Huang Liansheng desperately wanted to kick this little bastard to death on the spot, but she still wore a gentle smile like a spring breeze, looking at Yiyi and saying, "Little darling, you mustn't speak nonsense. I am your biological aunt, your mother's own cousin. How could I do anything to harm your mother?"
Bai Sheng, Mei Fei, and others felt nauseous looking at Huang Liansheng's fake face.
Yiyi pouted, his small brows furrowed. "You don't deserve to be my aunt. You're a bad person. You curse me in your heart but smile on your face. You're so fake!"
Everyone looked at the child with surprise. At such a young age, he was more perceptive than adults.
Huang Liansheng's mouth twitched, her expression momentarily unnatural. She looked at Bai Sheng awkwardly and forced a smile, "Sister, please forgive me. Earlier, I didn't know you were Xue Sheng. Thinking you came from Great Xia, I feared you might be spies sent by Great Xia, so I offended you. I hope sister can overlook my faults and forgive me. I truly... didn't mean to."
After speaking, Huang Liansheng's tears flowed, her expression full of guilt.
"Peh!" Tian Guihua and Liu Shi spat at her fiercely. This woman was truly an actress, her face changing faster than flipping a book!
Bai Sheng sneered, "Who is your sister? Do you think a moment of insincere apology will make me forgive you? Or at least allow us to maintain a semblance of civility? You're thinking too much!"
Jin Shuwei and the other soldiers cast approving glances at Bai Sheng. The Princess was straightforward, which was excellent!
"Sister, it was truly a misunderstanding before. I was afraid spies from Great Xia would infiltrate, so I... I accidentally offended sister," Huang Liansheng said with tear-filled eyes.
"Hmph, bad person, you're lying! It wasn't a misunderstanding!" Yiyi clenched his small fists. "You want to be empress, and you're afraid my mother will come back and take your position, so you wanted to kill my mother!"
Good heavens! This child was too honest. He actually blurted out such a real truth.
The soldiers secretly sighed. They weren't blind to this, but sometimes human hearts were unfathomable. They feared they were overthinking, but the facts proved they weren't thinking enough!
Huang Liansheng glanced at Yiyi. In that instant, Yiyi felt the hateful glare of this bad woman gnawing at her teeth.
General Shen shifted his gaze to Huang Liansheng and questioned her coldly, "County Princess, what exactly did you do to Her Highness the Princess?"
Huang Liansheng assumed a gentle and weak posture, lamenting mournfully, "Reporting to Great General, this Saintess merely offended sister verbally and did nothing to harm her."
"Merely offended verbally? How dare you say that!" Mei Fei exclaimed indignantly. "So many people here witnessed it. As soon as you arrived, without any rhyme or reason, you ordered your men to immediately execute my mother and Her Highness the Princess. You even lunged at the Princess with a sword. After the Princess dodged, you ordered Deputy General Xu to kill the Princess, and Deputy General Xu's sword was already at the Princess's throat!"
Jin Shuwei picked at his fingers and weakly added, "It is indeed true. I repeatedly stated that we should wait for the Great General to verify identities before making a decision, but the County Princess refused to listen and was intent on killing Her Highness the Princess and the National Preceptor."
"Mhm mhm mhm mhm..." The other soldiers also nodded weakly, confirming that Jin Shuwei was telling the truth.
Huang Liansheng looked at Jin Shuwei, her face full of grievance. "Jin Shuwei! Don't try to curry favor! You're slandering me maliciously just to please and flatter the Princess!"
Jin Shuwei rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled foolishly, "County Princess, my allegiance has always been with the Princess, never with you. Please... don't misunderstand. Besides, I haven't wronged you. So many people are witnesses."
Shen Tianjun was furious. "County Princess, Deputy General Xu, is this true?!"
"Xue Sheng sister, you are our only family! How could you do this!" Huang Shisheng was also very angry. He had never been close to this cousin, but he never expected her to harbor such dark thoughts!
Huang Liansheng glanced around, then began to sob sadly, "Great General, Brother Shisheng, this is all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! I mistook them for spies from Great Xia... sob sob..."
Deputy General Xu knelt on the ground, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. "Reporting to Great General, this subordinate only saw the Princess kick the Saintess. At that moment, I was anxious to save my master and acted impulsively, offending the Princess."
"Anxious to save your master? Who is your master?" Shen Tianjun suppressed his rage, his eyes widening until the corners threatened to split.
Cold sweat dripped continuously from Deputy General Xu's forehead. "Reporting... Reporting to Great General, before the Princess returned, my master was... was the Saintess. After the Princess returned, my master became the Prin... Princess."
"Saintess?" Shen Tianjun sneered and looked at Huang Liansheng, saying unceremoniously, "County Princess, now that the Princess has returned, you are no longer worthy of the title 'Saintess.' From now on, it would be more appropriate for you to remain merely a County Princess."
Five years ago, he had led troops in a desperate battle against Great Xia and Bei Qiang at the border. In the rear, Huang Liansheng had used some means to make the people of Qing Huang call her Saintess. From then on, she proclaimed herself Saintess, claiming it was in accordance with popular will.
"No, Uncle Shen, she doesn't deserve to be a County Princess! In fact, considering her as a person is already elevating her too much!" Bai Sheng suddenly said contemptuously.
Shen Tianjun frowned. "Little Snowball, did something happen?"
"Xue Sheng sister, why... say that?" Shisheng was also somewhat astonished.
Bai Sheng raised her voice. "When I was five years old, she sent away the palace maids and eunuchs, lured me to the observation deck, and then pushed me down from it! When Fengcheng fell, she was the one who pushed me into Great Xia's slave camp, making me the lowest slave of Great Xia."
"Wh-what?!" Shen Tianjun's fists clenched, making cracking sounds. His gaze at Huang Liansheng was as sharp as a cold sword's edge.
Back then, Little Snowball had fallen and bled profusely, ultimately causing her to lose her senses. He had been heartbroken, never imagining she was harmed by this vile woman!
At that time, this vile woman was only around ten years old. How vicious her heart must have been! Little Snowball was so cute and kind, how could she have done that!
All the soldiers present were stunned, holding their breaths, their ears pricked up, attentively listening to the juicy gossip about the Saintess, afraid of missing any crucial information.
Huang Shisheng was shocked beyond belief. His face was filled with rage, and he sternly demanded, "Sister Liansheng, are the things Xue Sheng sister said all true?"
Huang Liansheng's face turned pale, her eyes filled with tears. She weakly shook her head. "No, no, Shisheng, it's because I offended her today and she resents me that she is deliberately framing me!"