Mu Ting was looking at Mu Ran. The gentle and loving fatherly demeanor he had shown when facing the little dumpling was completely gone, replaced by an air of authority and sternness.
"Mu Ran, you should know why I called you here."
Mu Ting was sitting in a chair, one hand clenched into a fist on the tea table, his eyes fixed on Mu Ran.
Mu Ran nervously clenched her hands together, her eyes lowered, not daring to look up and meet Mu Ting's gaze.
"This servant...this servant does not know."
The Prince of Nan snorted coldly. He had no intention of beating around the bush with someone so insignificant, and said directly:
"Did you switch the little princess's entrance exam essay with someone else's?"
Although the King of the South was asking a question, he spoke with unusual certainty.
The Fourth Prince, fearing that such a scene would frighten the little princess, waved his hand at her and said:
"Little dumpling, come here."
The little dumpling pouted and obediently walked away.
As soon as the little dumpling got close to the Fourth Prince, she smelled the pleasant sandalwood scent on him.
She looked up at the Fourth Prince's sharply defined jawline and asked:
"Did my fourth uncle call me for something?"
The Fourth Prince picked her up, placed her on his lap, and held her small hand, asking:
"Is the little dumpling scared?"
The little dumpling shook its head and said, "I'm not afraid. Daddy and Uncle are here, so I'm not afraid at all."
The Fourth Prince smoothed the little dumpling's bangs and said with a smile as warm as a spring breeze, "It's good that you're not afraid."
The little dumpling looked at Mu Ran.
The King of the South's words had already made her weak in the knees, but she still forced herself to remain calm and said:
"This servant does not know what Your Highness is talking about! After I took the two young ladies' articles from the study, I gave them to Zifeng to keep, and then we went together to submit them to Puxi Academy."
"As for the matter of the switch that Your Highness mentioned, I really don't know anything about it."
As Mu Ran spoke, she burst into tears on the spot.
Zi Teng knelt expressionlessly and said to Mu Tingzheng:
"Throughout the journey, I kept Miss's article close to my body, so that no one had a chance to switch it."
After listening, Mu Tingzheng said, "Then only the two of you were involved, and one of you was the one who switched the goods."
Zi Teng was a bodyguard trained by Mu Tingzheng since childhood, and he now harbored even greater suspicions about Mu Ran.
However, he never acts based on subjective feelings. Since the facts show that both of them are suspects, he will not let either of them go.
Mu Ran cried pitifully, crawling on her hands and knees to the little dumpling, sobbing:
"Little princess, I didn't do that, you have to believe me."
The little dumpling looked into Mu Ran's eyes. She still remembered the first time she met Mu Ran. At that time, she was just a faceless soul.
They had known each other for quite some time, and she really didn't want the switch to be done by Sister Mu Ran.
Seeing that the little girl was silent, Mu Ran thought she doubted her, so she said in a panic, "Little princess, you have to believe me, you have to believe me!"
The little dumpling spoke up:
"Sister Mu Ran, is it really not you? If you lied to me, I will be very sad."
The little dumpling's clear eyes were free of any impurities, and her last words were like a knife piercing Mu Ran's heart.
She saved her, and she saved her family.
She shouldn't have lied to her...
Mu Ran was incredibly conflicted. She opened her mouth and slowly said:
"No, it wasn't me!"
After saying that, she seemed to have all her strength drained away and collapsed to the ground.
Upon hearing Mu Ran's reply, a hint of interest flashed in Mu Ting's eyes.
Things are getting more and more interesting!
Mu Ran was unaware that long before the little dumpling returned to the manor, Mu Ting had already extracted information about a key figure from Madam Bai.
Madam Bai, who had just been lying on the ground, barely breathing, weakly said to Mu Tingzheng:
“It’s Princess Zhaochun! Four years ago, I told her about Princess Yuening’s whereabouts.”
“In the years that followed, I continued to keep in touch with her and was responsible for reporting the Mu family’s activities to her.”
"But I really don't know... I really don't know where she took Princess Yuening! I don't even know if Princess Yuening is dead or alive."
...
Mu Ting stood up, his long shadow obscuring Mu Ran who was kneeling on the ground.
He said coldly, "Lock Mu Ran and Zi Teng in the secluded room! They mustn't die. We must get the truth out of them!"
Not only is Mu Ting curious about the truth behind the article swap, but he also wants to know the truth about the collusion between Mu Ran and Princess Zhao Chun!
Princess Zhaochun! Mu Tingzheng curled the corners of his lips. Did she think she had everything under control?
Then he'll play this game with her!
Zi Teng responded in agreement, her expression remaining unchanged, as if she had no objection to Mu Tingzheng's arrangement.
Mu Ran, on the other hand, had a long face and looked like she was doomed.
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