He Hui felt a chill run down her spine under the scholar's intense gaze, but she also secretly winked at him.
"I've never seen you before. Don't try to slander me. If someone deliberately said you were involved, you can just say it directly. The prince surely won't make things difficult for you."
Seeing how she distanced herself from him, the scholar recalled what Ju had told him before he came. He immediately had an answer in mind.
When he looked up again, his eyes were full of determination.
"Actually, this secret chamber was designed at the behest of Concubine Hui as soon as you, Prince, moved into this mansion. She sent someone to find me and asked me to design it."
This simple and straightforward statement instantly changed Ji Huang's expression.
He remembered what his mother had just said and felt a twinge of guilt. In contrast, he grew even more disgusted with He Hui.
"Didn't you say the secret chamber had nothing to do with you? Why is this person saying otherwise? What on earth have you been up to behind my back? Come clean at once!"
He Hui never expected the scholar to betray her so completely. In a moment of panic, she blurted out:
"You useless wretch! Didn't I make it clear to you before? Why are you going back on your word now!"
This caused an uproar.
Even without He Hui's further confession, everyone present knew what was going on.
She came to her senses and realized what she had just done. Instantly, she was filled with remorse.
"No, although I did design it, my sister's death really has nothing to do with me, Prince. Now it seems that the Empress Dowager knew about the body all along. Think about it. Why would I take the risk of harming my own sister? If anyone is suspect, it's more likely to be the Empress Dowager."
"Oh, it seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin. Then tell us, why is it more likely to be the Empress Dowager?"
At this moment, He Hui's mind was working faster than anyone else's.
"Of course it's because the Empress Dowager has never stopped working for the Emperor. She knew that my sister came here on our father's orders to help him. If my sister were gone, the cooperation between the He family and the Prince would be in jeopardy. Then, without the enemy even approaching the city, the Prince would already be defeated."
This well - reasoned speech made everyone in the mansion turn cold.
They were now under the Prince's command, which meant they were in the same boat as him. If anything happened to the Prince, they wouldn't survive either.
If it was true that Mu Wan had such intentions, even if Ji Huang were willing to let it go, the servants wouldn't.
They exchanged glances, and Ji Huang's guards began to waver.
"Prince, think twice. Don't forget your grand plan because of some silly sentiment. The Empress Dowager has never been fair to you. Now it seems she still won't treat you equally."
The word "fairness" had always haunted Ji Huang and had become his sore spot.
His eyes were complex as he looked at the person not far away.
"Mother, have you really not let go of your old grudges? You know this is my last chance. If I miss it, I'll lose my life. Why can't you just look back at me once?"
The young girl calmly glanced at He Hui. When she met He Hui's provocative gaze, she suddenly found it ridiculous.
"You'd rather believe an outsider than the mother who raised you, Huang'er. I'm really disappointed in you today. If you really think I did this, what can I do? After all, the evidence is in your hands."
On the surface, her words seemed like she had resigned herself, but in fact, it was a tactic of retreating to advance.
He Hui seemed not to understand the meaning and simply said, "The Empress Dowager has confessed. Shouldn't the Prince handle this according to the rules?"
Ji Huang gave her a cold look, finding her extremely annoying.
"How to handle this is not up to you. Although the Empress Dowager said so, I still need to investigate for evidence. Does the Empress Dowager have any other witnesses?"
Hearing this, Shi Muwan inexplicably smiled at He Hui.
This smile made He Hui extremely nervous.
She thought of the maid and then decided she must be overthinking. The maid had already been disposed of, so she had nothing to worry about.
With great difficulty, she managed to calm herself down. But then she heard Shi Muwan say something that sent a chill down her spine.
"I have to thank Concubine Hui. Otherwise, I wouldn't have another witness."
"What does the Empress Dowager mean? I don't quite understand."
Just then, a maid was helped in at the door.
"The eldest miss is so cruel. She actually did such a terrible thing to her own sister. If it weren't for the Empress Dowager saving me, I would be a lonely and wronged ghost by now. Then your deeds would have been unknown to anyone."
He Hui turned around in surprise and saw He Rou's personal maid not far from her. The hem of her skirt was exactly the same as what she had seen this morning.
She took two steps back and almost lost her balance.
"How is this possible? Weren't you already disposed of!"
The shock in her heart was overwhelming. By the time she realized what she had just said, it was too late.
But now it was too late for her to regret.
"Prince, I didn't mean that. I don't know anything. I thought this maid had been killed by the Empress Dowager too."
"Oh, so you're really familiar with the Empress Dowager's methods. Are you a worm in my stomach, so well - informed about me? But you're wrong. I'm not that heartless."
After saying this, she clapped her hands, and the maid knelt in front of Ji Huang and told him everything that had happened this morning.
After listening to the maid's words, Ji Huang clenched his fist and without hesitation, slapped He Hui across the face.
"You're a venomous woman! How could you be so cruel to your own sister? And I remember we had already driven that person out. Why is she still in the mansion? Explain this to me clearly!"
How could He Hui possibly tell the truth? Now she must protect herself and Qing Bai at all costs. Otherwise, with her father's means, she would surely not survive.
"Prince, they're just framing me with such a scheme. How could I ever betray you? We've known each other for so many years, and I've even given birth to a son for you. Don't you still trust my loyalty? Is anyone's word enough to make you misunderstand me?"
"You just make me sick. You've been caught red - handed, and instead of repenting, you're still so delusional. I think you're really crazy. A person like you is better off dead."
He closed his eyes and was about to order the guards behind him to arrest her when the woman on the ground said something that surprised him.