The protagonist of this crossover film and television series is disrupting the plot again.

Chapter 98 Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace 25

Jin Yuyan struggled and begged for mercy, but Hongli refused to watch any longer. He waved his hand and ordered the palace servants to take her, along with A'ruo and Xiao Anzi, away.

The hall suddenly fell silent as several people disappeared. The truth had come out, and the murderer had been brought to justice. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the matter was over.

Unexpectedly, Hongli lowered his gaze again, his eyes landing on Consort Chun, Su Luyun. The sight filled her with fear, causing her to hunch over before he slowly spoke: "Consort Chun, when Lady Jin said that eating more fish and shrimp would result in intelligent and clever children, you echoed her. I ask you, did you really believe that?"

Su Luyun felt as if she had been struck by lightning; her body stiffened. She wanted to say "yes," but her mouth seemed to be out of control, and she couldn't utter a single word.

She had been in the palace for many years. Although she wasn't particularly intelligent, the fact that she was able to safely give birth to the Third Prince, Yongzhang, proves that she wasn't stupid. At least she was quite perceptive and alert in certain matters.

So when Jin Yuyan urged Consort Jing to eat more fish and shrimp, she immediately sensed something was wrong. However, she harbored evil thoughts and did not deny Jin Yuyan's words. Instead, she echoed her, saying that eating more fish and shrimp was indeed good for the child.

Hongli nodded at her appearance: "I understand! Issue an edict: Consort Chun, Su Luyun, is stripped of her title and demoted to Noble Lady for spreading rumors in the palace."

"This servant obeys the decree!" Wu Shulai bowed and accepted the order, silently considering the remaining concubines in the palace.

Empress, Consort Wan, Noble Lady Huang, Noble Lady Hai, Noble Lady Jing, Attendant Lady Yingjia, Attendant Lady Liao, Lady Nara, Lady Gao.

Aside from the Empress, Consort Wan, Chen Wanyin, has become the highest-ranking concubine in the palace, while Consort Nara and Consort Hui, who were once deeply favored, have been demoted to lower ranks. What a cruel twist of fate!

The matter was now considered settled. Hongli, preoccupied with the affairs of the previous dynasty, got up to leave. Just as he reached the door, he heard a hoarse, choked voice behind him: "We gaze at each other from afar, from the wall and on horseback; one glance and I know my heart breaks."

Hongli was speechless!

This line comes from Bai Juyi's poem "Drawing a Silver Bottle from the Bottom of the Well - Stopping Erotic Encounters." As the title suggests, it needs no further explanation. The last two lines of the poem are:

One day of kindness from you will waste my whole life.

A word of advice to naive young women: be careful not to give yourselves away too easily.

The meaning of the poem is clear and straightforward, requiring no further explanation.

She repeats these two sentences all the time. What does that mean?

Ruyi kept reciting the poem, and numbly got up with Hailan's help. However, because she had been kneeling for too long, her knees were sore, numb and swollen, and she couldn't stand up for a while. Hailan was the same, and the two of them fell to the ground again.

Ruyi subconsciously braced herself with her hands on the ground. The lotus bracelet on her wrist struck the black stone on the ground with a sharp, melodious clang. The exquisite bracelet broke somewhere, and black, rice-grain-sized beads tumbled out of it.

"Sister, what is this?"

Hailan exclaimed in surprise, drawing everyone's attention back to Ruyi.

Everyone looked at the black beads on the ground, then at the broken bracelet on Ruyi's hand, and seemed to understand something. Finally, they turned their meaningful gazes to Fucha Langhua.

This thing is hidden so well, you can tell it's not a good thing.

This bracelet was given to Ruyi and Gao Xiyue by the Empress, symbolizing harmony among the wives and sisters in the Prince's residence. After they entered the palace, the Empress often reminded them to wear it.

Then she thought about how the two of them had been married to the emperor for eleven years, yet they still hadn't conceived!

Fucha Langhua felt everyone's gazes upon her, and her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died.

Linglingxiang has been exposed, and in front of everyone no less!

Hongli stopped, turned around and looked at the things on the ground, and immediately gave the order.

"Empress, Consort Nara, Consort Gao, and Qi Ru, please stay. The rest of you, please leave!"

The crowd exchanged glances, noticing that the Emperor's complexion was not good, and dared not linger any longer, quickly bowing and retreating.

Before long, everyone left. Hongli sat back in his chair, looked at Ruyi with a deep gaze, and then looked at Gao Xiyue, who was also wearing a lotus bracelet on her wrist.

Feeling the Emperor's gaze, Gao Xiyue, not understanding why, took off the bracelet, paused for a moment, and then, as if possessed, threw it hard to the ground. The lotus bracelet shattered instantly, and the same beads rolled out from inside the bracelet.

Gao Xiyue picked up a black bead and sniffed it. It emitted a faint fragrance. She didn't recognize it, so she simply held the bead up to Fucha Langhua and asked, "Your Majesty, what's inside this crimson lotus bracelet?"

Empress Fucha Langhua trembled slightly, clenching her teeth and remaining silent. Gao Xiyue, however, seemed to sense something, grabbing her arm and digging her nails into her flesh, asking with increasing urgency, "Your Majesty, this bracelet was a gift from you to me, you must know what it is!"

Despite the pain, Fucha Langhua looked up at Gao Xiyue with an apologetic gaze.

"Imperial Physician Qi, come and take a look at what this is."

Seeing the Empress's gaze, Gao Xiyue became even more anxious and restless. She released her and rushed to Qi Ru, asking him to examine her.

Qi Ru took the bead, examined it carefully, and then gently sniffed it. He immediately understood what it was and what its function was, but he did not speak rashly. Instead, he knelt on the ground with difficulty.

"Speak! Tell me quickly! What is this thing?" Gao Xiyue gradually became agitated.

"This...this is..." Qi Ru stammered, his eyes constantly glancing at the Emperor and Empress. He raised his arm and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, feeling that today was the most difficult day of his life.

He was just a royal physician, so why did he get involved in these things?

He must have been having bad luck lately, running into all this filth in the palace. He should definitely go to the temple to pray to the Bodhisattva when he gets home to get rid of the bad luck.

"What is that?"

Hongli sighed; he felt that Fucha Langhua was unlucky.

Originally, he had a fit of rage today, deposing all the high-ranking concubines and demoting and imprisoning Ruyi and Gao Xiyue, so the power in the palace would naturally fall back into the hands of the Empress. But at this moment, Fucha Langhua's biggest trigger point was detonated, and it happened at this time, in front of everyone. Even if he wanted to help her, he couldn't.

Seeing the emperor speak, Qi Ru breathed a sigh of relief: "This thing is called Lingling incense. If a woman wears this, a pregnant woman can stop the miscarriage, and a woman who is not pregnant will have difficulty conceiving for a long time."

"what!"

Ruyi and Gao Xiyue were both shocked and exclaimed in surprise.

They haven't been able to conceive, not because of any health problem, but because of this?

"Then why didn't anyone notice when they took the pulse in the past?" Ruyi asked.

"The effects of Linglingxiang are so extraordinary that even the most skilled physician, upon examining a patient's pulse, would only assume it is a matter of individual constitution and would not consider Linglingxiang as a factor unless they have witnessed it firsthand."

Gao Xiyue was overcome with grief. Her fair, jade-like hand covered her mouth, gasping for breath in shock, and she slumped into a chair, sobbing uncontrollably. Ruyi was no better off; she slammed the bracelet that was half-dangling from her wrist to the ground, gritting her teeth as she said:

"Your Majesty, I have always treated you with utmost respect. Why have you cut off my lineage?"