Chapter 134: The Dead Have Returned to Life

Zhang Yi sat to the side, idly tapping the gavel as he watched Su Jingluo conduct the interrogation in his stead; there was no need for his involvement anyway.

"That aside, how could the Princess be so heartless as to drive us out of the manor, leaving us with no hope of survival?" Chunhong refused to admit defeat, desperately racking her brain to land one final blow.

Su Jingluo couldn't help but think that Lin Feifei was surrounded by fools; even at this late stage, they were still resorting to such pathetic tactics.

"Your contracts were held by the Prince’s manor, and by law, the manor has the right to dispose of you as it sees fit. I granted you your freedom, yet you refuse it. Are you suggesting that if I had sold you to a brothel, you would have found hope there? You would rather offer your bodies to a thousand men than work to secure your own future? I truly do not understand you." Su Jingluo’s sharp, articulate retort made Zhang Yi’s eyes light up. Below them, the two maids were left speechless.

Zhang Yi felt that Su Jingluo had effectively concluded the inquiry and clarified the facts. It was finally time for him to take the stage.

"You audacious wretches, how dare you slander and falsely accuse your mistress! This is a grave crime..."

"My Lord, please, wait! Look, this is how the Princess retaliated after driving us out!" Seeing that the verdict was imminent, Chunhong and Yanhong hastily rolled up their sleeves, revealing arms covered in a tapestry of purple and blue bruises. Some areas had broken skin and were scabbed over; it was a truly ghastly sight. Having been a physician for years, Su Jingluo knew at a glance that these were not fabricated—they had truly been beaten.

"You are indeed injured, but how do you know it was I who arranged it? If I wanted to retaliate, why would I wait until you were outside the manor to do so?" To go through all that trouble would be like taking off one's trousers just to pass gas—a completely redundant effort. Su Jingluo felt this was a classic case of finding an excuse to frame someone.

"How would a mere servant know? Yue'er suffered an even worse fate... she was violated by brutes and had no choice but to throw herself into the river." Whenever pressed on a crucial point, they would claim ignorance, yet now they were throwing out a detail designed to incite public outrage. Su Jingluo had not expected these young maids to be capable of such fabrications. The depths of human shamelessness were bottomless; even a thousand tongues could not stop someone determined to frame another.

Su Jingluo was momentarily speechless. Since they claimed Yue'er’s body had never been recovered, how could she prove they were lying?

"If you are lying, I will have your heads." Xiao Jingxuan, who had remained silent until now, stared at the two maids with eyes like an enraged wolf.

The two women had been struggling to hide their smiles when Su Jingluo faltered, but the sound of Xiao Jingxuan’s voice made them shiver. They remained silent for a long time, too terrified to respond.

Chunhong and Yanhong exchanged a glance, bolstering their confidence. Yue'er was dead, leaving no proof behind—how could anyone prove they were lying? Steeling themselves, they declared that if any of their words were false, they would gladly accept death.

"Very well. We shall see." Xiao Jingxuan did not waste further words and waved his hand. From the crowd, Fifteen and the others brought forward a pale-faced woman.

Su Jingluo looked closely. Wasn't that Li Yue'er, the maid who had been with Chunhong and the others that day? She was dressed neatly enough, but her complexion was poor, as if she were still recovering from a severe illness.

"A ghost! A ghost..." Chunhong and Yanhong’s faces turned deathly pale at the sight of Li Yue'er. Screaming and trembling, they clung to each other. After that one glance, they dared not look again, burying their heads in each other's arms.

"This commoner, Li Yue'er, pays her respects to the Prefect, the Prince, and the Princess." Li Yue'er still seemed dazed, but when she saw Chunhong and Yanhong, her eyes burned with hatred. After a brief hesitation, she knelt to offer her salutations.