“You are Fu Dong, right?”
When Mu Ning called her name, Fu Dong nervously nodded.
“I ask you, two days before the Mid-Autumn Festival six years ago, were you instructed by Mu Xi to find Ban Xia?”
Fu Dong cautiously glanced at Madam Mu and Mu Xi, and after meeting Madam Mu’s sharp, knife-like gaze, she shook her head in fright.
“This lowly maid does not remember.”
“This older sister, speaking falsely in front of the Emperor can get your tongue cut out, you know.”
Mu Yanxi finished speaking and lightly patted Fu Dong’s shoulder with her small, snow-white hand.
Fu Dong’s expression changed, and she immediately kowtowed heavily on the ground, “Your Highness, please forgive me, I’ll speak, I’ll tell everything…”
“…After Yi Cui took Ban Xia into the Second Young Lady’s room, I went to do my own things.”
Mu Xi was furious, stood up, and kicked Fu Dong to the ground, “Lowly maid! You dare betray me!”
Mu Ning quickly grasped the key point, “Betray? That means what Fu Dong said is true?”
Mu Xi suddenly realized she had fallen into a trap. She looked around in panic until her gaze met Madam Mu’s, and only then did she slowly calm down.
“Yes, I did send someone to look for Ban Xia, but I looked for her for other matters. Mu Ning, what evidence do you have that I used money to instruct Ban Xia to buy Hehuan Powder? What if it was someone else? Perhaps you are crying thief yourself.”
Mu Ning sneered, “True, you and Ban Xia were whispering in a room, and no one else could hear. However, one person should know, since she was present at the time.”
Hearing this, Mu Xi instinctively looked at Yi Cui, who was kneeling on the ground.
Yi Cui happened to look up at the same time. Their gazes met, and they understood each other.
Mu Xi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She could still trust Yi Cui, who had been by her side since childhood and whose entire future depended on her; she would absolutely not betray her.
Just as Yi Cui was about to speak up to clarify for her Master, Mu Yanxi suddenly spoke, “Sister, do you know what it looks like when someone’s tongue is cut out?”
Faced with Mu Yanxi’s threat, Yi Cui was quite disdainful.
She was not a coward like Fu Dong, who would spill everything after being scared by a few words from a child.
She absolutely would not betray her Young Lady.
“I…”
Just as she was about to speak, Yi Cui felt as if something had been inserted into her mind, preventing her from thinking or fabricating lies.
“…As per my Young Lady’s instructions, I took the Five Hundred taels of silver prepared beforehand and gave it to Ban Xia, asking her to go to Jiuzhentang to buy Hehuan Powder… This is not a small sum; three hundred taels of that silver were borrowed by the Young Lady from His Highness Prince Qi…”
Mu Xi was completely stunned by anger.
It was one thing for Fu Dong, but Yi Cui was clearly the most reliable and loyal Maidservant by her side; why did she betray her so easily?
Yi Cui was also confused; how did she reveal the whole truth?
She wanted to beg Mu Xi for forgiveness, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she began listing the various abuses Mu Xi and her mother inflicted upon Mu Ning. Besides instructing Xiao Hong to steal the Original Host’s Monthly Allowance, she also instructed Xiao Hong to poison and kill the Original Host, then discard her body in a Mass grave to be fed to wolves.
Although Xiao Hong was dead, the two Household retainers assigned to dispose of the body were still alive; with their testimony, Mu Xi’s guilt was undeniable!
“Tsk tsk, truly, one only knows a person’s face but not their heart. Madam Mu appears kind and virtuous on the surface, yet her daughter is so ruthless and vicious.”
“Virtuous my foot. To rise from a servant to a Concubine, and then to Prime Minister’s Madam, monopolizing her husband’s favor for twenty years—how could her methods be ordinary?”
“Cultivating oneself, managing the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world—Prime Minister Mu is the Head of civil officials, yet his inner quarters are so chaotic, allowing a stepmother to oppress the Legitimate Daughter. Such conduct of favoring a concubine and discarding the wife is simply muddled.”
Listening to the murmuring and accusations from the Civil and Military Officials, Mu Yuanlin’s old face burned with shame.
“Your Highness, it is this subject’s failure to properly discipline my daughter that has led to this joke today. This subject is deeply ashamed.”
Although the Emperor Dongfeng had said upon arriving at the Mu residence that since it was Mu Yuanlin’s birthday, he did not need to kneel, the situation had reached this point, and he had no choice but to kneel.
“It wasn’t me, I didn’t do these things! They are lying! It’s Mu Ning, Mu Ning conspired with them to slander me! Father, Mother, Your Highness, believe me, it’s Mu Ning causing trouble, it’s all her fault! You should arrest her and torture her severely…”
“Xi’er, shut up!”
Mu Yuanlin loudly stopped Mu Xi’s cries of innocence, cast a subtle glance toward Mu Ning, then turned to plead with the Emperor Dongfeng, “Your Highness, Xi’er’s temperament is a bit spoiled, but her nature is not bad. This subject believes she acted unintentionally, merely being young and ignorant, instigated by those around her to commit mistakes.
A child’s fault is the father’s fault. This subject has been diligently managing court affairs these years and neglected the discipline of the children at home. I beg Your Highness, for the sake of this subject’s loyalty, to spare Xi’er this once. This subject is willing to accept the punishment in Xi’er’s stead.”
The Emperor Dongfeng observed the Civil and Military Officials without revealing his thoughts, then turned to ask Chen Chongshan.
“Duke Chen, what is your opinion on this matter?”
Chen Chongshan glanced at Mu Yuanlin, who was kneeling and bowing low, “Reporting to Your Highness, speaking lightly, this is merely internal family intrigue, considered Prime Minister Mu’s private affair. But speaking broadly, it shows Prime Minister Mu’s lack of uprightness. As the Head of civil officials, if he cannot manage his own conduct and family, even with great talent and strategy, he will find it hard to command respect.”
“Then what does Duke Chen suggest should be done about this matter?”
“It is entirely up to Your Highness’s decision.”
The Emperor Dongfeng: “…”
Good one, Chen Chongshan. I tossed the ball to you, and you kicked it right back.
The Emperor Dongfeng silently took out his small notebook and secretly made a note against the other man.
Oh dear, what should be done?
Although he was somewhat angry about Mu Yuanlin colluding with the Second Child, he did not want to completely sever ties and damage relations, as he still needed Mu Yuanlin to help him govern the court and counterbalance the faction led by Grand Commandant Xie, who controlled the military power.
“Father Emperor, this subject believes that Mu Xi harmed her Legitimate Elder Sister with vicious methods and should be punished according to the law to give Eldest Young Lady Mu justice. If she is easily pardoned, everyone else will follow suit, and the penal code will become a mere formality, throwing the nation’s stability into chaos.”
Seeing the Third Child jump out looking foolishly naive, the Emperor Dongfeng felt a surge of amusement in his heart.
This is how it should be; let the Second and Third Children fight it out. The old folks like him can just watch from the sidelines.
“Ming’er, then in your view, what crime should Mu Xi be punished for?”
Mu Xi’s face turned pale, and she immediately cast a pleading look toward Prince Qi, Jun Moyi.
Moyi, save me.
Don’t worry, I’m here, everything will be fine.
Understanding Jun Moyi’s hint, Mu Xi relaxed and knelt quietly without defending herself further.
It was just that she failed to notice the fleeting look of cold mockery in Jun Moyi’s eyes.
Even if she managed to narrowly escape punishment, her reputation would be ruined. As a strong candidate for Crown Prince, Jun Moyi would have to be insane to marry a notorious, vicious woman as his Princess Consort.
“Father Emperor, this subject manages the affairs of the Imperial Clan. Matters of criminal law should be left to Commandant Wu to decide.”
Jun Moming was not a fool either; he passed the ball to the Tingwei Department, which was in charge of judicial punishment.
Good heavens, Little Sixth, if you have the ability to catch the ball, why don’t you take the shot yourself!
Commandant Wu Zongxian cursed silently, then stated in a low voice, “In this subject’s opinion, Mu Xi poisoned Prince Qin and harmed her Legitimate Elder Sister with methods so cruel they are appalling; she should be sentenced to immediate execution. Prime Minister Mu failed in his discipline, allowing his daughter to commit murder, and he deserves punishment. As for the nature of the punishment, it is entirely up to Your Highness to decide.”
Second update~
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