Chapter 47: This Ends Here

Shen Tubai was slightly startled. She, too, tended to believe the matter was not of Cui Xiwen's doing; otherwise, her appearance before Li Tinghan today would be entirely meaningless.

Yet the opportunity lay right before her—should she give it a push?

While Shen Tubai hesitated, Cui Xiwen, who had remained silent all this while, spoke up, "I did indeed knock over a box of scented powder in front of the Princess, but that was merely the most ordinary osmanthus cosmetic powder."

"I have met the Princess a few times while serving in the palace before, and I fled because I was afraid the Princess might witness my current wretched state."

"I do not understand why the Consort Dowager insists on accusing me of harming the Princess on this account. Could it be that she is framing me this way to conceal her own past? Is she trying to use the Princess to eliminate me?"

Cui Xiwen collapsed into Li Tinghan's arms, confronting Shen Tubai with an air of helplessness mixed with a touch of resilience, looking utterly pitiful.

The siblings of the Li family turned their gazes toward her simultaneously. Shen Tubai was so exasperated she almost laughed; it was clearly Princess Anping who had suspected her earlier, yet through such righteous pretense, she was now the one accused of deliberately harming the Princess.

Princess Anping was also led by the nose, and the look she cast toward Shen Tubai already carried a hint of ill intent.

Shen Tubai understood—after all, no one enjoys being used.

Without a trace of panic, she squatted down to meet Cui Xiwen's eyes at eye level and smiled, "How could that be? I shall always keep Miss Cui's great kindness in my heart, and since Miss Cui is the kindest of all, I am certain you did not do this."

"Still, the truth must be brought to light. May I ask if Miss Cui's box of scented powder is still around?"

Cui Xiwen shook her head with an embarrassed expression, "I do not know when it was stolen by someone, but that was merely the most ordinary scented powder distributed within the palace. Truly, it was not my doing."

Shen Tubai raised a hand to interrupt her, "I already said I believe Miss Cui, and furthermore, the problem may not necessarily lie with that box of powder."

Shen Tubai looked around at the gathering. A-Ning was the Princess's daughter, and there were established regulations for hosting the full-month celebration. Coincidentally, the people who had crossed paths with Princess Anping were all unfamiliar faces temporarily transferred from the palace by Consort Lu.

She just wondered which of them was intended to be the scapegoat.

First, Shen Tubai glanced down at Princess Anping's feet. "The ground is cold, Your Highness would do better to return to the couch and sit."

Princess Anping nodded, her expression easing slightly.

Shen Tubai then turned her gaze to Li Tinghan. "His Highness should also take a seat together with Miss Cui."

Shen Tubai: "Does Miss Cui still remember where she dropped the cosmetic powder? It is quite windy today, but some residue should still remain within the crevices of the rocks. If we can prove there are no traces of Five-Stone Powder within it, it will clear Miss Cui's name."

Cui Xiwen turned pale, instinctively biting her lip as she sought help from Li Tinghan, only to find Li Tinghan looking at her with an expression of hopeful anticipation.

Cui Xiwen had no choice but to name a location, though her expression made it seem as if Li Tinghan had committed some grave offense against her.

Ignoring the unspoken emotional currents between the two of them, Shen Tubai turned her attention to the others. "Each of you is to write down your respective duties, your itinerary within the estate after entering, what you were doing at what time and where, and whether there are any witnesses to corroborate your account."

"In particular, you must clearly state why you walked down the path where the Princess was. Those who cannot write may dictate their accounts, and Chunchan will transcribe them."

Chunchan puffed out her chest proudly, distributing a sheet of paper and a writing brush to each person.

Upon seeing this, Shen Tubai hurriedly reproved, "I believe Miss Cui is undoubtedly innocent; why are you handing writing materials to her as well?"

Wrapped in her quilt, Princess Anping immediately chimed in, "You may believe she is innocent, but I certainly do not. Let her write! Once she has finished, I shall inspect it myself."

Cui Xiwen also weakly declared, "To prove my innocence, it is only right that I be treated the same as everyone else."

Yet the moment the brush touched her hand, Cui Xiwen was dumbfounded. Having entered the palace only a few days prior, she had been entirely preoccupied with sentimental melancholy and had no idea what a palace maid was supposed to do.

Her appearance at the Prince's estate today was the result of maneuvering behind the scenes. The moment she entered the estate, she had hidden away, waiting for the opportune moment to show herself before Princess Anping, only to retreat into hiding once more until summoned.

These female officials all represented the prestige of the palace, and every single one of them was literate. Watching the others write more and more, Cui Xiwen could not help but grow increasingly nervous.

Shen Tubai gave Chunchan a meaningful look, and Chunchan immediately stepped forward with eager enthusiasm, "Does Miss Cui have characters she does not know how to write? It does not matter, this maid can write on your behalf."

Li Tinghan shook his head with an amused smile. "Wenming is a renowned talented woman in the capital; how could she possibly be illiterate? Chunchan, do not disturb her."

Cui Xiwen's face flickered between shades of green and white.

At last, everyone finished writing. Looking at the empty and vague content submitted by Cui Xiwen, Shen Tubai could only shake her head inwardly.

Princess Anping, however, let out a direct sneer. "What is that saying—making up the numbers to fill a position."

"Cui Xiwen, while everyone else was running about like spinning tops throughout your single day in the Prince's estate, you deliberately sought leisure and idleness by yourself. What on earth is your underlying motive?"

"A criminal slave from the Department of Imperial Gardens who hasn't even been taught proper manners—how could the training matrons in the palace ever feel at ease sending you to attend the Prince's banquet?"

"Or could it be that everything today was your malicious design all along—first harming me, and then putting on an appearance of an innocent victim to drive a wedge between my Imperial Elder Brother and myself?"

"Enough! I said Wenming is not that kind of person." Li Tinghan still stood firmly on Cui Xiwen's side, though facing that rather barren sheet of paper, his words carried a distinct undertone of outward bravado hiding inner weakness.

Amidst their argument, Shen Tubai finished reading the rest of the testimonies and was about to summon the individuals mentioned in them to serve as witnesses when Attendant Lu hurried in. "Your Highness, Grand Master Liaoji requests an audience."

"Deny him!"

"Let him enter!"

Li Tinghan and Princess Anping spoke at the same time. Ultimately, under Princess Anping's insistence, Grand Master Liaoji walked in from outside the doorway.

"This humble monk, Liaoji, has come specifically to confess his faults to Your Highness and the Princess. Today's incident is entirely the fault of this humble monk alone." As soon as he entered, Liaoji took all the blame upon himself.

Princess Anping hurriedly shook her head. "How could that be? Clearly, I was the one who forced you; Master, you must never blame yourself for this..."

Ignoring the back-and-forth between the two of them, Shen Tubai turned her gaze to Chunlan, who was standing behind Liaoji.

Chunlan shook out her handkerchief and silently shook her head.

"The Princess behaved in such an uncharacteristic manner only because she was contaminated by the Five-Stone Powder on this humble monk. This monk dares not conceal this matter; all punishments and blunders shall be borne by this humble monk alone, and I hope Your Highness and the Princess will not implicate the innocent."

Shen Tubai swept her gaze across the three of them. "The Master has saved the lives of myself and my daughter, but causing offense to the Princess is no trivial matter. Since the Master is a person of religion, he ought to keep his distance upon seeing the Princess; even if the Master was contaminated with Five-Stone Powder, how could the Princess have inhaled it so easily?"

"Say no more." Princess Anping cut Shen Tubai off. "Today's matter ends here. I am the one who forced him, and none of you are permitted to trouble him."

Hearing her words, Shen Tubai frowned slightly.

Paying her no heed, Princess Anping instead stepped out from behind the screen and stood directly before Grand Master Liaoji. "I require only a single word from you."