Xiao Ye was dead.
She had died in a disgraceful way, and must have suffered terribly before her final breath.
In her previous life, Xiao Ye had been Sheng Minmin’s personal maid.
Early on, Xiao Ye had done odd jobs around the garden. Because she was decent-looking, clever, and could even read a little, Huang Yaning had taken a liking to her.
When Huang Yaning returned to the residence, she assigned Xiao Ye to Sheng Minmin.
At first, Xiao Ye treated her with a degree of respect. But later, seeing that Sheng Minmin wasn’t favored, Xiao Ye began stealing her sparse collection of jewelry.
She also frequently mocked Sheng Minmin’s etiquette and her handwriting.
Eventually, Xiao Ye even gave false testimony in front of everyone, claiming that Sheng Minmin was having an affair with Steward Qi.
Sheng Minmin remembered how Huang Yaning was so furious she nearly had a heart attack and wanted Xiao Ye beaten to death.
But Sheng Mingzhu pleaded for mercy, and in the end, Xiao Ye was dealt with leniently and banished to a country estate.
Before Xiao Ye left for the estate, she made a point of coming to see Sheng Minmin.
That was the first time Sheng Minmin had seen the true Xiao Ye.
Xiao Ye had smugly called her stupid. So what if she was the legitimate daughter of the Sheng family?
She was still being bullied by a servant!
She even admitted to planting Sheng Mingzhu’s luminous pearl in Sheng Minmin’s room, making everyone see her as a “thief.”
She also boasted about having saved up a considerable amount of silver and was looking forward to living a carefree life at the estate.
Sheng Minmin still remembered the arrogant look on Xiao Ye’s face that day.
So, when Sheng Minmin recently spotted Xiao Ye in the residence again, she was genuinely thrilled.
The garden’s steward had simply bought a few maids, and among them was her enemy. How wonderful.
At that moment, Sheng Minmin wanted to hang Xiao Ye up and whip her a hundred times a day in brutal revenge.
But she immediately restrained herself. She realized her plan needed a “dead person” to firmly pin the crime of “murder” on Sheng Mingzhu.
Xiao Ye could be that corpse.
So, she deliberately let Qingxiang know that she had a bit of a favorable impression of Xiao Ye. Qingxiang, as expected, grew jealous and signaled the garden steward to torment Xiao Ye.
That steward made Xiao Ye eat the worst food while assigning her the heaviest labor. Every day, Xiao Ye was so busy she could barely sleep for two or three hours, living a life even more miserable than the servants in the laundry or washroom.
Xiao Ye wasn’t one to stay put or accept her fate. She seized an opportunity to sneak into Hibiscus Court.
Today, when Sheng Minmin sent refreshments to Sheng Mingbo, Xiao Ye was among the servants dispatched.
And now, Xiao Ye was finally dead.
Several people in the room had gone outside to look at Xiao Ye’s body and asked some questions. After the residence physician entered, he confirmed that Xiao Ye had died from poisoning by Gelsemium elegans.
Sheng Minmin slowly exhaled.
She took the so-called “suicide note” and other letters supposedly left by Xiao Ye from Sheng Yong’s hands and skimmed through them.
She didn’t need to read them to know what they said; this was all arranged by her hand anyway.
“This handwriting belongs to the same person. What else do you have to say?”
Feigning fury, Sheng Minmin hurled the papers in her hand at Sheng Mingzhu.
Since hearing Qingying’s words, Sheng Mingzhu’s mind had been a complete mess.
Who was Xiao Ye?
She didn’t even know her.
Who on earth had used a human life to frame her?
“Mother, I don’t know any Xiao Ye at all—nor did I give poison to anyone—I’ve been wrongfully accused—”
Sheng Mingzhu loudly protested her innocence.
“You were the one who sent the refreshments. The person who died was from your courtyard. She left a suicide note accusing you. Now all the evidence points to you, and you still deny it?”
“Father, Mother, it really wasn’t me—”
Sheng Mingzhu shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her face.
The sight made Lin Zhijing and Sheng Mingjian’s hearts clench with distress.
Sheng Mingjian quickly interjected, “Mother, I asked Jixue. Xiao Ye was only recently transferred to work in Hibiscus Court. It’s normal for Mingzhu not to know her.
“Furthermore, a maid’s words can’t be taken as absolute truth. If someone deliberately set this up to frame her—”
Huang Yaning cut him off sharply.
“Brother, are you saying a maid’s words cannot be trusted? Or that any words and evidence unfavorable to your precious sister Mingzhu should all be dismissed?”
Actually, when Huang Yaning heard the name Xiao Ye, she recalled someone from her previous life.
Once she confirmed Xiao Ye’s appearance, Huang Yaning understood everything completely.
This dead girl, Xiao Ye, was indeed the personal maid of Minmin in their past life.
In that life, Xiao Ye had undoubtedly done many terrible things to Minmin. So Minmin had orchestrated this scenario, using Xiao Ye as the sacrificial pawn.
Minmin wanted Sheng Mingzhu to be seen as a “murderer,” and Huang Yaning was determined to help her achieve that goal.
“Shut your mouth!”
Sheng Mingjian roared, striding over to stand before Huang Yaning, glaring at her with venomous intensity.
“You are narrow-minded and have always resented Mingzhu for taking away your status as legitimate daughter. Did you deliberately set this up today to frame Mingzhu?”
Sheng Mingjian’s vicious demeanor even startled Duanmu Rui.
Then Duanmu Rui became furious. Sheng Mingjian didn’t act like an older brother at all.
If she had a brother like that, she’d beat him up every time she saw him.
Just as Duanmu Rui was about to speak up for Xiao Qi, she heard Xiao Qi’s voice, even louder than Sheng Mingjian’s.
“Sheng Mingjian, has all that book-reading addled your brain?
“Was it me who asked Young Master Lin to buy the refreshments? Was it me who sent servants from my courtyard to deliver them?
“Are her two biological sisters suspecting her, or are they suspecting me? Does the suicide note left by her maid name Sheng Mingzhu or me?
“What does any of this have to do with me? If you want to exonerate her so badly, go be her scapegoat yourself. Don’t you dare slander me!”
Huang Yaning’s voice echoed through the room. Everyone watched as Sheng Mingjian’s forehead bulged with veins, his muscles tensed as if he might resort to violence at any moment.
The few remaining servants in the room held their breath, their heads bowed deeply.
“Do you dare to deny that yesterday at the gate, you were fanning the flames, deliberately making the situation worse just to embarrass Mingzhu?”
Sheng Mingjian ground out the words, seemingly struggling to control his rage.
He felt this so-called sister of his was his personal curse, indeed a wild girl raised by lowlifes.
“We are discussing Sheng Mingzhu conspiring to murder her older sister. Why are you dragging in irrelevant matters?
“If you truly have the courage, ask your precious Mingzhu—what beast inflicted the wounds on Xiazhi’s body?”
Having said that, Huang Yaning turned to Sheng Mingzhu, her expression one of utter contempt.
“Aren’t you fond of making vows?
“Weren’t you swearing rather smoothly just now?
“Do you dare to swear to Heaven again right now—that you have never harbored ill will toward me, nor any resentment toward Father and Mother?”
“Bitch!” Sheng Mingzhu cursed inwardly.
If she refused to swear, she’d look like an ungrateful child full of resentment toward her parents.
Hurriedly, she shuffled forward on her knees, stopping at a spot relatively close to Sheng Yong and Sheng Minmin. She raised her hand, ready to make her vow, when she heard that wretched woman’s voice again.
“If even half a word of yours is false, you will lose all your blessings and fortune in this life. You will lose the love of everyone.
“Everyone will see your true face and loathe you.
“Every day you live will be plagued by illness and misery.
“After death, you will suffer daily in the eighteenth level of hell, fried in boiling oil for eternity, never to reincarnate.
“Now—do you dare to swear?”
Sheng Mingzhu’s body trembled involuntarily. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.
Feeling everyone’s burning gazes fixed upon her, her tears flowed like a broken dam. She turned her head, her tear-filled eyes seeking help from Sheng Mingjian, like a pitiful little victim.
Ever since yesterday, Sheng Mingjian had felt as if Mingzhu had fallen into a huge trap.
Afraid he couldn’t protect the one he loved, anxiety and pressure had built up inside him. His earlier attempt to vent had been interrupted.
Ever since arriving here, he’d been completely led by the nose.
It infuriated him and left his mind in chaos.
Now, seeing Mingzhu’s pale, delicate face and the aggrieved tears streaming down her cheeks, Sheng Mingjian’s heart clenched painfully. He lashed out at Huang Yaning.
“Bitch—you are truly evil—”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Sheng Mingjian froze.
In truth, he had merely spoken his mind.
In Sheng Mingjian’s heart, the girl before him was nothing more than a peasant girl raised by lowborns—despicable, and utterly unworthy of being called his sister.
The room fell into a chilling silence.
What broke the silence was the resounding crack of a slap.
“Slap—”
But the one struck was not Sheng Mingjian, and the one who delivered the blow was not Huang Yaning.
