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

"How dare you!" Duanmu Qingyu's eyes flashed with a cold, razor-sharp light. "Do you know what crime it is to fabricate rumors and slander without any evidence before me?"

Chunyu was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground.

What crime was it? It was nothing more than death. But the thought of his parents and brothers being in the hands of the Bai family...

Chunyu's face was deathly pale. She barely managed to support herself, kowtowed, and said through gritted teeth in a trembling voice, "This servant is willing to bear any crime. This servant was ordered by Consort Lan to put the bougainvillea into the sachet... But, but this servant really didn't know that it was meant to harm Consort Bai! It wasn't until I came here that I realized something had happened..."

Shen Lanbing's pretty face turned as white as paper, she was terrified and almost fainted. Even though she was gentle and well-mannered, she was so angry and embarrassed by such a baseless accusation that her face turned red.

Hongying quickly helped her up, calling out repeatedly, "My lady, my lady..."

Chu Nianci was indignant. What a clever scheme! First, she put bougainvillea in the sachet. When she saw that Shen Lanbing did not have a sachet, she immediately launched the second step of her plan. She was indeed cunning and vicious. Bai Pin was indeed worthy of being from the Grand Commandant's Mansion. She had indeed left a backup plan.

She bit her cherry lips, not speaking immediately, for a small act of impatience could ruin a great plan.

Let's see what other tricks they have up their sleeves.

Hongying was so angry that her eyebrows stood on end. Chu Nianci quickly grabbed Hongying's sleeve tightly, signaling her not to act impulsively.

But she couldn't hold back any longer and angrily rebuked, "My mistress has always treated you well, how dare you speak such slanderous words?"

Chunyu kowtowed repeatedly, her snow-white forehead now bruised and purple, her face filled with fear: "Your Highness, please understand, even if you gave me a hundred lives, I would never dare to harm Consort Bai... Aren't you afraid of divine retribution for doing this?"

Hongying raised her hand to slap her: "How much money did you take from others to frame your master like this?"

"No, I really don't know what happened..." Chunyu cried as she dodged away, crawling towards Consort Shu. "This morning, Your Highness went to Consort Hui's place and gave her the sachet..."

Consort Bai's crying stopped abruptly, her face turning grim. She sobbed, "Noble Lady Lan, Consort Hui, I know there was a misunderstanding during my last audience with the Emperor, but I have already apologized to you. I never imagined you would be so cruel as to poison me?"

Consort Shu cast a cold glance at Chu Nianci and Shen Lanbing.

Chu Nianci's mind settled slightly.

Now that things have come to this point, the truth is basically clear: Consort Bai has already set a trap, and if we don't act now, we'll be put on the defensive.

Chu Nianci no longer hesitated, and pretended to be nervous as she pursed her crimson lips, making her full lips appear even more vibrant: "Your Majesty, Consort Shu, this matter is suspicious. We cannot convict the two concubines based solely on one person's words. In addition to witnesses, we must verify the true evidence."

She turned to the heartbroken Consort Bai and said, "Just as Your Highness said, we have no grudge against you, so why would we want to harm you?"

Shen Lanbing also hurriedly knelt down and said, "That is indeed the case. Please, Your Majesty and Consort Shu, understand."

Consort Shu's gaze swept over the two women... one as beautiful as a crabapple blossom, the other as elegant as a secluded orchid, and a pang of jealousy rose in her heart.

These two were not exactly peaceful either: one was always hanging around in front of His Majesty, and the other often went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Her eyes turned slightly cold, and she was about to speak...

Duanmu Qingyu seemed to have seen through her thoughts and shot her a sharp look, so Consort Shu had no choice but to lower her head.

He wasn't in a hurry to get them up. His gaze was scrutinizing and calm. His eyes smiled like spring flowers in bloom, but when they weren't smiling, the sharp curve of his eyes could pierce right through you.

Little by little, a moment of silence fell, as if time itself had stood still. Chu Nianci gripped Shen Lanbing's hand tightly to prevent her from fainting. After a few breaths, Duanmu Qingyu waved for the two to stand up, then said calmly, "Hui Changzai's words make sense. As the saying goes, a single piece of evidence is not enough. Witnesses alone are indeed not convincing."

He then turned to look at Chunyu, his gaze cold and piercing, until Chunyu began to tremble uncontrollably. Only then did he say in a deep voice, "Since you dare to implicate the two concubines, aren't you afraid of your entire family being implicated?"

Chunyu was so frightened that she almost fainted. She never expected His Majesty to be so cold-blooded and ruthless.

Her whole family would be implicated, but by then it was too late to regret it and change her mind.

She dug her fingers deep into her flesh.

Consort Shu said, "Your Majesty, why not send people to search the palace? The truth will come out in due time."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lanbing's face paled, and her body swayed slightly.

For a concubine, being searched in the palace is a great humiliation, almost tantamount to announcing to everyone that she cannot escape responsibility.

Chu Nianci gripped her hand tightly to show her to stay calm.

Then Chu Nianci calmly said, "I am not trying to stop the search of the palace, but I am currently residing in a side hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. If the palace is searched... will Your Majesty's quarters also be searched?"

Consort Shu was taken aback by these words and dared not speak. She looked at Duanmu Qingyu with her charming eyes. Duanmu Qingyu took a sachet from her waist and handed it to Chu Shunqing, saying, "There is no need to search Nuanqing Pavilion. The sachet is with me."

After speaking, she glanced sideways at Chu Shunqing with her bright eyes.

Chu Shunqing shrank back, now he knew fear.

If this matter is not handled properly, it could implicate the whole family. She lowered her head, stepped forward to take the sachet, glanced at it briefly, and quickly returned it with both hands: "Your Majesty, there is no bougainvillea powder in this sachet."

Bai Yunchen's peach blossom eyes were full of doubt and resentment. He hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, the Hall of Mental Cultivation is not to be searched. You may only search Consort Lan's residence."

Shen Lanbing clenched her fists tightly.

There were still some bougainvillea petals in her bedroom.

Chu Nianci immediately sensed her tension and retorted, "If we only search one person, I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public and will appear unfair. But if we search Yangxin Palace, I'm afraid it will cause a stir in the court and damage His Majesty's reputation. How will Consort Shu manage the harem in the future? I have a suggestion... Just now I heard Consort Bai repeatedly crying out in pain. I have some medical knowledge. May I examine Consort Bai's pulse again to find out the cause of her illness...?"

Chu Nianci hadn't finished speaking.

Chu Shunqing's expression immediately changed, and she retorted in a shrill voice, "Your Majesty, I am a female physician personally appointed by the Empress, and my diagnosis is absolutely correct."

Chu Nianci listened and only sneered inwardly.

No wonder this half-sister was abandoned by the Empress in her previous life, no wonder... Although she wasn't wrong, she forgot that the person sitting in front of her was Consort Shu.

What Consort Shu feared most was others using the Empress to pressure her.

Moreover, because of the inclusion of seafood in the meal, Duanmu Qingyu was beginning to suspect the Empress.

Sure enough, after a moment of silence, Duanmu Qing's face hardened like iron, and he coldly uttered, "I said I would investigate thoroughly, and I mean I would investigate to the end. I remember you; you were the one who misdiagnosed me last time."

"Yes, she caused me a lot of suffering. It was only thanks to Consort Hui that I was saved. Since Consort Hui wants to take my pulse, what's wrong with that? Let me make this clear beforehand... If it turns out that you, this good-for-nothing, misdiagnosed me again, you will be punished with ten strokes of the cane as a warning to others." Consort Shu sneered.

Chu Shunqing was once again called a good-for-nothing. His face turned bright red, and he opened his mouth, but ultimately did not dare to refute.

"Hui'er, I trust your medical skills and character. In that case, go and investigate," Duanmu Qingyu said.

Chu Nian bowed and stood up to walk to Consort Bai's side.

Consort Bai was already sitting on a small stool brought by the palace servants. Although she looked unwilling, she dared not say a word because of His Majesty and Consort Shu's words. She could only glare at her fiercely, her heart pounding wildly.

Chu Nianci took out an embroidered handkerchief from her sleeve and placed it on Bai Pin's wrist before squatting down to take her pulse.

The pulse under my fingertips was fast and rapid, but it beat very strongly, unlike either poisoning or illness.

She found it strange, and upon closer sniffing, she realized that Bai Pin did indeed smell of bougainvillea pollen.

He then examined Consort Bai's jade-like wrists and fair face, and suddenly noticed an inconspicuous little red dot near her jade-like earlobe.

Upon closer inspection, the area around the red dot was already swollen.

Chu Nianci's heart sank slightly, and she said in a low voice, "Your Majesty is indeed having some allergies, but it's definitely not enough to cause such a severe rash and toxic wound. The red spot under your earlobe... looks more like it was caused by a poisonous insect bite."

Upon hearing the words "poisonous insects," Consort Bai immediately recalled how she had once harmed Consort Jia with poisonous scorpions. Her face turned deathly pale, her whole body stiffened, and she trembled, unable to utter a single word.

Bai Yunchen's handsome face immediately turned pale as he retorted, "This... how could that be? How could there be poisonous insects in this freezing weather..."

"Absurd!" Chu Shunqing immediately retorted loudly, "Poisonous insects only leave their nests when spring arrives and flowers bloom; it's clearly a pollen allergy!"

Seeing that they still refused to admit it, Chu Nianci coldly said, "Go and invite Physician Zhang over, and the truth will be revealed."

Duanmu Qingyu nodded, signaling the young eunuch to go and invite him.

He looked at Chu Nianci, his gaze gradually softening.

After several events, he believed in Chu Nianci's medical skills and that she would not make a wrong judgment.

We now basically know the whole story... It seems that Consort Bai tried to frame someone but ended up being harmed by poisonous insects instead.

Now I'm really fed up with the Grand Commandant's Mansion constantly testing my bottom line. I'm happy to find out the truth, teach the Grand Commandant's Mansion a lesson, make him admit his bad luck and have nothing to say, and make him restrain himself from now on.

After an incense stick had burned, Physician Zhang finally arrived.

He glanced at Chu Nianci secretly, his eyes filled with gratitude...

A few days ago, on the Laba Festival, it was because of her reminder that he didn't let his wife and daughter go to the temple fair, and he also specifically informed the patrol battalion to pay attention to safety.

However, the patrol battalion did not seem to accept his suggestion.

Later, a fire broke out due to the rush to collect the supplies, injuring hundreds of people. His family members, who were not present, were unharmed.

The thought that his wife and daughter might have met with misfortune without her made Physician Zhang tremble with fear.

He will always remember this life-saving grace.

He suppressed his turbulent emotions, stepped forward, first bowed to the emperor, and then carefully examined Consort Bai.

When he saw the small red dot under the earlobe, he suddenly felt a chill.

"Imperial Physician Zhang, what's wrong with my face?" Consort Bai asked hurriedly when she saw his strange expression.

Imperial Physician Zhang sighed: "Your Majesty, your breathing difficulties are likely due to an allergic reaction to bougainvillea, but the red rash on your face... is indeed caused by a poisonous insect bite. Insect venom is extremely damaging to the skin and very difficult to treat. Even with proper treatment, I'm afraid... it will inevitably leave scars."

The disfigurement was truly caused by poisonous insects; all around was silent...