Chapter 682 Twists And Turns

"Rouge?" Yun Shang frowned and was confused. "If it happened before the banquet for New Year, is the rouge a gift for you getting a title?"

Lin Youran shook her head. After thinking for a while, she said, "I don't think so. When I was conferred the title, Lady Xian also sent me a gift, and I remember that she sent me bolts of the finest brocade. She gave the rouge to me not long after I found out I was pregnant. I remember it clearly. I didn't use any makeup after I was pregnant. That day, when Lady Xian came to my palace, she suddenly mentioned that there was a shop named Qianshui Pavilion. The fragrance of rouge in the shop is pure and elegant, which is a rare quality. Her mother bought many boxes of the rouge for her, and then she gave me a box."

Lin Youran paused for a while and continued, "I know Qianshui Pavilion. Lady Xiang had told me that it belongs to us, so I didn't suspect and just accepted it. Later, I asked someone to check the rouge. There was no problem with the it and it was indeed made by Qianshui Pavilion. But Lady Xiang had exhorted me not to use makeups when I was pregnant. A few days later, Lady Xian asked why I didn't use it. I felt a little guilty. Later I used it occasionally."

Yun Shang frowned. "Where is the rouge?"

"When I moved to Xiang Zhu Palace, I didn't take any old things here. I guess they are in the original palace. But I don't know if the servants have thrown them away. No one has lived in the palace after I moved out. Your highness could send someone to look for the rouge and check it. Now when I remember it, I felt that Lady Xian had already doubted whether I was pregnant, so she gave me the rouge to test."

Yun Shang nodded. It could be possible. With this in mind, she carefully asked Lin Youran where the rouge was, and asked the maid standing beside to send a message to the secret guard hidden in the imperial palace, telling him to look for the rouge.

A maid lifted the curtain and walked in, whispering to Yun Shang, "Your highness, the empress's maid has contacted the spy she placed in the Xiang Zhu Palace. It seems that someone has sent out a message."

On hearing this, Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and sneered. "Our empress is not stupid. She was more than willing to see that we were going to get rid of a concubine for her. She has probably asked someone to fiddle with it."

Yun Shang was worried that it would be difficult to get in once they went out. So she waited in the hall until the secret guard came back to report.

"Your highness, the empress asked if Lady Hui has any discomfort? Does she need an imperial physician? " Another maid opened the curtain and whispered.

Yun Shang thought for a while and replied: "Go and report to the emperor and the empress that she is fine. She is just having a chest tightness. I'll check her and get out soon."

The maid curtsied to her

could he be so stupid?" Then she looked at Yun Shang.

Yun Shang smiled, stood up and said, "I would rather believe that Lady Xian was most likely framed by someone. But no matter who framed her up, she was still the murderer who intended to murder Lady Hui and her unborn baby." While speaking, she set her eyes on Lady Xian. "I have always been fond of collecting some rouge and jewelries. Just now, I kept watching Lady Xian's hairpins. I know this pair, it is made by Qianshui Pavilion. I have always been using things from the shop and like them very much. And I even have a same pair of the hairpins."

Taking a look at Lady Xian, Yun Shang slowly walked to her side and said, "But it seems that something is wrong with Lady Xian's hairpins."

"Really? What's wrong? " The empress was also attracted by the hairpins and asked softly.

"I have just said that I also have the hairpins in my mansion. But they are a pair and both of them are a little curved. I have specially asked someone in the shop.I was told that it was because the tassel pendants on the hairpin are too heavy. If you only wear one, the hairpin couldn't keep balance. Though Lady Xian is wearing a pair, they still lost the balance. Yun Shang said with a smile and quickly took down the two hairpins from Lady Xian's head.

Lady Xian was shocked and stood up, "How dare you, Lady Rui? Although I'm not in high position, I'm a concubine in the imperial household. What you did is too arrogant."

Yun Shang smiled. "If there is nothing wrong with the two hairpins, I'm willing to take the punishment." While saying that, she walked to Xia Huanyu and estimated the weight of the two hairpins. "This morning when I arrived at the Lady Xian, Lady Xian wore only one hairpin. When I came out again, I found that she had added one more. And these twp hairpins are much lighter than mine. So I assume that the hairpins have been hollowed out. "