Chapter 116 Extra Chapter: Sky Screen Cinema 22

"Noble Lady Nara, Consort Shen, please proceed to Changchun Palace immediately."

"They're here, they're here."

Yin was quite excited as he watched this scene, as were the others, since it concerned their bet.

They weren't just betting on the jewelry and gold; they were betting on the judges' judgment of character! This moment would determine who had the better eye among them.

Therefore, Ruyi is the protagonist of the incident and the center of attention. However, she is not the focus of everyone's attention; what they care about is who ultimately exposed this whole affair.

After all, judging from yesterday's schedule, today's show should be coming to an end, which means that Ruyi can't act out any more farces. This is her last show, and also the show that everyone is most looking forward to.

How will this seemingly flawless but leaky cinnabar formation end?

Ruyi and A'ruo rushed to Changchun Palace. Hongli and Empress Fucha Langhua sat solemnly at the head of the table, with all the concubines present.

"Do you know why His Majesty and I have summoned you all to Changchun Palace today?"

Everyone shook their heads. Fucha Langhua slammed her hand on the table angrily: "It is a joyous occasion that Consort Jia is pregnant, but I never expected that someone in this palace would dare to stir up trouble and harm the imperial heir!"

Following her words, Jin Yuyan knelt down: "I beg Your Majesty and Your Highness to do justice for me! Everyone knows I love Yu Shi's food, and she actually poisoned it. If it weren't for Lixin's quick thinking, my child would have been lost!"

Yinreng smiled demurely: "Indeed, Consort Jia is quite clever."

Yinzhi retorted, "I didn't hear her say that. It was Lixin who was quick-witted, so it can't be considered Jin Yuyan's denunciation!"

Yinreng glanced at him sideways: "At least Jin Yuyan is somewhat related, which is much more reliable than Jiang Yubin, whom you guessed."

"What's the rush?" Before Yinzhi could retort, Kangxi spoke first, "It's only just begun. Let's keep watching. Empress Fucha is still capable of managing the overall situation."

"..." Yinreng and Yinzhi were speechless. Fine, let's keep watching. What did Father Emperor mean by his last sentence? Was he trying to justify his choice? Was he a sore loser?

Of course, it wasn't appropriate to ask this question aloud. Everyone continued to watch the developments on the screen, hoping, with unwavering determination, that their chosen characters would at least have some involvement.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, the red powder found in Consort Jia's food is cinnabar," Imperial Physicians Wei Lin and Qi Ru explained to the crowd.

"Cinnabar has a unique characteristic: when refined at high temperatures, it readily yields mercury, which is highly toxic."

However, small doses of ingestion or contact with the body will not be immediately fatal. The poison accumulates in the body, and the imperial heirs are the first to be affected.

The Yu family's cuisine favors the use of chili powder and red yeast rice powder for flavoring and coloring, making it difficult to detect when cinnabar is mixed in...

Small doses of mercury poisoning develop very slowly, and the symptoms are extremely similar to those of early pregnancy; one might unknowingly lose the baby in utero.

Those outside the canopy, even though they already knew cinnabar was poisonous, couldn't help but feel a lingering fear after hearing the imperial physician's detailed explanation.

"Fortunately, Hongli was prepared in advance."

Previously, when he saw Hongli send eight men to the concubines' sides so early, Yinzhen had suspected that he was making a mountain out of a molehill. But after seeing this, he could only admire Hongli's foresight.

Indeed, when a fool goes mad, the destructive power is enormous.

This is a direct criticism of Ruyi.

When Hongli asked her questions, Fucha Langhua answered them one by one, pointing out Aruo.

"Aruo, do you know your crime?"

A'Ruo suddenly looked up, staring at the Empress in shock, and then knelt down with a thud.

"Your Majesty, I didn't, it wasn't me!"

Just then, Huanbi, who was in charge of searching the palace, returned.

"This box of cinnabar was found in Consort Shen's dressing table drawer."

"Did Ruyi's plan succeed?"

Yin was anxious watching this, wishing he could rush up and defend Aruo.

Yinzhen rolled his eyes at him: "I think you've really been infected by Ruyi syndrome. Hongli already knew the truth, how could Ruyi have succeeded in framing him? Whose perspective are you even using?"

"Oh right." Yin smiled sheepishly. He had been so engrossed in watching the play that he had forgotten about it.

"It smells like agarwood." Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but look at Ruyi, for everyone knew that only Ruyi in the palace used agarwood.

Ruyi calmly stepped forward and said softly, "Your Majesty, please allow me to report that some time ago, I bestowed many clothes and jewelry upon A'Ruo, including agarwood. At the time, A'Ruo said that she accidentally knocked over a box while doing her makeup."

...

Ruyi sighed softly, but the aloofness in her eyes couldn't be concealed: "A'Ruo, could it be that you deliberately put on the scent of agarwood to frame me? I really misjudged you."

"hiss"

Many people couldn't help but gasp. Ruyi has really turned evil! She's gotten smart! She's even mastered such a complex scheme of feigning to frame herself while actually framing A'Ruo.

"Intelligent, truly intelligent."

Yinzhen gave a half-smile, and Yinqi reflexively glared at him: "Don't be disgusting."

Yinzhen fell silent, but he couldn't suppress the mockery in his eyes. He couldn't help it; seeing Ruyi's self-important and incomparably intelligent demeanor on the screen, he couldn't help but laugh.

It's rare for someone to be so clever, and yet they're so blatant about it. I wonder who they think they can fool with these little tricks.

Watching the eunuchs and palace maids who came one after another to denounce A'Ruo on the sky, Yin Tang curled his lips. Well, they can fool A'Ruo, but they are usually quick to scold people, and they can't explain themselves at all.

However, thinking about it, it makes sense. After serving Ruyi for so many years, the mistress and servant are similar. Ruyi always says "the innocent are innocent" and "I don't know what to say," so it seems that this is the only trick A'Ruo has learned.

[A'Ruo looked at Ruyi frantically: "It was you! You framed me! You used cinnabar to harm the imperial heir, and now you want to pin it on me!"]

"Nonsense." Ruyi frowned, looking at A'Ruo with disappointment and heartache.

Upon hearing this, Xin Yan suddenly looked up, her face filled with shock: "Harmful to the imperial heir? How could it be harmful to the imperial heir?"

Before Ruyi could stop her, Xinyan cried out in a panic, "Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! This servant truly didn't know that cinnabar was used to harm the imperial heir! Consort Nara clearly said that it was only to punish the young mistress for theft and teach her a lesson, which is why this servant dared to listen to her and put the cinnabar in..."

"Huh?"

No one expected that A'Ruo's palace maid, whom no one had paid attention to before, would suddenly turn against them.

"This person isn't from the Xin generation either."

Yin couldn't help but mutter to himself. They had almost guessed everyone around Ruyi, but no one had paid attention to Xinyan. But judging from her behavior, when it came to exposing Ruyi, it was her!

"Do you think she really changed her mind at the last minute, or is she one of Hongli's people?"

In response to Yinzhi's question, Yinzhi smiled and said, "Why isn't there a third possibility?"

Yin was puzzled, while Yin Tang seemed to understand something: "What do you mean?"

Yinzhi and Yinzhen exchanged a glance and said, "Ruyi has offended more than just those in power. Don't underestimate the thoughts of those below her."