Long Yue looked at Yi Pin with a smile, her face turning unsightly, and turned to Qi Yun, saying, "Your Majesty, perhaps you should have soone search this room again; maybe more things can be found?"
Uh...
Qi Yun’s mouth twitched slightly; is the tone not quite right?
Everyone else was praying for no more searching, fearing they couldn’t clean up the ss, yet she actively requested a search?
But since Long Yue said so, he, as the Emperor, naturally couldn’t be partial and cover up.
As a result, a few eunuchs went in for a search.
Sure enough, there were indeed other things inside.
Needles and threads for making dolls, stuffing cotton, and so writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
"This is Yangchun paper. I rember... Mr. Li seems to like using Yangchun paper, right?"
Yi Pin glanced at Li Qingmu faintly.
"So what? Based on these things, does Yi Pin believe that Yu Pin’s death is related to my wife? Isn’t that absurd?"
"Mr. Li, isn’t this evidence of witness and material?"
"Yi Pin, do you realize the cri of slandering a court second rank official, a lady of the second rank?"
Yi Pin’s face slightly twitched in panic but still managed to maintain composure and said, "Mr. Li, you jest; I’m just speaking facts!"
"Alright! Since you say so, then... Your Majesty, I have a few questions I’d like to ask this palace maid if you would permit?"
"Ask them."
Qi Yun was still very lenient with Li Qingmu.
Even though it seed that Yu Pin’s cursing and being pushed into the water was done by Long Yue, it didn’t threaten his life, right? He absolutely wouldn’t act against Long Yue for a concubine he had little affection for.
But he also couldn’t show too much emotion, lest people say he was protecting her behind his back.
"Hupo, I ask you, when did you co to serve Lady Jiao?"
"Just the day before yesterday."
"Lady Jiao doesn’t like to have too many people around her, fearing noise; how did you co to serve her?"
Hupo was stunned, this question was tricky, she didn’t react in ti and instinctively said, "It was Aunt Zhen Shu who sent words, Lady Jiao was reluctant to go to the Empress, so if I didn’t do my task well, fearing punishnt, I begged the lady for protection, but I never said I wanted to stay with the lady, it was the lady who showed great rcy..."
This was cleverly spoken; she didn’t say she shalessly followed; rather, she said Long Yue was rciful, which served to ingratiate Long Yue, making her happy while also giving others a hint: Long Yue must have wanted her for another purpose.
Li Qingmu nodded and suddenly turned, speaking coldly, "You feared being implicated and bitterly pleaded with Lady Jiao to save your life, she agreed and saved you, yet this is how you repay her kindness, by framing her with such unjust deeds? What a sword slave!"
"Mr. Li wrongs , this was the lady’s intention! Cursing a concubine, practicing Yansheng technique, is forbidden; I wouldn’t have risked my life doing this if the lady hadn’t saved !"
"Is that so? You claim to be loyal and unswerving, so why do you betray her now?"
Uh?
Li Qingmu’s words left Hupo speechless!
"Ha!"
Long Yue chuckled from the sidelines.
"Moreover, if such a thing were to be done, why would Lady Jiao entrust soone she barely knew for a day or two, with no sense of trust at all? I bet, among everyone present, no one would be that foolish!"
"Mr. Li, you are eloquent, but precisely because of that lack of deep affection, it’s safer for soone to do things for them, and if exposed, they could easily be used as scapegoats without any guilt!"
"Analyzing by Yi Pin’s logic, have you done many such things before?"
"Mr. Li, don’t speak nonsense; I’m just discussing the matter!"
She said so, but there was a clear flicker of panic in Yi Pin’s eyes.
Li Qingmu coldly glanced at her and approached Hupo once more: "Since you claim this matter was assigned by Lady Jiao, then, tell , did you make this doll?"
The needles and threads were in her room, so it must be her.
Hupo nodded, "Indeed, it was I."
Li Qingmu took the doll from a monk and examined it carefully, nodding slightly, "The craftsmanship of this doll is quite remarkable, not up to the embroiderers in the Music Bureau but close enough."
Hupo was confused, not understanding why Li Qingmu suddenly praised her embroidery skills.
"I ask you, since you made this doll, what type of thread was used for it, and how many strands were split?"
Hupo’s pupils shrank abruptly.
What... what kind of question is this?
"On the doll’s head, how many stitches?"
"There is overlapping thread on the abdon, indicating a prior error and a subsequent redo, then when you picked it apart, how many threads did you tear?"
"..."
Li Qingmu’s barrage of questions left not just Hupo but the concubines and officials present dumbfounded.
A distinguished man, how does he know to ask an embroiderer’s questions?
Li Qingmu couldn’t help it; it was his wife’s request, was it his own will?
But it wouldn’t be good for Long Yue to be the one asking these questions herself, or it would give her away.
Hupo was utterly baffled; how was she supposed to answer these questions?
"Mr. Li, you’re making things difficult for ; how would I know such details?"
"Why not? As an embroiderer, these are basic skills, every embroiderer rembers their stitching and threads in each work clearly, and this doll hasn’t been crafted for long; how could you forget? Ah, deceitful maid, confess honestly!"
"Clap!"
Li Qingmu flung the doll harshly at her face, sneering coldly.
Instantly, everyone snapped out of their shock.
So... it was like this?
Could trials be conducted in this way?
Zhao ngran fiercely rubbed his eyes, feeling as if he opened a new Chapter in this world; from now on, trials could delve into such details!
He looked at Li Qingmu with eyes filled with admiration.
Qi Yun also understood, from Yu Pin’s death to the high monk of Taia Temple, then the cursed doll, all of it aid to target Long Yue, intending to harm her!
You can harm others, but intending to harm Long Yue?
Qi Yun would never agree.
He waved his hand, speaking sternly, "Guards, take this traitorous maid down, question her thoroughly, and find out who is behind this..."
Several robust eunuchs imdiately moved to grasp Hupo.
At that mont, "pfff", Hupo spat a mouthful of black blood, her body collapsing like cotton to the ground.
"Your Majesty, this person committed suicide by poison!"
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