The expressions of those present turned subtly complex.
No sooner had the matter with Princess Jiahui concluded than the eldest daughter of the Earl of Yongding appeared?
It seemed County Princess Changle had offended quite a few people...
Empress Pei glanced at Chu Ruoyan but remained silent, while the Lady of Duke Zou spoke up, "Your Majesty, today is County Princess Changle's grand occasion. This humble servant believes we should not allow such unwelcome individuals to disrupt the festivities."
Empress Pei raised an eyebrow in surprise. If memory served, the Zou family had been punished because of Chu Ruoyan at the polo grounds last time. How had their attitude shifted so drastically, to the point of speaking in her defense now?
The Lady of Prime Minister Gu added, "Indeed. On such a joyous day for the County Princess, there’s no need to trouble ourselves with trivial matters. Why not simply send her away?"
A faint smile curled at Chu Ruoyan’s lips.
So the Gu and Zou families were indeed colluding...
Their coordinated act, disguised as concern for her, was nothing but an attempt to frame her as a bully.
With so many witnesses today, if Lu Yuan were driven away after pleading her case, by tomorrow, County Princess Changle’s reputation for tyranny would spread throughout the capital.
"Your Majesty, since I have done nothing wrong, there’s no reason to feel guilty. Why not allow this Miss Lu to confront me directly?"
Empress Pei nodded. "Let her in."
Soon, Lu Yuan was escorted in by the servants.
Dressed in plain mourning attire with a white flower pinned to her hair, she appeared to be in mourning for someone.
Many noblewomen averted their gazes, unwilling to be tainted by the ill omen.
Lu Yuan entered with a sorrowful expression and fell to her knees with a thud. "I beg Your Majesty for justice! My elder brother was killed by County Princess Changle! My father is consumed by grief, my mother weeps day and night, and now she has even gone blind from sorrow!"
Empress Pei was startled. "Your brother? The heir of Yongding Count has passed away?"
"Yes! And it’s all because of her!" Lu Yuan pointed accusingly at Chu Ruoyan. "My brother was gravely ill, and the only cure was a rare millennium wild ginseng in her possession! But she lied, claiming she was sick herself. Despite my mother and I pleading repeatedly, she refused to yield the medicine... And so, my brother—my brother perished! County Princess Changle, how can your conscience bear this?"
Chu Ruoyan’s eyes flickered slightly. The last time she had seen the Yongding heir was at the Bai Xiao Pavilion—who would have thought he was now dead?
The hall erupted in murmurs.
Someone couldn’t help but remark, "Isn’t this tantamount to letting someone die without lifting a finger?"
"Worse than that! Refusing to help even when begged—isn’t that tantamount to murder?"
Empress Pei frowned but remained silent.
Gu Feiyan crossed her arms and sneered, "Who would have thought the illustrious County Princess Changle could be so vicious!"
Her hatred for Chu Ruoyan wasn’t just due to Kang He’s sister-in-law and Zou Yue—it was also because this woman had somehow stumbled into undeserved luck.
A divorced woman, worthy of being granted a county princess title?
Chu Ruolan gasped in disbelief. "Sister Gu... How could you?"
Her own disfigured face had healed entirely thanks to the jade beauty ointment Chu Ruoyan had given her. Yet now, she turned her back without hesitation!
Gu Feiyan scoffed. "What about me? I’m merely speaking the truth! County Princess Changle, the imperial edict praised you as ‘gentle, virtuous, and dignified.’ But now, it seems it should be revised to ‘ruthless and wicked by nature!’"
The matter of yielding medicine was ambiguous at best.
But the timing—on this very day, with the Yongding heir dead and Lu Yuan appearing as the pitiable victim—contrasted starkly with Chu Ruoyan’s radiant presence. Public sentiment naturally swayed.
Xie Yaozhi and Jiang Yi wanted to defend her but were restrained by their families.
Just as Xue Ling was about to speak, her cousin calmly interjected, "Miss Lu, if I recall correctly, you and your mother came to beg for the medicine several months ago?"
"So what if we did?"
"Then isn’t it strange? If your brother was critically ill months ago, how did he manage to linger until now?"
Lu Yuan froze, and the hall fell silent.
Empress Pei asked, "Is this true?"
Lu Yuan flustered, "Y-Yes, but... but it’s because my family sought treatment everywhere, prolonging his life! The root cause is still her refusal to give the medicine!"
"Oh? By that logic, if you, Miss Lu, consulted a physician months ago and then suddenly fell ill months later, would that also be entirely the physician’s fault for failing to foresee your illness?"
Lu Yuan was momentarily speechless. Gu Feiyan snapped, "That’s sophistry! The Yongding heir was already ill—it wasn’t sudden!"
"Then how can you prove his death was due to my refusal of medicine and not some subsequent affliction?" Chu Ruoyan countered coolly, a trace of mockery in her eyes.
Lu Yuan’s plan relied on the dead telling no tales.
Well, she could play that game too.
The crowd exchanged glances—both sides seemed to have valid arguments.
Just then, a familiar voice declared, "I can testify!"
Chu Ruoyan’s eyelids twitched as Meng Yang swaggered in.
After paying respects to Empress Pei and Consort Xue, he bowed deeply to Chu Ruoyan. "County Princess Changle, my lord Marquis has sent me to express his gratitude. The millennium wild ginseng you gifted saved Grandma Yan’s life. Thus, he has prepared modest gifts for your acceptance."
The revelation sent shockwaves through the hall.
Whispers exploded into uproar.
"So the ginseng was used to save Grandma Yan!"
"No wonder! Grandma Yan was her former mother-in-law’s grandmother—it’s understandable!"
"Then it’s hardly a case of refusing to save a life..."
Lu Yuan paled, but before she could speak, Meng Yang turned to her with a grin. "Miss Lu, was it? You seek justice for your brother? How fortuitous—my lord also seeks justice for his benefactor. You claimed your brother died because of the ginseng?"
A sense of foreboding gripped her as he continued with deliberate malice, "What a coincidence! My lord oversees the Ministry of Justice and found the Yongding heir’s death suspicious. So he ordered an exhumation. And guess what? The heir’s death had absolutely nothing to do with the ginseng!"
Every neck craned forward.
Terror seized Lu Yuan as she shrieked, "You’re lying—!"
But it was too late. Meng Yang announced loudly, "The Yongding heir was in perfect health—no disease, no injuries. The only notable detail? Severe yang deficiency from overindulgence. The coroner concluded he died from excessive depletion after frolicking with multiple women..."
The crowd’s eyes gleamed with scandalized delight.
The Yongding heir had died in the throes of debauchery!
By tomorrow, this juicy tidbit would be the talk of the capital!
Lu Yuan swayed weakly. "Nonsense..."
"Really? My lord anticipated your denial, so he had the coffin brought here. Would you care to inspect it yourself?"
The finality of his words sealed her fate.
Dizzy with despair, Lu Yuan met the gazes around her—some gleeful, some mocking—all confirming one truth: the Lu family’s reputation was ruined.
Gu Feiyan stamped her foot in frustration and retreated to her mother’s side, while the Lady of Duke Zou also glanced helplessly at Consort Xue.
Consort Xue’s face was as cold as still water—this brilliant move to tarnish her reputation had been ruined by Yan Zheng!
She gave a faint nod to the Lady of Duke Zou, who then quietly melted into the crowd.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan was dragged away. Seeing this, Meng Yang swept his gaze across the gathered crowd and declared in a clear voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, my lord the Marquis has made it clear: County Princess Changle was once the Third Young Madam of the Yan family, and she will remain so for life. Should anyone dare lay a hand on her, they will make an enemy of the entire Yan clan! I urge you all to think carefully before acting, lest a single misstep cost your entire family their lives!"
