Under the suffocating pressure, King Nanzhao had to obey Zhao Jingyu's words and bring the maid Alan back for careful questioning.
The main seat was occupied by Zhao Jingyu, so the couple could only ask the servants to bring more chairs and sit down at the bottom.
Everyone was wondering in their hearts that Miss Xiu'er was harmed in the palace, and the prince, as the head of the family, was indeed responsible. But even if he was in the wrong and felt guilty, as the dignified King of Nanzhao, he shouldn't be so humble in front of a concubine's son who was living there as a guest, right
And there is the princess. She has always been very particular about hierarchy, seniority, and status. As proud as she is, she actually showed unprecedented tolerance and magnanimity towards Zhao Jingyu's arrogance and unreasonableness, and even endured it in silence. It was really incredible.
This Zhao Jingyu, could he have another background
"Alan, since the second young master Zhao has given you a chance to live, you should speak kindly and tell him everything you know. But you must think carefully and not lie. You cannot make up stories just to save your life. You must know the consequences of slandering your master. Not only will you be punished, but your family will also be implicated..." Princess Nanzhao carefully instructed Alan who was kneeling in the hall.
"Is this an attempt by the princess to induce or threaten you? You are so scared before she even opens her mouth. Are you feeling guilty?" Zhao Jingyu interrupted her chatter coldly.
“…”Princess Nanzhao shut up in disappointment.
King Nanzhao also thought she was too talkative, so he warned her with his eyes to speak less, and turned to Alan and said, "Go ahead, tell me as much as you know."
"Yes." Alan knelt on the ground and said tremblingly, "I dare not tell a single lie. This morning I did hear the eldest princess and my cousin plotting to frame Miss Xiu'er. My cousin once said that she would make the Second Young Master Zhao fall in love with her within three days. The eldest princess laughed at my cousin for being incompetent. My cousin said that it was because the prince took the Second Young Master Zhao out every day, so she had no chance to get close to him. The eldest princess gave her an idea and asked her to start with Miss Xiu'er..."
"You're talking nonsense, I didn't, I didn't!" Song Meiwei was choked by Zhao Jingyu just now, and she was so frightened that she didn't dare to speak. Now she heard Alan recounting her conversation with Lu Yingying exactly, and she was even more frightened. She interrupted Alan hysterically before she could finish.
Princess Nanzhao's face also changed. Although she tried her best to restrain herself, her hands still trembled uncontrollably.
Mrs. Wu was very worried, fearing that her daughter might be involved in this. Later, when she heard that Alan did not mention her daughter in his story, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Everyone in the hall saw that Alan's story was coherent and did not sound like fabrication, and the way they looked at Song Meiwei changed.
King Nanzhao had almost believed what Alan said, and his face turned red with embarrassment.
Mrs. Ning ignored all this and was immersed in her own sorrow from beginning to end. She was worried about her son's safety and her tears never stopped.
"Impossible, Meiwei and Yingying are not such children. This slave must have made it up. Your Majesty, torture her. Only by torturing her will she tell the truth!" Princess Nanzhao was anxious to defend her daughter.
"Hmm!" Zhao Jingyu cleared her throat heavily while sitting on the upper seat, her face still cold. "If the princess doesn't believe it, she should summon Miss Lu to confront her. What does it mean to torture a maid?"
"I… "
"Yes, yes, yes, we should ask Yingying to come and ask." Prince Nanzhao hurriedly expressed his opinion before the princess, and ordered the guards loudly, "Go and invite Miss Cousin!"
The guard took the order and left.
There was no trace of blood on Song Meiwei's face and she was trembling all over.
In the morning, she did instigate Lu Yingying to give Xiu'er drugs, but she was not talking about aphrodisiacs. She just wanted to embarrass Xiu'er, so she gave Lu Yingying a powder that would cause red pimples on her face if she accidentally took it.
But she didn't dare say this out loud. She didn't know whether Lu Yingying had taken action or not, and she didn't know whether Lu Yingying had changed the medicine secretly. Therefore, facing so many eyes at the scene, she could only suffer in silence.
What she was more worried about now was what Lu Yingying would say after she came, whether she would reveal all their plans, and whether she would put the main responsibility on her.
She twisted her handkerchief and glanced at Zhao Jingyu who was sitting in the main seat. She really couldn't believe that Zhao Jingyu, who seemed so carefree, would go to such a big trouble for a woman and even turn against his father.
You know, in Nanzhao, where the mountains are high and the emperor is far away, my father is actually no different from the emperor. It will not benefit him at all to offend my father. What's more, he is a fugitive, and it is easy for my father to kill him.
She believed that if it really came to that, her father would definitely stand on her side, after all, she was his own flesh and blood.
Zhao Jingyu really overestimates his own abilities.
But then again, how many people in this world can be like him, disregarding life and death in order to protect his woman
Why does Xiu'er have such an enviable love
She was a princess, but her fiancé died before they got married.
God is really blind!
After an arduous wait, Lu Yingying finally arrived.
She probably guessed why the King of Nanzhao wanted her to come, so she walked in with a pale face, came before the King of Nanzhao and the Queen, bowed timidly and greeted them, not daring to even look at Zhao Jingyu who was sitting upright in the main seat.
When Prince Nanzhao saw her like this, he understood about 70% of what was going on. He was secretly considering how to start the conversation when Princess Nanzhao spoke first.
"Yingying, Alan said that you and your elder cousin were planning to harm Miss Xiu'er. Tell your uncle and aunt whether that b*tch was just talking nonsense. Don't be afraid, just speak up. Your aunt will make the decision for you."
"Humph!" Zhao Jingyu sneered, "Don't you have any standards for being a princess? I see that she doesn't know the rules as well as ordinary wives. No wonder she raised such a daughter!"
“You…” Princess Nanzhao was so angry after being ridiculed by him that her heart ached. She wanted to get angry but was afraid of his identity, so she had to hold it back.
King Nanzhao said unhappily: "Just stop talking, I'm not dead yet!"
Princess Nanzhao's face felt as hot as fire.
"Alan, say what you just said again so that your cousin can hear whether you have wronged her." King Nanzhao ordered in a deep voice.
Alan then tremblingly repeated what he had just said, and it was exactly the same as what he said the first time, word for word.
During this time, Lu Yingying kept looking at Song Meiwei, trying to get some information from her. However, as soon as she looked at Song Meiwei, Zhao Jingyu would look towards them, not giving them any chance to make eye contact.
After a few times, the two didn't even dare to look at each other.
After Alan finished speaking, Lu Yingying's heart sank to the bottom.
As a girl, it was embarrassing enough for her to be pointed out in public that she was infatuated with men, not to mention the drugging incident. If this matter were to get out, how would she be able to live with dignity
"Tell the truth, has Alan ever wronged you?" asked King Nanzhao.
"I..." Lu Yingying looked at her aunt hesitantly, hoping that her aunt could give her some hints.
"You don't have to look at others. No one here can help you. The only one who can help you is yourself." Zhao Jingyu said coldly.
Lu Yingying's tears immediately fell.
She just fell in love with this man at first sight, and she didn't think anything about it. How did things develop to such an uncontrollable point
At this point, she had nothing to hide. Just as Zhao Jingyu said, no one could help her. Perhaps if she took the initiative to confess, she could win their forgiveness and avoid being killed.
"Yes, I admit that I wanted to snatch you from Xiu'er. I did listen to my eldest cousin's instigation and wanted to drug Xiu'er, but I swear, the drug I was going to give her was just a drug that would make her ugly, not an aphrodisiac at all. If you don't believe me, you can ask my eldest cousin. The drug was given to me by my eldest cousin, and I don't know if she took it by mistake..."
"Lu Yingying, you bitch, you're talking nonsense!" Song Meiwei didn't expect her to give herself away so easily. She got angry and rushed over to slap her in the face, "I never gave you any medicine, you're slandering me!"
Five red fingerprints appeared on Lu Yingying's face. She looked at her cousin who was like a mad dog and just went for it: "I'm not talking nonsense. You gave me the medicine. You said it yourself. You have all kinds of medicines. They are in the secret compartment of your jewelry box. If I lied, I will die!"
"..." Song Meiwei's face suddenly changed and her body was shaking.
The expressions of everyone in the hall were wonderful.
Mrs. Wu stared at her daughter worriedly, praying in her heart that her daughter would not be implicated.
As a result, what you fear will come true. Song Meiwei suddenly rushed over and grabbed Song Meiying: "Second sister also knows that Lu Yingying covets the second young master Zhao. When she said that she would take down the second young master Zhao within three days, second sister was also there. Second sister can testify for me. I didn't say anything, let alone give her any advice. Everything was designed by her. Second sister, tell everyone, is this true?"
Mrs. Wu's heart was in her throat as she watched her daughter being dragged in front of King Nanzhao by Song Meiwei.
Song Meiwei was also very scared. She was not involved in what happened in the morning, and it should have nothing to do with her. However, Song Meiwei was the eldest sister and the only daughter of the princess. Even if this happened, she would be fine with the princess around. If she didn't speak up for her, she and her mother would not be able to survive in this mansion in the future.
But then again, looking at the attitude of Mr. Zhao, he is determined to seek justice for Xiu'er. If he helps Song Meiwei to lie and is finally exposed, he will also suffer the consequences.
"I..." She looked at her father in embarrassment, tears coming down in anxiety.
"The second princess's testimony is not important at all." Zhao Jingyu said, "Since Miss Lu has pointed out the physical evidence, as long as the eldest princess's jewelry box is brought out for public inspection, everything will be clear."
Yes, yes, yes, my Meiying is not important at all... Mrs. Wu clenched her fingers and screamed in her heart, wishing she could kowtow three times to Zhao Jingyu on the spot.
Song Meiying looked at Zhao Jingyu gratefully, tears streaming down her face.
The Nanzhao King and his wife have basically concluded that it was Song Meiwei who was behind the scenes and wanted to protect their daughter. However, Zhao Jingyu was sitting in the main seat like a cold-faced devil, and his awe-inspiring expression was really somewhat similar to that of the emperor.
In desperation, King Nanzhao had to order someone to fetch Song Meiwei's jewelry box, and sure enough, several kinds of pills and powders were found in the secret compartment.
Song Meiwei refused to explain the effects of these medicines, so everyone tacitly assumed that they were not good things.
After seeing those medicines, Princess Nanzhao felt as if the sky had fallen. After living for most of her life, today was the most embarrassing moment for her. She could not accept it from the bottom of her heart.
The truth came out. Song Meiwei was locked up in the ancestral hall and forced to kneel for a month, while Lu Yingying was sent back to her home to be punished.
Her father is a particularly old-fashioned and strict man, and the punishment waiting for her will be ten times more cruel than that of Song Meiwei.
But there was one thing she was particularly thankful for, because she did not play tricks in front of Zhao Jingyu. Zhao Jingyu specifically instructed King Nanzhao not to let anyone reveal her mistakes to outsiders. If there were any rumors outside that were unfavorable to her, everyone in the mansion would be punished.
Lu Yingying was very touched. Although her secret love ended in such a humiliating way, at least she fell in love with a man of noble character, and her love was worth it.
Therefore, before leaving, she shamelessly met with Zhao Jingyu and Xie Nanjia and sincerely apologized to them for her ignorance and meanness.
Xie Nanjia's spirit had returned to normal, but the wound on her shoulder was still painful. Facing this crying and regretful girl, she had nothing extra to say, but just said lightly: "You did this, not only hurt me, but also Song Huai. Song Huai's old wounds have not healed, and he has new injuries. His internal organs have also been damaged, so it is not so easy for us to forgive you. Fortunately, you are leaving. We don't have to see each other every day in the future. Just be at peace!"
Lu Yingying felt more and more ashamed, and cried, "I really didn't expect that my cousin gave me that kind of medicine, and I didn't expect that you would give the almond bean curd to the Third Prince. But no matter what, it's all my fault. I was bewildered for a moment and harmed you and the Third Prince. I deserve it."
Almond tofu pudding? Xie Nanjia's heart skipped a beat and she glanced at Zhao Jingyu subconsciously.
Zhao Jingyu also looked at her at the same time.
She and Song Huai drank the poison in the sour bamboo shoots and chicken soup, so why did Lu Yingying say it was almond tofu pudding
Could it be that someone else poisoned him
After seeing Lu Yingying off, Xie Nanjia called Zhu'er, the little maid Song Huai had temporarily assigned to her, and asked her if she had seen a plate of almond tofu pudding.
Zhu'er said that she took the almond tofu pudding from the big kitchen and originally intended to give it to Xie Nanjia. But when Xie Nanjia went to Song Huai's place, she just put it in the small kitchen, thinking that Xie Nanjia would eat it after he came back. Then that incident happened and everything was in a mess, so she forgot about the tofu pudding. This morning she found that the tofu pudding was sour, so she threw it away.
Xie Nanjia vaguely felt that things were more complicated than she had imagined, so she sent Zhu'er away and closed the door with Zhao Jingyu to carefully analyze the matter from beginning to end.
Unexpectedly, after a while, Mrs. Wu came with Song Meiying.
As soon as Mrs. Wu entered the room, she knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Zhao Jingyu, thanking Zhao Jingyu for vindicating Song Meiying in the meeting hall.
Zhao Jingyu stopped her and said that he was not trying to help Song Meiying at that time, so he was not worthy of her gift.
Mrs. Wu said that even so, he was still a great benefactor to them and their daughter, and she insisted that Song Meiying kowtow to Zhao Jingyu as well.
"Madam, there is really no need to do this. The Second Princess is a princess, and I am even less worthy of her gift." Zhao Jingyu said.
Madam Wu sighed sadly, "What princess or not, to put it bluntly, she is just a servant in front of the master. My Meiying is not a bad person by nature, but she is helpless. If I have offended you, please forgive me, Second Young Master and Miss Xiu'er."
Xie Nanjia was impatient to listen to these timid apologies, and after a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Madam, do you know the maid named Alan? Has she always been with the eldest princess?"
"Alan?" Madam Wu thought for a moment and said, "When she first entered the mansion, she was assigned to Madam Ning's room, but the eldest princess saw that she was smart and clever, so she insisted on taking her away. Do you think this is like shooting herself in the foot?"
(End of this chapter)