When Consort Yuan asked her a question, she assumed that the Consort had taken her words to heart, so she recited the prepared explanation.
To everyone's surprise, after she finished speaking, neither the Fourth Prince Yinzhen nor his wife showed any sign of belief. Even the two princes' mother, Consort Li, was skeptical.
Because the person Yuan Gege was referring to was none other than Geng Gege, who had always been favored by the Fourth Prince.
Niohuru Wanru glanced sideways at Geng Gege standing beside her, then smiled slightly.
Sure enough, it was exactly as she had thought.
Just now, when Geng Gege was in her courtyard, the two of them talked until the end and actually guessed that Yuan Gege would make a move against the two princes next. Of course, they also guessed that Yuan Gege would put the blame on Geng Youran.
Although Geng Youran and Niohuru Wanru shared the same thoughts, there was one thing she didn't understand: she wasn't the only one favored in the mansion, and her own favor was not much less than hers, so why did she always have to make things difficult for her?
Geng Youran felt that Yuan Gege's goal might not be just the Fourth Prince's favor; she wanted something else.
Sure enough, the imperial physician brought by the Fourth Prince later found poison in the food of the two young princes, and the food was sent by Geng Youran.
Kneel down!
Geng Youran knelt down calmly under everyone's gaze.
But she knelt down not to admit her mistake, but to assert her rights.
"Speak, why did you poison the two princes?"
Before Geng Youran could speak, Yuan Gege interrupted:
"Your Highness, why waste words with this poisonous woman? Just hand her over to the Imperial Clan Court."
At this moment, Ulanara stepped forward.
“Yuan Gege, you have no right to speak on this matter. Geng Youran, you speak.”
Geng Youran raised her head:
“Your Highness, Your Highness, I did not poison the young prince, nor did I ever have such a thought. Even if we take a step back, everyone in our household knows that I enjoy thinking about food. Why would I use such a stupid method? It doesn’t make sense.”
Those present nodded.
"Yes, if you're going to harm someone, you should at least try to cover it up."
At this moment, Niohuru Wanru stepped forward.
"Your Highness, I think that since Consort Yuan is so insistent that Consort Geng did it, why not let Consort Geng prove her innocence herself?"
How to prove oneself?
Niohuru Wanru smiled gently.
"Today, my sister brought a box of pastries to visit me. She talked to me about how Your Highness had bestowed upon her a small kitchen, and even mentioned that this food box was unique. If these pastries were indeed made by Consort Geng, then the pastry box should match the remaining boxes in my sister's courtyard. But if they are different, then there must be another reason."
The Fourth Prince only uttered one word:
"search."
So Gao Wuyong led his men to check the remaining food boxes in Geng Youran's courtyard. Including the ones kept with Niu Hulu Wanru, there were exactly ten, not one missing.
Meanwhile, Xiao Shunzi, who was by the side of the Fujin, took the pastries that the two young princes had eaten and let Geng Youran smell them.
"My lord, this wasn't made by me. The ingredients are wrong."
Because it's for modern tastes, Geng Youran usually uses butter when she needs oil in her desserts. The manor doesn't have any, so she initially made them herself.
Later, she told the Fourth Prince about the process.
This is why the pastry shop owned by the Fourth Prince was more popular than those owned by others.
Other pastry shops use lard for their pastries, while better ones use soybean oil, which can make people feel greasy if they eat too much of it.
The way to distinguish them is also very simple: taste and layers.
"Yuan Gege, why don't you tell us?"
Yuan Gege kept her mouth shut and didn't make a sound, but a voice came from inside the room:
“Father, let our son tell us about this.”
Hongyun came out, and Yinzhen reprimanded him:
"Nonsense, lie back down now."
Hongyun smiled.
"Father, I have not been poisoned. Please forgive me."
"Huh? No poisoning? What's going on?"
It turns out that today, Geng Youran, Niohuru Wanru, and Consort Li actually staged a play together to lure out Yuan Gege.
As early as the day Niohuru Wanru paid her respects, she noticed that Yuan Gege looked at Consort Li differently.
She had seen that look in the eyes of her father's concubine before. After that, her mother's unborn son was gone.
Therefore, she had her maid tell Geng Youran and Consort Li her thoughts in advance.
More importantly, she used this incident to eliminate the traitor who had always been by her side—Qingming.
Although Qingming was a maid who came to the mansion with her as part of her dowry, she was actually the daughter of that concubine.
Everything that happened today was just a play.
After Niohuru Wanru confessed everything, Yuan Gege knelt on the ground with a pale face, and Qingming was dragged away.
Yinzhen's expression was also very unpleasant at this moment.
He never expected that he would be tricked by the concubines and sons in the mansion.
Although there was no malicious intent, one's authority cannot be challenged.
Ulanara saw through Yinzhen's thoughts, so she spoke first:
"My lord, although the sisters acted out of concern for the safety of the young princes, they still offended your dignity. How about punishing them by confining them to their quarters for a month and making them copy the 'Admonitions for Women' fifty times?"
"We'll do as you say."
Yinzhen then left, leaving his wife to continue handling the matter.
Some were confined to their homes, while others watched the spectacle. Yuan Gege went into premature labor due to the shock, and both she and her child perished.
When the group was released from confinement and heard the news, they couldn't help but sigh that Yuan Gege had schemed against everyone in the end, but forgot her own identity.
The proverb "greed knows no bounds" perfectly describes this kind of person.
Because of this incident, Geng Youran and Niohuru Wanru became friends. Wanru was a foodie, so she often went to Geng Youran's courtyard to freeload.
She also saw the Fourth Prince more often.
This phenomenon made Xinyi very dissatisfied.
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