Harem for a living

Chapter 69

Soon, Duiyue and Jinhuan came over.Jinhuan held the account book in his hand, and Xiangyue held the jewelry box in his hand.The two came in to greet everyone, and Jin Huan turned to one of the pages of the account book and handed it up: "Empress, please look, the butterfly hairpin with tangled branches and phoenix fairy dots is a gift from the emperor during the Lantern Festival. My mother only I have brought it three times, once for Concubine Shu’s Second Prince Catch Week, once for the Dragon Boat Festival, and once for the First Prince’s birthday, and for the rest of the time, I have not brought it with me, and put it in the warehouse.”

The queen took the account book, and saw that on the top of the page was written the butterfly hairpin with twining phoenix immortals and emerald greens, and a line of small characters below said when the hairpin was bestowed by the emperor.Then the following is a line of records, the front is the date, and the back is the whereabouts of the hairpin.

Let’s just talk about the first line, which says that on April [-]th in the fifth year of Yonghe, the concubine Hui brought her hairpins, put them in a jewelry box, and locked them in the warehouse—joy keeping accounts and watching things on the moon.

However, when the queen looked down again, she was surprised. It clearly stated that on July [-]th of the fifth year of Yonghe, Concubine Hui accidentally dropped the butterfly hairpin on the ground, causing the butterfly's tentacles to fall off. , Since then, the butterfly hairpin has been locked in the warehouse.

"Empress, this account book was made by Concubine Hui's people. Who can guarantee that she didn't let anyone tamper with this account book? She said she didn't keep the account book. Could it be that the people from Zhongcui Palace can rush to give it to her?" Do you keep an account?"

Concubine Hu saw that the queen's face didn't change much, so she guessed that Chen Manrou's account book was very clear, but she immediately thought of this possibility, and immediately screamed: "Besides, who knows that this account book When did you remember it?"

"Empress, you have also seen that after the concubine asks people to keep accounts, they must write the person who keeps the accounts, and when they are sent to the warehouse, at least three people must be present. This point of the green hairpin is a joy to remember. Yueyan saw that the hairpin was put into the jewelry box and then locked up in the warehouse. At that time, there was another person beside her. If the three of them lied at the same time, it would be impossible to discuss the details perfectly. It is not as good as the queen. May I ask you one by one?"

Chen Manrou bowed to the queen, and said it openly, without any guilt.

"It's also possible that you bought them early!" Concubine Hu's eyes were red with anger, and Chen Manrou curled her lips: "Concubine Hu, don't get excited. The imperial doctor said just now that your mood has changed too much. It's not good to have a child in your stomach. As a concubine, it is your duty to give birth to the emperor's offspring. If you framed me and caused the child in your belly..."

"I didn't frame you!" Concubine Hu sat up abruptly, and then her face turned pale: "My stomach hurts! Imperial doctor! Empress, please call the imperial doctor!"

Disgust flashed between the queen's eyebrows, even if Concubine Hu was the victim, it was really hard to like how she acted like a shrew so stubbornly.In comparison, Concubine Hui's calm and upright look is a bit pleasing to the eye.

Moreover, looking at the records in this ledger, Concubine Hui has sufficient evidence.No matter who made the mistake this time, there is probably no way to drag Concubine Hui into it.

"Concubine Hu, I have warned you not to get angry easily. If you continue to pester me like this, I will have to send someone to take you back first." The queen glanced at Concubine Hu coldly and said, and then did not Seeing Concubine Hu's expression, she only called the Imperial Physician Cheng.

Fortunately, Imperial Physician Cheng had to explain the precautions to Concubine Hu's two court ladies after prescribing the prescription just now, and she didn't have time to leave, so she was able to arrive right away, and quickly gave Concubine Hu two needles.

Concubine Hu finally understood the seriousness of the matter, and then she just stared at Chen Manrou, trying her best to calm down the anger in her heart.

Chen Manrou didn't care, she turned around and asked the queen, "Madam, can I ask Concubine Hu a few questions?"

The queen nodded, and Chen Manrou beckoned Duyue to come forward, and took the jewelry box from Duyue's hand.

"Concubine Hu, since you said that the palace lady came to you with my hairpin, then you must have looked at the hairpin carefully, right?" Chen Manrou didn't open the jewelry box, but turned her head Looking at Concubine Hu, she asked.

Concubine Hu gritted her teeth resentfully: "Of course I have looked at the hairpin carefully! I am sure that the hairpin was given to you by the emperor before!"

"I didn't say that you haven't seen the hairpin that the emperor rewarded me." Chen Manrou smiled softly, raised her eyebrows, and reached out to touch the jewelry box: "Since Concubine Hu has looked carefully, please Concubine Hu described the hairpin carefully, remember, be careful, don't miss any details, it is best to draw exactly the same. I heard that Concubine Hu is a talented woman. Painting this kind of thing, wouldn’t it be hard for Concubine Hu?”

Who here is not a smart person?As soon as Chen Manrou said this, Concubine Hu's heart skipped a beat.Nodding with strength, someone brought a pen, ink, paper and inkstone over, and carefully drew a hairpin.

Don't think that all the paintings here only focus on the artistic conception. Drawing the image of the object is also a basic painting method.Otherwise, do you think that the craftsmen in the jewelry shop can make exquisite and beautiful jewelry just by looking at your artistic conception painting?
After Concubine Hu finished painting, Chen Manrou saluted the queen with a smile: "Please take a look at it first, and then compare it with my concubine's Diancui hairpin."

After reading the account book, the queen naturally understood the meaning of Chen Manrou's hand. She reached out to take the pattern drawn by Concubine Hu, and handed it to Chen Manrou after reading it. Chen Manrou looked at it carefully, then turned her head to Concubine Hu: " Concubine Hu, are you sure? There is nothing wrong with it?"

"No! I can see clearly!" Concubine Hu said coldly, and Chen Manrou nodded in satisfaction: "Since Concubine Hu is confirmed, I can only tell you with regret that the painting on it is not my palace. hairpin."

With that said, Chen Manrou opened the jewelry box and took out her Dian Cui hairpin. The butterfly on it was missing an antennae, although it wasn't very obvious, but it was not invisible.

Concubine Hu's face turned pale for a moment, and Chen Manrou handed the hairpin to the maid beside the empress: "Empress, please be the master of this concubine. I said that I never made any mistakes, but I never had any intention of harming others. Now that I have been framed like this, my concubine is really wronged, and I ask the empress to return my concubine's innocence."

After finishing speaking, seeing that Concubine Hu wanted to speak again, Chen Manrou curled her lips and smiled: "Concubine Hu is planning to say that I planned to murder you a few months ago, so I broke the hairpin first, and then rebuilt it I bought one to lie to you?"

"Empress, this matter is very easy to handle. This hairpin was made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. My concubine estimates that there are not many shops that can be built outside. Your majesty, you can send someone to check if anyone has gone out of the palace to open it in the past half a year. Jewelry, or which shop in the capital makes such jewelry." After speaking, he raised his eyebrows at Concubine Hu: "Concubine Hu, can you rest assured?"

Concubine Hu frowned, and hurriedly struggled on the bed to get up and salute the queen: "The empress, I don't mean that. The empress has always treated us concubines equally, and she will definitely not cover up the murderer. It's not that the concubine doesn't believe you... "

Seeing the queen frowned, Concubine Hu became more and more flustered, but she immediately realized that she seemed to be getting darker and darker!In the end, I simply closed my mouth. I am emotionally unstable at the moment. The more I say, the more mistakes I make. It is better not to say anything.

"Concubine Hu, do you remember the appearance of that maid?" The queen was silent for a while before asking, Concubine Hu nodded quickly: "I still remember!"

"Wangxiang, go check it out and see how many people walked around the palace this morning and then went to Yuhua Pavilion." The queen looked at Wangxiang and said, there are servants standing guard in the palace. There are people coming and going everywhere, as long as you are willing to work hard, you can still find out the people who are walking around in the palace today.

Moreover, there are countless maids and eunuchs in the harem, so at worst, everyone will be gathered together for Concubine Hu to identify them one by one.

Concubine Hu also thought of this, she immediately regained her spirits, her eyes sparkled, and she glanced at Chen Manrou complacently, as if she was sure that Chen Manrou was in trouble.

Chen Manrou lowered her head and continued to tease. She hadn't returned to Zhongcui Palace after inviting Ann. Since the people behind the scenes wanted to frame her, the plan should be perfect, right?The hairpin is one thing, but on the other hand, where did this maid come from?Could it be that they really found it from Zhongcui Palace?
Looking sideways at Jin Huan, Jin Huan shook her head, they followed what Chen Manrou said, as long as Chen Manrou is not around, then no matter who it is, they are not allowed to leave the Zhongcui Palace, unless Chen Manrou tells otherwise.

Chen Manrou breathed a sigh of relief, as long as it wasn't someone from her Zhong Cui Palace.In other palaces, it is relatively easy to find gaps.

Unexpectedly, what happened next had nothing to do with Chen Manrou.Wang Xiang came back with a look of anger and panic on her face: "Your Majesty, I found the body of a palace maid at the Yinghua Palace, and she was strangled to death."

The queen glanced at Concubine Hu, who was pale, and hurriedly asked, "What does the maid look like?"

Wang Xiang took out a blueprint, and the dead maids are relatively unlucky, and generally the queen would not let the queen see it in person.Therefore, Wang Xiang asked someone to draw a picture and let the queen see the picture directly.

The Queen changed hands and gave the image to Concubine Hu. Concubine Hu lost her composure and shouted after only one glance: "It's her! She is the one who came to look for me today! She said she wanted to tell me a big secret!"

"Have you found out which palace this maid is from?" The queen ignored her, but turned her head and asked, Wang Xiang nodded, looked at Concubine Hu and Chen Manrou, went to the queen, and whispered something in the queen's ear .

"It's her?" The queen frowned, thought for a while, and said to Chen Manrou: "Okay, this matter doesn't seem to have much to do with you, you can go back for now. Concubine Hu also goes back to raise her first, this matter When there is news, I will let you know."

Concubine Hu was still unwilling, but the queen ignored her, and only turned to look at Concubine Yang who had been watching the show for a long time: "Concubine Yang, I heard that the second princess caught cold a few days ago? How did you take care of her?"

Concubine Yang was taken aback, and then curled her lips and said: "The weather is getting colder, and children are easy to get sick. My concubine has already told Ma Jieyu that if she fails to take care of the child next time, I will take the child to the Lord's house." Go to the palace, I guess Ma Jieyu will be more concerned next time."

The queen accused Concubine Yang of not being able to take care of the children, and Concubine Yang immediately said that the second princess had a mother.The queen frowned slightly, waved her hand bluntly and said: "Don't talk so much nonsense with me, now Ma Jieyu lives in Jingren Palace, what happened to their mother and daughter, I will only ask you. That's enough, go back quickly if you have nothing to do, if you are free on weekdays, take care of the children more."

Concubine Yang Gui was resentful in her heart, but she didn't dare to show it on the face, since the emperor was not around at the moment, it would really be of no use for her to confront the queen.

Chen Manrou deeply felt that this scene was too short, but the queen said that she had nothing to do, and Concubine Yang also left, so she couldn't hold back.Besides, although going to the theater is good, it is not as good as cleaning up the people around her. This matter is more important, and it concerns her wealth and life.

So, right after, Chen Manrou also saluted the queen, took her leave and left.

Looking at Xiao Xizi and Xiao Lezi outside the door, both of them shook their heads invisibly, Hui Yin standing between them looked a little pale, Chen Manrou ignored her, greeted them, and led them to go back.

(End of this chapter)