"I have no idea! When I went to the warming pavilion to look for her, she was already gone from her room. I thought since she wasn't there, there was no need to thank her in person. Little did I expect that on my way back, I saw her in the imperial garden."
Feng Jingyang fabricated the story in a hurry.
"When you saw her in the imperial garden, did you ask her why she was alone there? With her broken leg, it was inconvenient for her to come out. Did she meet anyone on the way?" Feng Linyuan sneered and bombarded him with questions.
Bai Zheng stood quietly to one side, secretly admiring Feng Linyuan.
Someone once said that the simplest way to detect a lie was to keep asking for details.
Until the liar's story became inconsistent due to improvised fabrication, the lie would naturally fall apart.
Feng Jingyang glared at him fiercely, but he knew he couldn't refute at this moment. He had no choice but to force himself to make up answers on the spot.
"I was forced by my mother - concubine to thank her. It wasn't that I really wanted to see her. How could I care why she was there? I said a few words and left."
"Your Highness the Fourth Prince, when did you get your garment splashed?" Bai Zheng suddenly asked.
She had been so focused on clearing the jade pendant and Qing Shao of suspicion that she had forgotten a crucial point. If, as Qing Shao said, Feng Jingyang had hugged the knife that stabbed Zheng Yan, then it was very likely that his garment would be covered in Zheng Yan's fresh blood.
Perhaps this was the real reason he had changed his clothes.
Feng Jingyang's face instantly froze, and he almost roared angrily, "Didn't I already say that I accidentally stepped into a puddle on the way and got wet mud on my garment?"
"When did you step into the puddle, and where was it?" Feng Linyuan quickly seized on the details.
Feng Jingyang felt cold sweat breaking out all over his body. He stammered, "It was after I saw Zheng Yan. As for where exactly, I can't say. Anyway, it was on the way back to the main hall from the imperial garden."
"Really? That's rather suspicious. Although the weather has been gloomy these days, it hasn't rained. Where did the puddle come from?" Feng Linyuan stared at Feng Jingyang with a frosty face.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned, and then their expressions varied.
"Just because it doesn't rain doesn't mean there can't be puddles. The flowers in the imperial garden need watering too!" Seeing that people were starting to get suspicious, Princess Yunxi couldn't help shouting.
But Feng Linyuan obviously didn't want to dwell on the matter of the puddle. He sneered, "Even if it's for watering, the water would only soak into the mud. There are pebble - paved paths in the imperial garden. Did Your Highness the Fourth Prince deliberately avoid the pebble path and walk on the mud instead? Or..."
As Feng Linyuan spoke, he looked at Feng Jingyang, his eyes full of an unclear glint that made Feng Jingyang's heart skip a beat.
They heard Feng Linyuan's voice come faintly, "Or is it that Your Highness the Fourth Prince got something on his body that he can't say, so he just made up an excuse and changed his clothes?"
"What kind of thing that can't be said?" Bai Zheng knew exactly what it was but pretended to be ignorant.
Qing Shao lowered her head and said calmly, "This servant saw with her own eyes that when Miss Zheng was stabbed, she threw herself on His Highness the Fourth Prince. His Highness left in a hurry at that time, and this servant didn't see clearly. At first glance, I thought I was seeing things.
Now that I think about it, at that time, the front and chest of His Highness the Fourth Prince's garment were stained with Miss Zheng's blood."
"At the Emperor's presence, no one allows you, a servant, to speak freely!" Concubine Zhao slapped the table and stood up, like an enraged lioness. "Someone, drag her out for this palace!"
"Your Ladyship the Concubine, the Emperor hasn't spoken yet. It's not appropriate for you to dispose of this Marquis's maid at will, is it?" Feng Linyuan said coldly.
Concubine Zhao was extremely angry. She took a few deep breaths to barely control the twitching of her face.
"Can the servant of the Marquis of Dingyuan act wantonly in the imperial palace and slander the Crown Prince? The Marquis of Dingyuan really has a lot of nerve!" Concubine Zhao said menacingly.
"This Marquis's maid is just telling the truth. What are you so guilty about, Your Ladyship the Concubine? After all, the victim is not just anyone. She is the Emperor's niece, the only daughter of Princess Pingyang and the Marquis of Gaochang.
Although Miss Zheng doesn't have a title yet, her status is no lower than that of any princess in our Great Zhou.
The Emperor is so kind - hearted that he is eager to find the real culprit for Miss Zheng. If Your Ladyship the Concubine tries to stop this, it will truly go against the Emperor's will."
Feng Linyuan showed no sign of backing down.
Seeing Concubine Zhao's livid face but unable to refute, Bai Zheng couldn't help but smile secretly.
Feng Linyuan always seemed gentle, but in fact, his words could be quite shocking.
In the past, this guy's teasing used to be quite annoying, but now seeing him easily silencing Concubine Zhao with just a few words, he seemed quite pleasing to the eye.
Come to think of it, she and him were really like two peas in a pod.
"Whether it's slander or not, we'll know once His Highness the Fourth Prince brings out the garment he wore just now," the Marquis of Gaochang suddenly said word by word.
By now, how could he not understand the strange things in this matter?
Qing Shao had described the whole process in such detail just now that it was hard not to believe her. Even if she was lying, it could only mean that she was very good at making up lies.
On the contrary, Feng Jingyang's answers were ambiguous and evasive.
If what Qing Shao said was true, then the most crucial piece of evidence at this moment should be the dirty garment that Feng Jingyang had changed out of!
He suddenly opened his eyes wide.
"Mo Lian," he called out in a low voice.
Captain Mo, who had been standing at the back, stepped forward in response. "Go to the place where His Highness the Fourth Prince changed his clothes and fetch the dirty garment he changed just now."
He didn't know if Feng Jingyang had disposed of it, but in any case, he had to take a chance.
The garment was iron - clad evidence, and he had to find it!
Captain Mo naturally knew the importance of the matter. After receiving the order, he rushed out of the hall.
"What are you going to do!" Seeing that the Marquis of Gaochang had sent someone out, Feng Jingyang immediately guessed what it was about and couldn't help asking.
The Marquis of Gaochang looked at him coldly but replied politely, "This Marquis has sent him to find the evidence that can clear Your Highness of the suspicion."
"There's no need to look for it," Feng Linyuan suddenly said.
Both the Marquis of Gaochang and Feng Jingyang were stunned. The Marquis of Gaochang looked at Feng Linyuan in confusion.
At this moment, the person most eager to find evidence of Feng Jingyang's guilt was probably Feng Linyuan.
But he was actually stopping him from sending someone to look for the garment?
Feng Linyuan glanced at Feng Jingyang indifferently and smiled. "This Marquis has already sent someone to intercept His Highness the Fourth Prince's garment behind the palace gate."
"What!"
Feng Jingyang stood up abruptly, his body trembling uncontrollably. "Impossible!"
He had indeed sent someone to dispose of the blood - stained garment immediately after changing it. Since there was a betrothal banquet in the palace today and there were many people around, it was inconvenient to wash it directly. He had to transport it out through the palace gate first.
Could it really have been intercepted by Feng Linyuan on the way?
Feng Linyuan raised his hands and clapped twice gently. His eyes glanced coldly at Feng Jingyang. "Whether it's a lie or not will be clear at a glance."