Chapter 26: Expecting a Beating
Su Rui's sudden accusation made everyone stunned.
Brought the wrong person?
Everyone looked at it, and not many people believed it.
It sounded more like Su Rui's panicked attempt to make amends after being completely exposed, still so stupid.
He wants to get away with it by bringing the wrong person along.
He treated Princess Changning as a fool.
Just as Changning's face grew uglier and she was about to punish him, Xier grabbed the little maid crawling on the ground, took a look, and shouted with terrible acting: "Ah! Wrong!"
Not to mention everyone else, even Changning was stunned by this inexplicable scene.
"Miss, I'm wrong, I'm wrong, the person is here."
Luo E's voice came from the corridor connecting to the Chuihua Gate. As the crowds on both sides pushed aside, Luo E appeared in front of everyone with a middle-aged woman with half-gray hair.
"My apologies, Princess. The maid just made a mistake. This is my witness." Before Liang could take a closer look at who this person was, Su Rui smiled and apologized to Princess Changning. Then, without waiting for her to reply, he scolded the woman, "You'd better tell the truth in front of the Princess."
The woman shuddered, but she wasn't as terrified as the little maid just now. She just lowered her head and said, "I was originally a warehouse keeper in the Yong'an Marquis's palace. I left the palace and returned home four years ago. I'm afraid of missing anything, so I have a habit of keeping a diary, recording everything I do every day."
After saying that, the woman took out a booklet just like the little maid.
Compared to the newness of the previous "suicide note", this booklet can be seen at a glance to be quite old.
The nanny beside Princess Changning took it and opened it again, flipping to a few days before the Spring Banquet five years ago, and quickly found a sentence.
"On the third day of March, sunny, the eldest lady's new embroidered bellyband was shipped out of the warehouse. I met Miss Zhou Yao on the way and took one away. Don't tell anyone."
Both the handwriting and the paper are several years old and cannot be faked.
Although it was not directly stated that the bellyband found in the side room of the Spring Banquet was Zhou Yao's, Zhou Yao took the bellyband with Su Rui's words embroidered on it, so she was a suspect.
Changning grabbed the book and threw it at Zhou Yao's face.
Zhou Yao, who didn't know what was happening, was hit directly. The corner of the book hit her eyes, and the pain was so severe that she couldn't open her eyes for a while.
After everyone saw the words on the book on the ground clearly, she regained her sight and immediately opened her eyes wide to argue: "I didn't! I never took my sister's bellyband! Princess, it's unfair. Just now, this maid was threatened by my sister, and now..."
"I told you, the wrong person was brought here." Su Rui interrupted Zhou Yao and approached the little maid. "She came to me herself and said she was the sister of your maid and knew that the bellyband was yours. She also said that you and the princess' husband had been secretly having an affair for many years. She came to me so perfectly, so there must be something fishy going on. I wanted to interrogate her myself, but my subordinates brought her out. Since she's in front of the princess, I'd better interrogate her in public."
Su Rui glanced at Madam Liang.
Liang still looked like she was in shock and didn't know who to listen to.
Having been in charge of the family for many years, he must have the ability to make people keep secrets.
Unfortunately, people may not be afraid of death, but no one is afraid of living a life worse than death.
"Xier."
After receiving the order, Xier pressed the big vertebra acupoint on the back of the maid's neck as Su Rui had instructed.
Immediately, the little maid let out an extremely shrill scream, and her whole body curled up on the ground with her stomach. Her cheeks were flushed, veins bulged, and her eyeballs were about to pop out, as if she was in extreme pain.
I tried to hold it back several times, but it was difficult to suppress.
I wanted to bite my tongue to commit suicide, but the pain was so excruciating that it pierced my bones.
It hurts so much!
"Miss, please spare me! I won't dare to do it again! Help!"
Su Rui did not react, but just looked at her coldly, as if looking at a dead person.
The little maidservant was terrified now. She was in so much pain that she couldn't think of anything else. To survive, she could only vomit out the words: "I dare not do it anymore. I am just following orders. It's Wu..."
"Rui'er, you are being tortured into confessing, which is against the law!" Seeing the little maid give in, Madam Liang interrupted her hurriedly, and two old women quickly stepped forward to check on the little maid.
As soon as she was helped up, the little maid screamed and seemed to have fainted.
Su Rui didn't stop him, nor did she say anything.
At this point, some people can see things clearly.
Facing the scrutinizing gaze of Princess Changning, Liang clenched her hands in her sleeves and maintained a kind expression on her face, saying, "Princess, there has been an internal conflict in the mansion, but today is my mother-in-law's birthday. I will investigate the matter and inform you afterwards."
Princess Changning did not respond, but just looked at Zhou Yao curled up in Shen He's arms, and had no intention of giving up.
Liang lowered her voice and pleaded, "Princess, please have mercy. All the things used in this mansion have passed through the Imperial Household Department. It's hard to prove anything with just one sentence in the diary. For the past five years, Rui'er has always believed that she was wronged. Maybe... maybe she didn't want to accept it. I felt sorry for her and never dared to stop her. I didn't expect her to get something like this today and come to you, princess, to question your and the emperor's original decision."
When Chang Ning heard the word "question", something flashed in his eyes and he turned to look at Su Rui.
Su Rui just stood there straight, like a tough cedar tree, extremely dazzling and annoying.
"Do you have any other evidence?" Changning asked.
"No." Su Rui answered without hesitation.
"Come here, Su Rui of Yong'an Marquis' Mansion has behaved like a madman. He dared to question the emperor's will based on a piece of yellow paper. He shall be lashed thirty times."
At a command, the two maids behind Changning quickly stepped forward, one on the left and one on the right, grabbed Su Rui's shoulders and hands, and forced her to kneel on the ground.
Madam Liang wanted to plead for mercy, but before she could open her mouth, she was stopped by Changning's gaze. She could only look at Su Rui with tears in her eyes.
Soon, a whip hit Su Rui's back.
The whip was specially made, with tiny barbs in the leather. One lash of the whip caused Su Rui's outer shirt to burst open, and blood seeped out from inside.
After ten lashes, Su Rui's hair was disheveled and her clothes on the back were torn in several places. They were no longer neat and tidy as before, and the messiness actually suited her better.
At this moment, her back was exposed with crisscrossing old wounds, and the blood from the new wounds meandered along the ravines of past scars, as if painting on her back with a red brush. Combined with her charming face, there was a bloody and weird beauty.
Just like the man-eating monster in the sea of corpses and blood.
This shocked everyone's eyes and made Changning even more jealous. He signaled with his eyes and whipped harder.
Whip after whip was heard, the sound was like a cannon, blood splattered everywhere, and many people did not dare to watch.
But even though Su Rui's body was shaking instinctively from the beating, she still gritted her teeth and said nothing.
She had long been accustomed to enduring pain, not to mention that she had expected the beating.
Changning would not seek justice for her, even if there was more evidence before her.
It's not just because what happened five years ago is a done deal, but also because Changning is jealous of her.
She is a stain on Changning. The high and mighty Changning cannot tolerate stains. She is like a thorn in his heart. Whenever he sees her, he will remember the shame he suffered five years ago.
Therefore, Su Rui never thought that he could clear his name today.
It just ruined Liang and Zhou Yao's plan, and cut off their way to climb up by stepping on her.
Even if there is insufficient evidence, even if Changning does not investigate at this moment, the seeds of suspicion have been planted. Can Prince Ping's Mansion not consider the risks involved?
Thinking of this, Su Rui stared at Zhou Yao and couldn't help laughing.
Zhou Yao, who had already been released by Shen He, also saw through Su Rui's intentions at this moment. She could not help but complain to Chang Ning in hatred: "Sister is still smiling, are you dissatisfied?"
Without waiting for Changning's signal, the sensible whipper used all his strength.
Bang!
With a loud bang, Su Rui was beaten out of the hands of the two women and fell face down powerlessly.
Seeing that another whip was about to strike, many people covered their eyes.
"ah!"
A scream was heard, but it was not Su Rui's.
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