She accidentally flirted with the villain and was fiercely criticized as the regent for forcibly mar

Finished!

But how could she be willing to admit it so easily?

Even though he was extremely guilty, he still made a last-ditch effort: "No...it was...it was found on her. She murdered the princess and framed me!"

She then grabbed the round-faced girl: "Say something! You saw it too, didn't you!"

The round-faced girl didn't dare to speak at this moment, and lowered her head, pretending to be deaf and mute!

Jiang Ruining rolled her eyes: "I came in from the left, and the tray was found from the right. What does that have to do with me, even a penny? And you're saying 'I saw it out of the corner of my eye' blah blah blah!"

She curled her lips into a smirk, mimicking the affected, coy tone of a woman trying to appear weak.

The conversation turned.

He glanced at Madam Xu.

"Murder, framing, and deliberate slander—your Xu family certainly has good upbringing, raising such a despicable liar!"

Madam Xu's face turned ugly.

As if struck by lightning, the pain shot from her head to every limb. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, crying out, "Impossible! How could this be... I clearly..."

Zheng Lingyi scoffed, "Why not? There were so many people standing inside and outside just now; plenty of eyes saw it!"

Jiang Ruining sat on the balustrade in front of the corridor, propping her chin up with her hand, exuding a languid, superior air as she surveyed the unfolding events: "What do you mean, 'you're clearly'?"

Miss Xu opened her mouth, but the words stuck in her throat.

She clearly put the bottle containing phosphorus powder into the purse at her waist with her own hands!

She clearly saw the panic in her eyes just now!

How could it not have been found on her?

A sharp thought rushed into her mind: it was her elder sister!

The porcelain bottle was hidden on the body of the eldest sister!

Her heart pounded with even greater panic as she searched everywhere for her elder sister, only to discover that she had not appeared since being taken away for a body search!

Madam Cui gritted her teeth: "You Xu family, how dare you!"

She was about to slap Madam Xu across the face.

Snapped!

Her wrist was struck hard by a foreign object, and as it veered off course, only her meticulously manicured, slender fingernails grazed Madam Xu's face, leaving a faint red mark.

Although Madam Xu was only the eldest daughter-in-law of the Grand Tutor and not a first-rank imperial consort, she had the honor and dignity of her father-in-law and her status as a royal county princess. She had never even been given the cold shoulder in her life, but she was slapped hard across the face!

What a humiliation this is!

Embarrassment spread uncontrollably, and a surge of anger could not be vented.

"Madam Cui, the matter is not yet clear, please calm down! Although you are a noblewoman, you have no right to harm me!"

Madam Cui, clutching her throbbing wrist, glared at Shi An, who had struck her: "Didn't you understand why the Regent dismissed everyone else? Your daughter harmed my daughter; this debt will not be settled so easily!"

Madam Xu choked.

He looked at the Regent.

Although he saved himself from being beaten in public, he knew that the matter involved the Xu family. Instead of quietly disposing of the maid, he actually came to expose her in person.

It's all for that woman who's hiding her true identity!

By humiliating the Xu family like this, aren't you afraid of causing discord between them?

She then looked at Jiang Ruining.

She maintained a "I'm not afraid even if the Heavenly King himself comes" expression throughout, was it because she was certain that the Regent would come to her aid?

"Please!"

She was about to say something.

Then I saw my daughter being pushed out of the room on the right.

Xu Nianyin tripped over the threshold, staggered, and almost fell.

Seeing the Regent, his heart skipped a beat.

She stumbled and rushed over, kneeling before him. Knowing he disliked weak and incompetent women, she tried her best to hold back her panic and cries. Her small face was pale, and her eyes were brimming with tears, making herself look both broken and resilient: "Your Highness!"

"The fact that the princess's clothes caught fire has absolutely nothing to do with me. Someone maliciously hid something dirty on me. I'm innocent! Please, Your Highness, believe me and believe the Xu family!"

Snapped!Snapped!

Caught off guard, Xu Nianyin was grabbed by her hair and her face was pulled away, resulting in two slaps to her face!

The person who hit her was none other than Cui Jingwei, who had just finished tending to her wounds.

Her burned black hair was wrapped in a gauze scarf, and her beautiful face was contorted with anger and pain. Her former elegance, composure, and noble self-control had all been burned away by that fire!

"You bitch!"

"How dare you do this to me!"

Xu Nianyin, struck on the outside, tumbled down the steps. The sharp edges of the blows pierced her skin, causing her sharp pain. Clutching her aching body, she groaned softly, her beautiful eyes brimming with hope as she looked at the Regent, pleading for him to bend down and help her up: "Your Highness..."

Jiang Ruining felt disgusted when she saw that pitiful look!

A person who dares to bully and murder others just because of their status is a viper, no matter how beautiful they are!

He glanced at Xiao Che, squinted, and stared at his movements.

If he dares to reach out and help, even just to offer a word of protection, he will never speak to him again!

Xiao Che was perceptive; how could he not sense her gnashing teeth and menacing demeanor?

If he wanted to protect the Xu family, he wouldn't have come!

Xu Nianyin received only indifference, and her disappointment turned to dizziness. Her body was exposed to the scorching sun, yet snowflakes seemed to be swirling before her eyes, and she felt a chill run through her entire body: "Your Highness! Please, for the sake of my grandfather and father's service to you, please believe me!"

Madam Cui carefully helped Cui Jingwei, whose hand was injured, and coldly glared at the Xu sisters: "Everyone praises the Xu family's daughters for their good upbringing, yet they are so ruthless as to plot against my daughter with such insidious schemes, framing a girl they've never even met!"

Cui Jingwei's sisters sneered, "The children of the Cui and Xu families are always being compared. Both are eldest daughters of the main branch, and Xu Nianyin is inferior to Jingwei in every way, so naturally she's jealous and wishes she could kill Jingwei!"

"So what if she's never met that girl before? The Xu family's daughter has long considered herself the Regent's wife. How could she tolerate anyone standing beside the Regent and receiving such attentive treatment from him!"

"Admit it! Your Xu family is all about shady dealings and can't stand the light!"

Xu Nianyin shook her head vigorously, tears finally streaming down her face as she vehemently denied it: "I didn't! You have no evidence, no witnesses, you can't slander me and the Xu family like this! Someone is deliberately framing me."

"I did nothing! I didn't! Your Highness, Your Highness, please speak up for me!"

Madam Xu knew perfectly well that her daughter was jealous of the other women standing by the Regent's side, and as a result, by some twist of fate, Cui Jingwei was implicated!

However, she had no evidence to prove that the phosphorus powder was a trick used by the other party to frame her, so she could only swallow this bitter pill.

His eyes swept over the mysterious woman who seemed uninvolved, his shrewd and sharp gaze seeming to want to peel her skin off.

That look was so intense that Jiang Ruining's heart skipped a beat, but she absolutely couldn't lose. She raised her chin and arrogantly retorted.

She had never experienced palace intrigue, but she had read hundreds or even thousands of novels about it, so she knew a lot about the methods of these so-called high-ranking matriarchs!

"Why is Madam Xu looking at me like that? Are you trying to threaten me into taking the blame for your daughter? Sorry! We don't have that kind of relationship. Threatening your illegitimate daughter would be more effective!"