The emperor just doesn't treat everyone equally, and it's none of my business!

That night, Lu Junze did not turn over anyone's card and rested alone in Chengqian Palace.

On September 15th, the emperor summoned all the concubines to the Queen's Fengyi Palace.

In the main hall of Fengyi Palace, the emperor and empress sat on the high seats, and many concubines sat below.

As expected of the emperor, there are all kinds of women in the harem, some are gentle and virtuous, some are dignified and quiet, some are cute and lively, some are gorgeous and moving, some are pure and lovely, and some are enchanting and charming...

This was the first time Gu Shijin saw the imperial concubine. She was indeed the most beautiful woman in the Great Xia Dynasty. She was dressed in a purple palace dress, a jade crown on her head, and had exquisite makeup. There was a sense of coldness and pride between her eyebrows, yet she was dignified and elegant.

She sat at the front of all the concubines, her face calm and eyes indifferent, and no one knew what she was thinking.

"A few days ago, the Queen and I went out of the palace to worship our ancestors, but something happened in the palace that murdered the heir to the throne and framed the concubines."

"I'll let Su Deyuan start investigating after I return to the palace," Lu Junze looked at Su Deyuan, "Su Deyuan, you tell me."

Su Deyuan stepped forward and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"I have checked and found that several ladies in the harem have taken the medicinal herbs in their purses from the Imperial Hospital."

Those were not special medicinal herbs. It was not surprising that a concubine would take this today and need that tomorrow. However, mixing those herbs together would be extremely harmful to pregnant women.

"There are four ladies in Yuehuajin, and the number in the young lady's palace does not match."

"They are Imperial Concubine, Imperial Concubine Lan, Imperial Concubine Zhaoyi, and Song Xiuyi."

Lu Junze asked: "Is there anyone who has taken medicinal herbs but the number of Yuehuajin in the palace does not match?"

Su Deyuan thought for a moment, then bent over and said, "Your Majesty, it's the Imperial Concubine, the Imperial Concubine Lan, and the Imperial Concubine Zhaoyi."

Inside the main hall, everyone looked at the three women sitting in the front.

The imperial concubine stood up first, bowed to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I have not been feeling well lately, and the medicines were all prescribed by the imperial physician."

"As for Yuehua brocade, I made clothes for the Empress Dowager and the Concubine Dowager using Yuehua brocade before they left the palace. Your Majesty can send someone to check."

"Your Majesty, Empress, I am not good at socializing and rarely leave Weiyang Palace. I only recently learned that Concubine Liu is pregnant."

The imperial concubine basically never leaves the Weiyang Palace unless summoned by the emperor or when there is no alternative but to do so. All the concubines in the harem know this.

Lu Junze looked at the imperial concubine with gentle eyes and said, "Sit down. Why didn't you send someone to tell me if you were feeling unwell?"

The imperial concubine sat down again with the help of the palace maid, and then she answered: "Your Majesty, I am not seriously ill. Your Majesty is very busy with government affairs every day, and I cannot bear to disturb you."

Gu Shijin looked at the imperial concubine curiously. The imperial concubine was of a high rank, and it was unclear whether she was truly elegant or just pretending to be so.

"Your Majesty, I caught a cold some time ago and even had to withdraw my green card. You know that, Your Majesty." Concubine Lan stood up with the help of Qiaohui, her tone aggrieved.

Lu Junze looked calm and asked, "What about the half piece of Yuehua brocade that disappeared from your palace?"

When Concubine Lan saw that the emperor did not comfort her, the resentment in her eyes became even stronger.

Concubine Lan did want to cause trouble at the chrysanthemum viewing banquet, but before she could make any arrangements, Concubine Liu became unwell, disrupting all her subsequent arrangements.

"Your Majesty, I really don't know. The Yuehua brocade is kept in the storeroom and is guarded by palace maids. I can't guard the Yuehua brocade every day."

"Princess Lan, as the master of a palace, can't you even take care of the things in your own palace?" the Queen asked sternly.

Concubine Lan lifted her skirt, knelt on the ground, straightened her back, and said fearlessly: "Your Majesty, I have mismanaged the country, please punish me, but the murder of the heir and the framing of Concubine Jin really have nothing to do with me."

At this moment, Concubine Lan really had the demeanor of a general's daughter, and Gu Shijin felt that it was really Concubine Lan who did it.

"Go to Concubine Lan's palace and call over the maid who is in charge of the storehouse." Lu Junze said to the guards.

Then he looked at Lan Fei: "You get up first."

Qiaohui stepped forward and helped Concubine Lan sit down.

When Zhaoyi came to Fengyi Palace, she brought not only her personal maid but also another person, who was the maid who stole Yue Huajin.

"Your Majesty, Empress, this is the person who stole the Yuehua Brocade in my palace." Ru Zhaoyi pointed at the palace maid kneeling in the center.

"What's your name?" Shangguan Yan asked.

The maid replied with a trembling body: "Hello...Her Majesty, my name is Xiaohong."

"Xiaohong, did you steal the Yuehuajin from Lily Palace?"

Xiao Hong shook her head vigorously with tears in her eyes: "My Lady, it's not me. I didn't take any Yue Hua Jin."

Ru Zhaoyi's face changed drastically, and she stood up in an instant: "How dare you harm me!"

Ru Zhaoyi turned around and knelt down facing the emperor: "Your Majesty, Queen, when I was interrogating her that day, Eunuch Su was also there, and it was Xiaohong who admitted it herself."

When his name was called, Su Deyuan also stood up and said, "Your Majesty, it is indeed true."

Shangguan Yan: "Xiaohong, do you know that deceiving the emperor is a capital crime?"

Xiao Hong crawled forward two steps and said in a sad voice: "Your Majesty, Empress, I was wronged. It was Ru Zhaoyi who threatened me with my family."

"I am just a maid in the Lily Palace. How could I possibly enter a place like a storehouse? Your Majesty, please investigate this."

"Bitch!" Ru Zhaoyi was so angry that she wanted to slap her, but the emperor and empress were still here, so she couldn't lose her manners.

"Your Majesty, I have never done this."

Gu Shijin watched with great interest. The show was getting more and more exciting. The person behind the scenes must be so happy at this moment.

With just a purse, he dragged three high-ranking concubines into trouble, causing unrest in the harem.

Gu Shijin quietly looked at the faces of the concubines, and none of them showed much fluctuation.

"Empress Zhaoyi, on the night the emperor left the palace, you called me into the room and asked me to admit that I was the one who stole the Yuehua brocade, otherwise you would kill my family." Xiaohong cried.

Shangguan Yan: "Since your family is in the hands of Ru Zhaoyi, why do you regret it now?"

Xiao Hong said with a trusting look on her face: "Your Majesty, I know that plotting to murder the heir to the throne is a serious crime punishable by the death of nine generations of the clan. I don't want to die, and I don't want my parents to die either. I believe that as long as I tell the truth, the Emperor and Your Majesty will definitely protect my family."

This palace maid can talk. Look at the tall hats she puts on the emperor and empress.

Things have developed to this point. Unless Ru Zhaoyi can produce favorable evidence, there is really no way to defend herself.

Suddenly, the emperor spoke up: "Ru Zhaoyi, what are you doing going to the Imperial Hospital to get those medicinal herbs?"

Yes, in addition to Yuehuajin, there are also medicinal herbs. The Imperial Concubine and the Lan Concubine need them because they are sick, but what about Ru Zhaoyi? She has always been in good health.

Ru Zhaoyi was silent for a long time before she said awkwardly, "Your Majesty... I... I got a prescription for a pregnancy-maintaining medicine, which requires these herbs."

"Where's Fangzi?"

"It was burned by me."

Naturally, she hopes that as few people as possible know about this recipe.