As soon as I put it on, I met a sickly man

As the night deepened, the clamor of the cooking competition gradually came to a close. Jiang Yuewan declined Ding Chen's offer to see her off and returned to her own residence with Qiu'er. Pushing open the courtyard door, a cool night breeze blew across her face, dispersing the lingering aroma of the dishes, but unable to dispel the lingering gloom in her heart. Mu Yang's hawk-like gaze made her feel uneasy, and she sensed a greater storm was coming.

"Miss, are you okay?" Qiu'er noticed that Jiang Yue was acting strangely and asked with concern.

Jiang Yue forced a smile and said, "It's okay, I'm just a little tired." She didn't want to make Qiu'er worry, so she suppressed her inner uneasiness deeply.

However, the gears of fate never stopped turning. The next morning, Jiang Yue was summoned to the competition site again. She felt a vague unease, as if something was about to happen.

Sure enough, when she arrived, she found the atmosphere unusually tense. In the center of the crowd, Lin Ran was shouting her accusations at the top of her lungs, her finger pointed directly at Jiang Yue: "Dear judges, distinguished guests, today I have to reveal a shocking secret! This Miss Jiang, in order to win the cooking competition, actually stole my precious medicinal herbs!"

As he spoke, Lin Ran pulled out a rich, fragrant herb from his bosom and held it high above his head. "Here's the evidence! This 'Purple Ganoderma' is extremely rare and priceless. I originally intended to present it to the Emperor, but Miss Jiang stole it and intended to use it in dishes to enhance their taste and efficacy!"

"Purple Ganoderma?" A burst of exclamations erupted from the crowd. Even ordinary people had heard of the name of Purple Ganoderma, let alone those present who were all either wealthy or noble.

Jiang Yue was shocked. She had never seen this so-called "Purple Ganoderma Lucidum," let alone stolen it. She immediately retorted, "Master Lin, you are slandering me! I have never seen this medicinal herb, let alone stolen anything from you!"

Lin Ran sneered, his eyes filled with viciousness. "Miss Jiang, we've caught you red-handed. What else do you have to argue about? This purple Ganoderma lucidum is so precious. Who else could own it besides me? If you didn't steal it, where did it come from?"

He pressed on, his words firm, as if everything was Jiang Yue's fault. People around her began to point fingers at Jiang Yue and whisper to each other. Jiang Yue was speechless. She felt like she was in a past life, wronged and wronged.

Just then, a familiar voice rang out from the crowd: "Wait!" Ding Chen pushed through the crowd, walked to Jiang Yue, and looked at her firmly. "I believe Miss Jiang is not that kind of person!"

Lin Ran glanced at Ding Chen with disdain. "Mr. Ding, you and Miss Jiang are just casual acquaintances. Why are you defending her so much? Could it be..." He deliberately dragged out his words, speaking meaningfully, "Could it be that Mr. Ding was also involved in this?"

Ding Chen's face darkened. Just as he was about to open his mouth to refute, he heard another cold voice: "Lin Ran, you are so bold! How dare you slander my guest!"

Mu Yang's figure appeared in front of everyone. He walked towards Lin Ran step by step, emitting a suffocating chill from his whole body!

Mu Yang's appearance was like a thunderclap, instantly shocking the entire crowd. Lin Ran's face suddenly changed. He hadn't expected Mu Yang to suddenly appear and defend Jiang Yue so much. He feigned composure and bowed, "Your Highness, I dare not slander anyone. I am only addressing the matter at hand!"

"Let's talk about the facts?" Mu Yang sneered, his eyes sweeping across Lin Ran like a knife. "The evidence you call it is just an ordinary Ganoderma lucidum, dyed with some color. How could a real purple Ganoderma lucidum be so crude?"

He walked up to Lin Ran, snatched the Purple Ganoderma from his hand, and gently cracked it, revealing the white core inside. "You think you can deceive me with such tricks?" Mu Yang's voice was icy cold, and Lin Ran trembled with fear, not daring to look up.

The people around them began to talk, and the accusations originally directed at Jiang Yue were instantly turned to Lin Ran. Lin Ran's face turned from pale to blue, and then from blue to purple. He didn't expect Mu Yang to see through his trick so easily.

"Your Highness, you are very perceptive!" Jiang Yue suppressed her grievances and bowed to Mu Yang. She knew that Mu Yang's appearance was not entirely to help her, but more to save his own face. But she was still grateful to him. At least, he gave her a chance to prove her innocence.

Ding Chen held Jiang Yue's hand tightly, giving her strength. His hand was warm and strong, making Jiang Yue feel trusted. Jiang Yue's grievances were slightly relieved. She turned to look at Ding Chen and gave him a grateful look.

Mu Yang threw the fake "Purple Ganoderma Lucidum" in his hand at Lin Ran's feet and said coldly, "Lin Ran, you have framed an official of the imperial court. This is an unforgivable crime! Come, take him away and await your punishment!"

The guards immediately stepped forward and dragged Lin Ran away. Lin Ran struggled and tried to argue, but was eventually covered by the guards' hands and disappeared into the crowd.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and Jiang Yue and Ding Chen stood side by side. Ding Chen looked at Jiang Yue and asked with concern, "Miss Jiang, are you okay?"

Jiang Yue shook her head. "I'm fine, thank you."

"You're welcome," Ding Chen smiled, "I believe you."

Mu Yang walked up to Jiang Yue and looked at her with deep eyes, "Miss Jiang, you are frightened."

Jiang Yue bowed slightly, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Mu Yang's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, then he turned and left, his back looking a little lonely.

Jiang Yue looked at Mu Yang's back, feeling a mixture of emotions. She knew that Mu Yang's feelings for her weren't just admiration, but a possessiveness bordering on paranoia. She wanted to escape, but she couldn't.

Jiang Yue didn't panic and cry like a normal person, but instead calmly observed the fake herb. Her eyes were full of wisdom, and there was even a hint of a sneer on her lips.

As if to say, "That's it?"

She picked up the fake Ganoderma lucidum, looked at it carefully, and gently stroked the stain marks with her fingertips, as if she was admiring a crude work of art.

"Qiu'er," Jiang Yue turned to look at the maid beside her, her tone calm and a little frightening, "Go, get my medicine box, and bring my magnifying glass as well."

Qiu'er was stunned for a moment. When had the young lady ever used a magnifying glass? However, she still did as she was told and quickly presented the medicine box and a simple magnifying glass.

Jiang Yue took the magnifying glass and carefully examined the fake Ganoderma. Everyone held their breath, curious about what this Miss Jiang was going to do next.

"Please look," Jiang Yue pointed the magnifying glass at the fractured part of the fake Ganoderma lucidum. "This so-called 'purple Ganoderma lucidum' isn't naturally purple in cross section, but was dyed later. You can see that the color isn't evenly distributed, and tiny particles can be clearly seen under the magnifying glass. These are clearly traces of some kind of residual pigment."

She paused and pointed to the root of the Ganoderma lucidum. "A real purple Ganoderma lucidum has a circle of fine hairs at its root, but the root of this fake Ganoderma lucidum is smooth as new. It's obvious that someone has deliberately treated it."

Upon hearing this, everyone stepped forward to observe carefully. It was indeed as Jiang Yue said. Those who had originally tended to believe Lin Ran began to waver at this moment.

Seeing the opportunity was ripe, Jiang Yue dropped another bombshell: "Mr. Lin, you keep saying that I stole this purple Ganoderma lucidum. May I ask how a young lady like me could have gotten such a fake Ganoderma lucidum? Could it be that you secretly instructed others to frame me?"

Lin Ran's face turned pale. He hadn't expected Jiang Yue to be so thoughtful and thorough, completely exposing his plan. He was speechless, trying to explain himself, but found himself speechless.

Jiang Yue continued, "I heard that Master Lin has been addicted to gambling lately and has accumulated a lot of gambling debts. Could it be that you are desperate for money and want to frame me and get the bounty?"

The moment these words were spoken, everyone was in an uproar. Lin Ran's evil deeds were no secret in the capital, but due to his father's power, no one dared to discuss them publicly. Now that Jiang Yue had exposed them in public, everyone looked at Lin Ran with suspicion and contempt.

"You!... You are slandering me!" Lin Ran roared angrily.

Jiang Yue sneered, "Whether or not this is slander, everyone can make their own judgment. Although I, Jiang Yue, am not an expert in medicine, I do have the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood. Master Lin, you should think about how to explain these 'coincidences' to everyone."

She emphasized the word "coincidence" and gave Lin Ran a meaningful look. Lin Ran's face was uglier than if he had eaten a fly. He had never expected that the trap he had carefully planned would be so easily resolved by Jiang Yue.

The crowd began to whisper and talk. Beads of sweat oozed out of Lin Ran's forehead. He knew that he was doomed this time!

Mu Yang walked forward slowly, his deep gaze fell on Jiang Yue, and said, "Miss Jiang, you are so sure that it was Mr. Lin who framed you, do you have any evidence?" His voice was low and magnetic, with an aura of majesty without anger, which instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Jiang Yue's heart sank. Mu Yang's presence had undoubtedly complicated the situation. She knew how Mu Yang felt about her, and it suffocated her and made her wary. His seemingly fair question was actually meant to help Lin Ran out.

"Your Highness, although I don't have any solid evidence, all signs indicate that Master Lin is indeed suspected of framing me." Jiang Yue tried to remain calm, her tone neither humble nor arrogant. "Why did Master Lin choose my Ganoderma lucidum? And why did he discover the 'problem' so coincidentally? These coincidences are too deliberate."

Lin Ran, as if grasping a lifeline, quickly echoed, "Your Highness, please understand! Miss Jiang is slandering me! She's deliberately throwing dirty water on me to shirk responsibility!"

Mu Yang nodded slightly, his eyes sweeping over the crowd as he said in a deep voice, "Miss Jiang does have some truth to what she said. But it would be too hasty to conclude that Master Lin is the mastermind based on mere speculation. This matter is of great importance, and a thorough investigation is needed before a conclusion can be reached."

He turned to Lin Ran and said in a slightly slower tone, "Mr. Lin, do you have anything else to say?"

Lin Ran immediately knelt down and swore, "Your Highness, I am innocent! I have absolutely never done anything to wrong Miss Jiang! This Ganoderma lucidum was indeed found in Miss Jiang's basket. I guarantee it with my life!"

Mu Yang pondered for a moment, then looked at Jiang Yue with a questioning look in his eyes: "Miss Jiang, do you have any evidence to prove your innocence?"

Jiang Yue sneered inwardly. Mu Yang was clearly favoring Lin Ran and setting a trap for her. She didn't have any solid evidence, but she knew that if she backed down now, it would be like admitting to stealing the Ganoderma lucidum, which would have a huge impact on her future plans.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Her mind raced, searching for a way out. She looked around and noticed an inconspicuous figure in the crowd—Ding Chen.

Ding Chen had been standing silently at the edge of the crowd, observing the situation unfold. A hint of worry now crossed his sunny face, his gaze fixed on Jiang Yue.

Jiang Yue's heart stirred, and a bold idea emerged in her mind. She spoke slowly, her tone tinged with determination: "Your Highness, although I have no direct evidence, I believe that the truth will eventually come out. I am willing to accept any investigation and bear all consequences. However..."

She paused, then turned her gaze to Ding Chen, her voice clear and firm: "I believe that Master Ding was a witness to this cooking competition. He must have seen the truth of the matter."

Everyone's eyes were focused on Ding Chen, including Mu Yang. Ding Chen was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting Jiang Yue to suddenly point the finger at him. He hesitated for a moment, then slowly stepped forward, looking directly at Mu Yang, and spoke slowly.