Ming Yi swayed in shock, nearly collapsing like a willow branch before Governess Xun swiftly caught her. After regaining her composure, tears began to stream down her face. “She promised not to tell! She promised!”
Her delicate figure and tearful visage would evoke sympathy from anyone who saw her.
Si Tu Ling gazed at her intently. “Sister Ming, is there anything else you wish to tell me?”
“Young Master, please consider,” Ming Yi sniffled, wiping her tears. “This slave and Zhang Tai were both dancers in the Imperial Music Bureau. We had some friendship, so after I left the inner palace, I still thought of her. I specifically chose a time when Master Ji was busy to visit her in the inner palace.”
“Upon visiting, I learned she was with child and unable to perform at the clan banquet. The Imperial Music Bureau was short on dancers, leaving no alternative. Considering our past friendship, I agreed to go in her place. She promised not to mention this to anyone, as… as I already belong to a household. If Master Ji learned I danced behind his back, he would surely doubt my loyalty, and I would have no place to stand!”
She wept pitifully. “I acted with good intentions. How could she betray me like this?”
Zhang Tai had also confessed to this, so Ming Yi wasn’t lying.
Si Tu Ling pondered briefly. “What about the Mulan qing skirt?”
“That skirt wasn’t mine. I was replacing Zhang Tai’s position that day. Zhang Tai’s position was on the edge. Young Master can ask the clan members who attended the banquet. So many eyes were watching – Rong Xin was indeed wearing the Mulan qing skirt.”
Ming Yi dabbed at her eyes. “If such a beautiful color were mine, why wouldn’t I claim it?”
“Because that skirt may have been the murder weapon that killed Prince Ping,” Si Tu Ling said calmly.
Ming Yi’s heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her eyes.
What a formidable young man.
However, while Si Tu Ling had talent in abundance, he still lacked experience and could be easily swayed. For instance, her tears were now causing his gaze to waver.
“Is the Young Master implying that this slave is the murderer?” She sobbed and trembled. “I’m merely a dancer. What grudge could I possibly have against Prince Ping to risk my life to harm him?”
“I didn’t say that,” Si Tu Ling waved his hands frantically. “I meant that the dance skirt might have caused Prince Ping’s poisoning, but the person wearing it might not have been intentional. If Sister just tells me where the skirt came from, this matter won’t involve you.”
Ming Yi blinked in surprise. “Is the Young Master suggesting that I falsely accuse Master Ji?”
Si Tu Ling was startled. “No, no, I didn’t say that.”
“But the skirt wasn’t mine, to begin with, yet the Young Master asks me to explain its origin. Isn’t that pushing it onto Master Ji?” Ming Yi tilted her head in confusion. “If not, then I become the culprit – isn’t that what you meant earlier?”
His ears reddened as Si Tu Ling shook his head vigorously. “I didn’t say that.”
“Then, Young Master is trying to make things difficult for me.” Ming Yi began to cry again. “Regardless of whose skirt it was, everyone used to wear Mulan qing skirts. Who could have known there was poison? If it were poisonous, it should have been banned long ago. How could they still allow it to be worn at the inner banquet?”
She wept miserably, looking utterly wronged. Si Tu Ling’s face flushed red, clearly at a loss.
He had only discovered that the herb used to dye Mulan qing when combined with the wood fungus in Prince Ping’s health tonic, would create a deadly poison. He wanted to investigate further but didn’t expect to implicate Ming Yi.
After their encounter at Duke Gong’s mansion, he thought Ming Yi was a rare and admirable woman. She possessed Yuan Power but used it only for self-defense, not to show off. She even gave him all the credit, earning him praise from Ji Bozai.
That praise from Ji Bozai might have been casual, but it became a factor in his later entry into the Department of Judgment. He was grateful and had no intention of truly accusing Sister Ming or Master Ji. He only came to ask in person because Zhang Tai had implicated Ming Yi so directly.
As a result, his good intentions seemed to have backfired, frightening Sister Ming.
After a long moment of helplessness, Si Tu Ling asked Governess Xun to help Ming Yi steady herself.
“That wasn’t my intention,” he said, his eyes reddening. “Prince Ping’s death might well have been an accident, but we need to clarify the details before reporting. Now Sister Ming’s statement doesn’t match those of Rong Xin and Zhang Tai. I…”
He pressed his lips tightly together, holding back tears as he stood there, rubbing his sleeves slightly. He looked both adorable and pitiful, making Ming Yi feel guilty.
She was a grown woman, yet here she was, bullying a child.
With a faint smile, Ming Yi wiped her eyes. “Young Master, please understand. If this testimony becomes a big issue, I fear Master Ji will cast me out.”
“This…”
“The skirt wasn’t mine, nor does it have anything to do with Master Ji. If the evidence isn’t conclusive, could the Young Master please be lenient and let me off?”
Si Tu Ling was torn, but he knew that Sister Ming was in an even more difficult position. She had only intended to help a friend, yet got tangled up in this mess. If anyone was innocent, it was truly her.
After a long silence, Si Tu Ling sighed. “Let’s leave it at this for today. Sister, your household has suffered a calamity. You should rest and calm your nerves.”
Ming Yi nodded, then asked weakly, “Is Zhang Tai doing well in the Department of Judgment?”
Even in this situation, she still cared about Zhang Tai.
Si Tu Ling frowned slightly. “She seems to have been shocked by something. Her emotions are unstable. She’s been causing a commotion in the detention hall, even trying to harm herself by ramming her belly against table corners.”
Ming Yi tensed up immediately. “May I go see her?”
Normally, two witnesses shouldn’t meet to avoid collusion, but Si Tu Ling knew she was just concerned for Zhang Tai.
After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded. “In a couple of days.”
“Thank you, Young Master.” Ming Yi curtsied sincerely.
Si Tu Ling didn’t linger long, only having his men carry away a few charred boxes.
Bu Xiu watched, wanting to intervene, but Ming Yi slightly raised her hand to block his path.
“Miss?” he asked anxiously.
“I burned everything thoroughly,” she answered calmly. “The boxes they’re taking don’t contain the fabrics gifted by Duke Gong. They’re just trying to trick you.”
Bu Xiu was stunned.
As dusk approached, the wind scattered the blue smoke over the ruins. Ming Yi stood in the twilight, head lowered, lost in thought. She had wiped away her tears and shed her willow-in-the-wind demeanor. Now she stood like an unyielding bamboo, her phoenix eyes gleaming with a rippling light.
Suddenly, Bu Xiu understood why his master had recently broken his habit of dallying with various women outside.
As night fell, Governess Xun came specifically to tell Ming Yi, “You don’t need to wait for the Master tonight. He won’t be coming back.”
Ming Yi nodded but still dressed up and went to the corner as usual.
Governess Xun frowned deeply. “Miss, why bother?”
Although the day had been slightly warm, it grew cool after sunset. With her constitution, she surely couldn’t stand there all night.
“This is the Master’s wish,” Ming Yi replied without looking back. “Please, Governess, find more people to come and watch.”