Knowing that her move had worked, Wei Zixiao had already been taken to the Imperial Study by the Imperial Guards, and Mu Ruoling immediately wanted to come and watch.
On the way, she encountered three imperial physicians, including the Imperial Physician. Judging from their direction, they were heading towards the Imperial Study. The eunuch leading the way was Li Fugui's godson, who also served the emperor on a regular basis.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly asked, "Where are you going? Has something happened to Father?"
"Your Highness, we are going to the Imperial Study."
The young eunuch beside him chimed in, "His Majesty is in good health, Your Highness need not worry."
Mu Ruoling breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. So why are you all in such a hurry?"
"Your Highness, please forgive me. The steward only said to call two more imperial physicians. I don't know what the situation is."
Upon entering the imperial study, Mu Ruoling saw the dragon robe held by Li Fugui and Wei Zixiao standing respectfully with his hands at his sides. A hint of mockery and hatred flashed in her eyes. She ran to the emperor's side and asked with a puzzled look, "Father, what's going on?"
The other ministers exchanged glances, all conveying the same message: the troublemaker is here again.
"Ling'er, what brings you here?" The emperor's angry expression vanished, replaced by a gentle and kind one.
"Just wander around, and if you see any imperial physicians, follow them to take a look."
"Go play over there for a while, your father will play with you later."
Mu Ruoling obediently went to sit down to the side, and the chief eunuch immediately arranged for palace servants to bring her tea and snacks, taking good care of her, which was a stark contrast to the heavy atmosphere on the other side.
Emperor Xiu had already asked the imperial physicians to identify the fragrance on the dragon robe. While they hesitated, he asked Mu Ruoling, "Has the eldest princess ever seen this dragon robe?"
Mu Ruoling's eyes were filled with mockery. She thought to herself, "Of course I've seen it. This was tailor-made for you by this princess. I embroidered it stitch by stitch to send you on your way."
"Never seen it before."
"Princess, won't you take a closer look?"
Mu Ruoling glanced at it and pouted, "This is obviously not my father's size. Who knows where it came from?"
As the emperor reached middle age, he began to gain weight, and his waistline was indeed quite noticeable.
The three imperial physicians looked at each other, placed the dragon robe back on the tray, and the chief physician bowed and reported: "Your Majesty, the scent on this dragon robe is that of Luo Gan Xiang, a tribute from the Western Regions."
Mu Ruoling's face stiffened. The emperor's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he coldly questioned, "Are you sure?"
The Imperial Physician's heart pounded. The moment he saw the dragon robe, he knew things were going badly, but if he admitted his mistake regarding the incense, he'd lose his position as Imperial Physician.
He was caught in a dilemma, but then he remembered that the Attendant was here. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, settled down again. He said loudly, "The fragrance of Luo Gan is sweet and delicate, with the aroma of melons and fruits. It is quite different from other incense powders and perfumes."
"Doctor Sun, Doctor Li, tell me, what does it taste like?"
Physician Sun was stubborn and very straightforward: "Your Majesty, it is the fragrance of the Western Regions. It takes seven days for the fragrance to dissipate after being exposed to it."
Seeing that his superiors and colleagues had all said so, Physician Li dared not make things up and could only agree and tell the truth.
The emperor remained silent for a long time. Even if Mu Ruoling was stupid, she realized that something was wrong, and the pastries in her hand suddenly lost their appeal.
She tilted her head slightly and smelled the incense scent on herself.
"Your Majesty, I have heard that the eldest princess is particularly fond of this fragrance, and all the tribute perfumes have been given to her. However, the princess said that she has never seen this dragon robe before, so it seems that the perfumes have been stolen by thieves."
The ministers glanced sideways at Emperor Xiu, thinking to themselves, "What kind of brainless nonsense are you spouting? It's clearly a frame-up to harm you. What are those thieves doing stealing the eldest princess's signature perfume powder?"
Mu Ruoling quickly said, "Father, someone must have stolen my face powder."
The ministers silently lowered their heads, searching for their brains on the ground.
The palace maid who had been serving Mu Ruoling with her eyes downcast seemed puzzled. She carefully raised her head, subconsciously took a small step forward, and let out a soft "Eh!" which instantly attracted everyone's attention and made Mu Ruoling's heart skip a beat.
The palace servant realized the problem, turned pale, and buried his head deeply, not daring to utter a sound.
The palace attendant observed the palace maid's expression, then looked at the emperor. He saw that the emperor's eyes were dull as he carefully examined the stitches of the dragon robe. He knew that the emperor was now in a difficult situation.
A princess of high status, framing her ministers—her methods were vicious and clumsy, but thankfully clumsy.
Your Majesty, you cannot protect her this time.
The court attendant sighed and asked the palace maid in a gentle voice, "Your name is Yingliu, right? Raise your head. Have you seen this dragon robe before?"
Yingliu subconsciously looked at Mu Ruoling and stammered, "N-no, I've never seen her before."
"That's enough, let's leave it at that."
"Your Majesty!" Several voices rang out in succession.
The Chamberlain lifted his robe and knelt down, saying in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, treason is no small matter. It must be thoroughly investigated to set the record straight."
"I'll get to the bottom of this," the emperor roared angrily.
"Your Majesty!" The Chamberlain, showing no fear but only grief and indignation, shouted in a fervent voice, "Your Majesty, this is treason, a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. This is no child's play. Whether it is true or a frame-up, the truth must be thoroughly investigated. Otherwise, where is the law of the land!"
"Enough! Are you trying to teach me how to do things?"
"The Heavenly Saint Laws were personally supervised and formulated by the founding emperor. Your Majesty is disregarding the will of our ancestors."
When the emperor brought up the Mu family's ancestor, he was finally speechless. He looked at his most beloved daughter in a panic, his eyes filled with heartache and sorrow.
"She was only acting temporarily..."
Mu Ruoling closed her eyes, stood up, glanced at the emperor with red eyes, and said stubbornly, "I did it. I will accept whatever punishment you give me."
One of Mu Ruoling's few virtues is that she respects and loves her father, but unfortunately, most of the time she is oblivious to the fact that she is a burden to her father.
The Minister of Justice looked at her strangely, thinking to himself, "Do you know what punishment is?"
The attendant, still kneeling, said, "Please, Your Highness, explain what happened."
Di Xiu stood to the side, hands tucked in his pockets, watching them chatter on and on, raising an eyebrow slightly.
Thanks to the deep bond between the father and daughter, who defended each other, he was spared a lot of explanation.
001 lamented, "Conan makes the culprit kneel down and produce evidence and deduce the process, while they confessed as soon as they saw the evidence."
Mu Ruoling pursed her lips, not daring to look at her father again, and told him her clumsy plan in detail.
In her past life, she often made clothes for Wei Zixiao to please him. Knowing his body size, she secretly made one, and no one knew except for the palace maids who served her closely.
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