Liu Rushuang scowled and asked, "Tell me, were you all bullying your crown prince?"
"We did not, Your Majesty! Please, we are innocent!"
The handmaidens and guardsmen quickly looked up, scowling with looks of utter sincerity.
"Mother, I told you they would never admit it! Just listen to me and dismiss them!" Longyuan pleaded, looking up at her as well with a grimace.
"We are innocent, Your Majesty! Please don't dismiss us!"
The handmaidens and guardsmen all pleaded their innocent again—the crown prince was proving a tough nut to crack.
However, the smart guardsman kept calm, and solemnly defended their case.
"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants definitely did not bully His Highness. He wanted to climb up a boulder, but we stopped him, and he told us he would complain to you."
Liu Rushuang nodded.
The guardsman was certainly quick on his feet and showed composure, not to mention that he was neither proud nor too humble.
