Chapter 1044: Chapter 761: "Dirty Thing" (3)
Yu Wenquan said, "How dare you hit her?"
Chu Ruoyan replied, "I casually picked up something and threw it at her—neck."
Aunt Hui’s face was already gloomy, and hearing this, her expression turned even grimmer.
Yu Wenquan suddenly understood something and said, "The neck? You hit her neck with something?"
"Yes."
Chu Ruoyan immediately nodded, then glanced at the doors of Liangyi Hall, and said to Eunuch Yu, "Please bring the item in, Eunuch."
At this point, Eunuch Yu dared not act without Yu Wenquan’s approval. He glanced at Yu Wenquan, and seeing that the Emperor nodded slightly, he immediately turned and went out. Outside the door of Liangyi Hall, the Chief Palace Maid Panqing, who came with Chu Ruoyan, stood trembling. Despite her fear, she held something in her hands. Eunuch Yu quickly took it from her and returned to the hall, presenting it to Yu Wenquan.
It was the lid of the food box, already broken into two halves.
At this moment, although controlling her expression and breathing with great effort, her heart pounded uncontrollably, like the beating of a drum.
Shang Ruyi clenched her hands, looking at Chu Ruoyan.
The lid of that food box had been taken apart by her and Yu Wenye that night. After searching, they found the remaining Five Elements Grass Ash that Jian Chun had hidden in the interlayer. After discussing with Chu Ruoyan, she still had the food box returned, thinking it useless, but now it proved its worth!
Looking at the broken lid, Yu Wenquan said, "Is this—"
Chu Ruoyan bowed her head and sincerely apologized, "I was simply too angry because Princess Qin had finally conceived. I was genuinely happy for her, so I made those pastries personally to send over. Not only did Jian Chun ruin them, but if Princess Qin had accidentally eaten them, it might have harmed her pregnancy. If anything happened, my life wouldn’t matter, but the child in the princess’s womb is the Imperial Grandson of the Great Sheng Dynasty!"
"..."
Upon hearing this, Yu Wenquan couldn’t help but frown.
Although he valued this matter, what he valued more was the child in Shang Ruyi’s womb, or rather, his Imperial Grandson. The little palace maid’s death seemed to have been investigated by about seventy to eighty percent, but involving Shang Ruyi’s pregnancy made any sympathy he had vanish due to this affair.
Indeed, even the death of a hundred palace maids cannot compare to Princess Qin, let alone her unborn child!
He let out a heavy sigh, looking at Chu Ruoyan with a slightly gentler gaze than before, saying, "Indeed."
Chu Ruoyan immediately said, "Thus, in a moment of rage, I hit Jian Chun with this lid."
"..."
"At that time, I saw a bruise form on her neck, and though still angry, I couldn’t bear to punish her further, so I sent her away to reflect. However, I never imagined that she would run to Bai Fu Hall in a fit of anger afterward..."
After speaking, Chu Ruoyan deeply bowed, saying, "It was all my fault."
Yu Wenquan looked at her and said, "You—"
"Father!"
This time, it was Shang Ruyi who interrupted him, immediately walking to Chu Ruoyan’s side, kneeling before Yu Wenquan, and earnestly saying, "Please, Father, do not blame Ruoyan."
Yu Wenquan immediately said, "What are you doing? Get up quickly."
Shang Ruyi refused to rise, kneeling beside Chu Ruoyan and repeatedly saying, "In truth, when the incident occurred, I already knew it was the palace maids’ negligence. I didn’t expect Ruoyan to worry so much about my health and go on to punish Jian Chun. What was more unexpected was how hot-tempered Jian Chun was, to get angry after a few scolding words and a hit, then rashly—"
"..."
"Ultimately, it’s my fault."
Yu Wenquan immediately said, "What are you talking about? You are pregnant and should be careful; Ruoyan was right to worry about you and punish Jian Chun. Otherwise, if everyone acted as recklessly, what if something happened to my Grandson, how could that be tolerated?!"
Upon hearing this, both Shang Ruyi and Chu Ruoyan bowed, "Thank you, Father, for your understanding!"
Aunt Hui stood nearby, her brows furrowed tightly into a knot.
Only now did she realize that by separating the mention of Jian Chun’s death and injury into two parts due to fear of Yu Wenye, she had made a grave mistake. With just a few words, Chu Ruoyan had labeled Jian Chun’s death as an accident and claimed the bruise was from her striking with the lid in anger, while the broken neck was due to a fall into a dry well.
