EBE Chapter 268 Consort Fucha
Chapter 268 Consort Fucha
Su Peisheng looked at the six eunuchs.
The chief eunuch's imposing presence made the six eunuchs instantly lower their heads, not daring to even breathe.
Hongshi's gaze swept over them like a sharp sword, and he said in a deep voice:
"Which of you heard or saw anything suspicious near the garden that day?"
The six eunuchs looked at each other, none of them daring to speak.
Hongshi's expression also darkened, and he asked in a deep voice...
"Then tell me, when did you go to the garden that day?"
What did they say? What did they do? Did they see anyone else?
When did you leave the garden? Explain each point one by one.
Of the six eunuchs, the older one stepped forward tremblingly and said in a shaking voice:
"Your Highness, I was cleaning the garden that day."
The servants were working in the garden the whole time, and they didn't see anyone suspicious or hear anything strange.
The servants really didn't dare to do anything wrong..."
Hongshi stared at him coldly, his gaze as sharp as a knife:
"Are you sure? You really didn't see anyone suspicious?"
The eunuch nodded repeatedly, his voice trembling even more:
“Your servants dare not lie; we truly did not see anyone suspicious.”
Hongshi turned his gaze to the other eunuchs and continued to press for answers:
"And you? Have you seen anyone suspicious? Heard anything strange?"
The other eunuchs shook their heads, each with their head bowed, not daring to meet Hongshi's gaze, muttering under their breath:
"This servant didn't see, this servant didn't hear..."
Hongshi's face grew increasingly grim as he coldly surveyed the crowd.
Suddenly, his gaze sharpened and landed on a eunuch who kept his head down and looked extremely nervous.
He slowly walked up to the eunuch and coldly asked:
"What did you do in the garden that day?"
The eunuch trembled with fear at Hongshi's gaze.
He raised his head, his eyes darting around, and stammered:
"This servant...this servant was just watering the flowers in the garden..."
Hongshi's tone carried a hint of sarcasm:
"Watering flowers? Is it really necessary to be so nervous about just watering flowers?"
The eunuch's face turned pale instantly. He lowered his head and dared not speak again.
Hongshi then looked at the other two who had not yet spoken.
The eunuch, with piercing eyes, said in a deep voice, "What were you two doing in the garden that day?"
The two eunuchs trembled with fear under Hongshi's gaze.
One of them stammered:
"Your Highness... Your Highness, we servants were just tending to the flowers and plants in the garden, we weren't doing anything else..."
Hongshi listened to the voices of several people but still couldn't determine which two eunuchs were chatting in the garden that day.
The eunuchs' flustered demeanor made it impossible to determine who the two eunuchs from that day were.
It seems that torture is the only option now. Hongshi looked at Su Peisheng.
Su Peisheng stepped forward and said in a deep voice:
"Since you're unwilling to tell the truth, don't blame me for being impolite."
"Your Highness, perhaps this servant should take them downstairs first and properly 'invite' them to recall the events?"
He deliberately emphasized the word "please," and as soon as he finished speaking, several guards stepped out from the crowd.
He stood expressionless to the side, awaiting orders.
The moment Su Peisheng and his guards appeared, those with guilty consciences immediately...
The son showed a look of terror, while the innocent servants looked panicked but had nowhere to escape.
Seeing this, Hongshi couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He knew that there must be innocent people among them.
But in order to find out the truth as soon as possible, he had no other choice but to resort to this measure.
Seeing that Hongshi remained silent, Su Peisheng continued:
“Your Highness, this matter cannot be delayed. If we give them time to collude, it will be even more difficult to investigate.”
"Why don't we take them down first and question them one by one? I'm sure we'll get some answers out of them."
Hongshi nodded and said in a low voice, "Alright, then I'll trouble Eunuch Su."
However, we will need to trouble Eunuch Su to be mindful of the appropriate level of discretion during the interrogation.
Interrogation should primarily rely on intimidation to avoid wrongly accusing innocent people.
Su Peisheng replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, this servant knows what he's doing."
Su Peisheng nodded, then turned to the guards and said:
"Take these people away and interrogate them thoroughly."
Remember to try your best to avoid causing any deaths.
The guards responded and then stepped forward to take the eunuchs away.
After the guards took the eunuchs away, the atmosphere in the courtyard eased a little.
Hongshi and Dong'e sat in the courtyard, waiting for the results of Su Peisheng's interrogation.
Lady Dong'e said, "I always thought I managed the Prince's residence quite well."
I never imagined there would be so many messy things happening in the backyard.
It seems I have truly been negligent.
Her tone carried a hint of self-blame, and her eyes revealed a touch of regret.
Hongshi gently held her hand and comforted her:
"Madam, it's not entirely your fault."
These lackeys are all like that; they're adept at cheating and shirking responsibility.
If you are too kind, they will become tyrannical and bully their master.
This incident should serve as a wake-up call for us.
Lady Dong'e sighed, raised her head to look at Hongshi, and a resolute glint flashed in her eyes:
"My lord, I know you are also feeling bad."
But rest assured, I will definitely take good care of the inner quarters and will not allow these villains to cause trouble again.
You are busy with important matters outside, while I stay behind to take care of the home for you.
Just then, Su Peisheng rushed over, his face beaming with barely concealed joy.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, there's progress!"
There was a hint of excitement in his voice.
Hongshi and Dong'e exchanged a glance, a hint of anticipation flashing in their eyes, and both of them perked up.
"Tell me quickly, what exactly happened?" Hongshi asked impatiently.
Su Peisheng composed himself and continued:
"One of the eunuchs couldn't hold back any longer and finally confessed."
He said that a strange eunuch had given them the silver.
They were allowed to say those things deliberately in the garden, and they were threatened not to tell anyone.
After hearing this, Hongshi and Dong'e felt their doubts were somewhat resolved.
"Did you find out what the strange eunuch looked like?"
Hongshi pressed for an answer.
Su Peisheng shook his head and replied with some regret:
"The eunuch who confessed first said that he did not see the other eunuch's appearance clearly at the time."
However, with this eunuch speaking up,
Furthermore, the eunuch's psychological defenses seemed to have weakened as well.
The eunuch spoke up first, saying that he hadn't seen the other eunuch's appearance either.
I only vaguely remember that the unfamiliar eunuch was tall and thin, with a black mole on his chin.
Upon hearing this, Hongshi felt that the characteristics were somewhat familiar, but he couldn't immediately recall where he had seen them before.
Lady Dong'e was also thinking back, wondering if she had ever seen such a eunuch before.
After thinking for a while without success, he looked at Hongshi.
"Sir, do you remember this person?"
Hongshi said, "I think I've seen a eunuch like this before, but I can't remember where I saw him."
Su Peisheng then added, "This servant also seems to have some impression of this person."
But I can't recall seeing such a person before.
After pondering for a moment, Dong Eshi said
"Sir, the person you've met, your servant Mengzi must have met as well."
Why don't you ask him?
Hongshi felt that Dong Eshi's words made sense, so he immediately ordered someone to summon Xiao Mengzi.
Young Mencius rushed over and saw the serious expressions on Hongshi and Dong'e's faces.
Immediately realizing the seriousness of the situation, he bowed respectfully and asked:
"My lord, my lady, what are your orders for summoning me here?"
Hongshi frowned slightly and said in a deep voice:
"Little Mengzi, think carefully, in our mansion or the palace..."
Was there a tall, thin eunuch with a black mole on his chin?
Upon hearing this, Xiao Mengzi tried hard to recall the eunuchs he had dealt with before.
Soon, Xiao Mengzi thought of someone, but he hesitated for a moment.
Su Peisheng noticed the change in Xiao Mengzi's expression and quickly asked:
"Little Mengzi, have you remembered?"
Young Mencius hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded, and stammered:
"This servant is unsure if it is him..."
Hongshi's expression turned somewhat anxious, and he urged:
"Whether it's confirmed or not, let's first tell us who it is."
Little Mencius gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and said:
"Your Majesty, this servant thinks it might be... Wang Qin, who serves the Fourth Prince."
Hongshi's expression froze instantly, and a look of disbelief flashed in his eyes.
He never expected that the young Mencius would actually say that name.
"You...you're not mistaken?"
Hongshi's voice trembled slightly, unwilling to believe the fact.
Little Mencius nodded firmly, his expression very serious, clearly confident in his memory.
A complex mix of emotions welled up in Hongshi's heart; he was both shocked and disappointed.
Although he knew his fourth brother was a cunning man, he never expected him to frame his brother.
He never harmed his fourth brother, so why would his fourth brother be so cruel?
He really didn't want to believe it was true.
Hongshi remained silent for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, and then slowly said:
"Little Mengzi, think about it carefully again. Could you have remembered it wrong?"
Xiao Mengzi lowered his head, his voice trembling slightly: "Master, this servant dares not have misremembered."
I have seen Wang Qin a few times in the palace before, and I have a deep impression of the black mole on his chin.
While not entirely certain, it's highly probable.
Su Peisheng then remembered that Wang Qin, who served the Fourth Prince, did indeed have a black mole on his chin.
The fourth prince had always wanted to frame the sixth prince.
This time, they caught the Fourth Prince red-handed, which was just right.
The emperor will be heartbroken, as one son has framed another.
But the emperor went through the same thing back then.
Furthermore, the Emperor has never liked his son, the Fourth Prince.
The sadness won't last long.
However, since this matter concerned a prince, Su Peisheng dared not act rashly.
We still need to go back to the palace and ask the Emperor for permission.
Su Peisheng's mind raced, but he maintained a respectful demeanor and said softly:
“Your Highness, this matter is of great importance. I think we should report to the Emperor first and let him make a decision.”
Su Peisheng said with a solemn expression.
Hongshi nodded upon hearing this.
After all, this matter is of utmost importance, and if not handled properly, it could cause a huge uproar.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his shock and anger, and slowly said:
"Eunuch Su, then I'll trouble you to return to the palace and report this matter to Father Emperor in detail. Please make a decision, Father Emperor."
Seeing Hongshi's statement, Su Peisheng knew that he had calmed down.
Without saying another word, he decisively rushed back to the palace.
Su Peisheng rushed back to the palace without stopping.
He disregarded everything else and headed straight for the Hall of Mental Cultivation of the big fat orange.
Xiao Xiazi saw Su Peisheng rushing back from afar and knew that something important must have happened, so he quickly went to greet him.
"Master, you're finally back! How did things go?"
Su Peisheng, with a serious expression, waved his hand and said:
"Don't ask any more questions. I need to go and report to the Emperor immediately."
After saying that, he continued walking towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation without looking back.
Upon reaching the door, Su Peisheng composed himself slightly.
I straightened my slightly disheveled clothes and hat.
I took a deep breath before carefully stepping inside.
The chubby orange was sitting upright on the dragon throne, intently reviewing the memorials.
Hearing Su Peisheng's footsteps, he looked up and his gaze fell on Su Peisheng.
"Su Peisheng, how's the investigation going?" Big Fat Orange's voice was deep and authoritative.
Su Peisheng quickly knelt down, kowtowed, and recounted the entire incident in detail.
They dared not conceal anything, including Hongshi's reaction and his own views.
They reported everything to Big Fat Orange.
The chubby orange cat's face turned red with embarrassment when he heard that this was done by someone close to Hongli.
Finally unable to contain his anger, he slammed his fist on the table, grabbed the teacup beside him, and smashed it hard on the ground.
With a loud crash, the teacup shattered into countless pieces, scattering them all over the floor.
Su Peisheng was so frightened by this sudden scene that he trembled all over.
He kept his head down, not daring to even breathe loudly, for fear of provoking the fat orange cat to rage even more.
Big Fat Orange had always disliked his son Hongli.
I never imagined he would actually dare to hurt his brother.
I gave him a chance to work in the Ministry of Rites, but he didn't take it seriously. Instead, he was busy charming the palace maids in the harem.
What the chubby orange cat found even more intolerable was that...
Even while confined to his residence, Hongli was still restless and plotted to frame Hongshi.
This is absolutely outrageous!
Big Fatty Orange was so angry that his face turned ashen. He never imagined that his son could be so ruthless.
The chubby orange cat paced back and forth in the hall in anger, feeling chilled to the bone at the thought of Hongli's behavior.
He had always thought that Hongli was a man of deep thoughts, but he never expected him to have gone to such lengths, resorting to any means to scheme against his brothers.
Since Hongli was concerned about the eighth and ninth princes, he went to great lengths to get Hongshi to plead for them.
Why not just have Hongli adopted by the Eighth Prince, and let him go to the Imperial Clan Court to keep the Eighth and Ninth Princes company?
The fat orange cat grew angrier and angrier, and immediately issued an edict:
"By imperial decree, Hongli shall be adopted by Aqina and sent to the Imperial Clan Court immediately!"
Su Peisheng never expected that Big Fat Orange would make such a decision.
The matter wasn't even fully resolved, yet the Emperor convicted the Fourth Prince without even investigating.
Su Peisheng was also afraid that Da Pangju would settle scores later.
He quickly advised, "Your Majesty, please calm down and reconsider!"
Your Majesty, there might be some misunderstanding in this matter.
Wang Qin might have been instructed by someone else to deliberately sow discord between the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince.
Let this servant interrogate Wang Qin.
"It wouldn't be too late for His Majesty to make a decision after we've found out the truth."
However, Big Fat Orange was blinded by anger and wouldn't listen to Su Peisheng's advice.
His eyes widened in anger as he glared at Su Peisheng and said sternly:
"My mind is made up, no further words are needed!"
Seeing this, Su Peisheng knew that further persuasion would be futile, so he had no choice but to accept the order and hurriedly leave.