funbook-pk Chapter 783: The death of the 3rd prince was caused by the queen, right?
Chapter 783: The death of the 3rd prince was caused by the queen, right?
After getting Baili Moqi's answer, Shu He entered the palace.
This time, she entered the palace alone.
The last time she met the Queen, she was given a token and told that whenever she wanted to see her, she just had to bring the token in.
At that time, Shu He was still wondering why she gave her this token. Now think about it, had she guessed this day a long time ago?
Before meeting the queen, Shu He first went to the Sanhe Hall behind the Daming Palace. That was the former bedroom of Concubine Shu, and now it is considered half a cold palace.
With the token given by the Queen, Shu He's journey was relatively smooth. Without much effort, he met the former Concubine Shu, now Concubine Yuan.
There are not many palace servants in Sanhe Hall. Apart from some regular cleaning staff, there are only three palace maids and three eunuchs stationed in Sanhe Hall.
This was a very low configuration for a concubine. Moreover, the layout and furnishings of the Sanhe Hall were very simple and plain, without a single decent ornament. It felt as if she had come to the bedroom of an ordinary lady instead of the imperial palace's rear hall.
Concubine Yuan had tea served to her. Without even drinking it, just by smelling the tea, she could tell that it was of very average quality.
After all, she was a former concubine. Even if she was no longer favored, she should still have the necessary connections, right? Shu He didn't understand how she could accept that her life had become like this.
"I'm sorry for neglecting Princess Li."
She spoke softly, her voice gentle and elegant, with a touch of peace and elegance that came with the passage of time.
Shu He shook his head, "Shu He, please forgive me for coming here in such a presumptuous way."
Yuanpin looked to be around forty, with few wrinkles on her face and a gentle smile on her lips. Beneath her thin, curved eyebrows lay a pair of classic peach blossom eyes. The corners of her eyes were slightly raised, and even without any pretense of coquettishness, one could still sense a touch of tenderness in her eyes.
The women who could enter the palace were indeed good-looking. Even after so many years, Yuanpin's beauty had not been affected much by the years, except for a few strands of gray hair on her temples.
Concubine Yuan smiled slightly. "No one has been to this Sanhe Hall for many years. Prince Li's wife suddenly came to visit. She must not have come to see me, the abandoned concubine of the cold palace, right?"
Shu He felt a little sorry, "I'm so sorry, Shu He came here to ask for something."
She pulled out a white jade bottle from her bag and placed it in front of her. "I see your internal organs are weak, so I think you've been having trouble sleeping lately. Here are some elixirs that can calm your mind and spirit. They can help you fall asleep and regulate your body."
Yuanpin's eyes, which had been calm all along, showed a hint of surprise. "I've heard that Princess Li is a skilled doctor, but I didn't expect that she could tell what's wrong with me just by looking at me. Her reputation is truly well-deserved."
Shu He smiled faintly and said nothing. She didn't want to continue with these polite words.
Seeing this, Concubine Yuan took the medicine bottle she handed over and handed it to the palace maid behind her, "Yingchun, take someone to wait outside the palace."
She waited until everyone in the hall had left before continuing, "Princess Li, please feel free to ask if you have anything to say. Since I have accepted your kindness, I will do my best to tell you everything I know."
The reason why she used "try her best" was because she herself didn't know what she would ask, and whether she really dared to tell her everything.
Shu He hesitated for a moment, and finally decided to get straight to the point.
"Your Majesty, what Shu He wants to ask is about the death of the Third Prince."
After hearing this, the calmness on Yuanpin's face froze at this moment and then collapsed.
She exuded an icy aura, and the vigilance and warning in her eyes practically overflowed. "What does Princess Li mean by asking this?"
"Don't misunderstand, Your Majesty. Shu He has no ill intentions. It's just that Shu He has a suspicion in his heart and wants to verify it with Your Majesty."
Shu He had tried her best to appear gentle, not wanting to arouse her vigilance. But it was obvious that whenever the Third Prince was mentioned, her expression and tone were completely different from usual.
There is no gentleness, no calmness, no peace, only tension and subconscious resistance.
"Do you have doubts about the Third Prince's death?" Concubine Yuan's face suddenly turned cold. "Princess Li, although you are a princess, the past events of the palace are not something you, as a princess, can casually comment on!"
"This is the Imperial Palace. What you were talking about just now was the prince! I advise the princess not to get involved in something you can't afford to offend!"
Shu He didn't expect that Yuanpin was so sensitive about this matter. She wanted to explain immediately, but Yuanpin didn't give her a chance to speak.
"Princess Li, if you want to ask about this today, I'm sorry I can't help you."
"Yingchun..." She stood up, ready to ask Yingchun to return the pills she had just received, but...
"The death of the Third Prince was caused by the Queen, right?"
Shu He's sudden voice made Yuanpin's body completely stiff after taking two steps. Her pair of charming peach blossom eyes were full of horror.
Yingchun had already walked in, but after hearing what Shu He said, she immediately retreated and asked everyone else to stay away.
Shu He walked up to Concubine Yuan and asked again, "The Third Prince didn't die of illness, but of poisoning, right?"
"And the person who poisoned the Third Prince to death was the Queen!"
At first, Shu He used a questioning tone, but looking at Yuanpin's pale and frightened face, her last sentence was affirmative.
"you you……"
Yuanpin looked at her. How could she, with such a young and beautiful face like a vase, have such confidence and courage?
"Do you know what you are saying? Do you know that the person you are accusing is the emperor..."
"It's the Queen!" Shu He interrupted her and asked sternly, "Of course I know what I'm talking about! If I didn't have evidence, Your Majesty, I wouldn't have come to you!"
"Evidence?" A trace of panic flashed across Yuanpin's face. "Have you found Nanny Wang?"
Shu He looked at her, a sharp flash in his eyes, as if reminding her that she had confessed.
Seeing this look, Yuanpin realized that she had been deceived.
"You have no evidence at all!"
Yes, Shu He did not have any evidence, but she believed in her own guess.
"Back then, the death of the eldest prince implicated the third prince's biological mother, Concubine Fang. The Queen believed that the eldest prince was killed by Concubine Fang! So, even though Concubine Fang was sentenced to death by the Emperor, the Queen was still unwilling to accept it!"
"She wanted Concubine Fang to feel her pain, so even though Concubine Fang was already dead, she still directed her rage of revenge at the young Third Prince..."