They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 492 Doubt

This is indeed a rare opportunity.

Consort Xue saved the Empress Dowager's life. As long as Consort Xue remains safe and sound in the palace, unless the Rong'an Marquis's family rebels, they will be treated well and have their punishment reduced, no matter what mistakes they make.

But with several lives hanging in the balance, how could we possibly let them go?

Marquis Rong'an has no hope of anything. He will only protect Marquis Rong'an's wife to save face for the Marquis Rong'an family. So what if Xu Zhichun, this daughter, was sold off by Marquis Rong'an's wife? So what if everything she suffered later was due to Marquis Rong'an's wife's insidious harm?
Anyway, he wasn't the one who was hurt or injured.

The pain wasn't on his body.

He had no feelings for his first wife, and even less for his daughter who had been abducted long ago.

If I had to say what it is, it would probably be hatred now.

If you want revenge and to overthrow the Rong'an Marquis's mansion, you can't count on him.

The reason they didn't do anything rashly was that they were waiting for a perfect opportunity to strike.

We must get rid of Consort Xue first.

Without Consort Xue, dealing with them will be much easier.

With Consort Xue in the palace, how many opportunities are there to harm her?
Now is a good opportunity.

However, she wasn't entirely confident.

“Granny Lu,” Xu Zhichun raised her head, glanced at Granny Lu, smiled wryly, and said softly, “I have a few words to say, but it’s not easy to say them.”

Granny Lu paused, her eyes suddenly sharpening. "Did Madam Liang see anything when the incident happened?"

Older gingers are more spicy.

As expected of someone who had served the Empress for many years, Granny Lu understood at a glance that Xu Zhichun's shifty and hesitant gaze at this moment must have meant that she had seen something related but was hesitant to say it.

But Her Majesty the Empress was almost harmed today, and this matter absolutely cannot be left unresolved.

The Empress and the Emperor had longed for this child for so many years. They thought there was no hope left, but unexpectedly, the Empress became pregnant. The Emperor and the Empress were overjoyed!

Unexpectedly, someone dared to make a move as soon as the news was made public.

If you were to say that today's events were an accident, Granny Lu would absolutely not believe it.

Fearing that Xu Zhichun might be holding back, Granny Lu quickly reassured her, "There is no third person here. Madam Liang, please feel free to say whatever you want. This old servant swears that I will never tell anyone that it was Madam Liang who said it."

Xu Zhichun hurriedly said, "Granny, please don't be like that. Her Majesty the Empress has been kind and generous to me. How could I keep something from her?"

"However, I'm not sure. I just happened to notice that Consort Xue's expression seemed a little off, and I felt something was off, but I don't know the truth."

She was with the Empress when the incident occurred, so she couldn't possibly have witnessed Consort Xue taking action.

Granny Lu had initially suspected Consort Xue, and after hearing Xu Zhichun's opinion, she became even more certain. She sneered, "No one else in the palace would dare to do this except her. As for the ladies and young misses taking action, that's even more impossible. Thank you, Madam Liang. This old servant will investigate thoroughly."

Xu Zhichun nodded.

In the afternoon, the Empress ordered that Xu Zhichun be sent out of the palace in a sedan chair, and Liang Minglang was there to meet her at the palace gate.

Liang Minglang carefully lifted her onto the carriage, "How could she be so badly injured?"

Xu Zhichun's body was stiff, and he dared not move. If you have a broken bone, you should rest and recuperate. Otherwise, if the bone is dislocated, you will suffer again.

"It's alright, just a sprain, I'll be fine after a couple of days of rest." She told Liang Minglang about the incident, and Liang Minglang was also terrified, repeatedly saying how lucky he was.

If something were to really happen to the Empress, who knows what kind of storm it would cause.

The Emperor was furious about this and ordered a thorough investigation.

Granny Lu kept a close eye on Consort Xue, scrutinizing every detail.

At the time of the incident, the palace maids and eunuchs around Consort Xue were repeatedly questioned, and even the palace maids serving Consort Xue were taken away.

As for the owner of the scattered beaded string, it belonged to the young lady of the Imperial Censor Lin's family. The young lady only realized that her beaded string was missing after the incident, and she was so frightened that her face turned pale and she was filled with fear and trepidation.

Madam Lin was also quite frightened and hurriedly led her to kneel down and beg for forgiveness.

The Empress did not blame them. Losing something was an accident, so why should she be angry?
Consort Xue was furious and cried when she saw that Granny Lu was deliberately targeting her. The Emperor was only thinking about the Empress and wouldn't bother with anyone else, so she didn't dare to make a scene. Instead, she ran to the Empress Dowager and cried out her grievances, begging the Empress Dowager to make a decision.

"Without any evidence, what does this have to do with me? I know that Her Majesty the Empress dislikes me, and those around her see me as a thorn in their side, but to frame me like this is to try and kill me! Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, I beg you to do justice for me!"

The Empress Dowager concealed the disgust and impatience in her eyes, dismissed everyone except for her trusted nanny, Jiang, sighed, and asked Jiang to help Consort Xue up and sit down.

"There's no one else here. Tell me honestly, did you really not do this?"

"Queen Mother——"

"No matter what you have done, I will not blame you. I understand you and I know you. Besides, between you and the Empress, my choice has always been mostly yours, and you are not unaware of that. Consort Xue, think it through and tell me the truth."

Consort Xue's heart skipped a beat.

How could she dare to completely believe the Empress Dowager's words?

To plot against the Empress and the imperial heir is a death sentence, with absolutely no chance of survival.

She dared not tell anyone but herself.

At this moment, she even regretted it.

I regret how I could have been so blinded by greed. How could I have suddenly had such an impulse and actually done it?
But it still hasn't happened!
"No, Your Majesty, I'm innocent!"

"really?"

"Your Majesty, I would never dare to lie!"

Consort Xue cried with tears streaming down her face.

The Empress Dowager stared at her for a long while before nodding: "Since it's not you, then there's nothing to be afraid of. With me here, no one can touch you."

Consort Xue felt somewhat relieved and was extremely grateful. "Yes, Your Majesty, I thank you for your kindness."

The Empress Dowager sent someone to reprimand the Emperor, telling him to be careful and to conduct a thorough investigation without fabricating charges against innocent people. She suggested it be done to accumulate good karma for the Empress's unborn child.

The emperor was furious and ignored it.

Accumulating blessings and virtues? He's too concerned about accumulating blessings and virtues, which is why some people, unafraid of death, keep courting disaster.

Lu Mama made progress quickly. After interrogating the palace maids and eunuchs around and behind Consort Xue one by one and asking them questions repeatedly, she finally found a loophole in one of the maids' statements. After using a combination of threats and intimidation, the maid finally admitted in tears that she had seen Consort Xue bend down and pick up something, but she hadn't seen clearly what it was.

As soon as she spoke, another palace maid and a eunuch confessed that they had also seen it. From the location of the little eunuch, they could clearly see that what Consort Xue picked up was a string of beads.