Chapter 30 Can you at least put some effort into making up lies?
Inside the flower hall, the eldest princess sat regally at the head of the main seat. She was nearly fifty years old, well-maintained, with a dignified face and faint smile lines at the corners of her eyes. She wore a crimson palace dress, and her overall demeanor was as imposing as ever. Her majesty was hidden beneath her kindness, making people dare not look directly at her.
When Xiao Lingxi and Du Tingting were brought in, she gently stirred the teacup in her hand, her gaze calm.
"Tell me, what was all that commotion outside just now?"
The princess's voice was not loud, but it had a penetrating quality, clearly reaching everyone's ears.
Du Tingting immediately knelt on the ground with a 'plop,' tears streaming down her face before she could even utter a word.
"Your Highness...you must do justice for me!"
She sobbed as she repeated her story, emphasizing how she had endured humiliation to apologize, how Xiao Lingxi was relentless, how she had deliberately bumped into her, ruined her clothes, and even slapped her!
She cried so hard she almost passed out, perfectly portraying the image of a helpless and pitiful victim who had suffered endless bullying.
In contrast, Xiao Lingxi simply bowed respectfully without kneeling, keeping her head held high.
He showed no sign of panic in the face of Du Tingting's accusations.
After Du Tingting finished speaking, the princess turned her gaze to Xiao Lingxi:
"Miss Xiao, do you have anything to say about what Miss Du said?"
Xiao Lingxi first bowed, then said loudly, "Your Highness, nine and a half out of ten of what she said is false! She deliberately bumped into me, poured the wine on herself, and then framed me. Last time she deliberately fell into the water and then framed me. This time she is using the same trick again. Her heart is despicable! I hit her because I was angry that she had schemed against me time and time again. I did not hit her without cause!"
Xiao Lingxi was clear-headed and composed, with a calm and open gaze, showing no sign of panic.
“If Your Highness does not believe me, you can see the wine stains on Miss Du’s skirt. I was standing to her left just now. If I had bumped into her, the wine cup should have fallen to the right, and the wine stains should be on her right. But her wine stains are on the left. It’s clear that she poured it herself!”
The moment these words were spoken, the flower hall fell silent.
At this moment, Xiao Jingheng had also arrived at the outer perimeter of the flower hall and happened to hear his sister's resounding speech.
He paused in his steps before entering, then stood aside to observe first.
Du Tingting clearly didn't have the brains of Xiao Lingxi to notice such a small detail.
Her face paled instantly, her eyes flickered with panic, but she quickly regained her composure:
"You...you're talking nonsense! The situation was so chaotic back then, how could I possibly remember which way was which? Maybe you were too strong and knocked me off my bearings!"
This sophistry was so weak and feeble that even some noble ladies who had initially sympathized with her frowned slightly.
Xiao Lingxi pressed her advantage, sneering, "Oh? You don't remember the direction? Then you should remember whether you approached me first or I approached you first, right? So many eyes were watching, but you walked towards me first. I stood still, and you came closer, and then the wine spilled. How do you explain that? Did you think I could hit you with my internal force from a distance?"
"I...I..."
Du Tingting was speechless when asked the question, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
"Maybe it's because the wind is strong here and it blew the wine glass around, causing it to spill."
Upon hearing this, a low snicker rippled through the flower hall.
It was a clear day just now, and even the lanterns under the eaves weren't swaying. Where did this "strong wind" come from? Anyone could tell it was just an excuse.
Xiao Lingxi sneered and pressed on: "The wind? Du Tingting, tell me, why did the wind only blow on your wine glass and precisely spill the wine on the left side of your skirt? There were so many people in the pavilion just now, why didn't anyone say there was wind? Can you at least put some effort into your lies?"
"I……"
By this point, the eldest princess had a general idea of what was going on.
Du Tingting trembled as her lie was exposed, retreating step by step, her face turning from white to green. Seeing that she was about to be convicted of falsely accusing the noble lady, she desperately looked to her personal maid Xianghe for help.
Xianghe trembled when she saw her master's fierce gaze.
She knew she couldn't escape it.
Suddenly, Xianghe knelt down with a "plop" and kowtowed repeatedly to the princess.
"Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me! It was my fault...it was my fault. I accidentally spilled the wine on Miss's dress. I was afraid of being punished, so I lost my mind and lied that it was Miss Xiao who bumped into me. It was all my fault, and it has nothing to do with my young lady! Please punish me severely, Your Highness!"
This attempt to take the blame is riddled with errors.
How could a maidservant orchestrate the entire framing process? And how could she get Du Tingting to cooperate in putting on such a grand show?
But everyone present was shrewd; who didn't understand that this girl was just there to take the blame?
The princess's face was calm, but her eyes were cold.
Finally, she spoke slowly, her voice carrying an undeniable authority:
"What a convenient 'accident'! You wicked servant, with impure intentions, you framed the noble lady and disrupted the banquet, you are truly despicable! Guards! Drag this lowly maid away, give her thirty strokes of the cane, and throw her out of the princess's residence!"
After dealing with Xianghe, the princess turned her gaze back to Du Tingting, her tone indifferent yet seemingly carrying immense pressure.
“Miss Du, your failure to manage your subordinates properly and your careless words and actions have almost led to a serious mistake. You no longer need to attend today's banquet. Go back to your residence and reflect on your actions.”
This is tantamount to kicking Du Tingting out of the banquet!
Du Tingting's face instantly drained of color, realizing that her reputation was completely ruined.
She dared not say another word, and amidst the disdainful or pitying gazes of the crowd, she was slunk out of the princess's residence.
The whole ordeal ended with Xiao Lingxi being exonerated and Du Tingting making a humiliating exit.
This time, Xiao Lingxi finally got her revenge. She subconsciously glanced in the direction of Su Xiaoyu and felt a genuine sense of gratitude and admiration for this seemingly simple-minded girl.
Lin Wan'er had witnessed everything that had just happened, especially Xiao Lingxi's clear and logical defense at the end, which made her look at this future sister-in-law with new respect.
What bothered her even more was that Lin Wan'er caught a glimpse of Xiao Jingheng standing on the outskirts of the crowd out of the corner of her eye.
The opportunity has arrived!
A perfectly timed smile immediately bloomed on her face as she stepped forward to greet him.
"Sister Lingxi, you were truly impressive just now. You remained calm and composed in the face of danger, and your clear and logical reasoning brought the truth to light in just a few words. You are truly admirable."
When Xiao Lingxi saw that it was Lin Wan'er, the "Number One Talented Woman" in the capital, she smiled shyly.
In the past, in crowded places, Lin Wan'er was always the center of attention.
If it weren't for Su Xiaoyu's reminder today, she wouldn't have realized the crux of the problem so quickly, and might have already taken Lin Wan'er's advice and apologized to Du Tingting.
"Miss Lin, you flatter me. I was just stating the facts."
She didn't want to talk to Lin Wan'er much, feeling that a proud and aloof noblewoman like her was not in the same circle as her at all, so she exchanged a few polite words.
At this moment, Xiao Lingxi turned her head and saw Su Xiaoyu still staring at the food on the long table, so she took the opportunity to say to her:
"There's nothing for you to do here. Didn't you just see some new cherry blossom pastries and water chestnut cakes over there? Go and try them."
Her tone carried a hint of protectiveness that she herself was unaware of.
"Yes! Thank you, Miss."
Upon hearing that there was food, Su Xiaoyu's eyes lit up. She immediately curtsied and happily floated towards the snacks.
Lin Wan'er saw this scene and her heart stirred slightly.
Xiao Lingxi seemed to be quite indulgent towards this girl.
But how come the information she had previously investigated was that Xiao Lingxi disliked this girl?
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