Chapter 3: Dog Eat Dog

The Eldress Princess chuckled twice, her tone ambiguous: "You girl, you really are interesting."

She dared to commit violence right in front of her.

Yet, at this very moment, she was curtsying and pleading guilty with such obedience, looking entirely innocent.

The crowd had not expected the Eldress Princess to be unbothered.

For a moment, the gazes directed at Song Lan shifted.

"I am glad Your Highness does not blame this commoner for her rashness."

Song Lan curtsied slightly, revealing just the right amount of cuteness and playfulness.

Those who have lived long in the deep palace mostly share a common hobby: they love to see vibrant, lively life.

In the eyes of the Eldress Princess, who had seen too many rigid rules, Song Lan’s appropriately transgressive behavior was not an offense, but rather, something quite amusing.

Song Lan gauged the situation perfectly.

"Since this is a Spring Banquet I meticulously organized, I naturally cannot allow anyone to harbor malicious intentions here."

The Eldress Princess’s gaze swept past Song Lan and landed on the man standing behind her, who remained with his head bowed and eyes lowered, as if all the commotion just now had nothing to do with him. She gave a light, hummed laugh.

"Guizhi, take some people to check the cup from which the Song girl drank and see if there is anything amiss."

Her gaze then shifted to Zhang Chi and Xie Yuyao. "To dare to poison someone in my residence—who is to say this isn't an attempt to harm the royal family, to harm me, the Princess!"

"The Song girl is merely an innocent victim of this disaster."

A few light, airy sentences were enough to terrify the culprits into silence.

Xie Yuyao’s lips trembled; she was terrified to her core.

She worried that it would be discovered that she was the one who had brought the spiked wine to Song Lan.

Harming the royal family... *sob*, that meant execution.

She was only twelve or thirteen years old; even if her heart was vicious, she lacked the cunning of a veteran.

Song Lan simply pushed the boat with the current. Taking advantage of the Eldress Princess’s mention of harming the royal family, she used her resentment to quietly whisper a few things into Xie Yuyao’s ear.

The young girl, unable to keep her composure, began to panic, her eyes darting toward Zhang Chi for help.

Zhang Chi was also terrified.

When his gaze met Xie Yuyao’s, he grew instantly annoyed.

Why was this woman looking at him? Did she want to frame him for the poisoning?

"Your Highness, please see the truth!"

Zhang Chi suddenly sobbed and kowtowed, his face full of regret and pain. "It was this commoner who carelessly trusted Miss Xie’s words, thinking that the substance was merely a bitter and spicy seasoning, a prank between sisters meant to tease Sister Song Lan."

"This commoner did not know it was a poisonous substance!"

Zhang Chi wept bitterly. "If this commoner had known, I absolutely would not have helped Miss Xie pour it into Sister Song Lan’s wine."

"This commoner was deceived!"

Hearing Zhang Chi’s unprovoked self-incrimination, Xie Yuyao was stunned for a long moment.

This man, what stupid things was he saying?

Zhang Chi kept his head down and wept, hiding a fierce glint in his eyes.

Rather than waiting for this woman to frame him later, he might as well strike first!

Today’s matter was bound to end badly.

So, someone had to take the blame.

The maidservant the Eldress Princess had sent to investigate Song Lan’s cup returned quickly, whispering a few words into her ear.

"Tsk!"

"I didn't expect someone to be so bold..."

The Eldress Princess spoke half a sentence with an ambiguous tone, as if what the maid had just reported was ironclad proof of poisoning.

The people around them couldn't help but whisper.

"Isn't this Xie Yuyao a cousin of Song Lan? Why would she do such a thing?"

It was unclear who muttered this vaguely, but it reached Xie Yuyao’s ears like a death warrant sealing her fate!

"You’re talking nonsense!"

Xie Yuyao snapped back to reality. Realizing what kind of situation Zhang Chi’s words would land her in, she flew into a rage and began to curse indiscriminately: "If you hadn't said my second sister was dull and boring, and that I was more understanding and gentle, and that you wanted to switch the engagement from her to me without bearing the infamy, and deliberately plotted to ruin her reputation first so she would have no face to keep the betrothal, and then take the opportunity to propose to my parents to marry me, I would never have brought that cup of wine to her!"

"The poison in that cup was poured in by your own hands!"

With wisps of black energy invisible to others swirling around her brow, Xie Yuyao spilled the beans, explaining her collusion with Zhang Chi in perfect detail.

Song Lan curled the corners of her mouth imperceptibly, her fingers hooking a few strands of the same black energy from Xie Yuyao’s brow.

This was the resentment she had accumulated for over two thousand years!

It was also her best weapon.

"Yuyao!"

Finally, a sharp reprimand came from the crowd!

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

A gorgeously dressed woman pushed through the people on either side, hurried forward, and covered the mouth of Xie Yuyao, who was still continuing to reveal how the Xie family planned to swap the bride and use Song Lan’s dowry.

Xie Yuyao, her mouth covered, came to her senses in a daze, as if she had no memory of what she had just said.

After a long while, the memories finally flooded back into her mind.

It’s over!

That was the only thought in Xie Yuyao’s mind.

"Mother..."

She huddled fearfully in the arms of the Xie family’s eldest mistress, sobbing and unable to speak.

The Xie family’s eldest mistress, Madam Lu, forced a smile and explained: "This girl must have offended something; she is delirious and talking nonsense."

"I beg Your Highness to forgive us and allow me to take my daughter back to the manor to see a doctor."

Before the Eldress Princess could speak, Song Lan stepped forward, looking down at Madam Lu. "Does the eldest aunt mean to say that there are 'unclean things' in the Eldress Princess’s residence?"

"You girl, stop talking nonsense!"

Madam Lu glared at Song Lan and scolded her: "Hurry and apologize to Her Highness, and beg her to forgive your loose tongue!"

"The Master does not speak of strange forces and chaotic spirits; in front of the Imperial family, how can you..."

"If we aren't speaking of strange forces and spirits, then what were you just talking about, eldest aunt?"

Song Lan’s tone was unrelenting.

Madam Lu was speechless.

"I..."

"Then it seems I misunderstood you, eldest aunt." Song Lan suddenly apologized.

Madam Lu’s expression softened slightly, and she was just about to pretend to say something like 'I don't blame you, children say the darndest things' to show off their deep family affection.

"Eldest aunt didn't speak of strange forces and spirits, saying there were unclean things in the Eldress Princess’s residence."

Song Lan’s mouth curled into an imperceptible smile: "Eldest aunt just made up an excuse, treating Her Highness and all the nobles present here as fools."

"It seems that the cousin offending something is false, and that you are guilty, afraid that she would spill the beans about your collusion, is the truth."

Madam Lu’s face changed drastically. In her panic and anger, she was about to accuse Song Lan of slandering her to turn the situation around.

"In that case, the vicious act of my cousin colluding with my former fiancé to poison my wine, trying to make me embarrass myself, cause controversy, and ruin the Eldress Princess’s Spring Banquet—you must have been aware of that as well, eldest aunt."

Song Lan’s gaze turned sharp. For a moment, Madam Lu felt as if she saw a demon from hell crawling toward her, and she was too terrified to speak.

The niece who used to let her mold her however she pleased now spoke every word like a voice from hell coming to claim her life.

"If you aren't an accomplice, eldest aunt, then you are an accessory!"