Huangfu Mi held her shoulders: "Don't rush, tell me slowly, what exactly happened?"
Meng Wan then told Huangfu Mi the news that Ying'er had inquired about at Qingyuxuan. Huangfu Mi listened quietly, and finally frowned slightly.
"Could there be some misunderstanding? How could Changping do something so terrible?" It's no wonder he was suspicious. Changping usually seemed so innocent and naive. Who would believe that she would use a living person as a target?
"I wish this were a lie, but now Baotong is lying inside. The imperial physician said that her leg will never heal, never in her lifetime." Just thinking about that bloody scene makes her shiver, and tears well up in her eyes.
"Don't rush. The matter hasn't been investigated yet. It might be unwise to go to her so rashly. Have you investigated it thoroughly?"
"I've already asked Ying'er to inquire, and given Bao Tong's injuries, it shouldn't be wrong." Ying'er just reported that there was Bao Tong's blood and a target in the courtyard of Qingyuxuan, which is why Meng Wan was in a hurry to go and see for herself before the evidence was destroyed.
But... the scene before her made her pause in surprise.
In the huge courtyard, there wasn't a trace of blood or a target, not even a fly. Meng Wan was stunned.
What happened? How could everything have disappeared in such a short time?
Changping had already come out and, after greeting Huangfu Mi, asked with a puzzled look in her eyes, "Why did Brother Mi come with Sister?"
Huangfu Mi glanced at Meng Wan, but before she could speak, Meng Wan stepped forward and asked, "May I ask, Your Highness, why did you harm Bao Tong? What heinous crime did she commit that made Your Highness so cruel?"
"What? Sister, I don't understand." Changping was still completely confused. "I did ask Baotong to come over, but I only chatted with her casually and didn't do anything to her. Why are you saying I harmed her?"
"How dare you deny it?" Meng Wan frowned. "It was Nan Shuang who led people to send Bao Tong back. When she returned, she was already a bloody mess. You still want to deny it?"
Changping was still puzzled: "Nan Shuang? She's been by my side the whole time. Apart from going to my sister's place earlier, she's been staying at Qingyu Pavilion. How could my sister have seen her?" As she spoke, she turned to the group of maids behind her and said, "Isn't that right?"
"Yes." A chorus of voices answered from behind, which only fueled Meng Wan's anger: "But everyone in Jiangyun Pavilion saw it, and you can't deny it."
These words made Changping chuckle: "Sister also said that Jiangyun Pavilion is your territory, so naturally the people there are all on your side. It's not appropriate to use people from my Qingyuxuan as witnesses. Besides, Sister said that someone saw it, so why not let her come out and confront them?"
They immediately summoned Ying'er and her fellow villager Afeng, and the two confronted each other in front of Meng Wan and the others.
However, Ah Feng denied ever seeing Ying Er and denied the news that Ying Er had brought back.
The atmosphere froze for a moment. Meng Wan realized that she had met a master. This Changping was truly extraordinary. He was good at scheming, acting, and even turning black into white.
Meng Wan narrowed her eyes.
"Wan'er, don't make a big deal out of this," Huangfu Mi whispered in Meng Wan's ear, his voice so low that only the two of them could hear him.
Meng Wan glanced at him: "You don't believe me either?"
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just that everything needs to be based on evidence. We can’t find the target you mentioned here, and there’s no blood to speak of. Moreover, everyone in Qingyuxuan is on Changping’s side. The situation is very unfavorable for you.”
That makes sense. Meng Wan nodded slightly. She had been rash and impulsive. Even if Bao Tong woke up and testified against Chang Ping, she might not necessarily confess. After all, everyone present at the time was Chang Ping's man. Besides, there was no evidence to be found at the moment.
It's really strange. When Ying'er arrived, she was frightened by the target and the bloodstains, but how come the situation was handled so quickly?
Upon returning to Jiangyun Pavilion, they summoned Ying'er for questioning. Ying'er insisted that she had witnessed it herself and heard Ah Feng recount it, which only made things more suspicious.
This was undoubtedly a play directed and acted by Changping himself.
In the evening, the appearance of one person answered all of Meng Wan's questions.
The person who came was none other than Nan Shuang, who was by Changping's side. After being disguised, Nan Shuang knelt down as soon as she saw Meng Wan: "Consort Li, this servant has come to apologize to you."
Because she was someone close to Changping, Meng Wan became more wary. She looked at her indifferently and said, "Miss Nanshuang, what are you doing here dressed like this in the middle of the night?"
A black cloak concealed her petite figure, making her quite frightening in the dead of night.
Nan Shuang kowtowed to Meng Wan again: "This servant came secretly, my Crown Princess did not know."
Meng Wan frowned, exchanged a glance with Mu Ci, both of them puzzled.
"So, you've come here...?" Mu Ci asked.
V103
Nan Shuang did not answer her question, but instead asked, "I wonder how Sister Bao Tong is doing? Has she woken up?"
Mu Ci glanced at Meng Wan before saying, "She's still unconscious. The imperial physician said her legs can't be saved; she can only barely be kept alive..."
At this point, her already red and swollen eyes welled up with tears again.
"Oh, it's that serious!" Nan Shuang exclaimed.
"Yes, it's pitiful. She was harmed like that, and her fate is still unknown, yet no one dares to tell the truth." Seeing that Nan Shuang seemed to be moved, Meng Wan casually said this, but her gaze was indifferent as she looked at her and observed her expression.
A flicker of panic crossed Nan Shuang's face, then she lowered her head, seemingly in great pain. Mu Ci wanted to ask more questions, but Meng Wan stopped her with a look.
Neither of them spoke, but both looked at Nan Shuang, waiting quietly for her to speak again.
The room was extremely quiet; even breathing could be clearly heard. After an unknown amount of time, just when Meng Wan thought Nan Shuang would not speak again, she suddenly made a sound.
“Consort Li, I know you want to avenge Sister Baotong, but I dare to advise you that it would be better to let this matter rest. Otherwise, if things escalate, it will not do you any good.”
Meng Wan and Mu Ci exchanged a glance, their eyes lighting up: "So, you admit that Chang Ping did this?"
“Yes, it was indeed my Crown Princess.” Nan Shuang nodded without hesitation. “What happened today was indeed done by my Crown Princess. Even when Ah Feng told Ying’er the truth, it was all a scheme. She wanted to make Consort Li lose her composure and then punish the Empress for insubordination. Fortunately, Consort Li was cautious and stopped pursuing the matter in time, thus avoiding being punished. This can be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.”
"If that's the case, why don't you come out and testify against her? Why are you aiding and abetting evil?" Mu Ci rebuked, extremely annoyed.
Nan Shuang lowered her head even further: "This servant dares not. The Crown Princess is the Empress Dowager's person. Even if this servant comes forward to testify and Your Highness punishes her, the Empress Dowager will definitely stand up for her. In the end, I will be the one who suffers. Moreover, Sister Baotong is just a maid. Even if the Empress Dowager does not intervene, Your Highness cannot do anything to the Crown Princess because of this. Wouldn't that be a loss for you?"
His expression didn't seem feigned; besides, even if it were, he shouldn't have said such things. It seemed as if he was genuinely trying to persuade Meng Wan.
Meng Wan was even more puzzled: "Why...why are you telling me all this?"