The few sentences from Mu Lingzhu and Su Biqing effortlessly redirected the situation’s focus toward Mu Yunjin. Su Biqing’s words once again led everyone to believe that Mu Yunjin had grown arrogant, thinking that because she had secured Empress Qin’s favor, she had become bold enough to attempt to harm her mother.

Minister Mu had initially not placed any suspicion on Mu Yunjin for this matter. In his eyes, this girl had always been timid and cowardly—how could she have the courage to do such a thing?

But after Su Biqing’s words, Minister Mu couldn’t help but recall how Mu Yunjin had defied him a few days ago, and understanding gradually dawned in his heart.

Seeing that the mother and daughter pair had indeed followed her intentions by directing suspicion toward Mu Yunjin, Wei Hanqiao also chimed in, “I truly am wrongfully accused. I rarely even see the Third Miss, and I don’t know how I’ve offended her that she would make me bear such a heavy crime.”

Seeing the dirty water being splashed onto her, Mu Yunjin wasn’t in a hurry to defend herself. Beside her, Zixiang was anxiously pacing back and forth. Just as she was about to speak, Mu Yunjin tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to remain quiet.

After a while, Mu Yunjin pressed her lips together with a frightened expression, her brows tightly furrowed. “Yunjin is wrongfully accused.”

“Wrongfully accused? Did you think about wrongful accusations when you slandered me?” Wei Hanqiao spoke with contempt.

“Second Mother, if you insist on speaking this way, then I’ll have no choice but to tell Father and Mother everything you instructed me to keep secret,” Mu Yunjin glanced at Wei Hanqiao with a sideways look.

Wei Hanqiao trembled instinctively under Mu Yunjin’s gaze, but after some thought, she couldn’t recall saying anything inappropriate to this little wretch.

…

…

“Speak quickly! What exactly happened?” Minister Mu glanced at all the women in the room, his anger growing.

He had always despised these conflicts among women, but this time, the matter concerned a human life. Once the truth was discovered, he would not be lenient.

“After I paid my respects to Father in the main hall just now, I was preparing to return to Shihua Pavilion. On the way, I encountered Second Mother carrying a jewelry box and looking flustered.”

“Out of courtesy, I still stopped Second Mother and greeted her. Unexpectedly, Second Mother was in such a panic that she directly threw the entire jewelry box into the small pond outside Baiyang Pavilion.”

“Then Second Mother chatted with me warmly for a few moments. I was originally planning to leave after a brief conversation, but Second Mother specifically invited me to Baiyang Pavilion to check on Second Brother’s injuries. Immediately after, she gave me what was in that porcelain bottle, telling me to take it to please Mother. Before leaving, Second Mother instructed me not to mention the jewelry box.”

Mu Yunjin pretended to be deep in thought, as if trying hard to recall what had happened, and spoke word by word.

Hearing Mu Yunjin mention the jewelry box, Wei Hanqiao couldn’t help but be startled. Hadn’t this little slut taken the jewelry box with her?

Her heart was suddenly filled with fear.

“Sister, your words contradict themselves. Why would Second Mother throw the jewelry box directly into the pond upon seeing you? We could also suspect that the jewelry box was originally a gift from Second Mother to you, and to frame Second Mother for attempting to harm Mother, you deliberately threw away the box to blame Second Mother.”

Mu Lingzhu’s words nearly made Wei Hanqiao applaud. This Fourth Miss was truly formidable, worthy of being the top talented lady. Her mind and analytical abilities were beyond what ordinary people could match.

“Then, little sister, do you believe Second Mother would randomly give me a box of jewelry?” Mu Yunjin countered.

This question left Mu Lingzhu speechless.

Indeed, given Mu Yunjin’s status in the Minister’s household, Wei Hanqiao wouldn’t have reason to give her an entire box of jewelry.

“What if that jewelry box was yours? What if you obtained something you shouldn’t have, and Second Mother accidentally discovered it? You could have devised this plan not only to harm Mother but also to frame Second Mother, allowing yourself to benefit from the situation.”

Mu Lingzhu spoke hastily, her words coming out without deep thought.

At these words, even Su Biqing couldn’t help but shake her head at Mu Lingzhu, signaling with her eyes for her to be quiet.

Mu Lingzhu quickly realized that the person before her was the simple-minded Mu Yunjin. With her pig brain, how could she have thought of such a two-birds-with-one-stone scheme?

She had been too impatient.

As Mu Yunjin and Mu Lingzhu each held to their own words, Minister Mu found that both sides seemed reasonable.

“Someone, go to the small pond beside Baiyang Pavilion and see if there’s a jewelry box there,” Minister Mu said gravely.

“Yes, Minister.”

After Minister Mu sent someone away, Mu Yunjin leaned lazily against the wall, lowering her eyelids and narrowing her eyes slightly. Her mind couldn’t help but recall the scene in Baiyang Pavilion when Wei Hanqiao gave her the jewelry box.

Those pieces of jewelry—she had glanced at them at the time, and some even looked familiar…

It had to be said that Wei Hanqiao was only fit to be a second wife. With such brainlessness, no wonder Su Biqing could suppress her so thoroughly.

Soon, a servant entered carrying a soaked jewelry box, bowing as he presented it to Minister Mu.

Wei Hanqiao’s eyes flickered slightly, and she instinctively looked at Mu Yunjin, who gave her a bright smile in return. Wei Hanqiao immediately felt a chill down her spine, a creeping sensation of cold.

“Click—” The jewelry box opened gently.

“Aren’t these my jewelry pieces?” Mu Lingzhu frowned, looking at the contents of the box and exclaiming in surprise.

Then, looking toward Mu Yunjin and Wei Hanqiao, she asked, “Which one of you stole my jewelry?”

Wei Hanqiao bit her lip, then gave an awkward smile. “Fourth Miss, what would I want with your jewelry? The master rewards me with plenty already. Besides, if I stole yours, I wouldn’t be able to wear them in public, don’t you agree?”

Hearing Wei Hanqiao’s words, Minister Mu nodded slightly, finding her reasoning somewhat logical. In his heart, he immediately sentenced Mu Yunjin to death.

“Stealing your sister’s jewelry, endangering your mother’s life, and framing your Second Mother—you ungrateful daughter, you must be tired of living! Today I will punish you severely without any leniency!” Minister Mu threw down the jewelry box in his hand and pulled out a whip from his waist, about to strike Mu Yunjin.

Before the whip fell, Mu Yunjin deliberately put on a frightened expression, her face crumpling. “Father, this is unjust! Yunjin has been with Empress Qin all day. When would I have time to steal my sister’s jewelry?”

“It’s Second Brother who often comes to ask me for jewelry, saying he needs to pawn them to pay gambling debts. All those jewels Empress Qin previously rewarded me have been taken by Second Brother to be pawned.”

“Why won’t Father try to believe his daughter’s words?”

Seeing this, Zixiang immediately knelt and cried out in support, “Yes, Master! The Second Young Master frequently comes to demand jewelry from the Young Miss to cover his gambling debts. Today, I was with the Young Miss the whole time and indeed saw the Second Madam carrying a jewelry box, looking flustered…”

“Third Miss, even if your Second Brother is unconscious now and unable to respond to these accusations, you shouldn’t talk nonsense. Yiyang has always been disciplined from a young age. How could he engage in excessive gambling and bring shame to our Minister’s household?”

Wei Hanqiao’s words were extremely nervous, her tone obviously weaker than before.

“Sister, when did you become like this? I, your younger sister, am utterly disappointed in you.” Mu Lingzhu turned her face away with an extremely disappointed expression.

Su Biqing, observing the situation, slightly clenched her fingers on the blanket. Hearing that Mu Yiyang was already impotent and would remain a useless person even if alive, she considered him no longer a threat.

In that case, why not take advantage of this excellent opportunity to trip up this rebellious daughter and elevate Lingzhu to the position of Sixth Prince Consort?

“Yunjin, I am truly disappointed in you. I wish I had never given birth to you!” Su Biqing gritted her teeth, pronouncing Mu Yunjin’s death sentence.

Hearing these words, Mu Yunjin let out a mocking laugh and raised her eyes to meet Minister Mu’s gaze. “Whether it’s true or false, Father can send someone to the gambling houses to investigate.”

“Although I’m not good with literature and am timid and cowardly, I cannot allow myself to be falsely accused.”

“Even if I die, I want to die with a clear conscience.”

Mu Yunjin’s words caused Minister Mu’s eyes, which had been red with anger, to suddenly cool. Looking at Mu Yunjin, another figure suddenly appeared in his mind.

So similar, truly too similar!

In that moment, Minister Mu suddenly felt that he had misjudged his daughter for so many years.

He had always thought she was timid and fearful, naturally cowardly, but only today did he discover that she possessed the same unique pride and clear spirit as that person.

Involuntarily, the words of the others around him no longer registered, and as if possessed, he said, “I will investigate this matter personally.”

“Whether it’s black or white, the truth will eventually come to light. For today, let’s disperse.”

With these words, Minister Mu left Su Biqing’s chamber.

After Minister Mu left, Wei Hanqiao bit her lip. It was nearly evening, and there was a chill in the air, yet beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. She bowed slightly to Su Biqing, then hurriedly left.

At that moment, only Mu Yunjin, Mu Lingzhu, Su Biqing, and the others remained in the bedroom.

“Yunjin never knew that Mother disliked me to such an extent.” Mu Yunjin let out a cold laugh, glancing at the porcelain bottle.

“At the time, you smashed that porcelain bottle right in front of me. Where did these bloody marks on your face come from now? I didn’t expose you in front of Father only because I wanted to preserve some mother-daughter relationship.”

“But now I see that I was being sentimental for nothing.”

“Zixiang, let’s go.”

After speaking, Mu Yunjin swept a calm, unperturbed gaze over the mother and daughter, Su Biqing and Mu Lingzhu, and slowly walked toward the door.

Behind her, Su Biqing and Mu Lingzhu instinctively exchanged glances, a chill running through their hearts. “Zhu’er, is she still the Yunjin we knew?”

Mu Lingzhu, also in shock, pressed her lips together and concluded. “It seems we pushed her too far today. If she hadn’t fought desperately to protect herself, she would have been the one to die. When all is said and done, she’s just someone who fears death and clings to life.”

Su Biqing nodded, tucking in the blanket and leaning against the soft couch. “No matter how today’s matter turns out, it will eliminate either the Second Madam or Yunjin.”

“There’s been some gain, so it wasn’t all for nothing.”

Hearing this, Mu Lingzhu smiled slightly and sat down. “Yes, that fool Mu Yiyang—how could he compare to Big Brother? Now, Second Madam has dug her own grave.”

“That’s right. Compared to Yunhan, Yiyang falls far short. This time, Yunhan went on the expedition with General Qin and earned quite a bit of military merit. When he returns, he might even be awarded an official position.”

Speaking of her eldest son, Su Biqing’s eyes couldn’t hide her pride.