The fate was changed, the mistress of the Hou family was slapped in the face and made money to win

Chapter 567: Close, but with gaps

Xiao Yi sat down on a chair beside him, looked at his mother and spoke directly.

"Mother, if the queen is dead, who do you think will be the most suspected person now?"

"Of course it will be me. After all, I will be the biggest beneficiary of her death."

Concubine Cheng chuckled, her eyes looking disdainful, and after she finished speaking, her gaze fell quietly on her son.

"Yier, so you came to the palace today to confirm whether mother is the murderer?"

Xiao Yi did not answer but asked, "Then the mother concubine?"

Silence spread between the mother and son. Concubine Cheng shook her head slowly, "No."

After she spoke, she quickly added, "But I know that many people are probably suspicious of me right now. After all, even if the relationship between me and the queen seems peaceful on the surface, it cannot cover up the inner struggle and hostility."

It is said that the court is full of blood and gore, but the open and secret struggles in the harem are no less intense than that.

But since you have entered the palace, you must fight and struggle. If you are unwilling to climb up by stepping on others, you can only become the mud under someone else's feet.

"Are you afraid, mother? After all, I heard that my father stayed in the Queen's bedroom all night last night. If my father also suspects you, mother..."

"I don't care, and I believe that the emperor will be able to get the truth out and silence those who are gossiping."

Concubine Cheng put down the teacup nonchalantly and fiddled with her fingernails. Although her tone said she didn't care, her eyes revealed coldness and unhappiness.

Xiao Yi carefully looked at the expression on his mother's face, not missing a single detail, and asked again: "Mother, is it really not you?"

This time the tone was no longer tentative, but confirmatory.

"No." Concubine Cheng shook her head, "Yier, don't you even believe in your mother?"

Xiao Yi was silent for a while before he smiled and said, "Of course not. Since mother has said so, then... I will believe it."

Although she said she believed it, there was an inexplicable undercurrent between mother and son.

Close, but with gaps.

Now, on the other side.

In the room temporarily allocated for the female officials to rest, Shen Yanxi took out the ointment he had brought with him and was carefully applying it to Jiang Suining's knees.

After kneeling in Queen Shi's bedroom for a whole night, Jiang Suining's knees were swollen.

Jiang Suining looked at the ointment and said, "I have some extra ointment. I want to give some to Ayan and Ayao."

They have been kneeling all night, and their knees must be feeling uncomfortable now.

Shen Yanxi didn't say anything. After warming his hands on the charcoal fire beside him, he rubbed Jiang Suining's knees again. Looking at the swollen knees, he felt very depressed.

It was not until Jiang Suining asked again that he looked up at her, but he did not answer the question about the ointment.

"Why are you so naive? Since the Emperor is in the inner room with the Empress, why do you have to kneel all night?"

"The Queen's poisoning is a very serious matter. Under such circumstances, we naturally dare not show the slightest disrespect. Moreover, even if we are not under the Emperor's nose, there are still so many eunuchs and palace maids watching us."

Jiang Suining understood that Shen Yanxi was feeling distressed, and smiled at him.

"Besides, he only knelt for one night and was not punished. He was also given three days to investigate. This result is already very good. As for the knee, he just needs to take care of it."

"I just injured my waist not long ago, and now my knees are swollen from kneeling. Ningning, you don't care, but I do. This female official..."

"You know I won't give up."

Jiang Suining interrupted Shen Yanxi's words with a firm tone.

Shen Yanxi sighed, "I know you won't give up, but I think being a female official is too difficult."

"Is it harder than your situation in the court?" Jiang Suining looked at Shen Yanxi seriously.

Although many people say that Shen Yanxi has had a smooth journey and has risen rapidly, how much trouble he has gone through from entering the officialdom through the imperial examination to becoming the prime minister now, I am afraid only Shen Yanxi himself knows.

"Shen Yanxi, you have to believe me. If you can handle and face the issues in the court, then I can handle the issues on the road of being a female official, too."

"I don't disbelieve you, I just... feel heartbroken." Shen Yanxi said helplessly.

This feeling is like when a knife cuts his palm, he only thinks it is a flesh wound, no big deal. But if it is Ningning's fingertips that are cut, he feels that the cut is like falling on his heart.

Jiang Suining felt warm inside, and her tone was a little coquettish, "If the Prime Minister feels sorry for me, why don't you help me think about this matter carefully."

Shen Yanxi's expression became more serious. "Did you notice anything wrong?"

The image of Wei Yao flashed through Jiang Suining’s mind, but then she shook her head.

"Not yet. If we look at it from the perspective of the beneficiaries, the most suspicious ones are the Fourth Prince and Concubine Cheng."

"Kill two birds with one stone. I have dealt with you and eliminated the Queen at the same time."

"That's right, but the benefits are so clear that it makes me feel a little suspicious."

Knowing that you will be suspected, you still do this, which seems a bit too straightforward and aggressive.

Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that they are doing the opposite and want to use the fact that the suspicion is too great to dispel people's doubts.

"Without evidence, everything is just speculation. There are only a few ways to do this. Check the source of the poison. It is not easy to get poison in this palace. Check all the people who have touched or had the opportunity to touch the wine glass that day to see if they are suspicious. Also..." Shen Yanxi paused for a moment and continued, "Ningning, check the people around you. Sometimes the companions beside you may not be completely trustworthy."

Jiang Suining understood what Shen Yanxi meant and nodded in agreement.

The Royal Guards are already investigating the source of the poison and those who may have come into contact with Queen Shi's wine glass that day.

After all, it was in the harem. Although Shen Yanxi asked for permission, he could not stay for long. After Shen Yanxi left, Jiang Suining went to meet Wei Yao and Lu Yan who were resting in another room.

Just as I arrived outside the room, before I had time to go in, I saw Lu Yan limping towards me from the other end of the corridor.

Different from the sad expression on her face when she was in Queen Shi's bedroom before, Lu Yan now had a smile on her face, as if she was mocking, but also as if she was feeling relieved.

She was lost in thought until she was almost out of the room when she noticed Jiang Suining.

Meeting Jiang Suining's gaze, Lu Yan was stunned for a moment.

After half a cup of tea, the two sat in a pavilion in the imperial garden.

The wind was a bit strong in the garden. Jiang Suining gathered his cloak and looked at Lu Yan opposite him.

"Actually, if you don't want to say it, you don't have to say it."

Lu Yan shook her head, "I don't want to cause any more misunderstandings at this time."