Nightfall descended.
The night, which was supposed to be utterly silent, was wrapped in a vague sense of unrest tonight, and the Qianqiu Palace, which had barely cald down, was disrupted by a series of urgent footsteps before it had truly quieted.
As Tushere approached the sound, she saw, much like during the day, Chu Ruoyan hurrying in with Panqing by her side.
This ti, however, the aggressive aura she had during the day was gone, replaced by reddened eyes and a hint of bewildernt. Although Tushere had always disliked her because of Shang Ruyi, seeing such a beauty in disarray stirred a bit of sympathy in her heart, and her tone was less cold and harsh than before.
"Lady Chu, at such a late hour—"
Chu Ruoyan looked at her, lacking her usual aloofness, and urgently said, "The Princess hasn’t retired yet, has she? I have important matters to report."
Tushere replied, "The Princess hasn’t slept, and Prince Qin also—"
Before she could finish her words, Shang Ruyi’s voice resounded from inside the hall: "She’er, bring Lady Chu in."
Tushere obeyed without further words, and with a simple lift of her hand, Chu Ruoyan took a deep breath and followed her into the hall.
The Qianqiu Palace was brightly lit, and Chu Ruoyan imdiately saw Yu Wenye and Shang Ruyi seated at the forefront, both with furrowed brows and somber expressions, showing no intention of resting.
Upon seeing Yu Wenye, Chu Ruoyan’s steps imdiately faltered: "Second Brother..."
Yu Wenye, with a serious expression, looked at her with a gaze that was more complicated, but his voice remained gentle as he spoke: "You’re here."
Chu Ruoyan’s eyes were red, seemingly having sothing to say but hesitating. Then, seeing Shang Ruyi beside her, she straightened her back resolutely, trying to appear more upright, and said: "I ca at such a late hour not to disturb your rest, but because there are so matters to discuss."
Shang Ruyi understood her intention and gently gestured: "Sit down first, then we’ll talk."
Chu Ruoyan bit her lip but still complied, moving to sit by the side, then looked up to say: "The Princess asked to provide an explanation tomorrow, but I’ve just checked everyone in Jinyu Garden, and they all have no issues. Except—"
"Except what?"
"Except that a palace maid who was guarding the storeroom is missing?"
She thought this news would surely shock Shang Ruyi, but to her surprise, Shang Ruyi only frowned slightly and exchanged a glance with Yu Wenye without exhibiting excessive surprise, as if already aware.
Chu Ruoyan, sowhat surprised, said: "Princess..."
Before she could finish, Yu Wenye asked: "What’s that palace maid’s na? Where is she from?"
Panqing stepped forward and answered: "In response to His Highness, the palace maid’s na is Jian Chun, sent by the Palace Bureau. She usually doesn’t serve by the Lady’s side but is responsible for cleaning the courtyard and managing the storeroom. This ti, when the Lady was making snacks for the Princess, she specifically found that food box from the storeroom and brought it over."
"..."
"Just now, the Lady went back and searched everywhere, interrogated everyone, and found she was missing."
Tushere took a deep breath upon hearing this and softly said: "Just a mont ago, when I passed by, I saw you all looking for soone, was it—"
"Yes, it was her."
Panqing urgently said: "But we searched everywhere around here and couldn’t find her."
The Qianqiu Palace fell silent once more.
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and said to Yu Wenye: "As expected."
Yu Wenye didn’t speak, but a hint of hidden fury appeared in his furrowed brows, and upon hearing Shang Ruyi’s words, Chu Ruoyan imdiately asked nervously: "When the Princess says ’as expected,’ she ans—"
Shang Ruyi said: "Look here."
After speaking, she pointed to the desk behind her. Chu Ruoyan stood up and walked over, seeing the food box she had ticulously prepared and sent over earlier in the day. It remained untouched, but the intricately carved lid had been opened. The lid was double-layered with hollow carvings, and in between, as well as on the large area of the desk, was a fine white powder.
She exclaid in surprise: "What is this—"
Shang Ruyi said: "Inside the lid of this food box, soone has placed the Five Elents Grass Ash."
"What?!"
"You had that palace maid called Jian Chun find the food box, clean it, and then deliver it to you, correct?"
"...Yes."
"By the ti it was delivered, your snacks were already prepared, then placed inside, and the lid was closed, correct?"
"...Correct."
"When covering the box, since sugar powder was scattered everywhere, you likely didn’t notice that there was also so white powder inside this hollow lid, mixed with the sugar powder..."
Listening to this, Chu Ruoyan’s face grew paler. She then recalled how, after days of practice, she finally made these neat red hawthorn cakes and was sowhat proud of herself. After carefully dusting them with sugar, the room was filled with sugar powder, even covering her and Panqing’s faces and heads, and everyone was laughing. So when the lid was placed on, even if so sugar powder fell, she paid no mind.
Unexpectedly——
Coming to her senses at this mont, her eyes were red: "It’s that Jian Chun! She’s framing !"
Beside her, Panqing also showed an indignant expression and imdiately stepped forward, saying: "So, Madam, the reason she’s missing now must be because she’s fled out of guilt."
Chu Ruoyan gritted her teeth and said: "We must catch her back!"
At this ti, Yu Wenye asked: "You sent people to search, but they couldn’t find her?"
Hearing this, Chu Ruoyan’s eyes showed so panic, and she said anxiously: "As soon as I found out she was missing, I imdiately had people search everywhere and even looked around several nearby palaces, but she was nowhere to be found. Now, the palace gates are about to close; I don’t know where she has gone."
Shang Ruyi frowned at Yu Wenye: "If the palace gates are closed, even if she wanted to escape, she couldn’t."
Yu Wenye said gravely: "One way or another, she’s still within this palace; she can’t escape."
His expression made it clear that he would not forgive this matter easily. After all, that Jian Chun dared to use the hand of Prince Qin’s concubine to harm Princess Qin’s pregnancy. A re palace maid would not have such courage; she must have been instigated by soone.
This matter cannot be simply brushed aside!
Chu Ruoyan said: "It was due to my lack of strict managent and my oversight that this happened. I first want to apologize to the Princess, but I swear I had no intention of harming her! I beg Your Highness and the Princess to understand!"
Yu Wenye and Shang Ruyi exchanged a glance, and he said solemnly: "The Princess and I both believe you are innocent. Moreover, this box was left to you by your mother, and you would never use it for sothing so heinous and despicable. So, you need not panic."
Shang Ruyi added, "Once we find this Jian Chun, we will restore your innocence."
Chu Ruoyan nodded gently, her eyes red.
Yu Wenye then said, "You should go back for now, and for the next few days, stay inside to avoid escalating the situation. It wouldn’t be good for the emperor to find out."
Chu Ruoyan nodded. She understood that even if she hadn’t orchestrated it, Jian Chun was still part of the Jinyu Garden staff, and she barely knew this lowly palace maid or even her na. Yet, when blad, she would surely be held accountable for improper supervision.
Yu Wenye and Shang Ruyi seed to want to find the person discreetly and clarify the situation before making any moves.
She then stood up, apologized, and left with Panqing.
Once their silhouettes disappeared into the dark night outside, the oppressive night made one feel even more stifled. Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and turned to look at Yu Wenye, only to see his face grim and with a hint of anger. His hand on the table was clenched into a fist, his knuckles turning white.
Shang Ruyi said: "That Jian Chun..."
Yu Wenye said gravely: "Ruoyan is different from you. She stayed in the palace and previously had only Panqing with her. All the other palace maids and eunuchs were newly assigned."
"Were they assigned by the Palace Bureau?"
"Yes."
Shang Ruyi fell silent.
In reality, as soon as the incident broke out, she vaguely had such suspicions. Now, upon hearing that the palace maid was assigned by the Palace Bureau and that she was missing, her suspicion almost beca certain.
Aunt Hui was the Chief Palace Maid of the Palace Bureau.
At this mont, the anger that had been suppressed for so long began to accumulate. Shang Ruyi rembered clearly how Aunt Hui had nearly disposed of Madam Guan’s remaining people with a re Five Lotus Cup. Fortunately, she intervened to save Chang Wan, and now again——
Since she knew she was pregnant, she had always been cautious, yet she hadn’t expected them to use Chu Ruoyan against her.
And that was the most despicable part!
Whether or not Chu Ruoyan was familiar with the palace maid called Jian Chun, she was already placed in her Jinyu Garden. Even if Chu Ruoyan intended to guard against unfamiliar palace attendants and only assigned her tasks like cleaning courtyards or managing storage, among everyone, she was already seen as Chu Ruoyan’s person.
The concern that Prince Qin’s concubine’s people hard Princess Qin...
Even if this matter were exposed, the damage would be to Prince Qin’s dignity!
Shang Ruyi gritted her teeth and said in a low voice: "Damn it!"
Yu Wenye did not speak, but his face was also ashen. Compared to Shang Ruyi and Chu Ruoyan, he clearly understood the stakes better. After a long silence, he finally exhaled deeply and said, "First find the person, figure out the details, and then we’ll talk!"
Shang Ruyi nodded: "Yes."
However, the matter was not so easily resolved.
In the following days, many people from Jinyu Garden and Qianqiu Palace were dispatched to search the palace, but there was still no sign of the palace maid nad Jian Chun. It was as if she had vanished into thin air within the palace; no matter how hard they looked, they couldn’t find her.
Until three days later.
That afternoon, Shang Ruyi was taking a nap in Qianqiu Palace, but she wasn’t really resting peacefully. The disappearance of Jian Chun had left her restless these past few days.
At that mont, Tushere hurriedly ca to report: "Princess, Jian Chun has been found!"
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