace maid, about fifteen or sixteen years old, into the hall.
The little palace maid fell to her knees on the ground and kowtowed to Qin Feiling and the Queen Mother.
The Queen Mother's eyes were filled with a bit of pressure, and she looked at the little maid coldly: "Tell me, have you ever seen the concubine's maid go to the cold palace?"
The little palace maid's forehead was pressed tightly against the floor.
Her voice was trembling uncontrollably as she stammered, "Yes, this servant... This servant did see the Imperial Concubine's trusted maid, Jin Xin, enter the cold palace."
"At that time... I also saw her carrying a food box. Concubine Sun died of poisoning after drinking poisoned bird's nest... I think the imperial concubine secretly sent Jin Xin to poison Concubine Sun with the bird's nest."
Qin Feiling's eyes were extremely cold. He stared at the maid coldly and asked word by word, "You think so? Just based on a food box, you automatically made so many connections? It seems that this is just your conjecture, not your personal experience."
The young palace maid's face was pale, and her eyes were filled with anxiety. "Except for Jin Xin who entered the cold palace where Concubine Sun was, no one else entered. Concubine Sun also died from eating bird's nest. Isn't that enough to prove the problem?"
Qin Feiling couldn't help but sneer.
"If we investigate cases based solely on hearsay and conjecture, how many wrongful convictions would occur in this world every day?"
The young maid kowtowed quickly: "This slave is not imagining things, this slave really saw Jin Xin being sent to the cold palace."
"Did you see with your own eyes that Jin Xin took out the bird's nest and fed it to Concubine Sun?" Qin Feiling asked in a cold voice, emphasizing each word.
The little maid shook her head in fear: "No, I didn't see it."
"But... apart from Jin Xin, no one else entered the cold palace where Concubine Sun was imprisoned. Your Majesty, I did not lie. Apart from her... who else could harm Concubine Sun?"
Jin Xin knelt on the ground and explained in a low voice: "To answer your Majesty, at that time, I was helping the imperial concubine bathe... The palace maids in Yuanchen Palace can make decisions for me, and I have never left Yuanchen Palace."
The young palace maid couldn't help but retort, "The people in Yuanchen Palace are all Imperial Concubine's people. Of course they will help you cover up the truth..."
Qin Feiling stared coldly at the young palace maid. "You're so sharp-tongued... and you still dare to quibble? Come, slap her in the face. Let me see how stubborn you are, you lowly slave. Who gave you the confidence to think... that just a few random words you said could be used as evidence in court?"
Eunuch Liu raised his hand and slapped the little palace maid without saying a word.
"If you lie in front of His Majesty, you are deceiving the Emperor..."
The maid was stunned by the beating and quickly fell to the ground to beg for mercy: "Your Majesty, please spare my life. This servant... This servant did not lie to you. I told you the truth..."
Zhou Lingge couldn't help but chuckle, "This girl is really stubborn. Jin Xin never left me from the beginning to the end... In fact, not only the people in Yuanchen Palace can testify to this, but Madam Zhao can also testify for me..."
As soon as Zhou Lingge said this, the little palace maid suddenly looked up and looked at Zhou Lingge with astonishment in her eyes.
"No, it's impossible. I really saw Jin Xin..."
The Queen Mother couldn't help but be slightly startled.
She turned her head to look at Aunt Zhao.
Madam Zhao smiled helplessly and quickly replied, "Empress Dowager, have you forgotten? Two days ago, you specifically instructed me to go to Yuanchen Palace every day to inquire about the Imperial Concubine's health... You attach great importance to the royal heir. If you don't hear about the Imperial Concubine's health, you will often have trouble sleeping at night."
The Queen Mother was reminded of this and immediately had some impression.
"Yes, I once told you so."
"So you happened to be in Yuanchen Palace at that time?"
Zhao Ma Ma smiled and replied respectfully, "Yes, I personally saw Miss Jin Xin coming in and out to help the Imperial Concubine bathe. Miss Jin Xin even specially brewed a pot of tea for me, and I drank a cup before leaving... When I returned to the Cining Palace, less than half an hour later I heard the news that Concubine Sun had died of poisoning."
"This old servant happened to discover that the bowl of bird's nest served to the Queen Mother was mixed with poison."
The Queen Mother carefully recalled the details of the process and couldn't help but nod slowly.
"That's right... Not long after you came back, news came that Concubine Sun had died from poisoning. You also happened to have discovered and broken the bowl of bird's nest laced with poison."
The Queen Mother's eyes were filled with anger as she looked at the little palace maid coldly: "So, this little palace maid is lying. No matter how capable Jin Xin is, it is impossible for her to be in Yuanchen Palace one moment and then in the cold palace to poison Concubine Sun the next."
"Liu Quan, how did you interrogate the witness? Drag her away and torture her severely. If she refuses to tell the truth, just beat her to death..."
Eunuch Liu quickly confessed his crime. With the Queen Mother's words, he naturally dared to torture the palace maid.
He waved his hand and immediately had the maid dragged away.
The maid's eyes were filled with fear. She was panicked and at a loss: "What this slave said is true. Please spare my life, Your Majesty the Queen Mother..."
Eunuch Liu quickly ordered someone to drag the little palace maid away.
The sound of caning was soon heard outside.
The little palace maid screamed and cried, "This slave is not lying. This slave really saw Jin Xin step into Sun Changzai's cold palace."
"I dare not deceive you, Your Majesty. Please spare my life, Your Majesty and the Queen Mother."
The little palace maid's cries grew weaker and weaker...
There was a hint of darkness in Zhou Lingge's eyes. No one could escape such torture.
At this moment, the little palace maid did not change her confession. There must be something fishy going on.
She raised her eyes and looked at Qin Keqing.
Qin Keqing acted extremely calm, not at all afraid that the little palace maid would give any testimony that would be unfavorable to her.
Zhou Lingge suddenly understood Qin Keqing's plan.
It seems that this little palace maid is not Qin Keqing's person.
She guessed that Qin Keqing must have sent someone to pretend to be Jin Xin, confusing the young palace maid's sight and thus creating this false certificate.
Regardless of whether they can see through this fake certificate or not, they will to some extent put the blame of all the disasters on Zhou Lingge.
If the young palace maid was beaten to death, people might suspect that Qin Feiling killed the witness in order to protect her, the evil concubine... At that time, Qin Keqing only needed to spread some rumors secretly. Even if the truth was finally revealed, it would probably not be able to stop the gossip.