The Empress Arrives: Rebirth of Concubine Hua

Chapter 186: Personal and Physical Evidence
Ulanara suddenly spoke softly.

"No matter what the truth is, you, Concubine Hua, are to blame for what happened today. But the weather is cold now, and it is cold and uncomfortable to wear wet clothes. How about the emperor showing mercy and allowing Concubine Hua to change clothes first and then reply?"

Nian Shilan was still kneeling straight, but when she looked at Ulanara, she smiled slightly and replied to her.

"Thank you very much for your concern, Queen. Compared to such a small matter as wet clothes, the life outside is probably more important. I think that even if I am a servant, I should not die in obscurity. I have sent my servant to invite Doctor Wen, and I believe he will be here soon."

As soon as Nian Shilan finished speaking, the eunuch outside hurried in and fell to the ground.

"Your Majesty, Imperial Doctor Wen is here and is examining Hanzhu."

Hanzhu is the palace maid who was injured and fell to the ground.

Yinzhen stood up and strode out of Yonghe Palace. Ulanara and Empress Dowager De looked at each other, and then they supported Empress Dowager De and followed Yinzhen out.

Nian Shilan stood up on her own, shook the hem of her clothes, and followed him out.

Wen Xianqing had already checked on Hanzhu's condition. When he saw Yinzhen, he bowed first before speaking.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I am too late. I am powerless to save this maid."

Yinzhen glanced at the palace maid on the ground, who was only breathing out but not breathing in, and waved his hand. Su Peisheng immediately asked people to carry Hanzhu away, but Wen Xianqing raised his hand to stop them.

"Wait a minute, I have something else to say."

Yinzhen said.

"Get up and speak. You can say whatever you want to say."

"Yes. I just felt the pulse of this palace maid and found that she is at least two months pregnant, and the hairpin is poisonous."

Wen Xianqing's words were like a bolt from the blue to everyone's ears. Empress Dowager De's legs went weak again and she fell into the arms of Ulanara, who had been supporting her, but this time she did not faint.

Yinzhen clenched his hands tightly behind his back. Things kept happening one after another in the harem, and each one of them made him worry.

He looked around, and the concubines who had been whispering just now immediately shut up, and the palace servants around him all wished they could hang their heads to the ground.

Wen Xianqing also lowered his head, waiting for Yinzhen to speak.

Nian Shilan looked at Empress Dowager De who was curled up in Ulanara's arms. It seemed that even Empress Dowager De didn't know that the palace maid named Hanzhu was pregnant.

Yinzhen finally spoke.

"Doctor Wen, I have always believed in your medical skills."

As he spoke, he turned to Empress Dowager De, with no expression showing his joy or anger.

"Mother, please forgive me for being unfilial. Today's incident was originally caused by Concubine Hua, but now that the palace maid has been diagnosed to be pregnant, I have no choice but to investigate further. I wonder if this palace maid usually serves you personally?"

Empress Dowager De calmed herself down and put on a dignified look.

"Emperor, I know you usually love and care for Concubine Hua, but what happened today was witnessed by everyone. It was because Hanzhu accidentally spilled water on Concubine Hua that caused today's disturbance. I also heard the rumors about Concubine Hua's arrogance and domineering behavior before, but I didn't expect that Concubine Hua's temper was even more violent than the rumors said. I am really scared. Moreover, Hanzhu is a second-class maid beside me. I am heartbroken to see this child end up like this."

As Empress Dowager De spoke, she shed two tears. Ulanara hurriedly took out a silk handkerchief to wipe Empress Dowager De's tears and comforted her.

"The Empress Dowager is kindhearted, and the Emperor will be able to get to the bottom of this matter if he is here."

After saying this, he looked at Nian Shilan meaningfully. Nian Shilan felt amused. Was this an attempt to throw dirty water on her? She planned to make it clear.

Yinzhen also looked at Nian Shilan, but saw that Nian Shilan lowered her head and pulled at the hem of her clothes that was wet and stuck to her body, and sighed slightly.

Yinzhen said.

"Hua Fei, I allow you to speak for yourself."

Nian Shilan took a step forward and replied.

"Yes. I got up this morning and paid my respects to the Empress, then went to the Cining Palace to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager. I was talking to the Empress Dowager when a maid from the Cining Palace came to report that a maid from the Yonghe Palace had come to summon me to the Yonghe Palace to visit the Empress Dowager De on the orders of the Empress Dowager De. I did not dare to be negligent, and hurriedly said goodbye to the Empress Dowager and went to the Yonghe Palace. But just as I was about to enter the door of the Yonghe Palace, I was bumped by the maid and splashed with water all over my body. Before I could react, the maid pulled out the hairpin on her head, inserted it into her neck, and then pulled out the hairpin and stuffed it into my hand. I had no time to react before the Emperor came." Yinzhen asked.

"You mean, it was Yonghe Palace that asked you to come visit the Queen Mother today?"

Nian Shilan bowed and replied.

"Your Majesty, that is indeed the case."

Empress Dowager De scolded.

"Hua Fei, you have a violent temper. You took the life of a servant in my palace without any hesitation. You are trying to confuse right and wrong and frame me? When did I send someone to summon you? I have been ill these days and don't want to see anyone. The Queen came to pay her respects to me today. Let the Queen tell me when I sent someone to look for you."

Ulanara said with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Quickly calm down, Queen Mother. I came to you today after receiving greetings from the concubines in the harem. I have not seen you send anyone out."

Nian Shilan looked at Empress Dowager De indifferently. The Empress Dowager De in this life was young, and her strategies and character were far inferior to those in the previous life.

He wanted to frame me, but his actions were not perfect and he ended up setting up such a terrible plan. Did he really think that it was luck that Yinzhen could ascend the throne so early?

"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother accused me of having a violent temper. There is no witness or physical evidence, so I am sorry that I cannot admit it."

Yinzhen said.

"Then what you just said about the Queen Mother sending someone to summon you, do you have any witnesses or physical evidence?"

As soon as Yinzhen finished speaking, he heard a voice coming from outside the door.

"I am your witness. I wonder if the emperor can trust me?"

As the voice fell, the eunuch passed the message.

"The Queen Mother has arrived~!"

Yinzhen was the first to pay his respects.

"Good luck to the Empress Dowager. Today's events have indeed alarmed the Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager said to Yinzhen.

"Your Majesty, please get up. I heard that Concubine Hua was accused of murder, and I was extremely worried and hurried over."

Then he turned to Nian Shilan.

"Child, your clothes are all wet! You're already in poor health, don't catch a cold!"

The maid beside the Queen Mother hurriedly put the prepared cloak on Nian Shilan. Song Zhi watched her master being wronged, tears falling down her face. She stepped forward, wrapped the cloak tightly around Nian Shilan and tied a bow.

Yinzhen helped the Empress Dowager sit down and said.

"The Empress Dowager said that she could testify for Concubine Hua?"

The Queen Mother nodded.

"Shilan is a filial child. He is concerned about me being alone all the time, so he comes to keep me company from time to time. He came again today and coaxed me to have an extra bowl of soup for breakfast. I was talking to Shilan when a palace maid came in and reported that someone from Yonghe Palace had asked Concubine Hua to visit your mother. So I brought all the palace maids with me."

The Queen Mother pointed at the maid beside her.

"Come here and see which palace maid went to invite Concubine Hua."

The maidservant beside the Empress Dowager received the order, looked around for a long time, frowned, and pointed at a little eunuch in the corner.

"He was the one who came to the Cining Palace and told the Empress Dowager of the Yonghe Palace that she was summoning Concubine Hua."

(End of this chapter)