Two days later, in Liu Shi's Yilan Courtyard.
Though it was still early morning, the hall was already filled with people, the atmosphere as oppressive as an impending storm.
Madam Wang of the second branch sat below, clutching a handkerchief as she tearfully lamented:
"Sister-in-law, you must stand up for our second branch! Our Wei Jie'er finally secured a good marriage prospect – the legitimate son of a respectable scholarly family who values reputation above all! But now, with Lingxi causing such a scene at the banquet, pushing Minister Du's daughter into the water… if this 'tyrannical and vicious' reputation spreads, all the young ladies of our Hou Manor will suffer the consequences!"
"If Wei Jie'er's marriage falls through, how can I go on living!"
The Wei Jie'er mentioned by Madam Wang was precisely the daughter of the second branch.
Madam Zhang of the third branch sat on the other side, eyes lowered as she silently drank her tea, appearing completely detached as if she were just there to make up numbers.
At the center of the incident was the second young lady of Hou Manor, Xiao Lingxi. Also born to Liu Shi, she was Xiao Jingheng's younger sister.
She stood rigidly in the middle of the hall, her small face tight with tension, eyes slightly reddened, yet stubbornly holding her head high, refusing to admit any wrongdoing.
"I didn't push her! She fell in by herself!"
Xiao Lingxi's voice trembled with grievance yet remained clear and loud. "I only ran over when I heard the screams. She had already fallen into the water by herself! What does that have to do with me?"
"Oh? Still refusing to admit it?" Madam Wang dabbed at nonexistent tears with her handkerchief, her tone sarcastic. "So many witnesses saw you right beside Du Xiaojie! Just the other day, you had an unpleasant argument with her over a hairpin. If you didn't push her, are you suggesting Du Xiaojie jumped in herself to frame you? What would a respectable young lady like her possibly gain from that?"
Indeed!
What would she gain?
This was the question puzzling everyone present, which was why they all assumed Xiao Lingxi had pushed Du Xiaojie into the water!
Coupled with the testimony from the other party's maid, this blame had been firmly placed upon Xiao Lingxi's shoulders.
Liu Shi sat at the head of the hall, brows furrowed deeply, her fingers unconsciously quickening their pace as they moved over the Buddhist prayer beads.
She knew her daughter's temperament well – while she could be willful, she likely lacked the malicious intent to harm others.
But with both witnesses and circumstances stacked against Lingxi, and Madam Wang refusing to let the matter drop, she found herself in a difficult position as the matriarch.
"Mother, I really didn't do it!" Seeing Liu Shi's silence, Xiao Lingxi felt even more wronged, tears welling in her eyes that she stubbornly refused to let fall.
Just then, Su Xiaoyu entered with lowered eyes, carrying tea to serve the various mistresses.
She muttered inwardly: [This Madam Wang from the second branch really has a loud voice, disturbing everyone's peace so early in the morning…]
Just as Xiao Jingheng stepped into the hall, he caught Su Xiaoyu's indignant inner monologue.
He paused his steps, moving closer to Su Xiaoyu to hear more clearly.
[Second Young Lady is truly wronged! That Du Tingting clearly slipped into the water intentionally, just to get back at Second Young Lady for beating her at mahjong a few days ago and making her lose face in public. Her personal maid Xianghe was in on it too!]
[What a pity everyone was too panicked to notice how Du Tingting secretly glanced back to confirm Second Young Lady was nearby before she fell in!]
Xiao Jingheng's footsteps abruptly halted!
Su Xiaoyu again! She wasn't even at the scene, so how could she know everything so clearly?
His sharp gaze swept across the hall, where Su Xiaoyu was carefully setting down a teacup, wearing a standard expression of obedient detachment.
Taking in the scene in the hall and combining it with the inner thoughts he had just overheard, he instantly understood the whole story.
Wang Shi was still relentlessly pressing: "…Sister-in-law, it's not that I, as her aunt, want to be harsh on a junior, but if Lingxi's temperament isn't disciplined now, who knows what trouble she might cause in the future! The reputation of our Hou Manor must not be tarnished like this!"
Liu Shi, her head aching from the noise, was about to speak.
"Aunt, that is not quite right."
A cool, steady voice sounded from the doorway, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Xiao Jingheng walked slowly into the hall, first paying his respects to Liu Shi, then calmly turned his gaze to Wang Shi.
"Before the matter has been thoroughly investigated, Aunt is so quick to condemn Lingxi, even escalating it to the level of tarnishing the family's reputation—isn't that too hasty?"
His tone was mild, yet carried an undeniable authority.
Wang Shi felt somewhat intimidated by this young but imposing nephew and forced a smile. "Jingheng, you're busy with official duties and don't know the details. So many people saw it at the time…"
"Seeing is not necessarily believing."
Xiao Jingheng interrupted her and turned to Xiao Lingxi beside him. "Lingxi, tell us again exactly what happened at that time. Don't leave out any details."
Seeing her brother, Xiao Lingxi felt as if she had found her pillar of support. She sniffled and recounted the situation in detail once more.
Emphasizing particularly: "Brother, I really didn't push her! I only ran over after hearing the sound of someone falling into the water!"
Xiao Jingheng listened quietly, but his gaze subtly drifted toward Su Xiaoyu, who was trying hard to minimize her presence.
[Yes, yes, yes! The Second Young Lady is right! She only ran over after hearing the sound! Young Marquis, please investigate clearly—that Du Tingting set this trap precisely because she knew the Second Young Lady is straightforward and impulsive. Her heart is too dirty!]
Su Xiaoyu's inner thoughts chimed in timely, filled with absolute certainty.
Xiao Jingheng had already reached a decision in his heart.
He looked at Liu Shi and said solemnly, "Mother, this matter concerns my sister's reputation and the honor of Hou Manor. We cannot draw conclusions based solely on one side of the story. I believe there must be more to this."
Seeing her son speak with such conviction, Liu Shi felt somewhat reassured and quickly asked him, "Then what do you think we should do?"
Xiao Jingheng turned to Wang Shi. "Aunt, your concern has made you anxious, and I understand that. However, judging a case requires both witnesses and evidence. Relying solely on the testimony of the Du family's maid is hardly convincing. If our Hou Manor accepts this reputation of being 'arrogant and vicious,' I'm afraid Cousin Wei's marriage prospects would truly be affected."
Wang Shi was left speechless by his words, wanting to refute but not knowing where to start.
Xiao Jingheng no longer paid her any attention and said to Liu Shi, "Mother, leave this matter to me."
"Getting to the truth isn't difficult. Since both sides tell different stories, we should start with the most basic questions. We only need to ask Du Xiaojie and her maid… the one named Xianghe: before falling into the water, which direction was Du Xiaojie facing? Did she look back? Or, from which direction did Lingxi run over?"
"Details fabricated in panic often cannot withstand repeated scrutiny."
"Exactly! It's that Xianghe! She's Du Tingting's confidante and has a hand in all the bad deeds! How does Young Marquis know her name? Could it be… he's been investigating all along? Truly worthy of being Young Marquis!"
Su Xiaoyu's inner voice immediately rang out, filled with admiration for Xiao Jingheng's seemingly clairvoyant insight.
A barely perceptible flicker of amusement passed through Xiao Jingheng's eyes.
Of course he hadn't investigated beforehand – this was entirely thanks to this little girl.
"Furthermore," Xiao Jingheng continued, "if Miss Du insists it was Lingxi who pushed her, she should be able to clearly describe the force and direction of the push. Mother, under the pretense of showing concern, why not send someone to question her in detail? If her account is evasive or contradictory, that would reveal the flaw."
His words were impeccably reasoned, providing both an investigative direction and preserving the Hou Manor's dignity in showing concern for the daughter of a family friend, without directly causing a confrontation.
Wang Shi listened, her expression shifting several times.
She had intended to use this opportunity to suppress the main branch and highlight her own daughter's good sense, but hadn't expected Xiao Jingheng to turn the situation around with just a few words.
"Jingheng's considerations are indeed thorough." Liu Shi felt greatly reassured and cast an appreciative glance at her son before saying to Wang Shi:
"Sister-in-law, you've heard. Jingheng will handle this matter. He will certainly clear Lingxi's name without implicating Wei Jie'er. You may rest assured and return."
What else could Wang Shi say?
She could only rise awkwardly: "Then… I'll trouble the Young Marquis with this."
After speaking, she took her leave with some resentment.
The third branch's wife, Zhang Shi, also rose and quietly departed.
The hall was left with only Liu Shi, Xiao Jingheng, Xiao Lingxi, and the attending Su Xiaoyu.