The legitimate daughter returns to the capital and embarks on a splendid life, tearing apart the fak

After the princess finished speaking, the ladies prepared to leave with their respective young ladies.

But Chu Wanqing refused.

I just said she's not my daughter and I'm leaving, to save face for you, Princess.

I gave you face, but the princess didn't accept it and even wanted to trample my daughter to death.

This whole scheme was set up for my daughter by someone else. If it weren't for my Jin'er's intelligence, her life would have been ruined by them.

How could I tolerate this?

You think you can make me leave so easily? Not so easy.

Chu Wanqing displayed the strength and determination of a mother protecting her daughter.

She bowed deeply to the princess and said, "Your Highness, it is obvious that today's events are aimed at my daughter, Yun Jin. I believe that as the princess, you would not stoop to such despicable means. I think you also want to know who is behind this, right? And I also want to know who wants to ruin my daughter's reputation."

The eldest princess's face was ashen, and these words left her speechless.

She was caught in a dilemma by Chu Wanqing, unable to get out or back down.

She had originally wanted to watch the show, but now she'd been slapped in the face.

As soon as Chu Wanqing finished speaking, the two ladies of the Zheng family, along with Wang and Li, and Chen from the Chu family, all stood beside Chu Wanqing and said to the princess, "Yes, Your Highness, someone is using the servants in your household to try to ruin Jin'er's reputation. Please give us justice."

If it were just Chu Wanqing alone, the Princess might have been able to find an excuse to decline. But the Zheng family represented the Grand Tutor's Mansion, and the Chen family represented the Assistant General's Mansion. Since they had both intervened, she couldn't refuse them.

She never expected that such a small adopted daughter would have so many people supporting her.

The eldest princess's expression shifted between light and dark, and she remained silent for a long while.

Seeing that things were going badly, the others quickly took their leave. It was best not to get involved in such matters.

Chu Wanqing looked at Wang, Li, and Chen, and said softly, "Sister-in-law, my two elder sisters, you should go back too. I believe His Highness will stand up for Jin'er."

Wang, Li, and Chen all knew that Chu Wanqing meant well. This matter might involve the privacy of the Princess's household, and keeping it would likely anger the Princess.

After thinking for a moment, Wang said to Li, "Sister-in-law, you should go back first. I'll stay. Jin'er is also my adopted daughter. She's been wronged, so I should stay with her. Go back and tell Mother that I'll be back later."

Madam Li naturally understood her meaning; this was to use Old Madam Zheng to put pressure on the Princess. Madam Li nodded and left with her maid.

After thinking for a moment, Madam Chen shook her head and said, "Wanqing, Mother has been thinking about Jin'er, so I'll stay. I'll take Jin'er back to pay my respects to Mother after this is over."

Chu Wanqing knew that she was using Lan Ying to put pressure on the Princess, so she nodded and stopped insisting.

For a moment, only the Eldest Princess, Ya Min, Chu Wanqing, Wang Shi, Chen Shi, Yun Jin, Chen Mengyao, and Yun Xiu remained in the warm pavilion.

The eldest princess glanced at the group, her face darkening further, before finally speaking, "Bring here the maid who went to the flower hall to report the news."

Servants had already prepared the adjacent warm pavilion and brought out chairs for the princess to sit down.

Soon, the maid who had gone to the flower hall to deliver the message was brought in.

Chu Wanqing bowed to the Princess and said, "Your Highness, may I ask this young lady myself?"

The eldest princess looked at her with an uncertain expression, but Chu Wanqing did not back down. Helpless, the eldest princess could only nod and say, "Madam Yun, please."

Chu Wanqing stepped forward, her gaze fixed on the maid: "I'm asking you, who instructed you to go to the flower hall to report that my daughter, Yun Jin, was arguing with a man in this room?"

The maid knelt on the ground, glanced at the princess, then at Ya Min, and dared not speak.

The lady-in-waiting beside the princess shouted sternly, "Don't look at Her Highness, tell the truth!"

The maid trembled with fright and said in a trembling voice, "No...no one instructed me. I really saw Miss Yun enter this warm pavilion, and then that man went in too...As for why it turned into Sister Honglin, I really don't know..."

The eldest princess listened with a frown, without saying a word.

Chu Wanqing sneered: "You say you saw my daughter enter this warm room with your own eyes, then let me ask you, did you bring her in?"

She guessed that if they wanted to set up such a trap for Yun Jin, they must have cleared the path to prevent anyone from disturbing her. That's why she asked that question.

The maid shook her head: "No."

"Who is that?"

"It's...it's Sister Honglin."

Where did you see it at that time?

"I saw it from over in the corridor."

"The corridor? That's quite a distance from this warm chamber. You have good eyesight; you could see my daughter going in from that far away?"

The maid choked, somewhat flustered: "This servant...this servant has always had good eyesight."

Chu Wanqing calmly asked again, "Let me ask you again, have you stayed in the corridor the whole time without leaving?"

Despite it being winter, beads of sweat still streamed down the maid's face. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Yes."

When Ya Min overheard this, she knew things were going to go wrong. She really wanted to kick the maid, but she couldn't say anything.

Sure enough, Chu Wanqing sneered, "Since you were in the corridor the whole time, so far away, how did you hear my daughter arguing with someone in her room?"

The maid already knew where the flaw in her words lay. She opened her mouth, then glanced at Ya Min, hoping Ya Min could give her a hint.

Ya Min glared at her fiercely. Not knowing how to respond, she gritted her teeth, banged her head on the ground, and simply remained silent.

Chu Wanqing turned to look at the Princess, her tone calm yet firm: "Princess, you heard that. That maid was so far away; she was clearly framing us on purpose. As for who instructed her… I'll have to trouble Your Highness with that."

The princess's expression changed. She looked at the maid and said sternly, "Raise your head!"

The maidservant kept her head down and didn't move, whether out of fear or because she hadn't reacted yet, it was hard to tell.

The lady-in-waiting beside the princess hurriedly reminded her, "Hongzhu, raise your head."

The maid named Hongzhu then raised her head.

The eldest princess shouted, "Speak! Who gave you permission to say that? Who allowed you to go to the flower hall?"

The maid dared not hide it any longer and had to confess honestly: "It was...it was Honglin. She gave me two taels of silver and told me to say this."

The eldest princess remained silent for a moment, then said coldly, "Bring Honglin here."

Yun Jin quickly and secretly wrote a few words on Chu Wanqing's hand.

Chu Wanqing paused for a moment, then pressed on, "Your Highness, was that man brought along as well? Since this Miss Hongzhu said that man came to see my daughter, we should at least ask him clearly."

The eldest princess waved her hand.

Soon, several old women dragged Chen Wencai and Honglin over.

The two, wrapped in their clothes, knelt on the ground, their eyes still somewhat vacant and unfocused.

This time, the eldest princess didn't wait for Chu Wanqing to ask, but instead looked at Honglin and asked, "Honglin, I'm asking you, did you send Hongzhu to the flower hall?"

Honglin knelt on the ground, looking blankly at the princess, seemingly not understanding what she meant.

Upon seeing this, Yun Jin stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, since this matter concerns me, may I inquire personally?"