Chapter 58 Henxi Shui was merely afraid of ruining her, this useful pawn...

In the brightly lit hall, music and dance filled the air, the sounds of string and wind instruments mingling with the chatter of the surrounding crowd, creating a lively atmosphere.

Amidst the commotion, Jiang Yunjin's voice suddenly rang out, as clear and sharp as ice, standing out particularly well from the noise Cui Yiluo heard.

Cui Yiluo quickly looked up to see his expression, but he didn't look at her. He just stared at the clear wine in the cup, his cold and handsome profile slightly shadowed, making it impossible to tell his expression.

It was just a routine inquiry. Right now, there are people lurking in the shadows in the palace, and he definitely has to protect her safety.

Cui Yiluo understood his thoughts and was able to respond accordingly: "I wandered around aimlessly and didn't run into anyone."

Suddenly a gust of wind blew into the hall, causing the octagonal glazed palace lanterns hanging from the ceiling to sway violently, and the light illuminating Jiang Yunjin's profile dimmed for a moment.

The candlelight flickered suddenly, and a few small gasps of surprise rang out in the hall.

But soon, the palace lanterns swayed slowly, and the hall became bright again.

Cui Yilu heard him ask again in a low voice, "Didn't you run into anyone?"

Cui Yiluo was taken aback. For a moment, she almost suspected that he knew about her deal with Yuan Ling, but his tone was calm and his expression was normal, as if he did not know that she wanted to use Yuan Ling to investigate her background.

The palace was heavily guarded, and no matter how much power he held or how much the emperor valued him, it was impossible for him to be so well-informed.

He was merely confirming again that her safety might indeed be very important to him and the Second Prince. Cui Yiluo gave a soft, cold laugh to herself.

She answered firmly and briefly, "No."

Jiang Yunjin did not speak again.

Suddenly, the eunuch guarding the palace gate, who was in charge of ordering the dishes to be served, clapped his hands twice. The crisp sound was particularly noticeable amidst the mixed laughter.

Then, two rows of palace maids filed in, carrying uniformly styled white jade bowls on mahogany trays. Inside were snow-white cream cheese, as smooth as custard and as white as snow, sprinkled with dried osmanthus flowers and fruits as garnish, exquisite and charming. Just by being brought in like this, a faint milky aroma filled the hall.

The palace servants first presented the cheese to the emperor and empress, and then presented it to everyone in an orderly manner.

The emperor first scooped up a little and put it in his mouth before ordering everyone else to taste it.

Although Cui Yiluo had used cheese in Ningzhou before, the ingredients in the palace were obviously better. She felt that the aroma was different and a little stronger.

She picked up the spoon and took a few bites.

Halfway through the meal, a sudden exclamation came from above, followed by the clatter of bowls and cups falling to the ground, abruptly shattering the harmonious atmosphere in the hall.

"Your Highness, Imperial Concubine!" The palace servants screamed shrilly.

When Cui Yiluo subconsciously looked in that direction, she saw that the emperor had already rushed from his seat to Consort Qiong's side with lightning speed. In an instant, the empress, the surrounding concubines, princes, and palace servants also swarmed around him. Consort Qiong was completely surrounded, and the people below looked at each other, confused and flustered, not knowing what had happened.

But Cui Yiluo happened to glance at the crowd in the last few moments before they surrounded Consort Qiong and saw it all clearly.

The white jade bowl originally intended to hold the cheese fell to the ground in the palace and shattered. However, no white paste was visible on the ground, indicating that Consort Qiong had used up all of the cheese.

Consort Qiong's originally charming and noble face suddenly turned red and purple. She supported herself on the armrest of the round chair to maintain her balance, but seemed to be having trouble breathing, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

And on her snow-white neck, a dense rash had appeared.

"Where is Physician Yang?!"

Amidst the encirclement, the emperor's urgent roar rang out. A middle-aged man quickly stepped forward from the seats, and the crowd surrounding Consort Qiong swiftly made way for him.

The hall, which had been filled with laughter and chatter just moments before, suddenly fell silent. The people below, unaware of the situation, exchanged glances and whispered amongst themselves, afraid of violating any taboos and incurring the emperor's wrath.

Physician Yang's deep voice rang out in the hall: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine is suffering from an allergic reaction. She needs medication immediately, or her life may be in danger. Please move her to a side hall immediately so that I can administer the medication and treatment."

It was like a thunderclap that exploded in the hall, startling everyone.

Life-threatening, allergic reaction. Is it an allergy to cheese? Cui Yiluo lowered her eyes to look at the cheese she had almost eaten, and her heart suddenly began to pound rapidly.

The man beside her also froze, and quickly looked at her with a hint of anxiety.

Seeing the hint of panic on her usually cold and indifferent face, Cui Yiluo was subconsciously stunned.

He grabbed her hand directly, and Cui Yiluo's heart skipped a beat as she looked at his long, slender fingers encircling her thin wrist.

It was only then that she noticed that her once fair and delicate hands were now covered with a dense rash.

It was exactly the same as the red rash on Consort Qiong's neck that she had just glimpsed.

Jiang Yunjin's breath hitched, his sword-like eyebrows furrowed instantly, his face darkened alarmingly, and his dark eyes filled with urgency. He unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand and quickly turned his gaze toward the direction of the Imperial Hospital seats.

This was the first time Cui Yiluo had seen him lose his composure, and instinctively, she tried to pull down her sleeve to cover the back of her hand, which was covered with red rashes.

But before she could pull down her sleeves, and before Jiang Yunjin could ask someone to come and treat her, several ladies around them suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

"Mrs. Jiang! You've also developed a rash. Could it be an allergic reaction?!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall immediately turned their attention to it, and Lan Hui, Jiang Zhaoyue, and the others immediately surrounded them with alarmed expressions.

In an instant, Cui Yiluo was also surrounded by several people.

Two people developed allergic reactions in succession. Consort Qiong was helped up with rapid breathing and moved to a side hall. Her face, which was as elegant and noble as a peony, was now covered with red and purple spots. Everyone panicked and began to check themselves for rashes.

The emperor, who was holding Consort Qiong in his arms, heard that Cui Yiluo, who was also at the banquet, had developed a rash. A flash of cold killing intent crossed his sharp, eagle-like eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

The emperor quickly ordered, "Help Lady Jiang to the side hall for treatment as well. Empress, you stay here and escort everyone back to their residences."

Clearly, the Emperor did not want tonight's events to escalate and become public knowledge, which is why he ordered the Empress to stay behind to handle the aftermath, appease everyone while issuing a warning. Those present were all high-ranking officials and their families, and naturally knew what to do. Once tonight was over, the fact that Consort Qiong and the wife of the Grand Chancellor had "coincidentally" had allergic reactions would remain a secret, and even if discussed privately, it wouldn't spread outside.

He truly deserves to be called an emperor with ruthless methods.

As soon as the emperor gave the order, palace servants immediately came forward to help Cui Yiluo.

Perhaps due to an allergic reaction, Cui Yiluo's heart suddenly started beating erratically, and her breathing became even more rapid.

The warm fingers around her wrist tightened, and she leaned into the man's hard chest. He stretched out his long arms and pulled her into his broad embrace. Suddenly, she felt as if she had entered a safe and secure enclosure. Surrounded by the familiar scent of bamboo, her breath caught in her throat.

A deep male voice sounded in my ear, striking my heart like a series of deep blows: "I'm always here, don't be afraid."

Her body was flaring up with an allergic reaction, making her mind rather dull. Upon hearing this, she only slowly raised her eyes in a daze. He seemed to have been observing the red rash on the back of her exposed hand with his face down, but he was also very perceptive of her gaze. He immediately looked at her, nodded gently, and offered a reassuring gesture.

Jiang Yunjin helped her to the side hall, and the palace servants, unable to help her, could only follow Cui Yiluo at a distance.

The side hall was brightly lit and filled with a large number of palace servants and imperial physicians. Consort Qiong had been placed in an inner room. Through a lotus-shaped screen, one could see many figures hurrying back and forth, their movements hurried and anxious.

Jiang Yunjin helped Cui Yiluo sit down. He loosened his grip on her wrist, and Cui Yiluo's heart skipped a beat. She then looked away, unwilling to look any longer.

To her surprise, she felt a tightness on her shoulder. Contrary to her expectations, he did not leave. Instead, he stood beside her, his strong arm hanging down, and embraced her again.

Cui Yiluo bit her lip and grabbed the white jade pendant hanging from the side of her hair, the one that belonged to him on his jade belt.

"You only used half of the cheese, and the rash hasn't spread to your neck yet. You'll recover after the imperial physician administers the medicine."

Cui Yiluo felt as if cotton wool was stuffed into her nose, making her breathe rapidly, but his low voice came from the top of her head, carrying a strange sense of calm that made her quickened heartbeat settle.

"Um."

A royal physician who had been waiting outside came forward and was about to bow to Jiang Yunjin when the man raised his hand to stop him.

The imperial physician immediately understood and quickly took a handkerchief, placed it on Cui Yiluo's wrist, and placed three fingers on it to carefully take her pulse.

Cui Yiluo glanced at the screen separating the inner room. The commotion inside was not as chaotic as before. Occasionally, she could hear the emperor's deep voice asking questions, but she couldn't hear them clearly. It seemed that Imperial Physician Yang had already treated Consort Qiong with acupuncture.

Meanwhile, the imperial physician finished taking her pulse, stood up, bowed to Jiang Yunjin, and said, "Sir, the lady's allergy is not serious. She will recover after taking one dose of medicine."

Jiang Yunjin's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and he returned the imperial physician's bow: "Then I will trouble the imperial physician."

With nothing else to do, the imperial physician returned behind the screen after finishing his consultation to help treat Consort Qiong.

Cui Yilu stared at the blooming hibiscus on the screen, recalling the purplish-red face of Consort Qiong just now, and felt a little depressed.

She had never had a rash from eating cheese before, so it must be that some ingredient had been changed this time, and both she and Consort Qiong were allergic to it, which caused them to develop allergic reactions at the same time. But was it really just a coincidence?

Cui Yiluo felt that something that had been hidden in the shadows was about to be exposed. She glanced at the jade pendant Jiang Yunjin was still clutching in her other hand, and her gaze darkened.

Will he find out about this?

Cui Yiluo paused for a moment, then released his jade pendant.

The man beside her seemed to pause slightly. She clearly felt the gaze upon her deepen. She lowered her eyes, seemingly unaware.

"After we return to the manor, I will order Physician Xu to take your pulse again."

Cui Yiluo nodded without saying a word.

Consort Qiong was still in danger, and the side hall was still in chaos. Only Cui Yiluo was sitting in a round-backed chair, with Jiang Yunjin's tall and aloof figure standing beside her, which was out of place in the side hall where everyone was in a hurry.

The palace servants quickly prepared the medicine and brought it over, which Cui Yiluo silently drank in one gulp.

After drinking the medicine, Cui Yiluo wanted to return to her residence.

Currently, Consort Qiong is still being treated by the imperial physician, so it's inconvenient to settle today's events. If Consort Qiong is out of danger, and they want to investigate today's events thoroughly, they'll probably bring up the fact that she and Consort Qiong had an allergic reaction together first. Moreover, she can tell that Consort Qiong's breathing behind the screen has become much calmer, so she's probably no longer in mortal danger.

She put down the medicine bowl and was about to speak to Jiang Yunjin when a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, sounding extremely muffled in the chaotic side hall.

Cui Yiluo's heart skipped a beat.

It's too late.

Outside the palace gate, Xiao Jing, dressed in a moon-white robe embroidered with a python pattern in gold thread, led a group of officials in.

"Your Majesty, I request an audience with you. There is progress in what happened tonight."

Xiao Jing knelt directly in front of the screen, and a group of officials behind him also knelt down in a dense mass.

The second prince knelt down, and everyone in the hall naturally had to pay their respects, so they all knelt down as well.

Before Cui Yiluo stood up from the armchair and knelt down again, she glanced at Jiang Yunjin beside her without making a sound.

What came into view was a cold and taut face, with a chilling aura emanating from its dark eyes.

Cui Yilu frowned slightly. Why did he react as if he was unaware of the situation? Had Xiao Jing not discussed it with him beforehand? But how could Xiao Jing not consult him about such an important matter?

Xiao Jing requested an audience from behind the screen, and the emperor couldn't simply remain behind it, pretending not to hear. He spoke a few words softly, his deep voice filled with tenderness and a hint of reassurance. Though the content was unclear, everyone knew who the emperor was speaking to.

A moment later, the emperor emerged from behind the screen.

Following behind the emperor was Yuan Ling. Cui Yiluo, kneeling on the ground, could feel Yuan Ling's probing gaze turn towards her, and at the same time, the aura beside her inexplicably deepened.

No need for formalities.

There was another commotion of people getting up inside the hall.

The palace servants and eunuchs surrounded the emperor as he sat down at the head of the table, but as soon as he sat down, they heard a noise coming from behind the screen.

Everyone looked in that direction and saw several palace servants helping Consort Qiong out as well.

Consort Qiong's meticulously styled hair, which she had arranged for the banquet tonight, was slightly disheveled due to what had just happened, but it did not appear messy. Coupled with her pale complexion, it made her look rather pitiful.

The red rash on her snow-white neck had not yet subsided, but her breathing had become much more stable, and her condition had stabilized.

"Your Majesty, this matter concerns me, and I would also like to hear about it."

The emperor's gloomy expression eased slightly upon seeing Consort Qiong. He personally rose and helped her to sit down beside him.

As Consort Qiong took her seat, she didn't look at anyone, as if she truly only wanted to know the truth about her allergy that night.

Xiao Zheng followed behind Consort Qiong.

As soon as he stepped out from behind the screen, Cui Yiluo felt a gaze several times colder than the one at the banquet earlier fall upon her, as if he wished to take her life immediately. But after only a moment, he looked away.

Cui Yiluo's expression remained unchanged, but she subtly turned her gaze to Xiao Jing, and sure enough, she saw his expression darken.

The Emperor summoned Consort Qiong to listen, and Xiao Zheng followed her out, precisely because he was afraid that if he said anything detrimental to Consort Qiong, she could immediately refute him. After all, some things, if proven true, would not be so easy to resolve.

The Emperor's favor towards Consort Qiong was indeed genuine. What Xiao Jing was actually fighting against was not the Chu family or Consort Qiong, but the Emperor himself.

"Jing'er, tell me, what did you find out?"

The emperor's voice was deep and imposing, carrying a certain air of authority.

Xiao Jing moved slowly and deliberately, clearly having made up his mind. He said slowly, "Father, I have discovered that tonight's cheese has one more ingredient than the one made in the palace before. It is this subtle difference that caused the Consort and Lady Jiang to have an allergic reaction."

The emperor's gaze sharpened. "You mean, Madam Jiang and the Imperial Concubine are allergic to the same thing?"

Despite the emperor's imposing gaze, Xiao Jing showed no sign of backing down.

"Yes. This ingredient is peach kernel. Both the Imperial Concubine and Madam Jiang are allergic to peach kernels."

Upon hearing this, the palace maids' gazes immediately became somewhat subtle, but with the emperor in front of them, they quickly composed themselves.

But who doesn't know that Consort Qiong and the wife of the Grand Chancellor look alike? There had been some rumors circulating in the palace before, but Consort Qiong was too favored, so no one dared to pass the words on to the noble lady's ears. They just said a few words in private and that was it.

Cui Yiluo's heart sank lower and lower, yet she couldn't reach the bottom. Xiao Jing had come prepared; tonight he would likely defy the emperor and expose the matter.

Overwhelmed by the suddenness of the situation, Cui Yiluo bit her lip, her face heavy with emotion, her eyes revealing a complex mix of feelings and a hint of helplessness.

Xiao Jing continued, "Father, this matter is too strange. I believe it should be thoroughly investigated. I dare to report this to you..."

Cui Yiluo clenched her fists, which were hidden in her sleeves.

"Your Highness."

A familiar voice rang out, and the man beside her suddenly took a step forward.

Cui Yiluo's heart trembled, and a faint, cold smile appeared on her lips.

So, are we finally going to use her as a pawn?

For some reason, even though he was doing the same thing as Xiao Jing, and she already knew that he was assisting Xiao Jing, he personally came out in front of her to cooperate with Xiao Jing to reveal her identity. Her heart felt like it had been hit, heavy and bitter.

"May I ask, Your Highness, is the cheese served tonight made with cow's milk or goat's milk?"

Xiao Jing frowned slightly, paused for a moment, and answered in a low voice, "Goat milk."

Jiang Yunjin stood tall and slender in the hall, slightly blocking Cui Yiluo's way. He bowed to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, my wife is allergic to goat's milk. We have been using milk-based cheese before. It was my oversight tonight that disturbed Your Majesty. Please forgive me."

Cui Yiluo was shocked and couldn't recover for a long time.

She was not allergic to goat milk. She seemed to have only used peach kernels once when she was a child and never used them again after she grew up. She used the other ingredients in the cheese on a daily basis.

She was only allergic to peach kernels, just like Consort Qiong. And it was quite obvious that she was only allergic to peach kernels.

She knew it in her heart, Jiang Yunjin knew it even more clearly, and everyone present was fully aware of it.

Xiao Jing was merely looking for an excuse to investigate the suspicious circumstances before he was about to reveal her identity, but Jiang Yunjin simply made that excuse disappear.

Why? Isn't he Xiao Jing's man? Wasn't he supposed to cooperate with Xiao Jing to reveal her identity?

The Emperor and Consort Qiong, seated at the head of the table, also showed slight changes in expression, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes. Xiao Zheng, standing to the side, however, showed no surprise, merely raising an eyebrow slightly, his eyes filled with amusement.

After a few moments, the emperor composed himself and said, "Alright, Shenzhi, your wife was also frightened tonight. Now that the imperial physician has examined her, you should go back and rest as soon as possible. I will send someone to deliver some tonics to your residence tomorrow."

Jiang Yun bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Cui Yiluo observed the emperor and Consort Qiong discreetly. The emperor and Consort Qiong both breathed a sigh of relief. Jiang Yunjin's interruption confirmed that she and Consort Qiong were not allergic to the same thing, and that Xiao Jing's findings were just a false alarm. The emperor was naturally pleased with this and immediately backed down, quickly ordering Cui Yiluo to be sent back to her residence, thus thwarting Xiao Jing's plans to use this incident further.

Xiao Jing was usually kind and gentle, and he had already gone all out just now. Now that the pretext was gone, he could not hold on to it any longer, otherwise he would suffer more losses than gains.

Cui Yiluo never expected that Jiang Yunjin could resolve the matter tonight with just a few words. However, even after returning to the manor, she still couldn't understand why Jiang Yunjin had stopped Xiao Jing, since Xiao Jing clearly had evidence.

If the truth is revealed tonight, the Fifth Prince will lose power, and the Chu family could even be accused of deceiving the emperor.

But why exactly?

Upon returning to the manor, Doctor Xu was already waiting for her at Jixue Studio. Lilan, having heard about what had happened in the palace that night and seeing the lingering red rash on Cui Yiluo's hands, became even more uneasy.

In the spacious and bright main hall, Jiang Yunjin was also waiting beside her, watching Doctor Xu take her pulse.

Cui Yiluo lowered her eyes, looking at the man's crimson robe, a complex and strange feeling rising in her heart again. His reaction tonight was not right, making her doubt her previous judgment.

"The young mistress's symptoms were not severe to begin with, and she is fine after taking the medicine. However, the rash will take a day or two to subside. If the eldest young master is still worried, I will write a few more prescriptions."

Jiang Yunjin said modestly, "Thank you for your help, Doctor Xu."

Just as he was about to call someone to take Doctor Xu down to prescribe medicine, Wen Feng suddenly entered the hall with a serious expression and whispered something in Jiang Yunjin's ear.

The sound was so faint that even though Cui Yiluo was not far away, she could not hear it clearly, but she saw Jiang Yunjin's brows and eyes quickly darken.

"I'll go there immediately."

Then, with a calm expression, he asked someone to bring Doctor Xu to prescribe a medicine.

After Doctor Xu left, Jiang Yunjin looked at her, his expression softening slightly, and said softly, "I have some important matters to attend to. You go back to your room first, and I will be back in a while."

His voice carried a hint of reassurance. Cui Yiluo remained silent for a moment, but ultimately didn't ask him directly. She simply responded with a sound of agreement.

Jiang Yunjin strode into the study. Lilan helped Cui Yiluo sit down first, waiting for the small kitchen to prepare the calming soup.

Looking out at the deep night, Cui Yiluo remained silent for a while before finally regaining some of her composure.

Tonight's events are too strange. Why did Jiang Yunjin stop Xiao Jing? And why was he in such a hurry to rush to the study just now? Although she didn't know why, it was clearly related to tonight's events.

As for her identity... she had a general idea of ​​it, but not the whole story.

Her aunt must have known. When she was engaged to Supervisor Cheng, although her aunt felt guilty for not being able to intervene, she never wavered in her desire to help her. Why then would her aunt hesitate? Naturally, it was because she was being restricted. Her aunt's affection for her was merely a matter of loving the house because of the owner; if it came down to a choice between the two, her aunt wouldn't choose her.

Will Jiang Yunjin tell her?

Cui Yiluo was initially quite certain that he wouldn't, but after he spoke in the side hall, she became somewhat uncertain.

The octagonal lamp hanging in the hall swayed for a moment, and the candlelight flickered, as if hope had suddenly arisen.

In that instant, a surge of courage suddenly welled up in Cui Yiluo's heart.

"Lilan, you should rest for now. I'm going to the study."

The main hall was not far from the study. She walked for less than half an incense stick's time before arriving at the small courtyard where the study was located. A huge sandalwood screen wall blocked out the study, and even the light that could be seen was not visible.

Just as Cui Yiluo was about to walk around the screen wall, she suddenly heard Jiang Yunjin's deep voice coming from the study.

"Your Highness was far too impulsive tonight. You acted rashly without careful planning, and if any oversight occurs, everything will be ruined. Is Your Highness willing to abandon your great cause?"

Cui Yiluo's slender figure immediately stood motionless in the shadow of the tall screen wall.

She let out a soft chuckle.

How could she still have any hope for him? Just because of what happened tonight?

He came out to stop Xiao Jing only because he was afraid of ruining her, this useful pawn.

Cui Yiluo felt completely relieved and turned away instead of taking another step.

Under the quiet moonlight, the space beneath the screen wall was empty, and a gentle breeze blew by, as if no one had ever been there.

Author's Note: The consequence of not being able to talk is chasing after your wife [shrug]. My cousin didn't finish his sentence, so please read on.

Thank you to all the little ones who watered with nutrient solution! [heart emoji]