He Yao squeezed forward to get a closer look at Wei Dongling's disheveled state. But then she caught sight of the familiar crimson dress of the woman on the ground. Wasn't this the dress her maid had worn today?
He Yao's heart suddenly panicked. Uncertain and shocked, she called out her maid's name, "Cai Yue?"
The woman covering her face and crying trembled all over when she heard He Yao call her. She couldn't help but wail even louder, "Miss, waaaaah, I don't want to live anymore, waaaaah..."
It was like a thunderbolt out of a clear blue sky!
He Yao staggered. She almost fell backward if she hadn't managed to steady herself. Her voice quivering, she asked, "How could it be you? Where's Wei Dongling?"
Hearing He Yao asking about her, Wei Dongling, who had been hiding behind the crowd, quickly squeezed out and jumped up and down, saying, "I'm here! I'm here!" As she spoke, she stuffed pastries into her mouth.
Shangguan Yun's eyes lit up. He walked straight up to Wei Dongling, sizing her up and asking, "Are you all right?"
Wei Dongling smiled brightly like the wind, "Thank you, Young Master, for your concern. I was a bit hungry just now, so I went back to get some pastries."
He Yao rushed over and grabbed Wei Dongling's collar, tears streaming down her face as she accused, "It must be you behind all this! What will become of Cai Yue in the future after what you've done to her?"
Wei Dongling raised an eyebrow and asked, "You had your maid distract Cui Huan. Who knows what you've been up to in secret? Where's my Cui Huan? Where did you take her?"
The sudden turn of events threw He Yao into a panic. Thinking about how her former personal maid, Cai Qing, had been given a death sentence, and now Cai Yue had ended up in such a situation! And here was Wei Dongling smiling nonchalantly in front of her. He Yao's heart was bleeding. She hated Wei Dongling to the core.
He Yao wept prettily. She bowed to Murong Xuan, who had been scowling the whole time, and said, "It must be this commoner who deliberately framed my maid! I hope the Young Prince will seek justice for me!"
After such an incident, Murong Xuan was embarrassed. His face was already extremely ugly. At the same time, he also keenly noticed that Shangguan Yun was being very attentive to that beautiful Miss Wei. Seeing the servants on the ground kowtowing and crying out for injustice, Murong Xuan snorted, "You are so presumptuous!" He waved his hand and told the steward to drag them away for torture, promising to give the County Princess an explanation.
"Spare us, Young Prince!" The three of them turned pale with fright when they saw they were about to be dragged away. They cried bitterly but couldn't say a word.
Seeing that the three were about to be dragged away, Wei Dongling quickly stepped forward and asked, "Look carefully. Was it me who gave you the medicine?"
Her reminder made the panicked three remember the matter of the medicine. They all cried to Murong Xuan, "Your Highness, please investigate. It was that girl inside who gave us the aphrodisiac and instructed us to frame this girl!"
Aphrodisiac!
Shangguan Yun's expression froze. Memories flooded back. That night, he had been deceived by Princess Murong Qi into drinking an aphrodisiac, which had caused a rift between him and Wei Dongling. It had always pained him. He never thought that there would be someone here trying to frame Wei Dongling with drugs!
Shangguan Yun was shocked. His face gradually darkened. Fortunately, she was safe!
Murong Xuan was stunned. "What did you say? That maid gave you the medicine and instructed you to frame Miss Wei?"
The three replied in unison, "Yes!"
Hearing this, He Yao turned deathly pale. She quickly shouted, "You're lying! How could my maid have such medicine on her?"
One of the servants kneeling on the ground said, "Your Highness, every word we said is true! We were deceived by the evildoer and drank the aphrodisiac in an attempt to frame that girl. The mastermind is that woman inside!"
Wei Dongling recognized this as the young servant who had been kicked to the ground by her. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and smile, "So, it seems that this maid named Cai Yue has shot herself in the foot? But are you sure that as a lowly servant, without anyone behind her, she would dare to do such a thing?"
Everyone was stunned.
Hearing Wei Dongling's words that cut like a knife, He Yao angrily said, "You're talking nonsense!"
Murong Xuan said seriously, "Call two old women over. Search that maid inside! If there really is medicine, take her away for torture."
"Yes!"
He Yao was horrified. She quickly stepped forward to stop them, saying, "My maid has been insulted for no reason. If you still want to search her, aren't you just forcing her to death?"
He Yao secretly regretted it. She was so angry at Wei Dongling that she couldn't help but falsely accuse her. If they really searched her maid, she wouldn't be able to deny it later. He Yao hoped to delay for a while so that Cai Yue would have a chance to hide the remaining powder.
But her maid was already in a complete mess after being humiliated. How could she think of such a thing?
Wei Dongling shrugged and said, "You're the one who is crying out for the Young Prince to seek justice, and you're also the one who refuses to let them search. Cai Yue is your maid after all. Could it be that she did this on your orders? Sister County Princess, if you really did instruct this, your heart is too vicious. I just asked you to return the five thousand taels of silver you owed me for so long. Are you really trying to kill me for just five thousand taels?"
He Yao was shocked when her trick was exposed. She quickly denied it and shouted, "What are you talking about? How could I do such a thing?"
Shangguan Yun's fingertips turned white from clenching. He said to Murong Xuan, "Brother, if this is really the case, don't let her off lightly!"
Murong Xuan nodded and said, "Okay!"
A few old women were called over. They pushed open the door and were about to search the maid Cai Yue inside. As soon as they entered, they saw the woman on the ground slowly get up and staggeringly say, "No one instructed me. I just didn't like Miss Wei. It was all my idea! It has nothing to do with my miss." With that, she slammed her head into the pillar. Blood gushed out immediately, and she fell to the ground.
With a loud bang, He Yao's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. She rushed forward and cried out in pain, "Cai Yue!" Then she hugged her maid and wailed.
Murong Xuan glanced at the three kneeling on the ground and told the steward, "Punish them severely." Then he pulled Shangguan Yun's sleeve without looking back and said, "Brother Shangguan, accompany me to watch the horse race."
Shangguan Yun nodded and bowed to Wei Dongling to bid farewell.
Wei Dongling looked at He Yao, who was crying hysterically in the small dark room, and then at the backs of Shangguan Yun and Murong Xuan walking away side by side. She smiled and said, "It's so boring. I'd better go find Cui Huan."
She hadn't walked far when she saw Ruan Niang coming up and grabbing her hand. Ruan Niang called out, "Where have you been? The horse race is about to start. Have you placed any bets on the horses?"
Wei Dongling was stunned. "Bet on what horses?"
Ruan Niang pointed to a small house not far away where many people were crowded together. She said to Wei Dongling, "Bet on the winner! Brother Long and the others have squeezed in to bet on the horses. Do you want to go and have a look?"
Wei Dongling remembered that Luo Xunlong had said that the horse with the shiny coat had a hidden injury on its right leg. She couldn't help but touch the silver note in her sleeve and said excitedly, "Ruan Niang, please help me find Cui Huan. I'm going to bet on the horses first!" With that, she slipped into the crowd like a streak of lightning.