The seductive princess is no longer being pursued; the aloof prime minister is facing a crematorium.

Chapter 125 Defending Myself!

Jiang Jinshuang used to often anger Pei Du.

But there is a very subtle threshold for that kind of anger.

Also known as the "bottom line".

Above this bottom line, no matter how angry Pei Du appears, all Jiang Jinshuang needs to do is flatter him a few times against her conscience, and Pei Du's anger will subside.

However, once this threshold is exceeded...

Jiang Jinshuang had only met him a few times.

But she was certain that Pei Du had already surpassed that line.

The Empress Dowager's face showed a hint of coldness and embarrassment after her slap was stopped.

Pei Du struggled to his feet and shook off the Empress Dowager's hand.

"Is Your Majesty in such a hurry to punish His Highness before even finding out the reason?"

When he said this, Pei Du had no strength left.

He lost too much blood and had been in cold water for too long, causing his body to become hypothermic.

When the hand landed on Jiang Jinshuang's waist, Jiang Jinshuang felt a chill.

"Is there anything else you don't understand!" the Empress Dowager roared, pointing at Jiang Jinshuang. "Zhaoming harbored resentment towards Yurong and pushed her into the pool, intending to drown her. The evidence is overwhelming, what else is there to ask?!"

"Where are the witnesses? Where are the physical evidence?" Pei Du asked coldly.

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager turned to Xia Yurong, who was standing to the side, and said, "Yurong, come here."

Xia Yurong was wearing a heavy fox fur cloak.

Upon hearing the Empress Dowager's summons, she shrank back and carefully walked to the Empress Dowager's side.

The woman's face was pale, her hair was wet and clung to her face, and her delicate body was trembling.

Seeing this, the Empress Dowager softened her tone and sighed, "Why didn't your personal maid bring you some clothes?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Yurong lowered her head and began to sob.

"What are you crying for?" the Empress Dowager said coldly. "Speak your grievances. With me here, who dares to force you?!"

Xia Yurong sobbed, her voice soft and trembling: "Your Majesty, Hongyao... Hongyao, she..."

"What happened to Hongyao?" the Empress Dowager asked in a deep voice.

Xia Yurong suddenly knelt before the Empress Dowager: "Hongyao drowned in the water by His Highness while trying to save Yurong!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jinshuang's brow twitched.

died?

Jiang Jinshuang raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced behind her.

The men remained silent after coming ashore, simply standing on the bank. Hongyao lay motionless beside them, her face as pale as paper.

Although Jiang Jinshuang didn't care much about Hongyao's life or death, the fact that she had drowned left a lingering feeling of unease in Jiang Jinshuang's throat.

— Frustrated.

If anyone should die, it should be at her hands.

On the other side, Xia Yurong continued her sobbing accusations, staring intently at Jiang Jinshuang: "Your Highness! Yurong knows that you have always disliked Yurong and harbored resentment, but this is a matter between the two of us. What did Hongyao do wrong?!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jinshuang scoffed, "Xia Yurong, what right do you have to say this is a matter between the two of us? Do you even deserve to be compared to me?"

"She's not worthy, but am I not worthy?!" The Empress Dowager stepped forward and helped Xia Yurong up.

She held Xia Yurong's hand and looked coldly at Jiang Jinshuang: "Zhaoming, I originally thought that three years of hardship would temper your character and make you more upright and reserved, but I didn't expect that it would make you more and more arrogant!"

"No matter what, Hongyao was a human life. How dare you drown her? You scoundrel! His Majesty shouldn't have let you return to the capital and caused such trouble!"

Jiang Jinshuang met the Empress Dowager's gaze directly: "Your Majesty, it was Hongyao who pushed me into the lotus pond. If I hadn't been able to swim, I would be the one dead here now."

"How could Your Highness distort the truth and be so lawless?!" Xia Yurong, upon hearing this, seemed extremely angry, and her crying became even more pitiful. "Yes, Yurong admits that Yurong's status is lowly and she is not worthy to be compared with Your Highness, but even so, Hongyao was Yurong's maid. On what grounds did Your Highness kill her!"

Her words were filled with anguish, each one a tearful lament: "Hongyao has been with me for many years, and Yurong has always treated her like a younger sister. How is Yurong supposed to explain this to her parents now?!"

“Xia Yurong, let me tell you, if I wanted to kill someone, I would never fall into the water myself and drown her,” Jiang Jinshuang paused, her eyes narrowing, her killing intent suddenly appearing, “I would skin her alive, slice by slice, right in front of you.”

"Insolence!" Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager gestured with her eyes to those behind her.

Eunuch Sun understood and stepped forward, raising his whisk high and striking Jiang Jinshuang!

However, the whipping did not land on her.

Pei Du shielded Jiang Jinshuang's head with one hand, protecting her beneath him.

The whisk landed on his back.

The seemingly soft whisk struck Pei Du's already severely injured back, tearing his skin and flesh.

With a muffled groan, Pei Du tightened his grip on Jiang Jinshuang's hand slightly, and cold blood gushed from his mouth.

"Pei Du!"

Jiang Jinshuang frowned.

She pulled Pei Du with one hand, then raised her foot and kicked Eunuch Sun in the leg!

Grandpa Sun winced in pain, his eyes widening in surprise, seemingly not expecting Jiang Jinshuang to be so strong!
Jiang Jinshuang took a deep breath, feeling extremely irritated.

"Xia Yurong, you say I pushed you into the water, but do you have any witnesses?!"

"The net of Heaven is vast, and Your Highness probably didn't expect that some passing pilgrims had seen it, did you?"

As she spoke, several women dressed as women stepped forward from behind Xia Yurong and hurriedly knelt before the Empress Dowager: "Your Majesty, we were passing by this place to burn incense when we heard a dispute by the lotus pond. When we followed the sound, we saw this princess in her fine clothes pushing this girl into the water!"

"Fortunately, the woman often fishes by the river and is skilled in swimming, which is how she managed to rescue Miss Xia."

Jiang Jinshuang sneered upon hearing this: "If I pushed her into the water, how did I fall into the water myself?"

"It was because Yu Rong was trying to grab onto something nearby in her haste that she accidentally dragged His Highness into the water as well," Xia Yu Rong added.

Jiang Jinshuang raised an eyebrow and chuckled: "Oh, it seems you've planned everything out."

"Zhaoming, things have come to this, what else do you have to say?"

The Empress Dowager looked coldly at Jiang Jinshuang, as if she had already pronounced her crime.

"Your Highness has made things difficult for Yu Rong time and time again, and Yu Rong has pretended not to know, and was unwilling to hurt the friendship she has had with Your Highness for many years, but..." Xia Yu Rong knelt beside Hong Yao, crying with tears streaming down her face, "But Your Highness should not have killed Hong Yao!"

"This time, Yu Rong will not back down. Even if Your Highness wants to kill Yu Rong, Yu Rong will never let it go and will vow to seek justice for Hong Yao!"

Look at how well this show is being performed.

Sincere and heartfelt, every word is sincere.

Jiang Jinshuang closed her eyes slightly, her face cold and murderous.

A sign that patience is about to run out.

“Miss Xia said that His Highness killed Hongyao,” Pei Du said coldly, his face pale. His clothes were soaked through, yet he remained proud and aloof. “Then, what about those assassins under the pond?”