"How could it be you?!"
The moment she saw the Taoist priest, Song Yulin couldn't help taking a few steps backward. She looked as if she had seen a ghost, her eyes filled with horror!
The appearance of the Taoist priest not only failed to end the current chaotic situation but instead made the atmosphere on - site even more mysterious!
"What's going on? Why is the real culprit who poisoned the Crown Prince here in the Minister's Mansion?"
After a long silence, Yun Xi, who had been standing aside watching the show, finally stepped forward. As soon as she opened her mouth to the head of the Minister's Mansion, Minister Song, her tone was full of reproach.
It would have been better if Yun Xi had kept silent. The words "the real culprit who poisoned the Crown Prince" instantly made Minister Song's face turn pale. He almost lost his wits!
Minister Song hurriedly stood up and immediately ordered his men to arrest the Taoist priest. Then he walked up to Yun Xi and clarified:
"Your Highness, please don't misunderstand. The Minister's Mansion has never harbored this man, and no one here knows him! We have no idea how he got in. I'll send him to the authorities for punishment right now!"
As Minister Song said this, he motioned for his servants to take the Taoist priest away immediately, but was stopped by Yun Xi's cold voice:
"Wait!"
Yun Xi stood in front of the Taoist priest, staring at Song Yulin's panicked expression with a cold and determined look in her eyes:
"Judging from your daughter's expression, it doesn't seem to be what you said, Minister Song."
Then, Yun Xi slowly said in a calm tone:
"I heard that on the day when my younger sister was framed for poisoning the Crown Prince, she happened to go to the temple fair with your daughter. And this Taoist priest gave my younger sister a packet of talisman powder at the temple fair, saying that as long as the person she admired took it, her wishes would come true. So, my younger sister believed it..."
"I'm sure your daughter should know about this, right?"
As soon as Yun Xi said this, everyone's eyes couldn't help but turn to Song Yulin in unison, their eyes full of surprise and scrutiny.
You should know that this matter is of great importance. Not a single mistake can be made. Otherwise, the entire Minister's Mansion will be in great danger!
Maybe they won't be as "lucky" as the Prime Minister's Mansion!!
"You're just spouting nonsense. I don't know him at all!"
Song Yulin's face turned pale, and she immediately denied it.
Because she knew that once she admitted it, all the subsequent things would be exposed one by one. She definitely didn't want to be in prison with Yun Ni!
"Oh, really?"
Yun Xi slightly lifted her cold lips, her expression full of mockery.
"Then let's just ask this Taoist priest directly!"
The next moment, Yun Xi turned her gaze to the Taoist priest and hit the nail on the head:
"Since Miss Song said she doesn't know you, it means there is no intersection or feud between you two. Then why did you try to frame her by sending a shroud to the old lady just now?"
Yun Xi's words directly pointed out the crux of the problem, making everyone present can't help but think deeply:
Yes, if there is no feud between them, why did the Taoist priest try to frame Song Yulin? It would be better for him to keep hiding than to expose himself and be caught and sent to the authorities.
No matter how you think about it, it makes people feel that things are not as simple as they seem!
Coupled with Song Yulin's previous performances, everyone had already formed an impression of her as a liar in their hearts.
Therefore, everyone couldn't help but doubt the authenticity of Song Yulin's words!
Hearing Yun Xi's words, the Taoist priest immediately broke free from the servant's restraint. Pointing at Song Yulin angrily with a red face, he said:
"I'm not the real culprit who poisoned His Highness the Crown Prince. It was all her who framed me!!"
Then, the Taoist priest told everyone what happened at the temple fair that day. Song Yulin had used a large amount of money as bait and gave him a packet of white powder, instigating him to cooperate with her to encourage Yun Ni to feed the "talisman water" to the Crown Prince.
"She gave me a packet of poison and asked me to give it to the second young lady of the Yun family. She also lied to her that 'this talisman water can make the person she likes fall in love with her'. I was greedy for money for a moment and agreed. Who would have thought that she actually wanted to poison the current Crown Prince!"
"That's not all! Since I went back that day, I've been chased and killed. I've been hiding here and there for a long time! It was only two days ago that I found out that the second young lady of the Yun family was arrested and imprisoned because of that packet of poisonous powder!"
The Taoist priest didn't mention that the powder in the packet was water chestnut powder. His purpose was to deliberately lead Song Yulin into a trap.
Saying this, the Taoist priest immediately took out a bag of silver from his bosom and held it up in front of everyone:
"This bag of silver was what she gave me that day. Because I was being chased and killed, I haven't spent a single cent of it yet! If you don't believe me, you can come forward and verify. See if this purse has the same embroidery as the one around her waist!"
Song Yulin's purses were always embroidered by her maid, Lian'er. Hearing the Taoist priest's words, she immediately looked at the purse around her waist. Noticing everyone's gazes, she then nervously covered it with both hands!
Regardless of whether everyone could clearly see the embroidery on her purse or not, just this one action of hers was like the proverb "There's no three - hundred taels of silver buried here", and it was hard to explain!
Seeing Song Yulin's panicked expression, the Taoist priest sneered and pressed on step by step:
"You're scared too? You've caused me so much trouble, but you're still pretending as if nothing has happened here? Do you know how much effort I've put in to find you?!"
"If it weren't for your maid recognizing me, do you think this shroud would have ended up in your hands?"
Facing the Taoist priest's interrogation, Song Yulin was sweating profusely, and her body couldn't stop trembling. Although she knew she should refute, her teeth were chattering, and she couldn't say a single word.
The Taoist priest stepped forward, picked up the shroud from the ground, and instantly threw it at Song Yulin!
"This shroud is for you!"
After saying that, the Taoist priest looked up to the sky and laughed. But Song Yulin was so frightened that her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground. As if in a state of shock, she kept shaking her head and saying:
"I didn't poison the Crown Prince. I didn't poison the Crown Prince... The paper packet clearly contained water chestnut powder. Xue Ming said it wasn't poisonous. I just wanted to teach Yun Ni a lesson and make her stop having delusions! The Crown Prince is mine! He's mine!"
Song Yulin's voice was soft and intermittent, without any logic, but it was still clear enough for everyone present to hear.
"Old Madam!"
Someone exclaimed. Old Madam Cheng had fainted from shock. And Minister Song forgot to check on his mother's condition. He just stared at his daughter in astonishment, his heart filled with both anger and fear.
He took three steps forward, grabbed Song Yulin's collar, and lifted her up from the ground. His eyes were bloodshot:
"You good - for - nothing! Do you know how much trouble you've caused? Because of you, the entire Minister's Mansion will be buried with you!"
Yun Xi calmly watched everything in front of her, and not a single bit of sympathy rose in her heart.
Her gaze fell on Liang Sheng, the Prefect of the Capital, who had just entered the door. She calmly said:
"Lord Liang, I'm sure you've already heard the whole story clearly."
"I don't dare to make any other requests. I just hope that you can handle this case impartially and don't let the real evildoer go unpunished!"
This scheme of switching the beams for the pillars wasn't in vain!