Chen Wenjin suddenly felt as if she were being roasted over a fire.
The gazes of the noble ladies gathered around her were fixed upon her. She represented the stance of the Marquis Manor: was it a place of justice and fairness, or a sanctuary for criminals? She could not allow the Marquis Manor’s reputation to be dragged through the mud.
After a long, silent contemplation, Chen Wenjin took Gu Qiurong’s hand. Her eyes were heavy with a pleading expression. "Rongrong, you truly never apologized to your sister for what happened back then. Take this opportunity today to admit your fault, and this matter will be laid to rest completely. From now on, no one in the Marquis Manor will ever mention it again."
"The Marquise is truly showing favoritism!" No sooner had Chen Wenjin finished speaking than Princess Mingli’s mocking voice rang out. "Weiwei nearly lost her life. Is a mere apology from this lowly maid all it takes to settle this?"
"She must kneel and kowtow! And slap herself thirty times! Only then can the humiliation Weiwei suffered all those years ago be eased!"
"That’s right. Fourth Young Miss Gu almost lost her life, and it can all be settled with a simple apology? The Marquis Manor is truly biased. To protect one’s own blood while disregarding the life of Fourth Young Miss Gu is cold-hearted indeed."
Hearing such scornful words, Chen Wenjin completely lost her composure. This was about the dignity of the Marquis Manor!
She knit her brows, and her gaze toward Gu Qiurong lost its pity and heartache, turning cold and severe. She urged, "Rongrong, apologize to Weiwei as the Princess requested! In the end, you were the one who did wrong in this matter!"
Chen Wenjin pulled and dragged Gu Qiurong toward Gu Lingwei. Gu Qiurong’s body swayed, on the verge of collapsing. Seeing this, Qingzhi rushed over to shield her.
She didn't understand. It was clearly not her mistress’s fault, and her mistress had never hired anyone to commit murder. Why were they being so aggressive, forcing her mistress to plead guilty and apologize to someone who had usurped her own identity?
"My Lady!" Qingzhi fell to her knees. Her deep wounds had reopened, and fresh blood soaked through her clothes. "My mistress did not hire anyone to kill! She truly didn't..."
"I beg you, my Lady, stop forcing my mistress to confess."
"If she had actually done it, she would have confessed while enduring such brutal torture in prison. Why are you so unwilling to believe her just this once?"
"It is not for a lowly maid like you to wag your tongue about the affairs of the Marquis Manor!" Chen Wenjin, desperate to settle the trouble at hand and enraged by Qingzhi’s obstruction, could endure no more. She raised her foot and kicked Qingzhi hard in the chest.
"Enough!"
Gu Qiurong stared straight at Chen Wenjin with her dark eyes. "I will not confess to something I did not do, not even if it costs me my life!"
"The tortures in prison could not force a confession from me, and neither will your private punishments."
Gu Qiurong stood with her back straight, her expression firm and resolute. "If you are so convinced that I owe Gu Lingwei an apology, then kill me right now. Take my life as compensation for her."
"Fine! Then I’ll beat you to death today!" Princess Mingli was driven mad with rage. Seeing Gu Qiurong still so stubborn and refusing to apologize, she raised her whip, ready to strike.
Gu Qiurong spoke, each word measured and clear: "Princess Mingli, do think carefully about the consequences of beating the daughter of an official to death. Even if I am not favored in the Marquis Manor, the Princess has no right to decide my life or death."
"You—!"
Princess Mingli was stifled to the point of exploding. She longed to beat Gu Qiurong to death, but the girl was right—beating the daughter of a high-ranking official would only bring trouble to her father. The Prince Regent kept a constant watch over her father; she dared not imagine the consequences if he were to find a handle against them.
Gu Lingwei secretly cursed Princess Mingli for her incompetence. Just as the Princess was suppressing her fury, a stern shout came from outside the Begonia Pavilion.
"Mingyu, that is enough!"
Everyone turned their eyes away from Gu Qiurong toward the source of the voice. A handsome man in white, with a tall, upright stature and a gentle, jade-like demeanor, walked in.
Princess Mingli, who had been arrogant and overbearing from the start, showed a visible change in complexion the moment she saw him. However, that flash of panic vanished in an instant. Fearing that Gu Lingwei might be implicated, she instinctively stepped in front of her.
"Brother, why are you here?"
The mention of "brother" made his identity clear to those who didn't know him: the Heir to Prince Zhennan’s Estate, Zhu Yanyu.
The Prince of Jingnan was the maternal uncle of the monarch in Anyuan and a man trusted by Sheng Mochen. Heir Zhu Yanyu was a favorite of the current Crown Prince, and many noble ladies in the capital were fond of him for his handsome, gentle appearance. As soon as he arrived, the entire Begonia Pavilion fell silent. The noble ladies gazed at him with shy, watery eyes.
"Mingyu, how have I taught you to behave?"
Zhu Yanyu walked over slowly, his robes as white as snow, his eyes as dark as ink. He swept a stern gaze over the Princess. "This is a matter for the Marquis Manor. When did it become your place to interfere? I see that I have been too indulgent with you lately—you have no decorum!"
After reprimanding Zhu Mingyu, he bowed to Chen Wenjin, his expression filled with apology. "Marquise, my sister has been rude and caused a disturbance. I will certainly discipline her properly when we return."
Zhu Yanyu stepped in front of Gu Qiurong. "Fifth Young Miss Gu, please stand."
He reached out to help her up. "I apologize to you on Mingyu’s behalf for today’s events. It is her fault; this is, after all, a matter for the Marquis Manor."
Seeing her brother apologize to Gu Qiurong, Princess Mingli grew even more indignant. "Brother! Why are you apologizing to someone so lowly? A person who doesn't know her place—you are still..."
"Hold your tongue!"
Zhu Yanyu’s cold, sharp glare made the Princess turn pale, and she dared not say another word.
The gentle man turned to Gu Qiurong and offered a deep blue handkerchief. "Wipe the blood from your hands."
"A young lady should always maintain her dignity."
The man’s fingers were slender and his skin like jade. His movement in offering the handkerchief was soft and gentle, and his voice carried a steady, reassuring tone.
But Gu Qiurong treated him like a deadly threat. After standing up, she stumbled back a few paces, avoiding any contact with Zhu Yanyu. "Many thanks, Heir, but there is no need for the handkerchief. I have no such fortune and cannot afford to accept it."
Her tone was rigid and stubborn; she gave Zhu Yanyu no face at all. As an Heir to a Princely Estate, Zhu Yanyu had never encountered such rudeness, but his expression remained unchanged and gentle. "I know you resent Mingyu. She is spoiled and has been pampered since childhood. Let us consider this a favor the Prince Zhennan’s Estate owes you. If you ever need anything in the future, do not hesitate to ask."
"There is no need." Gu Qiurong’s back grew even straighter.
She didn't even look at Zhu Yanyu, instead retreating as if he were a poisonous snake. Chen Wenjin saw that she was about to leave and grabbed her wrist, whispering, "Rongrong, hurry and thank the Heir. If it weren't for him today, Princess Mingli would not have let you off so easily."
But Gu Qiurong pulled her hand away, her dark, cold, and indifferent eyes staring at her without a ripple. Chen Wenjin felt a jolt in her heart as she watched Gu Qiurong turn and walk away, her thin, frail figure swaying as if she might fall.
Watching her receding back, the noble ladies felt a sense of complexity in their hearts. If she was willing to stake her life on her innocence, could it be that Gu Qiurong really hadn't harmed Gu Lingwei?