"In the harem, every moment is like walking on thin ice. Once pregnant, it's even more like being a target of public criticism." Consort Xiang remained seated, still sobbing: "Your Majesty, I'm actually very scared, I want this child so much..."

  "Lili, don't say anything else, I know." Taohong was a self-important man, but at this moment, he showed a rare and tender expression that even Lin Yuen had never seen before. He wrapped his arms around Xiangfei and sat down with her, speaking softly: "There are many complicated things here, and you've been frightened, so don't stay here any longer. I'll order someone to escort you back to the palace." As he spoke, he raised his hand to instruct Yao Fusheng.

  Xiang Fei wiped away her tears with her sleeve and nodded as she left.

  As Xiang Fei left, the soft expression on the Emperor's face had completely disappeared. He glanced at Li Taifu kneeling in front of him and coldly said: "Was the matter of Madame Bai's pregnancy a deceitful unreported affair?"

  The two words "deceive" made Li Taichu sweat profusely. He lifted his sleeve to wipe his forehead and stuttered: "Young Master... is thin and weak, resulting in physical weakness, and as a result, her menstrual cycle is irregular, it's normal for her not to have her period once every two months, I didn't think she was pregnant... so I didn't ask the imperial physician to examine her..."

  Bai Xiuzhi was known for being excessively thin due to her diligent dance practice. The imperial physician had repeatedly advised her, but she wouldn't listen. Upon hearing this, the emperor's expression turned displeased and he ordered Li Taisheng: "You do your job."

  Li Taizhong felt relieved after hearing the news and went to Bai's place at a moderate pace. The emperor did not blame Li for Bai's miscarriage, nor did he order him to "treat her with all his might". He just said let him do his job... Ah, the emperor's attitude was so perfunctory, even if Bai died, as a Taizhong, he wouldn't have to take responsibility. Luckily, luckily, today's affair went well.

  The emperor waved his hand towards the crowd in the hall and said: "Investigate thoroughly for me..."

  Investigate on the spot! Several concubines were not without losing their beauty and color, this matter is related to everyone present!

  It's not easy to get pregnant in the harem, Taizong Hong Guang took concubines just for the sake of having children. Now Bai Xiuyi is the first among this year's new consorts to be pregnant... Although others might think that Empress Xiang's belly is the most eye-catching, the Emperor knows clearly that only Bai Xiuyi's belly can truly be considered as a potential heir, Empress Xiang doesn't count.

  Now even good news is being leaked out without being reported... This kind of thing has happened many times, but Tuoba Hong's anger will only grow stronger.

  Zhao Shuwan began to regret why she had come on this trip today. The muddy water in the harem was really unavoidable.

  Following the emperor's will, several older eunuchs came in from outside the palace, followed by two aunts from the imperial kitchen. Those eunuchs were people from the Imperial Food Bureau, and they naturally knew something about serving food to their masters every day, so they went to investigate the remaining dishes on the dining table. The aunts from the imperial kitchen dragged out several small palace maids from the crowd and searched their clothes mercilessly.

  The slaves in front of you are clever, the palace maids and eunuchs can search their bodies, but the masters and mistresses cannot be offended. But this is simple, a old lady over sixty years old respectfully approached each of the concubines, each master asked three or five questions, actually to identify the aura on their bodies.

  The imperial chef was naturally not a high-ranking female official who relied on cooking skills, but rather on medical skills.

  A moment of fragrance has passed, although nothing was gained, this kind of interrogation pressure makes one breathless.

  The emperor didn't have much time to entangle the harem, and he got up to leave. The imperial edict had already been issued, and the aunts in front of the palace were holding down the scene. He believed that no one dared to defy the edict and return to the palace, nor could Yunxiu Rong and Zhao Shuyuan, who held high positions. Before he left, he instructed Yao Fusheng: "Those who confess early will be exempt from the crime of implication."

  The meaning of this sentence is very clear: if you wait until something happens before apologizing, it will definitely implicate your family.

  This is a crime more painful than death. Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei knew what kind of intimidation was most effective.

  Finally, when Chang Nuo arrived in front of Lin Yuan, someone couldn't help but kneel down with a thud.

  The sudden noise made everyone in the house focus on it, and that person was just constantly knocking his head to beg for mercy. Three or four eunuchs next to him immediately went up to subdue the man, and Imperial Concubine Chang raised an eyebrow, looking down at her and saying: "It's really true that there are palace people who dare to plot against their master. Chun Yun, is she a palace maid from Jingyue Pavilion?"

  There's no way a slave like you has the ability to kill the master with your own strength. Chang Ai said, looking at Lin Yuan, but her eyes were actually on Lin Yuan. Meanwhile, Tuoba Hong, who had just walked out of the palace gate, immediately turned back and looked over with a cold gaze.

  Tuoba Hong saw the woman from the humble Lin family kneel down, meeting his gaze with a face full of terror and panic, no different from the many concubines who had suddenly suffered disaster. He suddenly felt amused - although he was still angry in his heart, he wanted to make fun of this woman who had finally fallen.

  A concubine without family backing, having lived so stably in the harem for so long, should have fallen at least once.

  Tuoba Hong did not sternly interrogate her, but instead raised an eyebrow and looked at Chuyun. At this time, Chuyun's body was already trembling, but her words were still clear: "It was the young master's slave who did it! It was the slave who listened to the young master's orders and poured the aconitum into Empress Sheng's soup bowl in the chaos. The aconitum was taken from the young master's perfume sachet... The slave knew this was a harmful thing, but the young master threatened the slave with her life..."

  Tuoba Hong's eyes fell on Lin Yuan once again. Chang Mama habitually grasped Chu Yun's hand and indeed found powder in the fingernail of her right index finger, exclaiming: "It really was this girl who made a move!" Then, with a solemn and gloomy face, she looked at Lin Yuan: "Miss Lin, would you trouble yourself to take off your sachet for old slave to see?"

  Lin Yan's face showed fear, but she still reluctantly took off the sachet and put it in front of her body, bowing her head and saying: "This was not done by a concubine."

  "Oh? But what your palace maid said seems quite credible." Taohong slowly walked forward, sat down on the chair brought by the inner monitor, and slightly stared at Lin Yuen. Chang Ayi inserted a silver needle into the sachet of light yellow powder and immediately exclaimed: "Your Majesty, it's indeed arsenic!"

  The silver needles drawn from the sachet and those of Tan Tong were almost identical, all with a dark rust stain at the tip, reflecting a cold light under the fragmented sunlight that seeped into the hall in the afternoon. "No, Concubine didn't poison Bai Shi's soup!" Lin Yuan shouted, immediately grabbing Tuoba Hong's sleeve to argue: "Someone is framing me, it was Chuyun, she gave Concubine a beauty recipe, saying that applying arsenic to her face would make her skin white and delicate, so Concubine carried the arsenic with her... What harm people, Concubine's arsenic wasn't used to harm people..."

  At this time, the hall was already quiet and cold, and the only response to her was Yun Xiurong's sarcastic tone: "Everything has been searched out, except for you, who else would be carrying deadly poison on their body and still dare to argue that it's not used to harm people, really ridiculous..."

  Tiannü Ji naturally spoke to her own sister, and smiled along with it: "Guì Ji has always been quick-witted, but the words she said today are so unbelievable, it can be seen that this is indeed the case, and there's no room for argument..."

  "That's enough, all of you withdraw." Tuoba Hong said.

  Zhao Shuyuan and the Chu sisters let out a sigh of relief, as the Emperor's words indicated that they were not involved in this matter. They quickly bid farewell and returned to the palace. The palace maids and concubines in the room quickly dispersed, and the dining table was also cleared away, leaving only Lin Yu and Chuyun kneeling there.

  In the empty palace, Tuoba Hong saw Lin Wan's thin back. He wouldn't feel sorry for her because of this; he was just thinking about how to deal with her in order to give his unborn heir a fair chance. Compared to the heir, Lin Wan didn't have any weight at all. If she really had poisoned someone, Tuoba Hong wouldn't mind having her clan exterminated.

  But Lin really does seem to have been framed, although the evidence is conclusive... This matter should be investigated further.

  Just then, Yuexuan Palace's senior palace maid, Musan, came in and knocked her head on the ground, saying: "Consort Xiang is frightened, please Your Majesty..."

  In fact, Xiang Fei was softer in front of the Emperor than other women - although she was known for her bold and cold demeanor, how could a heartless person be scared into illness by seeing Bai Shi's miscarriage? Tuoba Hong understood this woman's pretentious act, but as a man, he always found it very enjoyable.

  "I'll go take a look." Emperor Taizong of Northern Wei stepped out of the palace gate.

  So here really only Lin Yuan left.

  Lin Wan knelt down, waiting for her own disposal. She thought she would soon receive the order to be taken into the Shen Xing Si - that was a special place in the palace where female offenders were interrogated, and since there was a case of attempted murder, it was natural to conduct an interrogation.

  However, it wasn't long before Tuoba Hong returned. Lin Wan was somewhat surprised that he would come to see her again, this guilty concubine.

  Tuoba Hong looked down at this woman from a high place. Lin Yuan did not cry out, but said word by word: "The concubine is innocent."

  "You and Xiang Fei have deep grievances, if it's not you, who else would it be?" Tuoba Hong said calmly.

  Lin Wan understood that such a question was already an extraordinary kindness, and with Tuoba Hong's temperament, if it were an ordinary concubine who had committed a crime, he would have flown into a rage on the spot and ordered her to be taken away to the Department of Punishment. How could he possibly take the trouble to ask questions himself? It was clear that she had gained some position in his heart, which allowed him to be more patient.

  She carefully controlled her expression, knowing that she couldn't appear too panicked or fearful, lest the Emperor look down on her, nor could she seem too calm and collected, lest he suspect that she had already figured out what was going on. So when she replied, she made a great effort to stand up straight, but her lips were trembling: "Yes, I am not as kind-hearted as Consort Rong, but I would never kill the child in Empress Xiang's womb... because it is the Emperor's child, and I... I would never harm the Emperor's child..."

  Tuoba Hong's face slightly relaxed. He knew that this woman, although clever, was like the group of foolish women in the palace, and had genuinely fallen for him.

  He bent down, his fingers tracing Lin Wan's jaw: "Yuan'er, I actually don't want you to die..."

  "Dead?" Lin Wan's face was shocked, and when she turned her head to the side, she saw three inner guards each holding a tray covered with red silk.

  She understood what Tuoba Hong meant: he actually wanted her to die immediately!

  According to the Great Qin Code, a person who cries injustice cannot be convicted, even in the imperial palace. For cases with doubts like this, there is a special procedure for investigation until ironclad evidence is found and the criminal willingly pleads guilty; of course, extorted confessions are also acceptable.

  Infinite hatred is rising in my heart, Xiang Fei! That detestable woman... Tuoba Hong made up his mind to sentence me to death after meeting with Xiang Fei!

  Whether Lin Wan is really framed and cannot turn over or has another way to escape, at this time, if she is granted death, she will no longer have time to save herself.