Chun Xing’s tears fell. Her trembling teeth chattered uncontrollably as she dropped to her knees with a thud. “My lord, please spare me,” she stammered, “the rouge I gave to the Fifth Princess was indeed poisoned.”
What?!!
Everyone was utterly shocked. It was really this maid who had poisoned her!
But why? How could a mere maid have a grudge against the Fifth Princess? To the point of disfiguring her with poison?
Moreover, wasn’t Chun Xing confessing a little too quickly?
Lord Han’s gavel slammed down again. “You audacious servant! How dare you poison the Fifth Princess! Guards, seize her!”
Lord Han felt a surge of secret delight. Let the case be closed like this. Heaven forbid any more complications arise, or that too many people be implicated.
Having a lowly maid take the fall was the best possible outcome for this case.
Two bailiffs immediately stepped forward.
But all of Lord Han’s wishes were in vain. Chun Xing suddenly cried out hoarsely, “My lord, spare me! I was ordered to do it! I was forced!”
Lord Han’s heart sank, his face darkening. “Who ordered you? Who forced you?” Did this maid insist on thwarting him? Wasn’t it better to die quietly?
Chun Xing slowly turned, pointing a trembling finger at Bai Sheng. “It was her! She forced me to poison the Fifth Princess!”
Bai Sheng and the other four were stunned.
Ga Mei couldn’t help but exclaim, “You’re lying! We don’t even know you!”
Lu Hua trembled with anger. “You cannot falsely accuse someone. Please present evidence!”
Consort Mei gripped the armrests of her chair. She had never expected such a turn of events; it was too abrupt.
Yang Ming and the others seated behind Consort Mei unconsciously tensed, their hearts filled with anxiety.
Across the way, Lord Yan raised an eyebrow with amusement. The plot twist was more dramatic than any play on stage.
Inside the screen, the Empress revealed a triumphant smile. In a good mood, she picked up a grape and popped it into her mouth.
Princess Xin Yao also felt a sense of catharsis. If Lu Ye’s family were sentenced to death, she would have an opportunity to act. She didn’t believe a death-row inmate wouldn’t want to live.
Bai Sheng sneered, “Miss, I don’t know you, nor do I know the Fifth Princess. Why would I force you to poison her? What would be my motive? And how would I have coerced you?”
Chun Xing’s gaze darted away, her body trembling incessantly. “You… you hated the Fifth Princess because your husband liked the Fifth Princess!”
What?!
Lu Ye liked the Fifth Princess?
Such juicy gossip! Everyone’s eyes sparkled with the light of nosiness.
Lu Hua, Ga Mei, and Ding Xiang looked at Lu Ye in disbelief. They simply couldn’t believe that their elder brother (master) would like the Fifth Princess. But why was this Chun Xing so insistent in her wild accusations?
Lu Ye, however, remained composed, showing no sign of panic, nor did he rush to defend himself.
Bai Sheng looked at him and even winked playfully.
Xin Yao was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly understood everything. If she hadn't personally gone to find Lu Ye yesterday, she would have almost believed this maid’s words.
So this was why her mother had asked her to summon Zhou Yanran and Dong Xuerou to the palace yesterday – to smear dirt onto that lowly wife of Lu Ye.
But if this maid was deliberately framing that lowly woman, then who had actually disfigured her face?
Bai Sheng’s voice sounded from beyond the screen. “Your name is Chun Xing, right? What evidence do you have to prove that my husband likes the Fifth Princess? My husband met the Fifth Princess for the first time during yesterday’s court session!”
Chun Xing gritted her teeth, as if she had made a great resolution to finish speaking. “Yesterday was not their first meeting. They met for the first time on a street in the capital. Lu Ye fell in love with the Fifth Princess at first sight!
The Fifth Princess’s guards can testify to this! The Fifth Princess would never fancy someone of Lu Ye’s low status, which is why she even went to the prison yesterday afternoon to warn Lu Ye not to pester her anymore. The jailers can testify to that.”
Upon hearing this, Xin Yao looked at the Empress with immense anger and walked over to her, lowering her voice and saying furiously, “Mother, you… you were spying on me!”
The Empress calmly stood up, put her arm around Xin Yao’s shoulders with affection, and whispered in her ear, “Yao’er, you are my daughter. How could your little schemes be hidden from my eyes? I’ve known for a long time that you’ve been looking for Lu Ye everywhere. Those who achieve great things are not bogged down by trivialities. He is our enemy. We must use any means necessary against an enemy.”
Xin Yao’s shoulders trembled. She whispered, “Mother… you are right.”
The gavel slammed down once more.
Lord Han glared at Bai Sheng and sternly rebuked, “Civilian Bai Sheng, confess truthfully. Was it you, driven by jealousy, who forced Chun Xing to poison the Fifth Princess?”
Bai Sheng began to laugh. “It seems the person who instructed Chun Xing to frame me deliberately is truly a master of harem intrigue, even coming up with such a scheme.
However, not all women, upon discovering their husband’s affections wandering, will lash out murderously at their love rival. At least I, Bai Sheng, am not like that!
If my husband were to fall in love with another woman, I would generously hand her over and would never resort to such despicable tricks to harm a love rival.
I can earn money myself and live without relying on any man. I also have my own hobbies and interests. Even without love or marriage, my spirit is still rich. Miss Chun Xing, the motivations you are forcefully attributing to me do not align with my character.
Furthermore, whether my husband has fallen in love with the Fifth Princess must be determined by my husband himself.”
Lu Ye cast a doting glance at Bai Sheng, stepped forward, and looked at Chun Xing. “Miss Chun Xing, I, Lu Ye, will only love my wife Bai Sheng in this lifetime and will not be attracted to any other woman.
What transpired between the Fifth Princess and me is pure and clear. When you falsely accuse me and the Fifth Princess, are you not afraid of damaging the Fifth Princess’s reputation? What goes around comes around. Confess honestly, who instructed you to spout such nonsense here?”
Chun Xing’s face was pale, her trembling lips clamped shut tightly.
Consort Mei spoke with a stern voice, “Lord Han, this servant is making wild accusations to absolve herself. We cannot simply accept her word as proof that the owner of Hong Fen Jia Ren instructed her to poison. She must present concrete evidence.”
The Empress snorted coldly. “This lowly servant has already admitted to poisoning herself. A person facing death speaks truthfully. Moreover, this servant’s eyes are not blind; can she not even see who forced her?”
Consort Mei looked at the faint shadows behind the screen and smiled. “Ultimately, we do not yet know who forced this servant to make these false accusations. If the person she implicates were the Empress, would the Empress not need any evidence and immediately plead guilty?”
“Consort Mei! You are audacious! How dare you disrespect me so!” the Empress exclaimed angrily. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Consort Mei’s gaze suddenly sharpened. Just as she was about to retort, Yan Mingkun glanced at her and subtly shook his head.
Only then did Consort Mei suppress the anger in her heart.