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Could it be for Wenren XunMi?!
Yesterday he also saw Wenren XunMi and felt like she didn’t seem to be like the rumors. But when he saw FeiFei’s tears, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. No matter whether this was Wenren XunMi’s fault, he must first help FeiFei release some of her anger first.
Nangong had also investigated the magistrate’s office well. As long as his man keeps his mouth shut, there wouldn’t be any problems. But just in case, he had come here to personally oversee the process.
“What, do I need to report to you my whereabouts? How do you think you are?” Guan ShengQing squeezed his folding fan. He had no way of responding to An wang’s contemptuous attitude. Before he could inhale, his heart rose again.
Zongzheng Mufeng disdainfully looked down at the person kneeling on the floor, his evil intentions vividly clear. “It’s this thing that accused my wangfei of stealing his ancestral jade pendant?” He looked the man up and down, “I wouldn’t think someone like you would have any valuable possessions. Even if it was something that had been passed down from your ancestors, it can’t be considered a rare treasure. Or do you think my wangfei has poor eyesight to the point that she wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between counterfeits and real treasures?”
Guan Shengqing was astonished. Wenren XunMi was An wang’s wangfei? How did this happen? How come he hadn’t heard this news? Yesterday he had seen An wang appear by XunMi’s side but he and Nangong had no kung fu skills to be able to clearly hear the words exchanged downstairs. Moreover, in their shock yesterday, they hadn’t paid careful attention to details. The only person that had the ability to hear was Bai Ling had been too distracted by his own shame to notice the other two.
The truth is that no one had expected country An’s carefree, leisurely Prince would fall.
When the magistrate saw An wang, he cowardly fell off his seat. After hearing Zongzheng Mufeng’s words, he directly kneeled down, terrified as if he might just drop dead in the next second.
Li Zhu, who had only been told to simply bring a lawsuit to the court, was now shivering from head to toe. His pale face dared not look up. He knew the Prince in front of him was An wang, the current Emperor’s most doted on younger brother and capital city’s tyrant. How could he be so unlucky as to get involved with his matters?! He sneaked a peak at Guan Shengqing and found that his complexion was also bad. But when he met his eye, Guan Shengqing sent a fierce glare his direction, causing Li Zhu to bawl on the inside. If he had known it would be like this, then he wouldn’t have greedily agreed to all of this.
“Can you not hear my question? Or are you hoping to think up of an excuse on the spot?” He sat down on the bench An Yi brought over, wrapping his arm around XunMi and feeling his stormy mood clear a little as a result. The old duke had already been supported by An Er to a seat on the side, completely ignoring the magistrate that was practically laying on the ground.
“Prince, this lowly one really did lose my precious Linglong jade pendant.” Kneeling on the ground, Li Zhu strived to appear firm as he straightened his back to reply. Meanwhile, his palms were sweaty with perspiration. But he had suddenly remembered the pendant that Sir Guan had given him to use.
Zongzheng Mufeng turned expressionlessly to face Li Zhu and thoughtfully said, “How come I remember this precious Linglong jade pendant to be a product from the imperial household? Moreover...”
Seeing those two nervously prick up their ears, he slowly began playing with his belle’s hands and enjoying their pale facial expressions.
When he heard the man call the jade by its name, Guan Shengqing immediately began cursing in his heart.
“Moreover, I do believe this was bought by Minister Guan. If my memory serves me correctly, he had then given it to his son Guan Shengqing. But now, it’s suddenly someone else’s, who even lost it? Unless bestowed directly from the emperor or purchased through the palace, a imperial household product cannot be a possession of anyone else. If the product was found to have been passed on as a gift or lost, then it would be a crime of disrespecting the Emperor.” Since they dared to touch his belle, then they must bear the blunt of the consequences.
XunMi didn’t miss the stunned and doubtful look on the man on the floor’s face when she took off her veil. She immediately felt bothered and lightly pulled on the sleeve of Zongzheng Mufeng’s clothing.
Standing up and dropping her veil into Zongzheng Mufeng’s lap, she took a few steps forward to stop in front of the man kneeling on the floor. “Excuse me. You say that Wenren XunMi stole your jade pendant. May I ask how you were able to confirm it was her?”
“Of...Of course. I...I personally saw her take it.”
“Oh, you saw it yourself? Then could you give a detailed description of the situation at the time?” Stammering while speaking, avoiding eye contact, stiff expressions, tsk tsk tsk...
Most importantly of all, he says that she stole the jade pendant, yet he doesn’t even recognize her. How humorous.
Li Zhu’s heart was filled with greivances but he still attempted to maintain a look of firmness. “Yesterday, this lowly one was walking on the side of the road when I saw a group of people walking towards me. I made way for them. While approaching, the girl in the middle of the group nodded and smiled at me. At that moment, I froze and didn’t react in time. Only when those people walked by and disappeared did I notice that my jade pendant was gone. After searching endlessly for it without hope, I could only come hear to report a theft.” He slowly gained confidence the more and more he spoke, reflected by his steadying voice.
XunMi’s eyes flashed with darkness, “Then according to you, you saw the girl’s appearance? You also know her by name. But why did you doubt Wenren XunMi when your pendant went missing, and yet chose not to find her but instead go directly to the authorities?” To allow such an idiot to do the dirty work, did that mean they thought she was also stupid? Or perhaps that her brain was filled with dust?
Guan Shengqing’s face was already stiff as a wall. There was no hope in the success of this act. Wenren XunMi had laid a trap, and Li Zhu directly jumped into it.
He couldn’t keep him anymore. What he needed to worry about now is how to keep the blame of his own back.
The crown prince was currently under house arrest, Nangong was just a merchant, and he himself didn’t even have a official position. His father’s position also wasn’t considered that high up. Compared to An wang and the Duke estate, they were at a disadvantage. Why did he so stupidly decide to come here? A seed of doubt rooted in him, waiting to slowly sprout out one day.
Li Zhu completely didn’t notice that XunMi was worming out facts from him. He earnestly replied to XunMi’s question. “Wenren XunMi’s name is infamously poor so this lowly one was worried that she wouldn’t admit to her wrongdoings. Thus, coming directly to the authorities was the best option.
XunMi nodded approvingly, carelessly asking an insignificant question. “Then do you recognize me?”
The man blankly shook his head. When would he have the chance to meet such a national beauty?
After receiving the response she wanted, XunMi walked forward to the table and lightly knocked on its surface.
“Magistrate, are you preparing to start an intimate relationship with the floor?”