Shen Ruoxi simply treated her as a dog barking.
She continued.
"Although the toxicity of Half-day Lotus wouldn't be enough to cause Noble Lady Wei to miscarry, Father Emperor may not know that there is a plant called Muntou Grass. If it were to encounter Half-day Lotus, it would take effect immediately and cause a rapid miscarriage."
Emperor Renjing: "Muntou Grass?"
The imperial physician beside him also spoke up.
"Your Majesty, this humble official has indeed heard that when these two herbs are combined, they have the effect of inducing miscarriage."
Emperor Renjing's gaze turned deep and thoughtful.
The meals of the masters in the palace were strictly inspected every day, so the likelihood of poison being administered was very low.
Unless it was something sent by the consorts…
He asked.
"Recently, aside from the meals provided by the palace, has Noble Lady Wei consumed anything else?"
The maidservant Lianxiang immediately knelt down.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, the day before yesterday, the Emp… Empress Dowager sent someone to deliver some pastries."
Hearing this, there was a stir all around.
"Aside from the Empress, were there any others?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, no one else."
Su Liu'er immediately rose and curtsied toward Emperor Renjing.
"Your Majesty, the day before yesterday, this consort made some pastries herself and sent some to every younger sister in the harem."
"When making the pastries, did they pass through anyone else's hands?"
Su Liu'er shook her head with difficulty.
"No, they did not. This consort handled everything personally."
"Then that would mean you are the prime suspect?"
As soon as the words fell, another maidservant of Noble Lady Wei, named Hehua, suddenly stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, aside from the Empress, Consort Lan, who resides in the same Yaoguang Hall, also gave food!"
"Consort Lan?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Yesterday, in the courtyard, Noble Lady encountered Consort Lan taking a walk with Little Princess Mingyue, and the little princess gave Noble Lady a dried plum. Noble Lady ate it."
As if recalling something, Hehua said loudly.
"Noble Lady was already feeling unwell last night—she said she was dizzy and fatigued, lacking energy. Then early this morning…"
Emperor Renjing looked around but did not see Nie Yulan's figure.
"Where is Consort Lan? Summon her here."
The palace attendants immediately went.
Before long, Nie Yulan hurried over.
She had a very gentle and beautiful appearance, with a slender waist that seemed to fit in one's palm, and her eyes shimmered with watery radiance.
At a single glance, she could stir a man's protective instincts.
She had entered the palace at fourteen, and was now twenty, with a five-year-old daughter, Princess Mingyue.
Nie Yulan looked somewhat nervous.
She secretly twisted her fingers, worried that "that matter" of hers had been discovered.
The more she thought about it, the paler her face became.
Only when Emperor Renjing spoke and mentioned Wei Zhenzhen's matter did she let out a sigh of relief.
Nie Yulan immediately knelt down.
"Your Majesty, this consort is wronged. The dried plum given to Noble Lady Wei was also eaten by the little princess. Even if this consort were muddle-headed, I would never gamble with my own daughter's life!"
Su Liu'er looked at her resolute expression and also spoke up.
"Your Majesty, Consort Lan has always followed the rules. All these years, she has remained low-key and well-behaved. She doesn't seem like the type to do such a thing."
Qin Haitang raised her orchid finger elegantly.
"That's not necessarily true. Everything requires evidence. A search would make it clear."
Emperor Renjing looked at Nie Yulan's tearful appearance and felt a headache coming on.
He turned to the imperial physician.
"Imperial Physician Yu, are you certain that Noble Lady Wei was administered Muntou Grass?"
"This… this humble official is not certain."
Hearing this, Fang Hui said.
"Then that settles it. Your Majesty, Noble Lady Wei's matter is most likely an accident."
Emperor Renjing ignored her and instead looked at Shen Ruoxi.
"Princess Qi, what do you think?"
"I am certain that the Noble Lady was administered Muntou Grass by someone."
The three words fell, and the atmosphere instantly turned tense.
Facing the complex gazes of everyone around her, Shen Ruoxi's eyes remained calm and steady.
Her sense of smell was sharper than most people's. As she drew near Wei Zhenzhen, she keenly detected a faint scent of Muntou Grass on her.
Emperor Renjing said, "But there is currently no evidence proving that someone poisoned Noble Lady Wei's food."
Shen Ruoxi pondered for a moment, then spoke.
"Actually, it doesn't necessarily have to be ingested. Please think carefully, Noble Lady—have you recently used any special fragrances, or has anyone tampered with anything during your baths or when changing clothes?"
"No, after learning I was pregnant, I've been extremely careful. I haven't applied any powder or perfume, and… wait!"
Noble Lady Wei suddenly thought of something.