The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming

Chapter 528: Chapter 528: Mere Speculation

Xiao Chengxuan’s question was spoken softly, yet it struck like a clap of thunder, shaking everyone to their core.

No one had expected things to develop this way.

Xiao Chengxuan was actually pointing the finger at Xiao Lansi for everything!?

Zhou Kangxue was also stunned.

But he didn’t care.

He pointed at the two of them and laughed with smug abandon. ”See! I told you! Everything I said before was true! She did it! It was all her!”

Finally venting the foul anger in his chest, Zhou Kangxue no longer even cared if he lived or died.

’He was dead anyway, so what was there to fear!?’

”Eldest Princess! Prime Minister! You all heard him! Even the Second Prince is saying it! If you don’t believe me, you have to believe him, right!?”

Zhou Kangxue stared viciously at Xiao Lansi, as if he wanted to carve the flesh from her bones with a sharp blade!

”She’s the one who did all those things! It was her! So she didn’t just want to kill Ye Chutang, she wanted to kill the Second Prince too! Killing two birds with one stone! What a brilliant scheme! Ha!”

Zhou Kangxue’s roars echoed through the vast, majestic hall.

The hall fell silent.

The situation had escalated far beyond anything they had imagined.

Xiao Lansi’s lips were pale as she sat slumped on the floor.

One hand braced against the cold floor while the other clutched her chest. She opened her mouth, but only tears fell.

The scene was utterly bizarre.

It was well known that Xiao Chengxuan and Xiao Lansi were close.

Who could have thought that today, the two of them would turn on each other so bitterly?

The Eldest Princess suppressed the churning emotions in her chest and asked Zhao Chengyin, ”Zhao Chengyin, when you interrogated Wu the Fourth, did he ever mention the Third Princess?”

Zhao Chengyin snapped back to his senses and shook his head. ”To answer the Eldest Princess, he did not.”

After a brief pause, he added, ”This humble servant only conducted a simple preliminary questioning, as I was eager to return to the palace and report. That Wu the Fourth is as slippery as an eel and refused to say anything. But rest assured, Eldest Princess, I have already ordered my men to continue the interrogation before I came. We will be sure to get to the bottom of this!”

In other words, just because Wu the Fourth hadn’t mentioned Xiao Lansi yet didn’t mean he wouldn’t later.

If he really confessed, then...

The Eldest Princess nodded.

Her expression hardened as she said gravely to Xiao Chengxuan, ”Cheng Xuan, calm down. Everyone here is listening to every word you say today! They can distinguish truth from falsehood for themselves! Don’t make your mistake even worse!”

It was both a warning and a reminder.

Xiao Chengxuan was originally only facing exile, but if he added slander and false accusations to his crimes, his fate would likely be far worse.

But how could Xiao Chengxuan listen to anyone else at a time like this?

His head felt like it was about to explode!

He wasn’t finished with his questions!

Xiao Chengxuan’s fists were clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. Gritting his teeth, he asked, word by word—

”Besides Wu the Fourth, you were also the one who stole that Jade Pendant all those years ago, weren’t you?”

Xiao Lansi’s pupils contracted violently!

The others hadn’t yet processed this and couldn’t help but start murmuring among themselves.

”A Jade Pendant? What Jade Pendant?”

”Don’t tell me... it’s the one they found on the Southern Hu Blade Man? Have you forgotten? That’s the reason the Holy Emperor concluded that Xiao Chengxuan had long been colluding with the Nanhu!”

”Right, right! That one! That was considered ironclad evidence, wasn’t it? Otherwise, why would His Majesty, who valued him so much, hand down such a punishment? But... what does he mean by this? That the Third Princess stole the Jade Pendant?”

”Have you forgotten? He said back then that the Jade Pendant had gone missing years ago! Who knew it would later turn up on that group of Southern Hu Blade Men! This... could there really be something fishy going on?”

Xiao Lansi’s heart pounded violently.

The hall was warmed by braziers, yet she felt a chill seep into her bones.

She pressed her lips together, her voice still choked with sobs. ”Second Brother, Lanxi doesn’t know what you’re talking about.”

Xiao Chengxuan let out a cold laugh.

”Back then, Father-Emperor gifted me that Jade Pendant. I was very fond of it, so I kept it in a sachet and didn’t wear it often. Not long after, you came to Yaohua Palace to be raised by my mother consort, and I even specially took it out to show you. Then one day, when I went to get the Jade Pendant, I found it was gone. I couldn’t find it anywhere. Fearing Father-Emperor’s reprimand, I kept the matter quiet. Who could have imagined that years later, that very Jade Pendant would appear on those Southern Hu Blade Men!”

The simple joy of sharing from his childhood had become a sharp blade piercing his brow today!

How could he bear it!?

”Not many people knew where that Jade Pendant was kept, and even fewer could have stolen it without a sound! I used to think some palace attendant stole it, but on second thought, they knew it was a gift from Father-Emperor. Who would have such audacity!”

Theft was not uncommon in the palace. Which palace hadn’t had things go missing?

Palace attendants would sometimes pocket small items to sell for silver to improve their own lives. It was a common occurrence.

But the palace staff weren’t stupid; they knew what could be stolen and what couldn’t.

An item as precious as that Jade Pendant... even if they managed to get it out, few would dare to receive it.

But what if... the person who stole it never intended to sell it in the first place!?

The more Xiao Chengxuan thought about it, the more his hatred grew. He wanted nothing more than to strangle her!

”It was clearly you who stole the Jade Pendant and then gave it to those Southern Hu Blade Men! Who else could have done it!?”

Xiao Chengxuan’s features were twisted with rage.

His face was filled with contempt and ridicule.

”After all, your birth mother—is a barbarian!”

Xiao Lansi’s eyelid twitched violently.

Her hands clenched into fists! Her entire body tensed to its limit!

It was as if someone was frantically plucking a string in her mind, causing her to tremble uncontrollably.

She looked up at Xiao Chengxuan almost subconsciously, a towering hatred surging in her eyes!

Her parentage—that was her most untouchable nerve.

From the day she was born, she had suffered endless humiliation because of her background.

Even the lowliest palace attendants could trample on and bully her as they pleased, all because the filthy blood of the Nanhu flowed through her veins.

Xiao Chengxuan’s words had undoubtedly torn her dignity to shreds and trampled it underfoot!

But in just an instant, Xiao Lansi managed to suppress the countless emotions in her eyes.

She forced back all the hatred that was about to erupt and quickly lowered her gaze.

Her long lashes cast a faint shadow on her eyelids, making her expression unreadable.

Only large tears fell, splashing onto her overly pale and delicate wrists.

”I...” she began, her voice hoarse and low. ”I didn’t do it. As for what Second Brother just said... I can’t control whose womb I was born from. I must ask Second Brother to take back his words.”

As if Xiao Chengxuan would fall for that.

He sneered.

”What? Did I hit the mark?”

Xiao Lansi suddenly raised her eyes. The look of fragility on her face faded somewhat, replaced by a hint of stubbornness.

She shot back sharply.

”Are you saying, Second Brother, that you admit you have no evidence for what you just said, and it’s all baseless speculation?”