“Go ahead and search if you must. But as everyone has said—and of course, I, Mu Wanqing, do not deny it—since I’ve come to such a banquet, it’s only natural that I carry some means of self-defense. I believe my elder sister does as well. But if it turns out that I have such medicine on me, and so does my elder sister, how exactly will you, Young Master Leng, determine the truth?”
Seeing Leng Mingye’s stance, the Prince of Ning and the women around him turned their gazes toward her. Wanqing smiled faintly. With a clear conscience, she met his eyes calmly and laid out the flaw in his reasoning.
This decision of his was clearly an attempt to deliberately target her, even raising suspicions that he was colluding with others to frame her.
“Oh? Is Eldest Miss Mu also an expert in poisons?”
At her words, Leng Mingye couldn’t hide his surprise as he questioned her, then glanced at Mu Wanxia across from her.
“Wasn’t I forced into this by her?”
Seeing his reaction and the eyes now fixed on her, Mu Wanxia thought of the pristine image she had carefully cultivated. Though reluctant, she still shifted all blame onto Wanqing with a pointed retort.
“With the evidence so clear, isn’t it exhausting to keep up the act? If Young Master Leng insists, then go ahead and search.”
Hearing Leng Mingye’s illogical argument and noticing that even the Princess Royal remained silent, Wanqing couldn’t help but doubt the intelligence and motives of those present. Was this kind of search really just? Was this truly impartial justice? It was clearly a vendetta disguised as duty.
But she had long prepared for such a scenario. Though resigned, she still looked disdainfully at Mu Wanxia, who continued her charade, and calmly allowed the search.
“Your Highness, Princess Royal…”
The Prince of Ning and the others instinctively turned to the Princess Royal, uneasy about Leng Mingye’s actions.
“Prince Ning, Young Master Sun—are you questioning my judgment, or do you intend to shield Second Miss Mu? I understand she has close ties with you all, but even nobility must answer for their crimes.”
Leng Mingye smiled faintly at the Prince of Ning and Sun Fengyu beside him, spouting his so-called principles—utterly absurd and baseless. Yet despite this, no one present, not even the Princess Royal, dared to refute him.
“Brother Ning, Young Master Song, Young Master Wang, Young Master Sun, there’s no need to worry for me. I’ve done nothing wrong. If he wants to search, let him. Please, don’t be concerned.”
Seeing the worry in the eyes of the Prince of Ning, Song Ziqian, Wang Wenting, and even Sun Fengyu—whom she had no fondness for—Wanqing felt a pang of helplessness. Still, she reassured them with a faint smile and allowed the search to proceed.
“Since Second Miss Mu insists, then I won’t hold back. Princess Royal, may I request two trusted maids to assist?”
Given that both were women, and seeing her remain cold toward him without a single soft word, Leng Mingye smirked before turning to the Princess Royal for assistance.
At her command, two maids stepped forward to search the sisters.
“Hmph.” Watching Wanqing being searched, Mu Wanxia scoffed disdainfully before lowering her gaze, equally confident as she allowed the inspection.
“Your Highness, we found no trace of any suspicious medicine.”
Their pouches and belongings were examined by the court physician on the spot, yet nothing incriminating was discovered.
“Princess Royal…” Mu Wanxia smiled faintly and bowed slightly to her.
“Ridiculous. What evidence is there to find?”
Wanqing, too, scoffed at Leng Mingye’s baseless accusations before turning to walk toward the Prince of Ning and the others.
“Wait—no evidence? Second Miss Mu, what about the tassel on your belt?”
Leng Mingye’s lips curled into a cold smile. He couldn’t fathom how she remained so composed and confident in such a situation. Just as everyone wondered what scheme he was plotting, he suddenly spoke up, pointing at Wanqing’s tassel.
“You—”
She looked down. The tassel, originally woven from simple cords, now had something suspicious embedded within it. Realizing Leng Mingye’s deliberate targeting, her eyes burned with anger as she glared at him.
“Second Miss Mu, this tassel belongs to you, doesn’t it? I merely happened to notice it earlier. If you’ve truly done nothing wrong, would you mind handing it over for inspection?”
His handsome, devilish face wore a deeper smirk now. Though his words feigned courtesy, his eyes gleamed with triumph and cold amusement as he extended his hand.
“You—”
The man before her smiled, but his eyes remained icy. Wanqing was momentarily speechless. When the maids had searched her earlier, she had clearly seen that her tassel was untouched. Now, in an instant, something had been planted.
Considering the possibilities, the only one who could have done this was him. His skills made it all the more plausible.
As disbelief and fury swirled in her eyes, she silently accused him: *You did this, didn’t you?*
As if reading her thoughts, the corner of his lips lifted slightly, his gaze dancing with mockery and satisfaction. *Yes, I did. What can you do about it?*
“Young Master Leng, isn’t this a personal vendetta?”
Unable to hold back, Wanqing lowered her voice in accusation.
“And if it is? I warned you—you’d regret it.”
Leng Mingye smirked, his tone taunting.
“Second Miss Mu, the tassel?”
Seeing her seething with hatred, he remained unfazed, extending his hand again.
“Young Master, that tassel was a gift from me to Wanqing. It contains herbs and fragrances. Must you inspect even that?”
The Prince of Ning, who had initially trusted Wanqing’s innocence, now stepped forward, frowning at Leng Mingye’s relentless targeting.
“What do you think, Prince Ning? It’s just a small tassel. If Second Miss Mu is innocent, she should have no issue handing it over. Otherwise, even without finding any medicine, suspicion will linger. Princess Royal, don’t you agree?”
Leng Mingye’s gaze swept over the stunned and furious faces around him, relishing the chaos he had orchestrated. As the Prince of Ning defended her, he turned to the Princess Royal for support.
“Second Miss Mu, it would be best to let Young Master Leng examine it.”
The Princess Royal, equally perplexed by Leng Mingye’s motives but noting Wanqing’s reaction, had no choice but to voice her suspicion.
(To be continued…)
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