Chapter 750 Are you trying to frame me?
The setting sun was like fire.
The Thousand Autumns Hall seemed to be burning in flames, yet it remained utterly silent.
But soon, a series of hurried and disorderly footsteps, filled with obvious anger, broke the tranquility. Chu Ruoyan, her pretty face full of anger, stormed in from outside with Pan Qing. When she looked up, she saw Shang Ruyi sitting by the bed, while the Imperial Physician Su Qinglan was taking her pulse.
Two senior palace maids, Tushe'er and Changwan, stood by.
Seeing her storm in, the two palace maids exchanged a glance. Although Tu She'er frowned, she could only bite her lip and remain silent because she had already been greeted. Chang Wan, on the other hand, went to greet her and said respectfully, "Madam Chu, what brings you here—"
"I've come to see the Princess!"
Chu Ruoyan waved her hand, and Chang Wan obediently stepped back, making way for her, allowing Chu Ruoyan to walk straight to Shang Ruyi.
Only then did Shang Ruyi slowly raise her head, looking at Chu Ruoyan with a smile, and said, "What a rare guest. It seems that this is the first time Madam Chu has come to Qianqiu Palace since I entered the palace."
Chu Ruoyan sneered, "I would love to come more often, but the princess actually threw away all the pastries I made myself. How can I possibly come back!"
"..."
Upon hearing this, the entire Thousand Autumns Palace fell silent.
Shang Ruyi's face also showed a knowing expression, but she did not speak immediately. Instead, she glanced at Su Qinglan. Su Qinglan silently removed her hand from her wrist, then stood up and bowed to Chu Ruoyan, saying, "Madam Chu."
Chu Ruoyan was clearly still furious. She waved her hand and said, "This matter has nothing to do with you. Get out!"
Su Qinglan said gently but firmly, "This matter concerns me."
Chu Ruoyan was taken aback and turned to look at her: "Hmm?"
Su Qinglan calmly said, "Because I discovered that someone had added a powder that is harmful to pregnant women to that box of pastries, which is why I told Your Highness not to eat them."
"What did you say!?"
Chu Ruoyan was stunned, her eyes widening in shock: "You, you said—"
While straightening her sleeves, Shang Ruyi said, "If I had actually eaten what you sent, I'm afraid a major disaster would have already occurred, and the news would have reached His Majesty."
Chu Ruoyan stood there dumbfounded, looking at Su Qinglan and Shang Ruyi's confident expressions, clearly finding it hard to believe: "The things I sent were poisoned? How could that be!"
"..."
"I made that thing myself, and I even tasted it after I finished making it. There's no way it could be poisonous!"
"..."
"Are you trying to frame me?"
Shang Ruyi turned to look at Su Qinglan, a relieved smile appearing on her face. Su Qinglan nodded gently in response.
Seeing them like this, Chu Ruoyan became even angrier: "Are you conspiring to frame me?"
Upon hearing this, Tushe'er, who was standing nearby, couldn't hold back any longer. She turned and went into another room, bringing out a red lacquered, carved food box and presenting it to her, saying, "The Princess and Lord Su are both upright people. How could they possibly do something like framing someone? Madam Chu, please look, these are the pastries you sent. Someone added five, five—"
At this point, she stammered for a moment, and Chang Wan immediately said, "Five Elements Grass Ash."
Chu Ruoyan looked at the box in surprise. It was one of the utensils her mother had left her, which she had specially asked the palace maids of Jinyuyuan to search through the storeroom. When the box was opened, four bright red hawthorn cakes were neatly arranged inside, and they were indeed made by her.
She was stunned: "You, what are you doing—"
Shang Ruyi said calmly, "I didn't throw away what you sent. The pastries I just had She'er throw away were different kinds."
Why did you do that?
"I did this simply to see your attitude, Madam."
"What's the meaning?"
“If the ashes of the Five Elements Grass inside were really put there by Madam, then I will have someone take them away and throw them away. Madam, you are in the wrong, so naturally you will not come to me. Only if you do not know anything about it, but see your feelings being wasted, will you come to me for justice.”
"..."
Chu Ruoyan blinked. Although she was still filled with resentment, she gradually came to her senses.
Shang Ruyi judged whether she was the one who poisoned the plants by observing their own attitude.
Thinking about it, another surge of anger rose in her heart. She glared at Shang Ruyi and said in a deep voice, "You are underestimating me too much. Do you think I am that kind of person? If such a thing really happened, you should come and ask me yourself. I dare to take responsibility for my actions."
"..."
"No, I would never do such a thing!"
Shang Ruyi said calmly, "I understand that too. However, since it concerns my child, I can't be careless."
As she spoke, she reached out and touched her slightly protruding belly, which was still not noticeable to others.
Chu Ruoyan looked down at her lower abdomen, her eyes showing a hint of conflict. After a long silence, she took a deep breath to calm her anger and tried to make her tone sound calmer. She said, "Then what was that thing you were talking about earlier, that grass ash?"
Shang Ruyi turned to look at Su Qinglan, her gaze seemingly saying—she really didn't understand pharmacology. Su Qinglan nodded silently and walked over, saying softly, "In response to Madam Chu, this kind of grass ash has the medicinal effect of tightening the uterus in women. It is harmless for ordinary people to eat, but if it is combined with hawthorn cake, which can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and given to pregnant women, there is a risk of miscarriage."
"ah?"
Chu Ruoyan was startled again, speechless: "Hawthorn doesn't work either?"
"..."
"But my mother said that when she was pregnant with Fei'er, she craved sour foods, so the Imperial Kitchen made her hawthorn cakes!"
Su Qinglan smiled wryly: "It's partly due to the dosage, partly due to the individual's constitution, but the important thing isn't the hawthorn cake itself, but rather the combination with the Five Elements Grass ash."
As she spoke, she reached out and smeared some of the hawthorn cake in the box, gathering up some white powder. She then held it up to Chu Ruoyan and whispered, "This, Madam Chu, should have been sprinkled with fine sugar powder, but I just discovered that it also contains a considerable amount of Five Elements Grass ash. This is a vicious method that harms people invisibly. If the Princess Consort had actually eaten it, I'm afraid she would be—"
Chu Ruoyan's face immediately turned pale.
She quickly said, "I didn't do it!"
Shang Ruyi said, "Now that Madam is standing here, I naturally have complete faith in her. However—"
"Just what?"
"We've checked the hawthorn cake, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. The problem lies with the Five Elements Grass ash on it. In other words, someone tampered with it after Madam finished making the dessert and sprinkled it with powdered sugar."
"...!"
Chu Ruoyan trembled slightly and subconsciously turned her head to look at the head palace maid, Pan Qing, who was following behind her and whose face was now pale and filled with terror.
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