Chapter 245 World Ten (Sixteen)

That day, Baoshan returned to her bedroom from dancing practice at the Jiaofang Office. After bathing, she changed into a light outfit and dried her hair with a soft handkerchief. As she was about to sit down on the bed, she felt something strange about the pillow. Two orchids were embroidered on it, seemingly identical, but one had its petals facing inward, the other outward.

Bao Shan always liked to embroider orchids with the petals facing outward, placing them on the inside. But now, the orchids were placed completely upside down. Bao Shan frowned. She had never made a mistake in such a small matter, so she naturally didn't believe that it was because of her momentary mistake that the soft pillow was placed upside down.

Bao Shan lifted the pillow and searched carefully. Sure enough, through the cloth, she found a round object the size of a mung bean. Bao Shan then unwrapped the pillow and found a jade hairpin inside, its top embellished with emerald green. Bao Shan held the hairpin in her hand, examining it for a long time, remembering how, in her dream, it was this very object that had cost her her life.

Baoshan really didn't know how much a jade hairpin was worth, but it was enough for her to be branded as a thief and she was beaten until she was bleeding.

The soft pillow was sewn perfectly with the precious fan, showing no signs of having been taken apart.

On the day to pick up the dress, Bao Shan went to the tailor shop. When the young tailor saw Bao Shan, he hurriedly asked her to wait a moment while he went to get the dress.

Bao Shan stood still and walked towards the table filled with trays. Bao Shan's eyes were soft, and she asked casually, "Why are there so many women's clothes?"

The young master was holding the dresses, checking the quantity and color against the paper slips. He looked up and chuckled as he said, "Those are dresses made for the concubines. There will be a sacrifice ceremony in a few days, and the concubines must all wear new dresses to show their importance."

Baoshan's voice was soft: "So that's how it is."

The white tender hands slid across the brand new dress.

The trays containing the dresses were all made of vermilion sandpaper dipped in ink and written with the names of the ladies, and then given to different beauties.

His white fingers lingered on the side of the tray, and paused slightly when they slid over the three words "Tang Xiu Nu".

After the young master had counted the clothes and dresses, Baoshan thanked him softly and went back to the bedroom with the tray.

Before Baoshan even set foot into the hall, he heard a noisy sound.

A palace servant who was taking a break today walked up to Bao Shan with a look of panic on his face, saying, "Ms. Tang Xiu has lost some jewelry, saying it's her mother's legacy, and she's making a fuss about it.

She was a concubine, and when she lost something, she didn't look for it among the other concubines, but came to us instead.

I don't know how precious it is. Although we are palace servants, we are not country bumpkins who have never seen rare objects. Why would we take her?"

Bao Shan's watery eyes moved slightly, and she whispered, "Perhaps, Miss Tang is certain that the object is here."

As soon as he finished speaking, a nanny, followed by several young-looking palace maids, walked out of the door in a menacing manner.

The nanny's face was flushed and she was holding a soft pillow in her arms.

The palace attendant beside Baoshan stared at the soft pillow for a long time, his eyes wide open: "Baoshan, why does that soft pillow look like yours?"

Before Bao Shan could reply, Nanny strode over to Bao Shan, pointed at the pillow, and said, "Is this yours?"

Bao Shan's face turned pale and he said timidly, "Yes..."

The nanny gave a wink, and the palace maids walked over to Baoshan and held down her hands.

Bao Shan didn't struggle, but her hair was loose and her voice was full of confusion: "Madam, why are you like this?"

Mammy snorted coldly and held the pillow high, showing it to the onlookers. She cleared her throat and said loudly, "What Miss Tang lost was a jade hairpin. The jade round beads inlaid on it are shaped like mung beans and are hidden in your pillow.

You are so brave! I am just a servant, yet you dare to steal in the palace!"

The crowd was shocked, most of them half-believing and half-doubting. In their opinion, Bao Shan was gentle and favored by the music lady of the Imperial Music Bureau. Even Empress Dowager Zhong had rewarded her. Why would Bao Shan steal the jewelry of a concubine?

However, everyone was a shrewd person and knew that this might be a setup, so they just watched from the sidelines and did not dare to step forward rashly.

Sometimes, a conspiracy doesn't have to be extremely sophisticated, it can be extremely crude.

But if no one dares to expose it, someone will definitely suffer the consequences.

Bao Shan raised her head, her eyes filled with disbelief. She said timidly, "I didn't do that. How could I have stolen the jewelry from the concubines..."

Her hair was disheveled and her petal-like lips had lost their color, but this only aroused people's desire to protect her.

When the nanny saw Bao Shan's pitiful appearance, she immediately understood why Tang Xiunv would bother with a little dancer.

Mammy's face was tense as she shook the soft pillow in her hand. "There's physical evidence here, and you won't be able to argue."

Yinhua learned that Baoshan was wrongly accused and hurried here.

Because of panic, Yinhua accidentally bumped into Prince Gong Chu Shi.

Yinhua quickly apologized, and when she raised her head again, her eyes were red and tears were about to roll down.

Chu Shi frowned and couldn't help asking, "Is this king so terrifying that he frightens you like this?"

Yinhua quickly shook her head, saying that her good friend Baoshan was framed for stealing the concubine's jewelry, and her worry showed on her face, not because of Chu Shi.

Seeing Yinhua's anxious face and the look as if she wanted to leave, Chu Shi deliberately inquired about the cause and effect of the matter.

His tone was gentle, but his words were extremely cold: "How do you know it's a false accusation?"

Yinhua said firmly, "This must be a false accusation! Baoshan is usually very friendly to others, so why would he care about that girl's scrap metal?

She must have thought Bao Shan was easy to bully, so she deliberately framed her."

In a panic, Yinhua forgot to abide by the rules in front of Chu Shi and blurted out everything in her heart.

In Yinhua's opinion, only Tang Xiu Nu regarded the jade hairpin as a treasure.

Only those who are not very good-looking value external items such as jewelry.

Baoshan has never liked to have her hair covered with jewels and jade. She usually dresses elegantly, so how could she covet a hairpin?

When Chu Shi heard the word "treasure fan", his heart moved slightly, and he remembered the slender figure he saw in Empress Dowager Zhong's palace.

Baoshan was timid at that time. Chu Shi felt that Baoshan would not do anything like stealing because of his small courage.

Moreover, if Baoshan wanted any jewelry, with her beauty, she only needed to show a little interest, and the guards and eunuchs in the palace would eagerly send it to her.

Chu Shi was full of thoughts, but his face remained calm. He only said, "Since you trust her so much, there must be something strange going on. Why don't I go with you?"

Yinhua thought that Chu Shi was a prince after all, and it was much better than going there alone.

Yinhua took Chu Shi to the palace maids' residence.

The nanny's palm was about to swing down towards Baoshan's face.

Yinhua left Chu Shi behind and rushed to the treasure fan in a hurry.

Yinhua not only had a larger appetite than the average person, but also possessed a great deal of strength. However, she usually followed Baoshan's advice and restrained herself slightly.

At this time, Yinhua used all her strength, and the nanny staggered and rolled on the ground, touching her waist and crying out in pain.

The palace maids hurried to support the nanny, and Yinhua quickly checked the scars on Baoshan's hand.

She held the fan's wrist, looked at the bruises and sighed, "It must be very painful."

The nanny was helped to stand up and was about to order the palace maids to enforce the palace rules - those who steal property will be beaten with a stick.

Chu Shi turned the wheelchair lightly, his voice gentle and polite, and the soft pillow fell just now.

If there really was a jade hairpin inside, there should have been a sound.

But Chu Shi didn't hear anything, thinking that something was indeed strange. Chu Shi said, "You keep talking about physical evidence. Why don't you produce the evidence so that everyone can see it clearly?"

Facing Chu, the nanny felt uneasy. But she changed her mind and realized that the evidence was irrefutable and even Prince Gong could not distort the truth.

The nanny ordered the palace maid to pick up the soft pillow and pull it hard, and the pillow broke apart.

The nanny reached out her hand and groped in the soft pillow for a long time. She touched the round object the size of a green bean and a smile appeared on her face.

The nanny reached out and pulled, and the smile on her face suddenly froze.

This is because what was presented to everyone was not a jade hairpin, but a real mung bean.

Mammy's eyes widened as she screamed, "This, this is impossible..."

She clearly placed the jade hairpin on the soft pillow with her own hands.

In order to make it easier to find, the nanny deliberately buried the hairpin in soft cotton, leaving only a round area the size of a mung bean exposed to facilitate finding.

Chu Shi's voice was still calm: "What's impossible?"

The nanny quickly shut her mouth. What she had just said was an admission that she had deliberately set up a plan to frame Bao Shan.

Chu Shi looked at the trembling treasure fan and the shocked nanny and said, "Since it's a theft, it's no small matter. Why don't we go find the Empress Dowager and have a clear discussion?"

The nanny shuddered all over. She wanted to refuse very much, but at this moment, she was like a ship on the current. She had no power to choose and could only go with the flow.

When Empress Dowager Zhong learned about this, she summoned Tang Xiunü and her companions.

Tang Xiunü gritted her teeth and insisted that the jade hairpin was a gift from her deceased mother. Although it was not valuable, it was of great significance.

Therefore, when the jade hairpin was missing, Tang Xiu Nu panicked and did something wrong.

In the end, Tang Xiunü's words were at most an inappropriate act by the nanny, and she could not be convicted of false accusation.

The other ladies also watched the incident. Sun Ruxuan stood in the crowd, secretly clenching her fists.

Empress Dowager Zhong asked all the concubines if anyone had ever seen the jade hairpin of Concubine Tang.

The other concubines all shook their heads in denial, except Sun Ruxuan who stood there in silence.

Empress Dowager Zhong asked, "Sun Xiunu, have you seen her?"

Sun Xiu Nu raised her head and saw the inquiring gaze of Empress Dowager Zhong and the warning look of Tang Xiu Nu.

When Sun Ruxuan turned around, she could see Baoshan's frail figure. She didn't turn sideways, but just stood there quietly.

Sun Ruxuan was torn between her conscience and her own desires. She had overheard Tang Xiunv and the nanny's discussion that day and could probably guess that this was all Tang Xiunv's deliberate scheme.

If Sun Ruxuan spoke up, she would be able to confirm Tang Xiunü's false accusation and Baoshan would be innocent.

But if that happens, Sun Ruxuan will be involved in the palace struggle.

What's more, when Sun Ruxuan looked at Baoshan's slender figure, what came to her mind was the scene of Moyu being carried away by Baoshan.

Is it really worth it for a dancer, a dancer she doesn't like at that? She will no longer be able to live those peaceful days in the future.

Sun Ruxuan heard her own voice: "Your Majesty, I have never seen you."

After saying that, Sun Ruxuan retreated back into the crowd in a daze.

The matter was quickly resolved. Even though Bao Shan was wrongly accused, it was clear.

But since no one is willing to testify, this is not a false accusation, but just an implication.

The nanny was fined her monthly salary and Tang Xiu Nu was given a few words of reprimand.

Just as Empress Dowager Zhong was about to ask everyone to disperse, she heard the maidservant beside Tang Xiunu hurried over. The maidservant lowered her head and avoided Tang Xiunu's sight.

The maid was conflicted, but if she didn't tell anyone about it, when Empress Dowager Zhong found out the truth, she would inevitably be implicated by Tang Xiu Nu.

After thinking about this, the maid knelt down and presented a jade hairpin.

"Empress Dowager, the hairpin has been found."

Empress Dowager Zhong responded softly and asked, "Where did you find it?"

The maid's voice trembled, but she did not forget to put aside her own fault: "It fell out from Tang Xiunu's ready-made clothes. The day the tailoring bureau delivered the clothes, Tang Xiunu took special care of them and did not allow me to touch them. I found it in the cabinet today when I was cleaning it."

In this case, it would be that Tang Xiunü deliberately framed him.

Tang Xiunü wanted to argue, but Empress Dowager Zhong was already tired of the matter.

When Empress Dowager Zhong was in Emperor Shuncheng's harem, she was often wronged. Today, the scene reminded her of the past and she severely punished Tang Xiu Nu.

"Since you like to use rules to oppress others, according to palace rules, thieves are punished with sticks, and those who falsely accuse others of theft should also receive the same punishment.

If there is still breath left after the beating, carry him home. If not, let Master Tang take him back. As for the other slaves, they will be punished in the same way."

After saying that, Empress Dowager Zhong turned and left, leaving behind only the sound of wailing.

Yinhua applied medicine to Baoshan's wrist, muttering, "I heard that half of our servants were killed or wounded. Miss Tang was lucky enough to be carried home. But although she survived, she is covered in blood and will definitely be ill."

I heard that Lord Tang didn't even let her in through the main gate, and only opened a small door on the side to let Miss Tang return home."

Only then did Yinhua realize how ruthless Empress Dowager Zhong was. She thought that she would have to be more cautious in her words and actions when serving outside the palace in the future.

Bao Shan listened quietly, feeling no sympathy at all. In her dream, she was so frail that she lost her life before the fight was over. She feared there wouldn't even be anyone to collect her body.

Since Tang Xiu Nu had framed her, if it wasn't Tang Xiu Nu who suffered this punishment, then it should be hers. Therefore, Bao Shan would not have the slightest mercy.

It was just a matter of frame-up that Prince Gong Chu Shi would appear, which Bao Shan had not expected.

Bao Shan originally thought that if she could summon Chu Boyu, she could act weak and gain his sympathy. However, Chu Shi's appearance made Bao Shan extremely disappointed.

But on the surface, Baoshan still had to wait for Chu Shi with tears of gratitude, as if she had received a favor from him.