Chapter 129 The Hypocritical Heir

Nanny Xu knelt on the ground, her body trembling like a leaf in the wind. "This servant pleads not guilty. Please, Your Honor, see the truth. This servant has been utterly loyal to Prince Ye. Even if you gave me a hundred times the courage, I would never dare to do such a thing!"

"All of this is Princess Ye's false accusation against me. I beg Your Honor to seek justice for me."

Ji Yuntang sneered, her gaze cold and piercing as she looked at her. "Is it that you dare not do it, or that you dare not admit to doing it?"

"Nanny Xu, if you still have a shred of conscience, you will confess one by one all the things you have done in Prince Ye's Mansion over the years, so as to spare yourself the pain of torture later."

Nanny Xu grew even angrier. "This servant has done nothing at all! What does Princess Ye want me to confess?"

"Everyone knows that I am Prince Ye's savior. If I had wanted to harm him, why would I have jumped into the icy lake to save him back then?"

"Your Highness cannot oppress me just because I am lowly. My daughter has already died at your hands. Do you want to drive me to my death as well before you are satisfied?"

The more Nanny Xu spoke, the more agitated she became. Her eyes were bloodshot, her face twisted with ferocious hatred.

She still did not know that Ji Yuntang had already investigated and discovered that she was not Luo Junhe's savior.

The reason Ji Yuntang had not revealed it was because she was waiting for someone to arrive—someone who could truly prove that Nanny Xu was not Luo Junhe's savior.

Now, the person she was waiting for had not yet come, so Ji Yuntang did not mind toying with her a little longer.

But before Ji Yuntang could speak, Ji Huaiche, who was standing nearby, could not help but interject:

"Princess Ye, you actually killed Nanny Xu's daughter. I never imagined you could be so vicious. You are completely unworthy of being a daughter of our Yongning Marquis Manor."

Having said this, Ji Huaiche immediately turned to look at Xu Muyan, his eyes turning cold.

"Assistant Minister Xu, she alone is responsible for her actions. Princess Ye's killing innocent people in Prince Ye's Mansion has nothing to do with Yongning Marquis Manor. I also hope that when Assistant Minister Xu passes judgment, he will not attribute her faults to our Yongning Marquis Manor."

"If necessary, this subordinate official does not mind placing justice above family ties."

After Ji Huaiche finished speaking with a face full of righteousness, the sound of clapping suddenly rang out.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

"Well said, 'placing justice above family ties.' Heir Ji, have you forgotten that this princess has already severed ties with your Yongning Marquis Manor? It is you who have been shamelessly clinging to me time and again. Don't you find these words ridiculous now?"

Xu Muyan did not think there was anything wrong with what Ji Yuntang said. He looked at Ji Huaiche with a complicated expression.

As the Right Assistant Minister of Dali Temple, although Ji Huaiche's official rank was lower than his, he still played an auxiliary role.

This practice of immediately distancing himself from his own sister when trouble arose made Xu Muyan feel extremely despicable, not the act of a gentleman.

It also did not match the image of integrity and uprightness that Ji Huaiche usually projected.

However, during the trial, the proper procedures still had to be followed.

Xu Muyan composed his expression and asked seriously, "Princess Ye, the defendant, Nanny Xu, alleges that you caused the death of her daughter. Do you have any words regarding this?"

"In response to Lord Xu's question, it is indeed true."

Ji Yuntang's bold admission left both Nanny Xu and Ji Huaiche present utterly astonished.

What scheme was that bitch plotting now?

How could she possibly admit to killing Liu Linlang?

"Nanny Xu's daughter, Liu Linlang, lived in the mansion for fifteen years without ever experiencing a single day of a servant's life. Everyone in Prince Ye's Mansion affectionately called her 'Miss Liu.' The daughter of a servant—how could she be called 'Miss'? Does that conform to the rules?"

"Liu Linlang, relying on her mother Nanny Xu's position, abused her position in Prince Ye's Mansion. She lived in the best courtyard in the mansion, adorned herself with jewelry that the Emperor had bestowed upon this princess. When she saw this princess, she not only failed to kneel and pay respects but also insulted me with arrogant words. Prince Ye himself did not even have two attendants by his side, yet she had two maidservants to serve her. She herself was a maid, yet she had maids serving her—isn't that ridiculous?"

"Not only that, but Liu Linlang also sent the maid Qiao Ye to poison my food, led people to break into my courtyard and assault my maidservant, causing her internal organs to rupture and leaving her unconscious. She is still lying in bed now. Adding up all these incidents, was this princess wrong to punish the daughter of a servant?"

"Even if I had killed her or hacked her to pieces, I would not feel that I was wrong."

Xu Muyan's face reddened with anger. He picked up the gavel beside him and slammed it down on the table.

"Defendant Nanny Xu, are the words of Princess Ye true? Did your daughter do the things she mentioned?"

Nanny Xu's face went pale with fear, and her lips trembled.

These things—Liu Linlang had indeed done them, and everyone in Prince Ye's Mansion knew it.

Admitting it would only lend more credibility to Ji Yuntang's words.

Fortunately, Liu Linlang was dead and could not be confronted. Even if she stubbornly refused to admit it, it would not matter.

"In response to Your Honor, this servant does not know. Linlang is already dead. If she had really sent someone to poison Princess Ye's food, then why is Princess Ye perfectly fine and standing here, while my daughter died of poisoning instead?"

"Your Honor, Princess Ye's claim simply makes no sense. Everyone knows that my daughter was mild-mannered and well-behaved in the mansion. She never argued with anyone, let alone became physically violent. She had just turned eighteen and was not yet betrothed. I implore you, Your Honor, to seek justice for my daughter."

Nanny Xu's tears streamed down her face, and her sobs were heartrending. Even the officers present felt a twinge of pity.

Chen Hu, hearing these distorted claims, could no longer contain himself. He jumped out and said, "Lord Xu, she is lying!"

"She knows exactly what her daughter was like. Liu Linlang was not at all as Nanny Xu described. On the contrary, she was arrogant and headstrong, often lashing out whenever things didn't go her way, venting her anger on the servants of Prince Ye's Mansion."

"In these years, eight or ten servants have died at Liu Linlang's hands. It was not until Princess Ye arrived that she was finally reined in, which also triggered Liu Linlang's petty vengefulness. It was because Princess Ye stood up for us subordinates that Nanny Xu and Liu Linlang kept causing trouble for her. They even said that the death of a princess in Prince Ye's Mansion was no big deal, since Prince Ye himself was not long for this world."

"Your Honor, this humble man Chen Hu swears that every word is true. If Your Honor does not believe me, you can send someone to Prince Ye's Mansion to ask other servants for verification."

Nanny Xu: "!!!"

That cur Chen Hu was actually going against her here.

She truly regretted not having poisoned him to death back then.

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