"My lord, now that I have this murder case, I will not hide some things, but please keep it a secret for me."

"If this matter is not contrary to principles or is not a matter of injustice, I can keep it a secret for you." Wang Laohu agreed.

"I believe in your lordship." As he spoke, he took out a wrapped cloth from Huaidan and handed it to Wang Laohu, "This is the osmanthus cake I gave for Concubine Hui that day." ”

Master Cao glanced at Wang Laohu and said to the pastry chef of the imperial kitchen: "How can we believe that this cake is the osmanthus cake you made for Concubine Hui that day." ”

"I know you don't believe it, I hid two pieces of osmanthus cake in this cloth, and when I made it for Concubine Hui that day, I intentionally made two more pieces, and I planned to give them to my good friend. Later, I heard that something was wrong, so I didn't send it out, I was going to throw away this osmanthus cake, but I didn't dare, so I hid it until now. ”

"Okay, I temporarily believe that your osmanthus cake is the same batch of osmanthus cake you made for Concubine Hui that day. Now, I'll ask you again. After you make the cinnamon tea cake, during the time when the maid comes to get the osmanthus cake, what unusual things happen? Wang Laohu asked.

"During this period, only Qiu Neng came to inquire a few times, and there was nothing unusual about the others. Because it was the Chinese New Year's Eve, the imperial kitchen was relatively busy, and everyone was busy with the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner. ”

"Who else ordered osmanthus cake from the thirtieth day of the Chinese New Year's Eve to the fourth day of the first lunar month?"

"Concubine Xi, Concubine Qi, Concubine Rong, by the way, and the emperor have all ordered osmanthus cakes."

In the evening, temporary accommodation.

If what the imperial kitchen pastry chef said is true, these two pastries are the same batch as that of the concubine Hui, then test it, if it is not poisonous, it means that the poison was added after the osmanthus cake was taken out in the autumn, if the pastry is poisonous, then it can only mean that the food source is poisonous, and the imperial kitchen pastry chef has a problem, or the people in the imperial kitchen, or the people who have entered the imperial kitchen that day are suspects.

Test it right away, and there is no problem with these two pastries. On the premise of believing in this imperial kitchen pastry chef, it can only be possible that the osmanthus cake can be taken out in autumn and poisoned.

The current suspects are Mingyue, Qiu Neng, and Po Zhu. Who of these three people put poison in the osmanthus cake? Among the three people, Qiu Neng is the least likely to be poisoned, it is the osmanthus cake she took, and the person who is most likely to suspect is of course her, if it is poisoned by her, this is too imbecile. But she lied at the beginning, which has to be doubted.

Mingyue is Concubine Hui's personal maid, but I heard that Concubine Hui is good to her, and she also rewarded her with a piece of osmanthus cake that day. If it was she who poisoned her, then how much hatred should she have with Concubine Hui, and is there any hatred between their master and servant? After taking Qiu Neng's osmanthus cake, Mingyue obviously also had time to poison.

Po Zhu is the personal maid of the Empress Niang, and on the night of the Chinese New Year's Eve, she appeared in the realm that was not the Empress Niangniang, and it happened to be after the autumn Neng fell the osmanthus cake, is this really a coincidence? What are you doing here on the night of the thirtieth night of the Chinese New Year's Eve?

Which of these three people has the problem?

Wang Laohu kept thinking about these questions. From time to time, the scene when Qiu Neng fell down the osmanthus cake, the scene when he took the osmanthus cake tomorrow, and the picture of Po Zhu appearing for no reason, these pictures were intertwined with each other and kept flashing in Wang Laohu's mind. This palace is different from the outside, if it was outside, he could also let the secret service team participate in the investigation, but now there is none of this.

Wang Laohu suddenly thought of something: "Lord Cao, do this queen mother and concubine Xifei have children?" ”

"This queen mother has had it before, but it seems to have been miscarried, and the child was not saved, and she never conceived again. This western concubine has never had an heir. ”

"Lord Cao, do you think it will be the queen's mother, she is ......"

"Wang Gongzi, you can't talk nonsense, you are guilty of killing your head." Master Cao said softly.

"I'm not going to discuss the case with you, and now that the investigation has been carried out, I can't rule out this possibility."

"There is nothing wrong with any suspicion, but if we want to suspect the queen, we must have evidence."

"Evidence. People are watching, and this evidence will be revealed. Wang Laohu said, "Lord Cao, tomorrow we will go to see the concubine and the queen mother, and see what they say?" ”

On the sixth day of the first lunar month, the Criminal Department began to investigate the third day of the violent death of Concubine Hui.

Lord Cao and Wang Laohu met Concubine Xi.

"Minister Cao Hongting sees the West Guifei Niangniang, Chitose Chitose Chitose Chitose." Lord Cao and Wang Laohu greeted Concubine Xi.

Concubine Xi glanced at the two of them and said, "Is there no one in the Criminal Department?" He sent a man. I heard that the emperor ordered you to investigate the case of Concubine Hui's sister, why do you suspect this palace? ”

"Don't dare, don't dare. The emperor ordered us to investigate the case of Concubine Hui's violent death, and the ministers were terrified every day, afraid of betraying the emperor's trust in me. This time I came to see Concubine Xiniang, not to investigate the case, but to think of a few questions, let me ask. ”

"Didn't you already ask the personal slave of the palace yesterday, why do you still have questions?"

"If you go back to Concubine Xi, your slave may not be able to answer these questions." Wang Laohu said.

"Who are you?"

Master Cao hurriedly said: "He is just the secretary of the Criminal Department, and he will follow me out to handle the case together this time." ”

"A small secretary dares to come and ask about this palace, your criminal department doesn't take this palace seriously."

"Concubine Xi, although I am a small secretary of the Criminal Department, but the emperor sent me to investigate the case of Concubine Hui's violent death, I am only responsible for the case, no matter who she is, as long as she violates the law, in my eyes, she is my suspect."

"Presumptuous." Concubine Xi stood up with Qiu Neng's support, "Lord Secretary, this palace doesn't want the black yarn on your head." How dare you speak to Hongu like this. ”

"Concubine Xi, in my heart I admire you very much, this admiration is not the admiration that hangs on my lips all day long, but from the heart, from the lungs. Although my speech is a little ugly now, if Concubine Xi's heart is open, why should she care about a few questions between me and Lord Cao? Wang Laohu said.

"Okay, just by what you say, allow the two of you to get up and talk back."

Wang Laohu and Master Cao thanked Concubine Xi and stood up, Concubine Xi glanced at Wang Laohu a few more times and said, "Do you have any questions to ask the palace." ”

"Concubine Xi, I have something to say first, the things I asked today are all about things, not people, so if there is anything inappropriate, please forgive me." Wang Laohu said.

"Okay, this palace wants to see how you are right and wrong."

"Concubine Hui Niangniang has the emperor's heir, Concubine Xi Niangniang should be very happy, so she ordered someone to make osmanthus cake, and let the personal maid send it to Concubine Hui's bedroom that night, but that night, Concubine Hui died violently after eating osmanthus cake."

"This palace doesn't need you to tell me about this, the whole palace knows about the above things."

"Doesn't Concubine Xi think it's strange?"

"Strange, what's strange, do you suspect that this palace poisoned the osmanthus cake and poisoned Concubine Hui?"

"Isn't that possible?"

"Joke, why did this palace poison this osmanthus cake, don't you think it's too obvious that I'm doing this? Concubine Hui's sister is pregnant, and the palace instructed her to make osmanthus cakes, which is to supplement her with more nutrition and ensure the development of the baby. Now it's not the main palace. ”

"I believe that Concubine Xiniang is not such a person, so I came to confirm it."

"What's the matter?"

"You originally planned to go to Concubine Hui's dormitory on the thirtieth day of the Chinese New Year's Eve, but why didn't you go later, but let the personal maid go alone?"

"Even if Bengong planned to eat pastries with Concubine Hui's sister and didn't go later, this can't be evidence that Bengong poisoned and killed Concubine Hui's sister."

"So here Concubine Xi wants to give me a reasonable explanation."

Concubine Xi thought for a moment and said, "If you want to hear a reasonable explanation, you can ask the emperor, and you will know as soon as you ask." ”

"The emperor's side, we will naturally go to verify, Concubine Xi, you want to go but you didn't go, this motive has to be doubtful."

"Okay, you want to know, the palace told you that on the night of the thirtieth night of the Chinese New Year's Eve, the emperor came to my dormitory."

This is indeed a good reason, the emperor came to the palace, this is really not going anywhere, and she must not be lying at this point, there must be something, it seems that the suspicion of this concubine is gone.