Chapter 1029: Chapter 750: Are You Trying to Frame Me?
The sunset was fiery.
Qianqiu Palace seemed to be burning in flames, yet it remained silent as ever.
But soon, the silence was broken by hurried, chaotic footsteps tinged with obvious anger. Chu Ruoyan, her delicate face full of fury, marched in angrily with Panqing. As she raised her head, she saw Shang Ruyi sitting by the bed, while the Imperial Doctor, Su Qinglan, was checking her pulse.
The two chief palace maids, Tushere and Chang Wan, stood by the side.
Seeing her storm in angrily, the two palace maids exchanged a glance. Tushere frowned but, having been forewarned, bit her lip and said nothing. Instead, Chang Wan went up to her and respectfully said, "Lady Chu, you are——"
"I’m here to see the Princess!"
Chu Ruoyan waved her hand, and Chang Wan obediently stepped aside, allowing Chu Ruoyan to walk straight up to Shang Ruyi.
It was only at that moment that Shang Ruyi slowly raised her head, looking at Chu Ruoyan with a slight smile. "What a rare visitor. Since I entered the palace, I believe this is the first time Lady Chu has come to this Qianqiu Palace."
Chu Ruoyan sneered, "I would have come more often, but the Princess even threw away the pastries I made with my own hands. How could I show my face here?"
"..."
Upon hearing this, the entire Qianqiu Palace fell silent.
Shang Ruyi’s face showed a knowing expression, but she did not speak immediately. Instead, she glanced at Su Qinglan. Su Qinglan quietly moved her hand away from Shang Ruyi’s wrist, then stood and bowed to Chu Ruoyan, saying, "Lady Chu."
Apparently unable to quell her anger, Chu Ruoyan waved dismissively, "This matter has nothing to do with you, step aside!"
Su Qinglan stated calmly but firmly, "This matter is related to me."
Chu Ruoyan was taken aback and turned to look at her, "Hmm?"
Su Qinglan calmly explained, "Because it was I who discovered that harmful powder had been mixed into those pastries, harmful to pregnant women, which is why I advised the Princess not to eat them."
"What are you saying!?"
Chu Ruoyan was stunned, her eyes widening in shock, "You, you mean——"
As Shang Ruyi adjusted her sleeve, she said, "If I had really eaten what you sent, there might have been a major incident by now, and the news would have reached Your Majesty."
Chu Ruoyan stood dazed, looking at the certainty in Su Qinglan and Shang Ruyi’s expressions, seemingly unable to believe it, "The things I sent were—poisoned? How is that possible!"
"..."
"I made those things myself and even tasted them; it’s impossible for them to be poisoned!"
"..."
"Are you trying to frame me?"
Shang Ruyi glanced at Su Qinglan, a relieved smile appearing on her face, and Su Qinglan nodded slightly.
Seeing them like this made Chu Ruoyan even angrier, "Are you working together to frame me?"
Upon hearing this, Tushere couldn’t hold back anymore. She turned and went into another room, bringing out a red lacquered and carved food box to show her, saying, "The Princess and Mr. Su are upright people; how could they engage in framing? Please look, Lady Chu, this is the dessert you sent. It has been tampered with, with five, five—"
At this point, she stuttered slightly, and Chang Wan immediately said, "Five Elements Grass Ash."
Looking at the box in surprise, Chu Ruoyan recognized it as the one she had specially had the palace maid in Jinyu Garden search through boxes to find in the storeroom, one of the items left to her by her mother. The box was opened to reveal four neatly arranged bright red hawthorn cakes, which were indeed made by her.
She was momentarily stunned, "You, you mean——"
Shang Ruyi calmly stated, "The things you sent, I did not discard. Earlier, I had She’er discard other desserts."
"Why did you do that?"
"I did it merely to see your attitude, Lady Chu."
"What do you mean?"
"If the Five Elements Grass Ash was indeed added by you, then when I had it discarded, you, feeling guilty, wouldn’t have come to confront me; only when you didn’t know anything, seeing your kind offering wasted for no reason, would you come seeking fairness."
"..."
Chu Ruoyan blinked. Although still upset, she slowly began to realize the situation.
Shang Ruyi was using her attitude to determine whether she was the one responsible for poisoning.
Realizing this, another wave of anger surged within her. She glared at Shang Ruyi and said sternly, "You really look down on people too much; am I really that kind of person? If this really happened, you should come and ask me directly. I would admit to what I’ve done."
"..."
"No, I wouldn’t do such a thing!"
Shang Ruyi said calmly, "I understand that. However, this concerns my child, so I must be cautious."
As she spoke, she placed her hand gently over her slightly protruding belly, which others could not yet notice.
Chu Ruoyan looked down at her belly, and her gaze became conflicted. After a moment of silence, she took a deep breath to calm her anger, trying to sound as composed as possible, "Then just now, what was that grass ash you were talking about?"
Shang Ruyi turned to look at Su Qinglan, her gaze seemingly indicating that Chu Ruoyan indeed didn’t understand pharmacology. Su Qinglan also nodded quietly, stepped over, and softly explained, "In response to Lady Chu, this type of grass ash has the effect of tightening the uterus. It’s harmless to the average person, but when combined with hawthorn cake, which has a blood-circulating, bruising effect, it can pose a risk of miscarriage when consumed by a pregnant woman."
"Ah?"
Chu Ruoyan was startled again, staring wide-eyed, "Hawthorn is also harmful?"
"..."
"But my mother said when she was pregnant with Fei’er she craved sour things, and the Food Bureau made her hawthorn cakes!"
Su Qinglan smiled wryly, "There are also reasons related to dosage and body constitution. The critical issue wasn’t the hawthorn cakes but the combination with the Five Elements Grass Ash."
As she spoke, she reached into the box and rubbed the surface of the hawthorn cakes, retrieving some white powder to show to Chu Ruoyan. "This, Lady Chu might have thought was finely powdered sugar, but my humble self discovered a considerable amount of Five Elements Grass Ash mixed in. It’s a malicious and insidious method that harms people unnoticeably. Had the Princess consumed it, I’m afraid she——"
Chu Ruoyan’s face turned pale instantly.
She hurriedly said, "I didn’t do it!"
Shang Ruyi said, "Now that you’re standing here, Lady Chu, I completely believe you. However——"
"However what?"
"We’ve examined the hawthorn cakes; indeed, there’s nothing wrong with them. The problem lies with the Five Elements Grass Ash on top. In other words, someone must have tampered with it after you finished making them and after the sugar powder was added."
"...!"
Chu Ruoyan trembled slightly, instinctively turning around to look at Panqing, who was standing behind her, now pale-faced and terrified.
