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

Chu Nianci was standing nearby. When she looked up, she was startled, while Tuanyuan beside her couldn't help but scream, "Ah...a ghost!"

He immediately hid behind her.

Consort Bai was puzzled by their overreaction.

But Yanqiu stared at her with wide eyes, her expression one of horror.

Consort Shu had already covered her nose and turned her head away.

"What are you making such a fuss about!" Bai Pin coughed and scolded, but in the small mirror that Yan Qiu tremblingly handed her, she saw half of her face, which was not only covered with red rashes, but the skin had also turned black and ulcerated!

"My face... how did this happen?" she screamed involuntarily.

This is not a pollen allergy at all!

She had personally witnessed a similar appearance of Consort Jia after she was poisoned... but it was clearly the same poison she herself had used.

The pollen was prepared by Yanqiu; this maid had been with her since childhood and had never made a mistake.

Cold sweat instantly soaked through my back.

Bai Pin felt a chill run through her body as a terrifying thought surfaced: someone had switched the pollen, and it was highly likely that the person she trusted most was no longer one of her own. Who was responsible for this?

Whether it's Yan Rong or Yan Qiu, it's not the time to dwell on that now. If a concubine's face is ruined, her favor in this life will come to an end!

Consort Bai covered her face and cried out, "Your Highness Consort Shu... save me..." before her eyes rolled back and she fainted on the ground.

The palace maids beside him screamed in fright and rushed over to help him up.

Consort Shu's face instantly darkened.

She certainly loathed Consort Bai's usual feigned innocence, but what angered her even more at this moment was... that someone dared to use such tricks right in front of her?

"Who is it? Who dares to poison me in front of me!" she shouted sternly.

This statement was both to distance herself from the matter and to show everyone that it had nothing to do with her.

Chu Nianci glanced at Duanmu Qingyu quietly.

He was standing quite far away.

But his handsome eyebrows were like a slightly unsheathed knife, dragging out a cold and sharp arc, and the corners of his lips were pursed into a cold and hard line.

But he was glaring at Consort Bai.

Even he himself noticed Bai Pin's little action of secretly applying pollen. With his keen senses, it was impossible for him not to have seen this act of self-destruction.

But Bai Pin is different from Qiao Ying; she has the Grand Commandant's mansion behind her.

Even if she did make a mistake, she should be punished according to palace rules. But if the cause cannot be found, and people think she is a victim who was "harmed", then things become complicated.

Bai Yunchen quickly stepped forward, supporting the unconscious Consort Bai, and earnestly said, "Your Majesty, Consort Shu, my sister is prone to allergies. Someone must be carrying poison. I implore you to thoroughly investigate this matter and ensure that the treacherous person is brought to justice!"

The implication is that someone deliberately framed him.

Consort Shu's mind raced.

She is destined to be empress. If she is now suspected of "murdering a concubine," how will she gain the respect of the people in the future?

So she nodded solemnly: "That's right, we must get to the bottom of this."

Duanmu Qingyu narrowed his phoenix eyes, his cold light intimidating: "Guards, summon the female physician first. I want to see who's causing trouble right under my nose!"

He appeared stern and imposing, but it turned out he was just trying to brush it off.

Chu Nianci thought that, based on what had happened before, he already knew that his sister's medical skills were not good.

In the midst of the chaos, Chu Shunqing rushed over.

As the only female physician in the palace, she was the first to handle any examinations involving the health of concubines and noblewomen.

In just a few days, she had lost a lot of weight, her face was pale, and the dark circles under her eyes were covered by thick makeup.

She was already exhausted from having to take care of her seriously ill mother-in-law all night and deal with her sister-in-law's difficult behavior. Fortunately, Lin Lang still had feelings for her, otherwise she really wouldn't have been able to persevere.

She spotted Chu Nianci kneeling in the crowd at a glance.

Even in such a disheveled state, the person's skin remained radiant, with a healthy blush on her cheeks, like a delicate flower that had been carefully tended.

Why is it that I suffer so much while Chu Nianci lives such a comfortable life in the palace?

Chu Shunqing suppressed the jealousy and resentment in his heart and stepped forward to take Bai Pin's pulse.

She remembered clearly that around this time in her previous life, Consort Bai was "poisoned," but it was later found that she was just allergic to pollen, and the pollen came from a concubine's sachet.

She glanced at Chu Nianci and Shen Lanbing, who were kneeling nervously together, and suddenly remembered that Chu Nianci was her friend.

Dear sister, aren't you and Shen Lanbing like sisters?

Today, I will make you both bear the crime of murdering a concubine!

She took out a gold needle and inserted it into Bai Pin's acupoint.

Consort Bai slowly regained consciousness, and Chu Shunqing immediately put on a solemn expression, saying in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, this is a sign of poisoning. You must have come into contact with some kind of allergenic pollen that can cause acute illness. Someone must have this poison on them."

Bai Pin had just caught her breath when she heard the diagnosis and couldn't help but glance at her.

That female doctor is indeed a useless person.

If it's just pollen, how did my face turn like this?

She knew better than anyone that the pollen she had prepared would only cause coughing and wheezing, and would never disfigure her.

But if her face is ruined, her family can send in another sister to replace her at any time... then her life will be completely over!

Fear and resentment mingled, and in a frantic mental state, the only thing to temporarily attribute the problem to an allergy.

If I first bring down Consort Lan, and then implicate Consort Hui as an accomplice, the manor might send a physician to treat me since I'm still somewhat useful.

Thinking of this, Consort Bai burst into tears, struggling to collapse at Duanmu Qingyu's feet: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty must avenge me! Someone used such vicious means to harm me... My face is ruined, how can I live now!"

Duanmu Qingyu frowned and took a step back.

A hint of disgust and revulsion appeared on Jun's face. He already disliked her constant scheming and treacherous nature, and now that her face was ruined and her wailing was even more hideous, it made him want to vomit.

However, out of respect for the Grand Commandant's office, he covered his nose with the back of his hand and sneered, "Don't worry, with me here, I will never let you be wronged..."

Halfway through his speech, he couldn't help but walk to the side and gag.

Consort Shu stepped forward and took his hand, gently patting his back, but she still couldn't stop his stomach from churning.

Chu Nianci moved closer to him and reached out to grab the web of his long, slender wrist.

Duanmu Qingyu: "..."

Chu Nianci quickly explained, "Your Majesty, I'm helping you stop vomiting."

After massaging several acupoints in succession, Duanmu Qingyu finally relaxed his brows.

Consort Bai, standing nearby, was so ashamed and indignant upon seeing this that even His Majesty vomited.

It's over, everything's over.

Forget about serving the emperor in bed; I'm afraid His Majesty won't even want to look at me in the future.

A sudden, desperate urge to fight to the death surged within Consort Bai. She knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly until her forehead bled profusely. "Your Majesty, Consort Shu, please grant me justice! I have always been allergic to bougainvillea pollen. Please, Your Majesty, examine the sachets worn by all the noble ladies present to see if anyone is carrying such a substance."

While kowtowing, he gestured to Yan Qiu, revealing his final trump card.

Consort Shu was filled with impatience. In her opinion, it would be better for someone like Consort Bai to have her face ruined.

But if she doesn't find the culprit, she won't be able to explain herself to the Grand Commandant's office, and her ability to "assist in managing the six palaces" will be questioned.

She twirled the jade and gold bracelet on her wrist and said coldly, "In that case, investigate everyone. Take out all the sachets and powder packets you have on you!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Lanbing's palms were sweating profusely... The sachet she had given away that morning did indeed contain bougainvillea powder. If she hadn't been quick-witted and switched the sachet early on... she would probably be doomed today.

But how could others know about this matter, which was kept so secret? And what about the sachet in His Majesty's possession...? This intricate scheme was clearly a trap set up long ago, just waiting for her to fall into it!

Her face turned deathly pale, and her body trembled slightly.

Chu Nianci, standing beside her, secretly squeezed her hand tightly and gently shook his head, signaling her to calm down.

It was just as I suspected.

Chu Nianci breathed a sigh of relief, secretly glad that she knew bougainvillea pollen was an allergen for some people and had taken precautions in advance.

Now, she wanted to see how this play would proceed.

The palace servants around Consort Shu stepped forward and collected the sachets from everyone's bodies one by one.

Only Shen Lanbing was completely naked.

Chu Shunqing took the sachets, examined them carefully, and reported, "Your Highness, no bougainvillea powder was found in any of these sachets."

After saying that, he added a sentence with emphasis.

"However, Consort Lan was not wearing a sachet."

Consort Shu stared at Shen Lanbing with suspicion.

Just as I was about to ask, I saw a young palace maid running out from behind the bushes in a panic.

The head palace maid, Lü Qiao, with her sharp eyes, immediately shouted sternly, "Who goes there? How dare you barge in here, with Consort Shu here!"

The palace maid was thin and small. She knelt down with a thud, trembling like a leaf: "This servant...this servant is from Consort Lan's palace..."

"Chunyu?" Shen Lanbing recognized her, her face pale as she scolded, "What kind of behavior is this, clumsy and unruly? Who let you come here?"

"This servant...this servant..." Chunyu stammered, unable to speak coherently.

Shen Lanbing felt utterly humiliated in front of everyone, and was both anxious and angry: "I told you to stay in the palace and guard it properly. Who gave you permission to come here? Your behavior is so inappropriate, get back here right now! If you continue to be so rash, I'll send you to the laundry department!"

The term "Laundry Bureau" refers to the place where low-ranking criminal slaves in the palace worked day and night, enduring unspeakable suffering.

Upon hearing this, Chunyu seemed to be pricked by a needle, and suddenly raised her head, her face drained of all color.

She suddenly cried out in a shrill voice, "My lady! I've done so many shady things for you, yet you're so heartless as to want to abandon me to death. Since that's the case, why should I cover for you anymore!"

After speaking, she turned to Duanmu Qingyu and Consort Shu, kowtowing repeatedly, and cried out, "Your Majesty and Your Highness, please understand! Now that things have come to this, this servant dares not conceal anything anymore. Consort Lan... Consort Lan knew all along that Consort Bai was allergic to bougainvillea pollen, so today she deliberately mixed the pollen into the sachet and ordered this servant to seize the opportunity to do so. That harmful sachet... has already been given to Consort Hui..."