"Cough, cough…! Cough, cough, cough…!" Grasping the dragon staff in her hand, Duan Muyan gulped down mouthfuls of air!
Just as Xiao Jinfeng was to step forward again, Duan Muyan stared at the man before her with a resentful look in her eyes, her hand firmly gripping the Dragon staff!
"The facts have not been verified... yet you're going to blame it on us?! Since you view that Xiao Rou as your life… Why did you still lose it!" Duan Muyan's face was pale and her eyebrows were tightly knitted. The voice that was seeping out from her lips was something that had not been heard before! It was too frosty! If she died, then what would her brother do?!
"Do we still need to check? Xiao Rou had been stolen right under my house and it died on your bed! What else do you have to refute!" This was the first time that Xiao Jinfeng had seen anger in Duan Muyan's eyes, and there was even a glint of hatred in them! Perhaps it was precisely because of this gaze that Xiao Jinfeng was able to wake up! If he had really killed Duan Muyan just now, the consequences would be unimaginable!
"I am the one who killed it?! I have no reason to kill it!" Duan Muyan stubbornly raised the dragon staff and angrily rebutted!
"Reason?! I will give you the reason! You're jealous of Shi Rou, that's that! So you threw her bowl, and you killed her pet that was gifted by this Prince! This is all your jealousy! You still dare to deny it?!" With self-righteousness, Xiao Jinfeng assertively claimed, still hugging the white rabbit tightly in his arms!
"Ha! I am jealous of Chu Shirou...?! Xiao Jingfeng! You think highly of yourself! I don't love you at all! How could I be jealous of her!? In this world, I only loved one man! You and the world knew it, even my imperial father knew it too...! Did you think that after all that had happened, you will enter my heart? Xiao Jinfeng, from the day I married you, my heart had already died!" Duan Mu Yan looked at Xiao Jinfeng with a cold smile, her eyes were full of grievances and a trace of disdain!
At this moment, Xiao Jinfeng's heart felt like it had been pierced by a knife. The sharp pain slowly spread out from his chest all the way to every cell of his body! She didn't love him... That's right! How could he forgot! This goddess-like woman in front of him... had only one man in her heart, and that was his little brother, Xiao Yuxuan! Curiously, Xiao Jinfeng was at a loss as to why he felt such heartache… Perhaps it was because of Xiao Rou, and nothing else...
"Duan Mu Yan! Do you think this Prince can't do anything to you just because you have the dragon staff in your hands?!" Xiao Jinfeng slowly calmed down, but his voice was still as stinging as ever!
"Your Highness… This matter really has nothing to do with the Wangfei. This white rabbit was taken by this servant from Feng Xue's hands! She said that if the Wangfei won't take it, she will send it to the kitchen. That was why this servant decided to take the rabbit away from her and send it to Wangfei. However, for some reason, the rabbit had convulsed just now! If it wasn't for His Highness barging in, Esteemed Wangfei would have already gone out to find a doctor to check on it…" Qiu Yue immediately explained when she saw the cold aura receding from Xiao Jinfeng's face!
"You mean that other than you, there was someone else who saw Xiao Rou?" Xiao Jinfeng's expression was solemn as he spoke suspiciously. Back in the main hall, no one admitted seeing a rabbit!
"Yes, Your Highness… Feng Xue and Cui Xin both saw it…" Qiu Yue was resolute and decisive!
"Duan Muyan! Listen, this Prince will get someone to investigate the cause of death of Xiao Rou right now! If it has nothing to do with you, this Prince will not wrongly accuse you! But if you did it, even if you possess the Dragon staff, this Prince will not let you off! Qiu Yue! If you dare lie, this Prince will give you twenty staves! Hmph…!" Xiao Jinfeng stared coldly at Duan Mu Yan before taking large strides away! He still dreaded the Dragon staff! At least for now.
"Esteemed Wangfei…" Looking at Xiao Jinfeng's broad back view, Qiu Yue's teary eyes looked at her mistress. She was remorseful and felt angry towards herself. It was all her fault!
"I'm fine … We are not wrong! He won't do anything to us! Don't worry. With me here, you'll definitely be fine…" Duan Muyan let go of her staff as she forced out a smile. Blood was still gushing out from the corner of her lips!
In the main hall.
Xiao Jinfeng reluctantly handed over the white rabbit's corpse to the doctor. When his gaze shifted to Feng Xue and Cui Xin, the cold sting could be felt! On the other side, Su Jinxiu never expected things to turn out like this. However, she was still confident! Fortunately, she had warned Feng Xue and Cui Xin beforehand. If they wanted to live, then they shouldn't talk too much!
"This Prince asks both of you! Had you ever seen Xiao Rou?!" The ice-cold voice seemed to have accumulated an ancient frost in it. Just from the sound of it, everyone shivered!
"Replying... Replying to Your Highness... this servant did not… This servant has been cleaning the backyard since early morning and has never seen a white rabbit before…" Feng Xue trembled as she opened her mouth to speak. From time to time, her gaze would shoot towards Su Jinxiu, who was at the side!
"Feng Xue! You're lying! You were the one who handed over the white rabbit to me!" Qiu Yue looked incredulously at Feng Xue who knelt beside her, her heart filled with unspeakable indignation!
"Qiu Yue… Don't slander me! When did I see a white rabbit?! Besides, only this morning I saw you..." Feng Xue looked at Qiu Yue with a wronged expression. If she changed her words at this time, her death would be even more miserable!
"You—! You're lying! At that time, Cui Xin was there too! Cui Xin, tell the truth!" Tears welled up in Qiu Yue's eyes! She never thought that Feng Xue would open her eyes and lie!
"Qiu Yue… How can you say that... I've been with Feng Xue all day, and I haven't seen any white rabbit too, and I haven't seen you since yesterday either!" Cui Xin looked at Qiu Yue with an innocent face, but the hand in her sleeve was already sweating!
"You both are lying! Your Highness! Yue'er swore to the heavens! This white rabbit was indeed taken from them! If there is even the slightest lie, thunder and lightning will strike me from the heavens!" Qiu Yue opened her mouth anxiously as tears flowed uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes! She wasn't afraid of those twenty staves! She was afraid that Xiao Jinfeng would vent his anger on her mistress because of this!
"This Prince wants evidence! Could it be that you can't find a single witness in the entire Xiao Manor to prove this matter?!" His ice-cold voice was filled with a terrifying chill. Xiao Jinfeng sat there with a grave expression, waiting for Qiu Yue's response! Perhaps he had realised that he had almost gone crazy earlier, that Xiao Jinfeng's attitude now had become much more composed.
"Witness...? Apart from Feng Xue and Cui Xin, this servant had not notice anyone from the vicinity at that moment, Your Highness... But everything this servant had said was true, Your Highness! Please believe in Yue'er…" Qiu Yue anxiously said. She couldn't help but glance at Duan Muyan!
Her clear eyes were filled with determination! Duan Muyan slightly nodded towards Yue'er, who was kneeling at the side! It was as if she was giving her endless strength and support!
"But Your Highness… What the servants said was true… Qiu Yue had wrongly accused this servant… Your Highness, please decide…" When Feng Xue saw this, she and Cui Xin immediately prostrated on the ground, sobbing in a low voice!
Just as Xiao Jinfeng was about to say something, the doctor carefully put down the white rabbit and respectfully walked to his side.
"Reporting to Your Highness, this rabbit had taken too much Apothecary Medicine that its heart couldn't bear the burden, so it ended up convulsing and dying...!" As the doctor spoke, Xiao Jinfeng's gaze turned cold!
"Are you sure?" Xiao Jinfeng stood up abruptly, a devouring light radiating from his deep eyes!
"Replying to Your Highness… This humble one is certain!" The doctor answered truthfully once again!
Speechless, Xiao Jinfeng waved his sleeve and the doctor left immediately! In the main hall, everyone was shocked. But Su Jinxiu smiled the moment she heard the doctor's words!
"Duan Muyan! What do you have to say for yourself?!" Xiao Jinfeng glared fiercely at Duan Muyan with a gaze filled with hostility! His hands clenched into fists!
"The doctor only said that the white rabbit was poisoned, he didn't say that it was this concubine who poisoned the rabbit! Your Highness, don't you think it is unfair for you to assume without proper investigation...?!" Her ice-cold voice contained a trace of sullenness, causing Duan Muyan's eyes to glower! She believed in Qiu Yue, but Feng Xue and Cui Xin denied it flatly! It was obvious that someone was trying to frame her! Who could it be? Duan Mu Yan subconsciously glanced at Su Jinxiu!
"Good! Then this Prince will find the evidence! I'll convince you wholeheartedly! Steward Zhou! Bring all the servants in the manor and searched every room, every nook and cranny! No matter which room, you report immediately when you found something!" Xiao Jinfeng clenched his hands into fists, his white joints showing the rage he was feeling at this moment!
"Yes…" Old Zhou lowered his eyes to accept the order, but in his heart, he couldn't help but sigh. He didn't know to what extent of mess this white rabbit would about to create.
After Old Zhou and his entourage left, Su Jinxiu lightly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and walked in front of Xiao Jinfeng.
"Your Highness… It was this servant who let down Xiao Rou, and failed to live up to the trust of her Mistress… This servant deserves to die a thousand times over… However, Xiao Rou was already dead… This servant wants to carry it away and bury it in the backyard…" Su Jinxiu bent down slightly and spoke with teary eyes!
"This Prince will personally bury Xiao Rou!" Xiao Jinfeng glanced at Su Jinxiu. She was the one who committed the crime of dereliction of duty, but she was the girl Shi Rou cared about the most. In the end, he couldn't bear to punish her!
"Then I would like to request His Highness to at least allow me to carry Xiao Rou to the backyard… Xiu'er, can't... bear to part with it…" Su Jinxiu's voice was choked with sobs as tears rolled down her cheeks like broken beads!
In the entire main hall, other than Xiao Jinfeng, everyone else could tell that Su Jinxiu was acting! Especially Feng Xue and Cui Xin, they were well aware that they had been deceived by Su Jinxiu this time! There was no doubt about it! The one who drugged the white rabbit must be Su Jinxiu!
Speechless, Xiao Jinfeng's gaze revealed a boundless sorrow when he turned to look at the white rabbit. Upon seeing him wave his hand in agreement, a dark and gloomy glint flashed through Su Jinxiu's lowered eyes. However, it disappeared the moment she stood up!
Waiting was an unbearable experience for everyone in the main hall! Duan Muyan quietly sat on the exquisite wooden chair. Her eyes met with Qiu Yue's, and she could see the fear and unease in Qiu Yue's eyes! She pursed her cherry lips and smiled. That smile was like the warm winter sun for Qiu Yue, calming her down.
However… Who would give Duan Muyan the same courage to face what was to come. Perhaps, in this world, she no longer had anyone to rely on! If she wanted to live without being wronged, she could only rely on herself.
Su Jinxiu, who had left the main hall, held the white rabbit and quickly walked into Duan Muyan's room en route to the backyard of the manor. She was about to enter when she saw that Steward Zhou was blocking the door, but just as Su Jinxiu was thinking of a way to lure the Old Zhou away, she saw him being called away.
"Sun Chu, how's the search going?!" Su Jinxiu whispered as she slowly walked into the room with the white rabbit in her arms with a sorrowful look on her face!
"Ugh… Haven't found anything yet…" When Sun Chu turned his head, he saw Su Jinxiu standing at the door inquiring, so he casually answered!
"Is that so… This is the side concubine's room... Actually, I believe that the side concubine didn't do this! It might be some ignorant servant who is greedy for rabbit meat…" As Su Jinxiu spoke, she walked towards the side of the dresser, opened the drawer without batting an eyelid, and quickly put away the apothecary medicine that she had prepared. Then, she quietly pushed the drawer shut and retreated to the entrance!