Sheng Mingzhu finally recalled what that little wench had just done to her!
Hatred instantly consumed her; she desperately wanted to tear that little wench apart right now.
However, noticing there were quite a few people around, and her Brother Sheng was also there, Sheng Mingzhu had no choice but to forcibly suppress the rage that was nearly driving her mad, reluctantly maintaining the etiquette expected of a proper young lady.
Supporting herself on Xia Zhi’s hand, she slowly stood up, looking at Huang Yaning with a pained and disappointed expression. “Seventh Sister, why…”
She had only uttered a few words when Huang Yaning cut her off.
“Sixth Sister, what just happened to you? How could you suddenly start rolling on the ground, screaming miserably, and then jump into the pond? Your frenzied state really frightened me.”
Huang Yaning said this while patting her chest, still seeming shaken.
Hearing this, Sheng Mingzhu was stunned for a moment, and when she realized what was being said, she nearly exploded with fury!
She pointed at Huang Yaning venomously and cursed. “You’re full of lies, talking nonsense! You were the one who pushed me to the ground! You kicked me and beat me! Then you kicked me into this pond—you tried to kill me!”
The crowd erupted in commotion!
However, many among them looked shocked on the surface, but their eyes revealed a hint of glee. It seemed hearing that Sheng Mingzhu had been ‘beaten’ was a delightful thing.
Zhu Qisheng, meanwhile, looked at Huang Yaning with an icy gaze, as if looking at a dead person.
Just then, the matriarch of the Dong Mansion, along with Dong Qianqian and a group of other ladies, arrived…
Everyone had heard Sheng Mingzhu’s words, and their attention focused on Sheng Mingzhu and Huang Yaning.
Sheng Minmin had also arrived. Usually, seeing Sheng Mingzhu in trouble brought her immense satisfaction. But today, looking at the nearby lotus pond, besides satisfaction, she felt a flicker of complex emotion.
Sheng Minmin was well aware of Huang Yaning’s attempts to ‘curry favor’ with her over the past few years.
In her previous life, Sheng Mingzhu had falsely accused her of falling into the water, and Sheng Minmin would never forget how she was nearly beaten to death that time…
If what Sheng Mingzhu just said wasn’t fabricated, Sheng Minmin hoped that Huang Yaning’s actions today had nothing to do with her. Because her revenge was something she would exact herself.
“Me—?”
Over on the other side, Huang Yaning pointed at her own nose in question, her big eyes wide with feigned shock.
Long before she started the fight, Huang Yaning had already planned how to ‘argue’ her way out of trouble.
Yes, she had hit someone!
But where was the evidence?
She had deliberately targeted fleshy, private areas when kicking, so Sheng Mingzhu should be too embarrassed to call a doctor for an examination. Even if she did call one, she could just claim the injuries were self-inflicted…
This was why Huang Yaning hadn’t hit Sheng Mingzhu’s face! Hitting the face was too obvious, leaving handprint evidence…
As for witnesses, Sheng Mingzhu’s one-sided statement wouldn’t hold up. And since Xia Zhi was Sheng Mingzhu’s personal maidservant and also her biological sister, how could Xia Zhi’s testimony be considered reliable?
Prince Qi, behind the rockery, might have heard some commotion, but he hadn’t actually witnessed the beating. As long as no one saw it with their own eyes, Huang Yaning wasn’t afraid.
Because, many times, the truth of a matter isn’t what’s important. What’s important is the outcome everyone wants.
Just like in her past life, Minmin was the legitimate daughter of the Sheng family, but everyone preferred Sheng Mingzhu, believing she could bring more benefit to the family. So, Sheng Mingzhu remained the legitimate daughter.
Today, the ladies and young misses present all wished they could flay Sheng Mingzhu alive. Compared to Huang Yaning being accused of ‘plotting against her sister,’ it aligned with everyone’s interests for Sheng Mingzhu to be labeled morally corrupt, accused of deliberately jumping into the water to seduce Prince Qi.
Therefore, Huang Yaning wasn’t flustered at all.
“Sixth Sister, you’re definitely crazy. No wonder you were acting so strange even before you fell into the water…” Huang Yaning raised a finger, pointing towards her own head, then continued, “When the doctor arrives, have him check your head first, make sure you haven’t developed some kind of psychosis…”
Sheng Mingzhu felt a surge of bitterness rise in her throat. Not only was the little wench cheap, she was also this shameless!
Sheng Mingzhu clenched her teeth, speaking with deep hatred. “First, you tricked me, saying you had something private to discuss, using that to send my cousin away. The moment she left, you suddenly changed your tune, hit me, and kicked me into the pond… My maidservant can testify to all of this!”
“This servant can testify for my young lady. What my lady said is true—” Xia Zhi quickly added.
A young lady nearby snorted derisively. “Sixth Miss Sheng, you just said she’s your maidservant, of course she’ll testify for you.”
Someone else immediately chimed in, “Exactly. Besides, your relationship with this personal maidservant of yours is hardly ordinary…”
Everyone understood the unspoken implication.
From several directions within the crowd, women’s mocking laughter rang out.
Huang Yaning also spoke up, her voice sweet. “Qingtian, tell us what just happened.”
Qingtian had long understood her young lady’s intention to get back at Sixth Miss, and she stated firmly, “Just now, after Biaoxiaojie left, Sixth Miss suddenly fell to the ground, started screeching strangely as if possessed, and claimed someone was hitting her… Later, she even jumped into the lotus pond. After Sixth Miss fell in, the Prince ran out from behind the rockery and went into the water, preparing to rescue her… However, Xia Zhi is an excellent swimmer and rescued Sixth Miss first. As for what happened next, all the ladies and misses saw for themselves—”
“You—you’re talking nonsense—cough, cough, cough— You, mistress and servant, conspired together—it was you who harmed me—”
For the first time in her life, Sheng Mingzhu understood the feeling of being wrongly accused. Consumed by rage, both anxious and furious, she coughed uncontrollably.
She coughed until her face was bright red, her expression somewhat twisted.
The young ladies felt a secret satisfaction, but they quickly saw Sheng Mingzhu turn her head to look at Prince Qi. The twisted expression on her face instantly morphed into pitiful wronged, tears streaming down her face, making her seem more pitiful and wronged than anyone else…
One by one, the young ladies angrily ‘wrenched’ their handkerchiefs, wishing they could spit in Sheng Mingzhu’s face…
A hot-tempered girl cursed under her breath, “Hussy! Shameless!”
Just then, Duanmu Hui and Duanmu Rui walked out from the back.
They seemed to have already heard about the incident and both stood by Huang Yaning’s side, as if to back her up.
This scene stimulated Prince Qi, turning his eyes red and his fists clenched tightly.
He believed that wild girl had bullied his Mingzhu. But he truly hadn’t seen the process, so he could only tell the truth. And he understood that if he only stated the facts, given that wild girl’s skill at sophistry, she had a high probability of exonerating herself.
But what did that matter? He was a Prince; if he wanted to punish someone, he could simply give the order! No matter how clever that wild girl’s tongue, Zhu Qisheng would ultimately make her pay a heavy price!
What Zhu Qisheng hadn’t expected was for his cousins to show up and firmly stand in opposition to him—
At the same time, the people present seemed to harbor hostility towards Mingzhu…
Zhu Qisheng felt that today, avenging Mingzhu might not be possible.
This realization filled Zhu Qisheng with both frustration and anger. His chest heaving violently, he was momentarily speechless.
But what Zhu Qisheng didn’t know was that Huang Yaning’s goal was far more than just beating someone up and getting away scot-free…
Huang Yaning was also planning to stir up some more trouble.
