Chapter 87

Chapter 87 Prince Jing sneered coldly: "Excellent! First the kite string breaks, then the dog goes out of control, and now a maidservant appears who wants to harm my offspring." Prince Jing: "I'd like to see what else can be uncovered!" Before long, Jing Wu's subordinate entered. "Reporting to Your Highness, that girl is Sang Cao, a second-class maidservant in Concubine Han's household. She's confessed everything." Prince Jing's eyes remained calm and unruffled. "What did she say?" Jing Wu lowered his head: "Sang Cao says that Xiaoshu, who serves Concubine Xie, put her up to it." Xiaoshu, who had been wholeheartedly shielding Xie Run, suddenly raised her head. "She's lying!" "When did I ever instruct her to do anything?!" Concubine Han also wore a look of surprise, speaking slowly: "I too believe Sister Xie would never harm me. Could that girl be recklessly dragging others down with false accusations?" As she spoke, the guards had already brought Sang Cao up. Her appearance was neat, but her face showed signs of listlessness—clearly she had been subjected to torture. The moment Sang Cao saw Xiaoshu, her eyes lit up, and she struggled to run toward Xiaoshu. "Sister Xiaoshu, save me!" "I did exactly as you said!" "There were too many people around at the time—I hadn't even gotten the chance to push Concubine Han before Jing Wu caught me." "You said that as long as I pushed Concubine Han into the water, Mistress Xie would guarantee my family wealth and honor." Xiaoshu said urgently: "You're talking nonsense! When did I ever say such things to you?!" Sang Cao suddenly looked at Xiaoshu with eyes full of resentment. "You're going back on your word?!" "On the fifteenth of the first month, at the hour of xu, in the side room of your family's back courtyard, with your father and mother standing guard at the door—that's when you gave me fifty taels of silver and a filigree ruby bracelet!" "You said that the blessed child in Concubine Han's belly had stolen Mistress Xie's spotlight and made her unhappy, and you wanted to abort her child!" "These words—you said them to me with your own mouth!" Xiaoshu's heart pounded with terror, and for a moment she didn't know how to defend herself. Because on the fifteenth of the first month, Concubine Xie had specially let her go home to spend the Lantern Festival with her family, and she had even stayed the night there. At the hour of xu, she had been behind closed doors with her father and mother, talking in private. But there was no third witness to any of this! If she spoke up, wouldn't she be walking right into Sang Cao's trap?! No matter what she said, not only could she not clear herself, but every word would fall into the snare Sang Cao had laid. After a moment, someone came forward carrying fifty taels of silver and a filigree ruby bracelet. "Reporting to Your Highness and Your Highness the Princess Consort, these were found in Sang Cao's room." Consort Yun said in surprise: "This bracelet—I seem to remember Sister Xie wearing it." The Princess Consort said slowly: "You shouldn't be mistaken." "I bestowed this bracelet upon Concubine Xie when she was with child." Everyone's gaze fell upon Xie Run and Xiaoshu. The Princess Consort asked in a calm voice: "Xiaoshu, at the hour of xu on the fifteenth of the first month, where were you? And whom did you see?" Xiaoshu's face turned pale, and she instinctively looked toward Xie Run. She dared not speak! The moment the bracelet and silver were brought out, Xiaoshu knew this was a trap meticulously laid for her by the other party. If even one word she said was wrong, she could be destroyed beyond recovery. If it were only her own mistake, that would be one thing—but if she implicated her mistress... Concubine Han clutched her handkerchief on the side, seeming greatly angered. "Xiaoshu, why aren't you answering? Are you staring at your mistress waiting for instructions?!" "I originally didn't believe Sister Xie would harm anyone, but seeing Xiaoshu hem and haw like this, she seems highly suspicious!" Prince Jing swept a cold gaze over Xiaoshu, his voice indifferent: "Speak!" Just that one word frightened Xiaoshu's legs into giving way. She knelt on the ground and said with difficulty: "This servant did return home that day. At the hour of xu, this servant and her mother had already retired for the night. There was no third person present! I never even saw Sang Cao!" "Is there a witness?" Sang Cao: "No... the elders in the household had all retired." Wan Linlang suddenly interjected languidly: "A dark moon and howling wind—the perfect time for secret scheming." "At such an hour, who would notice who came and went from the house?" The Princess Consort also asked: "This bracelet is Concubine Xie's possession. It couldn't have ended up in Sang Cao's hands for no reason, could it?" Xiaoshu said weakly: "This servant has never had dealings with anyone in Concubine Han's courtyard. I've only seen Sang Cao once or twice. How would I dare have her harm my own mistress?!" "If she turned around and bit me, wouldn't I be walking straight into my own doom?!" The Princess Consort mused: "What you say does carry some logic." Sang Cao hastily crawled forward. "Why wouldn't she dare?!" "The Waterside Pavilion was crowded and chaotic—as long as I gave Concubine Han a push in the confusion, who could possibly notice me?!" "As long as no one noticed me, naturally nothing would implicate Concubine Xie!" Prince Jing's voice was deep and cold: "Oh? So you knew in advance that the Waterside Pavilion would be in chaos?" Sang Cao seemed frightened and immediately lowered her head in confession: "This servant didn't know, but this servant guessed it from Xiaoshu's words." "She only told me to go ahead and do it without worry, so this servant took the liberty of guessing that the Waterside Pavilion would be in chaos today." Prince Jing's gaze was profound, his dark eyes settling on Xie Run's face. "Concubine Xie, do you have anything to explain?" Xie Run had not uttered a single word from beginning to end, merely listening to the two maidservants argue—as if she were stunned with fear, or as if she were in no hurry at all. The Princess Consort also asked, "Concubine Xie, I too find it hard to believe you would scheme to harm Concubine Han. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Xie Run rose with Zihu's support and slowly bowed to Prince Jing and the Princess Consort. "Your servant is waiting for Sang Cao to finish. Once Sang Cao has said all she wishes to say, I will address each point in turn—there will be no delay." She lowered her eyelids, her gaze falling upon Sang Cao with a calm yet gentle benevolence. For reasons unknown, Sang Cao felt a jolt of alarm under that look. The Princess Consort also asked, "Sang Cao, do you have anything else to say? Or think carefully—have you made any errors or omissions in your account? If you change your story later, I fear a punishment will be unavoidable." Sang Cao affirmed, "All of this was witnessed by this servant firsthand. There can be no mistake, and there will be no changing of my words!" Xie Run let out a soft sigh. "Very well." "Sang Cao, you said you received the silver and the bracelet in the side room of Xiaoshu's home. Presumably you and Xiaoshu sat in that room discussing matters for quite some time?" Sang Cao said cautiously, "We did stay for a while, but since what we were plotting was a harmful deed, this servant was afraid. I urged Xiaoshu along, and within less than half a cup of tea's time, I slipped away quietly through the eastern corner gate." Xie Run nodded, speaking in a gentle, soft voice, "You even know that Xiaoshu's home has an eastern corner gate. It seems you have indeed been to her house." Everyone was puzzled. Wasn't Concubine Xie's remark only further confirming her own guilt? Then they heard Xie Run ask again, "Xiaoshu, is there any conspicuous object in your side room?" Xiaoshu raised her head abruptly, instantly understanding her mistress's intent. She turned sharply to look at Sang Cao. "Sang Cao, my side room once served as my elder brother's quarters. There is an extremely conspicuous object in that room—do you remember what it is?" Before Sang Cao could even open her mouth, she cut off her path of escape. "This thing is very eye-catching. Anyone who has entered that side room could not possibly forget it." "Think carefully—how will you answer?" Sang Cao lowered her head, her eyes darting as she frantically thought of how to respond. She remembered that Xiaoshu's elder brother had joined the army, and later was wounded in battle before retiring. He had found work as a martial arts instructor at a training hall nearby. An extremely conspicuous object? Impossible! If there truly were such a conspicuous object, word would have spread long ago from anyone who had visited Xiaoshu's home! This was very likely Xiaoshu trying to trick her! Sang Cao steeled her heart, deciding to gamble. She affirmed, "You are lying!" "There is no such conspicuous object at all!" "Your side room has nothing hanging on its walls!"