She thought that as long as she didn't confess, they couldn't do anything to her, since she had already poured the antidote into the ground and thrown away the bottle.
Unexpectedly, Wei Huaixu rushed over upon hearing the news and personally stepped forward to uphold justice for Liu Shushu.
Just as they were at an impasse, the courtyard gate was opened from the outside, and two rows of identically dressed guards walked in. They stood in neat rows on both sides, leaving a gap in the middle. Then Wei Huaixu walked in with his hands behind his back, exuding both intimidation and nobility.
He glanced coldly at Qingying, then ordered a servant to bring the things forward.
When Qingying saw the familiar white porcelain bottle on the tray, her pupils trembled in astonishment.
"These are the items found in the Third Miss's room. I wonder if the Third Miss recognizes them?"
She didn't speak, just stared at him blankly, her eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.
"Since the Third Miss won't say, I'll have Doctor Qin come and take a look himself."
Without waiting for Qingying to say anything, he immediately ordered someone to go inside and bring out Doctor Qin.
Doctor Qin was in a state of utter panic, and dared not utter a word against the Crown Prince's orders, so he could only come out and quickly examine the situation.
It would have been better if we hadn't investigated, because once we did, our eyes lit up. "This...this is actually an antidote for one of the poisons! Where did Your Highness find it?"
Wei Huaixu looked at Qingying with a cold expression: "Does the Third Miss have anything else to say?"
"I don't know." She tried to appear calm, but her heart was racing.
Having come this far, what else could she not understand? The antidote that Granny Zhang gave her couldn't possibly be the one Wei Huaixu was now producing; it was clearly a frame-up.
So all of this was clearly a scheme devised by Liu Shushu and Wei Huaixu!
They took advantage of the bond between Zhang Mama and their servant, setting up this trap for her to fall into. Even if she discovered it, it wouldn't change anything, because they had already found the "evidence" for her.
"You wicked child, kneel down!" Liu Yu shouted angrily.
Qingying remained standing upright and motionless, stubbornly staring at them, her voice somewhat hoarse: "Why can't you try to believe me just once, just believe in me as a person..."
"Believe me?" Liu Yu sneered, "The evidence is right here. Do you think His Highness the Crown Prince would frame you? You rebellious daughter, when did you become so vicious that you could even harm your own sister!"
"I didn't!" she roared, clenching her fists and looking at Madam Wang for help, her voice choked with sobs, "Grandmother, you watched me grow up since I was a child. If Father didn't know, did you not know either?"
“Shu… Ying’er…” Looking at her sorrowful expression, Madam Wang finally couldn’t bear it. She stood up and stood in front of Qingying, saying, “Ying’er is a girl I’ve watched grow up. I trust her character.”
"Mother?" Liu Yu frowned, but dared not refute her as harshly as she would a younger generation.
Wang ignored him and turned to Wei Huaixu, saying, "I'm not senile from my age. Your Highness's bottle of antidote isn't solid evidence. It's true that Granny Zhang went to Ying'er's residence yesterday, but the fact that this servant is now pointing the finger at Ying'er shows that she's not on Ying'er's side. If she wanted to frame Ying'er, she might have secretly placed the antidote in Ying'er's room yesterday when no one was looking. Even if you are Your Highness, you cannot so easily convict my granddaughter!"
Her logic was clear and her words were resolute, which surprised everyone present.
Looking at the figure in front of her, who was half a head shorter than her, slightly hunched, and with gray hair, Qingying couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth in her eyes.
Madam Luo chimed in, "Yes, Third Miss is so frail and weak, she's terrified of even killing a chicken, how could she possibly dare to kill someone?"
Wei Huaixu remained silent, his face calm, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.
A moment of silence followed, everyone watching him, waiting for his response. Finally, he smiled and said, "The old lady is right. I did indeed act rashly in this matter. I will order people to continue to investigate thoroughly."
"No, don't..." Qingying tugged at Wang's clothes.
"Does the Third Miss not trust me?" A dark glint flashed in Wei Huaixu's calm eyes.
She opened her mouth, but dared not say she didn't believe it. She was afraid; afraid that if she offended Wei Huaixu, no one would dare to protect her anymore. But if Wei Huaixu investigated, she would have even less chance of turning things around.
Liu Yu spoke first, saying, "I beg Your Highness to uphold justice for my son and find out who is behind the poisoning."
These words were like placing Qingying on a chopping board, leaving her at the mercy of others.
She gazed silently at Liu Yu, the hurt in her eyes completely undisguised.
Why……
She had visited a military camp when she was young and had seen Liu Yu interrogate soldiers who had made mistakes. She vividly remembered his discerning manner back then. Why was it that now that it was her own daughter, he seemed to have lost the ability to distinguish right from wrong and completely believed what others said?
Is he truly unable to see clearly, or is he simply indifferent?
Qingying couldn't see what he was thinking, but she knew very well that Liu Yu's heart was biased towards Liu Shushu. He valued legitimate daughters. No matter how crazy he was in love with Ye Ning when he was young, after so many years, those feelings had long been exhausted. Now, in his eyes, she was just an insignificant illegitimate daughter, a sacrifice that could be abandoned at any time for the Liu family.
"I have some questions I'd like to ask the Third Miss privately," Wei Huaixu suddenly said.
Qingying did not refuse.
The two walked out of Liu Shushu's courtyard and stopped by the garden.
"There's no one else here, Your Highness, please speak freely." Qingying was no longer friendly to him.
"Are you blaming me?" Wei Huaixu asked, his voice hoarse as he looked at her indifferent expression.
Shouldn't I blame you?
“I…we didn’t originally intend to go this far, but you’re clinging to the imperial decree of marriage. Without your consent, I can’t cancel this engagement on my own.”
"So, in the end, it's my own fault? You also think that I wouldn't let go because I wanted to curry favor with you, His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Wei Huaixu lowered his eyelashes, not even daring to look directly into her tear-filled eyes. Faced with her questioning, he felt utterly powerless. "Jiaojiao, I..."
"Don't call me Jiaojiao, you don't deserve it!" Qingying turned around and wiped away her overflowing tears.
At this moment, she suddenly felt that her persistence was ridiculous. She still hoped that he could remember the past, but if he really remembered and still chose Liu Shushu without hesitation, she didn't know if she could still bear the fact that he had changed his mind.
Wei Huaixu could only see her thin, frail shoulders trembling slightly. A nameless panic welled up in his heart. He wanted to say something to comfort her, so he reached out his hand, but stopped just before touching her and slowly withdrew it.
A moment later, Qingying's broken voice, choked with sobs, came through, "Fine, I won't force you anymore. I will personally ask His Majesty to cancel the engagement. Please let me go..."
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