Chapter 171

Chapter 171 Suici wiped her tears and said, "This servant knows this matter is disgraceful and wouldn't dare let anyone know. Not to mention the mistress, even the sisters of Embroidery Moon Pavilion don't know." Nanny Li gave a light snort. "At least you still have some sense of shame!" Suici's tears flowed even harder. Nanny Li asked again, "Yuezhi, aren't you going to confess honestly?!" "Who told you to add tapioca powder to Fifth Young Master's water?!" Yuezhi already had many wounds on her body, clearly having gone through a round of interrogation. Now hearing Nanny Li's words, she only kept her head lowered and said in a firm voice, "Nanny Li, this servant did not add tapioca powder to Fifth Young Master's water!" "What this servant did not do, this servant will never admit!" Her attitude was resolute, and she truly appeared innocent. Xie Run said softly, "In that case, perhaps we should bring Yuezhi's family in for questioning together?" This question was directed at Prince Jing. When it involved matters of the outer courtyard, even the Princess Consort could not make decisions. Just then, Yueyao spoke softly, "This servant... this servant also knows one more thing." Yuezhi, who had been expressionless all along, suddenly stirred and glanced at Yueyao, her eyes carrying a hint of ferocity. Yueyao was frightened and immediately stepped back a few paces. "This servant vaguely sensed that Yuezhi's relationship with her family seemed off, so I privately made inquiries and only then learned that Yuezhi is not the Zhao family's biological daughter, but an adopted one." "What?!" It was Suici who shouted this, her face full of shock. "How can that be?" Xie Run asked gently, "Is there anything else besides this?" Xie Run spoke warmly to soothe Yueyao: "When you and Yuezhi first entered Spring Mountain Courtyard, Dantao told me that although you are timid, your mind is extremely perceptive. I believe that having lived with Yuezhi for several days, you should have noticed quite a few things?" Yueyao's eyes glistened with emotion. She hadn't expected her mistress to understand her so well. Did this mean her mistress thought highly of her? Yueyao's voice grew a bit louder: "Yuezhi, she... seems to be somewhat different toward her brother..." Nanny Li asked curiously, "Different in what way?" Yueyao blushed a little. "It's just... different from how ordinary siblings are." Everyone present understood. Suici beside her wore a shocked expression and blurted out the truth: "She has improper feelings for her brother?!" Suici looked as if she couldn't accept it: "No wonder you've always been dissatisfied with me, finding every opportunity to mock and humiliate me. So you really do have shameful feelings for your brother..." Yuezhi, who had been silent all along, suddenly panicked and shouted, "No! This servant does not!" Xie Run sat in her chair with a somewhat numb expression. From these two matters today, who knew how many more things would be dragged out—enough to supply Prince Jing's estate with a month of gossip. Prince Jing couldn't be bothered with nonsense. "This matter is simple enough. Just have Jing Wu bring Zhao Wu here for torture until he tells the truth." Yuezhi suddenly raised her head, her eyes viciously fixed on Suici. "Since you're so heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless!" Suici looked utterly bewildered. "What are you talking about?" Yuezhi knelt on the ground, shuffled forward on her knees a few steps, and kowtowed. "This servant confesses!" "It was this servant who put the tapioca powder in Fifth Young Master's water! But this servant was bribed by Suici—blinded by money, my heart was clouded, and I did such a foolish thing!" As she spoke, she raised her right wrist, revealing a bracelet hidden beneath her sleeve. "This bracelet is the evidence Suici gave this servant!" "She said to just put a small amount of tapioca powder in Fifth Young Master's drinking water—it would only upset his stomach, not take his life." "Children always have their share of illnesses and ailments. As long as I stopped once Fifth Young Master showed discomfort, no one would ever discover it!" "But now that I've been caught, she wants to wash her hands of it... Don't you dare think of it!" Xie Run watched her with dark, heavy eyes. "I've always treated you all well. For a gold bracelet, you would dare to harm a young master of the estate?" "If you truly covet wealth, this little bit would never satisfy your appetite; if you don't covet wealth, then your words make even less sense..." Xie Run looked toward Prince Jing: "Prince, I'm afraid this girl still has things she hasn't confessed." Suici also cried out in protest: "This servant truly never told Yuezhi to harm Fifth Young Master. How could this servant possibly have such audacity?!" "Yuezhi has always treated me with nothing but contempt and hostility!" "Knowing she was Zhao Wu's sister, I tried to curry favor with her—how would I dare ask her to do things for me?" Yuezhi suddenly rose and slapped Suici across the face. "Isn't it because you threatened me with my feelings for Brother Wu?!" "You said if I didn't do things for you, you'd spread word of my feelings for Brother Wu everywhere, making it impossible for Brother Wu and me to show our faces, and bringing shame to our parents as well!" "Five days ago when you threatened me, you were full of arrogance—and now you put on this pitiful act!" Suici shouted, "I didn't..." She was trembling with rage, but being poor with words, she couldn't out-argue Yuezhi. In the end, Prince Jing still had the Zhao family brought in for interrogation. But Zhao Wu's parents knew nothing of Yuezhi's feelings for her elder brother Zhao Wu—upon hearing it, they nearly fainted. Zhao Wu himself knew, but he was unaware of the conflict between Yuezhi and Suici. The matter was stuck between these two maidservants, and could not be investigated any further. Wan Linlang knelt on the ground, pleading for her maid: "Your Highness, Yuezhi speaks so aggressively—clearly someone used to throwing her weight around. How could she possibly be threatened by Suici?" "Suici has the weakest temperament of anyone in my courtyard. She can't even keep the lower maids in line on a normal day—how would she dare to do harm to Fifth Young Master?" Wan Linlang gave a bitter smile. "If I truly harbored ill intentions toward Fifth Young Master, I would never have sent Suici, that timid girl, to do it." "Otherwise, once the matter came to light, a little torture would be all it took—that girl couldn't hold anything back..." Fang Yuan'er, who had been waiting for an opening, finally found her chance. She laughed. "Since you dared to scheme like this, you must have long prepared to abandon the girl. Why would you fear that she couldn't withstand interrogation and turn on you?" Wan Linlang was always sharp, and she had long noticed that today, upon entering Spring Mountain Courtyard, Fang Yuan'er and everyone around her seemed listless. Even Qiu Lu, who was usually so arrogant and overbearing, was nowhere to be seen. She vaguely guessed that Fang Yuan'er had likely gotten herself into trouble too. She gave a cold snort. "Side Consort Fang speaks with such authority—could it be that you've done this so often yourself that you speak from experience?" Fang Yuan'er refused to take the bait, smiling instead: "You've never been one to stay still. Now that you've been quiet for several months, I suspect you've been secretly plotting this day all along, haven't you?" Wan Linlang looked at Fang Yuan'er's face and gnashed her teeth in hatred. "Side Consort Fang insists that I meant to harm Fifth Young Master—could it be that you secretly framed me for this?" Fang Yuan'er let out a light laugh. "If I weren't eager to watch your show, now that would truly be a problem." The Princess Consort, listening from the side, gave a small yawn. She glanced at Prince Jing. "Your Highness, I'm afraid this matter will require your decision." Prince Jing was also annoyed. Hearing a case from the inner courtyard turned out to be more tedious than a case from the Ministry of Justice. He rose to his feet. "No more deliberation!"