"I really didn't expect Your Highness Prince Yu to be stupid to this extent," Xue Tingxue said, not in a hurry to defend herself, but choosing to attack first. Because she knew that no matter how much she explained, Fu Nanli would not believe her. "I am a person who practices martial arts, while Xue Manman is a weak woman without the strength to truss a chicken. If I really beat her every day, could she still be standing here, lively and well?"
Seeing that the truth was out, Xue Tingxue widened her almond-shaped eyes and indignantly accused, "It is precisely because you are a martial artist that you know which places are fatal and which are not! You always choose non-vital areas to strike, and you even threatened me, saying that if I dared to leak even half a word, you would twist my head off and leave me with no place to be buried!"
She looked like pear blossoms with rain, her delicate body trembling slightly, appearing exceptionally pitiful.
Fu Nanli felt extreme heartache and, glaring at Xue Tingxue, scolded, "Shameless."
The onlookers who had just suspected that Xue Manman was lying were also stirred to pity.
"Crying so sadly, it doesn't look like acting, could it be..."
Xue Tingxue said loudly, "Do you dare to let someone examine your body?"
"What?" Xue Manman was stunned.
"If what you said is true, there must be traces of abuse left on your body."
"Why should I..."
Fu Tingyuan ordered, "Go and report to the Empress Dowager. There is a pending case here; ask her to come and preside over it."
A eunuch immediately agreed and ran to the Yuntai Palace.
Xue Manman was thoroughly panicked and grabbed Fu Nanli's sleeve, her face turning deathly pale.
"Your Highness..."
"Don't worry," Fu Nanli thought she was afraid that the Empress Dowager would be biased toward Xue Tingxue, so he whispered to comfort her, "With so many eyes watching, the Empress Dowager will handle this impartially."
Although the scene was not very pleasant, once Xue Tingxue's evil act of abusing her benefactor's daughter was confirmed, he could take the opportunity to propose breaking off the engagement to the Empress Dowager, and she should not refuse.
After he made some contributions in the Imperial Court in the future, he would then request His Majesty to grant a marriage between him and Manman, which would be a logical progression.
"But..." Xue Manman had words she couldn't speak, her heart pounding wildly, and the clothes on her back were already soaked with cold sweat.
Her legs also went weak, and she couldn't stand steadily; her figure swayed, and she nearly fell.
Fu Nanli hurriedly supported her, "What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable?"
Xue Tingxue glanced at them sideways and sneered, "It's fine. Even if she faints, her body can still be examined."
Who couldn't see through such a small trick?
Hearing this, Fu Nanli only felt that she lacked compassion, and his disgust for her deepened.
Soon, the Empress Dowager arrived. Without any nonsense, she directly ordered, "Someone, take Xue Manman into the room for an examination."
Xue Manman's mind went blank, and she held onto Fu Nanli tightly.
"Your Highness, I don't want to..."
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager frowned, "What sort of decorum is this, pulling and tugging? Take her away!"
Two eunuchs went up and forcibly dragged Xue Manman away; Fu Nanli found it difficult to intervene.
Immediately, the Empress Dowager looked at Xue Tingxue, looking displeased, "As the older sister, how can you not even manage your younger sister? If you become the Princess Consort in the future, can you be expected to manage the Prince's Mansion?"
Xue Tingxue lowered her eyes and curtsied, "The Empress Dowager's reprimand is correct; your subject is incompetent."
"Imperial Grandmother, this matter..." Fu Nanli attempted to plead for Xue Manman.
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, he was stopped by a sharp look from the Empress Dowager.
"As a Prince, you must be cautious in your words and actions; do not smear the reputation of the Imperial Family."
Fu Nanli frowned slightly and said nothing.
He just didn't want to follow the arrangements and marry a woman he didn't love; how was that smearing the Imperial Family?
The Mama who examined Xue Manman's body came out to report, "This servant has checked carefully. The Second Young Lady is completely unharmed, without a single scratch."
Once these words were spoken, low discussions arose all around.
Fu Nanli did not believe it, "Did you check if there were any internal injuries?"
Xue Tingxue immediately retorted, "Can the Prince manage to beat someone until they have internal injuries without leaving any marks on the outside? In any case, I don't have that ability."
"You..."
"Enough, let this matter end here," the Empress Dowager's tone suddenly became severe and impatient, "Tingxue is the Princess Consort I designated for you. It is fine if you don't like her, but if you dare to indulge other women to ride over her head, you must be prepared for the consequences."
One must look at the master before beating a dog; this bastard was clearly slapping her face in public.
Fu Nanli dared to be angry but dared not speak, gritting his teeth and responding, "Yes."
Xue Manman was brought back and knelt down before the Empress Dowager to plead guilty.
"Your subject knows she was wrong, I beg the Empress Dowager for forgiveness..."
The Empress Dowager did not look at her directly and turned to leave. Xue Tingxue curtsied to see her off.
"The banquet over there is about to start, let's go too."
"This play was quite spectacular."
"I always felt she didn't look like a good person; sure enough, I didn't misjudge her."
The crowd chatted one after another and dispersed.
Xue Tingxue wanted to thank Fu Tingyuan for his help, but who knew he was already nowhere to be seen.
Asking a Palace Maid, the Palace Maid replied, "As soon as the Empress Dowager arrived, Prince Ning'an left."
With no heart left to attend the banquet, Xue Tingxue had Xue Manman return the gold ornaments on her head, then left the Imperial Palace and returned to the Dingguo Mansion.
Fu Nanli was angry, but seeing Xue Manman crying so pitifully, he couldn't bring himself to lash out.
He walked over, helped her up with one hand, and asked with a frown, "Why did you lie?"
"Although my older sister didn't lay a hand on me, she often scolded and humiliated me, saying I was a commoner and not worthy of living in a high-status household like the Dingguo Mansion. I couldn't take the anger, so I... I was wrong, boohoo..."
Xue Manman's shoulders trembled slightly as she covered her face and wept, unable to speak.
"Is the Prince disappointed in me? Do you not want me anymore?"
There was disappointment, of course, but Fu Nanli felt that since the Xue siblings were in a difficult situation at the Dingguo Mansion, she was forced to do this, and it was understandable.
"This king knows you have your difficulties. In the future, if you are wronged, you can tell me."
No matter how much courage Xue Tingxue had, she still wouldn't dare to act presumptuously in front of him.
Xue Manman threw herself into his arms and hugged his waist, sobbing incessantly.
"Fortunately, I have the Prince's protection, otherwise how would I live..."
Duke Dingguo had been unwell for the past few days and was recuperating at home. Madam Xue, worried about him, did not go to the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet today.
As soon as Xue Tingxue entered the house, she hurried over to visit her parents.
"Why are you back so early? Did something happen?" Madam Xue saw at a glance that her daughter's expression was not the same as usual and asked with concern.
"No." Xue Tingxue blinked her moist eyes and walked over with a smile, "Father is still ill, and I wasn't in the mood to drink, so I came back early."
In her previous life, after the Dingguo Mansion was confiscated, her parents were imprisoned and died in jail within a few days.
Although the official explanation was that they died of illness, she knew they were killed by Xue Manman and Fu Nanli.
In this life, she was determined to let her parents and brother live long lives and survive well.
Duke Dingguo laughed, "This girl, your father just has a bit of a cough; it's not a serious illness."
"Where is Manman? Why don't I see her?" Madam Xue looked outside.
Xue Tingxue did not intend to say more for the time being, "She is still in the Palace; someone will send her back later."
Xue Manman was very good at disguising herself. Ever since she arrived at the Dingguo Mansion, there wasn't a day she didn't present herself as gentle, virtuous, and harmless, and she acted especially filial in front of her parents.
Just exposing Xue Manman for smearing her outside today was not enough to make her parents see her true face.
After accompanying her parents for lunch, Xue Tingxue left her father's residence and quietly snuck into Xue Manman's courtyard.
In the afternoon, Xue Manman returned to the Dingguo Mansion under the escort of Fu Nanli.
Seeing her eyes swollen like peaches, Xue Qing hurriedly asked what happened.
Xue Manman cried and told him about the events in the Palace. Xue Qing was furious and stood up, slamming the table on the spot.
"How dare she bully my older sister like this! I'm going to settle the score with her!"
Xue Manman pulled him back and advised, "Calm down. I've already suffered a loss, why go and provoke her again? Just endure for a while longer. Your Highness Prince Yu has promised that in a few days he will find an opportunity to confess to His Majesty and marry me as soon as possible. Once I become the Princess Consort, it won't be too late to liquidate them."
Only then did Xue Qing sit back down, "Can Prince Yu really marry you as the Princess Consort? Will Xue Tingxue be willing to let go?"
"The Prince doesn't like her anyway, what's the use of pestering him?" Xue Manman sneered, her heart filled with disdain for Xue Tingxue.
She was already looking forward to Xue Tingxue's reaction when the engagement was broken off.
So what if Xue Tingxue came from a famous family? She still couldn't even keep a man.
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