Chapter 681 A Break In The Chain

Lady Xian kept sitting straight and said nothing.

Xia Huanyu cast a cold glance at her and said, "Someone, take the craftsman here. Then send someone to search the craftsman's house and the pharmacist's.

Lady Xian still kept silent.

The empress kept frowning, seeming incredulous. After a while, she looked at Lady Xian and said, "I never thought it was you."

"If you are out to condemn someone, you can always trump up a charge." As soon as the empress finished speaking, Lady Xian smiled coldly with a hint of despair in her eyes. "Lady Rui has prepared all the evidences, what else can I say? My father was just an ordinary businessman and could be at Lady Rui's disposal. Lady Rui could say whatever she likes. I have nothing to say."

She paused for a moment, and continued with a smile, "What reason do I have to murder Lady Hui who is junior to me? Because of my background, I didn't get a high position in the imperial household and has never the emperor's favorite. I was not lucky enough to give birth to children for his majesty, but his majesty visited me at least twice a month. Not much, but much better than many ladies in the imperial household. I have always been contented. You might say that I was jealous of Lady Hui for she was having a baby, but there are a lot of princes and princesses in the imperial palace. Why should I envy the one with an unborn baby?"

In Yun Shang's opinion, lady Sharon was only a lady who liked dressing and beautiful jewelry. She was the same as many concubines in the deep palace who didn't fight with each other for anything. She was scheming, but not that sophisticated. However, Yun Shang seemed to have a completely new appraisal of Lady Xian. She looked like a desperate person who was telling her last words, but she tried her best to defend herself.

Yun Shang smiled with appreciation. "I have asked myself the same question Lady Xian asked when I found that the apprentice pharmacist called Mingcai works for the Wangs' mansion."

Yun Shang took a quick glance at Lady Xian. She was in a light purple imperial dress and wore two blue gemstone hairpins on her bun. She was wearing an exquisite makeup. Although she was in her thirties, her skin was as white as jade, and her lips were bright red.

"I was thinking about this question before I went out, but when I got out, I suddenly understood. I'm afraid Lady Xian couldn't stay calm when it comes to his majesty's favor. And I think it's most likely the reason she has done such a thing. It hasn't been long since I came to the State of Xia, so I have just met Lady Xian for several times. But I found that Lady Xian loves to walk around in the palaces of the concubines who are being favored by his majesty. When Lady Xiang was being favored, I could always see Lady Xian when I visited Xiang Zhu Palace occasionally. And it was the same after Lady Hui got fav

I have been sitting here for more than two hours and drunk too much tea. I have to go out for a walk."

Xia Huanyu frowned and nodded slightly. The empress smiled, bowed to Xia Huanyu, put her hand on the maid's arm, and went out of the hall.

As time passed, a maid came out of the bedroom and whispered something in Yun Shang's ear. Yun Shang stood up and said to Xia Huanyu, "Lady Hui is awake. I'll go to have a look."

Xia Huanyu also nodded. Yun Shang turned around and entered the inner hall.

After Yun Shang entered the inner hall, Qin Yi took out a blue sachet from her sleeve and handed it to her. "His highness gave it to me secretly just now. I didn't find a good time to ask you to come into the inner hall."

Yun Shang was surprised. She picked up the blue sachet, and recognized it was the one that Luo Qingyan often wore.

"When did it happen?" Yun Shang reached out to untie the knot on the top of the sachet and asked in a soft voice.

"When you were curtsying to his majesty after going out, his highness gave this to me without being noticed." Qin Yi replied softly.

Yun Shang had already opened it, and there was a piece of paper inside. She unfolded the paper, and stared at the words on it. After a while, she slowly smiled.

"Did his highness find any evidence?" Qin Yi asked softly.

Yun Shang shook her head, "No, it's not the evidence." Then she walked to the bed.

Qin Yi was stunned. Since it was not the evidence, why did his highness give it to her highness?

Lin Youran was sitting on the bed and smiled at Yun Shang when she saw her, "Your highness."

"What's wrong?" Yun Shang sat on the edge of the bed and asked in a soft voice.

After thinking for a while, Lin Youran said softly, "I heard what you said just now, and I never thought it would be Lady Xian. But it suddenly occurred to me that before the banquet for New Year, she had sent me a box of rouge."