Her eyes widened.
"I've been having some insomnia these past few days. My maid Lianxiang told me to soak my feet in hot water, saying it helps with sleep, so I've been doing that for the past couple of days."
"Did you notice anything unusual, Noble Lady?"
"When soaking my feet, I did smell a peculiar odor, but Lianxiang said I was mistaken—that it was just the calming incense she had lit."
Having heard this much, Shen Ruoxi already had a good idea of what was going on.
She turned to Emperor Renjing.
"Father, if Muntou Grass was truly used to soak the feet, then the herbal dregs would definitely need to be disposed of. Given how tight the timing was, they probably couldn't have cleaned up thoroughly—the dregs should still be somewhere in Yaoguang Hall."
"We could send people to search. Pay special attention to any spot outside where the soil looks loose—the dregs might have been buried there."
Emperor Renjing nodded.
"Approved."
At his command, the senior palace matron led a group of people to begin searching Yaoguang Hall.
Before long, the matron came back carrying a wrapped bundle.
"Your Majesty, this was found in the flower bed outside!"
Emperor Renjing gestured.
Shen Ruoxi and Imperial Physician Yu immediately stepped forward and opened the bundle.
Seeing the blackened herbal dregs inside, Imperial Physician Yu sniffed them, then clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, this herb is rarely seen in the Central Plains. I cannot say with complete certainty whether it is Muntou Grass. We could have others from the Imperial Medical Institute come to examine it."
Shen Ruoxi spoke up.
"Father, this is Muntou Grass."
Imperial Physician Yu was somewhat surprised.
"Princess Qi, Muntou Grass is not commonly known. How can you be so certain?"
"My mother was skilled in medicine, and she later passed her knowledge on to me."
What Shen Ruoxi didn't mention was that she had surpassed her teacher—by the age of twelve, her medical skills had already exceeded her mother's.
She had originally intended to devote herself to this field, but later she threw herself wholeheartedly into that scumbag Murong Yu.
Everything else had been neglected.
"No need to find someone else to verify it. My life was saved by her mother back then—I trust Ruoxi's medical skills."
Emperor Renjing spoke.
Then his sharp gaze swept toward Lianxiang.
"How dare you, you insolent slave girl!"
Lianxiang's face instantly turned deathly pale, and she immediately knelt down.
"No, Your Majesty, it wasn't me! I didn't harm the Noble Lady! I've served her since she was young—how could I do such a thing?"
Wei Zhenzhen struggled to sit up.
"Heye, bring those dregs over!"
Heye quickly picked up the herbal dregs from the floor and brought them to Wei Zhenzhen.
The moment she smelled them, her expression changed drastically.
She reached out and hurled the pillow beside her at Lianxiang with all her might.
"That's the smell—this is what I smelled back then… Lianxiang, you wretch! I've been so good to you, kept you by my side all these years, and you actually tried to harm me!"
She staggered, trying to get out of bed.
"I'll kill her! I'll kill this wretch!"
"Noble Lady, please be careful!"
The palace maids nearby rushed forward to support Wei Zhenzhen back onto the bed, comforting her and urging her not to get too agitated.
Su Liu'er looked at Wei Zhenzhen with sympathy in her eyes.
"Noble Lady Wei, the priority now is to deal with this treacherous maid. A lowly palace maid like her wouldn't dare do such a thing on her own—there must be someone behind this, pulling the strings."
Nie Yulan also nodded.
"That's right, Noble Lady Wei. You've just had a miscarriage—you mustn't get angry. The Emperor and Empress are both here, and they will surely seek justice for you."
Hearing this, Wei Zhenzhen finally calmed down.
But her gaze remained fixed on Lianxiang, as if she wanted to slice her to pieces.
Su Liu'er turned to look at Lianxiang, her voice sharp.
"Lianxiang, did someone put you up to this? Speak up now, and perhaps you'll be spared. But if you refuse to talk, no one will be able to save you!"
Lianxiang bit her lip.
At this point, pretending to be clueless was useless.
"It… it was this servant's own doing. No one put me up to it."
"Why would you do such a thing?"
"Because I wanted to become a mistress too. I didn't want to be a servant anymore!"
Lianxiang looked at Emperor Renjing: "I had always hoped to win Your Majesty's favor, but the Noble Lady never gave me the chance. Every time Your Majesty came, she would send me away. I couldn't accept it, so I… I harbored resentment and wanted revenge against her!"
Qin Haitang let out a cold laugh.
"Look at your own status before daring to covet His Majesty. But this excuse of yours is far too flimsy—no one would believe it. If you're going to make up a story, at least make it convincing."
Emperor Renjing's expression grew impatient as well.
"Take her away. Make her talk!"
The moment he finished speaking, two eunuchs stepped forward, grabbing Lianxiang by the arms to drag her off.
Once taken away, she would be interrogated in the Punishment Bureau.
At the very least, she would be flayed alive.
Lianxiang panicked.
"I'll talk! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
The eunuchs released her.
Lianxiang collapsed to the ground, her expression terrified.
She stammered for a long while without getting out a single complete sentence.
Su Liu'er slammed her hand on the table beside her in fury.
"Speak! Who put you up to this?!"
"It was…"
Lianxiang extended a trembling hand: "It was Noble Consort Qin! Noble Consort Qin put me up to it!"
Qin Haitang was just drinking tea.
Hearing this, she flew into a rage and hurled her teacup on the spot.
"Wretched slave! How dare you slander me!?"
The cup struck Lianxiang's head, knocking it to the side, and a trickle of blood ran down her forehead.
She knelt on the ground, crawling toward Qin Haitang.
"Your Grace, Noble Consort, you said before that you would keep this servant safe! Your Grace, you cannot break your word!"
Qin Haitang was beside herself with fury.
"Guards! Drag this raving wretch out and put her to torture until she tells the truth!"
Su Liu'er furrowed her brow.
"Noble Consort Qin, this matter is for His Majesty to decide. Since when do you have the authority to act on your own?"
"Her Majesty the Empress jests. I've been falsely accused like this—it's already mercy that I haven't killed this wretch outright!"
On the bed, Wei Zhenzhen grew agitated once more.
"It was you… Qin Haitang, so it really was you! No wonder when you saw me collapse today, you came up with nothing but sneers and mockery. So you'd wanted me dead all along!"
She pointed at Lianxiang with a trembling finger.
"Wretch! Speak! How did she order you to do it?!"
Lianxiang trembled uncontrollably.
"Noble Consort Qin's maid Cuizhu came to me and said I was to get rid of the Noble Lady's child. If I succeeded, I would be allowed into the imperial bed and become a mistress… I was momentarily bewitched by greed. Please forgive this servant, Noble Lady!"
As her words fell, Qin Haitang could no longer hold back.
"Silence! You're spitting pure venom!"
She turned and knelt before Emperor Renjing.
"Your Majesty! Your consort is innocent! I may be willful and arrogant, but I would never do something so ruthless and vicious!"
Seeing this, Fang Hui spoke up slowly.
"Noble Consort Qin indeed doesn't seem like the type to do such a thing. But Lianxiang is just a little maid—if she had no one behind her, she likely couldn't have done this on her own. It's truly puzzling…"
"Consort Fang, shut your mouth!"
Qin Haitang's almond eyes flew wide as she roared at her.
This wretch was seizing the opportunity to kick her while she was down!
Fang Hui wore a look of grievance.
"Your subject was merely speaking casually, after all, the facts are right here."
Shen Ruoxi suddenly spoke up.
"This matter should have nothing to do with the Noble Consort."