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

But no one came forward to testify for her at the scene.

"We've never heard anything like that before!"

The man who had been scolding her forcefully flung his sleeve: "Since you speak with such certainty, you must have heard it with your own ears! If you heard it with your own ears, how could you not answer my question? To scheme against the Zheng family, you dare to slander and defame the Empress Dowager! Do you want to die?!"

Xie Qinghe was scared.

If even the Empress Dowager is offended, the Xie family will have no way out!

"It wasn't me! I didn't slander you... It's all a misunderstanding, it was her!" She pointed at Zheng Lingyi: "It was her! She said it! I don't know anything. She deliberately lied to scare me so that we would worry about my brother and make a mistake!"

Are you deliberately lying?

Jiang Ruining lowered her eyes slightly, concealing the smile in them.

Yes!

It was she who had people repeat what Xie Qinghe and the Xie family members said to them repeatedly after they fell asleep.

People who are already worried and anxious will be constantly receiving information such as "the Empress Dowager will kill Xie Lanheng when she returns to the capital" and "the Zheng family has long wanted to break off the engagement" while they are half asleep and half awake. If they are then "confirmed" by people arranged by her during the day, they will subconsciously believe that this is the truth.

With the addition of medications that stimulate liver fire, even the most shrewd and calm Xie family members would become anxious and agitated, lose their composure, say things they shouldn't say, and do things they shouldn't do, and then... they've ended up in this situation!

"You made a mistake because you were worried about Xie Lanheng? So you admit that today's events were a setup by your Xie family to ruin Lingyi!"

Xie Qinghe realized she had been tricked, and was filled with shock and anger: "I didn't! You have no evidence, what makes you convict me!"

Zheng Lingyi moved closer to her: "You said I told you that the Empress Dowager would kill Xie Lanheng when she returned to the capital. Then explain yourself clearly, when did I tell you that? I was so worried about your brother that I was bedridden and couldn't get out of bed. I haven't even seen you for a while. How could I be lying to you?"

Xie Qinghe could not prove that the Empress Dowager had said she wanted to kill Xie Lanheng, nor could she prove that Zheng Lingyi had said those things to her. She covered her ears and screamed that she was innocent and had been framed, as if as long as she kept her mouth shut, she could turn it into fact.

"No! That's not true! I didn't lie, you're the ones who framed me! No amount of arguing will change your mind, you're the ones who framed me!"

Zheng Lingyi initially couldn't accept Xie Lanheng's scheming and the manipulation by the other members of the Xie family, after all, she had spent more than ten years of genuine feelings on them. But now, all that's left is disgust!

Even with all her hatred, she never became hysterical, maintaining her victimhood throughout: "You slandered the Empress Dowager in public, and now you want to slander me!"

"When you went to beg Ningning, she already told you that the Regent was not giving in for the time being, simply because he had angered Ningning and was waiting to see if Ningning would be too worried and forgive him ahead of time."

Someone has come forward to testify!

"That's right! I was in the county magistrate's tent that day, and I clearly heard her and Madam Xie exchange these words! She told her that as long as the Regent Prince didn't wait for the county magistrate to take the initiative, he would still intervene, and that they should just wait patiently!"

"You promised me you'd wait patiently, and then you turned around and did this insidious thing! How can there be such rampant and vicious people as you in this world!"

The regent did not refute these words, nor did he show any displeasure because of them.

He simply stood quietly beside Jiang Ruining, his shoulder level above hers, his protective stance evident. His phoenix eyes were fixed on her, his expression cold, yet a warm feeling clearly enveloped her in his eyes!

Everyone further realized the Regent's indulgence and doting on Fu Ning, and it was no exaggeration to say that she was the apple of his eye!

The torchlight cast shadows in Madam Xie's eyes, causing her to murmur in astonishment, "Back then... there was actually someone..."

But the light in Xie Qinghe's eyes burned with a fierce fire of jealousy: "You..."

Jiang Ruining didn't give her a chance to speak and continued, "Moreover, you clearly know that Xiao Zheng may have committed a serious crime himself. Once it's proven, Xie Lanheng killing him won't be a crime, or at least not a serious one! The Zheng family is investigating the evidence, and the Regent's people are also investigating."

"Just because the Xie family couldn't find the evidence themselves, they assumed everyone was slacking off and, disregarding their decades-long friendship with the Zheng family, set a trap to destroy the order and slander me to vent their personal grievances. How vicious!"

"We already had leads on Xiao Zheng's matter..."

Have you found a clue?

Testing someone's character?

Upon hearing this, Madam Xie's eyes lit up with hope: "You've found a clue? What clue? Show it to me right now!"

Realizing that his attitude was too hasty and sharp, he quickly changed his tune.

Clutching a thin blanket, she knelt on the ground and kowtowed several times. Her forehead was red and her face was wet with tears, showing the heartbreaking demeanor of a loving mother.

"Heng'er is young and promising. He will definitely serve the Prince with all his heart and soul! Princess! Please have mercy and provide the clues to save him! I'm willing to take any crime, no matter what it is, as long as you're happy. Even if you ask me to die, I won't say another word!"

Chu Jin and the others laughed in anger: "What do you mean, 'The county princess made you take the blame'? Even now, you're still scheming!"

Madam Xie's little scheme was exposed, and anger flashed in her eyes, but how could she possibly admit it?

"Your Highness, you misunderstand! I absolutely did not mean that, I..."

Jiang Ruining raised her hand to interrupt: "I have no interest in listening to your excuses!"

The conversation turned.

His eyes were smiling, a mocking smile: "To be honest, not telling you about the clues I found was indeed a test. Lingyi's in-laws can't all be useless fools who only know how to pressure their daughter-in-law when trouble comes!"

"I just wanted to see if your Xie family's character could withstand such a major event!"

The loving expression on Madam Xie's face froze.

Jiang Ruining sighed like an autumn wind: "What a pity! Your Xie family is stupid, wicked, and incompetent, with utterly despicable character! So I won't give you any clues, and I won't help you with anything again!"

"The investigation into Xiao Zheng has been halted! Whether he was killed or betrayed the Regent is no longer important!"

"No! You can't!" Madam Xie shook her head frantically.

Because she understood that if Jiang Ruining's people really found the clues and held onto them or destroyed them, the Empress Dowager's people wouldn't be able to find them, and even if the Xie family was willing to submit, they wouldn't be able to get their son out!

"How could you do this to my son? Xiao Zheng clearly deserved to die, why should my son's life be taken too!"

Seeing that Jiang Ruining remained unmoved.

She had no choice but to turn back to Madam Zheng and beg for help again.

"Su Yue! You watched Heng'er grow up. He respects you immensely and treats you like a second mother. You can't just stand by and watch him die because you have a misunderstanding with me! Please, save him, save him!"

Madam Zheng stepped back, avoiding the hand that reached out to tug at her skirt: "You didn't believe me, you didn't believe the county princess, and that's why you've come to this point. Now what are you begging me for? Even if I give you clues, if we ultimately fail to rescue Xie Lanheng, you'll still turn around and say we gave you false clues!"

Madam Xie humbled herself greatly, her face streaked with exhaustion from crying: "No! I won't!"

Madam Zheng sighed, "My daughter was almost ruined by you, I will never trust you again! As for the clues, they were not found by the Zheng family in the first place, I have no right to interfere with the county magistrate's decision, nor can I interfere."

Hatred surged within Madam Xie's chest, her nostrils flared, and she wished she could breathe fire and burn Madam Zheng to death.

But the intense pain in her chin reminded her that she couldn't afford to offend anyone again.

Otherwise, she and the Xie family will be doomed!

"Princess! Today's events truly have nothing to do with me. I was framed. My love for Lingyi is evident to all! You have no evidence; how can you convict me based on a few speculations?"