Chapter 390 - 168: Song Yunzhao Is Not to Be Messed With
"...Because my needlework is quite different from Ying Chun’s, I asked her to come over and give me some pointers when I ran into difficulty. That day, I happened to be tidying up the storeroom for my mistress. The string on a red gold bracelet with inlaid rubies had come loose, so Nanny Du had me take it back to my room to re-string it before putting it away. I couldn’t find a suitable string right away, so I placed the bracelet in a box on my bed. A day later, I asked Ying Chun to come over again for advice on my needlework. I never expected that shortly after she left, the bracelet was gone..."
Song Yunzhao thought, ’This trick is so cliché, but it’s annoyingly effective.’
"At first, I didn’t suspect Ying Chun either. I was terrified after losing the bracelet and had no idea how I would explain it to my mistress, so I could only search for it in private. The next day, I heard that Ying Chun’s brother came to see her. Out of curiosity, I asked about it and learned he was asking her for silver. We palace attendants have a fixed monthly allowance, but Ying Chun gave her brother fifty taels of silver. That’s when I became suspicious. The more I thought about it, the more it felt wrong. Fifty taels of silver... we’d have to save up for more than half a year without eating or drinking to get that much. Where would Ying Chun get so much silver coin? So, I secretly went to Ying Chun’s room, and just as I expected, I found the missing bracelet. That’s when I raised the alarm."
"I failed in my duty and lost my mistress’s bracelet. Now it’s found, but I can’t just swallow this matter. If it happens once, it will happen again. Am I supposed to guard against Ying Chun like a thief forever here in Liu Hua Palace? The very thought is terrifying."
Song Yunzhao’s expression was starting to crack. They had even dragged Ying Chun’s brother into this. If her brother had been bribed, it would be incredibly difficult to overturn this case.
’You can guard against a thousand dangers, but it’s hardest to guard against a thief from within.’
’A damning testimony from your own family is a fatal blow.’
’No wonder. Earlier, when I looked at the back of the kneeling Ying Chun, I sensed a sorrow that seemed to have seen through life. I had assumed she was just frightened, but it turns out she was stabbed in the back by her own family.’
This made things difficult. Song Yunzhao looked at Ying Chun, pondering how she could save her.
She suddenly thought of Zhang Maoquan and tilted her head slightly to glance at Shizhu. Shizhu was a very clever girl. Seeing her mistress’s gesture, she inconspicuously slipped out of the crowd and quietly left Liu Hua Palace.
After listening to Wanqiu, Yan Yu turned to Ying Chun, who had remained silent. "Miss Ying Chun, it’s your turn to speak."
Hearing that Yan Yu’s tone wasn’t prejudiced, Song Yunzhao felt a slight sense of relief. ’There’s a reason Yan Yu has been the Palace Supervisor for so many years.’
Ying Chun lowered her head and began to speak. "Of my silver, twenty taels were my own savings, and the other thirty taels were a reward from my mistress. I did not steal any ruby and gold bracelet. Wanqiu did come to me to learn needlework, and I did go to her room. But as for why that golden bracelet appeared in my room, I do not know. Wanqiu herself said she secretly entered my room and found the golden bracelet. No one else was there at the time. If she can say I stole it and hid it in my room, then I can also say she brought the bracelet into my room to deliberately frame me."
Song Yunzhao’s eyes lit up. ’Not bad, Ying Chun,’ she thought. ’That’s the right line of thinking.’
Han Jinyi also breathed a small sigh of relief. Ying Chun had been with her for so long; she knew her character. She would never do something like steal, especially not something from An Fangyi’s domain.
Hearing this, Wanqiu spoke with an indignant expression, "I didn’t bring anyone with me at the time because I wasn’t sure. After all, it was just my suspicion."
Ying Chun immediately retorted, "It’s also possible you didn’t bring anyone because you were planting evidence and couldn’t be seen."
Wanqiu sneered. "When I found that golden bracelet, it was in the same box as a jade hairpin. How could we palace attendants possibly wear something like that? I just wonder where that jade hairpin came from."
Hearing the words "jade hairpin," Ying Chun’s face changed instantly. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but she closed her mouth.
Song Yunzhao had a bad feeling. ’I’m afraid this jade hairpin has some unspeakable origin. If Ying Chun can’t explain it, she likely won’t be able to climb out of this pit of mud.’
An Fangyi, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up. "I don’t really care about one golden bracelet. If Ying Chun had taken the initiative to return it and admit her mistake at the time, I would have let it go. But since she still refuses to repent and is even trying to bite back at Wanqiu, this matter can’t be so easily dismissed."
Consort Zhuang nodded with a grave expression. "Theft is no small matter. Furthermore, attempting to frame someone else cannot be treated lightly."
"Consort Zhuang, I know my handmaiden’s character quite well. She would never do something like steal." Seeing An Fangyi and Consort Zhuang hammering the final nails into Ying Chun’s coffin with every word, Han Jinyi knew she couldn’t just sit by and wait for the end.
"Han Guipin, words are not enough. You need to present evidence," An Fangyi said, staring at her.
"An Fangyi is correct. If evidence is required, then I also ask An Fangyi to present evidence proving the bracelet was taken from Ying Chun’s room. Just because Wanqiu says so, does that make it true? We can’t go by words alone. We need evidence," Han Jinyi said in a low voice.
Song Yunzhao stared at An Fangyi for a long moment before suddenly speaking. "An Fangyi, I was wondering, what does the bracelet you lost look like?"
An Fangyi was taken aback, then replied, "It’s a golden bracelet inlaid with rubies."
"I know it’s a golden bracelet inlaid with rubies. I am asking how many rubies are inlaid, what quality they are, and how large each gemstone is. Moreover, ’golden bracelet’ is too broad a term. Is it a plain band, twisted wire, filigree, single-strand, or double-strand? Describe it to me in detail."
As soon as Song Yunzhao said this, the entire scene fell silent.
Who would have thought to ask such questions? It was just a golden bracelet with rubies, wasn’t it?
Song Yunzhao’s eyes remained fixed on An Fangyi, but her peripheral vision caught a flash of panic in Wanqiu’s eyes. Just as Wanqiu was about to speak, Song Yunzhao cut in sharply, "Wanqiu, I did not give you permission to speak. You had best keep your mouth shut. If you say a single word, you will be suspected of tampering with evidence, and your entire testimony will be thrown out. You’d better think carefully."
Wanqiu’s face went pale, her mouth half-open, unsure whether to speak or not.
Consort Shu cautiously glanced at Song Yunzhao out of the corner of her eye. ’I knew it. I knew she wouldn’t just sit by and do nothing. But who could have predicted she would attack from this angle? I certainly couldn’t have.’
’Sure enough, Song Yunzhao is not to be provoked. Her mind doesn’t work like a normal person’s.’
Song Yunzhao then turned back to An Fangyi. "An Fangyi, why aren’t you speaking?"
An Fangyi’s expression was also ugly. She looked at Song Yunzhao and said, "Lady Zhaoyi, I own many bracelets, more than ten of them golden. If you ask me like this, I truly can’t recall the exact style at a moment’s notice. Which master remembers the style of every single item? Aren’t they all managed by the palace attendants? Can you, Lady Zhaoyi, remember what every single one of your jewelry pieces looks like?"
’Of course not.’