Dou Bochang's anger surged. "Whoever lied and caused trouble will be severely punished!"
Hu Po declared earnestly, "Fourth Young Lady, stop denying it. That spot is surrounded by water on three sides, and there were simply no other people nearby."
The matter had escalated to this point, and Baochuan had already been implicated.
If her guilt wasn't confirmed, everyone in Lanyue Pavilion would suffer!
They were all the Crown Princess's people. The choice between what was important and what wasn't had long been made—they could only firmly pin the blame on her.
A mocking smile touched Dou Wenyi's lips. "It's true that the area is surrounded by water on three sides and there was no one on the shore, but what about above the waterfall?"
Hu Po retorted, "Above the waterfall is where two streams converge. The rocks there, worn by flowing water over the years, are covered in moss and extremely slippery. How could anyone be there?"
Dou Mingyan's heart tightened, sensing she was bluffing.
Cuizhi was usually almost inseparable from her, but after leaving Bishui Pavilion, she seemed to have vanished. Could she have gone to seek help?
"What a coincidence! There were indeed people above the waterfall." With a sharp exclamation, everyone's gaze involuntarily turned toward the door.
How could it be her?
Dou Mingyan's face paled slightly, her unease growing.
Lin Zhiyi offered Dou Wenyi a faint smile and bowed in greeting. "Uncle Dou, Madam Gu, are you debating how Third Young Lady Dou fell into the water? Might I suggest dismissing the servants and allowing your niece to say a few words?"
Seeing Lin Zhiyi so full of life again, Dou Wenyi's eyes instantly stung, nearly bringing her to tears.
Lin Zhiyi was the only daughter of the Censor Zhongcheng Lin Wenkai. Her father was upright and incorruptible, his conduct pure and esteemed, deeply favored by the emperor. Her character was noble and unsullied, highly regarded among noble ladies. Yet in her previous life, she had become a victim of power struggles, dying under mysterious circumstances.
"Miss Lin, speak freely," Dou Bochang said with a complex expression, waving his hand to dismiss the servants.
"Just now, Meng Jingshu and I were near Cuiyu Pavilion… The palace attendants happened to witness the entire process of Third Young Lady Dou's accidental fall into the water. Wenyi never pushed Third Young Lady."
She emphasized the word "witnessed" heavily.
Hu Po was completely flustered. "How is that possible!"
Lin Zhiyi shot her a cold glance. "The Dou family's maids truly lack manners, daring to question their masters."
From behind her, a woman with graceful charm stepped forward and smiled. "So, you think the testimony of Consort Shu's witness isn't weighty enough?"
Only then did everyone realize that the person behind Lin Zhiyi was none other than Consort Shu's trusted palace maid, Steward Chen.
Dou Bochang was taken aback. "There's no urgent matter… It was an accident, all an accident. How dare we trouble Consort Shu with such a trivial family affair?"
A sarcastic curve lifted the corners of Dou Wenyi's lips. Just moments ago, they had firmly insisted it was a case of "murder," and now it was suddenly an accident, a family matter?
Dou Mingyan's breath hitched, tears nearly falling again. "You insolent servants! The mist was too thick, and you were standing too far away to see clearly. Spouting nonsense like that—you have no sense of propriety!"
Steward Chen said meaningfully, "Third Young Lady Dou is to become the Crown Princess. Insolent servants bringing disaster upon their masters must be thoroughly investigated. Causing trouble could lead to great calamity."
Hu Po trembled all over, a chill running down her spine.
Dou Bochang and Madam Gu could no longer maintain their composure.
Dou Bochang, flushed with shame and rage, delivered a vicious kick to Hu Po. "You wretched slave! How dare you falsely accuse your mistress and sow discord between sisters? Who gave you the nerve to do this?"
Such hypocritical posturing!
If not for Dou Mingyan's backing, would these Dou family servants have dared?
Since they held her in contempt, even stray dogs on the street would snap at her twice.
No matter what happened, whether it was Baochuan or Hu Po, these maids would always be pushed forward by Dou Mingyan to take the blame—the ones punished would forever be those around her!
As long as Pei Siyan remained her unwavering support, Dou Mingyan would always act with audacious confidence.
Dou Wenyi shifted the subject abruptly. "Father, don't be angry just yet. We must first prepare a gift of gratitude for Young Master Xie—after all, he was the one who rescued Sister from the water!"
As her words fell, a deathly silence enveloped the room, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
What did this mean?
Dou Mingyan was the designated Crown Princess-to-be, yet she had been embraced by her future brother-in-law, right in front of Consort Zhang and others!
That was physical contact—her reputation… How would she explain this to the Crown Prince?
Dou Bochang's face turned ashen. Was this immense wealth and status about to slip through their fingers?
Dou Mingyan's heart tightened, and she hurried to defend herself. "Fourth Sister jumped into the water to save me. Young Master Xie was anxious, concerned for Fourth Sister's safety, which is why he leaped in to lend a hand. Sister, you mustn't overthink it."
Dou Bochang and Madam Gu exchanged a glance and chimed in unison, "Exactly, exactly!"
"Of course, I wouldn't overthink it. After all, it's me who is betrothed to Young Master Xie. Yet, instead of saving me, he saved Sister. If this matter were to be spread by those with ill intentions… I fear it would invite gossip!" Dou Wenyi lifted her eyelids, her tone laden with implication.
Dou Bochang's expression turned severe, his eyes radiating authority. "This matter must not leak. Whoever dares to reveal it will face severe consequences from the Dou family!"
Then, he turned his gaze to Steward Chen. "As for Consort Zhang…"
"Rest assured, Lord Dou. Consort Zhang has already ordered that no one spread rumors. However… regarding His Highness the Crown Prince, Miss Mingyan will likely need to provide a thorough explanation."
Dou Mingyan's fair palms were nearly pierced by her nails, her lips bitten. "Thank you for the reminder, Madam. I will explain it to Siyan myself. He won't blame me."
Dou Wenyi cast a deep, contemplative look at her.
Dou Mingyan's betrothal to the Crown Prince had been abruptly announced just three months prior—there was no profound, earth-shattering love between them.
Even with such a scandal… How could she be so certain that Pei Siyan wouldn't hold it against her, that he would insist on having her and no one else?
Earlier, she had instructed Cuizhi to seek out Lin Zhiyi and, in passing, relay the news of Dou Mingyan's peril to Xie Guidu.
He had not disappointed her. The moment he heard Dou Mingyan was in danger, he abandoned the poetry gathering without hesitation and plunged into the water to rescue her.
Dou Mingyan had deliberately destroyed that zither, intending to provoke her into losing control and pushing her into the water.
However, she had been vigilant and avoided the trap at Cuiju Pavilion. Left with no choice, Dou Mingyan had staged her own fall into the water as a backup plan.
In all her calculations, she had overlooked one thing: Xie Guidu's infatuation with her.
Dou Wenyi had originally planned to expose their illicit affair, but everyone would help cover it up—the matter would simply be swept under the rug.
What she couldn't fathom was why Dou Mingyan would go to such lengths—actively promoting her marriage to Xie Guidu while continuously scheming against her. What was the real reason behind it all?
In her previous life, Dou Mingyan seemed to avoid her at all costs, or more precisely, avoided any encounters between her and Pei Siyan.
A sudden insight struck—could it be that she was worried I would threaten her marriage?