Princess, she is the one who facilitated the extradition.

"How dare you!"

Zang Lan's face darkened. "How dare you implicate the princess?"

The things the Ji family did were already capital offenses. Now that the princess has been dragged into it, things will be even more difficult to resolve. The Ji family can die if they want, but they shouldn't implicate his wife.

"I'm telling the truth."

Ji Xiaomei pointed at Madam Zang, "Her background is shady, which is why the princess ordered me to deal with her. I was just following orders; what crime have I committed?"

She was well aware that involving the princess was risky.

However, during his time as an official, his elder brother began selling smuggled salt, and everyone in the family except his second elder sister knew about it.

Now that the truth has been revealed, the Ji family is doomed, and she has no choice but to fight for survival.

Fortunately, she was indeed acting on Princess Baozhu's orders.

"Shut up!"

Suddenly, Ji's father stepped forward and slapped her across the face. "Are you possessed by a ghost? She is your own sister, your own sister."

You actually wanted to kill her, and you even dared to slander the princess! Do you know who the princess is?

The princess represents the royal family.

The youngest daughter publicly said that the princess was going to kill someone. Doesn't that mean the royal family is disregarding human life? Would His Majesty agree to that?

To protect the royal family's reputation, His Majesty will surely order a thorough investigation of the Ji family. How could the Ji family withstand such an investigation?

But he knew his youngest daughter well; the certainty in his tone indicated that she was indeed acting on the princess's orders.

But she hadn't revealed a word before that this selfish wretch dared to harbor selfish intentions even towards his father.

Now that she's risking her family's lives just to save her own, this is the only warning he can give her.

Hopefully she understands that once some things are exposed, even her youngest daughter won't be able to escape.

Madam Zang spoke up, asking Ji Xiaomei, "What do you mean by saying my background is shameful? Am I not a member of the Ji family?"

After learning the truth, she kept wondering why her family treated her that way.

She loved them so much, how could they not care about family ties at all?

So she wasn't actually his biological daughter?

Ji Xiaomei had just been slapped and was still angry. "Those who can't stand the light of day shouldn't exist in this world. Killing you is just setting things right."

She glared fiercely at Madam Zang, "Now that you know you're not a child of the Ji family, you should understand that the kindness of raising us is greater than heaven, and ask your man to release us."

"Absolutely impossible."

Zang Lan shielded his wife behind him, saying, "The Ji family knowingly broke the law, selling smuggled salt and causing deaths. I will report this to His Majesty truthfully and punish them severely according to the law."

"Okay, brother-in-law, go ahead and sue."

Ji Xiaomei leaned closer to Cang Lan, "But brother-in-law, don't blame me for not warning you, once her identity is exposed, she won't survive."

Zang Lan's heart sank. "What exactly do you mean?"

"Brother-in-law, if you save my life, I'll tell you the truth."

"The Ji family is not short of cowards who fear death. If you don't speak up, someone else will."

Zang Lan looked at the constable and said, "Take him away."

He used to avoid suspicion and rarely had contact with Ji Xiaomei, unaware that this sister-in-law was both wicked and stupid.

Since everyone has publicly called out Princess Baozhu's name, this matter must be brought to court for a thorough trial; it's not something he can simply let go of.

Sure enough, just as the Ji family was brought to the Jingzhao Prefecture, the emperor sent people to investigate.

The one who arrived was the Crown Prince, followed by several Imperial Guards.

"You claim that Baozhu instigated the murder of Lady Zang, what evidence do you have?"

As soon as the Crown Prince arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture, he interrogated Ji Xiaomei.

Knowing this was her chance to live, Ji Xiaomei hurriedly said, "Yes, I received a secret letter from the princess, which is hidden in a secret compartment by my bedside."

The Crown Prince looked at the two Imperial Guards behind him, one tall and one short, and said, "You two, quickly bring the evidence."

The two men bowed in agreement and left. Before leaving, the shorter one glanced at Madam Zang without leaving a trace, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes.

While waiting for the evidence, the Crown Prince asked again, "Tell me, why did Baozhu want you to get rid of Lady Zang?"

"Your Highness, it is not that I am unwilling to tell you. Once you have read the letter, you will know why I cannot tell you."

She was only trying to maintain the royal family's reputation, so even if the Crown Prince considered that, he couldn't punish her with death.

But even if she doesn't say it, others will rush to say it.

Ji's father spoke up, "Your Highness, this old minister is guilty."

He had already guessed what the young woman was going to say, and rather than be betrayed by her, he decided to be "honest" himself.

"Oh?"

The crown prince spoke calmly, lifting his eyelids to look at him, without asking any further questions.

Ji's father dared not keep the crown prince waiting any longer, and hurriedly said, "My younger brother brought back a baby girl many years ago, saying that she was his biological daughter."

He had a daughter before he was married. When the old minister pressed him for details about the child's mother, he only said that the child's mother had died in childbirth and asked him to raise her for him.

Having a child would affect his marriage, and since his wife had just miscarried, the old minister concealed the fact that his wife had miscarried and let her continue to pretend to be pregnant and raise the child as her own.

A few years ago, however, the old minister accidentally discovered something from the palace among his younger brother's belongings, and the old minister suspected that the child's mother...

He deliberately remained ambiguous about what came next, and dared not say it aloud.

All the women in the palace, except those born to His Majesty, whether they are concubines or palace maids, are His Majesty's women.

The child's mother was a woman sent to the palace by the local prefecture, waiting for the emperor's favor. However, her younger brother beat her to it and even had a child with her, a crime punishable by death.

He helped cover it up and even raised a child, which is also a capital offense, but the money his younger brother gave him back then was too tempting.

Fortunately, his younger brother died many years ago, and he now pretends not to know who the child's birth mother is, so the crown prince has no way of verifying the truth.

Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince did not react at all, as if it were nothing unusual for a young lady to give birth to an illegitimate child. The sudden silence made his eyelids twitch violently, and he felt very uneasy.

Seeing the Crown Prince's reaction, Cang Lan also felt that something was wrong. However, he thought that this might not be a bad thing, so he squeezed his wife's hand reassuringly.

Lady Zang was completely stunned. She had just accepted that she was not her parents' child, but she never expected that she would become the child of a woman in the palace who had an affair.

In the end, she was going to drag her husband and daughter down with her.

Subconsciously, she thought of Gui Yao. Gui Yao was so capable; perhaps she could help her this time?

She searched for Gui Yao's figure in the crowd and saw a woman in white nod slightly to her.

It was a completely unfamiliar face, but for some reason she felt that it was Gui Yao, and her heart immediately felt much calmer.

Soon, the Yilong Guard brought the letter.

The Crown Prince glanced at it only once before handing the letter to Cang Lan, saying, "This is not Baozhu's handwriting."

"impossible."

Ji Xiaomei panicked a little and hurriedly took out a hairpin from her sleeve. "This is the princess's hairpin. It was sent to me along with the letter. You must recognize it."

The short-statured guard wrapped the hairpin in a handkerchief and presented it to the Crown Prince.

The prince took it and examined it. "This is indeed Baozhu's hairpin."

Before Ji Xiaomei could be happy, he slowly added, "But Baozhu's discarded clothes and jewelry are often taken outside the palace and exchanged for silver, which is then used to benefit the people."

If I remember correctly, this is an old item that Baozhu owned several years ago; judging by her habits, it should be something she discarded.

The letter was fake, and the hairpin was one that Baozhu didn't want, meaning that Princess Baozhu never gave this order.

Ji Xiaomei panicked completely and could no longer care about maintaining the royal family's dignity. She hurriedly said, "Your Highness, you have also read it. It is clearly stated in the letter that Second Sister was born to a concubine and Second Uncle."

Her existence is a disgrace to His Majesty. The princess ordered me to kill my second sister for His Majesty's sake. I was just following orders...

The Crown Prince tossed the hairpin back to the Imperial Guard, saying, "Anyone in this world could be the one who wrote this letter, but Baozhu is the only exception."

He looked at the two Yilong Guards beside him, one tall and one short, and said, "Take off your masks."

Ji Xiaomei didn't understand what this had to do with the Yilong Guard. She felt that the Crown Prince was deliberately protecting Princess Baozhu.

Just as I was about to say something, I heard several terrified voices beside me.

"Second brother."

"Second Uncle."

It was Father Ji and the eldest son of the Ji family, both of them with deathly pale faces.

"You're not dead?"

Master Ji glanced at the Ji family father and son, then looked past them and focused on Madam Zang, his eyes filled with love and guilt.

His daughter suffered so much.

When she turned her gaze back to Ji's father, her eyes were filled with anger and resentment. "Of course I'm not dead. I've given you all my assets, just so you'll treat my daughter well."

I already told you the truth about the child's birth mother, and you said you were willing to raise the child for me, regardless of the risks.

But how did you treat her? You actually wanted to kill her.

He approached his uncle, his eyes burning with rage as if he wanted to incinerate him.

"I...I didn't."

When Ji's father was exposed in front of everyone, he was so shocked that he kept backing away. Then, as if remembering something, he pointed at Ji's younger sister.

"It's all because of this wretched child. She had evil intentions and lied to us, saying it was the princess's decree."

Since his youngest daughter was unkind, then he shouldn't be blamed for being unjust. Without the slightest hesitation, he pushed all the blame onto Ji Xiaomei.