Chapter 529: Confession
Everything was back to square one.
Proof.
Without proof, all of Xiao Chengxuan’s accusations were nothing more than empty words.
People might even think he had gone mad to say something so absurd.
Xiao Chengxuan shuddered, provoked, only then remembering—he truly had no proof.
Even he himself had only just pieced everything together and understood the key to it all.
If Zhou Kangxue hadn’t testified that Xiao Lansi had ordered him to do those things, Xiao Chengxuan would likely have gone his entire life without ever suspecting her.
But once that suspicion took root, all the strange things he could never figure out before suddenly had an answer!
That was why he was so certain—it was Xiao Lansi!
But...
How was he supposed to prove it now!?
...
Ye Chutang watched with a cool detachment.
Seeing the hesitation on Xiao Chengxuan’s face after being challenged, she raised an eyebrow.
Xiao Chengxuan wasn’t a complete fool. At the very least, he had figured things out at the last moment.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
If he had been wary of Xiao Lansi sooner, how could he have ended up in this predicament?
Xiao Lansi had a point: without proof, everything was mere speculation.
No one could convict her.
However...
Ye Chutang’s gaze shifted, lingering on Xiao Lansi for a moment.
It was no wonder she’d always found Xiao Lansi strange. The feeling grew stronger with every interaction, though she could never pinpoint why.
Now she finally knew where that sense of strangeness came from—contradiction.
Xiao Lansi was a walking contradiction, from top to bottom, inside and out.
She came from a lowly background, was frequently bullied, and had a soft, timid personality, yet she had grown up safely in the treacherous, unpredictable inner palace.
After spending several years in Guanling, she had finally managed to return to the Capital City and had even cleverly won Emperor Muwu’s favor, yet she never took advantage of such a good opportunity to find a satisfactory marriage for herself.
In the bustling, prosperous Capital City, she was like an invisible person.
Seeking nothing, searching for nothing.
She seemed to be at everyone’s beck and call, coming when summoned and leaving when dismissed.
Today, it all finally made sense.
—She had gotten to where she was today because she had long ago attached herself to Jiang Qingmei and Xiao Chengxuan.
But clearly, she wasn’t grateful for it. She even harbored resentment.
Ye Chutang believed a good portion of what Xiao Chengxuan had just said.
But her belief was useless.
Even the most seamless deductions, careful and rigorous logic, and logical conclusions were, in the end, just baseless, empty words.
The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone couldn’t help but turn to look at the Eldest Princess.
Whether it was true or not, this mess... was up to the Eldest Princess to clean up.
The Eldest Princess’s feelings were also extremely complicated at that moment.
She couldn’t help but sigh internally.
"First, take Cheng Xuan back into custody. Lanxi, you will also return to your quarters. You are not to step out of the palace gates without my permission. As for everything else, we will wait for His Majesty’s decision."
Emperor Muwu?
But he wasn’t even awake yet!
Everyone present was sharp; they could naturally tell that the Eldest Princess was planning to use delaying tactics.
After all, with a Prince, a Princess, and a Southern Hu Blade Man involved, even someone as powerful and authoritative as the Eldest Princess couldn’t make a rash decision.
The only option was to continue investigating!
Chen Songshi immediately said, "As the Eldest Princess commands."
How could Xiao Chengxuan be willing to accept that?
"I don’t have proof now! But a goose leaves tracks where it flies! I refuse to believe she’s completely clean! Her palace should be searched! Dig three feet deep if you have to!"
If Xiao Lansi did it, she must have left a clue somewhere!
Fan Chengzhuo looked from side to side, then announced in a stern voice, "This humble servant volunteers to investigate this matter thoroughly!"
As the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, it wasn’t out of place for him to say so.
After all, this messy case involved numerous people, many of whom had already spent time in the Ministry of Justice’s prison.
And of course, it was highly likely that those who hadn’t would go there in the future.
Ye Chutang glanced at him with interest, the corner of her lip curling into a faint arc.
When the Jiang family was in trouble, this man had been as quiet as a tortoise in its shell. Now, he was fighting to be at the forefront.
The Eldest Princess pondered for a moment.
"In that case, then—"
Before she could finish, an announcement suddenly came from outside.
"Eldest Princess! Lord Zhang Qian of Shuntian Prefecture requests an audience!"
Zhang Qian?
Everyone was stunned. Why was he here at a time like this?
Zhao Chengyin, however, seemed to suddenly recall something, his eyes widening slightly. "It can’t be..."
The Eldest Princess noticed his expression and asked, "Mr. Zhao, do you know why he has come?"
Zhao Chengyin wasn’t entirely sure himself.
"This... Perhaps there’s been a development in the case?"
The "case," of course, was the one concerning Ye Chutang’s assassination attempt.
"I did indeed instruct him previously to report any new, major clues as soon as possible."
He just hadn’t expected it to be so fast, or that Zhang Qian would come directly to the palace!
The Eldest Princess was naturally pleased to hear this and immediately said, "Let him in!"
Soon, Zhang Qian walked in, led by a palace attendant.
His official rank wasn’t high, and he rarely had occasion to enter the palace. Upon entering and seeing the Eldest Princess and several members of the Cabinet present, he became even more deferential.
But the next second, he saw Xiao Chengxuan and Xiao Lansi in the middle of the hall.
One looked wild and frenzied, the other’s face was streaked with tears. They didn’t have a shred of the dignity expected of a Prince and Princess.
Zhang Qian was shocked and couldn’t help but slow his steps, his mind racing with countless speculations.
—’What happened here? It looks like a farce just broke out!’
Zhao Chengyin quickly prompted him forward. "Are you here about Miss Ye’s assassination attempt?"
Zhang Qian snapped back to his senses, hurriedly bowing and saying repeatedly, "Yes. This humble servant is here for precisely that matter!"
The Eldest Princess said, "Enough with the formalities. If you have something to say, say it directly!"
Zhang Qian’s expression, however, suddenly became a little awkward.
He gave a light cough and carefully took out a booklet from his robes.
"Your Highness, this is Wu the Fourth’s testimony. Please take a look."
Testimony?
Zhao Chengyin was both surprised and delighted. "He confessed? So quickly!?"
Before he left, he had used numerous methods, but that old codger had refused to admit anything!
Zhang Qian’s expression became even more peculiar.
He lowered his head even further.
"Um... Lord Lu went to confront him personally. He couldn’t hold out, so he confessed everything."
Zhao Chengyin: ?
Everyone: ??
Ye Chutang: ...???