Liuli revealed a slightly twisted smile, while Wen Xueling acted even more pitiful.
However, Gan Qiongying didn't watch their performance and continued, "Princess Xue'e did indeed fall off her carriage and injured her leg; it's quite pitiful..."
Gan Qiongying sighed.
Princess Hui'an almost lost her composure; if Duanrong had just offered a few words of excuse, she could have easily smoothed things over.
Princess Hui'an is quite old, and she hasn't been this nervous in many years, fearing that Duanrong might make a rash decision and admit it.
Gan Qiongying, of course, could not admit it.
She glanced at the master and servant who were engrossed in their act, and decided to bring up the fact that Zhongli had genuinely "kindly given up the carriage."
“I am truly innocent in this matter,” Gan Qiongying said. “At that time, the Third Prince of Jinchuan was also on that official road. The three of us were traveling in one carriage after the other. If I really had someone throw nails, there is no reason why only one nail would be thrown, and it would be such a coincidence that Princess Xue’e’s horse stepped on it.”
Gan Qiongying's tone was tinged with amusement and utterly sarcastic: "If I really had the ability to precisely throw a nail under a horse's hoof, startling it, and then make it fall into a ditch exactly as I intended, why would I go to such lengths to harm someone... Why don't I just kill them by throwing nails directly?"
Gan Qiongying also left a blank space.
He looked at Wen Xueling and said, "Princess Xue'e, when you overturned the carriage, the place was in the middle of nowhere. I was kind enough to bring you to the birthday banquet. How could you allow such a wicked servant to slander me like this?"
Gan Qiongying's attitude was not intense, but her words were very precise. Wen Xueling, who was originally focused on pretending to be pitiful and had even squeezed out tears, was forced to swallow them back by Gan Qiongying's questions.
“At that time, this wicked servant rushed out and slandered me. As a princess, how could I tolerate such malicious slander? Isn’t this just sowing discord among the royal family?”
Gan Qiongying said, "Such a wicked servant should naturally be killed immediately, but Princess Xue'e said that this wicked servant grew up with her since childhood and they are like sisters, of one heart and one mind."
Gan Qiongying emphasized the phrase "like sisters, of one heart and one mind" in her speech, determined to label the two as birds of a feather.
“You were the one who tugged at my sleeve and begged me softly. I spared this wicked servant’s life by slapping him because I thought you were far from home and had no one to take care of you.”
Gan Qiongying said, "I really want to ask Princess Xue'e, why did you conclude that I was trying to harm you based solely on the instigation of a wicked servant?"
"Why would I only hurt you and not others?"
"How come the Third Prince of Jinchuan also took that road and was completely unharmed?"
"That road is so wide, why did your car have to be behind mine?"
"Moreover, you also crashed into my car, and both the prince consort and I suffered abrasions. Instead of an apology from you, you condoned your wicked servant's repeated slanders."
"Princess Xue'e, I want to ask you what grudge we have against each other?"
Wen Xueling was left speechless by the questioning.
She couldn't possibly say that Gan Qiongying was jealous because she failed to win over the Jin Chuan hostage, which is why the Jin Chuan hostage fell more in love with her, and that Gan Qiongying was competing with her for his affections, could she?
There are some things that even a discerning person can see, but they just can't be said.
Gan Qiongying was certain that Wen Xueling wouldn't dare say anything, because in this kind of situation, if she dared to mention any personal feelings, she would be humiliating herself.
Zhong Lizhen would never admit to having a different opinion of Wen Xueling in such a setting.
Gan Qiongying's barrage of criticism rendered Wen Xueling speechless.
Then, looking at the Grand Princess Huian, she said, "After the overturned carriage, Princess Xue'e was lame in the leg, but when the Third Prince of Jinchuan came, her leg was no longer lame, her body was no longer in pain, and she was even able to run over."
“I told Princess Xue’e at the time that the man was unmarried and the woman was unmarried, and that men and women should be different in broad daylight… wouldn’t that sound bad if word got out?”
"It's more suitable for you to ride in my car."
"However, Princess Xue'e insisted on riding in the carriage of the Third Prince of Jinchuan. In order to avoid suspicion, the Third Prince had no choice but to ride a horse with his attendants."
Gan Qiongying said in a puzzled tone, "I was wondering too, is the carriage of the Third Prince of Jinchuan really that nice?"
Gan Qiongying finally looked at Wen Xueling and said, "Now it seems to be a good thing. Riding in the carriage of the Third Prince of Jinchuan is like bringing the dead back to life and healing bones. Even a crippled leg can walk like the wind again. Look, it can even dance now."
"Your Highness," Gan Qiongying said directly to Zhongli Zhengzhen, "after the birthday banquet, I must borrow Your Highness's carriage."
"If my aunt sits with me then, she will surely live to be a hundred years old."
Princess Hui'an couldn't help but chuckle.
Some people in the room couldn't help but burst into laughter, which put Zhongli Zhengzhen and Wen Xueling in a very difficult position.
Zhongli Zhengzhen was originally just sitting and drinking, treating the matter as a spectacle. In any case, it wouldn't do him any harm to see these royal relatives of Nanzhao Kingdom fighting with each other.
Unexpectedly, Gan Qiongying's few words dragged him into the mess. His hand holding the wine glass paused, and his face froze.
Moreover, Gan Qiongying's words implied that he had an ambiguous relationship with Princess Xue'e.
Although it is common practice to offer a car to a woman, which is considered gentlemanly conduct and a commendable act.
However, Gan Qiongying, who had inherited the Yin-Yang technique for five thousand years, was a Yin-Yang person and spoke in a way that made people feel that these two were definitely not innocent.
Wen Xueling was so angry she was almost crying. She stood there, frozen, glaring at Gan Qiongying, and nearly gritted her teeth to pieces.
She looked at Zhongli Zhengzhen with pleading eyes, but received no response.
"Your Highness is wise!"
Seeing that her princess had been wronged and that her reputation was at stake, Liuli kept kneeling and kowtowing, making loud thuds. When she looked up again, her face was covered in mud and looked extremely ugly.
"The reason why the princess did not ride in Princess Duanrong's carriage was because Princess Duanrong took advantage of the situation and demanded a full ten thousand taels of silver for the carriage fare from the princess!"
"The princess couldn't afford that much money, so she had to ride in the carriage of the Third Prince of Jinchuan, which is not as Princess Duanrong said!"
As soon as Liuli finished speaking, laughter rang out again at the birthday banquet.
Because the previous false accusations were so absurd, and with Gan Qiongying's attitude and guidance, no one believed what Liuli said anymore.
Only Li Hua nervously clenched his sleeves again, because he had overheard inside the carriage that the story about throwing nails was completely fabricated, but the story about extorting 10,000 taels for the carriage fare was true.
Gan Qiongying laughed along with the others at the birthday banquet. Unlike Wen Xueling, who was red-faced and visibly angry, Gan Qiongying's voice was even somewhat sarcastic, yet tinged with innocence: "I was just joking when I said I'd only give you a ride if I asked you for money..."
“Everyone in the entire Yin Kingdom knows this, right?” Gan Qiongying said lightly, even with a hint of pride. “My husband is the richest man in the world, with merchant guilds all over the Southern Zhao Kingdom. My husband and I have a very close relationship. What I lack most now is money. What can I do with your ten thousand taels?”
Upon hearing this, the people at the birthday banquet chuckled again, but there was no mockery in their voices.
Sometimes that's how it is; the more you try to avoid or cover it up, the more others will hold onto it.
Once you openly admit something, even in a self-deprecating way, no one will laugh at you.
Therefore, no one in the room heard Gan Qiongying say that her husband was a businessman, and they sighed as usual.
Because her tone sounded genuinely cheerful.
When Li Hua heard Gan Qiongying say this, his fingernails dug into his palms from his sleeves, and pain spread through his palms. But this time, what he wanted to suppress was no longer the pain itself, but an uncontrollable pleasure.
Gan Qiongying not only brought him to the birthday banquet, but also acknowledged him in front of so many people, mentioning him in such a tone.
No one knows what this sense of openness and pride means to someone who has been abandoned since birth.
Seeing that Wen Xueling and her servant could no longer let out any smelly farts.
Gan Qiongying composed herself slightly, feigning anger, and said, "Princess Xue'e, it's one thing for you to take my kindness for granted, but you even sent a maid to slander me twice. That's really a bit unreasonable, isn't it?"
Gan Qiongying stood up and bowed respectfully to Princess Hui'an, her face full of guilt, and said, "Aunt, I am truly ashamed. Today is your birthday banquet, yet you have witnessed such a farce."
Upon hearing this, even the Grand Princess Hui'an began to feel sorry for her, and her gaze towards Princess Xue'e became much sharper.
Gan Qiongying flipped the chessboard over; nobody was going to have an easy time.
Liuli, kneeling on the ground, wanted to say something more, but Wen Xueling knew the situation was hopeless. She wasn't entirely brainless, though, and snapped at her, "Shut up!"
"Xue'e was momentarily confused and listened to the instigation of this wicked servant,"
Wen Xueling bowed respectfully to Gan Qiongying, glanced back, and as if she had made up her mind, turned back to her, her eyes devoid of any warmth. "This wicked servant has repeatedly put me in a difficult position. Princess, please do not be angry. I will kill her now to avenge your injustice."
Wen Xueling is trying to cut her losses and save herself.
When Liuli heard that her master wanted to kill her, her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, like a fish stranded on the shore.
But she was indeed a loyal servant. Even though tears streamed down her face, she did not utter a word in her own defense, nor did she beg Wen Xueling to let her go.
He simply kowtowed properly to Wen Xueling, and then was dragged away by Aunt Wumei's men.
Gan Qiongying did not dwell on this matter; there was no way to put Wen Xueling to death over it.
Even if she suffers a loss, it won't be a big loss. Continuing to entangle her will only make things difficult for Princess Hui'an.
Wen Xueling was, after all, the apple of the eye of the King of Jingxi. The King of Jingxi had ruled this region as a local tyrant for many years, and these nobles in the capital city, who had no soldiers or money and were just empty shells, were not to be trifled with.
Gan Qiongying then completely wiped away her smile, and said to Wen Xueling with a wicked and arrogant look, "You think you can appease my anger by beating and killing a servant?"
"I am a princess, after all. How can I be slandered twice for no reason? Where is the dignity of the royal family?"
The birthday banquet fell silent once again, and everyone thought that Gan Qiongying was going to keep harping on Wen Xueling.
Suddenly, Gan Qiongying changed the subject and said, "How about this, Princess Xue'e compensate me with ten thousand taels of silver, and send someone to deliver it to my residence after the birthday banquet?"
After a brief silence, laughter broke out again at the birthday banquet.
Gan Qiongying not only steered the conversation back on track but also managed to pocket the ten thousand taels of silver she had been longing for.
He has achieved both fame and fortune!
Wen Xueling could only swallow her pride and politely nodded, saying, "That's exactly what the princess said."
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