Chapter 28 What Reward Do You Want?
Xiao Shentian saw that both sides insisted on their own opinions.
"Is Xiao Yiran here?" he asked towards the back hall.
"Father, that bitch is in the back hall..." Xiao Nalan said sobbingly.
Xiao Shentian said calmly to the eunuch beside him, "Bring it up."
After a while, Xiao Yiran was brought up.
Xie Xunfeng looked at her and signaled her to calm down, and lip-synced to her, "I'm here."
Xiao Yiran was originally very nervous, but she saw Xie Xunfeng's determined gaze.
I secretly encouraged myself in my heart.
Even this simple-minded guy Xie Xunfeng is trying so hard for them to be together.
She couldn't hold back, so she gritted her teeth, suppressed her inner tension, and said to Xiao Shentian, "Your Highness, I greet you, Father."
"Is what the princess said true?" Xiao Shentian asked.
Xiao Yiran said to Xiao Shentian with a firm gaze, "Father, the princess is completely confusing right and wrong..."
Xiao Yiran's eyes were firm and his words were clear as he recounted all of Xiao Nalan's actions.
Xiao Nalan pointed at Xiao Yiran angrily and said, "Xiao Yiran, you bastard! How dare you slander me in front of our father..."
"Princess, I dare to swear in front of my father. If what I said is even a lie, I will be struck by lightning and die a miserable death! Do you dare to swear? Princess, have you forgotten that you even wrote a letter of apology?" Xiao Yiran mustered up the courage to argue with Xiao Nalan for the first time.
Seeing that she dared to resist, Xiao Nalan's face turned pale with anger, but she did not choose to confront Xiao Yiran. Instead, she continued to cry and pretend to be pitiful.
"Father, look... look at her aggressive attitude. He tricked Xie Hanzi into writing that confession...Father, I am innocent."
Xiao Shentian looked at Xie Xunfeng and said, "Xie Jizi, you are also a party involved, why don't you say anything?"
Xie Xunfeng stepped forward, bowed and said, "Your Majesty! Because I want to see how shameless a person can be!"
After saying that, she looked at Xiao Nalan and said, "Xiao Nalan is a princess, but she is actually confusing right and wrong! Princess, you must admit your mistake today! Our engagement is over, and I will not pursue the matter any further. This matter ends here! However, if you still insist on making false accusations, don't blame me for being rude!"
Xiao Nalan pointed at Xie Xunfeng with an unpleasant expression and said, "You fool, you have been brainwashed by Xiao Yiran! Now you still want to blame me?"
Xie Xunfeng shook his head and said, "Xiao Nalan, since you refuse to repent and won't turn back until you hit the wall, don't blame me!"
After that, Xie Xunfeng said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, I have witnesses and physical evidence!"
Xiao Shentian said, "Oh? Then hand it over."
"Your confession is not evidence at all!" Xiao Wenyan said with a bad look on his face.
"Everyone is waiting outside the palace. Please summon them, Your Majesty!" Xie Xunfeng said with a bow.
Xiao Shentian nodded and asked the eunuch beside him to bring the person over.
After a while, a group of dozens of people came, led by Guan Chong, followed by him.
Xie Xunfeng said to Xiao Shentian, "Your Majesty, all the witnesses are here."
Xiao Nalan said to the emperor with an unpleasant expression, "Father, who are these people? It's obvious that they were just randomly brought in to fill the numbers. They can't be trusted."
Xiao Shentian said in a cold voice, "Whether it is true or not, I will make the final decision. Everyone in the palace, please report your names one by one. Since you are testifying, you must guarantee that what you say is true. If you tell even a single lie, you will be guilty of deceiving the emperor and should be executed!"
"Your Majesty, I am a doctor at Renji Hall. I can testify that the maid Caihuan under the eldest princess came to the palace to buy poison. This was the prescription she gave me at that time. Later, the maid came to prescribe Hehuan Powder."
"Your Majesty, I am Jing Fei, the steward of the Hostage House. I can testify..."
"Reporting to Your Majesty..."
All of them testified one by one, from the doctor in the pharmacy, to the maids under the eldest princess, even some girls from noble families, as well as the ruffians who were looking for a husband outside the embroidery building, and even some local literati and celebrities came out to testify.
These people were willing to sacrifice their lives to prove that what Xiao Yiran said was true.
"Father...they...they are all liars..."
Xiao Shentian's face turned pale and he shouted angrily: "Nalan, you still don't repent when the time comes! In my opinion, I have spoiled you too much! I punish you by confining you to Kunning Palace. Without my order, you are not allowed to step out of Kunning Palace. Later, the specific punishment will depend on how Xie Jizi punishes you."
Xiao Nalan first looked at Xiao Wenyan and Wu Guozhang for help.
But none of them wanted to meet her eyes.
She knew she lost.
This time it was a complete defeat.
She lay on the ground with a deathly pale face, and looked at Xiao Yiran and Xie Xunfeng with resentment.
He made up his mind and said to Xiao Shentian, "Father, I accept the punishment. However, they are wrong in one aspect! It is not because I do not want to marry Xie Zhizi that I want to poison him. It is precisely because I care about her too much! Seeing them flirting with each other, I feel resentful! Everything I did was out of love turning into hate! I accept all the punishments you have given me! I just hope that you will not cancel my engagement with Xie Zhizi."
After hearing this, Xie Xunfeng felt a chill in his heart.
He had calculated everything, but he had not expected Xiao Nalan to do this.
Wu Guozhang also knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I never expected that this matter would have such twists and turns. Although the eldest princess made mistakes, it is understandable. I think this matter was all caused by the third princess. If the eldest princess is punished, the third princess should also be guilty."
Jingzhao Prefecture Governor Chen Dezhao said, "Your Majesty, what Wu Guozhang said is right. The source of the problem is that the Third Princess is not disciplined! If it weren't for the unclear relationship between the Third Princess and Xie Zhizi, the eldest princess wouldn't be so angry! I think the eldest princess is guilty, but the third princess is also guilty!"
Xie Xunfeng frowned slightly, they were indeed two old foxes.
Because what he just testified was Xiao Nalan's guilt.
But what was missed is that there is no way to prove whether Xiao Yiran seduced Xie Xunfeng.
After all, this matter is all just empty talk and no one has any real evidence.
Once they grasped this point, they bit back.
If Xie Xunfeng bit Xiao Nalan to death, they would also make Xiao Yiran guilty.
Xiao Shentian said to Xie Xunfeng, "Xie Jizi, you are the victim in this matter. You decide how to deal with it! I will definitely punish these two troublesome people."
Xie Xunfeng heard the hidden meaning: "Your Majesty, please make the decision! However, fortunately, this matter did not cause any consequences! After all, it is a family scandal. If it is made public, it will not benefit the royal family's reputation! Let's make a big thing small."
Seeing this, Xiao Shentian said, "Look, who said Xie Jizi was stupid? I think he is very smart."
Xie Xunfeng continued, "Your Majesty, does the reward you just promised me still count?"
Xiao Shentian said: "Of course! Jun Wuxiyan, what reward do you want!"
