and Cui'er, who was burned to death, went to Jixian Palace with the two little palace maids, one named Chunqin and the other called Ke'er.

Both of them were frightened by the evil fire that night, and when Ji Jingyang found them for questioning, Chunqin's consciousness was still a little dazed.

Ke'er was calmer, she saluted Ji Jingyang and said, "Hello, adult." ”

Ji Jingyang nodded at her and said, "I called the two girls here today to ask carefully about the water in the palace the day before yesterday. I know that the two girls were frightened, but the stakes are very high, and I ask the two girls to remember what happened that night before and after Cui'er burned up. ”

Chunqin's eyes flickered, she didn't dare to look directly at Ji Jingyang, she shrunk her body, and the words she said were broken: "Burn, burn, burn, burn, she burned from the inside...... Yes...... From the inside of the body. ”

Ke'er said: "I can't really see it at the end, Chunqin is at the front, she can see clearly, so she is more frightened." I remember...... Cui'er coughed a few times, and we went to see her one after the other. I saw that she coughed violently, and then covered her mouth with her hand, and waited for her to take her hand away from her mouth...... She actually had a few coals in her hand. She actually spat fire out of her mouth. All three of us were scared. But before we could react, Cui'er screamed, she opened her mouth, and a tongue of fire licked out of her throat, and then her clothes burned from the inside. The two of us...... Both of us were frightened and weak, and we couldn't walk, and we didn't dare to step forward, so we saw that the fire was getting bigger and bigger, burning Cui'er into a man-high fireball. She kept screaming and screaming in pain, attracting the nearby guards. But everyone was helpless and could only watch her being burned to death. When she was dead and could not move, the little eunuch and the guards took water from a nearby water tank and poured it on her. But it was too late. ”

Ji Jingyang stood, and Luo Sinan on the side sat on a Taishi chair, holding his head, and listened to Ke'er's description.

Chunqin was frightened again, and only stood aside and trembled.

Ji Jingyang asked: "On the day of the crime, in Jinyang Palace, did Cui'er have any unusual behavior?" ”

Ke'er tilted her head and thought for a while, and said, "I didn't pay attention to it." ”

"From that morning, tell me what you have done, what you have done, and what you have said."

Kerr said, "Yes." I, with Chunqin and Cui'er, are just the maids who are responsible for sprinkling and dusting outside Jinyang Palace. On weekdays, you are not allowed to enter the main hall. Every day, he is only responsible for cleaning outside the palace, dusting, feeding fish, pruning and so on. When I get up in the morning, I eat breakfast, go to the front of the temple in the morning, and clean the backyard in the afternoon. After dinner, the concubine called us and asked us to send snacks and supplements to Concubine Ning. ”

Ji Jingyang asked, "Is Cui'er's daily diet the same as all of you?" ”

Ke'er said: "The servants in the palace have a fixed amount of food and clothing, and there is nothing abnormal. ”

"Cui'er has been with you all day?"

"It should be. But we don't see each other all the time. The front hall and backyard are not small, and Cui'er has to feed the fish by the lake in the afternoon, so we didn't go with her. ”

"No, Cui'er, Cui'er...... I was called by the concubine. Chunqin said suddenly.

Ji Jingyang turned to ask Chunqin: "You said, Cui'er was called by the concubine?" ”

"In the afternoon, it's Cui'er's turn to feed the fish. But she asked me to help her go, saying that the concubine was summoned...... But was she okay when she came back? can talk and laugh, and also said that the concubine Niangniang gave her a reward. ”

"What reward did the concubine give to Cui'er?"

Chunqin shook her head, "I said that I appreciated the begonia osmanthus cake in the imperial dining room in the palace......"

Ji Jingyang asked again: "Is it all you who go to other palaces to deliver things on weekdays?" ”

Ke'er shook her head: "On weekdays, everything I send is brought by my grandmother or eunuch." But the day before yesterday was already night, and Mama was afraid of wrestling when she walked at night, and the little eunuchs were not idle. Gonggong Zhang said that Jixian Palace was not far away, so he sent the three of us over. ”

Ji Jingyang repeated: "Grandpa Zhang? ”

"It's the eunuch in charge of Jinyang Palace." Luo Si Nan Road.

"Yes." Kerr replied.

"Did you happen on the way there, or when you came back?"

"It's on the way. The food box hasn't been delivered to Jixian Palace yet. Ke'er said again.

"In the food box is a box of walnut cakes, a box of eight-treasure sweet cakes, and a cup of bird's nest." Qi Yue's voice sounded behind everyone.

The two palace maids hurriedly saluted Qi Yue and said, "Father-in-law Qi is good." ”

Qi Yue nodded to the two, and then said to Ji Jingyang: "We have checked all three boxes of things, and there is no problem." ”

Chunqin mentioned that at noon the day before yesterday, the concubine Niangniang once called Cui'er, who was burned to death, and gave her what reward. The lower official wanted to see the concubine Niangniang and inquire about the matter. ”

Qi Yue said: "I can arrange this." It's just that...... The concubine may not be so easy to talk to. ”

Ke'er and Chunqin both lowered their heads a little more, and they felt like they were talking about the tiger's color change.

In Jinyang Palace, the high-minded and arrogant Concubine Cao Gui Niangniang sat on the main seat with a cup of tea in her hand. She opened the lid of the tea, looked at the tea in the cup, put the tea bowl down again, and said coldly: "This palace ordered you to thoroughly investigate the matter of the palace maid of Jinyang Palace being burned to death by Gu worms, and you actually found out about the head of this palace." It's such a big guts. ”

Luo Sinan only lowered his body one point more, but did not speak.

Qi Yue, who was just standing on the side, said: "Please also ask the concubine to forgive her sins." This case is really strange, and it was the maid in the Niangniang Palace who was burned to death, His Majesty cared, and since the investigation in the Niangniang Palace, it is also to ensure the safety of the Niangniang. ”

"Hmph. I look at this Lord Luo, but there is a little bit of the meaning of questioning this palace. Let me ask you, has Concubine Ning's slut checked? ”

"I was already asked yesterday." Qi Yue replied, and added slowly, "Your Majesty asked personally." ”

Cao Guifei's face became even more ugly at this time, her fists were clenched tightly, she raised her eyebrows and looked at Qi Yue, and said, "What?" Take Your Majesty to press this palace? ”

Qi Yue bowed and said, "The little one doesn't dare." It's just that the palace maid died on the way to Jixian Palace, and she never went to Jixian Palace. And someone once saw that on the day of the crime, Niangniang once called the dead palace maid to the inner hall for questioning. I don't know what Niangniang called Cui'er to ask, what did she say? ”

After Cao Guifei pondered for a while, Fu picked up the tea bowl again, took a sip, put down the tea bowl, and thought sideways for a long time before answering slowly: "I asked her how long it will take for the moon flowers in front of her door to bloom, and praised her for being diligent and quick." also rewarded her with a bowl of leftover snacks from the palace. ”

"Really?"

"Father-in-law doesn't believe it?"

"The little ones don't dare."

Qi Yue and Luo Sinan glanced at each other. Both of them frowned slightly, and they obviously didn't believe the words of this noble concubine.

At this time, Ji Jingyang was being taken by Father-in-law Zhang to inspect Cui'er's residence.

It was a palace maid's residence for twelve people, and when you opened the door, you could see a row of bunks. In the morning, the room was empty, and the sunlight shone dimly through the papier-mâché window, casting light and shadow on a half-worn table of eight immortals in the center of the house.

Ji Jingyang first opened the wooden cabinet next to the shop for the palace maids to put sundries, and there were some clothes to clean up or something, which was nothing special. And in Cui'er's baggage, there were a few taels of silver stuffed indiscriminately, and some small jewelry or something. He picked up a delicate hairpin and looked at it a few more times. He heard Ji Cunyan say that pomegranate-style gadgets were popular in early spring this year, and later they were peach-colored. This hairpin is pink. It seems that this Cui'er girl is quite fond of dressing up. He checked the beds of the ladies again, but found nothing. Even when Cui'er's pillow was disassembled, there was only yellowed cotton wool inside.

Father-in-law Zhang looked innocent and stood aside and looked at Ji Jingyang.

Ji Jingyang said to Zhang Gonggong: "My father-in-law is tired of leading the way." I don't know about the fact that the concubine called Cui'er into the inner hall yesterday, can my father-in-law know? ”

"Yes. It's just ordinary talking, nothing unusual. Zhang Gong said, "Our mother is kind, and if someone does a good job, she will naturally be rewarded." It's probably just a few words of praise and some appreciation! ”

Coming out of Jinyang Palace, Ji Jingyang and Luo Sinan didn't have any waves on their faces, and it seemed that neither side had gained anything.

Qi Yue sent the two out of Jinyang Palace and sighed, "It seems that there is no progress." only let Lord Luo suffer a few grievances in vain. ”

Luo Sinan said: "The father-in-law is serious, but the father-in-law has been wronged." ”

Qi Yue smiled: "We are slaves, but these words are not grievances." It's just that this noble concubine, when she first entered the palace, was so virtuous, gentle, and intelligent, and she was deeply loved by His Majesty. It's just that in the past few months, for some reason, my temperament has changed greatly, and my temper has changed so much. Alas......"

Luo Sinan said: "It's just to embarrass my father-in-law." ”

Qi Yue stopped at a palace gate and said to Luo Sinan and Ji Jingyang: "Two adults, don't pass by!" It's just that this case, please pay attention to it. ”

Luo Sinan and Ji Jingyang arched their hands at Qi Yue and said, "Yes." ”

After leaving Qi Yue, the two of them left the palace and walked slowly to Dongshi.

Ji Jingyang said: "Father-in-law Qi Yue is talking a little too much today. ”

Luo Sinan sighed lightly and said, "The people around Your Majesty, every sentence has a deep meaning. Do you think he's just making small talk to us? Even if it's a small talk, I won't use the concubine as a topic. ”

Ji Jingyang looked at Luo Sinan and said: "I see Qi Yue following Cao Guifei, it seems that he has not been in harmony for a long time. One is more than the other to talk with a gun and a stick, yin and yang weird. ”

Luo Sinan sighed: "Qi Yue is Your Majesty's tongue, and he is dissatisfied with the noble concubine, which shows that Your Majesty also has some thoughts in his heart." …… What do you think of this case? Do you think it was Concubine Ning's Gu, or did Concubine Gui Niangniang deliberately frame the blame, and it was someone else who was under the Gu? ”

"I can't say who it is at the moment."

"Didn't Father-in-law Qi Yue make it clear to you?"

"Have you been an official for a long time, and your brain has been damaged by officialdom? Can his words condemn? ”

"Big brother, you seem to be an official too, right?"

"I'm too lazy to pay attention to you." After Ji Jingyang finished speaking, he walked briskly in the direction of Ji Mansion.

"Ah, wait for me! Your mother wants me to go to your house to get zongzi. Luo Sinan followed.