usatvline Chapter 130 The Truth
Chapter 130 The Truth
Chu Jingru's face instantly darkened. He stood up abruptly, his gaze sharp as he stared intently at Ziyan, who had been brought into the courtyard. His voice was filled with suppressed rage and disbelief: "Liu Shan, what is the meaning of this? Why are you detaining Ziyan? She is my beloved concubine! Do you want to rebel?"
Liu Shan was dumbfounded. It was clearly Princess Changning who had detained Ziyan, so why was Prince Kang pointing the finger at him?
Princess Changning maintained a calm demeanor, bowed slightly, and spoke with respect but firmness: "Father, this matter is of great importance, and I have no choice but to do so. Ziyan's identity is not as simple as it seems on the surface; she may be a spy planted by someone else by your side."
Chu Jingru frowned, clearly displeased with Princess Changning's words.
He turned to Ziyan and saw that her hands were tied and her face showed fear. His heart softened, but his voice remained cold and hard: "Liu Shan, you've gone too far! Ziyan is just a weak woman, how could she be a spy? If you can't give a reasonable explanation, don't blame me for disregarding our past relationship!"
Liu Shan sighed. This was his first time getting close to Prince Kang. Where was his past relationship?
Moreover, he also realized that Prince Kang was genuinely angry, but he was also truly protecting Princess Changning. Even though his beloved concubine was being held captive by his daughter, he was unwilling to easily blame her.
Princess Changning took a deep breath, her fingertips trembling slightly, but she still straightened her back and gave Liu Shan a wink: "Lieutenant Liu, come and explain the situation to my father."
Liu Shan felt a sense of helplessness, but he also knew that he had to step forward at this moment.
He stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and said in a deep voice, “Your Highness, this woman is not Ziyan, but Ge Yuniang from the wrongful conviction case in Jinhua County! She was framed by Liu Xinian and tortured to the point of near death... Now she is infiltrating the Prince’s mansion under the name ‘Ziyan,’ there must be something fishy about it!”
In order to attract the attention of Prince Kang, Liu Shan deliberately mentioned that Ge Yuniang had been wrongfully imprisoned.
"Absurd!" Chu Jingru sneered, a cold glint in his eyes. "Ziyan has been with me day and night, how could she be an imposter? Liu Shan, don't spout nonsense!"
He turned to look at Ziyan and saw that her face was pale and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes. He couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.
Ziyan knelt on the ground, tears streaming down her face, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, please understand! I don't know what they are talking about! I grew up in the countryside and have never been to Jinhua County, much less be any Ge Yuniang! I only gained your favor because my appearance resembles that of the Princess Consort. How could I be that Ge Yuniang? Captain Liu is framing me!"
When she looked up, her neck was slender and delicate, and tears soaked her clothes. Her pitiful appearance softened Chu Jingru's heart.
He looked at Liu Shan and said coldly, "Lieutenant Liu, do you have any evidence to prove that Ziyan is Ge Yuniang? Without solid evidence, I will never believe your one-sided words!"
Liu Shan smiled bitterly to himself. He knew that Prince Kang doted on Ziyan, and without solid evidence, Prince Kang would never believe him.
However, at this moment he could not examine Ziyan's body and could only persuade her with words.
He inwardly admired Ziyan's superb acting skills, but remained outwardly calm: "Ge Yuniang, you have a three-inch scar on your right shoulder, left by Liu Xinian when he interrogated you. You also have many other scars on your body, especially a butterfly-shaped object on your inner thigh... If Your Highness does not believe me, you can have the female physician examine you immediately, and the truth will come to light!"
Ziyan trembled violently, her face turning deathly pale, but she still gritted her teeth: "Lieutenant Liu... are you trying to humiliate me in public?"
She turned to look at Chu Jingru, sobbing uncontrollably, "Your Highness, I would rather die than suffer this humiliation!"
Chu Jingru flew into a rage and slammed his fist on the stone table: "Liu Shan! How dare you slander my beloved concubine! What is your punishment?!"
He glared at Liu Shan, his voice filled with anger: "Ning'er, seize him. I want to interrogate him myself!"
"Father, please calm your anger!" Princess Changning suddenly knelt down, her eyes burning with determination. "I am willing to stake my life on the fact that Commandant Liu's words are true! The case file of Ge Yuniang is still in the government office, and there are witnesses and physical evidence to prove it! If Father insists on protecting this girl, he is only putting the royal family in danger!"
The courtyard was deathly silent, save for the howling wind.
Chu Jingru's chest heaved violently, his gaze shifting back and forth between Liu Shan, the princess, and Ziyan.
After a long silence, he suddenly closed his eyes and sighed, "Ziyan... tell me yourself, who exactly is she?"
Ziyan trembled as she crawled to Chu Jingru's feet, clutching his robe: "I...I am indeed Ziyan!"
Liu Shan knew that if he pressed Ziyan any further, it would only anger Prince Kang.
He suddenly squatted down, looked directly into Ziyan's eyes, and softened his voice: "Miss Ge, back then you endured torture to protect your deceased husband's reputation rather than confess, and I, Liu, admired your integrity. Now you are being coerced and have become a pawn. Do you really want to aid and abet evil, let the likes of Liu Xinian prosper, and make Wang Pinlian restless in the afterlife?"
The name "Wang Pinlian" pierced her heart like a sharp blade. Zi Yan's pupils constricted, and tears streamed down her face. She abruptly ripped open her collar, revealing a hideous scar on her right shoulder, and hissed, "Lord Liu... you're right! I am Ge Yuniang... but I had no other choice!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Jingru was struck dumb, slumped onto the stone bench, and murmured, "This... how is this possible..."
He stared at Ziyan in disbelief, his voice trembling: "You...you really are Ge Yuniang? Why...why did you deceive me?"
Tears streamed down Ge Yuniang's face as she whispered, "Your Highness, I did not mean to deceive you. I was forced into this situation; otherwise, I would have already perished..."
Chu Jingru felt a mix of emotions, both angry and heartbroken.
He turned to Princess Changning, his voice low and deep: "Ning'er, what exactly is going on? Who is Ge Yuniang? Why would someone place her by my side?"
Princess Changning quickly recounted Ge Yuniang's ordeal: "Father, Ge Yuniang was once the wife of Wang Pinlian, a blacksmith's assistant in Jinhua County. She was falsely accused of murdering her husband and suffered torture... Now she has transformed into your beloved concubine, which is clearly the work of someone. They took advantage of her resemblance to Mother to get close to you with ill intentions."
Chu Jingru's face grew paler and paler as he listened. He slammed his hand on the stone table again. He had never expected to be schemed against like this. He was both angry and fearful.
He looked at Ge Yuniang, his tone complicated: "Why...why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Ge Yuniang sobbed uncontrollably, whispering, "Your Highness, I dare not... I fear I will implicate you..."
Chu Jingru sighed, his anger towards Ge Yuniang gradually dissipating, replaced by deep pity.
He turned to Princess Changning and said in a deep voice, "Ning'er, this matter is of utmost importance, so I'm entrusting it to you."
Princess Changning nodded, her gaze resolute: "Qu Dacheng is suspected of treason, and Ziyan's identity has exposed their conspiracy. We must act quickly to prevent them from resorting to desperate measures."