The Enchanting Imperial Concubine

Chapter 22 - Scapegoat

Ning Chen's expression was frighteningly dark.

Among those present, he trusted no one, but Ye Yun had a highly accomplished father. If she were easily convicted, it would dishearten the old officials, so an investigation was necessary.

"Yuan Jiu, send someone to search Zhaixing Pavilion. Move Xia Cairen to the side hall of the Wutong Palace to rest. No one else is allowed to leave!"

The Empress was finally reassured. If the Emperor didn't trust her, he wouldn't have sent people to Wutong Palace.

She also immediately summoned Ding Mama and Su Qin to accompany her.

The stage had long fallen silent. With Ning Chen saying nothing, no one dared to make a sound.

Ye Yun stood straight in front of Ning Chen, showing no fear.

Ning Chen scrutinized her several times, his eyes filled with probing and pressure. Ye Yun sneered inwardly; indeed, no matter how good one was in ordinary times, the emperor was always suspicious.

If she didn't have this family background today, she might have been disposed of like an ant.

Soon, Yuan Jiu returned, holding a small bag of items and accompanied by a person, who was Lu Yan.

The eunuch escorting Lu Yan roughly threw her to the ground. Yuan Jiu stepped forward and showed the items to Physician Li.

"Your Majesty, this item is indeed jade clove!" Physician Li confirmed, then asked, "Yuan Gonggong, is there any more?"

"No, this is all. I had people search the entire Star Picking Pavilion and found only these in the maid's quarters." Yuan Jiu had conducted a thorough search, leaving no room for error.

Ning Chen frowned. "Is there any issue?"

Physician Li quickly explained, "Your Majesty, although jade clove can cause miscarriage, its effect is significant only when fresh. Dried flowers lose most of their potency. Even if this small amount were used up, it would take four or five days of constant exposure to cause miscarriage."

Clearly, Ye Yun could not have stayed by Xia Cai Ren's side for that long to force her to inhale the scent.

This indicated that Ye Yun had been framed.

Yao Baolin, upon hearing this, flashed a hint of murderous intent. She had miscalculated; the despicable person had not followed instructions. Luckily, she had left a backup plan, otherwise, the Emperor's scrutiny would have been disastrous.

"Though you have served me for a short time, I have treated you well. Why did you do this? Who instructed you?" Ye Yun was also angered, showing her displeasure.

The framing was too crude. If it wasn't aimed at her, why involve her? And if it was, why make her remain unharmed? The inconsistencies were glaring.

Lu Yan trembled all over, her face already pale, "I don't know why this item ended up in my room. I have no idea..."

A scream erupted as Ning Chen kicked Lu Yan's shoulder with all his might, sending her sprawling in pain.

"I will give you one more chance. If you don't tell the truth, the thirty-two punishments of the Shenzheng Department will surely make you talk!"

"It was Li Meiren! Li Meiren!" Lu Yan cried, her teeth chattering from the pain, tears, and snot mixing together. "Yin Huan and I are from the same hometown. She gave me money and threatened my betrothed's life. I was momentarily blinded by greed. But...but Ye Wanrong treated me very well. She prepared a dowry for me. I couldn't bear to harm her, so I didn't use a sufficient amount of jade cloves. Please, Your Majesty, spare my life!"

Hui Yue, at this moment, was terrified. Her hands gripping Ye Yun's were icy cold. If her mistress hadn't been so lenient with a casual remark, today might have been...

Hui Yue dared not think further. With recurring issues, it seemed she and Nan Zhi weren't cautious enough.

"Your Majesty, it wasn't me. I would never dare to do such a thing!" Li Meiren was in shock, hurriedly kneeling, trying to clutch Ning Chen's robes but was evaded.

At this point, Yuan Jiu had already had Li Meiren's two maids, Yin Hu and Yin Huan, detained.

Lu Yan, struggling, knelt on the ground, "Your Majesty, I have evidence. On the way to the kitchen, there is a stone table with a missing corner that can hide things. Yin Huan used that to give me the jade cloves."

Ning Chen had someone investigate, and indeed it was as reported. This time, Li Meiren had no way to refute.

"You vile woman, how dare you harm me? Who instructed you to do this?" Li Meiren enraged, lunged at Yin Huan, grasping her by the throat with bloodshot eyes.

Eunuchs quickly came to pull her away. Yin Huan, almost choked, was terrified and finally spoke.

She admitted that she had given the items to Lu Yan but didn't know it was jade clove. A young eunuch had given her a hundred taels of silver and instructed her to pass a bag of items to Lu Yan, with no other knowledge.

"Utter nonsense!" the Empress said sharply. "If it weren't for Li Meiren's orders, who else in the palace could have such mysterious connections? Can someone really operate right under the Emperor and my nose? If there really was such a little eunuch, what does he look like?"

"He always kept his head down, hiding his face with his sleeve. I couldn't see his appearance clearly!" Yin Huan cried out.

"Couldn't see his face and don't know who it was? Are the masterminds behind this some kind of divine beings or ghosts?" Yan Xiuyi rolled her eyes, unable to contain herself.

Everyone present was unfamiliar with Lingxi Garden and couldn't imagine such a meticulous scheme involving two people. Hence, it was generally accepted that Li Meiren was the culprit.

Moreover, Li Meiren had always enjoyed bullying Xia Cairen, frequently mocking her, and had also been in conflict with Ye Yun. Everything seemed to fit perfectly.

Furthermore, although others might not know, the emperor and Ye Yun knew that Li Meiren had previously mixed cassia seeds into Ye Yun's wheat tea, intending to make her infertile over time.

No one had anticipated that there was another person, a reincarnated concubine, who was familiar with all aspects of Lingxi Garden. In her previous life, Yao Xiang (now Yao Baolin) had become the Empress and was in full control, knowing all the crucial information in advance and planning accordingly.

But since no one had thought of it, it could only mean that Li Meiren, consumed by jealousy, attempted to use Ye Yun to harm Xia Cairen's unborn child.

No matter how much Li Meiren protested her innocence, it was to no avail. She was stripped of her title, demoted to commoner status, and banished to the Cold Palace.

Yin Huan, Yu Lan, and Yin Hu were all sent to the Shensi Court, where they inevitably met their death.

"Since Ye Yun has suffered grievances and fright, promote her to a Meiren," Ning Chen said calmly.

Ye Jun accepted the promotion with grace, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great favor."

Having narrowly escaped being framed and almost losing her life, receiving a promotion in return wasn't too bad.

The Lotus Feast was halted due to this incident, and everyone dispersed with their own thoughts.

Ye Yun walked back to the Zhaixing Pavilion, feeling that the matter wasn't so simple. Li Meiren was clearly a scapegoat.

Remembering that Yin Huan had mentioned the threat to her fiancé, Ye Yun's eyes flashed with a hint of dark light. She immediately instructed Huiyue to send a message to her mother outside, asking her to investigate the fiancé and everyone he had been in contact with recently.