Proud Feather

Chapter 32 Confused
It was still the same court, and the same screen.

Old Madam Tian was supported in by her son, trembling, followed by Tian Huier, who was about to pay her respects.

"I pay my respects..."

Gao Mian didn't dare to accept this gift, and hurriedly said, "No need for formalities, old lady."

Madam Tian didn't say anything, but Tian Ben, who was accompanying her, said, "I dare not, I dare not. The Dali Temple has a solemn and majestic law. How can I be disrespectful when I come to the court today?"

"..." Gao Mian was stabbed and simply stepped aside to let them salute in front of the court.

Okay, he can’t bear it, but the national law can!
However, looking at Madam Tian's appearance, he felt a surge of worry. He had heard the clerk report that Madam Tian was in good health, so why did she look so old and frail? Could she even interrogate him in this state?

While thinking, the three members of the Tian family turned around the screen and knelt down without saying a word.

"I pay my respects to the princess. May the princess be well and safe."

"Princess, I'm here. Can I give Hui'er the antidote?"

"Princess, please be merciful. Hui'er may have offended you, but please spare her life for the respect she has shown you in the past."

Before Chu Ling could utter a single word, they started talking non-stop. The old ones had bitter faces, the older ones pleaded, the younger ones wept, and they all looked so pitiful.

Behind the screen, Chu Ling picked up the sweet water and glanced at the side.

Jiang Shijun stepped forward and said, "Old Madam, Minister of Justice, please stand up. Don't worry, Miss Tian Er is fine and doesn't need an antidote."

The three people were stunned for a moment.

"The princess didn't poison?" Tian Ben exclaimed.

"You're joking, Mr. Councillor. This is the Dali Temple. How could the princess do such a thing? She was just playing a joke on Miss Tian Er!"

Just a joke!

They scared their family the whole night! They were too frightened to sleep, and they didn't dare to complain to the Second Prince, so they could only bow their heads and admit their mistakes!
Tian Ben's face flushed red, and Tian Huier was so angry that she wanted to cry. Old Madam Tian couldn't help but yelled, "You little girl..."

Fortunately, Tian Ben reacted in time and held his mother down.

"It turned out to be just a joke, haha, the princess is so naughty..." Tian Ben gritted his teeth and forced a smile.

I was fooled for nothing——

Tian Ben took a deep breath and helped his mother stand up.

Gao Mian also felt relieved and asked how the princess could be so absurd.

"Okay, it was just a joke, look how anxious you are." Chu Ling said, "If the old lady had come earlier, wouldn't everything be fine?"

Okay, okay, you still blame them!

Tian Ben was speechless and could only swallow his anger.

"Master Gao, let's begin!"

After showing the old lady a seat, Gao Mian got straight to the point: "Old Madam Tian, according to what Miss Tian said, you had already arranged for the princess to go to Dahuai Temple to see Jinghui, right?"

Tian Ben calmly replied, "Why do you say that, sir? Our family only invited the princess to the Dahuai Temple and did not arrange anything for Jinghui."

Gao Mian frowned slightly: "Master Tian, that's not what Miss Tian said yesterday."

"That was just the child saying something wrong!" Tian Ben insisted. "The court is so majestic. My daughter is still young and hasn't seen the world. It's not surprising that she was frightened."

"Really? Miss Tian Er?" Gao Mian looked at Tian Huier.

Tian Hui'er lowered her head and said softly, "I just thought I could ask the princess to draw a fortune. It has nothing to do with Jinghui."

Since they said so, Gao Mian knew that arguing was useless, so he continued to ask: "Madam Tian, you clearly know why the princess went to Dahuai Temple, why don't you explain when others misunderstand you?"

"This is because..." Tian Ben wanted to answer again. A voice sounded from behind the screen: "Mr. Jiang, this question seems to be addressed to Mrs. Tian. Is it appropriate for Mr. Tian to answer?"

Jiang Shijun replied: "Master Tian is very filial, but rushing to answer at this time seems to be guilty!"

"Oh……"

The drawn-out voice made Tian Ben swallow the rest of his words.

"Mrs. Tian?" Gao Mian urged.

Old Madam Tian looked at him in a daze.

Tian Ben quickly explained, "Master Gao, my mother is old and her hearing is not very good."

Gao Mian frowned and repeated the question in a louder voice.

Madam Tian hesitated and said, "I...I can't remember it!"

Gao Mian narrowed his eyes. "What can't the old lady remember? Is it the reason or the excuse?"

Madam Tian waved her hands: "I can't remember anything! Oh, sir! I'm almost seventy years old, my mind is a little confused, and I can't remember things clearly!"

"That's right, Mr. Gao!" Tian Ben explained. "It's rare for a person to live to seventy. My mother has gradually forgotten everything in recent years. She often asks for fish in the morning and chicken at noon. We, her children and grandchildren, can only remind her over and over again. So when you ask her why she didn't defend herself at the time, I'm afraid she doesn't remember it herself!"

He spread his hands, looking helplessly at Gao Mian in the hall.

It's normal for an elderly person to have a poor memory. Who can blame someone who is almost 70 years old? Moreover, this old woman is the Second Prince's grandmother. You can't torture her to extract a confession, right?
"Princess, my mother really didn't mean it. She just remembered that you were of the same age as Hui'er and casually mentioned that you were old enough. Who knew it would be spread like that? We're very angry!"

"Look at my mother, she's so old now, her eyesight is blurry, and she can't walk properly."

"My mother couldn't hear what others said, so she couldn't take care of everything."

"This matter was indeed an oversight by my Tian family. I would like to apologize to the princess on behalf of my mother and my daughter!"

After finishing a long string of words, Tian Ben knelt on the ground, bowed his head deeply, and looked like he was asking for forgiveness.

Gao Mian took a deep breath.

The Tian family came prepared. With just this one excuse, they overturned all the momentum they had worked so hard to build yesterday.

Did the Tian family intend to lead the princess to see Jinghui? They did ask for divination, but it didn't matter who interpreted it, and it was none of their business what others thought.

Did Madam Tian deliberately spread rumors about the princess? Madam Tian certainly didn't stop them; she's lost her mind! An old country woman, so frail and doddering, it's only natural for her to speak incoherently. How could anyone blame her for misinterpreting the situation?
According to his experience in previous trials, if the criminals argued, he would either use torture or change the situation. But he could neither torture the Tian family nor let them go without questioning - wouldn't that make the princess admit defeat?

He can lose face, but the princess cannot lose!

Gao Mian was just about to debate with Tian Ben, trying to get him to say more so that he could find loopholes in his argument, when he heard a chuckle coming from behind the screen.

"So the old lady is confused! I was wondering why she asked last time for no apparent reason what she should call her if her son was the emperor's uncle."

???

Tian Ben's breath stopped for a moment, and he shouted, "Princess! That's not nonsense!"

Chu Ling was displeased: "The old lady is confused, but I am not! I remember this clearly, it was the old lady who said it! I am still wondering, isn't the uncle of the emperor the uncle of the emperor? If Lord Tian becomes the uncle of the emperor, doesn't that mean..."

This time, Madam Tian heard it clearly. She stood up suddenly, her body as steady as a pine tree, and her voice as loud as a bell: "I remember it clearly, I definitely didn't say it!"

The hall was quiet for a moment.

After a moment, Chu Ling's slow voice came from behind the screen: "Oh, the old lady is not confused!"

　I was sick and couldn't eat, and I had heavy menstrual bleeding. I was really overwhelmed and felt very weak.

　　(End of this chapter)