The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 141

Minister Liu quickly bowed his head and instinctively sniffed. Song Jin sneered, “Did you catch the scent, Minister Liu?”

Minister Liu’s face twitched, his expression stiff. The Empress Dowager turned to the old maid behind her. “Go and check.”

The old maid obeyed and stepped forward. “Minister Liu, please.”

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the approaching old maid. In that moment, it felt as though time stood still.

Consort Li clenched her handkerchief tightly, her eyes brimming with hatred. Goldleaf Flower incense was an elite imperial scent. Only a select few consorts could use it. How did that detestable fool, Shen Yue, know about such a rare incense? He had actually recognized it by smell!

Consort Li seethed with anger, while the Crown Prince watched with great interest. How did the girl inside Shen Yue know about Goldleaf Flower incense? This incense wasn’t sourced from the common market; it was specially crafted by imperial perfumers. Even he had only heard of it, never encountered it.

The Second Prince must have seen it. Noble Consort Shu, being the Empress’s sister, would certainly have it. But how did this girl confidently identify it on Minister Liu just by smell?

And what about the incident at the Magistrate’s residence? How did she find the golden belt on the former Magistrate? And how did she know it came from the Fengchai House, even knowing its exact price?

After investigating, the Crown Prince had confirmed that everything the girl said about the belt was accurate. Was this ability to identify objects what the storybooks called a “golden finger”? Could she identify any object or only specific types?

The Crown Prince pondered, eyes narrowing with a smile as he watched Song Jin.

The Empress Dowager’s old maid stood in front of Minister Liu. Just as Song Jin expected her to sniff at Minister Liu’s chest, the old maid pulled out a pale blue cotton handkerchief. Unlike the silk handkerchiefs used by the nobility, this was a simple cotton one.

Seeing this handkerchief, Song Jin felt a sharp, sudden pain in her heart, so intense it took her breath away. Why was this happening?

Confused, Song Jin focused intently on the handkerchief. The old maid rubbed it against Minister Liu’s chest, then brought it to her nose for a sniff before walking back to the Empress Dowager.

Song Jin couldn’t see what was special about the handkerchief. Why had she felt such pain? And now, why did she feel nothing?

“Your Majesty, Your Highness, Minister Liu indeed carries the scent of Goldleaf Flower incense,” the old maid reported, offering the handkerchief to the Emperor.

The Emperor glanced at the Empress, who took the handkerchief, sniffed it, and nodded. “Indeed.”

Song Jin rolled her eyes internally. Of course, it’s there. My nose has never been wrong. Besides, the Song family business is vast, covering almost everything in the world except official goods. To Song Jin, Goldleaf Flower incense wasn’t rare. The Song family even had several boxes of it in their cellar.

The reason it was called Goldleaf Flower incense was because it contained gold dust. Her ability to smell gold included gold leaf and gold dust.

Song Jin stood calmly, while Minister Liu began to sweat. The Emperor looked at Minister Liu intently. “How did you come by this scent?”

In his anger, the Emperor’s voice carried a chilling pressure. Minister Liu dropped to his knees.

Song Jin added fuel to the fire. “This incense is used exclusively by consorts. It’s strange that it’s on Minister Liu’s chest. How did it get there?”

Of course, the scent had transferred because someone had leaned against his chest!

The Emperor’s face turned a darker shade of green, and he could almost picture one of his consorts leaning against Minister Liu’s chest. The thought made him even angrier. His sharp, cruel gaze swept over the consorts, causing them to tremble.

Which wretched person had framed the Fourth Prince so poorly that now they were all under suspicion?

The atmosphere grew heavier. The three-year-old Princess Li Yang couldn’t stand the tension any longer and burst into tears, causing her mother to hastily cover her mouth. Princess Li Yang struggled and wailed, which set off other young princes and Princesses who began to cry as well.

The pitiful cries, combined with the murderous atmosphere in the hall, made it feel like a massacre was about to take place.

The Emperor, already irritable, grew more agitated. Fortunately, the Empress Dowager intervened. “Take the children away.”

The other children left quietly in the arms of their nannies, except for Princess Li Yang, who clung to her mother, wailing loudly. No amount of coaxing could separate her from her mother.

The mother consort, distressed, knelt before the Emperor. “Your Majesty, I have never had Goldleaf Flower incense. Princess Li Yang is very upset. Please allow me to calm her down first. Once she’s settled…”

The Emperor remained silent, but the Empress Dowager spoke. “You may go.”

Grateful, the consort bowed to the Emperor and Empress Dowager before leaving.

The Crown Prince noticed that as Princess Li Yang and her mother left, Consort Li seemed to relax.

Wait… Princess Li Yang’s mother and Consort Li…

Before the Crown Prince could ponder their relationship, Song Jin spoke. “Wait!”

The consort, carrying Princess Li Yang, froze at the hall’s threshold. She pretended not to hear and continued to leave.

Song Jin turned around. “Your Highness, please wait. If you must leave, please leave your incense box behind.”

At these words, the consort’s intentions were clear to everyone. One of the consorts immediately remarked, “Could it be that Noble Consort De has the Goldleaf Flower incense?”

Her voice was low, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

If Noble Consort De pretended not to hear and continued to leave now…