"So, I saw it that day too. Miss Zheng's carriage was rammed by Miss Bai the Third, and Miss Zheng started shouting abuses. It was only after the Fourth Prince persuaded her that she calmed down. No wonder what happened at the palace gate today..."
The young girl sitting beside Bai Sheng couldn't help but whisper.
What happened at the palace gate was just a small episode. Most people only remembered the stunning sight of Bai Zheng in the flowing - cloud brocade at that time.
But now that the young girl had brought it up, it reminded everyone who was present at that time, including the Princess of Pingyang and the Marquis of Gaochang who were with Zheng Yan.
Wasn't this just a case of jealousy among women? Because of Bai Zheng's flowing - cloud brocade, Zheng Yan, who was wearing the hibiscus brocade, had lost her glory.
Hearing this, Princess Yunxi immediately said angrily, "It's all my fault. If I hadn't praised it randomly, this wouldn't have happened..."
Bai Zheng watched coldly as these people were acting.
Ever since she saw Zheng Yan's dead body, it was not hard to figure out what had happened before.
It was fortunate that she hadn't worn the goose - yellow hibiscus brocade sent by Feng Jingyang today. Otherwise, the current situation would have been even more difficult to defend against than wearing the flowing - cloud brocade.
"How can it be the Princess's fault? It's actually my fault. I thought it was Zheng'er's first time to meet the Emperor as my fiancée, so I specially gave her the flowing - cloud brocade to make sure she wouldn't be outshone. I didn't expect it to make Miss Zheng lose face," Feng Linyuan said calmly.
Princess Yunxi was left speechless by his words and her face turned ashen.
What Feng Linyuan meant was clearly that Bai Zheng's wearing of the flowing - cloud brocade was purely unintentional, and it was Zheng Yan who was too petty and cared too much.
"It's you! It's actually you!" The Marquis of Gaochang couldn't control himself and took a staggering step forward. With great difficulty, he steadied himself and pointed at Bai Zheng with his eyes wide open in rage.
Bai Zheng shook her head repeatedly, looking flustered but speaking clearly, "It wasn't me. Really, it wasn't me. What Princess Yunxi said was just a misunderstanding. How can it prove that I'm the murderer?"
"Yes, all you've said are just speculations. You can't prove that Miss Zheng was killed by Miss Bai the Third," Feng Jingyi nodded and said.
"Then how do you explain this jade pendant?" The Marquis of Gaochang glanced at the jade pendant with a ferocious look on his face.
Bai Zheng couldn't help but roll her eyes in her heart, but on the surface, she said timidly again, "This jade pendant isn't unique to me. The Fourth Prince also has one. Maybe, maybe it's the Fourth Prince's..."
"It seems that Miss the Third won't give up until she sees the Yellow River. She just has to drag the Fourth Brother into this," said Feng Jingxuan.
"How can you say that the young lady is dragging him in? The Fourth Prince should show us his jade pendant. It's a way to give an explanation to the Marquis of Gaochang, isn't it?" The King of Yi said with a smile, trying to ease the situation.
Unconsciously, everyone's attention had turned to the Fourth Prince, Feng Jingyang.
Seeing this, Feng Linche frowned slightly and said to Feng Jingyang, "Since that's the case, Fourth Brother, take out your jade pendant."
Feng Jingyang, who had been keeping his head down and silent, looked up at Feng Linche when he heard this. He was stunned for a moment, then smiled faintly, "The jade pendant? Of course, I have it."
Saying so, he touched his waist. His face changed slightly, and he looked down at his clothes in surprise.
Only then did everyone notice that the clothes Feng Jingyang was wearing were completely different from those he had worn at the banquet earlier.
Feng Jingyang said awkwardly, "I was so excited after taking the jade pendant just now that I accidentally stepped into a puddle on the way. My clothes got dirty with wet soil, so I went to change them. I left the jade pendant behind."
The Marquis of Gaochang's expression changed instantly. Just then, Feng Linyuan gently tapped the table twice with his fingers and said calmly, "So, the Fourth Prince can't produce the jade pendant either?"
Feng Jingyang was stunned for a moment, then quickly forced a smile and said, "How could that be? Ming Qi, you changed the jade pendant for me just now. You should know where it is, right?"
Ming Qi, who was standing behind Feng Jingyang, was slightly taken aback. Seeing the meaningful look in his master's eyes, he immediately replied, "Yes, I'll go and get it for Your Highness."
Saying so, he walked out.
Seeing this, Princess Yunxi couldn't help but sneer, "After the Fourth Prince gets the jade pendant, the Marquis of Dingyuan should have nothing more to say, right?"
Feng Linyuan hooked his lips slightly, seemingly not caring about the result at all. He just asked, "So, the Fourth Prince didn't see Miss Zheng after the banquet?"
Feng Jingyang nodded almost without hesitation and replied, "No, I didn't."
"After I rescued Zheng'er from the masked man in the imperial garden just now, I heard screams and cries. When I went to check, I found that Miss Zheng had unfortunately died. But I wonder why I didn't see the Fourth Prince at that time?"
There was a sneer on the corner of Feng Linyuan's mouth, and he looked at Feng Jingyang with cold eyes. "The noise in the imperial garden was so loud that even the Emperor and the two Empresses were alarmed, but the Fourth Prince was late. Where did you go?"
The Marquis of Gaochang's eyes sharpened. In the chaos in the imperial garden just now, he had only been concerned about checking Zheng Yan's condition and hadn't noticed who was at the scene and who wasn't.
Just as Feng Linyuan had said, it was really suspicious that Feng Jingyang, who also had a jade pendant, hadn't shown up for a long time.
Seeing the suspicious looks in everyone's eyes, Feng Jingyang tried to suppress the panic in his heart and said, "I've already said that my clothes got dirty with wet soil, so I went to change them."
Feng Linyuan raised his eyebrows, "I'm afraid what's on your clothes isn't just wet soil. Miss Zheng was covered in blood. It's normal for the murderer to get a bit of blood on his clothes."
"Marquis of Dingyuan!" Concubine Zhao, who had been silent for a long time, finally couldn't control herself and stood up excitedly. With her willow eyebrows raised in anger, she pointed at Feng Linyuan and said, "What do you mean? Zheng Yan is Yang'er's fiancée. Are you saying that Yang'er killed his own fiancée with his own hands? Is Yang'er crazy?"
"But... but the Fourth Prince has always loved my cousin, not Miss Zheng..." Bai Zheng spoke up at the right moment.
This sentence immediately reminded all the young gentlemen present of the embarrassing incident that had happened at the engagement banquet in the Marquis of Gaochang's mansion a month ago.
"Miss Zheng made an agreement with the Fourth Prince that my cousin could only be a concubine. But in the Fourth Prince's heart, he was even willing to break off the engagement with the Marquis of Gaochang's mansion for my cousin..." Bai Zheng looked pitiful, but the words she said made Concubine Zhao's face turn deathly pale instantly.
She really had to thank Bai Di. If it weren't for their wonderful cooperation, Bai Zheng might have been suspected as the murderer by everyone because of things like ramming the carriage and competing in clothes.
And now, after all their efforts, it just made her and Feng Jingyang equally suspected.
Thinking of this, the eyes of the Marquis of Gaochang were instantly filled with a scarlet glow. But he still tried to control his emotions and said hoarsely, "Let's wait until the Fourth Prince gets the jade pendant and then talk."
Since the victim's family had said so, others naturally didn't dare to say anything more.
Princess Yunxi and Concubine Zhao had no choice but to sit back reluctantly. Feng Jingyang still hung his head and waited expressionlessly.
Suddenly, Ming Qi's panicked voice came from outside the palace gate, "Your Highness, Fourth Prince..."