Noble Consort Shu didn’t dare tell the Youning Emperor about their schemes – that would have placed her in an irredeemable position.

As for her situation, Noble Consort Shu at most knew that she treated Shen Yingruo well. She had never mistreated Shen Yingruo, and His Majesty clearly understood how she regarded Shen Yingruo. She wasn’t foolish enough to try using this to curry favor with His Majesty.

Back then when Noble Consort Shu chose His Majesty, she thought the consort at least dared to burn her bridges, as well as deep feelings for Tibet. Looking back now, it seemed her judgment wasn’t wrong then – it’s just that people shouldn’t have things go too smoothly for too long, especially when that smoothness comes with power. Being high above others, and having everyone respond to your every call – such feelings too easily blind people.

If Noble Consort Shu had any sense left, she wouldn’t have come to oppose her.

While things were going smoothly on Shen Xihe’s end, Xiao Changmin was in complete disarray. The Director of the Imperial Clan Court and the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review were investigating this matter together, and he could only follow along. What caught him most off guard was Cui Jinbai using his position at the Court of Judicial Review to get involved.

The aphrodisiac incense – while he hadn’t personally gone to find perfumers for authentication, he had sent his people. Fortunately, he had sent his privately trained servants. Although Cui Jinbai had found the perfumers who had authenticated it and drawn portraits based on their descriptions, even posting notices, they couldn’t find the people immediately.

However, Cui Jinbai was determined to get to the bottom of this. He took the incense to Duhuo Tower, where Shen Xihe personally analyzed it. The formula quickly became clear, and Cui Jinbai began investigating pharmacies.

The formula contained many medicinal ingredients. He hadn’t anticipated this step that day – they were purchased all at once from a pharmacy. Pharmacies keep records of sales, so they only needed to check who had purchased all these medicines at once to trace who had the incense made.

Fortunately, these items were purchased last month, so they couldn’t be traced immediately. But given how Cui Jinbai was collecting ledgers from all major pharmacies at the Court of Judicial Review, it wouldn’t take long to find out.

“I sent the Prince’s servants to buy the medicines…” Xiao Changmin paced anxiously, clearly in dire straits.

Once discovered, if he couldn’t account for these medicines, the aphrodisiac incense would be proven his. He would have no defense. The evidence that he drugged Bu Shulin to win him over would be concrete, and he could directly be charged with the capital crime of harboring treasonous intentions.

A Prince trying to win over a Border Prince – this was His Majesty’s greatest taboo!

He had originally just wanted to test if Bu Shulin was female, casually sending a maid. Even if Bu Shulin was truly male and slept with his maid, he would have to take her away, and he would have planted a spy.

He never imagined Bu Shulin would turn the tables on him, using Yu Sangning’s distant cousin instead.

“For now… there’s only one solution.”

Yu Sangning sat before the mirror. Last night should have been their wedding night, but because of this incident, she and Xiao Changmin still hadn’t consummated their marriage. Looking at her beautiful reflection in the mirror, her meticulously drawn eyebrows particularly sharp, she said: “Your Highness should visit my Sixth Uncle and Sixth Aunt.”

The Sixth Uncle and Sixth Aunt Yu Sangning spoke of were the parents of that cousin whom Bu Shulin had brought in.

This couple had only one son and one daughter. Their son was just a good-for-nothing idler. As long as Xiao Changmin could look after them, the Sixth Uncle and Sixth Aunt would certainly be willing to sacrifice this cousin. After all, her attempt to seduce the Crown Prince of Shunan couldn’t be hidden – her reputation was already ruined.

As long as the cousin admitted guilt, confessing to bribing Prince Xiao’s servants, everything would be blamed on her. What others thought didn’t matter – what mattered was getting through the current crisis without letting anyone find evidence implicating Prince Xiao’s household.

Xiao Changmin had thought of this solution too, but he couldn’t say it himself. After all, she was his newly wedded primary consort, which was why he deliberately appeared so panicked in front of Yu Sangning.

Wasn’t a wise helper like a flower that understands speech supposed to help her husband solve his troubles?

Only if Yu Sangning proposed this idea would Yu Xiang not hold it against him.

“Princess, you’d better go personally. The Court of Judicial Review and Imperial Clan Court are watching me,” Xiao Changmin spoke truthfully. Any slight move from him now would let people follow the trail or disrupt his plans prematurely.

Yu Sangning agreed submissively: “My Prince, rest assured, I will handle this matter properly.”

Word spread that right after Prince Xiao’s wedding, a lawsuit had erupted. It was said he hadn’t even consummated the marriage with his Princess, who had gotten angry about this. The two had a huge argument in the Prince’s mansion, ending badly with the Princess storming back to her maiden home in anger.

This news reached Shen Xihe’s ears just an hour later. She heard it and sneered, saying nothing.

She understood Yu Sangning’s intentions perfectly. Now that Cui Jinbai had taken over, things wouldn’t go as Yu Sangning wished.

Sure enough, after Yu Sangning returned to the Yu residence, she disguised herself and went to visit the Sixth Uncle and Sixth Aunt. Through threats and promises, she convinced the couple, who went to the Court of Judicial Review that day to visit their daughter in prison. Although Fifth Miss Yu was detained at the Court, she claimed ignorance of everything when questioned. She hadn’t committed any serious crimes – at most, she was guilty of vanity and failing to drug Bu Shulin, which wasn’t a major offense.

Therefore, the Court couldn’t torture her or prohibit visitors.

The family of three spoke in the prison, and Fifth Miss Yu indeed tearfully confessed. Cui Jinbai personally interrogated her, repeatedly asking if she admitted guilt, and Fifth Miss Yu never changed her statement, even signing a confession.

However, when Fifth Miss Yu returned to her cell, she saw the food box her parents had brought had been knocked over by rats. Some of the food had been eaten by rats that now lay stiff with blood coming from their eyes. Terrified, Fifth Miss Yu screamed: “Junior Minister Cui, I need to see Junior Minister Cui!”

Fifth Miss Yu hadn’t expected her parents to be so heartless, trying to poison her. They had said she should take all the blame and they would bring her home later, letting her marry someone she loved, but then they…

The poison wasn’t from her parents – Cui Jinbai had deliberately arranged this to frighten her. Fifth Miss Yu was in love with a painter. Although officials and nobles all knew about her incident at Prince Xiao’s mansion, common people didn’t. When her parents relented, allowing her to be with the one she loved, Fifth Miss Yu had agreed to take all the blame.

Since Bu Shulin wasn’t harmed, unlike Xiao Changmin she wasn’t involved in treason, so naturally the punishment wouldn’t be severe.

That’s why she had agreed. However, being a pampered young lady who hadn’t experienced much hardship, and knowing her parents indeed favored her brother, she couldn’t help but believe it. She immediately spilled everything about her parents asking her to confess, like pouring out beans.

Next, naturally, her parents were arrested. Cui Jinbai had ways to force them to talk, and they identified Princess Xiao as the one who had promised benefits and instigated everything. Thus, both Xiao Changmin and Yu Sangning were summoned to the palace, where His Majesty would personally interrogate them.

Facing the Youning Emperor’s questioning, Yu Sangning promptly confessed: “In response to Your Majesty, drugging Bu Shulin was my doing.”