Su Renyi stared wide-eyed at the jade pendant in Qiu Ye's hand, utterly incredulous.
Isn't that his jade pendant?
He wore that jade pendant on his waist every day. He was so familiar with it that he recognized it at a glance from afar. Even if the jade pendant was not clear and might be a fake, he could not possibly mistake the tassel on it because he had hung it there himself.
That really was his jade pendant!
But how did that assassin manage to pick up his jade pendant?
The panic he had just suppressed suddenly surged up again, leaving him flustered and completely lost!
Xuanyuan Peng stared at the jade pendant for a moment, and it also seemed somewhat familiar.
Qiu Ye dared not let Xuan Yuanpeng accept this filthy thing, so he stared at the jade pendant and explained: "It is a piece of white jade, of superior quality. The pattern carved on it doesn't look like that of our Eastern Chu. It looks a bit like the lotus flower from the Western Regions."
When the name of the peony flower was mentioned, Xuanyuan Peng remembered it.
The Western Regions did indeed send a batch of fine jade as tribute, including several pieces of excellent white jade. He remembered that he used them as rewards, but only one piece was used; the jade pendant was bestowed upon him…
Before Xuanyuan Peng could even think of it, one of the ministers suddenly seemed to remember something: "Doesn't the Marquis of Yong'an have a jade pendant with a Western Region peony flower design?"
"Yes, yes, the Marquis of Yong'an has one. I even saw him wearing it before!"
“I also saw the Marquis of Yong’an wearing it, and he said it was a gift from the Emperor.”
The ministers talked amongst themselves, making Su Renyi break out in a cold sweat.
If he had known this day would come, he would never have worn that jade pendant to show off every day.
Reminded by several ministers, Xuanyuan Peng finally remembered that he had indeed bestowed the jade pendant upon Su Renyi.
Xuanyuan Peng's eyes instantly filled with killing intent as he solemnly looked at Su Renyi: "Su Renyi, where is the jade pendant I bestowed upon you!"
Su Renyi was already terrified. His hands trembled as he touched his empty waist. He forced himself to step forward and said, "Your Majesty, please understand. This jade pendant was lost yesterday. I have been searching for it all morning but have not found it!"
Xuanyuan Peng narrowed his eyes coldly: "It was left at the scene of the hit-and-run, wasn't it!"
Su Renyi's heart trembled violently again, but he forced himself to remain calm and explained, "Your Majesty, I dare not! I wear this jade pendant on my person every day, and it must have been lost yesterday. Someone must have stolen it..."
Before Su Renyi could finish speaking, Shao Kun also cried out for justice: "I didn't steal it. He dropped it by himself the night before last. I just picked it up and didn't return it to him."
Su Renyi glared angrily at Shao Kun: "What nonsense are you talking about? I didn't see you at all the night before last. Stop spouting nonsense!"
Shao Kun hadn't paid much attention before, but now that Su Renyi shouted like that, he immediately felt like he'd been caught red-handed, and exclaimed excitedly, "You still say it wasn't you? I remember your voice!"
As he spoke, Shao Kun looked Su Renyi up and down again, confirming, "I remember your figure too, it was you the night before last!"
Su Renyi was bewildered by Shao Kun's series of words.
What do you mean, it's him!
He had never seen him before, so how could he have seen his figure or heard his voice?
Shao Kun then complained to Xuan Yuanpeng, "Your Majesty, I am certain that the one who gave me the gold the night before last was him!"
"Are you sure?" Xuan Yuanpeng's sharp, sword-like eyes pierced Su Renyi.
Su Renyi was also flustered and anxious, looking at Shao Kun with great concern.
Shao Kun nodded firmly: "I am absolutely certain that even if he were reduced to ashes, I would still recognize him!"
"You're spouting nonsense!" Su Renyi was furious when he heard him talking such rubbish. "I've never even seen you, let alone given you gold to hire someone to kill me. We have no grudge against each other, so why are you framing me like this?"
"You yourself said we have no grudge against each other, so why would I frame you?" Shao Kun was already furious that he couldn't find the person before, but now that he recognized that it was the brother that Su Renyi had hired him to kill, he was enraged: "On the contrary, I was killed by you. If you hadn't hired me to kill the Holy King's family, how could I have ended up in this situation!"
He was blinded by the promise of gold, and now he has not only lost an arm, but he may also lose the life to enjoy all the gold and silver he had earned!
Hearing Shao Kun's words, Su Renyi was terrified. He knelt down before Xuan Yuanpeng with a thud: "Your Majesty, I have never seen this person, much less hired him to kill the Holy King. My jade pendant is truly lost. Moreover, I did not leave the Yong'an Marquis's residence the night before last. My concubine can testify for me. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"
Xuanyuan Peng stared sharply at Su Renyi.
He didn't believe a single word he said!
"Lord Su's concubine is considered someone close to him, so she can't testify, right? Does Lord Su have any other witnesses?" Qiu Ye asked, staring at Su Renyi.
Su Renyi looked at Qiu Ye with a bitter expression: "When I came here this morning, I even asked my concubine and servant to help me look for the jade pendant. Does that count as evidence?"
Qiu Ye was speechless: "Concubines and servants are all considered to be close to Lord Su, so they can't testify! Besides, Lord Su might be acting, so how can that be considered evidence!"
Su Renyi immediately became agitated upon hearing this: "I didn't act, and I didn't hire anyone to kill the Holy King!"
Su Renyi couldn't explain it to Qiu Ye, so he pleaded with Xuan Yuanpeng: "Your Majesty, I spent the entire night with my concubine the night before last. I really didn't leave the Yong'an Marquis's residence, nor did I see this person, nor did I give him any gold to hire someone to kill the Holy King!"
In a moment of extreme anxiety, Su Renyi had a sudden flash of inspiration, as if he had thought of a possibility. He exclaimed urgently, "Someone must have stolen my jade pendant and set a trap to frame me! Yes, someone must have set a trap! Someone is deliberately framing me!"
"Lord Su just said that the jade pendant was lost yesterday, but the truth is that the Black Serpent Society's assassins found your jade pendant the night before last. Lord Su's testimony is inconsistent and full of loopholes!" Qiu Ye questioned sharply, also disbelieving Su Renyi's words.
Su Renyi was truly suffering in silence, unable to express his bitterness: "My jade pendant is really gone! I don't remember when it was lost! Someone must have stolen it!"
That night, he was so anxious that he personally took off the jade pendant and placed it by his pillow. This was his last memory of the jade pendant. He rushed into the palace that day and forgot to wear the jade pendant. When he went back to look for it today, he could no longer find it.
Aunt Chen overturned the bed but still couldn't find the jade pendant. The jade pendant must be gone; it couldn't possibly have been lost in the room unless someone had sneaked into the Yong'an Marquis's mansion and stolen it, all to set up this whole mess!
The only person who could orchestrate such a scheme to harm him is...
Su Renyi looked up in Su Xuening's direction and saw her staring at him coldly, her icy eyes filled with murderous intent.
Su Renyi's heart felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar, and countless chills spread in an instant, freezing him solid.
It's her!!!
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