A smooth jade ring with a circle of python-patterned silver ornaments around the edge, reflecting in the flickering candlelight and emitting a faint green glow.

Yuanxi examined it carefully for a long time, puzzled. “This thumb ring seems to be the one that my husband always wore on his hand. Why would it be buried here?”

Nanny Li said, “Perhaps the Marquis accidentally dropped it when he was planting flowers that day.”

Was it just accidentally dropped? But since Young Master had specifically reminded her about “under the Delicate Yellow,” this thumb ring must be extremely important evidence related to clearing her of suspicion.

Yuanxi cupped her hands together, gently holding the thumb ring in her palm, as if she could still feel the warmth from that person’s body. She still remembered that day when the sunlight was brilliant and flowing clouds drifted gently. He wore a dark green robe, bathed entirely in sunlight, and smiled at her with upturned lips. At that moment, even the surrounding air seemed to carry sweetness.

Her heart was suddenly pierced with pain. Yuanxi slowly closed her eyes, reluctant to erase this scene from her heart. But why had he made such a grand effort to plant flowers for her that day? No matter how precious and difficult to grow the Delicate Yellow was, it wouldn’t have been beyond the capabilities of the Marquis household’s gardeners. And why had he mentioned this flower to her repeatedly? Could it be that this thumb ring was deliberately buried there by him?

She suddenly opened her eyes, her whole heart pounding wildly from this speculation. If this were true, did it mean he had known long ago that he would be poisoned? Did it mean…

She stood up abruptly, quickly wrapped the thumb ring in a handkerchief, and said solemnly to Nanny Li, “Take this thumb ring to find Xiao Chun and ask clearly when this ring was worn on the Marquis’s hand and whether it has any special purpose. Go quickly and return quickly, and remember—don’t let anyone know!”

Seeing her grave expression, Nanny Li understood this matter must be extremely important. She quickly secured the thumb ring and hurriedly left through the door.

Yuanxi couldn’t sit still in the room, her heart alternating between anxiety, confusion, and a faint hidden hope.

An’he quickly poured her a cup of tea and gently advised, “Since there are already clues, Madam should rest peacefully for a while.” She looked worriedly at Yuanxi’s much thinner figure and said with tears in her voice, “Since the Marquis’s incident, Madam hasn’t eaten or slept properly for a single day, and now you’re being wronged like this. I’m really afraid Madam’s body can’t endure it. If something happens to Madam too, we truly won’t know what to do.”

Only after An’he’s words did Yuanxi come to her senses. She quickly looked at herself in the bronze mirror and saw her sunken cheeks, haggard appearance, and eyes that had lost their luster. She couldn’t help but touch her face and murmur, “Yes, I can’t see him looking like this.” Before An’he could understand her meaning, Yuanxi had already looked up and said gently, “Please go to the kitchen and make something for me to eat. Anything will do—I’m rather hungry too.”

Though An’he didn’t understand why, seeing that she was finally willing to eat, her heart leaped with joy. She quickly called Ying’er to come in and keep Madam company while she joyfully went to the kitchen to arrange things.

Under the deep night, some were busy with joy, some contemplated by the window, some tossed sleeplessly, some moved about in secret… Many things flowed away with the footsteps of night, quietly changing their appearance.

After listening to Nanny Li’s report, Yuanxi slowly put down the lotus seed soup in her hand, feeling that her heart, which had been cold for so long, was finally warming up with the temperature of the food.

She showed a relaxed smile that hadn’t been seen for a long time. “Nanny Li, please do one more thing for me. Tomorrow morning, help me find Father-in-law and ask him to personally preside over this matter, no matter what, and make sure everyone else can be present too. Tell him that your daughter-in-law has been wrongly accused this time, and in order to prove my innocence, I want to defend myself before everyone.”

The next day, in the main hall of the principal courtyard, under the swirling incense smoke, faces with various expressions were reflected.

Old Marquis and the Princess sat in the places of honor, with Concubine Cai, Nanny Yu, Zhou Jingyuan and others standing beside them, while Xiao Zhixuan and Xiao Qing sat below.

Yuanxi stood in the center, curtsied to Old Marquis and the Princess, glanced at Concubine Cai whose face was somewhat pale, then turned her head to look at Xiao Zhixuan sitting to the side, who was gazing at her with confusion. Suddenly feeling guilty, she quickly averted her gaze.

Old Marquis looked at her gently. “Well, now everyone is here. Say whatever you need to say.”

Yuanxi bowed her head lightly, and when she raised it again, her eyes were already filled with tears. “Since your daughter-in-law married into the Marquis household, my husband and I have been harmonious as qin and se. I have wholeheartedly and devotedly served with all my heart, never making the slightest error. I just never expected that someone would take advantage of my husband’s poisoning and unconsciousness to deliberately frame me, wanting to put me to death. Please, Old Master and Princess, you must vindicate your daughter-in-law.”

Old Marquis glanced sideways at the Princess, who coughed lightly. “It’s not that we want to suspect you, but that sachet did indeed contain deadly poisonous herbs, and according to Imperial Physician Zuo’s verification, it matches Du’er’s poisoning symptoms very closely. If you can provide evidence to prove your innocence, that would naturally be best.”

Yuanxi nodded and took out the thumb ring from her bosom, having Nanny Li present it to Old Marquis. “Father-in-law, do you remember what this is?”

Old Marquis held it in his hands and examined it carefully. “This is a rare item that Du’er found in the Western Regions several years ago. It’s said that both the jade and the inlaid silver were dug from unique mineral veins there, and it changes color when it encounters poisonous substances. That year, someone secretly infiltrated Du’er’s tent and tried to apply poison to the outside of his wine cup. Fortunately, this thumb ring showed an unusual reaction and saved his life. Since then, Du’er has trusted it greatly and wears it every day. However…” He looked at Yuanxi strangely. “Why is this thumb ring with you?”

Yuanxi said, “It’s because that day my husband wanted to personally plant a Delicate Yellow peony for me. He might have accidentally dropped this thumb ring on the ground while digging soil, and it was covered by loose earth. Many maids and servants in the household can testify to the events of that day.”

She looked at Old Marquis and the Princess’s expressions, then turned to Xiao Chun who had been standing to the side and asked, “Do you remember whether the Marquis was wearing this thumb ring before he planted that Delicate Yellow?”

Xiao Chun thought for a moment and quickly replied, “Yes. Because I remember that just the day before, someone sent a batch of aged bamboo leaf wine to the Marquis. The Marquis was worried and specifically tested it with that thumb ring.”

Yuanxi nodded at him, then looked toward Zuo Qiao. “May I ask Imperial Physician Zuo, for that poisonous herb called euphorbia to penetrate the skin and cause poisoning, how many days would it take?”

Zuo Qiao pondered for a moment. “According to medical texts, it would require at least thirty days or more.”

Yuanxi’s lips curved into a smile as she raised her head and stared intently at the Princess. “So, Mother-in-law, can you now believe that I am innocent?”

The hall immediately fell silent. The Princess frowned in thought, while Concubine Cai’s complexion grew increasingly ugly, and her hands hidden in her sleeves trembled slightly.

Everyone heard clearly. After Yuanxi’s series of questions, the truth had become crystal clear: Since the Marquis had worn a thumb ring for years that could detect poisonous substances, and the sachet sewn by Madam was worn close to his body daily and frequently handled and played with, if it had truly contained poisonous herbs, how could he not have discovered the anomaly? The thumb ring had been lost just a few days ago and was taken advantage of by villains, leading to the Marquis’s accidental poisoning. This proved that the matter had absolutely nothing to do with Madam.

The Princess’s expression changed several times before finally showing anger. She shouted at Concubine Cai, whose face was white as paper, “Cai Xiaotao, how dare you! You actually dared to frame the head mistress and nearly deceived me as well. Do you know what punishment you deserve!”

Concubine Cai’s body trembled as she fell to the ground with a “thud,” crying tearfully, “Princess, I was wrong, but I truly knew nothing! Someone deliberately placed this sachet in my room. I was worried there might be something suspicious about it, so I sent it to you. Who knew it would nearly harm Madam? I am guilty, I am terribly guilty!” She suddenly raised her hand and desperately slapped her own face until both cheeks were red and swollen, then collapsed softly on the ground. Looking up pitifully at Old Marquis, she said, “Master, you must stand up for me. You know me best—since entering the household, I have always followed rules and regulations. Even if you gave me the greatest courage, I wouldn’t dare do such a thing.”

Yuanxi smiled coldly and was about to reveal everything Xiao Du had discovered about her activities behind the scenes, when she suddenly realized this would implicate Xiao Zhixuan. Hesitating, she glanced over there and saw Xiao Zhixuan sitting in the chair with vacant eyes, as if her soul had been drained by the scene before her.

Yuanxi felt some pity in her heart. She wasn’t sure whether Xiao Du had told Old Marquis about this matter, but if she exposed their affairs publicly now, how would Xiao Zhixuan manage her position in the household in the future?

So she bit her lower lip hard, suppressing the impulse to speak out, and said to Old Marquis, “Yuanxi has said everything that should be said. As for other matters, please let Master and Princess decide.”

The Princess was already trembling with anger, pointing at Concubine Cai and saying to Old Marquis, “Master, this person is scheming and calculating. She absolutely cannot be allowed to remain in the household!”

Xiao Yunjing looked at Concubine Cai crying and trembling on the ground, frowning in thought for a long time before finally speaking, “Du’er is still unconscious, and the household shouldn’t create more trouble. First send her back to her room and assign several people to guard her. As for the truth, we can slowly investigate later.”

These words surprised everyone, but since Old Marquis had spoken, no one dared say anything more. Zhou Jingyuan called two servants to escort Concubine Cai back to her room, but Xiao Zhixuan suddenly stood up, rushed over to support the collapsed Concubine Cai, and looked at Zhou Jingyuan with pleading eyes, “Let me take her back, please?”

Zhou Jingyuan looked back at Old Marquis with difficulty. Old Marquis looked at his most beloved youngest daughter, sighed deeply, and gently nodded.

Yuanxi, however, couldn’t care about other matters and quickly asked the Princess, “May I go see my husband now?”

The Princess, after this turn of events, was breathing somewhat rapidly. With some guilt on her face, she said, “Go ahead. I was too anxious before and nearly wronged you…” She paused, ultimately unable to speak soft words, and only waved at her apologetically.

Yuanxi didn’t care at all and only rushed to Xiao Du’s room with An’he and Nanny Li. An’he was very indignant about this outcome, muttering as they walked, “Old Marquis really protects his own. Madam suffered such injustice, yet he only punished the real culprit by confining her to her own room. It’s really too bullying!”

Nanny Li beside her quickly nudged her with a complex expression, signaling her not to speak out of turn. But Yuanxi paid no attention to their behavior, only thinking continuously, “Is this your plan? To force Concubine Cai into a desperate situation where she had no choice but to use this inferior scheme to harm me for self-preservation? I have done what you hoped for—have you awakened?”

The more she thought, the more anxious she became, almost running to Xiao Du’s door. As she pushed open the door, she happened to collide with a maid serving inside who rushed out. Seeing her panicked expression, Yuanxi quickly grabbed her arm and asked, “What happened?”

The maid, seeing that Madam had come, was so anxious she almost cried, saying tremblingly, “Marquis, the Marquis seems to have gotten worse. I saw his body suddenly convulsing and sweating continuously. I don’t know what to do and wanted to quickly find Imperial Physician Zuo to have a look.”

Yuanxi’s body swayed backward, almost fainting. Nanny Li quickly gripped her hand, told the maid to hurry and find Imperial Physician Zuo, then led Yuanxi inside.

Yuanxi walked step by step toward the person she had been thinking about day and night, seeing that not only had he not awakened, but his lips had now turned dark and his body had begun convulsing. The grievances she had suppressed for so long finally erupted, and she couldn’t help but squat on the ground and cry loudly, shouting in her heart, “Why? Why won’t you wake up? I’ve tried so hard, but I really can’t hold on much longer.”

Nanny Li and An’he also wept continuously. At this time, Imperial Physician Zuo finally arrived with Old Marquis and the Princess. Seeing Xiao Du’s condition, he was also frightened pale and said to the others, “The Marquis’s condition is extremely critical. I need to perform acupuncture on him. Please step outside and wait—too many people will cause distractions and might lead to errors.”

No one dared delay and quickly left through the door, all standing anxiously on the covered walkway. At this time, Zhou Jingyuan suddenly hurried over, glanced at Yuanxi, and said to Old Marquis, “Chancellor Xia has come, saying he wants to see Madam.”

Yuanxi suddenly emerged from her grief, thinking in a daze, “Father? What is he here for?”