Jiang Wan watched her retreating figure, her slender hand resting on the edge of the well, her fingertips tapping idly, her eyes deep and unfathomable.
"Madam, what are you doing here?"
A moment later, a figure suddenly appeared at the courtyard gate; it was Biluo.
Jiang Wan had just told her to go out and run some errands, but she hadn't expected to disappear when she turned around. She searched for a long time before finally finding this secluded courtyard.
"Why are you all wet?" Biluo asked in surprise.
"I'm fine," Jiang Wan asked. "How did things go?"
“It’s all arranged. Bi Yuan won’t be able to leave the capital today, even if he had wings,” Bi Luo said. “The General’s Mansion is probably about to cause a ruckus. Let’s go back quickly.”
"Not yet."
Jiang Wan said.
"I've gotten into a little trouble."
Biluo was puzzled and was about to ask again when she heard a commotion at the door.
It was Guo Wanqiu who arrived with her people.
Leading the way was the birthday celebrant, Grand Secretary Guo, followed closely by Pei Xuan and Pei Tang, then Guo Wanqiu, and a group of guests attending the banquet.
It seems that Guo Wanqiu deliberately made a big fuss to attract so many people to come together.
Pei Tang was the first to run over, her face filled with anger.
It was clear that Guo Wanqiu had said something to everyone that made her very angry.
"Can't you see that Sister Jiang is all wet? Hurry up and bring me my cloak."
"Before coming to the Guo residence, my mother specifically asked me to take care of Sister Jiang. If anything happens to her, my mother will be very angry!"
Pei Tang rarely loses his temper, but now he deliberately puts on a stern face and mentions the Empress again in order to support Jiang Wan.
Jiang Wan patted her hand reassuringly.
"Grandfather, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Guo Wanqiu stepped forward, her cheeks streaked with tears, as if she had been crying all the way.
“Yingying, she…she was in that well. I saw it with my own eyes. It was Madam Jiang who pushed her down.”
A woman staggered out from the crowd; it was Cui Yingying's mother, Wang.
Wang's face turned deathly pale. Before she even reached the well, her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground, wailing, "Yingying, my poor daughter!"
Lord Cui pulled his wife along while glaring angrily at Jiang Wan.
"Madam Jiang, even if my daughter's words and actions offended you, you cannot treat her so cruelly! You are disregarding human life; do you have no respect for the law?"
"You killed Yingying! It was you!"
Wang rushed over excitedly, her eyes filled with hatred that seemed to want to tear Jiang Wan to shreds.
"What, a second-rank noblewoman? You vicious woman! You're a murderer, you..."
Pei Xuan gave a single glance, and immediately a guard stepped forward and pulled the heartbroken Wang Shi aside.
Grand Secretary Guo saw the intention of Pei Xuan and his sister to protect each other, but since the matter occurred in his residence, he had no choice but to step forward and make the decision.
"Madam Jiang, did you really push Miss Cui into the well?"
“That’s right,” Jiang Wan admitted.
Wang cried out, "Yingying has done you no wrong, why did you want to take her life!"
"Good question."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Jiang Wan laughed: "I'd also like to know, why did Miss Cui come to provoke me for no reason?"
Wang was taken aback and subconsciously looked at Guo Wanqiu.
Cui Yingying has been with Guo Wanqiu all day, and everyone knows that the two have a very close relationship.
But Guo Wanqiu couldn't tell the truth, as this matter involved her marriage and reputation, and she dared not speak recklessly.
She didn't want to upset Pei Xuan.
"It was Yingying... She heard that the General's Mansion had fallen and wanted to mock it, so she wanted to tease Madam Jiang and make fun of her. I tried to persuade her for a long time, but she wouldn't listen and insisted on doing it her own way,"
Guo Wanqiu concealed her guilty conscience and pretended to dab the corner of her eye with a handkerchief.
"I never expected Madam Jiang to get so angry and try to kill her on the spot! If I had known this would happen, I would have stopped her no matter what..."
As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to hear a faint sound coming from the well, which startled her.
Looking again, there was clearly nothing there.
Guo Wanqiu swallowed hard, trying her best to calm herself down.
"Oh?" Jiang Wan retorted, "Since you saw me push Miss Cui in, why didn't you call for help?"
"I…"
Guo Wanqiu was stunned for a moment, then looked at Jiang Wan with confusion.
She didn't understand why Jiang Wan was still getting caught up in these trivial details when she was about to be convicted of murder.
"Of course I called for help, but unfortunately the courtyard was remote and no one heard me."
Guo Wanqiu wore a sorrowful expression.
"Later, I could only run out to ask for help, but it was too late, Yingying was already..."
She looked at Pei Xuan, then knelt down with tears streaming down her face: "Your Highness, Yingying and I are like sisters, we are bound by blood. I cannot bear to see her suffer such a terrible fate. Please punish the murderer and do justice for her!"
"Miss Guo, you'd better not lie to me."
Pei Xuan's eyes were dark, and he was not moved by her tears at all. He stared at her coldly.
"Grand Secretary Guo has been diligent throughout his life and is a pillar of the Great Yong Dynasty. For the sake of his birthday today, I will give you another chance. Think carefully about how to answer."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com