PDLP Chapter 335 String of Beads
Chapter 335 String of Beads
Concubine Mu hesitated for a moment, a trace of fear flashing in her eyes, and whispered, "And... musk!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked at each other, their eyes filled with fear and anxiety.
"That is to say, there is musk in this hall!" Shen Meizhuang's face turned extremely ugly.
"Xiao Shi, go and invite the emperor!"
When Yongzheng heard the report, he put down the memorial in his hand and hurried to Yonghe Palace.
Entering the palace, the concubines came to greet him with a large crowd. Yongzheng ignored them and walked straight towards Zhen Huan, his eyes full of concern: "Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?"
Zhen Huan bowed slightly and replied softly, "Your Majesty, don't worry. I am fine."
Yongzheng finally breathed a sigh of relief and went to see Shen Meizhuang again. Shen Meizhuang also bowed and said, "Everything is fine with me!"
Seeing that the two pregnant concubines were safe and sound, Yongzheng's tense expression eased a little. He walked steadily to the seat at the top and sat down. An aura of majesty emanated from him, making the atmosphere in the whole hall solemn.
"Wei Lin, go check!"
"The minister obeys the order!"
Wei Lin summoned several imperial physicians to examine the snacks and tea, but found nothing unusual. He frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, then cast his gaze upon the concubines present and reported, "Your Majesty, there is nothing unusual in the palace. I venture to speculate that the musk is on a certain young lady!"
Upon hearing this, Yongzheng's eyes instantly flashed with a sharp gleam, and he scanned everyone present one by one as if they were real. After a moment, he coldly spat out two words: "Investigate again!"
After receiving the order, Wei Lin turned to face the concubines and said with a slight bow, "Please, ladies and gentlemen, take off your accessories. I will check them one by one."
The concubines looked at each other in bewilderment, feeling that such an inspection was quite humiliating. However, as the emperor was right before them, they dared not speak out. They could only, with the help of their maids, take off their purses, sachets and other items. Even their hairpins, hairpins and bracelets were taken off one by one and placed on a tray.
Seeing Shen Meizhuang and Zhen Huan also called the maid to start unpacking their purses, Yongzheng frowned and said, "You two don't need to do that."
Shen Meizhuang said calmly, "Your Majesty, since musk has been found, everyone present today is a suspect. To prove their innocence, you sisters must investigate, and I will naturally investigate as well."
Zhen Huan also nodded, her hands moving non-stop.
The concubine, who was originally a little angry, felt much more relieved after hearing Shen Meizhuang's words.
A man with a clear conscience fears no slander. Just investigate!
Wei Lin, accompanied by two imperial physicians, began to examine the concubines' belongings in order. Their movements were meticulous, first opening each purse and sachet carefully, then picking up each piece of jewelry, repeatedly checking for hidden mechanisms. The entire process was methodical, yet tense, and everyone's eyes followed their movements closely.
A moment later, an imperial physician moved to the tray where Concubine Qi's belongings were placed and began to examine them carefully.
When Concubine Qi saw the imperial physician's actions, she first rolled her eyes in disdain, and then revealed a gloating smile.
She secretly complained that the person who brought the musk was so stupid that he would never put this thing on himself. If it were her, she would definitely put musk into the food of Concubine Hui and Concubine Xi without anyone knowing!
Humph, it’s a pity that it was discovered so quickly. She wanted to see which bold guy did such a stupid thing.
The imperial physician picked up Concubine Qi's red agate beads and smelled them. His expression changed instantly. He then sniffed them several times again, his expression becoming more and more solemn. He then slowly raised his head and looked at Wei Lin eagerly.
Wei Lin noticed his abnormality, walked quickly to his side, took the agate beads from him, put them to his nose and sniffed them carefully again and again.
Concubine Qi was completely confused as she watched their series of actions.
"Your Majesty, I found it!" Wei Lin knelt on the ground and raised the agate beads high above his head with both hands.
Yongzheng glanced coldly at the concubines below, his tone without a trace of emotion: "Whose things are these?"
As soon as the words fell, the eyes of everyone in the hall were all focused on Concubine Qi.
"It's mine!" Concubine Qi subconsciously took a step forward and answered with a confused look on her face.
Wei Lin then said, "There's musk in this red agate bead necklace!"
Concubine Qi was stunned for a moment as if struck by lightning. After a moment, she came to her senses and pointed at Wei Lin: "You...you are talking nonsense!"
"I, your humble servant, dare not deceive you. To be on the safe side, may I ask my colleagues to check it together?"
Yongzheng waved his hand, and the other doctors hurried forward, taking the agate beads one by one. Then they all knelt on the ground and said, "What Doctor Wei said is true. This thing does contain musk."
Wei Lin turned around and said to Xiao Shi, "Excuse me, sir, please get me a small hammer!"
Xiao Shi hurried to the side hall and brought back a small silver hammer for cracking walnuts.
Wei Lin took it, placed the red agate beads on the tray, raised his hand and hammered it down, causing the beads to crack and the musk powder inside to spill out.
The evidence was conclusive, and Xiao Shi quickly took the tray out of the hall.
Concubine Qi also saw it clearly and hurriedly knelt on the ground to defend herself, "Your Majesty, I am innocent. I don't know why there is musk in this agate bead necklace!"
Concubine Xin, who was sitting nearby watching the excitement, immediately understood the reason and calmly shifted her gaze to Zhen Huan. Zhen Huan understood and gave her a slightly meaningful smile. With just this one glance, the two of them instantly understood each other and formed an alliance.
Concubine Xin said, "I live in the same palace with Concubine Qi. I remember this pearl necklace was given by the Empress!"
After hearing this, Yongzheng frowned.
Zhen Huan stood up and bowed gracefully, then said slowly, "Your Majesty, the Empress has always been virtuous and loving to the six concubines. She would never do such a thing. I believe there must be a misunderstanding. I hope Your Majesty will see clearly and give the Empress justice."
"Su Peisheng, go and invite the Queen!"
A quarter of an hour later, the Queen held Jianqiu's hand and entered the palace.
She wore a headband on her head, her face was pale, and she looked weak and powerless when she walked, as if she would fall down at any time.
Looking at her, Yongzheng knew that she had hurt herself in mourning for the Empress Dowager. He felt a little sorry for her and waved his hand, saying, "No need to bow. Sit down!"
After the Empress was seated, Yongzheng spoke slowly, "You are not feeling well, and I did not want to disturb you while you recover. However, something unexpected happened when the concubines were paying their respects to Noble Concubine Hui today. I thought that as the head of the harem, you should listen to it."
The Queen said, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I have been blessed by the Empress Dowager's love. Now that she has passed away, I will kneel down and pray for her with all my heart to show my filial piety. However, I also always remember my duty as the mistress of the harem. I should be concerned about all matters in the harem and the well-being of my sisters."
Yongzheng nodded slightly, his expression then becoming serious. "Musk was discovered hidden in the pearl necklace worn by Concubine Qi, and she claimed that it was a gift from you. This is a serious matter. Do you have anything to say?"