PNB Chapter 371: Not enough success, more than enough failure
Chapter 371: Not enough success, more than enough failure
The Queen Mother frowned and looked at the prayer wheel on the table.
Because this prayer wheel was really to her liking, and also to honor Shen Jingyu, she had been playing with it in her hands and had only put it aside not long ago.
On the white cushion, a prayer wheel made of gold and jade lies quietly.
But at this moment, a dense layer of black insects crawled out of the prayer wheel from the inside out. The insects' bodies were shiny black and their movements were very slow, but it was clear enough for people to see that the insects were crawling out of the prayer wheel.
At this moment, many insects had already crawled onto the white silk cushion, making it particularly conspicuous.
Not only that, a few black bugs had climbed onto the table curtain and were now crawling along the table curtain towards the Queen Mother's cuffs.
Aunt Chunxi's pupils shrank slightly. She quickly stepped forward and opened the prayer wheel and the mat, then helped the empress dowager up and took a few steps back.
"My lady, be careful!"
The golden prayer wheel flew out and then fell heavily to the ground.
Emperor Qianwu looked at this scene and his expression turned cold: "Come here, arrest Shen Jingyu for me!"
He had just been assassinated in the morning, and now some unknown insects were targeting the Queen Mother.
It's hard not to wonder if these things are related.
Before Shen Jingyu could react, she was escorted from Concubine Jing to the center of the field by the guards, and then pushed to the ground without any courtesy.
Seeing this scene, Shen Jingchuan immediately stepped forward, and knelt heavily on the ground with a plop.
"Your Majesty, please understand! I would never dare to murder the Queen Mother. This must be some misunderstanding!"
When he got closer, Shen Jingchuan could see it clearly.
The prayer wheel was covered with a dense layer of shiny black insects, which made one's scalp tingle. I had no idea where they came from or what they were.
Shen Jingchuan swallowed his saliva, and his heart began to tremble.
Shen Jingyu was even more stunned, staring at the prayer wheel in a daze, unable to understand why there was a layer of bugs on it when it was clearly fine before, and the bugs were obviously still crawling out of the prayer wheel.
This...where did this come from?
In just a moment, Shen Jingyu realized that she was being plotted against.
But...who is it?
Is she a woman who also wants to be the Eighth Prince's wife? Or is she a member of the Third Prince's faction? Or is she Shen Shuyi?
"Where is the imperial physician? Check it for me! I want to see what these people are trying to do!" Emperor Qianwu said in a cold voice.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
As soon as he finished speaking, several imperial doctors came forward and began to examine the bugs on the prayer wheel.
This insect is not common. Several people studied it for a while but could not come up with a name. Finally, after discussing for a while, one of them stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this insect is not poisonous, but if a person is bitten by it, a red rash will appear. The rash is extremely itchy. If the skin is scratched, the rash will spread..."
The imperial physician spoke after careful consideration, but still could not make up his mind.
But now, the emperor and the empress dowager are waiting for a result, and they must give an explanation.
"As to whether this insect will have other consequences, we need to investigate further."
"What a sinister intention! How dare you present such a thing in front of me, Shen Jingyu? I think you don't want to live anymore!" The Queen Mother spoke angrily, and swept all the teacups and wine pots on the table to the ground with a slap.
Shen Jingyu kowtowed and explained: "Your Majesty! I am innocent. How could I have tampered with the gift I sent you? Someone must have deliberately framed me. Please understand, Your Majesty!"
The Queen Mother said in a cold voice: "Someone framed me? If so, tell me! As long as you can show me the evidence, I will listen to you!"
Shen Jingyu's face turned pale. Not to mention evidence, she herself had no idea who was setting her up.
Seeing this, the Queen Mother sneered and said, "Do you really want me to believe your empty words and random accusations?"
Concubine Rou said slowly, "Everything presented to Your Majesty and Mother must be carefully checked to prevent someone from taking advantage of it. Whether you did it intentionally or not, you are guilty of negligence. You have brought bad luck to this great day and have bothered Mother."
Concubine Jing couldn't laugh at all. She just felt that Shen Jingyu... was really incapable of doing anything good and was always causing trouble!
Shen Shuyi stood in the crowd, watching the scene coldly.
This insect is not poisonous, but as the imperial physician said, the itchiness after being bitten is extremely unbearable. Fortunately, as long as the right treatment is given, even if you are bitten, it is not difficult to treat.
However, the imperial doctors were cautious and would not easily make final statements.
Sometimes, uncertainty is the best torture.
Lian Qiao searched for several days before finding this suitable insect. The insect was usually lazy, so after being placed into the inner wall of the prayer wheel, it did not move.
When the prayer wheel turns, they may squirm a little, but they are still not that active.
What really made these insects uneasy and fearful was the pine scent in the ivory bracelet. In order to rush to Qingyuan Marquis Mansion, the Queen Mother wore the ivory bracelet on her wrist.
The same goes for the bracelet. When you move your hands and feet, the incense balls collide and emit bursts of fragrance.
The fragrance stimulated the black insects, and they all crawled out of the prayer wheel.
"Your Majesty was assassinated this morning, and now the Queen Mother is being framed. I think this matter should be thoroughly investigated. Someone may be colluding with the enemy country, coordinating internally and externally, intending to murder Your Majesty and the Queen." Prime Minister Wu said in a deep voice.
The Supervisory Censor also said: "In my humble opinion, the prayer wheel incident may not be directed at Your Highness and the Empress Dowager, but it is wrong to scare the Empress Dowager."
"All gifts must be inspected and kept by a special person beforehand. It is really strange to see so many black bugs!" Prime Minister Chu also said.
Emperor Qianwu's face was gloomy. After a while, he said in a cold voice: "Xie Jingchi! What do you think?"
"I'm here." The handsome man in brocade robe took a step forward, less casual than usual, with a calm look between his brows.
Xie Jingchi glanced at the prayer wheel not far away on the ground with narrow eyes, and then his gaze fell on Shen Jingyu beside him, and he said faintly: "Excuse me, Miss Shen, where did this prayer wheel come from?"
This one sentence made Shen Jingyu's face look much uglier.
Shen Jingchuan's temples were throbbing rapidly, and he said coldly: "Why don't you answer Mr. Xie's question!"
Shen Jingyu's throat tightened: "This thing comes from... comes from..."
Xie Jingchi lowered his eyes and glared at her coldly without urging her. The people around him watching this scene couldn't help but have many speculations in their hearts.
Shen Shuyi's almond-shaped eyes were cold. Are you turning the prayer wheel?
It is indeed rare in Daqian. Although many people know about it, it is not as circulated in Daqian as Buddhist beads and pagodas.
The prayer wheel that Shen Jingyu gave was even more exquisite and did not look like a product of Daqian.
In an instant, Shen Shuyi's mind raced. Before this, he had never thought about it in this regard.
Shen Jingyu's heart sank. "This item came from the border area between Xiling and Daqian. I sent people to search for rare treasures and found this item in Ying County. I then asked a craftsman to bring it back to Beijing and then inlay and carve it carefully."