HLnovel Chapter 218 I refuse to believe I can't find that person!
Chapter 218 I refuse to believe I can't find that person!
Princess Liduan unleashed a torrent of words, completely ignoring the ever-changing expressions on the faces of the others.
Xue Wanning's fingernails had been broken off and were stuck in her palm.
Her face was deathly pale, and her lips trembled slightly. She couldn't even imagine how the onlookers would view her after Princess Liduan had shouted those words, or how those who knew about it would view her!
Over the years, she has racked her brains to plan for herself and worked hard to build her reputation. Even when she broke off her engagement with Sheng Junyao last time, he did not make her lose face. But with Princess Liduan making such a scene today, what face does she have left?
Why do I have to go against her?
Xue Wanning's eyes instantly reddened. She looked up at Princess Liduan and said in a pitiful voice, "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a reason. I don't know where I offended you, Princess, that you would go to such lengths to slander me. How could I, a weak woman, kidnap you from the vast Princess's mansion? Does Princess Liduan lie without even thinking? Or does Princess Liduan rely on her status as a member of the imperial clan to do whatever she wants and arbitrarily frame and slander my innocence?"
"Wan Ning! Stop being so presumptuous!" Before anyone else could speak, Marquis Guangping sternly shouted at Xue Wan Ning with an unhappy expression.
Then she hurriedly turned around and apologized to the princess: "Your Highness, my daughter was rude and offended the county princess with her words. I beg Your Highness not to hold it against her."
The eldest princess glanced indifferently at the Marquis of Guangping and scoffed, "From what you're saying, Marquis, are you implying that I've been abusing my power? My imperial clan has been abusing our power without any regard for right or wrong?"
The Marquis of Guangping knelt down with a thud: "Your Highness, please forgive me, I would never dare."
"Why is Your Excellency kneeling? This is the Jingzhao Prefecture government office. The duty of the government office is to uphold justice for the people and for the citizens of Dazhao. I am merely here with my daughter to seek justice. As a member of the imperial clan, am I not a citizen of Dazhao? May I ask, Your Excellency, is there anything inappropriate in my actions today? Is it worth it for you, Marquis of Guangping, to kneel down and force me to admit to the crime of a member of the imperial clan abusing their power?" the Princess asked calmly.
The prefect immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness is too kind. As a prefectural official, it is my duty to share the burdens of the people of Dazhao. Today, no matter who has been wronged, I will certainly follow the law, handle the case impartially, and give the county magistrate justice."
The eldest princess cast a cold glance at the Marquis of Guangping and asked in a cool tone, "Did you hear me clearly, Marquis of Guangping?"
Marquis Guangping was already drenched in cold sweat and dared not say another word, nor even continue kneeling. He could only scramble to his feet, wiping his sweat in a disheveled manner, and nod tremblingly in response: "Yes, yes, Your Majesty, I understood. It was Your Majesty's fault."
The eldest princess asked the prefect, "Can we continue the case now?"
The prefect nodded repeatedly: "Your Highness, please rest assured."
Then he gently tapped the gavel and looked at Xue Wanning below the stage again.
Xue Wanning's righteous and righteous attempt to shift the blame was easily defused by the Princess's few words. Just moments before, there had been whispers outside, but now there was no sound at all. Xue Wanning felt a chill run down her spine in the silence. Clearly, it was no longer possible for her to use her status as an excuse.
The prefect's gaze lingered on Xue Wanning for a moment before turning to Princess Liduan and asking, "May I ask, Princess, do you remember exactly what time it was when you stumbled upon Miss Xue having a tryst with someone?"
Princess Liduan answered quickly: "The time for the banquet and lunch was roughly from late noon to early afternoon (around 12:45 to 1:15). That day, there was a slight delay before the banquet started, and I wasn't in the mood for lunch, so I went for a stroll in the garden. As a result, I bumped into Xue Wanning and a man talking very closely in the corridor at the edge of the garden. I didn't hear what they were saying, but I didn't want to disturb their good time, so I turned to leave. But after taking only two steps, I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, I was already outside the capital. An assassin dressed in black fed me poison and threw me into a river on the outskirts of the capital to destroy the evidence. If I hadn't been lucky, my body would be rotting by now."
Upon hearing Princess Liduan's words, Xue Wanning's face changed color several times, alternating between pale and flushed. Unable to decipher Princess Liduan's meaning, she could only subconsciously retort, "I have never been to the garden, nor have I seen any men. Princess, please do not make false accusations!"
"Miss Xue, since you say so, then I ask you, where were you at this time that the county magistrate mentioned, what were you doing, and is there any witness?" the prefect asked.
Xue Wanning bit her lip and paused for a moment before replying, "That day, I didn't have a good appetite and wanted to leave early. However, because I was feeling unwell, I sat in the pavilion outside the courtyard for a while without anyone accompanying me. Later, I heard that the county princess had disappeared and I was kept in the mansion for questioning. I don't know anything else."
"So that means no one can prove that you didn't see the county princess at that time, but the county princess said she saw you with her own eyes. Miss Xue, how do you intend to prove yourself?" The prefect asked, staring at Xue Wanning.
"I am innocent! I truly do not know what happened that day, and I have no witnesses. But the county magistrate said she saw me. So I also ask the county magistrate, is there any witness?" Xue Wanning forced herself to remain calm and asked loudly.
"I saw it with my own eyes, isn't that witness testimony? Fine, Xue Wanning, you won't admit it until you're faced with the truth, will you? Do you think I have no evidence at all? Don't you even think about what you're missing? I advise you to honestly confess who that man is. Tell me, and we'll confront him face to face!" Princess Liduan glared at Xue Wanning and shouted angrily, "Lin Shuang, bring the things over!"
Lin Shuang hurriedly handed over a small bundle. Princess Li Duan took the bundle, opened it, and threw the cloak at Xue Wanning: "Open your eyes and look! What is this? This is the cloak you wore that day. You explain to me why this cloak is on me. You still dare to say you don't know anything about it?"
Xue Wanning looked at the cloak, her expression changed slightly, but she quickly calmed down. "This is indeed my cloak. I was feeling a bit restless that day, so I casually took it off and put it in the pavilion at the Princess's residence. Later, when the county princess had an accident, I was called away and forgot about it in my haste."
Xue Wanning's statement was almost flawless, suggesting that she had already thought about how to handle the situation and had rehearsed her words countless times in her mind to make them flow so smoothly.
"Xue Wanning, you're just afraid to admit it, aren't you? You won't tell me who that man is, but do you think I can't find him?" Princess Liduan turned to the prefect and said, "Sir, we have the guest list of those who came to our mansion for my mother's birthday banquet that day. Please arrange for them to be summoned one by one. I don't believe I can't find that person!"