The other maid screamed, trying to stop Qiu Qin, but Cang Lang knocked her unconscious with the hilt of his sword.
"Continue," he said coldly.
Qiu Qin trembled, not daring to meet Princess Leyang’s murderous gaze. "After the princess disguised the male courtesan as a maid and brought him to Lingyun Temple, he stayed in her courtyard. The cloaked figure Liu Zhi saw was the princess’s confidante, Matron Pu."
"I heard the princess say she wanted to lure the County Princess to the prayer hall tonight, have Tan Yan defile her, and then lead the monks to witness it, making the scandal public."
Rong Yue’s face was icy. "Why would she do this?"
Qiu Qin whispered, "The princess wanted Rongsheng Academy. She had repeatedly sought the County Princess’s hand for her son, but Lady Rong and the County Princess refused."
"On Qixi Festival night, she planned to have the County Princess fall into the water. Her men were waiting below to ‘rescue’ her, making it seem like her son had coincidentally saved her. Then they asked the old princess Lu and the fourth prince's wife to be witnesses, and forced the county lady to marry into the princess's mansion on the grounds that they had physical contact."
"But the County Princess knew how to swim. She and Qian Qiyue were too alert after falling in, they injured anyone who approached and were rescued by their own maids."
"The princess’s plan failed. Not only was she publicly humiliated by the County Princess, but she also angered the Old Princess Lu by involving her in the scheme. Enraged, she decided to ruin the County Princess completely, destroying her reputation so her second son could ‘magnanimously’ take her as a concubine—"
BANG!
Rong Yue exploded with fury, grabbing whatever was on the table and hurling it at Princess Leyang’s face. "You vile wretch! You dared to scheme to make Tangning a concubine?!"
Qian Qiyue also erupted. "I knew the Qixi incident was suspicious! Out of nowhere, chaos broke out—Tangning and I were pushed into the water, and men tried to assault us! If we hadn’t fought back—"
She had known the truth for a while, her anger simmering. Now, pretending she’d just learned of it, she whipped out her belt and lashed at Princess Leyang.
Two brutal strikes later, blood seeped through the princess’s robes, her already swollen face now marred by a lash mark. Muffled screams escaped her gagged mouth.
Madam Qian, as if snapping out of a daze, grabbed her daughter’s arm. "A-Yue! Stop this!"
"Mother, she tried to ruin Tangning! She nearly killed me!" Qian Qiyue’s eyes were red. "If Tangning hadn’t dragged me to safety and stabbed our attackers with her hairpin that night, I would’ve—"
Her voice trembled, tears falling.
The onlookers shuddered in sympathy.
Madam Qian, recalling the danger her daughter had faced, glared at Princess Leyang. "I know. I want to kill her too. But this isn’t just about you and Tangning—the Fourth Prince’s consort is involved. Control yourself. Your father and I will demand justice from His Majesty!"
Qian Qiyue finally relented, though her rage still simmered.
Tangning turned to the rest of Princess Leyang’s servants. "Will you still cover for your mistress?"
Pale-faced, seeing Qiu Qin’s confession and the mounting evidence, others began to talk.
"I saw the male courtesan, he rode in my carriage."
"Me too. He was injured when he first arrived. The princess even called a physician for him."
"I saw Matron Pu in a cloak"
"Yes! I wondered why she was dressed like that, but no one dared question the princess."
Piece by piece, the servants’ testimonies painted an irrefutable picture: Princess Leyang had brought the male courtesan here, plotting to ruin Tangning.
Gagged and unable to defend herself, the princess slumped to the ground, her face bloodless.
Tangning looked at her. "Still want to keep questioning?"
The princess was ashen. Her old maidservant collapsed beside her.
Then, the Fourth Prince who had been silent until now, spoke up angrily. "Princess Leyang’s crimes are undeniable. She sought to harm the County Princess but instead victimized Yinxuan. I will take her to the Emperor at once to seek justice for Yinxuan, the County Princess, and Qian Qiyue!"
"Men, take the princess away!"
His attendants moved to seize Princess Leyang, but Tangning’s voice cut through.
"Wait."
The Fourth Prince’s eye twitched.
"The real mastermind hasn’t been uncovered yet. Why the rush, Your Highness?"
The prince gripped his wheelchair, his masked face hiding his panic. "What mastermind? Isn’t Princess Leyang responsible for tonight?"
"Is she?" Tangning’s gaze was piercing. "I suspect she was merely a pawn and even she was deceived."
She locked eyes with the Fourth Prince, her stare like a blade to his throat. Just as he began to sweat, she looked away.
"Princess Leyang did intend to harm me. But the one who orchestrated the Fourth Prince’s consort and Sun Yi’s disgrace was not her."===============
You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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