Chapter 92 Disposal
"It really was you, Ruyi, you're the one who ruined me!"
While everyone was still reeling from Xin Yan's words, A'Ruo suddenly burst forth with immense strength, breaking free from the two nannies' restraints and lunging at Ruyi, grabbing her hair in one swift motion.
"ah--"
Ruyi screamed in pain, and only then did the others realize what was happening. Fucha Langhua shouted sternly, "Separate them right now!"
The two nannies rushed forward and, using both hands and feet, finally managed to subdue the crazed A'Ruo after a long while. Although Ruyi was saved, she was in a terrible state, with her hair disheveled and three scratch marks left by A'Ruo on her neck.
She knelt down tremblingly, pleading, "Your Majesty, please grant me justice!"
Hongli remained silent, and apart from A'Ruo's struggling sobs, the hall was momentarily still and silent.
Fucha Langhua glanced at Hongli's expression and pressed, "Xinyan, you've changed your story repeatedly. Which one is the truth? You mustn't speak recklessly before the Emperor!"
"Your Majesty, please spare me! This servant truly knows her mistake."
Xin Yan begged for mercy loudly, perhaps realizing that things were more serious than she had imagined. To save her own life, she explained again, but this time she was even calmer.
“This servant is not lying. It was Consort Nara who threatened this servant and told me to put the cinnabar in, saying it was to teach Consort Shen a lesson. This servant really did not know that cinnabar was used to harm the imperial heir.”
You're lying!
Ruyi was shocked and heartbroken; she couldn't believe that Xinyan dared to betray her.
"Your Majesty, I have none."
Because she felt betrayed by her "loyal servant," Ruyi's sadness was genuine, leaving everyone in the hall somewhat confused, unsure of whom to believe.
"Do you have any evidence?"
Faced with the Empress's question, Xin Yan's eyes flashed, as if she had thought of something. "Yes! This servant has! Your Majesty, this servant is good friends with Hai Lan, the teacher at the girls' school. After Consort Nara threatened this servant, this servant felt uneasy and told Hai Lan about it. Because I was afraid that Consort Nara would continue to threaten this servant to do other things, this servant secretly placed one of Consort Nara's gold nail guards with her!"
As Xin Yan spoke, everyone subconsciously looked at Ruyi's fingers. Everyone knew that the nail guards were Ruyi's "face." Ruyi's hand, adorned with a full set of nail guards, clenched slightly as she angrily rebuked, "How can the nail guards you stole be used as evidence? Who knows if Hailan was the one who disposed of the stolen goods for you?"
When the topic turned to female tutors, Fucha Langhua looked at Hongli.
Hongli nodded slightly. Seeing this, Fucha Langhua looked at Ruyi and said slowly, "Women are not allowed to participate in palace affairs. This is a rule that was established long ago. Therefore, yesterday, Hailan came to apologize and report this matter. Even if Jia Pin's incident had not happened, Ruyi, I would still have summoned you today. Xinyan's words are just a confirmation of Hailan's words."
Ruyi suddenly looked up, finally deigning to cast her gaze upon Fucha Langhua, her face filled with humiliation.
So the Empress already knew all along and was deliberately trying to make a fool of her?
She subconsciously looked at Hongli, her eyes filled with tears: "Your Majesty, if the Empress thinks of me this way, I have no way to defend myself."
"What do you mean? Do you think Her Majesty the Empress would wrong you?" Gao Xiyue spoke up for you. "You have no way to defend yourself. There are witnesses and evidence to prove it. Of course you have no way to defend yourself!"
At this moment, a eunuch who looked somewhat unfamiliar to everyone walked in and said, “Your Majesty, Sanbao and Xiaoluzi, who are by Consort Nara’s side, have confessed that it was the remaining connections of the Ulanara clan that helped Consort Nara poison the poison.”
Upon hearing this, Ruyi turned around abruptly and discovered that Xiao Luzi, who had originally intended to commit suicide, had been covered by Wang Qin and dragged aside, but had been taken away without her noticing.
Ruyi turned back in disbelief. So the Emperor had been watching her act all along? Deliberately delaying the interrogation of Sanbao?
Li Yu was sent by Hongli to take over Yongzheng's Sticky Rod Office, replacing the "frail" Xia Yi as the head eunuch, specifically responsible for handling clandestine matters. Therefore, he gradually moved from the public eye to the shadows, which is why he seemed somewhat unfamiliar to many.
After calmly reading the confession handed to him by Li Yu, Hongli passed it to Langhua beside him and asked in a deep voice, "Ruyi, do you have anything else to say?"
Seeing this, Jin Yuyan understood immediately. It was all Ruyi's doing, and she had framed A'Ruo. She immediately rebuked Ruyi: "You poisonous woman, how cruel you are!"
She then knelt before the Emperor and Empress, saying, "Consort Nara has been caught red-handed for murdering the imperial heir. I beg Your Majesty and Empress to give me justice and seek justice for the dragon child in my womb!"
As Jin Yuyan spoke, she burst into tears, her cries so heart-wrenching that they tugged at the heartstrings.
"Quickly help Consort Jia up," Fucha Langhua put down the confession in her hand, "His Majesty and I will certainly stand up for you. Noble Lady Nara..."
Before Fucha Langhua could finish speaking, Ruyi, with tears in her eyes, clutched her stomach and looked at Hongli with a mournful expression: "Your Majesty cannot punish me, I am pregnant."
"What?"
Gao Xiyue couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Tong Jia Zhilan, who had been watching the drama unfold, suddenly asked incredulously, "You wouldn't have harmed Consort Jia's child for the sake of this so-called noble son, would you?"
At this moment, Li Yu, who seemed to have disappeared, bowed and reported: "Your son's statement, after investigation, did indeed come from Yanxi Palace."
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Ruyi in surprise. Seriously? She spread rumors to deceive others, only to end up getting herself implicated? Is this all the intelligence Ruyi has?
If they knew that Ruyi had fooled them from the beginning and that the rumors were just a publicity stunt, they would probably laugh out loud.
"Your Majesty, I was completely unintentional," Ruyi explained, touching her belly. As if she could turn the tide, she regained her usual calm and confident demeanor. "I am carrying our child. For the sake of the child, please forgive me one more time."
Jin Yuyan's teeth itched with anger as she listened, watching the Emperor's tears flow continuously. He didn't fight or vie for anything, but he looked exceptionally pitiful: "Your Majesty..."
"Wei Lin, take her pulse."
Hongli gave a soft instruction, and Ruyi smiled and proudly stretched out her arm.
Wei Lin stepped forward and examined her repeatedly, which made Ruyi somewhat panicked. "Imperial Physician Wei, is there something wrong with my child?"
Wei Lin ignored her and turned to bow to Hongli: "Your Majesty, Consort Nara shows no signs of pregnancy."
A single sentence stirred the nerves of everyone in the hall, and they all looked at Ruyi in unison, admiring her audacity in faking a pregnancy.
"Impossible! You're spouting nonsense!" Ruyi suddenly stood up, her voice trembling with rage. "Your Majesty, I'm clearly almost two months pregnant. How could there be no signs of pregnancy?"
"Did someone bribe you to frame me and try to harm my child?"
Ruyi said "someone" but her eyes were filled with resentment as she looked at Fucha Langhua.
Empress Fucha Langhua was almost amused by her words. "Ruyi! You don't believe the imperial physician, so how did you know you were pregnant?"
“I did not say I did not believe the imperial physicians, but not every imperial physician is conscientious,” Ruyi said without backing down. “I asked Imperial Physician Jiang Yubin from the Imperial Hospital to examine me.”
Upon hearing this, Fucha Langhua was speechless for a moment, and subconsciously looked at the Emperor, who seemed to have done nothing.
Seeing that the Empress remained silent, Ruyi assumed that she had hit a nerve and pressed on, "Why isn't Your Majesty asking? If you don't believe me, you can always summon Jiang Yubin for questioning!"
Fucha Langhua now looked at Ruyi with the same adoration she would give a fool. Since the Emperor didn't stop her, she naturally told her the truth: "Ruyi, Jiang Yubin is a veterinarian. He used to take care of the Emperor's beloved pets. Have you forgotten?"
"Pfft"
Upon hearing Fucha Langhua's words, Gao Xiyue, who had been holding back her laughter for a long time, couldn't help but burst out laughing. The other concubines who knew Jiang Yubin also murmured amongst themselves, unable to suppress their laughter.
Like a bolt from the blue, Ruyi froze on the spot, looking at Hongli and muttering to herself, "Impossible, how could I not be pregnant?"
Hongli didn't waste any more words, "Qi Ru, examine her again."
Qi Ru stepped forward as ordered, and under Ruyi's expectant gaze, bowed and reported: "Your Majesty, Consort Nara indeed has no signs of pregnancy."
Upon hearing this, Ruyi collapsed weakly to the ground.
Having watched the drama unfold, Hongli casually announced her final fate.
"Ulanara Ruyi, for plotting against the imperial heir, has been deposed and reduced to a commoner, and banished to the Cold Palace!"
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