"Doesn't elder sister trust younger sister yet? This must all be the doing of this little bitch."
The palace maid was pushed to the ground. Beside her, a figure rushed forward in a flash before anyone could react. His eyes were bloodshot, completely different from his appearance when he was being questioned just now.
"The Imperial Concubine Dowager is getting desperate. Do you want to push out the person I cherish as a scapegoat?"
The Imperial Concubine Dowager Rui almost gritted her silver teeth. She still stuck to her story firmly.
"I don't understand what you're talking about. Back then, I taught this little bitch my embroidery skills. This purse was also made by her. Maybe the two of you framed me behind my back. I remember now. You must be that lackey who has always been following the Imperial Concubine Dowager Wang. It was also the Imperial Concubine Dowager Wang who sent you here this time."
The chief eunuch frowned. "This has nothing to do with the Imperial Concubine Dowager Wang. Are you afraid to admit what you did back then? The Imperial Concubine Dowager Rui surely doesn't think that I only have that one piece of evidence on me?"
His words made everyone present start to have different thoughts. Shi Muyuan and the others were curious about what other trump cards the chief eunuch could have, while the Imperial Concubine Dowager Rui was so scared that cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
She had been sure before that the chief eunuch didn't dare to make the matter public, because her people were still in her hands. But now, everything seemed to be out of control.
She clenched her fists and pretended not to understand anything.
"She betrayed me and did such a thing. She deserves to die. Can't you see that clearly? Or do you want me to execute the two of you?"
At this moment, she didn't care about anything else. As long as the eunuch could follow her words, she might have a chance to escape.
However, the moment she reached out and pushed the palace maid, there was no turning back.
The chief eunuch wasn't afraid at all. He directly helped the palace maid up.
"All the things the Imperial Concubine Dowager gave me before have been found. The Empress Dowager has already seen them. Also, I have one last piece of evidence here, something you probably never want to see again in your life, right?"
As he spoke, he took out a note. "Actually, the Imperial Concubine Dowager Rui doesn't know the so - called embroidery skills at all. The reason you've been able to get away with it all these years is that you imprisoned someone who knows this skill. You deceived the late Emperor with this, and now you still want to deceive the Empress Dowager."
The Imperial Concubine Dowager Rui's eyes widened. She never expected him to get such an important thing.
For a moment, she didn't even care about her image. She reached out her hand to snatch the note, but the next words of the chief eunuch cut off all her retreats.
"Do you really think that if you snatch this note, I'll forget about it?"
He turned the note in his hand and directly handed it to Shi Muyuan.
Shi Muyuan read it with great interest. She never thought that she could see such a satisfying reversal in ancient times.
Her eyes scanned it casually.
"Okay, immediately send someone to check this place. If it's true, bring that person back directly."
"Yes."
Soon, the guards followed the address on the note and went there.
When they finally found the place, they were really shocked by the situation in front of them.
At the end of the alley was actually a mansion, and there were people patrolling from time to time. It seemed that the Imperial Concubine Dowager Rui had sent a lot of people here to protect this place.
However, it was still easy for them to get in.
Several well - trained guards glanced at each other, made a few gestures, and then rushed in. The guards patrolling inside hadn't seen such a powerful opponent for a long time. They were quickly defeated after a short fight.
Looking at the corpses lying on the ground in a mess, the leading guard thought it was ridiculous.
"I thought the Imperial Concubine Dowager Rui could place some really powerful people here. They're all just good - for - nothing show - offs."
Thinking that there were still people waiting in the palace, they quickly took the people in the mansion back.
However, they had a hard time taking the little girl back.
No one knew how the little girl had survived during her imprisonment. Her whole body was covered in bruises, and there wasn't a single piece of good flesh on her body. Her hands were already calloused. Presumably, the Imperial Concubine Dowager Rui thought her hands were still useful, so she didn't torture them.
But now it didn't matter how useful they were. When the little girl saw them, she was like a frightened rabbit.
The leading guard could only comfort her helplessly. "Little girl, don't worry. We're not bad people, and we won't do anything to you. As long as you come back with us, we can set you free."
However, such comfort was of no use to a heart that had been tortured day after day.
The little girl still curled up in a ball and hid in the corner of the room. They couldn't go forward.
She was very sensitive. As long as these people made a move, the little girl would definitely start screaming.
After several attempts, the leading guard finally gave up.
"How about we find a carriage? You just need to get on it and come back with us. Don't worry. All of us will behave ourselves."
After many rounds of negotiation and effort, the little girl finally nodded and got on the carriage with them.
When the little girl was brought into the palace, she momentarily forgot her fear and curiously observed the surrounding things.
Finally reaching the Qingning Palace, the girl was still scared to tears when facing so many strangers.
Shi Muyuan was a bit slow to react at first. Seeing the little girl crying more and more fiercely, she fumbled to hand over her handkerchief.
"Don't cry. Be good. You should be the one who can do embroidery, right?"
The little girl saw this kind - hearted elder sister and immediately threw herself into her arms. She had been imprisoned for so long. Although she looked about fifteen or sixteen years old on the outside, she had never experienced anything. It could be seen from the purity in her eyes.
Xiao Xiao beside her originally wanted to stop her, but was stopped by her own master.
"She's just an innocent little girl. Let her cry. I'm sure she's suffered a lot over the years."
There was nothing they could do. Since the Empress Dowager had spoken, everyone could only wait. After the little girl finished crying, her face was red, but her mood was much better.
She opened her mouth. When she saw that she had dirtied the Empress Dowager's clothes, she was a bit scared.
She had threaded so many needles and done so much embroidery. Naturally, she knew that this kind of clothes were not something an ordinary family could afford. And looking at the things she saw when she entered the palace just now, the person in front of her must have a very noble status.
The little girl knelt down tremblingly and quickly apologized.
"I'm sorry. I didn't do it on purpose. I can embroider your clothes better if you're willing..."