AWB Chapter 249 How will you defend yourself?
Chapter 249 How will you defend yourself?
Grandma Sheng wept bitterly.
Yu Wan listened, her heart clenching with anxiety.
As Granny Sheng spoke, she broke down in tears, and a somber atmosphere filled the entire hall.
Yu Wan gently patted Grandma Sheng's back to comfort her.
Su Mu frowned and said in a deep voice, "Is there any evidence to suggest that it was done by the Prince of Xiang?"
Granny Sheng raised her tear-streaked face, and with trembling hands, she took a blood-stained piece of cloth from her sleeve and held it high: "Sir, this is what Rong Xi pulled off the murderer when she was struggling to her death!"
This piece of cloth was the one Yun Shang found from Sheng Rongxi.
King Xiang had a great fondness for purple, and coincidentally, he was wearing a purple robe today, with details and patterns exactly the same as the scrap of cloth that Granny Sheng had taken out.
When King Xiang saw the piece of cloth, he seemed to realize something, and his eyes turned fierce in an instant.
He lowered his eyes, casually stroking the jade thumb ring on his hand, and sneered, "You can convict me based on just a piece of scrap cloth? Cloud brocade is indeed a rare fabric, but in this Shengjing City, I am not the only one who can afford to use it."
Su Mu frowned. "Your Highness, the weaving technique of this cloud and mist brocade is unique and is only supplied to the royal family and some noble families. However, this piece of cloth is embroidered with cloud patterns and was specially provided to Your Highness by the palace embroiderers."
The Prince of Xiang disagreed, saying, "I change my clothes every month, and I have my servants burn them. But the Cloud Mist Brocade can be sold for a high price when it is resold. It's hard to guarantee that there are no unruly servants in the palace who steal the clothes that I don't want."
Su Mu remained silent for a moment.
Yu Wan had long anticipated that the King of Xiang would offer such a defense.
She gave Granny Sheng a reassuring look and said in a clear voice, "Lord Su, we still have evidence."
The King of Xiang's gaze fell on Yu Wan.
His eyes were filled with malice and hatred, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, ready to devour anyone it could.
Yu Wan knew very well that if she couldn't completely crush the Prince of Xiang today, he would definitely retaliate against her a thousandfold once he had a chance to catch his breath.
However, he can't escape today.
The act of condoning violence, operating brothels, and driving women to their deaths has already aroused public outrage.
So Yu Wan ignored the fierce look in Xiang Wang's eyes, which seemed to want to devour people, and looked up and said, "Please, Lord Su, bring the witness."
Su Mu nodded solemnly, "Passport Certificate."
As soon as Su Mu finished speaking, the constables dragged two men, whose faces were as pale as paper, into the main hall.
The two men were wearing only an undergarment, which was covered in dust, and a large patch of blood had spread across their lower abdomens.
Everyone could see that these two had been deprived of their reproductive organs.
The constables released the two men, who collapsed to the ground like limp mud.
Yu stepped forward and pointed at the two men, saying, "Lord Su, these two are His Highness Prince Xiang's confidants. They have followed Prince Xiang for a long time and know his evil deeds in great detail."
After saying that, she turned to one of the servants, her gaze icy: "Tell the master everything that the King of Xiang has done."
The moment King Xiang saw the two, a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.
These two people are still alive?
Didn't he already have them killed?!
The two trusted confidants first looked up at the King of Xiang, but when their eyes met the King's murderous gaze, the last trace of struggle and hesitation in their eyes disappeared.
One of them said, “Your Excellency, I can testify that Jinglu Tea House is indeed His Highness Prince Xiang’s property… On the surface, the tea house sells tea, but in reality, it is used by His Highness Prince Xiang to select women.”
"The women who catch the eye of the King of Xiang will drink a cup of tea laced with a sleeping potion. After drinking this tea, they will feel an urgent need to urinate. We will then take advantage of the situation after the girls enter the teahouse's clean room."
“There is a secret passage inside the Jinglu Teahouse that leads directly to a dark room under the Xiang Prince’s Mansion. The prince usually has us take the drugged girls to the dark room.”
Upon hearing this, everyone gasped in shock, and the crowd outside erupted in uproar.
"Does this person mean that the innocent woman who died at the hands of the Prince of Xiang was not just Miss Sheng?!"
“My daughter also went to Jinglu Tea House... Could it be that she escaped death?”
"Don't you nobles treat us ordinary people like human beings?!"
In an instant, the crowd was outraged, and countless onlookers shouted, "King Xiang deserves to die!"
The atmosphere inside the hall grew increasingly heavy.
King Xiang thought he had lost his earlier nonchalance. Now, he gripped the armrest tightly, his gaze as cold and ruthless as a knife. If looks could kill, those two servants would probably be dead a thousand times over by now.
But if he were to kill these two people in public, wouldn't that confirm that these things were true?
Yu Wan saw the King of Xiang's restraint and forbearance, and her eyes turned cold.
She lowered her head and pressed further, "Was Miss Sheng Rongxi abducted in this way?"
Another servant said in a hoarse voice, "That's right. That day, Miss Sheng came to the teahouse for tea and was seen by His Highness. He then ordered us to do the same thing. After drinking her tea, Miss Sheng went to the washroom and was drugged by the sleeping powder that had been prepared beforehand..."
Yu Wan asked, "How did she die?"
“Miss Sheng was locked in the dark room for a day. At night, the prince remembered her and went to the dark room… We don’t know what happened in between, but when His Highness ordered us to clean up, Miss Sheng was already dead…”
Yu Wan didn't let the two continue talking.
She glanced coldly at the Prince of Xiang and said to Su Mu, "Lord Su, these two are the Prince of Xiang's confidants. Can their testimonies be taken seriously?"
Logically speaking, it should be counted.
Just as Su Mu was about to speak, the Prince of Xiang burst into laughter, "So it turns out that you were the ones who saved these two traitors in my manor."
“Lord Su, you can’t judge a case by listening to only one side of the story. These two were indeed my confidants, but they made mistakes before, and I have already expelled them from the palace.”
"Right now they are spouting nonsense and accusing me. It seems they hold a grudge against me, which is why they are slandering me like this!"
No matter how much evidence Yu Wan and Su Mu find, what can they do if he stubbornly refuses to admit it?
Just as everyone was at a stalemate, the Princess Consort of Xiang, who had been silent all along, slowly got up and walked slowly towards the front of the hall.
Upon seeing this, King Xiang immediately roared angrily, "Wang Shi, come back!"
Princess Xiang raised her eyes, her gaze calm as still water, and looked directly at Prince Xiang.
The Prince of Xiang's eyes were filled with turbulent emotions as he stared intently at the Princess Consort, gritting his teeth as he said, "If anything happens to me, your and Rui'er's lives will be over."
"If you want to die, fine, but Rui'er is not even six years old yet. Can you bear to drag him down with you?"
Princess Xiang looked at Prince Xiang with a calm expression, her gaze filled with disgust but also with determination. "Rui'er and I will be fine."
"If you, this beast, don't die, Rui'er's life will be over."
After saying these two sentences, Princess Xiang turned to Su Mu and said.
"Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, I can testify," Princess Xiang said coldly. "What these two said is true. Li Ming is a beastly bastard!"