The crowd turned their gaze toward the palace gates, where Prince Qin strode in, clad in a violet python-embroidered robe, his hands clasped behind his back. His long hair hung loose, and faint red marks were visible on his neck—clearly, he hadn’t bothered to tidy himself up.
Chu Ruoyin trembled at the sight of him, her head bowing deeply.
Murong Jin’s eyes lingered on her for a fleeting moment before he casually cupped his hands toward Empress Dowager Su. "Mother."
The Empress Dowager nodded affectionately. "Jin, why have you come? If it’s about that wretched girl—"
"Mother," Murong Jin interrupted, then barked at someone behind him, "Quit dawdling! Bring your man forward!"
At his command, Pei Zhuo marched in, dragging a person by the scruff. "What’s the rush? I took a fall catching this bastard—can’t I at least beat him a few times to vent?"
With that, he hurled the man forward like a sack of sand. Bloodied and bruised, it was clear he’d just been thoroughly thrashed.
Empress Pei squinted and gasped. "Isn’t this Pei Qing? Tenth Brother, what are you—?"
Pei Zhuo cracked his knuckles. "Second Sister, even you didn’t see it, did you? This traitor dared to drug me! Luckily, Old Nine intercepted it—otherwise, the one kneeling in disgrace here today would’ve been your own brother!"
Empress Pei paled, while Consort Xue sucked in a sharp breath.
How had they caught the culprit in less than an hour?
She glanced at Yu Ru, whose face was equally stricken, and her heart sank.
Meanwhile, Chu Ruoyan’s gaze toward Prince Qin softened slightly.
So he hadn’t fled—he’d gone after the real culprit...
"What in heaven’s name is going on?" Empress Dowager Su demanded, aghast.
Murong Jin spoke coolly. "Today, Pei Zhuo and I entered the palace together, intending to sample his newly brewed wine. But he left abruptly on urgent business, so I drank alone. At first, I felt nothing amiss, but after a few steps, my body grew unbearably hot. By the time I reached Yuxiu Palace, I was delirious—nearly bursting apart!"
"What?!" The Empress Dowager’s eyes widened. "Then you—?"
Murong Jin nodded slightly. "Do not worry, Mother. Thanks to Miss Chu the Second’s intervention, I survived. Once I regained my senses, I knew something was wrong. Pei Zhuo and I investigated immediately—and uncovered the poisoner!"
He shot Pei Zhuo a look, and the latter stomped on the man’s hand. "Confess, now!"
Pei Qing, his face swollen like a pig’s, wailed. "I’ll talk! I was paid to slip ‘Awakening Blossom’ into the Young Master’s wine!"
Gasps erupted throughout the hall.
Awakening Blossom was infamous, a counterpart to the aphrodisiac "Trembling Delight"—the latter meant for women, the former for men. Its effects were vicious: if not relieved within half an incense stick’s time, the victim would bleed from every orifice and explode.
Noble families used such drugs with extreme caution, always within bedchambers. That Prince Qin had survived was sheer luck—thanks to Chu Ruoyin...
Empress Dowager Su’s gaze turned razor-sharp, but before she could speak, Empress Pei snapped, "Who ordered you? Speak!"
She was terrified. Had Prince Qin not drunk the tainted wine, her own brother would’ve been the one disgracing the palace!
With the crown prince succession fiercely contested, a scandal like this would’ve sent the censors into a frenzy against the Pei family. And if the Second Prince’s maternal clan fell, Consort Xue’s Fifth Prince would ascend unchallenged—especially since the Emperor already favored him.
The thought made Empress Pei’s blood run cold. She couldn’t wait for the Empress Dowager—she had to act.
Pei Qing cowered, silent.
"Torture him," Empress Pei ordered coldly.
Though usually gentle, when her son’s future was at stake, she bared fangs like a mother wolf.
Pei Zhuo grinned. "No need for others—I’ll do it!"
He cracked his knuckles, then hesitated and awkwardly said to Chu Ruoyan, "You... turn around."
Chu Ruoyan: "?"
The usually fierce young lord suddenly flushed. "It’s just—my methods aren’t pretty. Don’t want to scare you."
Chu Ruoyan’s lip twitched. She’d seen Yan Three cut down men like wheat on Guardian Temple’s back mountain—this was nothing. Still, to avoid delay, she obligingly turned away.
Within moments, Pei Qing’s screams filled the hall.
He lasted less than two breaths before howling, "I confess! It was Auntie Yu Ru!"
Silence fell.
Every eye turned toward Yu Ru. Consort Xue clutched her handkerchief, sweating profusely, while Yu Ru dropped to her knees. "This servant is innocent!"
Pei Qing, drenched in sweat from Pei Zhuo’s ministrations, panted, "It was her! She gave me a hundred taels of gold—it’s hidden in my room!"
Empress Pei snapped orders to a eunuch. Half an incense stick later, the man returned with a chest. "Found it—all here!"
Inside gleamed neatly stacked gold ingots.
Murong Jin picked one up. "Mother, Sister-in-law, you should examine these yourselves."
Eunuchs presented the gold to Empress Dowager Su and Empress Pei.
Both women gasped simultaneously: "Imperial Mint?"
The ingots bore those very characters—proof they came from the palace treasury!
Empress Dowager Su hurled the gold at Yu Ru’s head. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
Yu Ru, realizing escape was impossible, kowtowed hard. "I admit it! I orchestrated this! Because—because the Chu family went too far!"
The Chu family’s expressions darkened as she ranted, "Everyone knows they bully Consort Xue’s family, relying on their ducal power! They ruined our Marquis’s marriage, left him heirless—I did this for the Xue family’s justice! When I heard Miss Chu the Second was a palace candidate, I bribed Pei Qing to frame her for defiling the palace—to avenge our Marquis!"
Chu Huaishan scoffed, while Empress Pei sneered, "Oh? Was it really for the Chu family—or for me?"
The scheme’s true target was obvious: destroy Chu Ruoyin and smear the Pei family. Who stood to gain? No explanation needed.
Yet Yu Ru insisted, "It was only against the Chus! This servant acted alone—Consort Xue knew nothing!"
Consort Xue shuddered, reading the resolve in Yu Ru’s eyes. Heart heavy but ruthless, she cried, "Exactly! This vile slave acted behind my back! Mother, Sister, punish me severely for failing to control my household!"
A clear sacrifice.
Empress Pei gritted her teeth, but Empress Dowager Su cut in, "Enough. If it’s the servant’s fault, Consort Xue cannot be blamed. Very well—I sentence you to three days’ confinement to discipline Yaoguang Palace. Do you accept?"
Consort Xue kowtowed eagerly. "This concubine submits!"
"Mother!"
Empress Pei spoke up, but Empress Dowager Su cast her a cool glance and said, "As the mistress of the imperial harem, you should be more magnanimous, Empress. Since Yu Ru has already confessed her wrongdoing, must you still press the matter?"
