Сhaptеr 20: Is the Prinсеss Соnsоrt оf Prinсе Хin an Innоcеnt Victim of Мisfоrtune?
Аs soоn аs thе guard sроke thеsе wоrds, а flаsh оf triumрh swiftly сrossеd Сui Ruyue’s eyеs.
With so mаny witnеssеs рrеsent and bоth human testimоnу аnd mаteriаl evidеnce аt hаnd, еvеn if Сui Jin had еight mouths, she wouldn’t bе аblе tо еxplain hеrsеlf сleаrly!
Shе even hореd Сui Jin would be fооlish enough tо claim thаt thеsе guаrds werе sеnt by Lin Zhao, so she could furthеr aссusе hеr оf being nаrrow-minded and intоlerаnt of а seсondary consort!
Ignoring the subtle or scrutinizing glances around her, Cui Jin looked directly at Cui Ruyue.
Her words, however, were directed at the guard: “I ordered you to silence someone by killing them?” She let out a light laugh. “Then report it to the Dali Temple and have them send someone to arrest and interrogate me.”
Everyone was stunned.
Cui Jin’s expression remained unchanged: “Even a prince who breaks the law is subject to the same punishment as commoners. Even as the Princess Consort, I have no right to arbitrarily order guards to kill. Ru Xia, go to the Dali Temple!”
“Yes!”
Before Cui Ruyue could panic and try to stop her, Ru Xia had already used her qinggong and swiftly departed.
“Cui Jin!” Cui Ruyue’s voice was tense. “How dare you involve the Dali Temple after committing such a shameless act? Call her back immediately! If you just kneel and confess your crime to me, and promise never to pester Shen Zhiheng again, I… for the sake of our sisterhood, I can forgive you!”
“A life must be paid for a life, and secret dealings with a married man—how can such matters be overlooked simply because of familial ties?” Cui Jin’s lips curved slightly. “Don’t worry, Elder Sister. Once the Dali Temple investigates and uncovers the truth, they will surely deliver justice for you!”
Cui Jin spoke with firm conviction, showing no evasion, which instead made the onlookers hesitate and doubt.
“Who would dare to act so righteously after doing something wrong, even calling for the Dali Temple?”
“The Chief Minister of the Dali Temple is a supporter of Prince Jin. If the Princess Consort of Prince Xin really had a problem, would she dare to walk right into the trap?”
“Look, why is Madam Shen’s face turning pale…”
Hearing this, everyone turned to look. Cui Ruyue’s face was deathly pale, and she swayed unsteadily.
She had set the fire herself, and as for the evidence of those secret dealings… if the Dali Temple investigated, everything would come to light. And this guard who was accused of being ordered to “silence someone by killing”…
When had Cui Jin become so difficult to deal with?!
Cui Ruyue forced herself to hold on and continued to cry: “Sister, can’t we discuss matters behind closed doors? Why must we bring it to court… we are family…”
Even passersby found this laughable: “Wasn’t it you, Madam Shen, who first brought this matter before us?”
“Exactly. You even stopped us from leaving, afraid that everyone wouldn’t know about the Princess Consort of Prince Xin’s promiscuity and silencing by killing.”
Many were sharp-eyed and clear-minded. Seeing Cui Ruyue’s reaction now, they more or less understood the situation and spoke even more bluntly.
Cui Ruyue gritted her teeth, producing the letters and sachet that Cui Jin had “given” to Shen Zhiheng, insisting that Cui Jin had been relentlessly pestering Shen Zhiheng.
Even Shen Zhiying testified: “Cui Jin clung to my second brother all day long. Even though she knew my second brother liked my second sister-in-law, she still used her influence to force an engagement. Later, when she couldn’t bear to see my second sister-in-law secure such a good marriage with Prince Xin, she schemed to swap the marriages…”
At this point, her eyes also reddened: “But even so, she still seduced and clung to him, wanting my second brother to serve her purpose—to eliminate Secondary Consort Lin so she could climb into bed and gain favor!”
In Cui Jin’s “handwritten letters,” there were indeed phrases about eliminating Lin Zhao.
Some passersby who didn’t understand the full story looked at Cui Jin with contempt.
Cui Ruyue’s eyes flickered slightly as she lowered her head to wipe her tears.
Even if the Dali Temple investigated the case, she might not necessarily lose!
Today, she was determined to ruin Cui Jin’s reputation and drive her out of Prince Xin’s Manor!She was about to add fuel to the fire when suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps grew closer and closer.
Just as she turned her head, a team of Shuntian Prefecture constables surrounded her.
The leader spoke: “Madam Shen, last night’s fire at the Shen residence—the arsonist has confessed to acting under your orders. Please come with us.”
The previously noisy scene outside instantly fell silent.
Cui Ruyue’s face changed: “What nonsense are you talking! Why would I set fire to my own home? Who paid you to come here and slander me?”
The constable showed a look of disdain: “The arsonist is a servant from your dowry estate. His deed of servitude is in your hands—how could he be acting under someone else’s orders to frame you? The hush money you gave him is still buried under a tree at his home!”
After he finished speaking, not only did Cui Ruyue’s face turn deathly pale, but Cui Jin also showed surprise.
She hadn’t expected Cui Ruyue to be foolish enough to use her own people for the arson, leaving behind such obvious evidence.
Lin Zhao’s well-laid plan had been ruined by a pig of a teammate.
Cui Ruyue was still trying to argue when a constable suddenly helped a visibly weak Fang Yun over.
The latter’s eyes were filled with tears: “I knew you disliked how Second Brother showed filial piety toward me, but I never imagined you would try to burn me to death… and even frame the Princess Consort…”
She looked at Cui Ruyue’s venomous gaze and cried bitterly: “Now that things have come to this, I no longer wish to cover up your disgraceful deeds!”
Cui Ruyue seemed to realize something, her expression shifting slightly.
But before she could stop her, Fang Yun had already spoken: “It was clearly you who engaged in secret relations with Second Brother before the marriage! At that time, Second Brother was already engaged to the Princess Consort. You hid your private meetings from her and plotted to swap marriages—that was bad enough, but afterward, you even shifted all the blame onto the Princess Consort! And today, you even tried to burn me to death and frame the Princess Consort, killing two birds with one stone… Sister-in-law, how cruel you are!”
Before Fang Yun could finish speaking, the surrounding crowd erupted in uproar.
Regarding the marriage swap, even though it had been hotly discussed among the public for a long time, no one had ever suspected Cui Ruyue.
In everyone’s eyes, she was the greatest victim.
But now it was said that this victim was actually the mastermind?
Cui Ruyue’s voice was nearly shrill: “You wretch! What nonsense are you spouting! How dare you ruin my reputation—I’ll tear you apart today!”
She had always cared deeply about face, and the subtle looks from those around her felt like a thousand cuts, driving her nearly insane.
Fang Yun trembled in fear.
Seeing Cui Ruyue restrained by the constables, she tearfully produced several letters and a jade pendant.
“You two had been meeting for half a year. The letters were all kept by Second Brother in his study, and the jade pendant you gave him was treasured by him, fondled daily…”
A curious bystander directly opened the letters and compared them—
“The dates they met were all at teahouses, theaters, or outside the city. A simple investigation would reveal the truth. Madam Shen’s sister-in-law has no reason to lie.”
“The jade pendant is also genuine. I saw Scholar Shen wearing it when I went out with my master. Whom it came from can be easily verified!”
As the crowd offered one piece of evidence after another, their expressions gradually grew complicated.
If this was the truth, then wasn’t the Princess Consort just an innocent victim?
Betrayed by her fiancé and sister before marriage, kept in the dark about the marriage swap, and saddled with a reputation for being scheming—and even after marriage… Cui Ruyue still hadn’t let her go, setting a fire herself just to frame the Princess Consort?
What kind of deep hatred was this?
Someone muttered: “Who knows if she couldn’t stand living in poverty anymore, grew envious of the other’s status as Princess Consort, and resorted to jealousy and framing?”
More and more people affirmed this speculation, and Cui Ruyue’s face gradually turned ashen.”No… it’s not, it was these two vile women who framed me!” She pointed at Cui Jin, her voice shrill, “It was you who first suggested switching marriages! You stole my marriage, my glory and status!”
“Madam Shen, you are mistaken. If it were you who married into Prince Xin’s Manor, I would rather defy the imperial decree and divorce my wife.”
As Xiao Lin’s words fell, the carriage also came to a stop before the manor gates.