Chapter 112 You have a guilty conscience?
"Who else could it be but you?" the Grand Princess roared. "Even now, you still want to deny it?!"
"Could it be that someone else got here before you?"
Jiang Wanning glanced at Prince Jin, "Your Highness, if you don't bring the person over soon, I really won't be able to explain myself."
The Prince of Jin sighed, “Imperial Aunt, this matter, no matter how you look at it, involves the reputation of women, and you are a woman too.”
"I believe my imperial aunt will understand."
"The law is paramount. Although I am also a woman, how can I allow such a shameless woman to tarnish the reputation of the women of Dongling?"
"If word gets out, what will those smaller countries think?"
"What happened today must be severely punished without exception!"
“Rui’er, you have always been kind-hearted and reluctant to punish others, but the law is the law, and the rules are the rules.”
The Prince of Jin frowned slightly, his face showing displeasure.
The Grand Princess glanced at Jiang Wan Ning and said, "Rui'er, I thought you would never be used by a woman's beauty."
Jiang Wan Ning sneered inwardly. The Grand Princess wasn't satisfied with just having Pei An Qing; she also wanted to have Prince Jin added to the mix.
"Your Highness Prince Jin, although we both wish to protect that person's reputation today..."
“But it seems that it’s impossible to protect it now,” Jiang Wanning said slowly. “I can’t risk my own reputation for the sake of someone else’s.”
"Hmph." The Grand Princess thought Jiang Wan Ning was making excuses. "Why say so much?"
"If you say it wasn't you, then point out who it was."
"Besides, would Prince Pei admit his mistake?"
"Yes, yes." As soon as the Grand Princess finished speaking, those who wanted to curry favor echoed her.
Prince Xiao Rui of Jin sighed softly and muttered to himself, "I knew I wasn't suited for life in the palace."
Shen Ruzhi asked in a low voice, "Ningning, what exactly is going on?"
"Is it really someone else?"
Jiang Wan Ning nodded slightly, reached out and patted Chen Ru Zhi's hand that was gripping her arm, reassuring her, "Don't worry."
Seeing Jiang Wan Ning so calm, Shen Ruzhi felt a sense of relief.
The Prince of Jin had no choice but to order, "Bring the man up."
soon.
Wu Xinyi, dressed as a palace maid, was brought up.
"Isn't this Minister Wu's granddaughter?"
Despite his head being down, some sharp-eyed people still recognized him at a glance.
"Why is she still wearing palace maid's clothes?"
"Her original clothes were already tattered and barely covered her body, so I had no choice but to have her taken away and temporarily change into a palace maid's clothes."
The Prince of Jin explained, "Imperial Aunt, I have brought the person to you."
"Then it depends on how the Empress Dowager can share the burden for the Emperor."
He couldn't be bothered with such trivial matters.
"You mean Pei Anqing and her?" The Grand Princess pointed at Wu Xinyi, who was kneeling on the ground.
"How is this possible?!" Jiang Wanru said subconsciously.
"How is it impossible?" Jiang Wan Ning said coldly, "You seem very unhappy knowing it wasn't me?"
"I...I didn't," Jiang Wanru said慌乱地, "It's just...that's not what I meant."
Jiang Wan Ning ignored Jiang Wan Ru and directly took a lantern from a palace maid and shone it on Wu Xin Yi's neck.
The deep red marks on their necks showed just how intense the fight had been.
The unmarried women present were so embarrassed that they quickly covered their eyes with their hands.
Only Jiang Wanru found the mark on Wu Xinyi's neck very glaring.
Besides her feelings for Pei Anqing based on their social status, she also harbored a degree of romantic love for him.
Wu Xinyi quickly covered her neck with her hand, "No, it's not what you see."
“It’s her!” Wu Xinyi pointed at Jiang Wanning. “It’s all her.”
"She drugged me!"
Pei Anqing also spoke up, "I came here because I received a letter from Princess Roujia."
"Ningning, why did you do that?"
He preferred Jiang Wanning to Wu Xinyi, in every way.
Shen Ruzhi sighed, her heart, which had been half-closed, was suddenly gripped with renewed trepidation.
Jiang Wan Ning was so angry at the two of them that she almost laughed.
"You're saying I drugged you?"
"You're saying again that I was the one who delivered the letter to you?"
"Then do either of you have any evidence?"
Jiang Wanning's eyes darted back and forth between Wu Xinyi and Pei Anqing. "If there is no evidence..."
“To falsely accuse a county princess personally appointed by the emperor is to add insult to injury.”
Although Wu Xinyi felt a tremor in her heart despite Jiang Wanning's easy words, she still believed that Jiang Wanning was the one who had harmed her.
"It's you!" Wu Xinyi said, "The maid just now was holding the handkerchief that Jiang Wanru gave you. I was wondering why there was a medicinal scent on it."
"It's this handkerchief, it must be the problem with the handkerchief!"
"I've been poisoned!"
Jiang Wanru cursed herself inwardly, thinking that she had given the handkerchief to Jiang Wanning, and by saying that, she had implicated herself as well.
As expected, Jiang Wanning turned to look at Jiang Wanru, then at Wu Xinyi, "Are you sure there's something wrong with the handkerchief she gave me?"
Wu Xinyi took out the handkerchief, "Of course!"
This time, she thought herself clever and held the handkerchief further away from her nose.
"If you don't believe me, you can have the imperial physician examine it! If the problem is found to be with the handkerchief, then I have been framed."
"You must give me an explanation!"
As soon as Wu Xinyi finished speaking, some people in the crowd thought she was pathetic for being stupid.
Regardless of the circumstances, she has already lost her innocence. What good would it do to make a decision?
Her reputation is ruined for life.
Moreover, if it really is Jiang Wanru, then this matter must have been tacitly approved by the Grand Princess, and as for who she wanted to frame, it goes without saying.
We're all smart people, and we've seen this kind of scheme to frame someone before, so we simply stopped talking.
"Miss Wu, I'm afraid I can't give you an explanation. You yourself said that Jiang Wanru gave me this handkerchief, but I didn't even touch it."
"The palace maid took it out and threw it away, so how did it end up in your hands?"
Jiang Wanru felt a pang of guilt and immediately said, "This handkerchief is from me, my sister."
"But I never had any reason to harm you, sister...."
"Besides, this handkerchief has passed through so many people, so how can it be said that I was the one who poisoned it?"
"Besides, I touched this handkerchief and nothing happened to me, didn't I?"
"The fact that you're alright also proves one thing: you knew it was poisonous and took the antidote beforehand," Jiang Wanning said calmly.
"Impossible! How could there be an antidote for that kind of poison!" Jiang Wanru said, only then realizing she had misspoke.
"I...I only heard about it from others."
"We haven't even tested what kind of poison it is yet, let alone whether it's the handkerchief that's the problem."
"Why are you so flustered?" Jiang Wanning took two steps closer to Jiang Wanru. "Could it be... that you have something to hide?"
Jiang Wanru involuntarily took two steps back, "No...no."
She looked at the Grand Princess and pleaded, "Your Highness, it really wasn't me! Please, please do justice for me!"
The Grand Princess cursed inwardly as an idiot.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com