Who Would Understand, Her Ladyship Wrote A Hundred Palace Regulations - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Tang Meiren was Arrested

The next day, Old Madam Ning was sent back to the capital to prepare for the fasting ceremony.

The Emperor still spent his days hunting with Consort Zhuang, and Ning Wanyin didn’t fight with Consort Zhuang.
Instead, she enjoyed spending more time with her mother.

This kind of good time was rare.

“Chen Jieyu wants you to seek refuge with her…” Lady Cheng conveyed Chen Jieyu’s attitude.

Ning Wanyin shook her head. “You don’t need to pay attention to her. Our Ning family is likely to be in the spotlight soon. You need to be cautious.”

“You can also consider it? You don’t have anyone to take care of you in the palace, and the Emperor’s favor is not long-lasting…” Lady Cheng said with concern.

“But Cen’s family’s favor is even more short-lived. We can’t offer them the benefits they want, so this alliance won’t last long. I have my own plans for the palace. By the way, you now have the title of Second Rank Lady, and you can attend court banquets and meet the Empress Dowager. But you should avoid coming to the palace unless necessary…”

Ning Wanyin paused and looked at Lady Cheng seriously. “I miss you, but I don’t want to drag you into the palace’s turmoil.”

She could pretend that everything was fine, but she was worried that her mother would let her guard down.
So, she had to tell her the truth.

Lady Cheng was not a fool. When she heard Ning Wanyin’s words, tears welled up in her eyes.

The palace was a place where her daughter had to be careful every time she came. And her daughter was in danger every day.

No daughter didn’t want to see her mother.

But she could only tell her daughter to stay away.

“I understand. As long as I know you’re doing well, I’ll be at peace whether I see you or not,” Lady Cheng hugged Ning Wanyin, tears streaming down her face.
Ning Wanyin’s eyes also turned red.

Just then, Lian Rui rushed in. “Mistress, something happened in the palace!”

“What happened?” Ning Wanyin’s eyes still shone with tears, but her expression turned cold instantly.

“Shun Pin almost had a miscarriage. It’s said that Tang Meiren did it. Now, Tang Meiren has been arrested by Consort Shu…”

According to the report, Shun Pin’s food had been tampered with red flowers.

The palace maid, Chun Ni, who served Shun Pin, had been bribed to do it.

Chun Ni confessed under torture that she was instructed by Tang Miaoling, and that the red flowers were secretly given to her by Qiu Xia, a palace maid who served Tang Meiren.

There was also a eunuch who witnessed Qiu Xia appearing near Changchun Palace.

Consort Shu immediately sealed off Xianfu Palace and searched Qiu Xia’s residence, finding red flowers. She arrested Tang Meiren and her palace maids.

“Qiu Xia was taken to the Punishment Department and died under torture without confessing. She was beaten to death. Tang Meiren, as a concubine, needs the Emperor’s order to be punished. So, Consort Shu sent a message to ask for the Emperor’s permission…”

Lian Rui felt scared just thinking about it. A person’s life could be taken away so easily.

Ning Wanyin’s expression turned serious.

Not to mention whether Tang Miaoling had the guts to do it, she probably didn’t have the ability to do it either.

“Wanwan, Miaoling doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would do such a thing, right?” Lady Cheng asked with some doubt.

Ning Wanyin said in a deep voice, “Whether she did it or not, once she enters the Punishment Department, it will be considered that she did it. She’s a weakling and can’t withstand torture. Whatever others say, she will confess. If they say she did it under my instructions, she will confess to that too.”

“What? This will implicate you…” Lady Cheng’s expression changed instantly, and she panicked.

Ning Wanyin’s expression was calm. “She’s my cousin. We’re relatives by marriage, so outsiders will naturally think we’re in cahoots.”

She didn’t want Ning Ziyin to enter the palace, not just because she disliked her, but also because if anything happened to the Ning family, she would be implicated.

“Wanwan, what are you going to do…” Lady Cheng’s heart was racing with worry.

Ning Wanyin was calm and composed, looking at her. “I won’t have any problems. You should go back first. I need to go see the Emperor and block his decree.”

On one hand, they were cousins, and this matter might implicate her. On the other hand, Tang Miaoling had helped her, and she had to help her out.

In the main hall of the temporary palace, Helian Qi was furious, and with a sweep of his sleeve, he knocked over a pile of memorials on the table.

Wang Degui knelt on the ground, trembling, and only dared to report the good news. “Your Majesty, please calm down! Zhao Yuanpan said that Shun Pin’s condition is not serious, and fortunately, it was discovered in time. The fetus is safe!”

“Let’s head back to the palace,” Helian Qi said coldly.

The summer hunting activities had been concluded over the past two days, and it was expected that they would return to the palace tomorrow. “Yes! What about Consort Shu’s request for instructions…”

Helian Qi’s expression was cold and menacing. “Let her interrogate carefully.”

He had already investigated the case. Qiu Xia died under torture without confessing, which meant there were two possibilities. Either she was wrongly accused, or she was extremely loyal to her master, Tang Miaoling.

But for the Emperor, it was better to err on the side of caution.
A insignificant person was not as important as the imperial heir.

“Your Majesty, Ning Meiren requests an audience,” the eunuch outside the hall reported.

Helian Qi’s eyes showed signs of irritation. “At a time like this, she’s still coming to see me. Doesn’t she fear being slandered by others?”

He paused and then said, “Let her in.”

Ning Wanyin entered the hall and saw the messy memorials on the ground. Helian Qi sat on the dragon throne with a cold expression, looking at her. “What did you come for?”

“I’ve heard about the incident where Shun Pin was almost harmed, and I’ve come to request that Your Majesty not use torture to interrogate Tang Meiren,” Ning Wanyin said, kneeling on the ground with an open and honest expression.

Wang De Gui gasped in shock. This was bold, coming to plead for Tang Meiren’s case.
Why would she dare to get involved in such a messy situation? Others would try to distance themselves.

“Why do you want me not to use torture? Do you think she’s innocent?” Helian Qi’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression unreadable.

What made her so confident that Tang Meiren was innocent?
Did Tang Meiren report everything to her? Was she behind today’s incident?

Although Ning Wanyin had protected Shun Pin’s pregnancy last time, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t harm her. Different situations called for different choices, and enemies and friends could change at any moment.

Ning Wanyin knew that if she dared to say that Tang Meiren was innocent, she would be implicated in Shun Pin’s case. The Emperor might still favor her, but he would also suspect her, just like he suspected everyone in the harem.

“I don’t know if Tang Meiren is innocent or not,” Ning Wanyin replied calmly.
“But I know she’s timid and spineless. No matter what the charge is, she’ll confess under torture. If she’s not the one behind it, wouldn’t it be a miscarriage of justice to kill an innocent person and let the real culprit escape?”

She had rehearsed these words in her mind three times before coming to plead for Tang Meiren.

“Then who do you think is the real culprit?” Helian Qi asked.

Ning Wanyin replied calmly, “I don’t know. But I’ve heard that Shun Pin is safe, which means the person behind it hasn’t achieved their goal. They might try again. I dare to request that Your Majesty allow me to take care of Shun Pin, and catch the real culprit by setting a trap.”

“I’ll protect Shun Pin with my life! If I fail to discover any suspicious person, Your Majesty can deal with Tang Meiren later,” Ning Wanyin said, bowing her head.

Helian Qi’s eyes flashed with surprise. “You want to take care of Shun Pin? If anything happens to the imperial heir, you know you can’t bear the responsibility.”

“I’ll do my best, and if there’s any mistake, I’ll accept the punishment willingly,” Ning Wanyin said, kneeling and bowing her head.