Chapter 133: I Shall Preside Over the Interrogation Myself

Before long, Chunhong and Yanhong were brought in. They looked significantly haggard, their clothes tattered and their hair disheveled. However, the brand-new shoes on their feet betrayed them; it was clear they were not suffering, but merely putting on a show of misery.

Su Jingluo understood the situation at a glance. It was exactly as Alan had predicted—a calculated scheme.

Chunhong and Yanhong acted with practiced submissiveness, dropping to their knees the moment they arrived to begin their performance.

"My Lord, please grant us justice! We, Chunhong and Yanhong, bring this accusation against the Princess of Jing. She is incredibly vicious. First, she humiliated us without cause, and then she drove us out of the Prince’s estate. Our poor sister, unable to bear the shame, threw herself into the river to end her life. Her body has yet to be recovered." Seeing Su Jingluo, a genuine look of hatred flared in their eyes. They grew agitated, sobbing uncontrollably as they began to rattle off a list of Su Jingluo’s supposed wrongdoings, though not a single point held any substance.

"Without cause?" Su Jingluo interrupted before Magistrate Zhang Yi could even speak. "What exactly did I scold you for? Where did this scolding take place? Who were the witnesses?"

"It was at the Prince's estate. The secondary consort ordered the three of us to inventory the gifts sent by our female guests. The Princess flew into a rage and began to humiliate us." Chunhong and Yanhong were taken aback by the sudden interrogation. They had expected the magistrate to question them, but Su Jingluo had jumped in before Zhang Yi could even open his mouth. Stunned, they had no choice but to answer her directly.

"Gifts? What gifts? Was there a celebration at the estate?" Su Jingluo pressed on. Zhang Yi opened his mouth to intervene, but again, he was not as quick as Su Jingluo.

"Naturally, the gifts sent by the wives of the officials who attended the royal banquet. As for the… the details, I am but a servant and naturally know nothing of my masters' affairs. I only followed orders, never imagining the Princess would make things so difficult for us. We were terrified and trembling, and the Princess’s young son even threatened to slash our faces." Chunhong had learned to pre-emptively answer, glossing over her previous slip-up before diving back into her pitiful wailing.

"Very well, let us assume you know nothing of the gifts. But surely you know who the Princess of the estate is? Since when does the management of a household’s social affairs fall to a few maids of a secondary consort? As everyone knows, my son is only five. He has never stepped beyond the inner gates and is timid by nature. He is startled by the flight of a bird and screams at the sight of a crawling insect. And you claim he threatened to slash your faces? A five-year-old child—ask anyone present if they believe that."

Su Jingluo’s words were logical and cutting. The only part where she truly strained her conscience was when she spoke of Yunbai; even Xiao Jingxuan, listening nearby, found it unbearable and flushed deep red.

However, the commoners and Magistrate Zhang Yi were inclined to believe her. After all, what malice could a five-year-old child possibly harbor? The claim about slashing faces was indeed far-fetched, and the crowd began to whisper, their skepticism rising.

"It is true! It was because of this incident that the Princess humiliated the three of us, driving Yue’er to despair at such a young age. Is it right for the Princess to treat us so cruelly over such a trivial matter?" Yanhong immediately jumped in, attempting to shift the focus.

"A trivial matter? In a great estate like the Prince’s, is anything truly trivial? One who does not manage a household does not know the difficulty of it. How is it that a mere maidservant gets to judge the importance of estate affairs? Where did you learn your manners? Moreover, it is only right for the mistress of the house to manage the household. If your master was muddled and ordered you to do wrong, do you not have the sense to distinguish right from wrong? If you must blame someone, blame your master. If your master ordered you to go out into the street and kill people at random, would you do it? And would you then claim, 'Others told me to do it, so I am not at fault'?"

Su Jingluo’s heart had steadied, her composure returned, and the warmth had seeped back into her limbs. She had fully entered her stride, her tongue sharp and her arguments flowing with unstoppable precision.