The empress stroked her back and comforted her, "There, there, the imperial physician said your face can still be cured if we find the living corpse worm. I've already sent people to search everywhere, and I'm sure we'll have news soon."
"What if they can't find it? Will your daughter turn into an ugly monster? Waaah... And everyone in the capital already knows your daughter is an ugly monster... Waaah..." Xin Yao burst into tears.
"We will find it. You must believe your mother. Your mother is here today to tell you some great news," the empress said with a smile.
"My face is ruined, what great news could there be?" Xin Yao said angrily.
The empress smiled brightly, "Yao'er, do you know who the owner of the shop that ruined your appearance is?"
"Who?"
"It's those lowly peasants who caused your brother to be imprisoned in the Zongren Mansion for half a year and your maternal grandfather's family to be exiled to the Northern Frontier!" the empress said through gritted teeth.
"What? It's them?" Xin Yao stopped crying.
At this moment, her feelings were complicated. She should have been happy to find the person she had been thinking about, but she never expected that the cosmetics from his family would be the cause of her disfigurement!
He had not only harmed the Jiang family but also harmed her. Was heaven playing a joke on her?
The empress's gaze was gloomy, and she said hatefully, "Yao'er, this is truly heaven sent. Heaven has delivered them to my doorstep as criminals. I will definitely make those lowlifes pay the most severe price!"
Prime Minister Dong's Mansion.
Zhou Yanran's carriage arrived at the Dong residence at top speed. She was helped out of the carriage by a maid and hurried to find Dong Xue Rou.
"Sister Xue Rou, something terrible has happened. I don't know if you've heard, but the entire capital knows about the incident where the Fifth Princess was disfigured. Moreover, Consort Mei and Lord Yan will personally oversee the trial. What if... what if... what should we do? Will they find out about us?"
Dong Xue Rou also looked solemn and sighed, "It seems we were careless this time. I didn't expect that woman to know Consort Mei, and their relationship is quite unusual. But, it's strange, how did this news spread throughout the city in just a few days?"
"Yes, I didn't expect that either. I thought, given the Fifth Princess's personality, she would surely fly into a rage and immediately have that woman beheaded.
I didn't expect there would be such a grand trial. Sister Xue Rou, what do you think we should do?" Zhou Yanran tightly gripped Dong Xue Rou's small arm, her face pale.
Dong Xue Rou forced herself to calm down. Her gaze gradually turned cold, "Lock up the maid who bought the cosmetics. If it implicates us, let her take the blame. Besides, with the Jiang family in decline, the Empress and the Crown Prince can only rely on us few families. They wouldn't dare do anything to us."
"Mmm, Sister Xue Rou is right. I can finally rest easy now," Zhou Yanran said, placing a hand over her heart.
"Don't worry, we'll deal with whatever comes our way," Dong Xue Rou comforted her.
Zhou Yanran nodded, "Okay, I'll do whatever you say, Sister Xue Rou."
At the hour of Mao on the second day, the Dali Temple courtroom was already set up.
A tall, long wooden desk was placed in the center of the hall, with two armchairs behind it for the presiding judges.
A plaque bearing the words "Bright Mirror Held High" hung on the wall behind the main seat, exuding solemnity and dignity.
As the plaintiff, the Fifth Princess was required to be present. Therefore, a temporary partition was created behind the main seat with a screen, where the Empress and the Fifth Princess would be seated.
Lord Han had thoughtfully prepared plenty of fruits and pastries on a table within the partition.
Several tables and chairs were also arranged on both sides of the main seat, designated for Consort Mei and Lord Yan.
Behind them, many long benches were placed for witnesses and jury members from both sides.
At this moment, Yang Ming, Lu Tong, and Ga Mei were sitting there with large bundles, eagerly watching the entrance for the prisoners.
Outside the tables and chairs, two rows of yamen runners holding court staves stood at attention.
Consort Mei and Lord Yan arrived on time, while the Empress and the Fifth Princess arrived fashionably late.
Lord Han and Lord Wei, who were presiding, sat in the main seats. Lord Han struck the gavel heavily, and the two rows of yamen runners shouted in unison, "Authority!"
Lord Han sternly ordered, "Bring in the prisoners!"
Lu Ye, Bai Sheng, and the other three were brought in, their ankles shackled to prevent escape.
Consort Mei's eyes showed distress upon seeing the delicate young girls like Bai Sheng wearing shackles.
Yang Ming and the other two felt the same way, and Ga Mei's tears immediately fell.
Hearing that the prisoners were being brought into the hall, Princess Xin Yao immediately stood up from her seat and approached the screen. Through a gap in the screen, she once again saw the man who had captivated her after only one meeting.
Indeed, even with the shackles and confinement in prison, it was difficult to diminish his handsome features and tall stature.
Princess Xin Yao stared at Lu Ye, completely mesmerized. The Empress walked up behind her and whispered, "Yao'er, these are the lowly people who caused your maternal grandfather's family to be exiled to the Northern Frontier. Look at their faces clearly. This time, they have willingly jumped into my palm, and I will surely crush them!"
Xin Yao snapped back to reality and nodded.
She then shifted her gaze to Bai Sheng, standing beside Lu Ye. That woman must be his slave wife, and she looked... alright, but even so, wasn't she still a lowly slave wife? She wasn't even fit to carry the Fifth Princess's shoes!
The Fifth Princess's eyes, as they looked at Bai Sheng, filled with venomous light.
A "humming" sound echoed in Bai Sheng's mind, "Master, the Empress and the Fifth Princess are sitting behind that screen. The Fifth Princess has been staring at your second silly for a long time, like a lovesick fool. Now she's looking at you, and her gaze is full of venom."
Bai Sheng's eyes flickered slightly, her expression remaining unchanged.
Lord Han struck the gavel with a "pa" sound and sternly asked, "Are the people below the hall natives of Hongshu Village, Tianshui Town, Tasha Prefecture, Bianzhou, namely Lu Ye, Bai Sheng, Lu Hua, and their household servants?"
Lu Ye and the others nodded, "Indeed!"
Lord Han continued, "Did you open a cosmetics shop named 'Hong Fen Jia Ren' on Qingliu Street in the capital?"
"Indeed!" Lu Ye replied.
Lord Han swept his sharp gaze over those in the hall and said sternly, "On the thirteenth day of April, the Fifth Princess used the rouge from Hong Fen Jia Ren, resulting in ulcerated skin on her cheeks and disfigurement. Lu Ye and Bai Sheng, do you plead guilty?!"
Bai Sheng said sternly, "This humble woman pleads not guilty! This humble woman understands medicine. When preparing the rouge, I specifically used anti-allergic medication to soothe the skin, and there would be no such thing as a爛臉 (ruined face). If you don't believe me, you can have it examined on the spot!"
Lu Ye also said loudly, "This humble man also pleads not guilty! My lord says the Fifth Princess's rouge was bought at our shop. May I ask specifically which day it was bought? Who bought it? What items were purchased? Furthermore, can the box of rouge that caused the Fifth Princess's disfigurement be brought out for examination on the spot?"