Free Web NovelChapter 221: Chapter 221
Chapter 221
Previously, there had been reports that a nobleman’s furen lost her child due to the deadly poison from White Mist City. Moreover, White Mist City was indeed along the route Furen Mu took during her travels.
"Eldest Young Miss of Ming family, is what you’re saying true? Are you saying you saw the interaction between Furen Mu and Concubine Ji and Concubine Ping?" Concubine Chuang exclaimed, feigning great shock.
Her reaction seemed theatrical, but no one cared whether she was putting on a grand performance. They were only interested in eldest young miss of Ming family’s words.
"It’s true, Concubine Chuang. I-I’m sorry, Ji Yao, Ping Hong. I cannot turn a blind eye to your wrongdoing, even as your friend."
"After all, this matter concerns lives and affects the Second Prince as well. I cannot let such immoral acts go unpunished," Eldest Young Miss of Ming family declared, her demeanor as resolute as if she could confidently stand before a high cliff.
Such a woman garnered admiration from many men. She embodied their ideal of a virtuous woman. Whether or not she was genuinely upright, her actions today would enhance her reputation.
Because of this reputation, any man who married her would see his own status elevated. At the very least, his household would be seen as righteous and virtuous.
After all, a woman’s role was often seen as that of an adornment to the manor. As long as they brought valuable adornments, they would make the manor more beautiful. Conversely, if a despised woman was accepted, many people would look down upon the entire manor.
"You are very bold!! Guards!!" The Second Prince, having heard everything, was quite furious.
He was not foolish enough to believe anything without proof, but someone had to be blamed. No matter who it was, he would drag them down to take responsibility for tarnishing his palace’s reputation.
No matter what, this act had smeared his reputation. If his own child could be killed within his palace, how could he be trusted to protect others in the future?
Of course, he didn’t fully believe that these two women could have conspired to commit such a heinous act, but he didn’t trust the two people from Red Earth City. One of them was exceptionally talented, and his uncle favored him so openly that he even gifted him their grandfather’s brush as a form of personal commendation.
The other woman was equally mysterious. While he appreciated sincerity and openness, he didn’t know her well enough. As the former eldest young miss of the Qin family, she might have another layer of poison hidden beneath her surface. Given her skills, it wouldn’t be unusual for her to know about herbs or poisons, would it?
"Calm down, Second Prince," interjected the true authority, who had been sitting silently all this time, just as the Second Prince was about to order the soldiers to drag everyone involved for questioning. He prevented his nephew from giving an irreversible order.
When he was called by such a cold voice, the Second Prince paused slightly. If asked who he feared the most, it would be his uncle. His uncle had always been incredibly capable and wise. Since childhood, whatever his uncle said turned out to be true, so he trusted him greatly.
"Uncle, please help me. Give justice to my consort and my child," the Second Prince said respectfully. Although his voice was filled with anger, he still tried to remain calm in front of his uncle.
"This matter involves many people. If you make the wrong decision, there will certainly be criticism. So why not question everyone here and now?" The Wang said, his tone very serious.
If this matter wasn’t handled well, it seemed that problems would surely arise!
The Second Prince’s reputation couldn’t wait. Even if there was an announcement that an investigation was underway, people wouldn’t focus on that. They would focus on the assassination attempt. But if the culprit were found now, people would talk about the villain who dared harm royalty.
The Second Prince wanted to investigate personally, which would certainly involve force. With his current rage, he feared his nephew might kill someone before getting any answers. If that happened, discovering the truth later would be too late.
Moreover, he wanted to assure the two people who had moved to his domain. Previously, Mu Heng had told him he wanted to serve under him to fight against the greater power of the Du Region’s young general, and he had performed well. So, he felt that such a person shouldn’t be lost. He didn’t want Mu Heng to feel misunderstood and disillusioned with the Bai Region’s process. It might seem like he was overly protective, but he believed his judgment of character was correct.
If this matter wasn’t handled properly, who knew what Mu Heng and his wife would think? Would they regard the Bai Region as an enemy? Not only did he lose someone with talent, but he also had to fight someone with such power? Of course, how could a Wang who saw the benefits of his people like him accept it?
Even the nephew he loved and cared for the most, if foolish and unable to handle the matter wisely, could be cast aside. However, the Second Prince had reasons to be his favorite nephew. The advantage of him was that he didn’t contradict the words of an uncle like him The other party was always willing to remain calm and open to his guidance. If not for this, he might not have supported him to rise to power.
"Very well, Your Highness," the Second Prince nodded in agreement. If his uncle advised it, he would follow his guidance.
"Then let’s start with Governor Mu. Do you have anything to say?" The Wang said. All eyes turned to Mu Heng.
The young man who was Governor Mu understood the gravity of the situation. Attempting to assassinate the Second Prince’s consort was punishable by death and could lead to the execution of his entire family. He stood up from his seat and came forward to speak after paying his respects to the esteemed guests.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for allowing me to explain. Regarding this matter, I am certainly not involved. During our journey through White Mist City, the Second Prince was present along with many of his soldiers. I had no opportunity to engage in such foolish acts."
"Furthermore, my wife and I only knew the Wang before moving to Red Earth City. How could my wife arrange a meeting with the prince’s concubines?"
"Also, would it be so easy for the prince’s concubines to come and go? Wouldn’t they be required to stay within the manor? And if they did go out, wouldn’t the soldiers have seen them?"
"As for the fact that my wife and I are here for the first time, it’s obvious. Even the gate guards didn’t recognize me. Without Master Gui Zhong’s guidance, I wouldn’t have been able to enter." Mu Heng’s response made people nod in agreement.
"But there is evidence that the two concubines left the palace. I am aware of their request to leave the palace, and surely the consort knew about this as well," Concubine Chuang objected.
"That was because we went to the Ming family’s manor. The two of us sisters wanted to practice acting today so we went to the Ming family’s manor. Ming’er, you saw us practicing, didn’t you?" When Ji Yao called her out, Eldest Young Miss of Ming family laughed inwardly before replying, aiming to strike at her friend’s heart.
"It’s true they came to my manor, but where did they go after that?" Eldest Young Miss Ming replied in disappointment, pretending to be heartbroken that her friend continued to lie shamelessly.
"I saw you go to the manor of Governor Mu and his wife, didn’t I? Or are you going to lie again?" Her eyes were filled with tears as she spoke, shaking her head as if she could no longer accept this. She acted as though she couldn’t believe her friend could be so cruel and heartless.
"I am not lying, Ming’er. It is you who are lying. How could you do this to us? I did not do this. I never went to Governor Mu’s manor," Ji Yao denied, her eyes red with anger.
"Ah, you two..." Eldest Young Miss of Ming family shook her head in exasperation. Ping Hong, who had been silent for a while, spoke up firmly.
"We really didn’t go anywhere that day. If that’s the case, have your Ming family bring out the time records and check the time we returned to the palace. It didn’t take long by carriage, and everyone will see that I didn’t go anywhere else." However, Eldest Young Miss Ming already anticipated Ping Hong’s intelligence, so when she heard this, she smirked maliciously.
"Sure, I will definitely ensure you get justice." Hearing this, Ping Hong realized that the other side must have already tampered with the records. Yet she did not want to back down. The thin mouth of the petite woman was about to speak again, but Eldest Young Miss Ming interrupted her.
"You might think this is the Ming family’s information, so it might have been altered, right? In that case, how about bringing in witnesses as well? Then you can admit your guilt and sincerely apologize to the consort. I don’t want you two to end up like this."
"Seeing that you’ve been my friends for a long time, wouldn’t it be better if you told the truth? Was it really Governor Mu and his furen who did this? If you were deceived, just speak the truth," Eldest Young Miss Ming pretended to offer them a way out.
If they wanted to survive, they would need to confess. Of course, this was just a trap. As long as they shifted the blame for the poison onto Governor Mu and his wife, they would be dragged down as well. But did they really think the culprits would escape? Ultimately, they would all meet their end. This was a sinister plan to bring everyone down together.
In truth, the scheme was designed to deal with Governor Mu and his furen. Their accomplishments made the Second Prince’s faction more prominent, and many people wanted to join them. Even the emperor himself recognized their importance.
If things continued like this, the Crown Prince would surely lose out. Although she, the Ming family’s member, had always shown herself as aligned with the Second Prince, there had never been any doubt about her loyalty. However, lately, the Crown Prince had been offering them more benefits.
While the Second Prince, under the guidance of the Wang, focused solely on the welfare of the people, they wanted to shift their allegiance to the Crown Prince instead.
To make the Crown Prince believe in their usefulness, they targeted Governor Mu and his furen. They planned to bring down their friends who had suddenly risen above them. It was a classic case of killing two birds with one stone!
Just thinking about her cleverness made Eldest Young Miss Ming almost let out a wicked smile. Seeing the pained and sorrowful expressions of her two friends, who had held their heads high for so many years, filled her with indescribable satisfaction.
