Cut Frost

Hsinchu pointed to the door of the house where the purple jade bracelet was found and asked, "Whose house is this?"

Ning Jia and the others were still there in a daze.

Hsinchu asked again, with a louder voice.

"Yes, it belongs to a servant girl." Fang Qi knelt down and said.

"Fangqi, since you got it in your house, go back to the Empress with me." Hsinchu said.

"Yes..." Fang Qi answered, got up and walked with Hsinchu.

"Fang Qi!" Fang Rong stepped forward and grabbed Fang Qi and said anxiously.

"Fang Rong, don't worry, the Empress will make a fair and clear decision." Fang Qi patted her hand and said.

"Third princess!" Fang Rong hurriedly turned her head to call Ning Jia.

Ning Jia also looked at Fang Qi.

"Third Princess, don't worry..." Fang Qi smiled at Ning Jia.

"Let's go quickly, after seeing the empress, it's good to tell the truth." Hsinchu said.

Several maids hugged Fangqi, walked out of the gate of Jianjia Palace, and headed for Dezhuang Palace.

Ning Jia watched the crowd walk out of the palace gate, still standing there in a daze.

Fangrong hurriedly knelt on the ground and said to Ning Jia: "Third Princess, you must save Fangqi!"

"Save her?" Ning Jia said suddenly, "I, how can I save..."

"Fang Qi must have been wronged!" Fang Rong said, "It must be the Second Princess who did something wrong!"

"Second Sister? Second Sister, why did she do this?" Ning Jia asked.

"I knew she wouldn't be so kind, she planned it all!" Fang Rong said angrily.

Then she grabbed Ning Jia and cried, "Third Princess, Fang Qi has served you with all her heart and soul for so many years, you can't let her die!"

"Yes, I, I know." Ning Jia also cried.

Fang Qi has been by Ning Jia's side since she was a child, and she is mature and prudent. Ning Jia has to rely on her for many things.

"But, what should I do?" Ning Jia cried again.

"Go and ask the empress to investigate this matter thoroughly, she will definitely find out the truth!" Fangrong said.

"Okay, I, I'll go find my mother now." Ning Jia cried and nodded.

Fangrong supported Ning Jia, and the two hurried to Dezhuang Palace.

In Dezhuang Palace, Empress Yizhuang sits at the top.

Concubine Ye and Concubine Cheng sat on the left and right, and Ning Yang sat next to Concubine Ye.

Fangqi knelt on the ground and said "wronged".

"Ning Jia is here? Sit down." Empress Yizhuang said to Ning Jia who had just walked in.

Ning Jia sat next to Concubine Cheng.

"Fang Qi, you only said that you were wronged, but this purple jade bracelet was found in your cage. What do you say?" Empress Yizhuang said to Fang Qi seriously.

"The servant really didn't take it, and the servant doesn't know what's going on, please learn from the empress!" Fang Qi said.

Fang Rong gently tugged on the shirt on Laning Jia's arm.

"Mother," Ning Jia stood up, bowed her knees to Empress Yizhuang, and said in a soft voice, "Fang Qi has always been diligent and conscientious. Please, Mother, be careful."

"Third Sister!" Before Empress Yizhuang could answer, Ning Yang stood up and walked to Fangqi's side, looked at Ning Jia arrogantly and said, "Now that all the stolen goods have been found, why should I be wronged? Will this princess still falsely accuse a little servant?"

"Second Sister, I, I didn't mean that..." Ning Jia said suddenly.

"Isn't that what you mean? I think you just want to protect this lowly maidservant!" Ning Yang refused to forgive him, and turned to Empress Yizhuang and said, "Mother, this lowly maidservant is so bold that he even dares to steal from this princess. You must be severely punished!"

"The crime of stealing is not a minor crime, Fangqi, do you know the crime?" Empress Yizhuang looked stern.

Fang Qi said again and again: "Slave, slave really didn't steal, really didn't."

"Mother, this is just a misunderstanding, Fang Qi would not do such a thing." Ning Jia said.

"Misunderstanding?" Ning Yang snorted, "What misunderstanding?"

"Second Sister..." Ning Jia just opened her mouth, but Ning Yang suddenly said "Ah!", pointing at Fang Qi with a sudden realization, and said, "I see! You spilled the tea on purpose yesterday, didn't you? "

"No, no..." Fang Qi hurriedly said.

"You still said no, you must have planned it!" Ning Yang said loudly, "I splashed tea on purpose to stain my dress, and then quietly wiped it on my hands while changing my clothes. bracelet, isn't it?"

"No," Fang Qi stared wide-eyed and shook her head, "How dare I do such a thing?"

"Don't you dare?" Ning Yang turned his gaze to Ning Jia and snorted, "You are a slave, how dare you have such courage, someone must have instigated it, right?"

"How come?" Ning Jia was surprised to hear that the meaning in her words was pointing at herself.

"Third Sister, you must also like this purple jade bracelet, don't you?" Ning Yang said to Ning Jia.

"No, Second Sister, you, don't talk nonsense..." Ning Jia was momentarily at a loss for what to say.

Ning Yang was still waiting to talk, but Empress Yizhuang stopped her: "Ning Yang, how can you say that about your sister?"

"Yes, Ning Yang, if there is no basis, you can't talk nonsense." Concubine Ye also said slowly.

"Ning Jia, come back and sit down." Cheng Fei said to Ning Jia.

"Yes, mother..." Ning Jia replied, and sat back on the side of Concubine Cheng.

"Mother," Ning Yang said to Empress Yizhuang, "If the third sister really likes this purple jade bracelet, you can tell me directly, and I can return it to her. Anyway, it was originally given to the third sister by the emperor."

Empress Yizhuang personally arranged the tributes that Mingdan Kingdom presented to the princes and princesses, so how could she not know?
Ning Yang had a sharp and domineering personality, and Emperor Yongping felt sorry for Ning Jia's many grievances, and specially said that he would give this purple jade bracelet to the third princess Ning Jia.

However, Ning Jia really failed to keep the purple jade bracelet, and Ning Yang got it in the end.

Now that Ning Yang pointed at Ning Jia inside and out, Empress Yizhuang was not good at defending her shortcomings, she turned to Fang Qi and said sharply: "Fang Qi, why is this purple jade bracelet in your cage? Why don't you bring it here?"

"Fangqi," Concubine Ye said aside, "If this matter was done by someone else, you can tell the truth, and the empress will uphold justice for you. There are so many maids in Jianjia Palace, it's hard to guarantee that a few will not be promising. "

"Dufangqi and Fangrong came to Xuyang Palace that day, if it wasn't her, who else would it be?" Ning Yang said aside, staring at Fangrong aggressively as he spoke.

Seeing this, Fangrong quickly knelt down and said, "Empress, even if Fangrong has ten guts, she would never dare to steal the second princess's belongings!"

"It's not you, it's her," Ning Yang snorted, "Say, who gave you such boldness?"

"Empress, Fangrong has been wronged!" Fangrong cried to the queen.

"Mother," Ning Yang said to Empress Yizhuang again, "These two girls are very cunning, and they won't be honest without some punishment."

"Ning Yang," Empress Yizhuang frowned, "You step back."

"Empress," said Concubine Ye, "Fangrong and Fangqi have been together since childhood, and it is common sense for them to feel pity for each other. However, since the thing was found in Fangqi's cage, between them, There is always someone who does such a shameful thing. Now it is just an injustice, and it does not know the majesty of the royal family."

Empress Yizhuang looked at Fang Rong Bing Fangqi who was kneeling on the ground, and said solemnly: "If you two are not recruited in the truth, you will be regarded as guilty of the same crime and punished severely together!"

"Mother, no..." Ning Jia stood up and said, but was pulled by Concubine Cheng and sat on the chair.

"Empress Empress, you are wronged! Empress Empress, we are really wronged, Empress must be clear about it!" Fangrong cried, kowtowing.

Concubine Ye snorted coldly: "Since you all only complain about being wronged, if you don't have solid evidence, I don't think you will plead guilty obediently."

Then he turned sideways and said to Empress Yizhuang: "There is a brocade pattern of the palace maid of Jianjia, she can testify."

Empress Yizhuang said: "Since there is a witness, let her pass it."

Someone will pass it on.

Fang Qi, Fang Rong, and Ning Jia looked at each other in blank dismay.

Not long after, a court lady was indeed brought in, and it was indeed the brocade pattern of Jian Jia Palace.

Jin Wen came in and knelt down.

Empress Yizhuang asked: "As for the purple jade bracelet, if you have anything to say, just tell the truth."

Jin Wen replied: "Yes."

Looking at Fangqi and Fangrong, he said: "After the third princess gave the purple jade bracelet to the second princess that day, Fangrong was very angry and said a lot of unfair things."

So he learned a few words about the injustice that Fangrong said that day, and said: "Fangrong also said that one day I will..."

After speaking, he paused and looked at Ning Jia.

Empress Yizhuang said: "Go ahead."

Jin Wen continued: "It is said that one day, I will take back the purple jade bracelet."

Fang Rong quickly distinguished, and said: "Fang Rong is just a few angry words, how can this prove?"

Empress Yizhuang nodded and said to Jinwen, "Is there anything else?"

Jin Wen replied again: "That day the second princess invited the third princess to Xuyang Palace, Fang Rong told Fang Qi behind the flowers and trees, saying that she must bring back the purple jade bracelet today, and Fang Qi also said that this is a good opportunity... ..."

Fang Rong heard such nonsense, and immediately said angrily: "Jin Wen! You are so bloody!"

He hurriedly kowtowed to Empress Yizhuang: "The Empress has a clear lesson, Fangrong never has such thoughts!"

Fang Qi also kowtowed and said straightly: "There is absolutely no such thing."

Empress Yizhuang said: "Jinwen, if you lie, you will know the rules of the palace!"

"Jin Wen's words are true!" Jin Wen kowtowed and said, "If there is even half a sentence of falsehood, let the palace rules deal with it!"

Fangrong cried out that she was wronged.

Concubine Ye pointed at Fang Rong and Fang Qi and said, "You two must have colluded and stole it together!"

Then he said to Empress Yizhuang: "The two of them despise the king's law and palace regulations so much, I hope the empress will see clearly!"

Empress Yizhuang also had a look of anger on her face: "If the harem is cleaned up, the previous court can be peaceful. The two of you have behaved like this, and if you don't punish them, it's not enough to enforce the palace rules!"

Immediately ordered: "Slap the two of them with twenty big boards each!"

Fangrong and Fangqi cried out for being wronged.

Immediately, several court ladies came up and dragged the two of them down.

The miserable cries kept coming, and Ning Jia burst into tears.

After playing twenty big boards, the two of them were dragged up again.

Although Fangrong and Fangqi are court ladies, they are also delicate and pampered. How can they bear these twenty boards, but the pain in the wound is unbearable.

"How did you steal this purple jade bracelet? Why don't you tell me?" Empress Yizhuang sternly said.

Fang Rong gritted her teeth and endured the pain, stopped crying, and gasped, "Fang Rong has absolutely no such intentions! He would never do such a thing!"

Ning Yang snorted and said, "You are so stubborn! There are witnesses and material evidence, how dare you deny it? I wanted to give you a chance to be lenient, but it seems that you will stop crying when you see the coffin!"

Then he said to Jin Wen: "What did you hear last night? Tell everyone!"

Jin Wen knelt again and said, "When I woke up last night, I heard Fang Rong and Fang Qi talking."

Empress Yizhuang said, "What did you say?"

"It is said that it must be hidden, so that no one can see it." Jin Wen said.

"Hide what?" Queen Yizhuang asked.

Jin Wen glanced at Ning Jia.

"Tell me the truth." Queen Yizhuang said.

"Yes." Jin Wen replied, "It is said to hide the bracelet that was brought back."

Fang Rong glared at her with angry eyes, and at this moment, regardless of the pain in her body, she rushed forward and grabbed Jin Wen's neck, gritted her teeth and said, "I'll let you talk nonsense!"

"Presumptuous!" Empress Yizhuang said angrily.

The maid next to her hurriedly pulled Fangrong away and pressed it to the ground.

Ning Jia couldn't stop crying.

Fang Qi also choked up and cried, her eyes filled with tears.

"You lowly maidservant is so bold!" Empress Yizhuang was full of anger, sitting upright on the top, and said in a solemn voice, "Now that there are all witnesses and material evidence, why don't you plead guilty?"

"Wrong!" Fang Rong cried.

Fang Qi also fell to the ground and cried: "There is absolutely no such thing, it is really wronged."

Ning Yang stood up "Huo", pointing to Fang Qi and Fang Rong who were kneeling on the ground: "The witnesses and physical evidence are right in front of you, and you still dare to plead guilty, are you not afraid of the royal punishment?"

Empress Yizhuang frowned: "Ning Yang, sit down."

Concubine Ye tugged at Ning Yang's sleeve, Ning Yang looked at her and sat down.

Empress Yizhuang said to Fangqi and Fangrong: "Today's first interrogation is here. The two of you go to the prison to reflect on yourself. If you repent and confess, you can be given a lighter sentence. If you are lucky, I will find out after all, and the crime will be increased." Wait."

It is inevitable that the two exchanged confessions, and Fang Qi and Fang Rong were locked in different cells.

Ning Jia returned to Jianjia Palace alone, crying uncontrollably.

Ning Yang and Concubine Ye returned to Jingye Palace, Ning Yang couldn't help but said: "Mother, they all refuse to confess, what should we do now?"

Concubine Ye squinted at her: "What's the rush?"

He asked again, "What's going on with Captain Meng?"

"No news yet." Ning Yang said.

"Let him hurry up." Concubine Ye said.

Before dawn the next day, Meng Tingyu, the fifth daughter of the Meng family, entered the palace in a carriage.

In Xuyang Palace, Ning Yang hurriedly greeted him.

Meng Tingyu saluted, took out a sachet and handed it to Ning Yang: "The fourth brother said that I will definitely give this to you."

Ning Yang grabbed it and said with a smile, "Thank you."

Meng Tingyu shook her head and said: "What is it that is so extraordinary that you urged me to deliver it before dawn?"

Ning Yang looked at the contents inside and showed a satisfied smile.

"Your sister has worked hard, sit down for a while." Ning Yang said.

Let Fanhua serve tea and snacks.

Ning Yang greeted her a few words, and said: "I'll go change clothes, I'll be back in a while."

After speaking, he entered the inner room and handed the sachet to Concubine Ye who had been waiting here.

Concubine Ye went out from the back door of the Xuyang Palace Garden and came all the way to the prison cell.

Fangqi was still sitting on the cold and hard ground and weeping, when she heard the sound of the lock being opened, she was startled: Could it be that there is another trial?
The door opened, and it was Concubine Ye who walked in.

Fang Qi bowed hesitantly: "Concubine Ye."

"Fang Qi," said Concubine Ye, "stealing tribute items is not a light crime, you should know."

Fang Qi shook her head and said, "Fang Qi really never did such a thing."

"The empress is kind. She said it was to make you reflect, but in fact it was to give you a chance to be honest. Don't let down the painstaking efforts of the empress."

Concubine Ye took out two things from the sachet in her hand while talking.

When Fangqi saw it, she was shocked.

Concubine Ye was holding an earring and a piece of hair in her hand.