The Legend of the Concubine in the Harem

"I... I'm not..." Qian Shunyi knelt on the ground. She subconsciously turned her head and looked around, hoping to find someone to speak for her.

In a panic, Qian Shunyi had forgotten that Xie Yuzhen had not actually produced the irrefutable evidence that he was the one who put the Datura pollen in the tea. If it had not been involved in the death of the Fourth Prince, Qian Shunyi might have been able to barely remember it. However, one thing after another happened to him, and Qian Shunyi made a mistake in the chaos and actually tacitly acknowledged the scented tea matter.

She looked around, and all she saw were the cold eyes of the concubines. Several of them even smiled happily without disguising anything at all. Qian Shunyi was really not very popular in the palace, and only the queen would instinctively be tolerant of her.

Qian Shunyi couldn't stand concubines who were born as palace maids. Even Concubine Song Shu, who was higher in rank than her, was once said "heartfelt words" by Qian Shunyi in the manner of an elder: Palace maids should be rough and clumsy, and the female officials in charge of the bedroom should not be those who are good at coquettishness, for fear that they will lead good men astray.

She thought she had spoken tactfully enough. If Concubine Song Shu knew what was going on, she would mend her ways. She had already gained such a great advantage as being one of the four concubines, so she should not compete for her favor anymore.

However, it was well known that Concubine Song Shu was originally a female official in the imperial bedroom. Qian Shunyi's words were clearly a direct insult to her. Seeing Qian Shunyi in trouble, Concubine Song Shu, who was a little sleepy and wanted to leave, was no longer in a hurry to leave. She sat back leisurely and said, "Qian Shunyi, what are you looking for? Could it be that when the fourth prince passed away, you still have accomplices?"

Anyone with eyes could see that Qian Shunyi was stupid and could not do such a delicate thing as killing the prince and three palace maids without leaving any trace.

Concubine Song tapped the table lightly with her fingers. This case was extremely strange. Apart from the residue of datura flowers in the food of the Fourth Prince and those palace servants, there was not a single other clue.

The Fourth Prince's meals were all prepared in the small kitchen of Zhaohua Palace, by the wet nurse who died at the same time. Afterwards, the Emperor checked the homes of the wet nurse and the two palace maids, and found nothing unusual.

The Datura pollen seemed to have fallen from the sky and landed precisely in the Fourth Prince's bowl. It was not until the next day that a palace servant reported that unused Datura pollen was found in a flowerpot in Concubine Zhao's residence.

Later, Concubine Song Shu went to see it in person. The porcelain bottle containing the pollen did not look like it was newly buried, but had been hidden in the flowerpot for a long time. Perhaps the real person behind the scenes had already planned to frame Concubine Zhao, but did not expect that during the days when the attack occurred, because she was unwell and could not accompany the empress dowager to worship Buddha, she recommended Concubine Zhao to serve the empress dowager. This is why the blame on Concubine Zhao was not put on her head.

Concubine Song Shufei didn't believe that Qian Shunyi could be so cunning, but what if she had an accomplice?

"I really have never harmed the Fourth Prince. Your Majesty, please understand!" Qian Shunyi's panicked appearance was very different from her usual arrogance. Of course she heard what Concubine Song Shu said, but she really didn't know what happened to the Fourth Prince's death. This time, it was her own idea to drug Xie Yuzhen, so how could she have any accomplices?

Qian Shunyi only listened to the superficial words, but others were very good at drawing inferences from them.

The Queen and the Emperor exchanged glances, and she asked, "Qian Shunyi, where did you get this pollen from, and how did you think of using Datura pollen to harm people?"

Qian Shunyi was suddenly stunned. She opened her mouth, and the tassels hanging from her crooked hairpin gently patted her cheeks. After a long time, she suddenly realized and said, "When I went to get the fabrics for this season, I found a piece of satin with a mandala pattern. At that time, I don't know who said that the mandala flower can be used as medicine and will make people dizzy... As for the pollen, it was made by my maid Yan Rou who picked the flowers and dried them..."

After she finished speaking, she seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw: "I have only read the Four Books for Women. How could I know the medicinal properties of Datura? Someone must have deliberately misled me. Please help me, Madam!"

"Qian Shunyi, what you said is true. If someone sees Datura and says that this flower can make people dizzy, people with no bad intentions will just laugh it off. But you, you have evil thoughts and use good medicinal herbs to harm others. You still have the nerve to ask the queen to help you?" Xie Yuzhen's face was full of sarcasm. "You can do evil things but can't bear the consequences. You are such a well-behaved girl from a noble family. It really opens my eyes as a peasant!"

What she said was a bit offensive. After all, Qian Shunyi was not the only one present who came from a noble family. However, all the sufferings Xie Yuzhen had endured came from those noble families, so she had no guilt at all when she opened her mouth and started to talk nonsense.

Seeing this, the emperor cleared his throat and said, "Go get the maid named Yan Rou."

Li Zong immediately took the order and went down with the palace servants.

At this time, Concubine Deng, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up: "Your Majesty, Madam, there has never been a mandshurica in the flower and plant room. There was originally one in the imperial garden, but after the fourth prince left two years ago, the palace servants have been asked to clean it up."

She assisted the Queen in managing palace affairs and was quite familiar with purchasing flowers and plants.

The Queen nodded and said, "There are some in the Imperial Hospital's warehouse that are used to make medicine. The quantity is counted every month, and there has been no sudden decrease."

"Could it be that someone secretly saved the seeds of the Datura and planted them privately?" Concubine Deng frowned.

The people above left Qian Shunyi and started discussing, which made Qian Shunyi feel relieved. She began to blame Yan Rou, thinking that Yan Rou must have been instructed by someone behind the scenes to deliberately induce and help her make mistakes!

When she looked up, she was met with a pair of dark eyes. Concubine Chen looked at Qian Shunyi expressionlessly. Qian Shunyi felt that her eyes were like small knives, cutting her flesh piece by piece and eating it raw. She shuddered and said in a cautious and flattering manner, "Please believe me, Concubine. I have never harmed the Fourth Prince. Concubine Chen doesn't want the real murderer to continue to go unpunished, right?"

Concubine Chen sneered and said, "My son took Datura pollen when he left, and the unused pollen was found in Concubine Zhao's residence a day later. But you lived in the same palace with her, and it was you who used Datura pollen to harm others two years later!"

She gritted her teeth fiercely: "Can all these coincidences really be coincidences?"

"Qian Shunyi, should I praise you for being wise but appearing foolish?" Concubine Chen was waiting, waiting for Li Zong to bring the palace maid named Yan Rou.

Yan Rou's confession will determine whether she can kill Qian Shunyi on the spot. Chen Guipin is not afraid of killing the wrong person, but is afraid that the person she kills is not the real murderer who killed her child.

Not long after, Li Zong came back sweating profusely. As soon as he entered the room, he knelt on the ground and apologized: "Your Majesty, Yan Rou hanged herself in her room."