Chapter 727: 337 Beating Her (Second Update)_3 Chapter 727: 337 Beating Her (Second Update)_3 Xiao Liulang said earnestly: “Jiaojiao did not enter the palace at all today. Although she has some skills, she is not capable of lightness kung fu and cannot enter without passing through the main gate.”
This was an undeniable truth.
Gu Jiao indeed didn’t have such skills, a fact the emperor had experienced firsthand. On the night when he was assassinated, she helped him escape with nothing more than her own two legs to carry them both.
The emperor had nearly run himself ragged!
If she had the skill of lightness, she wouldn’t have needed to run in a life or death situation.
This time, without waiting for the emperor’s order and in order to clear the innocence of the young doctor, Eunuch Wei went to the palace gate himself to inquire about whether Gu Jiao had entered the palace.
“No!” the palace guard replied with certainty.
Eunuch Wei asked: “Did Xiao Xiuzhuan enter the palace on his own?”
The guard replied: “There was also a young eunuch from Renshou Palace.”
This young eunuch didn’t raise suspicions in Eunuch Wei because Empress Dowager Zhuang had often sent people to deliver things to Bishui Alley or escort people from Bishui Alley into the palace.
Eunuch Wei returned to Huaqing Palace and reported: “The young doctor did not enter the palace today.”
Xiao Liulang mused: “Could it be… someone impersonated Jiaojiao?”
The emperor asked angrily: “Did you clearly see her face?”
Xiao Liulang shook his head slightly: “I did not see it very clearly. Her silhouette from behind was very similar, the clothing, hair ornaments were the same, even that small basket on her back!”
In the imperial palace, no other palace maid would be dressed in green and carry a small basket on her back. This was clearly Gu Jiao’s distinctive style.
The emperor’s eyes grew cold: “It seems, there really is someone impersonating the young doctor!”
Xiao Liulang had a look of sudden realization: “The reason she didn’t kill me to silence me was probably to use me to reveal her identity.. Unfortunately, she didn’t know that Jiaojiao wasn’t skilled in lightness, which ironically exposed her.”
The balance was very delicate.
The fact that Gu Jiao had no ability in lightness was unknown even to Eunuch Wei. He thought that as a talented young doctor she could no doubt move like the palace masters, displaying athleticism and agility.
But because even he didn’t know, the emperor believed the killer didn’t either.
It appeared the killer had overlooked this detail.
Since the killer planned to frame Gu Jiao, that meant the mastermind behind this could not be Empress Dowager Zhuang.
No matter how much prejudice the emperor held against Empress Dowager Zhuang, he found it impossible to believe that she would frame Gu Jiao. He had witnessed her kindness to Gu Jiao during his time in Bishui Alley. He knew that she cherished Gu Jiao, just like him.
The suspicion against Empress Dowager Zhuang naturally fell apart.
“But if not her, who else could target Mother Empress Qing…” the emperor muttered coldly.
His voice was low, yet Eunuch Wei heard him.
Eunuch Wei glanced at Xiao Liulang cautiously, thinking that this sort of conversation should not be had in front of Xiao Xiuzhuan. He merely hoped that Xiao Xiuzhuan hadn’t heard it.
Xiao Liulang’s expression didn’t change at all, as if he really hadn’t heard anything. He pondered critically for a moment, then said: “Your Majesty, since the person intended to frame Jiaojiao, they must aim to ignite a conflict between Huaqing Palace and Renshou Palace.”
Gu Jiao’s closeness with Renshou Palace was not a secret anymore. If it hadn’t been proven today that the killer was not Gu Jiao, this fire would inevitably burn Empress Dowager Zhuang.
Xiao Liulang said earnestly: “Your Majesty, forgive my directness, this is someone’s plot to provoke infighting among Your Majesty, Empress Dowager Zhuang, and the Mother Empress, in the hope of benefiting from your conflict. I understand that there’s an irreconcilable conflict between Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager, but in face of a greater enemy, Your Majesty mustn’t fall for their scheme.”
The emperor would have ignored these words in the past.
But the events of today provided concrete evidence, which he found hard to deny.
After leaving the palace, the emperor sat quietly in his study for a long while. Only when the royal doctor came to report the condition of Empress Qing, did he rise and head towards her sleeping palace.
“Has the killer been found?” Empress Qing asked weakly.
The emperor hesitated momentarily, ultimately choosing not to reveal the incident of someone impersonating Gu Jiao which Xiao Liulang had encountered: “There isn’t much progress yet. Mother Empress, rest assured, I will continue the investigation.”
Empress Qing smiled weakly: “Alright.”