At this moment, Princess Luo Yao, the fifth princess who had been watching Shen Li's interrogation, said to the maid kneeling on the ground, "You kept claiming just now that it was Miss Shen who destroyed the peonies, but now you can't produce any evidence. You're just spouting nonsense!"
"I'll ask you one more time. What's the truth of the matter? How exactly were those three pots of peonies destroyed? And who told you to frame Miss Shen?"
As she said this, she quickly glanced in the direction where Princess Yajing was sitting.
"Now tell me everything. I can forgive you for your crimes!"
Princess Yajing, who had been making things difficult for Shen Li since she entered and then remained silent, now looked at the maid, her eyes filled with a warning as she said sternly, "Yes! You'd better tell the truth. I'll also stand up for you!"
"You'd better think this through. Otherwise, not only your life but also the lives of your whole family will be in danger!"
The implication of these words was too profound. Upon hearing this, the little maid was so shocked that she slumped to the ground, motionless.
Princess Luo Yao looked at Princess Yajing with a displeased expression. "Interrogating the maid is a dull and tiresome task. If you don't want to listen, little sister, you can go back right away!"
"Sister is wrong. I actually find this very interesting! And I also want to help sister with the interrogation. What? Was sister blaming me just now?"
"I'm clumsy and may have said something wrong. Sister, please don't blame me! If Father finds out, he'll scold me for being childish again!"
Princess Yajing spoke in a tone as if she had come to help but was being blamed.
Princess Luo Yao couldn't say anything more. She just replied, "You're overreacting, little sister. We're all sisters. There's no need to be so formal!"
Princess Luo Ning, the ninth princess, rolled her eyes in a rather unladylike manner and whispered, "Actress! Playing the victim!"
Although her voice was soft, everyone present heard it.
Princess Yajing glared at her but finally held back and said nothing more.
The maid had been in a daze with a stunned expression from the shock. Now, as the princesses were talking, she gradually came to her senses.
She gritted her teeth and stared at Princess Yajing for a moment. She was just an insignificant nobody. Even if she told the truth, she couldn't do anything to Princess Yajing.
No matter what, she would be charged with dereliction of duty. Now that her false testimony had been exposed, she was doomed. Instead of that, she might as well take all the blame herself.
The maid hurriedly crawled to Shen Li's feet, hugged her legs and cried, "It was this maid who accidentally watered those three pots of flowers to death. I was afraid... afraid of being punished, so I thought of framing Miss Shen! I've heard that Miss Shen is kind - hearted and magnanimous. Please forgive this maid this time!"
"Oh? If I don't forgive you, does that mean I'm not kind - hearted and magnanimous but a vicious and cruel person?"
Shen Li took two steps back, directly getting away from the maid. "Don't you remember that you're a maid in the palace? Whether to forgive you or not has nothing to do with me!"
Shen Li's cold attitude stunned the maid for a moment. She had thought that Shen Li would consider her reputation and plead with the princess on her behalf. She never expected Shen Li to refuse directly!
But she still didn't give up. With a tear - streaked face, she looked up at Shen Li and said, "Is Miss Shen really going to stand by and watch me die? Please, take pity on this maid and plead for me!"
As she said this, she was about to hug Shen Li's legs again, but Shen Li nimbly dodged to the side. "I told you just now that according to national laws and family rules, making mistakes can't be solved by just crying and pleading!"
"Come on! What are you standing there for? Take this maid away and lock her up!" Princess Luo Yao ordered when she saw that the maid was still pestering.
The maid saw that the situation was unfavorable. She knew that once she was taken away, she would surely be tortured and interrogated. Immediately, she stood up, stared at Shen Li with wide - open eyes, and cursed in a venomous voice, "Miss Shen, you're so heartless. I'll never forget you on the Yellow Spring Road! You'd better wait for me to come after you!"
After saying that, she strode towards the pillar of the pavilion beside her. She was actually going to kill herself by crashing into the pillar!
The noble ladies around were greatly shocked by this sudden change. Screaming, they scattered and ran away.
The maids and guards wanted to stop her, but unfortunately, they were too far away and couldn't catch up with her.
Just when everyone thought that the maid was about to hit the pillar and was bound to die, suddenly, a purple figure moved.
It was Shen Li, who was closest to the maid. She tapped her toes on the ground a few times and caught up with the maid. At the moment when the maid's head was about to hit the pillar, Shen Li kicked her in the waist, making the maid's body deviate to one side. She narrowly missed the pillar and fell heavily to the ground.
The guards were the first to react. They stepped forward and pinned the maid down.
The maid thought she was going to die for sure, but unexpectedly, she was still alive. She struggled under the guards' hands and roared at Shen Li, "Why did you save me? Why did you save me?"
"Take her away quickly!" Princess Luo Yao, who had grown up in the harem, quickly calmed down and ordered.
"Miss, are you okay?" Jiao Yue stepped forward and asked with concern.
Shen Li shook her head and watched as the maid was taken away.
"Why is that person so ungrateful? Miss, you saved her, but instead of being grateful, she even resents you?" Jiao Yue complained.
Shen Li scanned the surroundings and whispered, "I didn't save her. Instead, I killed her!"
Only one of them could survive. No matter what, she had to live.
Jiao Yue was stunned for a moment and understood what Shen Li meant. "Miss, don't blame yourself. It was she who came to frame you first. You were just protecting yourself! You didn't do anything wrong!"
Shen Li walked straight to her seat without saying a word.
The young ladies were still in shock. Their eyes were filled with fear when they looked at Shen Li. At this moment, they automatically kept their distance from her.
The maid had pleaded with her so desperately, but she had remained unmoved. Later, in the face of the maid's curse, she had remained calm. And then she had saved the maid.
What kind of person could do this?
If you said she was heartless, she wasn't, because she had just saved someone.
If you said she was kind - hearted, she wasn't either, because she had ignored the maid's pleas.
Anyway, it was better for them to stay away from her.
After such an incident, everyone had no mood left. The later lunch was no longer filled with laughter. Everyone ate in silence.
After the banquet ended, everyone stood up to say goodbye. So many things had happened today, and they needed to go back and digest them.
When Shen Li was about to leave, Princess Luo Yao sent someone to bring the prize. She held Shen Li's hand apologetically and said, "Those three pots of peonies have withered, so it's not suitable to give them to you. I've chosen a set of gold - inlaid headdresses as a prize for you instead!"
Shen Li declined, saying that she still wanted those three pots of peonies to see if she could save them when she got back.
She was very determined, and Princess Luo Yao couldn't persuade her. Finally, she ordered someone to move the three pots of slightly yellowed and withered peonies onto Shen Li's carriage.