Actually, Shi Muyuan had already guessed such a situation in her heart.
Concubine Rui had been in the harem for many years and had schemed against countless people without ever making a mistake. She herself was an exception and had just happened to find the loopholes every time.
Now her calm appearance only proved that this time she had designed the plan very meticulously.
However, so what? She would surely find the evidence and rescue herself sooner or later.
The official wiped the sweat off his forehead. It took him a while to calm himself down. Then he slapped the table heavily.
"Silence! Don't you all want to know the truth of this matter? Now I've invited both the Empress Dowager and the Concubine here. You should trust me, right?"
"Of course. Your Honor has been observing here for many years and has never done anything sorry to us. We naturally trust you. Please start as soon as possible so that we can get the truth earlier and punish that evil person."
The official let out a sigh of relief. The two people below the hall both looked very calm, making him feel like the one being interrogated.
Forget it. Anyway, these two were both prominent figures in the harem. It was not easy for him to be sitting here.
He coughed twice and said, "Now, both of you can say whatever you want to say about the supply case."
Hearing this, Shi Muyuan spoke first.
"When I got there, it was the first time I saw that batch of grain. But when I pulled the cloth aside, I found that the grain inside had already disappeared, and instead, there were all stones."
"Sister already knows about it. Why haven't you admitted your guilt until now? Do you think you've done nothing wrong?"
"What crime do I have? If you want to frame someone, there's always a pretext. Sister, you'd better think it over. If you really go against me today, once I find out the truth of this matter, I will never let you off lightly."
Concubine Rui was not afraid at all. Since things had come to this point, she didn't hold back either. "Sister, don't you remember the earring that fell into the carriage that day? From beginning to end, I just watched from the side. I didn't expect there would be stones either. The Shi family is so bold that at such a crucial moment, they actually sent such things to the people in the south of the Yangtze River. Do they think the people there are monkeys to be played with?"
After saying that, she took out an earring from her body. The other half of the earring was hanging on Shi Muyuan's ear at this moment.
This was solid evidence. Coupled with what Concubine Rui had just said, it made the common people outside believe it half - way.
So, the following words came out: "Maybe the Empress Dowager and the Shi family staged a self - directed and self - acted play. I've heard that the Shi family only cares about their own interests. Maybe they took some benefits this time and left us alone."
"Yes. They've earned a good reputation on the surface and played us for fools. Anyway, there's an Empress Dowager in their family. Their family must be the protected one."
Shi Muyuan could accept these people slandering herself, but she would never accept them insulting her two elder brothers.
She gave them a cold look without giving anyone any face.
"It seems that what's on top of your heads is not brains but paste. You're so easily used as guns for such a simple problem."
No one was willing to be scolded, especially by the person they thought was extremely evil.
Suddenly, everyone exploded.
"We call you the Empress Dowager just to give you face. If it weren't for the fact that you were kind to us at the beginning, we wouldn't even bother with you."
"Yes. Now you must return our supplies double. Otherwise, we'll tell the Emperor about this. Let's see how arrogant you can still be then."
They were threatening her with the Emperor. Shi Muyuan just found it ridiculous. The young Emperor almost always obeyed her and never took them seriously.
However, if she said this now, it would have a different meaning. It might even incite these people to rebel.
She had come here specifically when she was in the south of the Yangtze River. She didn't want to see such a result.
She could only be patient and say, "Everyone, could you please listen to me? I'm not a fool. Why would I do such an important thing today? Don't you think this matter is too strange?"
Anyone with a brain present could understand this, but Shi Muyuan overestimated these people too much. They seemed to have no brains at all.
"There's nothing strange about it. You're just self - directing and self - acting. Maybe you want to get out of trouble by relying on your status as the current Empress Dowager. You didn't expect that we would never give you this face."
Cui Qizhou heard this sentence just as he rushed over.
He raised his eyebrows slightly. Anyway, that woman wouldn't be so stupid. Even if her temper had changed after waking up, it wouldn't be to this extent.
So, this matter must be related to that Concubine.
But there was no evidence at the moment. He could only rescue that woman first.
While calculating in his heart, he was also a bit disgusted. How could that woman be so easily caught? It made him have to go through a lot of trouble now.
He took a deep breath. Forget it. The Emperor had instructed him before leaving that he must take good care of the Empress Dowager. When the king gives an order, the subject should remember it carefully.
The National Teacher strode forward. The common people beside him unconsciously made way for him.
"The National Teacher is here! Your Honor, you must make the decision for us. We've been waiting for the supplies for so long. We finally got them, but they were all filled with stones. How can we survive the coming spring?"
Cui Qizhou looked cold. His eyes swept across the woman and the Concubine's faces.
"I wonder if you will conduct the interrogation yourself today or if you'd like me to do it?"
He was talking to the official sitting in the high position. And the official couldn't wait to leave. He had had enough of the looks from the two people below.
"Then I'll trouble Your Honor the National Teacher. I'll go out first to maintain order. We can't let the common people lose their composure at this time."
"Okay."
Cui Qizhou sat down on the high seat. Concubine Rui rubbed her knees and stood up.
There was always a voice in her heart telling her that she must leave quickly, or what she had done would surely be exposed immediately.
"Since the National Teacher is here, I've said everything I should. The rest is the Empress Dowager's business. I'll go back first."
Zhu'er quickly followed her mistress's steps. But just as the two were about to go out, they were stopped by the man.
"The matter here hasn't been explained clearly yet. Concubine, you shouldn't be in such a hurry, right?"
Concubine Rui was anxious, but she couldn't show it on her face.
"But I've already said almost everything to that official just now."