Upon hearing this, Lady Sun’s face instantly darkened, she sternly asked, "What’s going on? How could a thief easily break into my courtyard?"
Lord Marquis’s face darkened, "Bring the man up!"
"Yes."
The page immediately agreed and then waved at the people outside, "Bring him in."
Two servants brought in a man, both holding him from each side, "Lord Marquis, it’s him! We found him in Lady Hou’s courtyard."
Before Lord Marquis could say a word, Lady Sun immediately said, "You little thief, how dare you! You snuck into Hou Mansion and stole from Lord Marquis’s study, and then you dared to steal from my courtyard. If you hadn’t been caught just in time, who knows what audacious things you would have done!"
The man was originally quite dazed. He had been knocked out as soon as he came out, and then he was dumped in Lady Hou’s courtyard. He was awakened by the noise of the search. By the time he thought to flee, it was too late; he had been arrested on the spot.
Now, he was brought here and saw his intentionally ransacked study, as well as Lord Marquis’s somber face. His heart pounded with fear, regretting his actions. Thankfully, Lady Sun’s words managed to wake him up from his haze.
The man quickly said, "It’s my fault, I was overcome by greed and committed a grave mistake. I beg Lord Marquis and Lady Marquis to spare me. I deserve to die!"
Lord Marquis coldly asked, "Why did you steal from Le Yuanhou’s mansion, and who instructed you?"
The man, fearing a little, glanced at Lady Sun with terror in his eyes. His legs weakened from fear, he didn’t know who instructed him!
"I, I didn’t, didn’t, no one instructed me, I just wanted to steal something valuable from Hou Mansion."
Lord Marquis looked at him suspiciously, "Valuable things? Is the petition to impeach Mu Xiang valuable?"
The man’s face turned pale. He was sweaty and anxious, "I thought that if I stole this, and gave it to Mu Xiang, perhaps, perhaps I might get some money."
Distrust expressed in Lord Marquis’s face. He knew Marquis Mu well; this man loathed being blackmailed. If this man dared to demand money from him using an impeachment petition, Marquis Mu would undoubtedly make his death miserable.
With all the precious items in his study, this man specifically chose a dead-end. How could Lord Marquis believe him?
At this moment, Lady Sun’s heart was racing. She quickly said, "Lord Marquis, I think this man will not speak the truth. It’s better to directly hand him over to Jingzhao Prefecture so that the Jinyuan Governor can investigate the case. We probably won’t get anything out of him by questioning him here."
Xin He suddenly asked the servants, "Have you found Lord Marquis’s petition?"
The servants were taken aback. then replied, "We only caught this man, but we didn’t find the petition on him."
The man was shocked and quickly patted his chest. Sure enough, it was empty!
At this moment, he truly regretted it. The petition hadn’t been found on him at all. So, why did he confess to a crime he didn’t commit a moment ago?! It would’ve been better if he’d denied everything!
Ji Xinhe saw the regret on the man’s face and chuckled inwardly. Of course, he had to make a confession. Otherwise, how would he corner Lady Sun later?
Upon hearing this, Lady Sun abruptly turned her head to look at Ji Xinhe, a hint of fear in her eyes. The petition was not on him? Where could it be then? From the beginning, she had felt that something was wrong. Now, something felt even more off.
If the petition was on this man, she could argue that this man had stolen the petition and then continued to steal from her courtyard, or was desperate to hide in her courtyard. Either way, as long as she could dissociate herself from this thief, everything would be fine. But if this petition was not on him, but on...
Lady Sun didn’t dare to think further. Soon, a page rushed in, "Lord Marquis, I found the petition!"
While speaking, he held out the petition with both hands.
Lord Marquis quickly took the petition, gave it a careful look, and confirming it was the right one. He then asked with a grave face, "Where did you find it?"
The page hesitated, glanced at Lady Sun before he said, "In, in Lady Hou’s room."
The expression on Lord Marquis’s face instantly darkened, and his look at Lady Sun carried a hint of suspicion. Holding the petition in his hand, he tried his best to control his emotions, "What’s going on?"
As soon as the page finished speaking, Lady Sun felt her legs give way. She almost fell. As expected, it really was this way!
Lady Sun glared fiercely at Ji Xinhe. It was surely her doing! She didn’t expect her to be this cunning. Not only did she fail to frame her, but she also managed to shift the blame onto her. Now that the petition had appeared in her room, even if she jumped into the Yellow River, it wouldn’t clear her.
"Speak!" Lord Marquis angrily commanded.
Lady Sun anxiously said, "I really don’t know what’s going on. This thief must have hidden the petition in my room because he didn’t want to get caught, or, or someone wants to frame me. I know nothing."
Lord Marquis’s face remained grim. Lady Sun’s explanation seemed weak.
Xin He, showing her annoyance, said, "Dad, I really don’t know who would go to such lengths to frame me and Lady Hou. You must investigate thoroughly. Otherwise, our mansion will be in chaos, won’t it?"
Although her words sounded exasperated, she clearly indicated a point. This conspiracy was obviously targeted at Ji Xinhe. When the plot was exposed, all the criminal evidence pointed to Lady Sun. Did this mean she was the victim?
The situation was as clear as day. It seemed like Lady Sun was trying to frame Ji Xinhe.
Lady Sun’s face became even grimmer, "I..."
"Enough!" Lord Marquis was getting irritated, "This incident has gone on long enough. From the beginning, it was Jinxiu’s one-sided words against Xin He, and then it was your Wei Pobo’s constant insinuations. From beginning to end, it was your people who were singing solo here. If I hadn’t searched thoroughly and found the evidence in your courtyard, how long were you planning to slander Xin He?"
Lady Sun’s face turned pale. She hurriedly said, "Jinxiu is not my girl, Lord Marquis I am wronged!"
If Jinxiu isn’t your girl, could she be Xin He’s? She’s only been in the mansion for a few days. Weren’t all the servants in the mansion under your control before? Aren’t all the people in her courtyard picked by you?"
For the first time, Lord Marquis was truly irritated. Le Yuanhou Mansion had been peaceful for many years. He had always thought that Lady Sun managed things well, keeping his backyard in order unlike others. However, in the end, she disappointed him!
Upon hearing this, Lady Sun’s eyes turned red, "Does Lord Marquis not trust me? I’ve been in the mansion for nearly twenty years. I’ve never had any devious intents in all these years. I’ve faithfully served Lord Marquis. Is Lord Marquis really going to doubt me because of this confusing incident?"
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