vrcanaries Chapter 154 Murder and Silence
Chapter 154 Murder and Silence
She shouted at the top of her lungs, "Your Majesty, if you can see clearly and recognize that I am innocent, then the real murderer may still be at large, or even lurking around you like a poisonous snake, waiting for an opportunity to harm you! Your Majesty, if you don't get rid of this evil person, even if I die with injustice, I will not be able to rest in peace, and I am afraid that my ghost will linger and wail in your ears."
The Queen Mother was burning with rage. Su Rao's excuses turned into harsh noises in her ears. She just wanted to tear this woman who dared to stir up trouble at her birthday party into pieces.
The revisiting of this old incident opened the scar in her heart that had not yet healed, and made her once again witness the tragic scene of the Zhao family with blood flowing like a river and relatives lying dead all over the ground. She believed that the root of all this was the emperor.
This made her hate it, made her feel unprecedented despair, and almost pushed her to the brink of madness.
How dare she, a concubine of the District Consort?
How dare you challenge her authority and touch her most sensitive nerves on such an important occasion?
However, in sharp contrast to the Empress Dowager's uncontrollable rage, the Emperor's mood gradually calmed down.
A trace of doubt flashed across his brows, and he thought to himself: There are indeed many unreasonable aspects of this matter.
Why did she choose to throw out this "gift" in such a way at the Queen Mother's birthday banquet, as if deliberately opening up old wounds between him and the Queen Mother? Was she really so stupid as to seek her own death?
If this was just Su Rao's ignorance and unintentional mistake, it might be forgivable.
But if someone behind the scenes took the opportunity to manipulate and frame Su Rao, then this person should be killed and his crime is unforgivable!
Thinking of this, the emperor looked at him with a sharp gaze and said in a cold voice, "Wait."
Following the emperor's order, the two palace servants hesitated for a moment and finally released their grip on Su Rao.
The Queen Mother frowned and said dissatisfiedly: "Such a treason should be executed directly. Your Majesty, why are you doing this?"
The emperor spoke calmly but firmly: "Mother, I think there may be some unknown secrets behind this matter."
His explanation seemed to touch the Queen Mother. She took a deep breath, and although she was unwilling to look directly at the piece of silk cloth that caused the turmoil, the fog in her heart began to slowly dissipate.
Mrs. Wang stood aside, her face becoming extremely embarrassed.
If the emperor had not spoken in time, Su Rao would probably have become an innocent soul under the stick, and the truth would have been buried.
The emperor's ambiguous attitude towards the incident clearly showed that he had no intention of delving into it, which was completely different from her plan.
According to the original plan, Su Rao should disappear silently without any chance of resistance.
However, it was beyond her expectations that this woman could remain so calm at a critical moment of life and death and arouse the emperor's suspicion with her words.
Su Rao freed herself from her restraints and staggered towards the Queen Mother and the Emperor, kneeling on the ground, her voice weak but firm: "Your Majesty, I beg you to allow me to see the silk cloth with my own eyes."
The emperor had a complicated expression, but he finally handed the controversial silk cloth to Su Rao.
Su Rao stared at the bright red words on the silk cloth, her face turned pale instantly, and a chill surged in her heart.
She realized that the person who wanted to kill her was so cruel that he dared to make public the past that even the emperor and the empress dowager avoided talking about. She realized how much he hated her!
The memories of the past life came flooding back like a tide. Just because of a poem that was recited inadvertently, the whole family suffered a devastating disaster!
Su Rao knew clearly that she was on the brink of life and death. If she could not clear her grievances, what awaited her would be an abyss of no return!
"Your Majesty, there was indeed a piece of silk cloth in my gift, but the writing on it was not like this. I spent half a month personally embroidering an auspicious pattern to wish the Queen Mother good health and longevity, and the handwriting was neat and beautiful. The writing on this piece of silk cloth is crooked, and it is obviously forged in a hurry under urgent circumstances. It must be that the person with ulterior motives, after learning of the gift I prepared, hastily concocted this thing in an attempt to put the blame on me." Although Su Rao's voice was trembling, her logic was clear and well-organized.
"Your explanation is far-fetched. The gift came from you, how can others replace it?" The queen mother asked expressionlessly.
"I did bring this box with me, but I did not keep it in my possession before entering the palace. All gifts will be strictly checked twice before being presented to you."
Su Rao was quick-witted and analyzed them one by one. "The first check occurred when the birthday gift was brought into the palace. At that time, it could be confirmed that it was given by me. The second check was before entering the birthday banquet hall to prevent any accidents and ensure the safety of the gift again. It was this second check that provided an opportunity to replace the gift."
Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother's expression softened slightly; Su Rao's explanation seemed to make some sense.
"Who is responsible for checking her birthday gifts?" asked the Queen Mother.
"I will bring the person here immediately." The Queen Mother's personal nanny responded and left in a hurry.
There was a moment of dead silence in the hall.
An originally festive birthday party is now shrouded in a haze. Someone must be held responsible for this.
If there is really a mastermind behind the scenes as Su Rao said, that person must be severely punished.
And if there is no evidence, Su Rao will not escape death.
Su Yi was anxious, twisting his fingers constantly and praying silently to the sky.
The eldest princess frowned, with obvious worry on her face.
Mrs. Huo and Concubine Wang also had heavy expressions on their faces.
Concubine Wang felt extremely regretful, thinking that her agreement just now seemed too rash.
She had never expected that her sister-in-law would be so foolish and bold. If she really found out something, the consequences would be disastrous...
Concubine Wang's eyes flickered, and she quietly signaled a palace maid to leave.
Not long after, the Queen Mother's personal nanny returned, however, she was alone, with no one following her.
"Your Majesty, Queen Mother, the maid who was in charge of checking Concubine Su's birthday gift is missing."
The Queen Mother's expression suddenly changed: "What? Gone? What's going on?"
The old maid replied respectfully, "We found her in her room. She was said to have hanged herself. But when I looked closely at the marks on her neck, it looked more like she had been strangled."
"Queen Mother, this is clearly murder to silence the witnesses!"
Su Rao immediately said, "He can act so boldly in the palace and act before Madam, so he must be someone in the palace. He is so cruel and ruthless, how dare he do it under the noses of the Queen Mother and His Majesty..."
Worry appeared between Su Rao's brows, slowly wrapping around her delicate face.
The faces of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager were also covered with a thick layer of haze. Their eyes met and they communicated silently.
"Since the key person is no longer alive, I would like to make a suggestion. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to summon the wise and resourceful Master Junhuang. Perhaps he can clear the fog and find the real mastermind behind this."
There was determination in Su Rao's words and her eyes were sharp.