"However, there is one thing that's rather strange," Princess Yunxi suddenly changed the subject. Her eyes fixed on Bai Zheng, growing sharp in an instant.
Bai Zheng remained calm, her eyebrows unmoved. "What is it?"
"Since you fell off the cliff, Third Miss, you've seemed like a different person. Not to mention anything else, just your quick - wittedness is something the former Third Miss Bai, who was timid and would only cry silently when bullied, never had."
"Really?" Bai Zheng smiled.
She wasn't surprised by Princess Yunxi's suspicion.
She had been prepared for it ever since she asked Princess Yunxi to investigate Bai Di.
After all, what could suspicion achieve?
She had just changed her soul; she was still the real Bai Zheng.
Who would believe the story of a soul - transmigration?
Bai Zheng calmly raised her head and met Princess Yunxi's inquisitive gaze directly. "Maybe after experiencing a life - threatening situation, Your Highness would also change your personality like I did."
Princess Yunxi didn't answer. She just stared fixedly at Bai Zheng.
After a long while, she slowly replied, "Maybe."
Bai Zheng didn't want to continue this topic. She simply shook the evidence in her hand and motioned with her eyes at the maids still holding things in their hands.
Princess Yunxi understood. She walked up to the next maid. "Come to think of it, there's another strange thing."
"Oh?" This piqued Bai Zheng's interest.
"On the day when Bai Di was engaged to the Third Prince, Zheng Yan was innocently killed. Based on what this princess knows and the results of the investigation sent out later, there's one conclusion."
"What conclusion?"
"This incident wasn't masterminded by Bai Di, but..."
Princess Yunxi frowned and slowly uttered four words -
"Bai Sheng."
This result surprised Bai Zheng. She had originally thought that on that day, Bai Sheng had just helped Bai Di frame her as requested. After all...
"Based on the information this princess has investigated, unlike Bai Di, the Eldest Miss Bai has never been close to you, Third Miss, since childhood. Similarly, she never deliberately did anything to harm you like Bai Di did.
In other words, this Eldest Miss never seemed to take you, Third Miss, seriously and thus disdained to spend any effort on things targeting you."
Princess Yunxi's words were on point. Bai Zheng nodded in agreement.
"But this time, after the Eldest Miss returned from a year of learning from a teacher, why did she suddenly change her nature and spare no effort on you, Third Miss?"
"What efforts did Eldest Sister make on me?" Bai Zheng asked.
Princess Yunxi frowned and thought for a while before answering, "It was the Eldest Miss Bai who came to this princess in person.
She not only asked this princess to cooperate and lead you to the rockeries in the imperial garden at the right time.
She also asked this princess to take out the two bolts of hibiscus brocade that she had specially brought when coming to the Eastern Zhou. She had them made into the same style. One was sent to Third Miss in the name of the Fourth Prince, and the other was worn by Miss Zheng.
She said that no woman could resist such clothes. Unless Third Miss had a better choice.
Of course, even if Third Miss wore other better clothes, Zheng Yan would still be made a fool of. As long as the conflict between Zheng Yan and you could be intensified, it would be enough.
In fact, the Eldest Miss did calculate everything perfectly.
So far, all the details of the whole plan should have been personally planned by the Eldest Miss.
Even Third Miss should know that the Eldest Miss even used a formation just to trap you in the rockeries.
You should know that using a formation is extremely dangerous. Once discovered, your emperor of the Eastern Zhou would never let her go."
Bai Zheng smiled. "Your Highness means that all of my Eldest Sister's changes happened after she returned from learning?"
"Correct," Princess Yunxi replied. "This princess has found that there are far more mysteries about the Eldest Miss of your Bai family than about Bai Di."
Bai Zheng lowered her head and fell into deep thought.
Princess Yunxi was right.
Unlike Bai Di, who grew up around women, Bai Sheng was personally raised by Bai Yizhang since childhood. Their horizons and mindsets were worlds apart.
Therefore, she always disdained the jealousy and rivalry between Bai Di and Bai Zheng.
She would only help Bai Di deal with Bai Zheng occasionally when she couldn't stand Bai Di's pestering.
How could such a person regress after learning and join this scheming among women with Bai Di?
Unless... Bai Sheng had other motives from the very beginning.
Suddenly, Bai Zheng remembered what Feng Linyuan had said to her that day, that there was a mastermind behind Zheng Yan's death.
Her eyes lit up!
"Has Your Highness found out who my Eldest Sister studied under and who she met during that year away?"
Hearing this, Princess Yunxi shook her head, a rare look of helplessness on her face. "Strangely enough, the people this princess sent didn't find out anything."
"Nothing at all?" Bai Zheng couldn't believe it.
"Correct," Princess Yunxi nodded. "We only roughly know that during that year, the Eldest Miss studied under a mysterious person and lived in seclusion in the mountains without showing up. And that mysterious person is extremely elusive. We have no idea about his name or where he's from."
Bai Zheng lowered her eyes.
She never thought that Bai Sheng was also a player in this game.
Things were getting more and more interesting.
"This princess will continue to investigate the Eldest Miss. We'll surely find some clues!" There was a stubborn determination in Princess Yunxi's words. "As for the evidence of Zheng Yan's death, it's all here."
Another stack of papers mixed with various silk satins with words on them fell into Bai Zheng's hands.
"This one is the testimony of the waiter in the tailor shop;
This one is the measurements of Third Miss and Miss Zheng that Bai Sheng took to the tailor shop;
As for this one, it's the testimony of the palace guards who received Bai Sheng's silver and helped move the stones in the rockeries in the imperial garden;
And this is the design drawing of that dagger drawn by the Eldest Miss herself..."
Looking at these diverse and comprehensive pieces of evidence in front of her, Bai Zheng suddenly felt a sense of vigilance.
A princess from a foreign country could reach into every corner of the Great Zhou City within just three days.
From the palace guards at the top, the servants of the government in the middle, to the waiters in the shops at the bottom, there was no place she couldn't investigate.
It was obvious that the influence of the Western Liang in the Great Zhou was far more extensive and profound than Bai Zheng had thought.
"Your Highness is truly a master who hides her capabilities," Bai Zheng sighed.
"Third Miss is the one who hides her capabilities. Even though the Eldest Miss set up such a perfect trap, in the end, she still watched helplessly as Third Miss got out unscathed while she ended up hurting herself."