The Crazy Emperor's Pampered Cousin

Evidence? What evidence could she possibly have?

Xie Jiayu's fingertips were icy cold. Just now, in order to avoid being seen, she had deliberately dismissed her maids and followed Guan Yi alone. How could she have expected to encounter this?

She knelt alone on the ground, looking up at her brother and the Crown Princess, who sat expressionless on the throne, and spoke her defense clearly, word by word.

"Your Majesty, you are wise! I did follow Guan Yi, but when I arrived, Song Yisheng had already fallen off the cliff! I was at least several dozen steps behind them. Although my maid was not nearby, she can attest that I was indeed quite far from Guan Yi when I left."

Ji Yunzhan's voice was filled with anguish: "Your Highness! The princess's personal maid will naturally speak on her side. How can you believe her? My husband... he died under mysterious circumstances! I beg Your Highness to do justice for me!"

The situation was unfolding exactly as Ji Yunzhan had predicted.

Ji Yunzhan's hand trembled slightly with excitement, not fear, but thrill.

Tonight, she originally intended to lose to Guan Yi.

This former acquaintance, who had been very kind to her before their marriage and was easily manipulated, was the perfect scapegoat.

Unexpectedly, fate intervened, and the willful and capricious Third Princess Xie Jiayu barged in.

With her past reputation for arrogance, coupled with Guan Yi's "testimony," Xie Jiayu was practically a scapegoat sent from heaven.

As long as I can take her down, as long as I can get through tonight...

Ji Yunzhan could almost see the suffocatingly high walls of the Marquis of Wuyin's mansion collapsing behind him.

She turned to Guan Yi, who had been silent for a long time, her tone mournful yet sharp.

"Young Master Guan, please speak the truth! Although the princess is your fiancée, a life is at stake, and the royal family has strict laws. You cannot disregard the truth for personal feelings!"

Every word reminded Guan Yi that they were now in the same boat, and if Xie Jiayu did not die, they would be doomed forever.

Guan Yi's body trembled slightly. He lowered his eyes. Finally, he kowtowed heavily, his voice dry but clear.

"Your Highness, the Crown Princess... the princess... the princess did not do it intentionally. It was probably an accident during the argument that caused Young Master Song to fall off the cliff. We beg Your Highness to consider the circumstances and show leniency."

"Guan Yi—!"

Xie Jiayu's sharp shout broke the silence.

Xie Yanzhao sat high above, his fingertips tracing the warm back of the hand of the person beside him, his expression indifferent as he glanced at the escalating drama below.

Xie Jiayu's younger sister is a bit spoiled and somewhat brainless, but she's definitely not that stupid.

If she, a deeply beloved princess, truly harbored murderous intent towards Song Yisheng, a powerful but powerless son of a marquis, she could have devised countless methods behind the scenes without leaving a trace. Why would she need to take matters into her own hands?

Why choose this particular time and leave so much leverage over them?

His gaze slowly swept over the crowd below, finally settling on Ji Yunzhan and Guan Yi.

The two men's eyes flickered, and their breathing was unsteady. Ji Yunzhan, in particular, seemed to have an excitement hidden in her eyes, despite her pitiful cries.

Xie Yanzhao raised his eyebrows slightly, lowered his eyelashes, and a faint, knowing smile curved his lips.

The farce itself was utterly uninteresting to him.

Its only value at this moment is to provide Yuan Yuan with something new to see and relieve her boredom.

He turned his head and saw Shen Tinghe with her brows slightly furrowed, her gaze sweeping over the people below, her lips pursed, looking as if she was seriously thinking.

Xie Yanzhao's heart softened at the sight of her.

If it weren't for the fact that everyone was watching, he really wanted to pull Yuan Yuan into his arms and give her a good kiss.

I wonder how far this little guy has gotten in his reasoning.

In the hall, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was already sweating profusely.

This case is thorny, with key witnesses giving conflicting accounts, and the most direct evidence—Song Yisheng's body—has yet to be found. With no one to corroborate his testimony and few clues available, the situation has reached a stalemate.

Just then, an announcement came from outside the hall: "Your Highness, Young Master Shen Chengzhou of the Shen family requests an audience."

Xie Yanzhao didn't even lift his eyelids: "Enter."

Footsteps sounded, and a person entered the hall, carrying the slight chill of the night wind and a faint scent of blood.

It was Shen Chengzhou.

His clothes had several obvious tears and scratches, and there was blood seeping from his arms and shoulders. His hair was slightly disheveled, and he looked a bit disheveled. Only his eyes were surprisingly bright.

"Shen Chengzhou greets His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Crown Princess."

Seeing this, Shen Tinghe leaned forward involuntarily and asked with concern, "What's wrong with you?"

Shen Chengzhou smiled reassuringly at her: "Don't worry, sister. On the way back, we ran into two ignorant hyenas blocking the road, which delayed us for a while, but we've taken care of them now."

He spoke calmly, as if he were only talking about a trivial matter.

Immediately, his gaze swept over Xie Jiayu, Ji Yunzhan, and Guan Yi, who were kneeling on the ground, and his voice was clear and steady.

"Your Highness, I can testify to what happened tonight. It was not the Third Princess who pushed Song Yisheng off the cliff, but this Lady Ji. At the time, I was catching fireflies in the nearby dense forest and inadvertently witnessed the entire process. In order not to alert her and to avoid any possible accomplices, I did not make a sound, but instead took another route back. I was attacked on the way, which is why I am only here now."

These words were like a thunderbolt from the blue.

Ji Yunzhan and Guan Yi looked up abruptly, their faces drained of color, their eyes filled with disbelief and horror.

Despite their meticulous planning, they could never have imagined that a third pair of eyes was hidden in the dark forest at that time!

Xie Jiayu, like a drowning man grasping at a piece of driftwood, cried out in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty! Young Master Shen can testify! Everything I've said is true! I beg Your Majesty to investigate!"

Ji Yunzhan's heart pounded, her nails digging deep into her palms. Forcing herself to remain calm, she said, "Young Master Shen... I have no grudge against you. Why are you framing me out of thin air? Your Highness, Young Master Shen's words are baseless. Perhaps... perhaps he has already conspired with the Third Princess!"

In her haste, she spoke without thinking.

"presumptuous!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Tinghe's eyes turned cold, and she slapped the armrest with her hand, the crisp sound making Ji Yunzhan shudder.

She would not allow others to smear her brother's reputation and character.

Xie Yanzhao gently grasped Shen Tinghe's reddened hand, cupped it in his palm, and soothed her slightly reddened palm with a hint of heartache in his eyes. He

He didn't even glance at Ji Yunzhan again, only giving a curt order, his voice carrying a chill.

"The Ji family falsely accused the royal family and uttered falsehoods; they shall be slapped twenty times."

Two eunuchs immediately stepped forward. One grabbed Ji Yunzhan, while the other, holding a smooth bamboo slap, slapped him mercilessly.

The crisp, loud "slap" sound echoed in the silent hall. Ji Yunzhan initially tried to struggle and explain, but soon all that remained was painful sobbing.

After finishing the twenty-second count, Shen Chengzhou calmly spoke again.

"I saw it with my own eyes: when you pushed Song Yisheng off the cliff, he struggled and tore off a sachet from your waist. If Your Highness sends someone to find Song Yisheng's body, the sachet will likely still be in his tightly clutched hand."

Ji Yunzhan was struck dumb, and instinctively looked down at her waist.

The place was empty; the silk ribbons that had once hung the sachets were still there, but the sachets had vanished.

Her face turned deathly pale instantly, but in her panic she didn't even notice!