Chapter 67 Young Master Shen has good taste.

Shen Chu rubbed her fingers together.

The Longqing Emperor's suspicion, Empress Feng's sneer, Chen's smugness, the Marquis of Changning's angry glare, and the strange looks from those around her all made her feel like she was being pricked by thorns.

She never expected that Chen could join forces with the Empress to devise such a meticulous plan, with each step linked to the next, and even have a servant come out to testify, trying to leave her with no way to defend herself.

But even the most meticulous plans have flaws.

She took a deep breath to suppress her anger and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I haven't finished speaking yet."

Although these Huanhua stationery sheets are common and readily available, each of these dozen or so sheets is scented with a particular fragrance.

"Your Majesty, could you have someone authenticate it to see if it is agarwood?"

Emperor Longqing frowned and gave his trusted confidant Cai Chong a meaningful look.

Cai Chong understood, stepped forward, took the letter from Shen Chu's hand, and smelled it.

"Your Majesty, it is indeed canaan."

Shen Chu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She was very sensitive to fragrances and would feel uncomfortable if she smelled them for too long, so she never burned incense on a daily basis.

She noticed the fragrance as soon as she received the letter.

"Your Majesty, I have heard that agarwood comes from the southern border and is the finest of incense. A little bit of it will fill the air with fragrance, and even after a long time, the fragrance will still linger and be very pleasant."

This incense must have been a tribute from southern Xinjiang, reserved exclusively for imperial use, right?

I am but a lowly fifth-rank censor. Although I come from a noble family, I have never used agarwood in my daily life.

I implore Your Majesty to send someone to investigate this incense as a lead, and to clear my name.

Emperor Longqing's expression softened slightly. "You're right. Agarwood is indeed only available in the palace. Cai Chong, immediately have someone investigate which concubines in the harem are using agarwood."

Cai Chong bowed and said, "Yes."

Empress Feng's expression changed slightly.

The palace was always filled with agarwood incense. The day my cousin Chen brought the Huanhua letter into the palace, she must have been inhaling the scent of agarwood in her palace.

Even the best-laid plans can have flaws!

Shen Chu continued, “Your Majesty, I have never entered the inner palace, and the letter came from the palace. It is clear that the letter was not written by me. As for the handwriting, Your Majesty can have someone compare it with my search catalog. Although the handwriting looks very similar, it is definitely not written by me.”

The Longqing Emperor nodded. "Alright, I will have someone do something wrong. But what about the messenger? How do you explain that?"

Shen Chu pondered for a moment.

It was obvious that the servant was instructed by Chen, but she couldn't interrogate the servant in front of the emperor.

The only thing we can do is try to get information out of the servant so he'll give himself away.

"Let me ask this servant a few questions."

Before she could even ask her question, a sneer came from the arched bridge.

Shen Chu turned her head and saw Pei Yuan, dressed in a dark red robe, walking leisurely against the light, waving a jade fan.

The dark circles under his eyes had disappeared, and his current appearance as an exceptionally handsome man attracted the attention of countless women.

Pei Yuan seemed not to see it, his voice cold and intimidating.

"Today is a joyous day for Father Emperor to celebrate with the people. What lowly creatures dare to cause trouble in front of Father Emperor? Sun Yan, deal with them."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Sun Yan whipped up the servant on the ground and flung him into the air.

Shen Chu's expression changed slightly. "Wait a minute, I have something else to ask."

She hasn't fully proven her innocence yet, so the servant can't die.

The servant was flung into the air and chased straight towards the lake, causing him to scream in fright.

Just as he was about to fall into the lake, Sun Yan lashed him hard with his whip, then rolled him up and threw him into the air.

It falls, it whips, it rolls up, and it falls again.

Everyone shuddered involuntarily at the sight, and their gazes toward Pei Yuan were filled with fear.

Rumor has it that the Flying Eagle Guard, under the command of the Sixth Prince, uses ruthless and vicious methods to extract confessions. Ordinary people who are captured and brought into the Flying Eagle Guard cannot last more than an hour before they have to say, "I confess everything."

Now it seems truly terrifying.

Pei Yuan stood on the curved bridge, gently tapping his palm with his jade fan, seemingly oblivious to the fear on everyone's faces.

His peach blossom eyes, which seemed to be smiling but weren't, were half-closed. His gaze met Shen Chu's in mid-air, he gave a light sneer, and then turned his eyes away.

Shen Chu gritted her teeth and glared at Pei Yuan, silently cursing his ancestors for the third time in her heart.

The next moment, they heard the servant's terrified wail: "It was Lady Changning who instructed me to deliver the message."

Chen Chu...

The servant was left on the winding bridge and fainted from fright.

All eyes turned to the Chen family.

Someone exclaimed in surprise, "It was Lady Hou who framed Lord Shen!"

Madam Chen paled, her face turning deathly white. "No, it wasn't me..."

Emperor Longqing turned his gaze slightly and looked coldly at Marquis Changning. "The family affairs of Marquis Changning's mansion have even reached me. Marquis Changning, you've managed your household well."

Marquis Changning's face turned ashen, and he knelt on the ground with a thud. "Your Majesty, I have failed in managing my household. Please punish me."

"Since you know, go back and reflect on your actions. You'll be fined six months' salary. As for the Lady Hou, you can decide what to do with her."

"Yes, thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty."

Marquis Changning kowtowed with trembling hands, then turned around and dragged Chen away without any pity.

Chen looked at Empress Feng with a pale face, trying to ask her for help.

Empress Feng directly avoided her gaze.

Ms. Chen was in despair.

Silence returned to Canglang Pavilion.

Pei Yuan walked in, fanning himself with a fan, and bowed, saying, "Your subject has presumptuously interrogated the servant, and I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

Emperor Longqing waved his hand and chuckled, "You've cut the Gordian knot; what crime have you committed? On the contrary, Minister Shen, you should thank the Sixth Prince."

"If it weren't for him, your innocence wouldn't have been proven so quickly."

Chen Chu's feelings were somewhat complicated.

She hadn't expected Pei Yuan to actually help her.

She wasn't entirely confident she could catch the servant off guard, but Pei Yuan's swift and decisive move really helped her.

"Thank you, Sixth Prince."

Pei Yuan snorted lightly, "I was afraid of disturbing Father Emperor's enjoyment, not for your sake."

Shen Chu believed it.

After all, how could someone who was gritting their teeth and trying to twist her head off in the cabin possibly help her?

She twitched the corners of her mouth and said, "Your Majesty, I have never written any love poems for the Third Prince. On the contrary, you, Third Prince, came in without any regard for right or wrong and tried to lay hands on me. In order to protect my innocence, I had no choice but to jump into the lake."

I implore Your Majesty to grant me this judgment.

The Third Prince's expression changed drastically. "Nonsense! It was clearly you who tried to seduce me. Did you think I tore my clothes myself?"

Although he did tear it himself, no one can prove it, so it's ultimately up to him to decide.

"Father, I did have a misunderstanding about the love poem, but Shen Chu did indeed lay hands on me. Father, you must stand up for me."

Shen Chu was so angered by the Third Prince's shamelessness that she couldn't help but blurt it out.

"Don't say that I have no homosexual tendencies. If I did, it would be towards the Sixth Prince. Third Prince, you are not as good-looking as the Sixth Prince."

As soon as she said it, she was so angry that she wanted to slap herself.

What nonsense is she spouting? Why is she bringing up Pei Yuan?

This guy is definitely going to get angry again.

She turned to look at Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan waved his jade-bone fan, on which the graceful waist of the maidservant swayed gently as if in the wind.

A shimmering smile slowly spread across his eyes as he said in a serious tone, "Father, I think Lord Shen has good taste. I am indeed better looking than my third brother."

Shen Chu... what is this guy saying?