frightfiction Chapter 1307: Killing someone silently is easy
Chapter 1307: Killing someone silently is easy
Her mind was as clear as a mirror. What Concubine Zhuang said... was really very good.
Not only did she preserve her reputation for being generous, kind and responsible, but she also completely refuted Baharguli's guilt and incidentally aroused the emperor's sympathy for the mother and daughter.
It's like killing three birds with one stone.
Nangong Xuanyu's deep gaze fell on Concubine Zhuang's drooping hair and lingered for a moment.
Not much emotion could be seen on his handsome face. The anger he had just felt seemed to have been suppressed, leaving only a deep calm.
The emperor made no comment on Concubine Zhuang's apology, neither comforting her nor reprimanding her.
His gaze passed Concubine Zhuang and fell on the pale, still unconscious little figure on the bed. A faint trace of worry flashed across the depths of his eyes.
"Take good care of Yun'er."
The emperor finally spoke, his voice steady and unperturbed: "If you need any herbs, go directly to the Imperial Hospital and get them. Make sure the eldest princess is well."
Qin Shan and Concubine Zhuang quickly responded, "Yes, your servants obey your orders! We will do our best!"
Nangong Xuanyu said no more, did not even glance at Concubine Zhuang, turned around, and strode out of the hall.
Seeing this, Shen Zhinian quietly followed the emperor's footsteps.
Imperial Concubine Zhuang bowed, her voice gentle and respectful: "Your Majesty, I respectfully bid you farewell! Your Majesty, I respectfully bid you farewell!"
Not until the figures of the emperor and his concubine completely disappeared at the gate of Changchun Palace did Concubine Zhuang slowly stand up.
The sorrow and self-blame on her face had not yet completely faded. When she turned to look at the eldest princess on the bed, a complex and indistinguishable light flashed in the depths of her usually calm eyes...
……
After being busy for nearly a whole night, when I walked out of Changchun Palace, the eastern sky was already a little gray.
There was a hint of fatigue between Nangong Xuanyu's brows.
Although he still stood tall and straight, the fatigue in his eyes was difficult to completely hide.
Shen Zhinian saw this and gently advised, "Your Majesty, it's almost dawn. You haven't slept all night. Why don't you go and rest for a while? Your health is more important."
Nangong Xuanyu waved his hand: "No, the morning court is about to start, and there are a lot of government affairs waiting for me."
He turned his head, his eyes fell on Shen Zhinian's face, and his tone softened a little: "It's Nian Nian, you've been tossing around all night, go back and have a good rest."
"Yes, I thank Your Majesty for your consideration."
Shen Zhinian stopped trying to persuade him and bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty, I respectfully bid you farewell!"
After watching the emperor's carriage disappear at the end of the palace road, Shen Zhinian took Fuqiu's hand and sat in the warm sedan that had been prepared long ago.
The curtain of the sedan chair fell, blocking out the morning breeze that was gradually rising outside.
Yongshou Palace and Changchun Palace are not far apart, and the warm sedan arrived soon.
Handan was quick and nimble in removing the heavy hairpins and outer robe from Shen Zhinian.
Fuqiu went to the small kitchen and ordered the preparation of a soothing hot soup.
Seeing her queen's calm yet thoughtful expression, Handan couldn't help herself. While combing Shen Zhinian's cascading black hair, she asked, "Your Majesty, what happened in Changchun Palace just now...was Baharguli really so audacious as to murder the eldest princess?"
Shen Zhinian closed his eyes, feeling the comfort of his relaxed scalp, and shook his head slightly when he heard that.
"Although I have no evidence..."
She paused, then slowly opened her eyes, looking at her clear features in the mirror, and continued, "But I don't think she's that stupid. Poisoning the princess would do her a thousand harms and no good, and she'd be courting her own death."
"She doesn't seem like the type to do something like that."
Fuqiu, who was standing by, brought over some hot soup. Her eyes flickered when she heard what Shen Zhinian was saying, and she instantly understood what she was implying. She said, "Your Majesty, are you saying... that it wasn't Baharguli who poisoned the woman, but that someone was using her to stage this drama?"
"Is it the one from Changchun Palace? Use the name of the eldest princess..."
Shen Zhinian took the warm soup bowl and didn't answer directly. He just curled the corners of his lips slightly, as if in sarcasm, but also as if in understanding: "Look, the result is right in front of us."
"Baharguli became a commoner and was sent to the cold palace. The palace has one less eyesore."
Handan gasped, a look of fear on her face: "The Imperial Concubine's methods... are truly amazing!"
She patted her chest and said thankfully, "Thank goodness, Your Majesty, you had foresight. We managed to make Concubine Zhuang understand that Baharguli framed her last time she had a miscarriage. Let her put the blame on the right person."
"Otherwise...if she holds the Empress responsible and resorts to such tactics in secret...even if the Empress is not afraid of her, being watched by someone like her all day long would be quite disconcerting."
Fuqiu's brows knitted tightly together, a trace of pity and disgust on her face: "It's just... the eldest princess is innocent after all. She's just such a young child, yet she has suffered such a disaster..."
"The Imperial Concubine usually appears to be a vegetarian, a Buddhist, and compassionate person, yet she brutally killed her own adopted daughter. This is truly... "
She seemed unable to find the right words to describe this heinous behavior. In the end, she just shook her head and turned the rest of her words into a sigh.
Shen Zhinian listened quietly to the words of the two trusted palace maids, sipping the calming soup in small sips, and did not respond.
Concubine Zhuang's move was indeed cruel and effective.
The harem has always been like this. Beneath the calm surface, there is always an undercurrent that can swallow everything.
Handan's face wrinkled, a mixture of fear and relief. She snorted softly and said, "But having said that, after this incident, that vixen from the Western Regions has finally been brought down!"
"She's been banished to the cold palace, and it's hard to say whether she'll live or die. She's no longer an eyesore to the Empress, so it's a good thing after all."
At this point, Handan's eyes rolled. She leaned closer to Shen Zhinian, made a gesture of wiping her neck with her hand, and lowered her voice to say, "Empress, should we take this opportunity to... calm her down completely?"
"After all, it's easy to have someone die quietly in the cold palace..."
Hearing this, Shen Zhinian slowly shook his head, with a faint smile on his lips: "No need."
"If you touch Baharguli now, it will not only be useless, but will only cause trouble."
She looked at Handan and Fuqiu and patiently asked, "Why didn't Your Majesty just sentence her to death? Did he really believe her framed story?"
"not necessarily."
"It's more likely that His Majesty has his own considerations and may have other uses for Baharguli by keeping her alive."
Shen Zhinian's eyes narrowed slightly as he continued, "Perhaps he felt that there were still doubts in the matter and needed to keep her alive for further investigation; or perhaps she could still be of use in the future."
"The Emperor's heart is unpredictable. Anyone who rashly attempts to finish her off at this moment would be disobeying His Majesty's wishes and would only bring disaster upon themselves."
Handan suddenly understood and nodded quickly, "This servant is stupid, but Your Majesty is so thoughtful!"