Jiang Qi turned his head with a slightly heavy heart and saw his royal sister naked with a man... His mind went blank for a moment, as if several white clouds had exploded. Jiang Qi was stunned on the spot. After a long time, he finally found his voice: "Royal sister, what are you doing!" The shout was a roar, full of anger, extremely penetrating, and very shrill.
An Huaiyuan and the others were stunned and no one spoke, so the man and woman inside the room only then realized that there was a group of people standing outside. Their faces flashed with confusion, dissatisfaction, and astonishment, and finally turned into horror. Jiang Xuan screamed and kicked the man on top of her onto the bed. She grabbed the quilt to cover her naked body and trembled uncontrollably.
"You, you actually did something so disgraceful to the dignity of the Daqian royal family! You have no shame!" Jiang Qi strode in, pointed at Jiang Xuan, his voice trembling with anger.
Jiang Xuan is the eldest princess of the imperial family! To expose her breasts in front of so many people is utterly immoral and disgraceful, bringing shame upon the entire royal family. Even Jiang Qi felt his face burning with rage, wishing he could just pin Jiang Xuan down and kill her, out of sight, out of mind. He was filled with hatred. Not only had the mission failed, but his younger sister had actually… Jiang Qi was so angry he kept pointing at Jiang Xuan, unable to utter a word.
Jiang Xuan was filled with even more grief and indignation at being accused. She shouted angrily, "Ah!" Suddenly, Jiang Xuan pointed angrily at the door, "Xuan Yuan Yue, how dare you plot against this princess like this! This princess will make your entire Chen Prince's Mansion pay with your life!"
Jiang Xuan's accusation was undeniably severe, and everyone looked at Ouyang Yue in shock. Jiang Qi also reacted, narrowing his eyes and coldly staring at Ouyang Yue: "Princess Consort Chen, it was you who caused my sister to lose her virginity. My sister had no grudge against you, yet you harmed her like this. You are such a vicious woman. Today, I, the prince, will act on behalf of Heaven and kill you to save others from suffering."
Jiang Qi snatched the sword from his bodyguard, twirled it, and thrust it toward Ouyang Yue's neck with a chilling killing intent.
Jiang Xuan has already lost her virginity, and it's impossible to reverse the situation. How could Jiang Qi not know that this was originally Jiang Xuan's plan to deal with Ouyang Yue? He doesn't know what went wrong, and Jiang Xuan herself suffered the consequences. However, at this moment, killing Ouyang Yue first would be good, leaving no evidence against her, and he could also use this to demand benefits from Da Zhou. The Queen Consort of Da Zhou dared to harm the eldest princess of a nation, which damaged relations between the two countries. Moreover, Da Zhou was in the wrong first. Jiang Qi could even make some unreasonable demands, otherwise Da Zhou would have to bear the wrath of Da Gan and be sent to attack Da Zhou directly. In addition, Da Zhou was in the wrong and had failed Da Gan, so it could only fight back and suffer the ridicule and disdain of the people. Although military strength and financial resources are crucial in war, the will of the people may seem insignificant, but it can play a role at critical moments. Moreover, if Da Gan sends troops because of this, Da Zhou will not only bear the wrath of Da Zhou, but also be condemned for all time.
The best course of action for the Great Zhou is to accept the compensation demanded by the Great Gan. Each of these demands would result in heavy losses for the Great Zhou and strengthen the Great Gan's national power. Jiang Qi quickly realized that this was an opportunity to consolidate his power. After this incident, he feared that no prince in the Great Gan would have the strength to fight him. The throne of the Great Gan would surely be his!
Therefore, Jiang Qi's sword strike, carrying the force of thunder, was a deadly move that was about to pierce Ouyang Yue. An Huaiyuan was startled and hurriedly ordered to stop it: "Stop!"
At the same time, the two guards and An Huaiyuan all stepped in to stop it. Dongxue behind Ouyang Yue even stretched out her arm to block it. Fortunately, An Huaiyuan's men were not fools. They were close to Ouyang Yue and reacted in time to protect her when Jiang Qi stabbed at her.
Jiang Qi's first sword strike failed. He had intended to stab Ouyang Yue in the body, but she was now surrounded by people, leaving him no chance to strike. Jiang Qi's face was gloomy as he glared at An Huaiyuan: "What do you mean by this? She is guilty of heinous crimes, treacherous and vicious. She even dared to frame my sister, the Crown Prince. Such actions have damaged the interests of both countries. This kind of sinner deserves to be killed by everyone!"
An Huaiyuan's expression also changed, but he still said, "Your Highness, please calm down. We don't know what happened before. If you kill Princess Chen like this, wouldn't that make the matter even more suspicious? The most important thing now is to find out the truth. Just listening to Princess Jiang Xuan's side of the story is not enough to convict Princess Chen."
Jiang Qi's face flashed with a chilling light, his eyes fixed on Ouyang Yue like thorns on ice, making one's eyes sting: "Hmph! The truth has been revealed. My sister has said that this was all a setup by Xuan Yuan Yue. This is the truth! Today, the Great Zhou must give this prince an explanation. Xuan Yuan Yue must die now!"
☆、260、Intense debate, reaping the consequences!
An Huaiyuan's expression changed, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes. Although Jiang Qi and Jiang Xuan were princes and princesses of the Great Gan Dynasty, they were now in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Although this matter could potentially affect the diplomatic relations between the two countries and many other issues, if the Queen Consort of the Great Zhou Dynasty was killed on the spot because of a single word spoken by Jiang Xuan, then the Great Zhou Dynasty could no longer have any standing on the Langya Continent. Did Jiang Qi really not understand this?
Anger simmered within him, but An Huaiyuan dared not be disrespectful to Jiang Qi. He tried to soften his tone and said, “Princess Jiang Xuan… this matter requires further investigation. Moreover, it is still unknown whether this is related to those men in black. I do not know what personal grudges Princess Jiang Xuan and Princess Chen have. But no matter what we do, we must have evidence. As it stands, Princess Jiang Xuan’s testimony alone is insufficient to convict Princess Chen. Furthermore, even if Princess Chen is guilty, it is not something I can handle. These matters require His Majesty’s decision.”
Ouyang Yue is a member of the Great Zhou royal family, and her status is not much lower than Jiang Qi and Jiang Xuan's. Moreover, Baili Chen has already become a prince. To be honest, princes, princesses, and princes are all above the civil and military officials but below the emperor. They belong to the super-rank category, so it's not really a matter of who is more noble. Jiang Qi wanted to kill Ouyang Yue before he had even figured out what was going on. Even if Jiang Xuan said that Ouyang Yue had harmed her, I'm afraid the two of them wouldn't be able to leave the territory of Great Zhou safely.
Jiang Qi was well aware of this principle, but if Jiang Xuan insisted that Ouyang Yue was the perpetrator, and he could kill Ouyang Yue to ensure there was no evidence against her, then even with some pressure, Da Gan wouldn't be in much trouble. After all, she was just a woman, and there were countless women in the world; what was one less? If things really came to a head, Jiang Qi could easily give him a hundred or eighty more Li Chens. So he dared to act boldly. Unfortunately, Ouyang Yue didn't die from his sword strike, and now he had lost the best opportunity.
However, he couldn't let Ouyang Yue off so easily. He threw his sword aside and coldly looked at An Huaiyuan and Ouyang Yue, saying, "So what does Lord An mean? This concerns the matter of my sister's innocence being violated. If the Great Zhou doesn't give me a satisfactory answer, then don't blame Da Gan for being ruthless. This is your own fault."
An Huaiyuan said, "Of course, I will do my best to investigate this matter. Moreover, this matter is of great importance and needs to be reported to the Emperor before a decision can be made. During this period, I will send troops to protect the safety of the post station. As long as the people here are safe, it is best not to leave the post station."
Jiang Qi suddenly shouted, "What do you mean by this? Do you want to detain me? You haven't given me an explanation for what happened today. Now you want to detain me? Are you trying to destroy the evidence because you have a guilty conscience? I am not someone you can just manipulate."
"Your Highness, please calm down. I had no such intention. It's just that the arrival of those men in black was very strange, and several of them died. One of them even threatened to harm Your Highness and the Princess. This man is likely after Your Highness and Princess Jiang Xuan. I think it's something we must protect." An Huaiyuan's mind raced. He stared intently at Jiang Qi, then glanced at the composed Ouyang Yue. A thought flickered in his mind; he felt that this matter was not simple.
"No! Xuanyuan Yue deserves to die! It was she who harmed me! She drugged me with aphrodisiacs, causing me to lose my mind and do such a thing! This vicious and shameless person deserves to die!" While Jiang Qi was talking to An Huaiyuan, Jiang Xuan hurriedly put on her clothes. Although her clothes were a bit messy, it was much better than being barely clothed. At this moment, Jiang Xuan's face was still flushed with lust, as if her desire had not yet subsided. She was naturally beautiful, and these few steps she took were truly charming and alluring. Some men who were blocking the way outside couldn't help but stare.
In the past, Jiang Xuan would have been proud of being the center of attention for men, but the thought of how a despicable and shameless man had ruined her innocence made her furious. This surge of anger made her rush towards Ouyang Yue as if she had been injected with chicken blood, and she raised her hand to slap him.
Ouyang Yue remained calm throughout. As Jiang Xuan rushed towards her angrily, she slightly raised her eyes, reached out and grabbed Jiang Xuan's hand, squeezing it tightly. Jiang Xuan immediately cried out in pain. Upon seeing this, Jiang Qi angrily said, "Xuanyuan Yue, how dare you be disrespectful to your imperial sister! Let go!"
Ouyang Yue looked at Jiang Qi coldly: "Prince Daqian, I am willing to call you that out of respect, but that respect cannot be a reason for you to insult and slander me. Princess Jiang Xuan raised her hand to hit me without distinguishing right from wrong, which has long lost the dignity of a princess. I represent the face of the Great Zhou, and I am not someone that can be bullied by just anyone. Prince Daqian should understand this principle."
Jiang Xuan was furious, almost to the point of madness. She had been forced by Ouyang Yue to have sex with a man in front of so many people—a crime deserving of death. And now she dared to argue? Even if Ouyang Yue slapped her, or even killed her, who would dare say anything? Such a vicious woman was a disgrace to the Great Zhou Dynasty; the Great Zhou Dynasty should be grateful she had done it, for she even dared to grab her to defend herself. Jiang Xuan felt as if her wrist was about to be crushed by Ouyang Yue; the pain brought beads of sweat to her forehead, further enraging her: "You vile woman! Your crimes are heinous and unrepentant! I haven't even gotten justice yet, and you still dare to spout nonsense and confuse the public! You deserve to die! You deserve to be torn apart by five horses and chopped into eight pieces!"
Ouyang Yue flicked her hand, and Jiang Xuan swayed with the force of her movement, almost falling over. Fortunately, Jiang Qi reacted quickly and grabbed Jiang Xuan, preventing her from falling. The two women glared at each other angrily: "Xuanyuan Yue, how dare you! You actually attacked someone! Do you know who you are? You're courting death!"
Ouyang Yue's face suddenly hardened, her aura instantly turning cold, carrying an inexplicable chilling aura. She spoke coldly, "Prince Da Gan, Princess Jiang Xuan, you must understand that I, this princess consort, have not made a single mistake in this matter. There is no question of guilt or innocence. Whether Princess Jiang Xuan's intimacy in front of everyone was voluntary or a victim remains to be investigated. What evidence does Princess Jiang Xuan's word alone constitute to accuse me of wrongdoing? It's truly laughable." As she spoke, her eyes fixed on Jiang Xuan, "Have you two forgotten that this is the Da Gan Post Station, normally guarded by Da Gan guards? Even members of the Great Zhou royal family need to announce their arrival before they can meet with anyone. Those who have come here today were invited by Princess Jiang Xuan. I, this princess consort, drugged Princess Jiang Xuan. What was my motive? When did I commit this crime? How did I manage to carry out this plan within the Da Gan Post Station? Please explain."
Jiang Qi's face darkened, and Jiang Xuan choked for a moment, but her eyes suddenly narrowed, and she turned sharply to point at the dead Ning Shi on the ground: "That's because of her!"
Just now, because Jiang Xuan's affair with a man was discovered, everyone was shocked and naturally ignored the people there. So when Jiang Xuan spoke, everyone suddenly turned their heads and saw Ning Shi lying not far from the door, her eyes wide open and her face contorted with rage. Jiang Xuan sneered: "Princess Consort Chen doesn't want to admit it? Well, you did kill your adoptive mother who raised you for more than ten years. Such unfilial and vicious behavior is simply a scandal. It's understandable that you don't want outsiders to know. But you shouldn't have drugged me, the princess, who accidentally stumbled upon this, to cover up such a heinous act and frame me. Such wickedness is unforgivable. I will make you wish you were dead."
"What! Was Ning Shi killed by the Princess Consort of Chen?"
"I've heard that Princess Chen and this Ning woman don't get along. When they were in the General's Mansion, Ning woman was very biased and even tormented Princess Chen. It's normal for her to harbor resentment."
"But she was my foster mother for over ten years. Besides, Ning Shi has already been divorced by General Ouyang, so she has already gotten her comeuppance. It's really not right for her to be so ruthless."
"Yes, yes, she is, after all, one's elder. Moreover, Princess Chen usually appears dignified and kind, but in private she is such a vicious woman. It is truly chilling."
"Stop talking! Aren't you afraid of Princess Chen's revenge?"
"If Princess Ruochen really ruined Princess Jiangxuan's reputation, do you think she'll survive?"
In order to appease Da Gan's anger, Ouyang Yue will inevitably be abandoned by Da Zhou and die a miserable death. It is even possible that Da Zhou will suffer heavy losses because of Ouyang Yue's actions. At that time, everyone will hate her, and no one will care about her noble status. Even her death will not satisfy people.
“This scar…” However, the two guards surrounding Ning Shi spoke up in confusion.
An Huaiyuan's gaze towards Ouyang Yue had already revealed suspicion. After all, even the smallest things in the capital could become public knowledge after being spread around. Moreover, Ouyang Yue's marriage had caused such a huge uproar, with Ning Shi and He Shi of the Huang family fighting in the street. People still hadn't forgotten that. Ning Shi, as the foster mother, was utterly irresponsible. Not only that, but she also pushed Ouyang Yue into a pit of fire. Anyone would be furious if they talked about it. Huang Yu was no good either, and in the end, he was one of the culprits who caused the Huang family to be destroyed. Ning Shi's reputation was naturally even worse.
However, if Ouyang Yue were to harm Ning Shi as a result, the situation would be quite different. Although she would ultimately suffer no consequences, she would bear the brunt of the damage to her reputation. But the situation is now far more serious, as it concerns the innocence of the princess of a neighboring country. In that case, Ouyang Yue would be a pariah, and the reason Jiang Qi gave for the crime would indeed be plausible.
After Ning returned to the Ning residence, she rarely left due to poor health. Ouyang Yue naturally disdained to lower herself to visit the Ning residence, and there was no such friendly relationship to begin with. Now that Ouyang Yue holds a high position, it is quite normal for her to feel angry and want revenge after thinking about what Ning had done to her in the past. However, she had no opportunity. Today, seeing Ning at this banquet, she suddenly had murderous intent, which makes sense from all aspects of reason and emotion. An Huaiyuan's gaze towards Ouyang Yue changed, and upon hearing the questioning voice from his hand, he couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Did you discover something?"
The guard gently lifted Ning's chin, where a bright red wound stood out starkly. The blood had already dried, making the wound even more gruesome. After examining it for a while, the guard stood up and said, "Sir, after a brief examination, this lady seems to have only this one fatal wound. The wound was caused by a sword or dagger slashing her neck, resulting in excessive bleeding and death due to lack of timely treatment. Moreover, judging from this wound, the person who used the weapon was very skilled, and the wounds are basically the same as those on the dead bodies in the outer courtyard. It seems to me that it was caused by the same person or group of people."
"Are you telling the truth?" An Huaiyuan asked, raising an eyebrow.
The guard said, "I can't be completely sure, but I'm about 70 or 80 percent certain."
As the Prefect of Jingzhao, An Huaiyuan naturally had some talented people in his office to help him solve cases, such as his clerk and the investigator. Sometimes, when the Prefect of Jingzhao was short-handed, he could also call on a few guards to help. When a major incident occurred at the post station, the constables under An Huaiyuan's command were naturally not enough. The one who examined the body was a junior guard commander who often cooperated with him. He was of a lower rank than An Huaiyuan, but he had experience in leading troops and was very familiar with this area. When he said seven or eight points, he was actually eight or nine points of certainty.
"Oh, I wonder who those people who rushed in today to harm the Crown Prince and Princess Jiang Xuan were? Do you two have any clues? Judging from the autopsy results, it's most likely that those people were behind it. Ning Shi may have seen something she shouldn't have, and she was murdered to silence her." An Huaiyuan stroked his chin, frowning as he pondered. However, his words were rather ambiguous.
Those people came and went in a hurry, having drugged them beforehand so they didn't know what had happened before. Aside from the initial brutal killings, they only knew what happened after they woke up; there was a gap in time, and no one could be sure what happened during that period, as no one had witnessed it firsthand. Princess Jiang Xuan said that the Princess Consort of Chen had wronged her, but why did Ning Shi die here of all places? And the method of her death was the same as that of the evil men in black. Moreover, Ning Shi was already in the room when Jiang Xuan was having an affair with a man. It's impossible that Jiang Xuan didn't know about Ning Shi's death beforehand. But what about the men in black? Why is she so certain that the Princess Consort of Chen was responsible?
This inevitably leads to some bold speculation: could Princess Jiang Xuan have some kind of relationship with the man in black? She claims that Princess Chen framed her, but there's no solid evidence yet. She just gave a convincing reason, but it was immediately refuted, making her argument baseless. Perhaps she's feeling guilty...
Jiang Xuan glared angrily and shouted, "Ning Shi was killed by Xuan Yuan Yue! I saw it with my own eyes! She made a slash, and Ning Shi clutched her neck and died with her eyes wide open. It wasn't some man in black at all. I saw it with my own eyes!"
Ouyang Yue sneered: "Now that Ning is dead, there is no way to verify the facts. It seems that Princess Jiang Xuan will have to produce other evidence, otherwise you will not be able to convince everyone."
"You! Xuanyuan Yue, you are so vicious, and so glib-tongued! You did such a wicked thing, and you still refuse to admit it. Aren't you afraid of retribution?" Jiang Xuan's eyes were as wide as copper bells, and her shoulders trembled with anger.
"Auntie, you died so tragically." At this moment, someone suddenly rushed out from the crowd and rushed towards Ning's corpse. Her face was covered in tears, and she looked rather desolate and pitiful. It was none other than Ning Xishan.
Ning Xishan didn't have much affection for her aunt, Ning Shi, and wasn't particularly close to her. Initially, Ning Xishan and Ouyang Rou were the closest people in the General's Mansion. It was Ouyang Rou who knew how to be subservient and win Ning Xishan's favor. Therefore, when Ning Xishan and Ouyang Yue became close friends, she naturally heard many things about Ning Shi from Ouyang Rou, such as how Ning Shi liked to exploit her, always using her to make enemies of Ouyang Hua, and then ignoring her when she suffered losses. Ning Xishan had quite a few complaints about Ning Shi at that time. Furthermore, Ning Shi was the biological daughter of Ning's grandmother, Huang Shi, and had been spoiled since childhood. Even if Ouyang Zhide didn't love her, she still had that privileged status. Ning Shi always acted superior when she returned to the Ning Mansion. Shang Shi complained about Ning Shi to Ning Xishan more than once. With two people constantly speaking ill of one person, it was no wonder Ning Xishan couldn't like Ning Shi.
After Ning was divorced by Ouyang Zhide for violating the seven grounds for divorce, Ning Xishan knew that Shang and Ding had treated her badly, but she didn't care. Instead, she felt it was deserved. Ning used to be arrogant and didn't respect others, so this was just getting her revenge. She even thought that Ning had no shame. After being divorced, she still lived with shame. She should just hang herself with a rope.
She followed the crowd and saw Ning lying in a pool of blood, but she felt nothing. Death is death, after all, she had no feelings. However, what happened next was completely unexpected. She didn't know what was going on between Jiang Xuan and Ouyang Yue, or how the two were fighting each other, but she could see some problems in it.
It doesn't matter whose fault it is anymore. Jiang Xuan is adamant that it was Ouyang Yue, and her face looks rather fierce, suggesting that she has a very bad relationship with Ouyang Yue. This is not a bad thing for her or for the Shengwang Mansion. If Ouyang Yue were to admit to plotting to frame Princess Dagan, not only would Ouyang Yue lose her position as princess, but her life would also be in danger. Moreover, it would be a major blow to the Chenwang Mansion. Baili Chen was asked to go to Baiyun Temple, and everyone speculated that Emperor Mingxian might suspect him of being unlucky. If Ouyang Yue were to reveal something like this now, it would be adding insult to injury for the Chenwang Mansion. Then Baili Chen would have no chance of competing with Baili Mao for the position of prince. With this in mind, Ning Xishan immediately had an idea.
Even if it wasn't Ouyang Yue who did it, she should still be made to admit it. This is an opportunity to strike at the Chen Prince's Mansion, and she must seize it.
Ning Xishan hugged Ning Shi tightly, crying terribly, "Aunt, how could you die so tragically? Who caused you to die like this? If you have a spirit in the afterlife, please visit your niece in a dream, Aunt!"
"Oh my god, it's come back to life!"
"Ning has come back to life!"
"She was pointing at Princess Chen, and it really was Princess Chen who did it!"
"What a vicious method!"
Suddenly, gasps of surprise erupted from the crowd. Some sharp-eyed people noticed that Ning's hand had suddenly risen slightly, her fingertips pointing directly at Ouyang Yue. The crowd was shocked and horrified, and somewhat incredulous at Ning's sudden appearance. Could it be that the cries of the concubine of Prince Mao had brought Ning, who had died with her eyes wide open, back to life for a short while, so that she could then point out the real murderer?
Ning's hands had been struggling to grab her neck before she died, trying to prevent bleeding. Not only was it useless, but her hands were also covered in blood. Because of this, her hands were covered in filth. Her fingers were digging and picking at her neck in her final moments of resentment, and her middle index finger was bent, more so than the other three fingers. When she pointed like that, it really looked like she was pointing her finger at Ouyang Yue.
Because of this bizarre and strange event, although it was frightening, it also made people believe it. Those who were close to Ouyang Yue took a slight step back, and their gazes towards her changed.
Ning Xishan sneered inwardly and slightly withdrew her hand from Ning Shi's elbow. Although the body becomes lighter after death, it couldn't withstand the force of Ning Xishan's elbow. Her wrist was already a little sore after just a short while. However, she was very satisfied with the effect she had achieved. Looking at those who were shocked and hateful, and those who showed contempt and disgust towards Ouyang Yue, she wondered what Ouyang Yue would have to say.
Jiang Xuan was slightly taken aback, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes, but she quickly came to her senses and pointed at Ouyang Yue angrily: "Xuanyuan Yue, what else do you have to say? Ning Shi has already manifested her spirit and accused you of being the murderer. You still won't admit that you killed her out of hatred. I happened to run into you and that's why you killed me. You'll pay with your life!"
Ouyang Yue's eyes shifted slightly, her dark, deep eyes calm and undisturbed, yet the places she swept over sent chills down one's spine, as if one were being watched by a demon.
Ning Xishan's heart tightened suddenly when she was stared at, and she instinctively shuddered in fear. However, she quickly shook her head to dispel the feeling. As long as she could strike Ouyang Yue, she would see if Ouyang Yue could still be so arrogant. At that time, Ouyang Yue would be beheaded, which would be a world of difference between her and Ouyang Yue. The reason she was showing such an expression was because she was scared. Who did she think she was scaring? You're dead, Ouyang Yue!
"I didn't expect it to be true. I never would have guessed that Princess Chen was this kind of person. Even if my adoptive mother treated me badly, it's too cruel to be so ruthless."
"Tsk tsk tsk, since Prince Chen married her, he hasn't even had a concubine in his mansion. That shows how domineering and jealous this woman is. She's really no good."
"That's right. With Prince Chen's resources, he could take as many concubines as he wanted. Why tie himself to her? No wonder he could do such a thing. Such a petty mind is terrifying!"
"The rumors circulating outside are incorrect."
"Does she think she can look down on everyone just because her brother is a general? Humph, no one can help her after doing something like this. She must be executed."
"Yes, execute her to save trouble for the Great Zhou."
"Exactly! They even dared to plot against the eldest princess of the powerful clan! They've got some nerve! Kill her!"
"Yes, kill her!"
In an instant, the people who had been gathered in a circle began to murmur amongst themselves. At first, the voices were quiet, but then they grew louder and louder. In the end, many people glared at Ouyang Yue with hatred in their eyes, threatening to kill her and execute her immediately.
An Huaiyuan frowned. As the Prefect of Jingzhao, although this was his second term, he had handled quite a few cases in his life, often dealing with the dead. He didn't really believe in ghosts or monsters, and solving cases required meticulousness. Just now, Ning Shi, who was completely dead and whose body was almost stiff, suddenly managed to raise her hand, especially when Ning Xishan approached. An Huaiyuan couldn't help but suspect that Ning Xishan had done something. However, since Ning Xishan had done it discreetly and he hadn't seen it, he naturally wouldn't voice this suspicion without evidence.
Jiang Qi's face turned icy: "Xuanyuan Yue, what else do you have to say? Quickly confess your crimes and I'll leave you a whole corpse." Of course, another idea had already formed in Jiang Qi's mind. No matter which one it was, it would be a great advantage for him. Although it was still possible to find the whereabouts of the jade pendant if Ouyang Yue didn't die, it seemed that the benefits of her death were greater.
Ouyang Yue squinted at Ning Xishan, noticing the excitement and smugness in the latter's eyes, and her lips curled slightly: "It's just a dead person. If the Crown Prince wants, I, the Princess Consort, can naturally make her identify a few more murderers. That doesn't mean anything. Can ghosts and strange things be taken seriously or used as evidence? I've heard that the Crown Prince of Da Gan is virtuous and talented, and acts with great discretion. Does the Crown Prince think that he can force me, the Princess Consort, to confess based on this alone? I, the Princess Consort, am not easily intimidated."
"Hmph! My sister is of noble birth, how could she have anything to do with such a lowly man? The man she's going to marry should at least be a talented young man who becomes a prince or prime minister. Can you all think about it, is this kind of man worthy of her? They are worlds apart. Of course, my sister wouldn't be willing. Why is it that among so many people here, my sister only points to you? That's also strange. In addition, Ning Shi had a grudge against you, and even after her death, she could turn into a wisp of smoke to testify against you. Isn't that evidence? Xuan Yuan Yue, you shouldn't delay any longer. You're doomed sooner or later." Jiang Qi spoke eloquently, and every point he raised made everyone present nod in agreement, finding it very reasonable. In this light, the reasons why Princess Chen killed Ning Shi and framed Jiang Xuan were much more convincing.
"Hmph!" Just then, a woman's voice rang out, and a middle-aged woman dressed in a brown robe with intertwined floral patterns, her expression sharp and serious, stepped forward: "Lord An, have you forgotten that when you came looking for someone before, Princess Chen was woken up along with all of us? She was unconscious on the ground at the time, so how could she have been in the mood to do these things?" As soon as she spoke, everyone fell silent. This woman was the wife of Liu Hanwen, the notoriously unyielding Censor-in-Chief. Perhaps it's a case of birds of a feather flocking together, or perhaps it's a case of like attracts like, but Liu Hanwen's wife shared some similarities in personality with him. She would see things through to the end if she couldn't stand them. Among the many officials impeached by Liu Hanwen, some were provided by his wife through the sordid things she witnessed at various banquets. She did have a bit of a meddlesome nature, but she was clearly not popular among the prominent families in the capital. However, it cannot be denied that her words were often devoid of emotion and relatively fair.
"So what? How could it be that she did this to cover up her evil deeds and was afraid of being exposed? This is just her doing it on purpose to clear her name. Don't think you're right. You're just making excuses for such a vicious person." Jiang Xuan snorted coldly, speaking with certainty.
Liu Hanwen's wife, however, remained expressionless and said, "This humble woman feels that Princess Jiang Xuan and Princess Chen seem to have some conflict. When we first arrived at the banquet, didn't Princess Jiang Xuan suggest calling Princess Chen away? When she returned, it seemed that only Princess Chen was there. Then, a group of people rushed into the inn and started killing everyone they saw. When everyone was drugged, this humble woman happened to see that Princess Chen was drugged by a ball of white powder. If it was really Princess Chen who did it, does Princess Jiang Xuan think it's possible that it happened in such a short time?"
"Hmph, don't listen to your nonsense. I am a princess of noble birth, and what I say is always the truth. She is the murderer."
Liu Hanwen's wife's eyes flashed with disdain: "Princess Jiang Xuan has no concrete evidence, only one side of the story. What I saw was also one side of the story, but they are two completely different situations. Regardless of the truth, it is clear that none of our words can determine the truth of this matter."
"How dare you! You actually dare to talk back to this princess! Don't you know that this is insubordination?" Jiang Xuan shouted angrily.
Liu Hanwen's wife raised her head and said, "It is a great misfortune for the princess to be humiliated. Therefore, we should find out the truth. I am doing this for the princess's own good. Since the princess has been framed, we must find the real culprit. Otherwise, if we wrong someone and let the real culprit go free, that would be a great disrespect to the princess. I am doing this out of respect for the princess. Please forgive me for speaking out of turn."
"How dare you! Guards, drag this insolent person out and beat him!"
Ouyang Yue suddenly sneered: "Princess Jiang Xuan, this is the Great Zhou Dynasty. This is not a place for you to cause trouble. We are just discussing the matter at hand. Why do you have to resort to violence? Or is it that Madam Liu's words really hit a nerve, and you feel guilty?"
Jiang Xuan's face turned purple. She had been humiliated in front of others, and not only had she not been able to get revenge, these people were even acting as if she had deliberately slandered Ouyang Yue. She was the victim! How dare these people twist the truth like this? It was simply outrageous!
In fact, if Jiang Qi and Jiang Xuan simply summoned those men in black to testify, everything would become clear. However, those were elite guards. Foreign envoys entering another country are not allowed to be accompanied by anyone other than their personal guards. Even if there were any such guards, they were all listed on the customs documents, and no one more could be allowed in the other country. If these guards were to appear, wouldn't it make them seem like they had ulterior motives? Even if they had a lot of reasons, they would be seen as unreasonable. Therefore, they couldn't find any more compelling evidence to support their accusations.
Ning Xishan felt a surge of resentment. Why was Liu Hanwen's wife getting involved in this mess and even acting as a witness for Ouyang Yue? Had all her previous efforts been for nothing? Just as she was gritting her teeth and cursing inwardly, she caught a glimpse of a person huddled in the corner. Wait, wasn't he the man who had been having an affair with Jiang Xuan before? Judging from his shifty eyes, he didn't look like a good person at all. Ning Xishan pondered for a moment. Would Jiang Xuan, a princess of the Great Gan Dynasty, lower herself to be with such a man? Could she really have been framed? She was unsure of the possibility.
While Ning Xishan was pondering, An Huaiyuan also spotted the man huddled in the corner through her eyes and shouted, "Push him over here!"
"Yes, sir."