The Self-cultivation of a Salted Fish Concubine

Chapter 167: Being spoiled and becoming arrogant

Tinghe walked straight in and saluted the princess, holding a small purse in both hands, which was embroidered with a mandarin duck pattern.

"Reporting to Princess, our servants searched Qiulu's room and found this purse containing black powder."

Princess: "Go and see Doctor Zhao."

Soon, the test results came out, and it was indeed Polygonum multiflorum.

The princess asked calmly, "Qiulu, is this purse yours?"

Qiu Lu was completely stunned, her face filled with shock. "It belongs to me, but...but I didn't put anything in it. Please, Princess, please investigate..."

Qiulu agreed to the purse, and the princess was too lazy to listen to her explanation. She only asked Fang Yuaner: "Concubine Fang, do you have anything else to explain?"

Fang Yuaner glanced at Qiu Lu and felt angry.

This good-for-nothing was harmed by someone and implicated himself as well.

Qiu Lu was so frightened that her face turned pale. She knelt on the ground and begged for mercy: "I didn't drug you. I really didn't drug you!"

"Someone must have framed me!"

"On a normal day, sisters from the same courtyard come in and out, and there will always be someone who has the opportunity to frame me, especially Qiu Shuang who lives in the same house with me."

Fang Yuaner couldn't stand it any longer, "Shut up, you idiot!"

I have only seen people push the blame onto outsiders, but I have never seen anyone push the blame onto their own people.

Which of the sisters she mentioned was not Fang Yuaner's?

Qiu Shuang is the eldest maid beside Fang Yuaner.

This persuasion not only failed to shirk her own guilt, but also confirmed Fang Yuaner's uncleanness.

The princess smiled. "According to what you mean, it's just that there's something wrong with Concubine Fang's people. I'm afraid Concubine Fang is inextricably linked to it."

Qiu Lu was speechless, then she realized what a stupid thing she had done.

Fang Yuan'er had no choice but to stand and bow, "I deny the charge of murdering the prince's offspring! I was slandered!"

The princess only asked: "Where is the evidence?"

Fang Yuan'er's throat was struggling, "I will definitely find evidence."

"When will it be found? What if it is never found?"

Forced to retreat, Fang Yuan'er gritted her teeth and said, "Princess, if you don't trust me, why don't you wait for the prince to arrive before making a final decision?"

The princess's eyes darkened, "Are you using the prince to pressure me?"

Fang Yuan'er's expression changed slightly, "I dare not! But Your Majesty knows my true nature best."

"He will definitely give me a chance to clear the injustice done to me."

The princess may find the matter troublesome and ask someone to ask King Jing to make a judgment, but she cannot tolerate a concubine who refuses to admit her fault and uses King Jing to pressure her!

When Fang Yuaner said this, she was challenging the princess's authority.

The princess said coldly, "If that's the case, then first put Concubine Fang under house arrest. When Concubine Fang can prove her innocence, then the house arrest will be lifted."

Fang Yuan'er felt a little depressed, knowing that she had displeased the princess.

This house arrest may seem light, but it was a slap in her face and extinguished Fang Yuaner's arrogance for some time.

The second one only mentioned house arrest, but did not specify the duration. It only said that the house arrest would be lifted when Fang Yuaner could prove her innocence.

What if Fang Yuaner can’t prove it in her lifetime?

Despite this, Fang Yuaner was not too afraid.

She is now supporting King Jing's son and is in charge of several shops whose interests are aligned with King Jing's. It is impossible for King Jing not to protect her.

No matter how powerful the princess is, she cannot surpass King Jing.

Fang Yuaner’s only worry was that she might have to face the princess head-on!

She waved her sleeves and saluted the princess, her back straight and her momentum undiminished.

"In that case, I will go back and accept my punishment!"

The princess said calmly, "Concubine Fang can leave, but I'm afraid this maid who plotted to murder the Fifth Young Master cannot be forgiven easily."

Fang Yuaner paused, "Since there's no conviction, how can we talk about punishment?"

"Once the prince has convicted me, the princess can punish my maid as she pleases?"

The princess chuckled and said, "No conviction?"

Concubine Li, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly spoke up: "Qiulu is the only one in the backyard who hangs out in the kitchen every day. She had the opportunity to poison someone. And they found Polygonum multiflorum in Qiulu's room. Isn't this irrefutable evidence?"

"Concubine Fang is now saying she's not guilty. Aren't you treating us like fools? Even if Concubine Fang is favored by the prince, she shouldn't be so distorting right and wrong, right?"

"Or, in Concubine Fang's eyes, the Fifth Young Master's well-being is not as important as a maidservant?"

When it comes to being favored and having children, Fang Yuaner is not the only one.

Concubine Xie, the biological mother of the murdered Fifth Young Master, was not inferior to Fang Yuaner in terms of favor and offspring!

Since Concubine Li is the princess's person, she always has to stand up at critical moments and say some unpleasant things on the princess's behalf.

Fang Yuaner's heart sank a little bit.

She was not afraid of anyone present, but she could not fight everyone alone.

It was all for a maid.

Not worth it!

In the blink of an eye, Fang Yuaner had an idea and said with a smile: "Sister Li is right. The evidence is in front of us. Qiulu is indeed not innocent."

"In that case, I will hand her over to the princess for disposal. I only hope that the princess will spare her life so that I can clear my name in the future and not let a good person die unjustly."

The princess smiled and said meaningfully, "Of course."

After Fang Yuaner finished speaking, she was about to leave.

Suddenly, King Jing was seen striding towards him, followed by Eunuch Shi'an and Jing Wu, with expressions that were difficult to discern.

The people in the room bowed one after another.

King Jing walked past the crowd and went straight to Xie Run.

He raised his hand to help Xie Run up: "I heard that Taotao was in trouble. How is he now?"

Fang Yuan'er was bowing her head, and when she heard this, she couldn't help but frown, with a bad premonition.

Xie Run stood up and did not take the opportunity to cry. Instead, he said calmly, "Fortunately, we found him in time. Taotao is not seriously injured."

"That's good." King Jing had just finished speaking when he changed his tone and looked at the princess. "Where is the interrogation going now?"

The princess glanced at Fang Yuan'er below with a half-smile: "The Fifth Young Master's wet nurse's meals have been supplemented with Polygonum multiflorum for several days in a row. The people in the main kitchen said that only Qiulu, who is by Concubine Fang's side, has this opportunity."

"Later, Tinghe and his men searched Qiulu's room and found a purse filled with Polygonum multiflorum powder. This was irrefutable evidence of her guilt."

"But Concubine Fang kept crying out that she was innocent and refused to confess."

At this point, the princess paused, looked at King Jing with a smile, and said with a hint of sarcasm: "It is said that the prince will definitely believe her and will not let her suffer any injustice."

"I don't know what the prince means, so I just let her go back and stay under house arrest until the prince returns to make a judgment."

"Your Highness, it's a good opportunity for you to arrive now. I believe that you are able to see through everything and see the subtleties. You will definitely be able to clear Concubine Fang's name."

The princess has always been reluctant to get involved in the disputes in the palace's backyard, and rarely has she spoken so much nonsense in one breath as she did today.

Although he seemed to be praising King Jing, his words were actually filled with sarcasm and dissatisfaction, secretly accusing him of spoiling Concubine Fang.

How could King Jing look happy after being hit so hard?

For so many years, the princess has always been like this.

She looks amiable and doesn't care about anything, but if you really provoke her, she will dare to respond in a sarcastic tone in front of not only King Jing, but also the Emperor.

Over the years, every time Concubine Rou harassed the princess, she would be furious and she never got the upper hand.

There is a reason why King Jing does not favor the princess.

But could he divorce the princess just because she said a few words?

If you can't take a break, then just hold your nose and keep going.