Chapter 442 Found out
Shisu shook her head.
"After Concubine Qi was taken away, we were also taken away from her bedroom. At that time, everyone in Concubine Qi's bedroom was driven out of the palace, and only this servant and Jiao Xing'er were left behind.
Jiao Xing'er said that because Concubine Qi had someone else in the palace, we were able to stay."
Rong Que asked, "Why didn't you report it then?"
Zi Su glanced at Rong Que, then quickly lowered her head. "Because I'm afraid of death. I'm afraid that if I tell everyone that I served Concubine Qi, I'll be dealt with along with them . But I've never harmed anyone."
This is the truth. Rong Que twisted his fingers and didn't ask any more questions.
Su Qingqing asked, "Do you know who arranged this for you?"
Zi Su shook her head, "I don't know, but after we left Concubine Qi's place, we were assigned to work in the imperial kitchen. The one who led me and Jiao Xing'er there was a eunuch named Fu Hai. The two of us worked alone in a courtyard making cakes, specifically water chestnut cakes.
Fu Hai should know the identities of this servant and Jiao Xing'er."
When she mentioned Fu Hai, Jixiang immediately turned around and walked out.
Zi Su continued, "Later, one time, Nanny Xu went to the Imperial Kitchen to get some snacks for the Empress. It happened that this servant and Jiao Xing'er were delivering water chestnut cakes. Nanny Xu learned that the water chestnut cakes used in the palace recently were all made by this servant and Jiao Xing'er, so she asked the two servants from the Imperial Kitchen to bring them here.
Nanny Xu said that there were no other female members of the royal family in the palace at the moment, and that the only people who needed snacks were the Empress. If they were left in the imperial kitchen, they would just be made for the Empress alone, so it would be better to come to the Empress's small kitchen.
But Aunt Xu was not confident enough to just put the two servants in the small kitchen. She wanted to observe them for a while first.
That’s how this slave girl and Jiao Xing’er came to be.”
"Do you know what Jiao Xing'er did?" Su Qingqing asked.
Zi Su said, "I don't know what she did specifically, and I don't want to know. I don't want to be implicated. I will be sent out after I finish this year."
When everyone in Concubine Qi's bedroom was driven out, she was extremely happy.
She didn't want to stay in the palace for a whole day, she just wanted to go out, but she didn't expect that she was kept back by accident.
"I only know that when I was in Concubine Qi's palace, she specially sent someone close to her to teach Jiao Xing'er how to dance. She must have had other motives. Later, when Concubine Qi got into trouble, I only treated Jiao Xing'er as a maid, and after she left Concubine Qi, she couldn't cause any big trouble.
I never thought she would harm Madam Xu."
Su Qingqing sneered, "No, you thought of it, you were just waiting for this day."
Zi Su's fingers gripping the handkerchief tightened, and her palms were covered with sweat.
"You're waiting for Jiao Xing'er to get into trouble, waiting for her to confess everything. That way, as a clean person, you'll have a chance to be exiled. That's what you think, right?"
Zi Su's body trembled slightly, and she looked up at Su Qingqing.
Su Qingqing said it word for word.
Su Qingqing smiled and said, "People are selfish. I can understand you doing this, but that doesn't mean I can forgive you. You should know what Aunt Xu means to me. You used her life to exchange for your own freedom. I cannot forgive you."
Zi Su bit her lips hard, drooped her eyelids and said nothing.
Su Qingqing then continued, "Unless you can tell me, besides Fu Hai, who else knows that you and Jiao Xing'er served Concubine Qi."
Zi Su was stunned, and looked at Su Qingqing in surprise and shock, "Is it that simple?"
Su Qingqing smiled and said, "What's the point of me keeping you? If you are of sufficient value to me, I will give you a way out."
Zi Su immediately reported more than a dozen names, "...These are the people I and Jiao Xing'er met after going to the imperial kitchen and coming to Madam Xu's place who knew our identities. As for whether there are others around them who also know our identities, I am not sure."
Su Qingqing smiled and said, "Okay, I'm a man of my word. From now on, you will stay with Madam Xu. If she's alright, I'll reward you with a hundred taels of silver and send you out of the palace. If she..."
Everyone knew what Su Qingqing said next even though she didn't finish.
Zi Su fell to her knees and said, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."
Su Qingqing didn't look at her again. Supported by Rong Que, the couple left Xu Ma's place together. After leaving, Rong Que immediately sent someone else to serve Xu Ma.
Firstly, Zi Su can’t handle it all by herself, and secondly, someone needs to look after Zi Su.
The interrogation on Jixiang's side soon came to a conclusion.
When she came back, Xiao Rui was combing Su Qingqing's hair. Standing behind her, she said auspiciously, "She confessed everything. Jiao Xing'er said that Concubine Qi trained her so that she could seduce Your Majesty at the right time. She is 70% similar to Your Majesty, but she is more delicate and gentle than Your Majesty.
At that time, she and Zi Su were able to stay because someone was secretly helping them, but she didn't know who was doing it. When she went to the imperial kitchen, she received an order to learn how to make water chestnut cake.
The chef who taught her and Zi Su was brought by Fu Hai, and Fu Hai also hired him. He bought the chef from a pastry shop in Hangzhou. Fu Hai was a person who served the Queen Mother. After Concubine Qi entered the palace, she had been in contact with the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother had always hoped that Concubine Qi could help her turn the tables. After Concubine Qi got into trouble, Fu Hai thought he had no chance, but unexpectedly someone suddenly sent Jiao Xing'er and Zi Su to him.
He didn't know who sent it, there was only a note telling him what to do.
Today's event was arranged by Jiao Xing'er. The young eunuch was seduced and bribed by Jiao Xing'er. The young eunuch knew that it was Madam Xu sitting in the sedan chair, but Jiao Xing'er thought it was the Empress sitting in the sedan chair.
Jiao Xing'er bribed the eunuchs to forge the imperial edict.
But she didn't expect that the person the eunuch received was Madam Xu instead of the Empress.
But when I sent people to capture the eunuch who had falsely conveyed the imperial edict, he had already disappeared. Perhaps he was dead, or perhaps he had escaped."
Jixiang is very efficient and it is not easy for him to get everything checked out in such a short time.
Su Qingqing asked, "Did she bribe the young eunuch who was replaced later?"
Jixiang nodded. "Yes, the one who had been drugged had a stomachache, and this one happened to be waiting over there. The eunuchs who were carrying the sedan chair were innocent. They just thought they had grabbed someone to help, but they didn't expect to be tricked."
Su Qingqing nodded, "Let's continue investigating that young eunuch. How could he do such a daring thing just because of Jiao Xing's temptation? Impossible."
If there were several mistresses in the palace, and their status and position were equal , this situation would be understandable. But now she is the only mistress, and there is no competition at all in the palace.
No one would be stupid enough to do something so self-destructive and life-threatening just because they were seduced.
This kind of thing can be found out with just a little investigation.
Jixiang was stunned, and immediately realized what Su Qingqing meant, turned around and walked out.
