“Because I am the product of your adultery, you naturally wish you could strangle me. As long as I am here, you can’t live in peace,” Song Tangxue said with a smile, word by word.
Song's mother's face was deathly pale, her palms gripping the corner of the table, veins bulging.
Xie Qian returned to his residence, looking at the official documents with a headache. Pushing aside the complicated official business, the servants beside him brought over ice and fanned it with a fan.
The room was still unbearably hot. Xie Qianzhong closed his eyes, glancing at those bright, smiling eyes, and his mind cleared a little.
"Thank you, sir."
The servant boy appeared before Xie Qianzhong with a maidservant. If Song Tangxue were here, she would definitely recognize that this was Lianzhi, the maidservant of Song Tangli.
The maid who was often bullied by Song Tangli.
"What's wrong?" Xie Qianzhong concealed his emotions. His thin lips were slightly pursed, and when he looked down at the others, his dark eyes were devoid of any emotion.
“The murder was ordered by Miss Song the Second.” The maid’s words were shocking: “First, she bribed the servants around the eldest young lady to drug her, steal the gold hairpin and handkerchief, and then had several strong servants tie her up and kill her.”
"Li Zong was also specially invited by her."
The maidservant knelt on the ground: "This servant has been watched by the Second Miss these days and dares not come out."
Xie Qianzhong narrowed his eyes slightly. He hadn't expected Song Tangli to be so weak and cowardly, only good at bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
They actually dared to kill someone; that's truly amusing.
"knew."
The maidservant withdrew, and the room fell silent once more. Xie Qianzhong suddenly felt a pang of longing for someone; if she were here, it wouldn't be so desolate.
The moonlight was cold and clear; it would never fall to the ground.
Song Tangli couldn't sleep soundly at all. When she opened her eyes, she saw the exquisite carvings on the beams, which looked like masterpieces in the past.
Now, however, he couldn't stand the sight of her. He called out to Lianzhi several times before the little maid appeared, kneeling timidly beside him.
"What, can't you hear me calling you?" Song Tangli propped herself up, her anger rising as she recalled the words from the palace earlier that day.
Lian Zhi didn't dare to refute, kneeling upright on the ground: "This servant wouldn't dare!"
Song Tangli got up on her own, put on a coat, and got out of bed in a huff.
The moonlight was thick and heavy, carrying the sultry heat of summer, stirring up a myriad of thoughts.
"Second Miss Song, the eldest young lady's reputation is ruined, and you're still dreaming of marrying into the Crown Prince's palace?" The old woman's frivolous laughter mocked Song Tangli beyond recognition.
Suddenly, her hands and feet turned icy cold. She hated Song Tangxue, but this disgrace would not only harm herself, but also her sisters in the family.
How can a family that raises a murderer guarantee it won't raise a second one?
Nowadays, let alone marrying into the Eastern Palace as the Crown Prince's consort, even officials who want to marry her have to think twice.
That damned Song Tangxue, even when she's about to die, she still manages to screw her over.
In another cell, Haitang gritted her teeth, letting the board fall on her body, leaving her bloodied and mangled.
"So much backbone, huh?" The executioner spat. Haitang looked up fiercely, her hair at her temples soaked with sweat, and a hint of blood on her lips and tongue.
"No matter how many times you ask, Miss didn't kill anyone!" Haitang gasped, a pale smile tugged at her lips: "Hehehe..."
"I'll confess!" Xinghua, a young maidservant who was watching the ceremony, couldn't stand the atmosphere and timidly hid behind someone. "I'll confess to everything!"
Haitang, furious, propped herself up and looked at her: "Miss has always treated you well. The most important thing for a servant is to be loyal."
"What can loyalty get you?" Xinghua retorted coldly, "Like being beaten to a pulp like you?"
Although Xinghua wasn't a personal maid, she was still a close confidante in the courtyard. Haitang felt a chill in her heart, disgusted that she had actually misjudged someone.
"Hmph." Haitang chuckled: "Your one-sided words can't hurt Miss. You will pay the price for your actions."
Xinghua bit her lip: "My lord, I'll confess everything."
The jailer stood up lazily and said meaningfully, "Is this the right thing to do? If you do something wrong, you should have the courage to admit it."
"Pah!" Haitang spat blood mixed with saliva in front of Xinghua. "Miss is innocent. You traitor will go to hell sooner or later!"
Xinghua hurriedly left, following the jailer's footsteps.
The next morning, Song Tangxue lifted the covers, and a cool morning breeze blew in, bringing a touch of coolness. The night before, it was stuffy, and she had sweated a lot, so the covers were uncomfortable.
"Miss Song." The jailer came again, this time without doing anything strange. He opened the door and invited her out: "Lord Li invites you."
Song Tangxue sighed, then cheered herself up and followed.
Li Zong flipped through the scroll in his hand: "Miss Song, are you still unwilling to confess your crimes even today?" The scroll was put down, and every stroke of it was filled with Song Tangxue's accusations.
It's written in black and white, indicating that they're already planning to put it into storage.
"I'll say it again: I've never left the courtyard. If Lord Li believes that one can kill from a distance, then please do so." Song Tangxue was neither humble nor arrogant, showing no sense of crisis as a prisoner, and was as calm as if she were a guest in her own home.
Li Zong smiled sinisterly: "You won't confess, but the people around you have given a clear account!"
Song Tangxue observed Li Zong discreetly; the people around her were undoubtedly the servants she had brought with her.
Song Tangxue couldn't help but feel worried. In the eyes of officials, these people's lives were worthless, so there was no question of treating them with respect.
"Bring her up!" Li Zong leaned back in his chair, looking down at Song Tangxue with an air of superiority: "Miss Song, are you only going to shed tears when you see your coffin?"
Xinghua was pushed in by the jailer and fell to the ground. Trembling, she looked up at Li Zong, who was sitting on the throne: "Lord Li, I have confessed everything I need to."
"The young lady harmed her parents, forced the servants to conceal the truth, and was involved in murder cases, all of which she suppressed by relying on the name of the Song family and the Crown Princess."
“Disrespecting your parents has caused discord within the family.” Xinghua spoke eloquently and clearly.
Song Tangxue lowered her eyes and sneered. She, as the person involved, was unaware of these matters, while Xinghua knew them like the back of her hand.
Song Tangxue still couldn't help but feel a little disheartened. She believed she had treated these servants well throughout her life, even giving them double the amount of silver given to them compared to other households.
I was just worried that these people wouldn't be doing well; my good intentions resulted in this outcome.
Xinghua was still indignant. Hearing her strong voice and seeing that she was completely unharmed, Song Tangxue knew that this was a spy planted in her courtyard.
They didn't even resort to torture to extract a confession; they simply fabricated evidence and framed her.
Perhaps the hairpin and handkerchief contain the image of a little maid.
“Miss, please confess.” Xinghua knelt on the ground, rushed over and grabbed Song Tangxue’s skirt, her eyes filled with tears: “The heinous things you did have all been found out.”
Xinghua wiped away her tears and said coldly, "I was forced by you in the past, but today I really can't bear it with my conscience. Miss, please confess."
Song Tangxue clenched her fingers, a chill creeping into her heart. This was the person she had raised—a traitor who betrayed her.
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