The harem is too complicated; the empress, a lazy bum, wins by doing nothing.

Chapter 19 Confession
Emperor Yuanwu wanted to know what exactly happened to Shen Qingwan.

Suddenly, the words she had said to him before flashed through his mind: "Please believe me, Your Majesty, and don't condemn me as soon as something happens. It's chilling."

The words that were on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.

"Consort Xian, you speak!"

Consort Xian looked troubled, glancing at the Emperor and then at the Empress.

Shen Qingwan stood up and bowed to Emperor Yuanwu: "Your Majesty, let me speak."

“Last night, I was feeling unwell and asked Zhen’er to go to the Imperial Hospital to fetch a physician. However, as soon as Zhen’er stepped out, she was dragged to the Imperial Garden by two eunuchs. Fortunately, Prince Rui found her there and saved her from danger. I haven’t had a chance to properly thank Prince Rui for this.”

Emperor Yuanwu frowned deeply.

Consort Xian scoffed coldly.

"Your Majesty, did Zhen'er really just take away two eunuchs like that? I'm afraid it's just an excuse she made up to facilitate her secret rendezvous with Prince Rui. Zhen'er is always by Your Majesty's side, so why didn't she come with you today? Is she too ashamed to come?"

“Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, Zhen’er was injured in the leg by two eunuchs last night, so she is resting in the palace,” Shen Qingwan argued.

"Injured leg?" Consort Xian asked doubtfully. "Could it be that Zhen'er hasn't returned to the palace yet?"

Shen Qingwan stood up and knelt on the ground: "Zhen'er is in Kunning Palace now. If Mother does not believe me, just send someone to summon her."

Emperor Yuanwu stared at her for a while: "Wu Jixiang, go and bring Zhen'er here yourself."

Consort Xian lowered her head, the curve of her lips deepening, unable to suppress her smugness.

Shen Qingwan took in everything. After Wu Jixiang left Cining Palace, she said slowly, "Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, the two eunuchs who tried to harm Zhen'er yesterday have been found. They are waiting outside. While Eunuch Wu is at Kunning Palace, should we summon them and question them about what happened?"

Hear this.

Consort Xian's eyes widened, her lips slightly parted, her surprise evident.

Even though she tried her best to restrain herself, she could not hide the panic that flashed in her eyes.

found it?
how can that be!

This morning, Xia Fuchuan, the head eunuch in her palace, clearly saw the two of them arrive at Jixiang Hutong before returning to report to her.

Everyone has left the palace.

How could the Empress have found the two people and interrogated them so thoroughly in such a short time?

What's more, it rained so heavily last night.

It wasn't until Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Lizi knelt down in the hall that this continued.

Even Consort Xian found it hard to accept what was happening before her eyes.

"Your Majesty, these are the confessions of the two men."

An hour ago.

After finishing her medicine, Shen Qingwan was sitting in the main hall of Kunning Palace reading a book.

Su Tianhe, accompanied by two muddy eunuchs, entered Kunning Palace.

"Your Majesty, we've caught them. They are the cleaning eunuchs of Zhongcui Palace, Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Lizi. This servant noticed that besides this servant, there seemed to be someone else watching at the palace gate. In order not to alert them, this servant waited until the two of them reached Jixiang Hutong before making the move, and they entered through the side gate."

Are you sure no one has noticed?

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant is certain," Su Tianhe said firmly.

Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Lizi were brought in.

Kneeling on the ground, trembling with fear, they looked at each other, their voices trembling with tears.

"Your Majesty, I am innocent! I have no idea what I did wrong to anger Your Majesty."

Su Tianhe rolled up Xiao Shunzi's sleeve and found a clear bite mark, still not scabbed over.

"Your Majesty!" Zhen'er exclaimed in surprise, "It's him, it's him!"

Xiao Shunzi, his eyes darting around in a panic, tugged at his sleeve to cover the teeth mark: "What is Aunt Zhen'er saying? This servant can't understand a word she's saying!"

"Little Shunzi, don't you understand?" Zhen'er sneered, "Then tell me what happened to the teeth marks on your wrist?"

Xiao Shunzi shuddered. "This..." Xiao Shunzi glanced at Xiao Lizi kneeling beside him: "This is what Xiao Lizi bit me when we were playing around yesterday."

"You're lying!" Zhen'er's face turned pale with anger. "This is clearly the bite I made on your wrist last night when you dragged me to the Imperial Garden."

“Aunt Zhen’er, I know you are the Empress’s personal maid, unlike us servants who do menial tasks, but you can’t just falsely accuse people like that. What Imperial Garden?”

Xiao Shunzi kowtowed deeply: "Your Majesty, please do justice for this servant! This servant is innocent! This servant truly does not know what Aunt Zhen'er is saying!"

Shen Qingwan waved to Zhen'er.

"Since Eunuch Xiao Shunzi claims he is innocent and says the teeth marks on his wrist were made by Eunuch Xiao Lizi, then please have Eunuch Xiao Lizi take another bite next to the previous teeth marks, and compare the two teeth marks."

Xiao Shunzi:......

Little Li: ...

"Your Majesty?" Xiao Shunzi's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

"What? Doesn't Eunuch Xiao Shunzi want to prove his innocence?" Shen Qingwan slowed her tone, picked up her teacup, and gently blew on it.

Xiao Shunzi gritted his teeth, rolled up his sleeves, and offered his arm to Xiao Lizi.

Little Li stared at his arm for a while, just about to take a bite.

With a loud thud, the teacup in Shen Qingwan's hand slammed down in front of the two of them.

The ceramic piece made a loud bang the moment it hit the ground.

The scalding hot tea splashed everywhere.

Startled, Xiao Shunzi shuddered, while Xiao Lizi collapsed to the ground.

"Who gave you the audacity to even touch the people around me!"
Su Tianhe, drag them away and subject them to severe torture!
Don't kill them, beat them until they talk!

"Yes, Queen."

Su Tianhe was stunned for a while before he reacted.

When did their queen become so majestic?

His resolute and decisive manner, without any hesitation, was just like that of Emperor Yuanwu.

Having followed the Empress for so many years, I used to think she was brainless, but later I saw her as someone who didn't fight or compete for anything. This is the first time I've seen the Empress like this.

Shen Qingwan had just finished breakfast.

Su Tianhe then replied.

"Your Majesty, Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Lizi have already confessed. What should we do now? The Emperor is about to leave court. Should Your Majesty go to the Emperor to deal with the two of them?"

"Not urgent."

She knew it.

The person who instructed the two of them to slander her should be more anxious than she is right now.

Shen Qingwan presented Emperor Yuanwu and the Empress Dowager with a piece of paper clearly filled with evidence of their crimes, and two uniquely patterned light blue money bags.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, these are the two money pouches we found in their side room."

Emperor Yuanwu lowered his eyes and carefully examined the confession.

"How dare you, Consort Rou!"

Consort Rou sat in the corner, her mind wandering from sleepiness.

He was startled when Emperor Yuanwu suddenly rebuked him.

"Your Majesty."

Consort Rou knelt behind Consort Xian.

"I'm innocent! I truly know nothing! I've never seen those two people in the palace..."

(End of this chapter)