"It's absolutely impossible!" Concubine Shu couldn't hold back any longer. Disregarding the gender taboo, she got up and stepped forward, grabbing at Murong Yunqian's clothes to take a closer look. She didn't believe a single word about the scald. She suspected that the Tenth Prince had deliberately caused it to cover up something after he returned!
Concubine Shu clutched Murong Yunqian's clothes tightly, determined to find out the truth.
Murong Yunqian quickly covered his clothes and resisted, saying, "There should be a proper distance between men and women! How could Lady Shu treat me like this without considering the royal dignity?" As he spoke, he covered himself tightly, looking at Concubine Shu as if she were a lecher.
The emperor's face turned green with anger when he saw Concubine Shu stepping forward to tug at Murong Yunqian's clothes without any grace. He coughed coldly and said, "Stop at once! Step back quickly!"
Concubine Shu paused. Only then did she realize that her behavior was inappropriate. Reluctantly, she let go of Murong Yunqian's clothes and silently took two steps back. Then she turned to look at Cheng Hao beside her.
In response to Concubine Shu's inquiring look, Cheng Hao just silently shook his head. He really couldn't tell whether the scald was done on purpose to cover up a stab wound.
But if the Tenth Prince had self - inflicted the scald after committing the murder and fleeing, the scab couldn't have formed so quickly, unless there was some ointment that could stop the bleeding and form a scab immediately.
Concubine Shu glared at Murong Yunqian fiercely, her face flushing with anger. Wei Dongling's life was uncertain, yet the murderer could argue so brazenly and go unpunished. It was simply unfair!
Suddenly, she seemed to remember something. She quickly called out to the emperor, "Please forgive my thoughtless actions, Your Majesty. Since Wanlin is still missing, I'm truly heartbroken! Your Majesty! When the murderer was choking Wanlin last night, I bit his arm hard. I believe the bite mark on the murderer's arm won't fade away easily. Could His Highness the Tenth Prince please show everyone his right arm to clear his name?"
Concubine Shu was absolutely certain that the masked killer was the Tenth Prince. Therefore, she was 100% sure that there must be a bite mark on his arm!
Hearing this, everyone cast suspicious glances at Murong Yunqian again.
Murong Yunqian knelt on the ground obediently, lowered his eyes and sighed, "Why does Lady Shu insist on accusing me of the assassination? Just because I bit an imperial maid in a daze on New Year's Eve two years ago, you're so suspicious of me?"
Concubine Shu fell silent. The whole audience was also completely silent.
Murong Yunqian's face was full of bitterness. He said word by word, "That incident made everyone afraid of me. Even my mother scolded me and wished to beat me to death. But Father! It was that maid who deliberately withheld my food first! On New Year's Eve when everyone was celebrating, I was hungry and hadn't had a single bun for three days. That maid was eating the delicious food that was supposed to be mine. She also beat, scolded, insulted and laughed at me for being a madman! Father, at that time, I was in a state of confusion and extremely hungry. That's why I did something that I regret for the rest of my life... Father! I repent! I'm guilty!" Murong Yunqian knelt on the ground. His thin and emaciated figure was really pitiful.
The emperor was stunned on the spot. He couldn't say a single word of blame.
Murong Yunqian's eyes were red. He said softly, "Since then, everyone has looked at me like I'm a wild animal! But I've never done anything immoral again, Father! Moreover, the Fifth Princess has suffered a lot since she was lost in the folk world since childhood, just like me. I feel so sorry for her. How could I be so cruel as to harm her?" Murong Yunqian was in tears. His words made everyone sigh with emotion.
If what he said was true, and there was really a maid who beat, scolded and abused him because he was different from others, then it was excusable.
The matter got into a deadlock again. Just when everyone was at a loss and didn't know what to do, Concubine Shu quietly winked at Cheng Hao beside her.
How could she let the Tenth Prince confuse everyone by bringing up the old incident and winning everyone's sympathy by acting pitiful?
Cheng Hao immediately understood. He stepped forward and quickly rolled up Murong Yunqian's sleeve.
Murong Yunqian wanted to dodge and cover it up, but it was too late. A deep bluish - purple bite mark on his right arm was exposed in front of everyone.
Concubine Shu pointed at the bite mark on Murong Yunqian's arm and shouted excitedly, "Your Majesty! Look! The murderer is him! It was him who killed Wanlin!"
Everyone's faces changed again and again. Cheng Hao looked at Murong Yunqian with intense hatred.
The emperor's face was ashen. He asked, "What do you have to say about this bite mark?"
Under everyone's noses, Murong Yunqian's face blushed a little. Without saying a word, he untied his belt again and opened his collar.
Everyone looked in unison. They saw that Murong Yunqian's fair and delicate neck was covered with bite marks and red marks of different depths.
It looked more like a man who had secretly tasted the forbidden fruit for the first time after a long drought, being kissed and bitten by his lover.
Concubine Shu was stunned and took several steps back.
Cheng Hao was extremely shocked. He quickly asked, "You... What's going on?"
Murong Yunqian's face was blushing with embarrassment. He lowered his head shyly and hesitated, "Father, I was scalded on my side last night. The maid who came to apply the ointment was wearing thin clothes. I... I couldn't control myself for a moment... I forced myself on her... The bite mark on my arm was also caused by my lack of self - control. I originally planned to mention this later, but now that everyone knows, I want to give her a proper name and take her as a concubine... I hope Father can forgive me!"
Everyone was completely stunned. It turned out that the bite on the Tenth Prince's arm was not left during the murder, but during his affair with the maid!
Although the Tenth Prince was not yet an adult, as a prince, it was normal for him to be taught about sexual matters by the palace servants early on. It was a great blessing for a maid to be favored by a prince!
Everyone's looks at Concubine Shu were indescribable.
Concubine Shu gritted her teeth secretly and was so angry that she almost spat out blood. For a moment, she couldn't think of any other way to prove her point.
After the Inner Court Department identified the Tenth Prince's shoe print, their faces showed some difficulty. The size was the same, but the style was obviously different.
After the Tenth Prince moved into Xingsheng Palace, all his clothes, shoes and socks were arranged by the Inner Treasury. Judging from the footprints left by the murderer on the ground, the shoes should be those worn by the eunuchs who did the cleaning in the palace.
After the Inner Court Department reported everything to the emperor, the emperor lowered his eyes and sighed, "Before the truth comes out, Yunqian is confined to Xingsheng Palace and is not allowed to go out without permission. Step back!"
"Yes!" Murong Yunqian dusted off the dirt on his robe. After saluting respectfully, he turned around and left. As he turned around, he glanced at Concubine Shu, with a faint smile in his eyes.
Concubine Shu was burning with anger as she watched Murong Yunqian leave arrogantly. She hated him to the core.