She was suspected
Ye Youqing suddenly felt a bit nauseous, her hand loosened, and she threw the candied fruits back onto the table.
At this moment, the Emperor also seemed to sense something was amiss, his brows furrowed, and he promptly threw the “dan medicine” to the ground, a look of disgust on his face, as he muttered softly, “Quick, bring a handkerchief!”
The eunuch on the side swiftly dropped the box, motioning for the attendant to bring a handkerchief. The Emperor washed his hands in the basin, slowly wiping them clean. His gaze swept over the guests, causing them to break out in cold sweats, too frightened to speak.
“Xiao Shuren,” the Emperor spoke, his voice not loud but commanding enough to make Concubine Xiao almost kneel down. All around fell silent, nobody dared to make a sound.
Concubine Xiao, trembling especially under the piercing gaze of Duke Liang, stood up shakily.
“Your Majesty,” Concubine Xiao lowered her head.
“Is this gift from you?” the Emperor spoke slowly, his tone lacking inflection, but the deliberate pause between each word showed his anger clearly.
The eunuch on the side was now peering into the box, his expression one of shock. He thought to himself, “Oh no, how could His Majesty, the Emperor, have just smelled…”
If this were to spread, where would the royal family’s face be?
“Xiao Shuren, His Majesty is asking you a question!” the eunuch quickly whispered as a reminder. Concubine Xiao, startled out of her fear, hurriedly lowered her head and stammered, “Your Majesty, this… is my congratulatory gift, but…”
She wanted to say that she must have been framed by someone else, but upon second thought, she immediately stopped herself. If she really said that, the Emperor would surely thoroughly investigate the matter. By then, the truth about her involvement in switching Ye Youqing’s gift would undoubtedly be exposed, which would be considered as deceiving the Emperor!
Concubine Xiao felt cold sweat dripping down her body, a wave of dizziness hitting her, almost causing her to faint. She had no idea what the substituted item was, believing it was truly the dan medicine originally. However, looking at the Emperor’s expression now, it was definitely not what she had thought.
If only she had stopped the Emperor earlier, she wouldn’t be regretting it so much now!
“But what?” The Emperor’s large hand slowly clenched the armrest, his mustache slightly upturned. Those familiar with him knew that this expression meant danger.
“But, the gift I prepared was originally a jade carving from a famous artist. Now, it must have been a mistake by the servants at the mansion. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness!” Concubine Xiao suddenly knelt on the ground, bowing her head and wiping away tears.
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Duke Liang, who was standing aside, slowly rose and bowed, saying, “As I failed to supervise the servants well at home, I will certainly discipline my wife and thoroughly investigate this matter. I hope Your Majesty will show mercy.”
As Duke Liang was a senior official of the country, the Emperor’s demeanor softened slightly upon hearing his words, though his hand remained clenched.
“Find out who the servant is and send them to the Ministry of Justice. Xiao Shuren’s lack of discipline will result in the removal of her title as a noblewoman,” the Emperor spoke after a moment of silence.
With a wave of his hand, he signaled for the birthday banquet to continue.
The attendees breathed a sigh of relief, no one daring to question what the dan medicine actually was. Concubine Xiao, however, nearly collapsed to the ground. It was only with the help of Ye Chengzhu and Ye Chengfu that she managed to sit back in her seat. At that moment, she appeared utterly drained.
Even Duke Liang looked at her angrily, causing Concubine Xiao to feel a surge of grievance and resentment. It was as if she had swallowed the jade carving whole, choking on her words, her eyes filled with malice as she glanced back at Ye Youqing.
Ye Youqing had always been bold in her actions and knowing that Concubine Xiao would definitely figure out it was her, she did not hide it and instead smiled at her.
Previously, when the original owner’s gift was swapped, the Emperor did not bother investigating the guards for such a minor incident. However, this time was different. If Concubine Xiao did not admit she was the one who mistakenly switched the items, it would only implicate her.
Even if unveiling the snow fox would raise suspicion, Concubine Xiao had already confessed to her servants making the mistake, distancing Ye Youqing from any involvement.
Almost everyone present felt a sense of humiliation. While the Emperor couldn’t reprimand openly after smelling the snow fox’s dung due to the royal dignity, Concubine Xiao had taken on the blame for failing to supervise her servants, unable to disclose the swap of the gift.
Only Ye Youqing was in a good mood as she handed a bright red fruit to Zhao Qingrou, who was startled and clutching her chest, completely ignoring Concubine Xiao’s gaze.
The birthday banquet continued, with gifts being announced one by one, including rare and precious items that dazzled the eyes. Surprisingly, one noble brought in a delicate and translucent jade ice mountain, shining with clarity under the fading daylight streaming in from outside.
As a result, the Emperor’s anger gradually subsided, and the ministers and their families began to converse.
As the gifts in the boxes were almost all announced, the Empress Dowager seemed to be particularly fond of a rabbit-shaped lantern that could glow in the dark. She played with it for quite some time, a smile forming at the corners of her wrinkled lips.
“The Lady Zhao and her eldest daughter from Duke’s Household.” The eunuch with a long face called out hoarsely while picking up a wooden box.
“Please wait a moment.” A clear and gentle voice rang out, causing the eunuch to pause in his actions and look towards Ye Youqing’s direction.
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Ye Youqing rose gracefully from her seat, deliberately casting a glance back at Concubine Xiao with a malicious expression of waiting to enjoy the show. She raised an eyebrow at Concubine Xiao before turning and walking out from between the two rows of people, heading towards the center of the grand hall with Zhao Qingrou.
Feeling accustomed to being the center of attention, Ye Youqing felt almost no nerves as she walked slowly to the Empress Dowager, emulating the gestures of others and respectfully bowing.
Hurryingly approaching from behind, Qin Xin handed the basket she was holding to Ye Youqing.
“Apologies, Your Majesty. After presenting the gift, I received something even better and wished to replace the original gift in person.” Ye Youqing stood tall and elegant in her green attire, her posture straight and poised, displaying a demeanor of neither arrogance nor servility.
Compared to gold and silver treasures, the Empress Dowager seemed more interested in these small trinkets, leaning forward gently and asking, “What is this?”
Ye Youqing overheard whispers nearby, mostly expressing surprise at her gift being presented in a bamboo basket.
“Since they are from Duke Liang’s household, why so shabby? Isn’t this embarrassing for the Duke’s household?” someone murmured beside her.
“Don’t you know about Duke Liang’s household affairs? With that case going on, I think they deserve it, and it’s only bringing trouble to Duke Liang,” another voice muttered quietly, catching Ye Youqing’s attention.
She lowered her head and let out a scornful chuckle inwardly, then smiled as she placed the basket on the ground and looked up. All eyes in the crowd were fixated on the bamboo basket, curious about what kind of gift could be inside something resembling a vegetable basket.
The basket shook slightly, causing the crowd to gasp in astonishment.
Ye Youqing pursed her lips, gently lifted the lid, and a fluffy head emerged, curiously surveying the surroundings with a light pink nose sniffing eagerly.
The Empress Dowager’s expression suddenly froze on the throne. Then, she was supported by the hand of a palace maid and stood up tremulously, walking briskly forward.
“Little Snow?” The Empress Dowager exclaimed in surprise. The snow fox, upon hearing her voice, suddenly joyfully twirled around and dashed straight towards the Empress Dowager, pressing its tail against her robe and circling around her.
“Oh my, quickly, let me have a look.” The Empress Dowager personally lifted the furry bundle from the ground, cradling it in her arms with a delighted smile, her face even becoming noticeably flushed with joy.
The people around looked at each other in astonishment, unsure why the Empress Dowager, who had been indifferent even when presented with the jade ice mountain earlier, was now so delighted. A knowledgeable person whispered, “This snow fox was brought years ago by a Western Xia envoy. It is said to be a sacred item, with spiritual qualities that greatly please the Empress Dowager.”
Suddenly, everyone understood. Glances towards Ye Youqing were a mix of surprise and envy, as the appearance of this little fox made it clear who would receive the Empress Dowager’s reward today.
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With her plan completely failing and facing a loss of face, Concubine Xiao felt like crushing a silver tooth in anger.
Zhao Qingrou gently squeezed Ye Youqing’s hand, and Ye Youqing grinned back at her. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Qin Wang’s expression; he looked both shocked and angry, gripping the teacup tightly as the tea silently spilled over his front.
It was originally his possession, so how could Ye Youqing snatch it away? When his subordinates mentioned someone taking the fox, he was angry but didn’t think too deeply, assuming it was just a hunter from the mountains.
How could it be Ye Youqing? With this turn of events, his marriage proposal plan went down the drain, and the prized snow fox he had prepared became a joke! Qin Wang, who had thought victory was assured, was now so angry he almost crushed the teacup in his hand.
From his corner, he suddenly turned around, his gaze sharp and piercing as he fixed his eyes on Ci Ke, who was standing in the corner, and beckoned her over with a crook of his finger.
Ci Ke clenched her clothing, concealing the hatred in her eyes, and approached as usual, taking the teapot to pour tea for him.
Unexpectedly, Qin Wang reached out and grabbed the handle of the teapot, preventing her from moving, his voice low and menacing as he said, “Besides my subordinates, only you knew about the snow fox capturing incident.”