The atmosphere in the hall instantly froze.

As soon as Noble Consort Liu finished speaking, several guards beside her immediately drew their swords. The blades gleamed brightly under the palace lanterns, pointed directly at me.


"Protect His Majesty! Seize the assassin!" Noble Consort Liu commanded with a stern voice and fierce expression.

Looking at those gleaming sword tips, I felt no fear at all. Perhaps it was because I had prepared for too long, or perhaps because the truth was right before my eyes—my heart was surprisingly calm.

"Oh dear, such a grand show. I, a mere kitchen maid, can't bear it," I even found the mood to joke.


At that moment, I felt the air around me begin to stir. Several figures clad in dark robes had appeared by my side without notice. Their movements were as light as a cat's, but their presence was undeniably intimidating.

Ashen stood before me. Although his hand was not on the hilt of his sword, he was like an unsheathed blade, sharp and unstoppable.


"Noble Consort Lewis, please choose your words carefully," Ashen's voice was deep and powerful. "Without substantial evidence, no one in the palace should be accused without cause."

"You!" Noble Consort Lewis clearly did not expect the imperial guards to side with me, her expression turning even uglier. "Commander Ashen, are you planning to shield a criminal?"

"I am simply performing my duty, protecting every innocent person in the palace," Ashen replied impassively.

Watching the tense confrontation before me, I suddenly found it somewhat amusing. Noble Consort Lewis, did you really think a few guards could intimidate me? You have no idea—from the moment I decided to uncover the truth, I was already prepared to face all the consequences.

"Enough! All of you, leave my presence at once!" The emperor finally spoke, his voice carrying an indisputable authority. "Drawing swords before your emperor—what kind of behavior is this?"

The guards dared not disobey the emperor's command and could only sheathe their swords and retreat, yet they still glared at me with vigilance.

"Your Majesty!" Noble Consort Lewis said urgently, "This woman is clearly an assassin. She poisoned the dishes, aiming to harm loyal ministers and generals. You must not be deceived by her!"

I sneered and took a step forward. "Noble Consort Lewis, you accuse me of poisoning? Very well, I shall prove to everyone here who the true poisoner is!"

I turned to the emperor and spoke respectfully, "Your Majesty, allow this humble servant to demonstrate. The rashes that appeared on the bodies of the esteemed officials earlier are not symptoms of poisoning but rather a manifestation of a revealing reaction."

"A revealing reaction?" the emperor asked with a frown.

"Yes." I took out a small porcelain bottle from my sleeve, containing my specially made sauce. "Your Majesty, please look. This is the sauce I used earlier on the honey-glazed roasted venison. It contains a spice called Revelation Herb. This herb itself is non-toxic and harmless, but when it encounters certain specific toxic substances, it reacts, forming red spots on the body."

I walked over to the table, picked up an empty bowl that still had some soup in it, and, under everyone's watchful gaze, added a few drops of the sauce into it.

A miracle happened!

The once clear, jade-like soup instantly turned into a strange dark green, and wisps of smoke began to rise.

"This... this is..." The Prime Minister was so shocked he couldn't speak.

"This is the evidence!" I declared loudly. "Poison has been added to the Jade and White Jade Soup! The nobles who developed rashes must have drunk this poisoned soup. The toxins entered their bodies and reacted with the Revelation Herb, causing this reaction!"

The banquet hall fell into complete silence as everyone was stunned by what they had just witnessed.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Noble Consort Lewis's voice turned shrill, "This is sorcery! Dark magic!"

But the evidence was right before their eyes, and no matter how she tried to argue, it was futile.

"Gentlemen, there is no need to worry," I said to those who had developed rashes, "The reaction from the Truth-Revealing Grass is completely harmless, and the rashes will naturally fade within an hour. The Pure Heart Lotus Seeds I prepared earlier are specifically designed to neutralize the poison. Now, the toxins in your bodies have been completely cleansed."

Upon hearing this, the affected officials breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're lying!" one of Noble Consort Lewis's trusted ministers suddenly jumped up, "This is clearly a trap you set! You poisoned us first and then offered the antidote, all to gain His Majesty's trust!"

"That's right! It must be so!" another of Noble Consort Lewis's followers chimed in, "We must not let this sorceress continue to deceive His Majesty!"

As soon as the words fell, the trusted minister drew the dagger from his waist and charged at me.

However, as soon as he moved, his vision blurred, and in the next moment, he was thrown to the ground, the dagger flying out of his hand.

Ashen had appeared behind him at some point, effortlessly controlling him with one hand.

The other conspirators from Noble Consort Lewis's faction were subdued by the imperial guards in an instant, leaving them no room for resistance.

"Do you still want to make excuses now?" I looked at the pale-faced Noble Consort Lewis. "If I were truly framing you, why would your trusted followers act so recklessly? They must be guilty!"

Noble Consort Lewis trembled, her lips quivering, but she still stubbornly retorted, "Even... even if the soup was poisoned, it doesn't prove I did it! Maybe someone else is trying to frame me!"

I sighed. Even at this point, she was still putting up a pointless struggle.

"Your Majesty, do you still refuse to admit it now?" I shook my head, "Very well, I shall present you with one more piece of evidence."

I signaled to Aunt Scarlet, who immediately approached with a delicate little food box.

"Your Majesty," I knelt respectfully and raised the food box with both hands, "I have prepared one last dessert, made solely for Your Majesty. Please grant me the honor of your tasting."

The emperor looked puzzled but nodded, signaling for me to open the food box.

As the box was opened, a subtle fragrance of osmanthus wafted out. Inside lay several exquisitely crafted pastries, crescent-shaped with a golden hue, delicately adorned with tiny osmanthus petals.

"This is..." the emperor gazed at the pastries, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"These are osmanthus pastries," I said softly, "made according to a secret family recipe. My late father once mentioned that he prepared these for Your Majesty when you were still the crown prince."

The emperor's body suddenly stiffened, his gaze fixed intently on the osmanthus cakes, his expression turning exceedingly complex.

"Your father... what was his surname?" The emperor's voice trembled slightly.

"My father's surname was Feng, and his given name was Feng Hua." My eyes welled up with tears. "He was once the imperial chef at the Crown Prince's residence."

"Feng Hua..." The emperor murmured the name repeatedly, reaching out to take a piece of osmanthus cake and placing it in his mouth.

In that instant, I saw the emperor's body shudder violently, as if struck by lightning.

The sweet fragrance of osmanthus bloomed in his mouth, the crispy outer layer and soft, glutinous filling awakening memories of a long-buried past.

"This taste..." The emperor closed his eyes, tears actually rolling down from the corners. "This is the taste from back then..."

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze growing deep and distant: "I remember now... Back when I was still the crown prince, there was indeed a royal chef surnamed Feng. He was honest and kind, with exquisite culinary skills, and his specialty was this osmanthus pastry..."

"At that time, I was frail and sickly. The imperial physician said I was malnourished. It was he who carefully prepared meals for me every day, slowly nursing my health back..."

The emperor's voice grew lower and lower: "Later... later someone accused him of colluding with foreign enemies, of putting slow-acting poison in my meals in an attempt to harm me... I was young and impulsive then, and in a fit of rage, I ordered the execution of his entire family..."

At this point, the emperor's voice choked with emotion.

"Your Majesty..." Tears finally began to well up in my eyes.

"I remember now!" The Emperor suddenly stood up, his eyes blazing with fury, "The ones who reported Duke Hawthorne back then were from The Lewis Family! They claimed that Duke Hawthorne colluded with enemy nations and intended to poison my meals! But now I understand, Duke Hawthorne was completely innocent! He was loyal to me, without a hint of disloyalty!"

"Your Majesty..." Noble Consort Lewis turned as pale as paper.

"The Lewis Family!" The Emperor's voice thundered throughout the hall, "In your pursuit of eliminating dissent, you did not hesitate to frame the loyal and virtuous, causing the deaths of countless innocents! Tonight, you dared to repeat your tricks before me, attempting to poison a high-ranking court official! Do you truly take me for a fool?!"

"Guards!" the Emperor commanded sternly, "Arrest Noble Consort Lewis and all her accomplices! Immediately reopen the case of the deposed Crown Prince! I will uncover how many loyal ministers and brave generals have been wronged by them over these years!"

"Yes!" Ashen immediately obeyed, and the royal guards swiftly sprang into action.

Noble Consort Lewis slumped into her chair, her face ashen. She knew it was all over. The power the Lewis family had built over many years crumbled in a single night.

I knelt on the ground, watching everything unfold before me, my heart filled with mixed emotions. My father's injustice had finally been avenged, but they could never come back.

"Daughter of the Hawthorne Family," the Emperor walked up to me, his voice much gentler now, "I owe your family an apology. Over these years, I was kept in the dark, letting you bear pain you should never have endured."

"Your Majesty..." I choked, unable to speak.

"From now on, you shall stay in the palace. I will restore your family's honor and grant you the status and respect you deserve," the Emperor said.

I gazed into the Emperor's sincere eyes, then glanced at Ashen, who stood silently guarding me. A surge of warmth suddenly filled my heart.

Perhaps, I can finally stop running away.

Perhaps, I have finally found a place that truly belongs to me.