Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?

Yu Wenquan’s expression tightened again. After a moment of silence, he said, "Continue."

Chu Ruoyan said, "So, someone had already placed this lid in the herbs containing the clove powder beforehand, tainting it with the dust and scent of cloves. The first time, because the dosage was small, Yuan Qian’s condition slightly improved after taking the decoction, but overnight he developed a reaction to the cloves, cried incessantly, and showed symptoms of convulsions."

"..."

"But this time, the mastermind increased the dosage, intending to kill Yuan Qian!"

Yu Wenquan said gravely, "Who is it?"

Upon his inquiry, Chu Ruoyan quieted down, while Shang Ruyi raised her head, solemnly meeting Yu Wenquan’s serious gaze, and said, "The person who orchestrated these actions is the same one who falsely accused me of having an affair with Sun Xianyue. The purpose was to have Father Emperor confine me, so they could take this opportunity to act against Yuan Qian!"

"..."

Yu Wenquan’s brows furrowed even more deeply.

After contemplating for a moment, his heavy breath slowly calmed, and he said, "You said that the previous matters were false accusations, how can you prove it?"

Just as he finished speaking, Liu Yu and Tushere, who had gone to Qianqiu Palace to find evidence, returned. Tushere was holding a large stack of xuan paper. Liu Yu stepped forward and said, "Emperor, here is the evidence that Princess Qin mentioned."

Yu Wenquan said, "Present it."

Tushere immediately placed the stack of xuan paper on the table in front of him. Yu Wenquan looked down and saw it was the paper used by Shang Ruyi for practicing calligraphy, with some of the poems and ancient writings she had recently created or copied, all written in elegant and exquisite handwriting.

Even amidst the gravity of the situation, Yu Wenquan sighed inwardly.

But after looking at two pages, he raised his head to look at Shang Ruyi and said, "What evidence is this?"

Shang Ruyi said, "Father Emperor, a few days ago I was practicing calligraphy in Qianqiu Palace to calm my mind. The words I wrote were organized and placed by Tushere, in the sequence I wrote them. The earliest writings are on top."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Wenquan looked down at the top sheet, which was a piece from "Mantis" in the Book of Songs.

The brush strokes were soft, yet this softness carried a stiffness, as if suppressing the strength and determination in one’s heart. So even when deliberately made gentle, the brush tips still held a touch of rigidity.

Yu Wenquan turned to the second sheet, which was a copied piece from "The Art of War".

This sheet looked much more comfortable, with robust brushstrokes and strong ink, exuding an aura of valor and a sense of warfare. Seeing the words was like seeing the person, or more accurately, seeing the heart through the words. While copying military tactics, one inevitably thought of battle and conquest, which was reflected in the fierce, powerful strokes.

However—

Yu Wenquan slightly furrowed his brows, glancing at Shang Ruyi, seemingly still unclear about what exactly the evidence was. Shang Ruyi softly said, "Actually, the first sheet I truly wrote, as I informed Father Emperor that night, was stolen."

"..."

"The sheet was on the topic of ’Clothes’."

Yu Wenquan raised his eyebrows lightly.

Now, he understood why the brushwork in the second sheet, "Mantis," seemed awkward. Right after finishing the first sheet, the vigorous emotions in the person’s heart hadn’t faded, so inevitably, the second sheet carried those emotions, making it awkward. By the third sheet, a military treatise, the writing became smooth again.

And this—

Shang Ruyi said, "I ask Father Emperor to bring forth that alleged letter that I supposedly wrote to Sun Xianyue for comparison."

Yu Wenquan was stirred in his heart and immediately directed Liu Yu, "Go."

Liu Yu dared not delay, quickly turning to leave, and Shang Ruyi promptly added, "When you retrieve the letter, please also bring the other piece of evidence from that night, which is the fragment of clothing Sun Xianyue left in the backyard of Qianqiu Palace."

Liu Yu was taken aback, glanced at her, then at Yu Wenquan, who said, "Go."

Liu Yu quickly went and soon returned with the two items.

Shang Ruyi said, "The evidence is here, Father Emperor will see at a glance."

Actually, Yu Wenquan already had an idea. He took the letter from that night and read it again. After reading, he looked up at the people in the hall, his gaze carrying even deeper scrutiny.

Beside him, Han Yuhui kept her head down, her face seemingly pale.

The oppressive atmosphere also made Zhang Yuping uneasy. She forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty, is there anything amiss?"

Yu Wenquan calmly said, "The calligraphy Princess Qin initially wrote was vigorous and powerful, very similar to the handwriting in the letter addressed to Sun Xianyue."

"Then isn’t that—"

"But, this was the handwriting Princess Qin had when she first began practicing calligraphy days ago."

As Yu Wenquan spoke, he turned over the thick stack of xuan paper and brought out the last sheet, although his expression was somewhat awkward. Zhang Yuping, who served by his side, glanced down and immediately let out an "Oh," turning her face aside.

Everyone in the hall was slightly puzzled, not knowing what she had seen.

At this moment, Shang Ruyi’s face also flushed slightly, but she still looked up and solemnly said, "This poem I composed in longing for King Qin. My mood was vastly different from before, which is why the handwriting changed, I ask Father Emperor to investigate."

Yu Wenquan did not speak, only nodded lightly.

In fact, there was no need for Shang Ruyi to explain. He could tell what mood this poem, full of springtime feelings, was written in, and more so, could see that at the time of writing, Shang Ruyi’s heart had softened, her brushwork gentle, with a subtle connection between the characters, flowing smoothly with a lingering sentimentality—entirely the tender affection of a young woman.

Shang Ruyi said, "I hope Father Emperor investigates. When I wrote this last piece, it was already on the day I supposedly sent the letter to Sun Xianyue to meet at Qianqiu Palace. If I indeed wrote that letter for a private meeting, my handwriting should resemble this last piece, not what it looked like several days earlier."

"..."

"It’s just unfortunate that the thief didn’t know, they simply took advantage of the termite extermination, when I left with everyone to avoid the irritation from bamboo vinegar leaving Qianqiu Palace empty, to casually take the piece I wrote placed on top, and mimicked that handwriting to write the letter intended for clandestine communication."

At this moment, Han Yuhui suddenly said, "But who can prove the Princess indeed had a piece stolen?"

"..."

"This seems to be just a narrative by the Princess throughout."

Yu Wenquan turned his head to glance at her, said nothing, then looked at Shang Ruyi, who simply smiled gently, calmly saying, "There is someone who can prove it."