You take on two husbands, I'll turn around and marry the tyrant and rule the world.

Chu Nianci felt a chill in her heart.

He thought to himself expressionlessly that what he did was not wrong. For the sake of the emperor's dignity and reputation, such a punishment was indeed justifiable.

Her mind raced; she couldn't rush things or panic.

In this moment of panic and confusion, the whole game will be lost.

Chu Nianci was lost in thought, and he could almost feel his inner garments soaked with cold sweat, sticking stickily to his back.

Suddenly.

A thought flashed through her mind: he had just mentioned the instructing matron examining her body; those words, though cold in sound, were actually a wake-up call for her.

In the palace, examining the body is usually the job of the midwife, but he specifically mentioned the instructing midwife... the familiar instructing midwife?

……Understood!

He was showing himself a way out.

Since he has already secretly helped her, she must accept this hint without letting anyone notice anything amiss.

Thinking of this, Chu Nianci immediately put on a wronged expression, causing her nose to sting and tears to flow down her face.

Overwhelmed with grief, he knelt down with a thud and said, "Your Majesty, please reconsider."

"Your Majesty," Shen Lanbing also knelt down abruptly, speaking anxiously, "this is truly an insult!"

But the Empress immediately spoke up: "I know it is inappropriate, but every concubine who enters the palace undergoes this investigation. If we make an exception for Consort Hui, even if she is truly innocent, she will inevitably be criticized in the future, and her reputation will be damaged."

Consort Jia, Gu Qingmei, stepped forward and knelt beside Shen Lanbing, who was so agitated that she could barely stand. She gently supported her and said, "This method has never been publicly implemented in the palace, so it is difficult to determine whether it is appropriate or not. I do not approve of it either."

The coldness and doubt in Duanmu Qingyu's eyes intertwined, like an invisible net that heavily enveloped him.

At that moment, he said, "My mind is made up."

Chu Nianci looked up at him, tears welling up in her eyes, her shoulders trembling.

Tears welled up and flowed down her face, her voice hoarse: "Your Majesty, I was fortunate enough to receive your favor and serve you, but I never expected to be so envied and framed. If I had known this would happen, I would have preferred you to let me live as an old palace maid, living out my days in loneliness."

Duanmu Qingyu's eyes, though as firm as ice, seemed to flicker with emotion, yet he still said, "Without verification, I cannot clear your name."

Chu Nianci's eyes were red, and she lowered her gaze with difficulty.

She seemed to have already made up her mind, and suddenly bowed to him with tears in her eyes, saying, "Your Majesty, since you want to verify, please ask the head maid of Chuxiu Palace to come over."

Duanmu Qingyu gave her a deep look, and the corners of his mouth curved upwards almost imperceptibly.

The woman was at least somewhat clever and understood his intention to protect her.

Just asking her to deliver flowers caused this whole mess.

Hao Hao almost got herself cuckolded. As for whether she really had an affair with Lin Jingrui, he thought it was unlikely. Otherwise, why would she give up her good life as the wife of the Earl and go to such lengths to enter the palace?

But she didn't take the main road from Yangxin Hall to Kunning Palace.

It's infuriating that I caused this trouble by taking the path through the back garden. Thinking this, my lips turned cold again.

So he said with a stern face, "Alright."

After saying this, he glanced at Jingxi, who then accepted the order and left.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the heavy door of the main hall creaked open.

A beam of light streamed in through the crack in the door, illuminating the person who had entered.

A tall woman, dressed in a brand-new second-class head maid's palace attire, with her jet-black hair neatly styled in a bun adorned with a single palace flower, slightly high cheekbones, a few scattered freckles, a slightly pointed chin, and a stern expression, walked in without glancing to the side. Her kneeling and kowtowing movements were standard and swift, without a single extra sound.

"This servant greets Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, and all the masters," she said calmly. "What are your orders for summoning this servant?"

Duanmu Qingyu frowned slightly and raised his hand: "Stand up and speak."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The old woman stood up, stepped aside with her hands at her sides, and then raised her head.

Chu Nianci saw her face clearly and felt a slight sense of relief... It was Aunt Lan, a well-known strict and fair person in the palace.

Seeing that it was an old friend who had come, she felt a little relieved.

Although she didn't say her name, His Majesty knew that he had been on good terms with Aunt Lan, so he specially summoned her.

It seems... His Majesty is not entirely disregarding himself.

Empress Lin then gave an unquestionable order: "Aunt Lan, go and examine Consort Hui."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Aunt Lan respectfully replied, but did not act immediately. Instead, she kowtowed again and asked for instructions, "In the palace, there are usually two methods for examining a person's body: one is to use a parrot to drip blood to test virginity, and the other is to examine the anus. I wonder which one Your Majesty would prefer?"

Consort Yu's lips moved as if she wanted to interject, but she was startled by a cold glare from Empress Lin and immediately fell silent, shrinking back into her seat.

Empress Lin picked up a handkerchief, gently touched the corner of her lips, and turned to Duanmu Qingyu, her voice gentle and kind: "Your Majesty, the palace has always used the bloodletting method, but now Consort Hui has been accused, and suspicions are quite deep. If we use ordinary methods, I'm afraid it will be difficult to silence the gossip and to completely clear her name. What do you think...?"

She gently handed the decision-making power to the emperor.

Duanmu Qingyu's gaze fell on Chu Nianci's pale but upright back.

After a moment of silence, Duanmu Qingyu looked at Aunt Lan.

Aunt Lan immediately reported back: "Your Majesty, although the results of the two methods are consistent, the method of probing the anus is mostly used for criminals."

Duanmu Qingyu frowned slightly and said, "Since the examination of the anus is mostly used for criminals with conclusive evidence, it is inappropriate. Consort Hui only said a few words and there is no concrete evidence pointing to the corruption in the palace. According to the palace rules, all newly entered palace maids are examined using the 'parrot blood test' method. In order to show fairness, I will use this method as the basis."

His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

Chu Nianci's tense heartstrings suddenly relaxed.

Overjoyed, she could hardly believe her ears.

It was as if I heard a heavenly sound.

His Majesty is still thinking of himself.

In the end, I'll preserve this dignity for her.

This time, what gathered in my eyes was a single tear of joy.

The parrot's blood was so potent that even the Empress used this method to examine it in the palace. This method allowed for public examination without causing any loss of face.

Shen Lanbing and Gu Qingmei also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The parrot's blood was a gesture of great dignity.

Seeing this, Aunt Lan said no more, turned to face Chu Nianci, and raised her hand in a businesslike manner: "Young Master Hui, please extend your arm."

Chu Nianci took a deep breath and, under the watchful eyes of countless people, slowly extended her wrist.

The main hall was eerily quiet.

Aunt Lan gestured, and two young palace maids approached carrying a small porcelain bottle.

She took the porcelain bottle, uncorked it, and said in a calm voice, "Please do not move, Your Highness. If you struggle, the examination will be inaccurate, and Your Highness's innocence will be tarnished."

Chu Nianci lay quietly as instructed, stretching out her arms.

She had heard of this method: take a drop of blood from a tamed parrot and drip it onto a woman's wrist.

If the blood congeals and does not disperse, the person is pure; if it slips or spreads, the person is not virgin.

A drop of cool liquid landed on her wrist.

She held her breath; the time felt like an eternity of being slowly tortured.

His whole body stiffened, his eyes fixed on that bright red spot.

The blood droplet swayed gently, then finally came to a steady stop, slowly condensing into a complete droplet.

Finally, Aunt Lan reached out to help her up: "Young mistress, please rise."

Chu Nianci straightened up with the help of the weight, but her legs were still a little weak.

The spot on my wrist that had been wiped clean still seemed to retain the feel of that drop of blood.

Aunt Lan deftly wiped away the bloodstains with a handkerchief, turned around and bowed: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, this servant has completed the examination, and Consort Hui is indeed a virgin."

As the cold voice fell, Chu Nianci's heart finally returned to its original place.

She cast a grateful glance at Aunt Lan, but the other woman had already lowered her head and stepped aside.

Chu Nianci's eyes were slightly red, and her voice was choked with sobs as she said aggrievedly, "Your Majesty... now that the examination has been conducted, my body is finally clear."

Duanmu Qingyu raised his hand slightly, his gaze lingering on her face, as if to comfort her.

Then, he raised his eyes and slowly turned his gaze to the beautiful lady.

The air pressure in the entire hall suddenly dropped.

"Just now, in order to ensure fairness, I granted permission for a physical examination," the emperor's voice was devoid of emotion, yet as cold as ice shards. "Now that the results are in, and you were the first to accuse me, what else do you have to say?"

The beautiful lady trembled, her face turning deathly pale.

Her lips trembled, and after a long while, she weakly squeezed out a sentence: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty witnessed their intimate behavior with your own eyes. Even if their bodies are innocent, their thoughts of illicit relations may not be pure..."

"How dare you! This is sophistry!" Duanmu Qingyu's gaze swept across her face like a blade. "Just now you kept saying 'illicit affair,' but now that your innocence has been proven, you're changing your tune to 'impure thoughts'? If we convict you based on your conjectures and speculations, wouldn't the palace rules become nothing but a piece of waste paper?"

The pretty lady's back was soaked with cold sweat.

In the dead silence, she subconsciously looked at Consort Yu... but the other woman had her head down and did not respond.

She suddenly realized: she was nothing more than a knife in someone else's hand.

If this succeeds, it will bring shame to the Emperor; if it fails, it will be considered deceiving the Emperor and tarnishing his reputation.

Chu Nianci raised her tearful eyes, her voice clear and sharp as thin ice: "Just now, Consort Qiao spoke with absolute certainty, accusing me of committing adultery in the palace. Now that the physical examination has proven my innocence, she still insists on having an affair, making baseless accusations and showing no remorse... How can this be an accusation against me? This is clearly questioning Your Majesty's wise judgment, showing contempt for the fairness of palace rules, and placing Your Majesty's dignity in vain!"

After he finished speaking, the entire hall became eerily quiet.

All the concubines unconsciously took a half step back, distancing themselves from Consort Qiao. Their faces were filled with fear and unease.

If those words were merely a dispute between concubines, there might still be room for reconciliation.

But once it comes to "disrespecting the emperor" or "questioning palace rules"...

That would mean completely trampling the emperor's dignity underfoot.

You could hear a pin drop inside the hall...