After Concubine Ning was sent to the Cold Palace, Eunuch Wang finally made a move. He began to gather his wealth and handed it to a young eunuch, asking him to make arrangements for Concubine Ning.
When the spy came to report, Yong Yaxuan had just finished reading the memorial from the Marquis of Ningyuan. "The mastermind behind Eunuch Wang has been found. It's Concubine Ning."
Yong Yaxuan closed the memorial and threw it aside. "Arrest Eunuch Wang and interrogate him."
In a pitch - black dungeon, Eunuch Wang was whipped until his flesh was lacerated. The interrogator only asked one question, "Before the fire in the Cold Palace, did you contact Zhang Fugui? What did you contact him for?"
Eunuch Wang only said that he was making arrangements for the Empress. But the interrogator said, "Think it over before you answer," and then another round of whips fell.
The second time, the interrogator asked the same question again, and Eunuch Wang gave the same answer. The interrogator said, "Then why did you give Zhang Fugui money twice?" Before Eunuch Wang could explain anything, another round of whips lashed down.
The third time, the interrogator brought some salt. He said, "Eunuch Wang, think it over before you answer. If you're locked up here and can't get out, the people you've made arrangements for will also suffer the same as you."
The salt was rubbed on the wounds, and Eunuch Wang let out a scream of pain. For some reason, he thought of Concubine Ning suffering, so he confessed.
"I originally contacted Zhang Fugui at the request of Eunuch Li to make arrangements for the Empress. But because I had a private grudge against the Empress, I changed the arrangements without permission and turned it from helping to framing. This was all my own idea and had nothing to do with others."
The interrogator asked, "What else did you do after that? Did you pass anything into the Cold Palace?"
Eunuch Wang replied, "Yes. I passed in a dagger and a torch because the people inside asked for them."
The interrogator asked, "How did you pass the dagger and the torch in?"
Eunuch Wang said, "I was just responsible for putting the things in a hole in the corner of the wall. I just stood outside and said a few words to the people inside."
Eunuch Wang's relationship with Concubine Ning was exposed. It seemed natural, but in fact, he had been calculated.
Originally, after the incident, Concubine Ning had told him that if either of them got into trouble, the other must never contact the other. However, although the Cold Palace was not on the route of the Emperor's carriage, it was on the route that Eunuch Wang passed by every day.
Eunuch Wang was very painful because every day when he passed by the Cold Palace, he could hear Concubine Ning's miserable screams. After a long time, he couldn't bear it anymore and began to gather money to make arrangements for Concubine Ning. But it was precisely because of his arrangements that their relationship was exposed, and he was arrested.
Although he now wanted to take all the blame alone, it was obvious that the Emperor didn't believe that he had done it alone.
After Yong Yaxuan read the record of Eunuch Wang's confession, he decided to go to the Cold Palace in person to see Concubine Ning.
In just a few days, Concubine Ning had been tortured to the point of being unrecognizable. When she climbed out of the straw pile, dirty all over, she could hardly believe that Yong Yaxuan had come to see her.
"Concubine Ning, how have you been these days?" Yong Yaxuan's expression was cold.
Concubine Ning tried to straighten her body to maintain her former dignity and said indifferently, "Your Majesty needn't worry. Your Majesty never sets foot in the Cold Palace. Why have you come to see me today?"
Yong Yaxuan took two steps to the side. The straw on the ground crackled under his feet. He glanced at the desolate palace and said in a deep voice, "I didn't want to come either, but I have too many doubts in my heart and want to ask you."
"Your Majesty, you may as well just ask."
Yong Yaxuan then said, "What old grudge do you have with the Empress? Why did you try to kill the Empress?"
When Concubine Ning saw him coming, she guessed it had something to do with the Empress, but she didn't expect him to be so direct. She lowered her eyes and said, "I don't know what Your Majesty is talking about."
Yong Yaxuan sighed. "Eunuch Wang has confessed. But he also said that all the things were done by him alone and had nothing to do with you."
Concubine Ning's eyes trembled when she heard this.
Yong Yaxuan said, "Of course, you can also deny your relationship with Eunuch Wang. But strangely, if you had no relationship, why did he use up all his wealth to make arrangements for you in the Cold Palace?"
No wonder these two days had been a bit easier. She didn't expect it was him.
Concubine Ning's expression wavered a little. She sighed imperceptibly and whispered, "Why bother?"
Seeing her silent admission, Yong Yaxuan said heart - brokenly, "If the evidence weren't conclusive, I wouldn't have believed that you were the mastermind behind the fire in the Cold Palace."
Concubine Ning finally laughed. There was even a hint of madness in her eyes. "I did all this for Your Majesty's good. Who told Your Majesty to always have only her in your heart? If this evil empress isn't removed one day, Your Majesty will never really look at the three thousand beauties in the harem."
Yong Yaxuan looked at her in disbelief. "Concubine Ning, you've never fought for anything in the harem. You've always been lukewarm towards me. I don't believe you would do such an unwise thing for this reason."
"Unwise? What kind of action is considered wise?" Concubine Ning shouted coldly. "This boundless glory and the country were all exchanged for Your Majesty by the Ningyuan Army with their blood. With powerful enemies in front, Your Majesty doesn't handle government affairs in the palace but runs out of the palace for a dead person. Who is more unwise!"
"Concubine Ning!" Yong Yaxuan was furious. "It's me asking you now!"
But Concubine Ning's eyes were slightly red. She said, "Your Majesty may have forgotten who the Ningyuan Army originally belonged to. Whose light did Your Majesty borrow to quell the rebellion and ascend the throne? It was Prince Chengxuan! Prince Chengxuan died because of that woman. How could I ever forgive her! For so many years, under your protection, I had no chance to do anything. Only this time when she entered the Cold Palace, I naturally wouldn't let it go."
Yong Yaxuan said painfully, "For so many years, I knew you had feelings for Chengxuan, so I didn't get close to you. But if you really loved Chengxuan, how could you not know who he loved? If he knew under the Nine Springs that you were harming the one he loved, how could he not be sad!"
Concubine Ning couldn't help but sneer. "Don't mention anything about knowing under the Nine Springs. I've always known clearly that he never even glanced at me back then. It was all my one - sided love. But so what? I just hoped he could live well, and I would guard this country for him. But what about you? For her, you don't have an heir or establish a crown prince. With powerful enemies outside, if something happens to you, the country will be unstable. I knew you didn't get close to me, but I didn't expect that you wouldn't get close to others in the harem either. You even shielded them from being arrogant because of your 'favor'."
Yong Yaxuan frowned. "I don't understand what you're talking about."
Concubine Ning said, "If I hadn't found out that Concubine Zhen's pregnancy was fake this time, how long were you going to hide it?"
Yong Yaxuan retorted, "I didn't know Concubine Zhen's pregnancy was fake. How could I not know?"
Concubine Ning said, "Don't you know whether you favored her that day? That day, you did stay in Concubine Zhen's place, but you were so drunk that you didn't know anything. You don't need to ask how I got the news, but this matter wasn't air - tight. If I could find out, others could too. I just didn't expect that when Concubine Zhen saw that I was getting close to the truth, she actually had a 'miscarriage' and framed me. She really has a lot of nerve."
Yong Yaxuan said, "Then why didn't you defend yourself?"
Concubine Ning laughed bitterly. "If I told the truth, whose face would be lost?"