Chapter 418: Chapter 418: An Unexpected Turn

With that, Xie Yuanjiu turned and had a eunuch bring forward the maidservant she had brought with her.

The young maidservant, facing the Emperor and Crown Prince for the first time, knelt on the floor, trembling all over.

"I... I was previously one of the maids serving Second Madam Xie."

Second Master Xie recognized her. "You’re Hong He?"

His brow furrowed in growing confusion.

When he sent Xie Yuanjiu away, he had clearly reassigned Hong He, along with most of the maids and servants from the Second Madam’s courtyard, to a side courtyard to care for Xie Yuanjiu.

Hong He didn’t dare to look up at him, her voice trembling as she said, "I... I must confess. Before Second Madam Xie was imprisoned, Second Master Xie gave me a drug that drives people mad. He instructed me to sprinkle a little of it into the Second Madam’s food and drink every day."

Second Master Xie’s expression changed, and he snapped furiously, "You’re lying!"

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

Seeing this, Xie Suzhi cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, this maid is spouting nonsense. She is clearly trying to frame someone."

Xie Yuanjiu lowered her head, her expression pitiful. "A few days ago, my mother died a sudden and mysterious death in her cell. Hong He was secretly mourning her in the mansion, which is how I caught her. Only under interrogation did Hong He confess the truth."

But Fang Qingdai couldn’t help but say, "Your Majesty, Second Master Xie is not that kind of person."

The Emperor raised a hand, silencing them all.

His gaze fell grimly on the kneeling Hong He.

"Do you know that if We find you are lying, not only will you not live, but your entire clan will be implicated because of you?"

The moment the Emperor’s voice fell, the crisp sound of Shen Ningning cracking open a melon seed was heard.

"CRUNCH—" The fragrant seed dropped into her mouth.

Hong He trembled, her eyes repeatedly darting toward Xie Yuanjiu.

Shen Ningning blinked her big eyes. "But during the time Hong He was serving Second Madam Xie, Aunt Qingdai hadn’t returned to the Capital City yet. What reason would Second Uncle have to harm her?"

Xie Yuanjiu froze, a flash of panic in her eyes.

Her voice was laced with resentment. "But at that time, news of General Liang’s death had already reached the Capital City. My father most likely planned it long ago. He wanted to take this opportunity to get rid of my mother, that burden."

"Yuan Jiu!" Second Master Xie roared, his eyes bloodshot. "I have never mistreated you! Why are you doing this to me?"

Second Madam Xie had schemed to sleep with him and became pregnant with Xie Yuanjiu. Afterward, Mrs. Xie Sr., who was still alive at the time, forced Second Master Xie to take responsibility and marry her.

So, although he couldn’t stand Second Madam Xie and wasn’t close to Xie Yuanjiu, he had never withheld anything from the mother and daughter.

He provided all the money a father should, never a coin less. He even entrusted his older brother, Xie Suzhi, to hire famous masters to tutor Xie Yuanjiu in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Whatever she liked, he let her do.

Why, in return, had she filed an imperial petition to accuse him before the Emperor today?

The Emperor’s voice was somber. "Besides this witness, Hong He, what other evidence do you have?"

Xie Yuanjiu raised her head, her eyes filled with hateful tears. "There is also... myself."

"A while ago, I was infected with the plague. Princess Funing detested me and refused to give me the life-saving medicine. I knelt at the gates of the Xie Mansion, begging my father to show mercy, but he refused to see me. If I weren’t so incredibly lucky to be alive, I’m afraid I would have died long ago."

At this, she turned to Second Master Xie, weeping. "When have you ever treated me as your daughter? In your eyes, my mother and I are just the culprits who ruined your life, aren’t we? Now she’s dead. You must be satisfied!"

Second Master Xie stared in astonishment at Xie Yuanjiu’s accusation, as if he had never known her. A dull ache tightened in his chest. It was only now that he finally understood: Xie Yuanjiu must have hated him for a very long time.

Beside them, Xie Suzhi shook his head and let out a discreet sigh.

He had known for a long time that Xie Yuanjiu’s character was twisted. The years she spent in Changzhou not only failed to correct her bad habits but made them even worse.

The Emperor had also heard about Xie Yuanjiu nearly dying from the plague. However, at the time, he considered it a family matter for the Xie Mansion and thus did not intervene.

But now, it seemed that a father refusing his daughter life-saving medicine was indeed quite cruel.

The Emperor’s gaze toward Second Master Xie grew a few degrees colder.

Xie Yuanjiu seized the opportunity and added, "Not only that, I also discovered that a certain Xu—"

"Uncle Emperor, I have a question!" Shen Ningning cut her off bluntly.

The Emperor looked at Shen Ningning, his expression softening somewhat. "Ningning, how about you save your question until after Uncle has finished questioning them?"

But Shen Ningning shook her head.

"This question is very important! Xie Yuanjiu keeps saying my Second Uncle poisoned Second Madam Xie, but just yesterday, I sent someone to the prison to bring Second Madam Xie a meal. She’s not dead, so how could she have been poisoned to death?"

Xie Yuanjiu’s whole body jolted, and she blurted out, "What? Not dead?!"

The Emperor sharply noted the odd tone in her voice. The gazes of everyone else also turned on her, filled with a new, scrutinizing depth.

Xie Yuanjiu immediately changed her tune, crying, "Princess, no matter what grudges we had in the past, my mother is gone now. One should respect the dead. Are you really going to spread rumors that she’s come back to life?"

Shen Ningning pouted. "I’m not lying to you. She really isn’t dead."

At this moment, Mo Lingwei nodded and ordered to those outside the hall, "Bring the person in."

Everyone turned to see two of the Crown Prince’s personal guards dragging a woman with disheveled hair into the hall.

She was a complete mess, sprawled on the hall floor. The Emperor frowned, staring for a long moment. "Is that Second Madam Xie?"

The figure on the floor stirred and lifted her head. Xie Yuanjiu, who was closest to her, was so frightened she nearly lost her wits.

’It’s really her mother!! She’s not dead!!’

Through her messy hair, Second Madam Xie stared at Xie Yuanjiu with eyes full of venomous hatred.

"I’m not dead. You’re very surprised, aren’t you?"

Xie Yuanjiu trembled. "You... how could you be..."

Shen Ningning spoke up, resolving her confusion.

"Before, I went to visit Second Madam Xie on behalf of Second Uncle. Unexpectedly, I discovered that the food Xie Yuanjiu sent her was poisoned. A mouse that ate it wouldn’t die instantly but would become dazed and crazed. So, I had Grandfather Divine Doctor look into it."

"It turns out the things Xie Yuanjiu was feeding Second Madam Xie contained a slow-acting poison that truly drives people mad. A little at a time, but if you take too much, you die suddenly, and even a forensic doctor can’t determine the cause."

Second Madam Xie kowtowed to the Emperor, crying, "Your Majesty, please see the truth! Every word Princess Funing said is true! What Xie Yuanjiu did is an act condemned by heaven and earth! She tried to poison me to frame her father!"

Xie Yuanjiu still couldn’t process it. She had clearly seen Second Madam Xie covered with a white sheet, and the prison guard had even said...

’Wait!’

She suddenly realized and whipped her head around to look at Shen Ningning.

The little girl sat high on the crown prince chair, radiant as a bright moon.

’Shen Ningning set a trap for me!’

’She made me think my plan had succeeded so that I would attack Second Master Xie.’

’I never knew that Second Madam Xie only faked her death!’

’It’s over...’

Xie Yuanjiu’s face went pale.

The Emperor’s voice was ice-cold, laced with killing intent. "Xie Yuanjiu, what else do you have to say for yourself?"

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