The daughter of the Marquis is too delicate, the abstinent prince pinches her waist and loves her

Chapter 139 Scapegoat
Beneath the feigned fear, Duke Bai exuded a calm and composed demeanor. He slowly relaxed his brow and said to Ye Jinchen, "Prince Ye, do not rush to make a final judgment. I believe that Heaven will judge right and wrong, good and evil."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of the beaded curtain rustling came from outside the hall, and a guard escorted a woman in.

The woman, her hair disheveled and her face contorted in a sorry state, knelt down at the feet of Duke Bai. As she looked up, two streams of cold tears spilled out and dripped onto the ground.

She spoke tremulously, tears welling in her red, moist eyes, her voice hoarse: "Master..."

“Linglong…” Bai Muling frowned, about to get up, but after thinking it over, she sat back down. Her originally uneasy heart gradually calmed down, and a faint smile appeared on her rosy lips.

Linglong dug her ten fingers deep into the cracks of the gold bricks. She knelt down and kowtowed to Ye Jinfeng, her eyes filled with urgency, and said, "Your Majesty, this was all done by me alone! The Duke was completely unaware! I beg Your Majesty to investigate!"

Sheng Yunqing crossed her arms, sneered at Linglong, and said, "Your maid is quite capable. How could you, on your own, mobilize the caravans of the Northern Desert to trade fire-washed silk with you?"

Linglong lowered her head, trembling as she pulled a silk cloth from her bosom, and said, "This servant...this servant has an affair with Ashina Kun, the leader of the camel caravan!"

She unfolded the silk scroll, on which was written a love letter in the script of the northern desert.

"This fire-resistant gauze was a betrothal gift from Ashina Kun. To avoid suspicion, it was hidden in the Duke's mansion."

Sheng Yunqing narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "As far as I know, you were Bai Qianci's mistress and bore him a son. The Bai family has such strict family rules, how could you possibly have a secret rendezvous with someone from the Northern Desert?"

"Heh..." Linglong sneered, her eyes bloodshot as she looked up at Sheng Yunqing. "It was for the sake of the young master that I was willing to sacrifice my chastity to frame you for this heinous crime, in order to comfort the young master's spirit in heaven!"

She clenched her fists tightly, gritting her teeth as she said, "Sheng Yunqing, you killed the young master, how can you live so freely in this world..." She suddenly turned her head to look at the sky, her cries piercingly, "Young master! Linglong is useless! I can't let you rest in peace!"

After crying hysterically for a few moments, she suddenly stood up, rushed to Sheng Yunqing, grabbed her collar, and said, "Sheng Yunqing! I'll drag you to hell even if I die!"

Sheng Yunqing frowned in disgust, flicked her sleeve lightly, and Linglong felt a sharp pain as if she had been pricked by a needle when she touched her hand. Then she was bounced away by an invisible force and fell to the ground.

Ye Jinfeng glared angrily at Linglong, grabbed a small jade carving from the table, and smashed it against her forehead.

Blood gushed from Linglong's head, which had been broken, and without her annoying ravings, she fainted.

Ye Jinfeng pointed at her lying on the ground and roared, "How outrageous! How dare a mere maid commit treason! Guards! Drag this lowly servant away and execute her by dismemberment!"

"Yes!"

"Yunqing," the Empress Dowager called softly from beside her.

Yun Qing obediently walked up to the Empress Dowager and said, "Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager took her hand, gently brushed the stray hairs from her forehead, and said with heartache, "Child, you've really suffered."

Sheng Yunqing's eyes softened as she sat beside her, gently resting her head on her shoulder and saying coquettishly, "Thank you for your concern, Empress Dowager. Yunqing is fine."

Watching the guards drag Linglong away, Bai Muling's face darkened, and she glared at Sheng Yunqing, clenching her teeth tightly.

Sheng Yunqing, you have caused me to lose a great general. Just you wait and see!
Sheng Yunqing looked up and met Bai Muling's gaze, a faint smile appearing on her face. She didn't expect the Bai family to be brought down so quickly, but what exactly was their purpose in targeting her so frequently...?

Stepping outside the hall, Sheng Yunqing looked up, breathing in the air, and gazed at the sky that was about to brighten, then lowered her eyelids wearily.

"Congratulations, Miss Sheng, on regaining your innocence." The deep voice of Duke Bai came from behind.

The sky was already turning a pale white, and Sheng Yunqing's eyes, which had been momentarily lazy and relaxed, returned to their gloomy state.

She gazed at the morning dew dripping from the palace eaves, smiled gently, and said, "The Duke's congratulations are more jarring than the crows outside the prison."

Her slender fingertips brushed against the exquisitely carved, life-sized stone lamp beside her, its candlelight flickering dimly as dawn broke.

“Miss Sheng, you flatter me. It’s all my fault for not disciplining you properly, which gave the maids in the manor an opportunity to take advantage of you. How could I possibly have any hostility towards you?” Duke Bai walked up to her, his smile revealing a sinister undertone, and said, “I just want to remind you, Miss Sheng, that when it’s late and the dew is heavy, you must carry a lantern when you walk. Don’t let someone stab you in the back when no one is around, and then you won’t see them when you turn around.”

"Thank you for your kindness, Duke Bai. With such thoughtfulness, I'm sure you'll pay more attention to Yunqing in the future. However, when Yunqing walks at night, I hope you'll keep your distance, otherwise..."

She curled her lips into a smile and suddenly reached out and grabbed the sleeve of the Duke of Bai.

Duke Bai frowned and raised his hand to try to shake her off, but his wrist seemed to be bound by something, and he couldn't exert any force no matter what he did.

Sheng Yunqing smiled gently and said, "Otherwise, if Yunqing reaches out, there will only be the Duke by my side."

At that moment, Sheng Yukun walked out of the hall. As he passed by Sheng Yunqing, he gave Bai Guogong a cold look, snorted unhappily, and then turned and left.

Duke Bai looked down at the young girl from before, clenched his fist in his sleeve, and maintained a polite smile, saying, "Miss Sheng, without any evidence, it's best not to be unreasonable."

"Even if she is unreasonable, it is because I have spoiled her."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Jinchen pulled Sheng Yunqing into his arms and looked at the Duke of Bai with a defiant gaze.

After Sheng Yunqing released Bai Guogong's sleeve, he felt a bit of force on his wrist. He spread his hands behind his back and said to Ye Jinchen, "Your Highness is joking. I was just worried about the safety of Miss Sheng."

Ye Jinchen tightened his grip on Sheng Yunqing's shoulder, his expression cold as he said, "Miss Sheng is my fiancée, and her safety is my concern."

He narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "However, if Qing'er captures anyone, I will pursue and kill them without hesitation, even if it means getting burned myself."

Sheng Yunqing raised her eyebrows slightly, and a pleased smile curved her lips.

"Your Highness's protectiveness is truly a blessing for Miss Sheng." Duke Bai bowed and said, "The spring winds are fierce, Your Highness. I hope you can protect the delicate flower in your arms well. I take my leave."

Sheng Yunqing watched his departing figure and slowly clenched her fist.

The sound of the phoenix staff hitting the ground came from behind them. The two snapped out of their thoughts, turned around and saw the Empress Dowager. They bowed and paid their respects.