Chapter 81 Public Opinion Can Be a Powerful Force

Xingfu was so frightened that the end of his voice was trembling, and he couldn't help but choke up. Qi Simeng's eyes darkened slightly. He had always trusted the people around him. All the maids in the mansion were carefully selected and sent by his imperial mother. They were clean - cut and loyal. After a while of questioning, he suddenly raised his eyes and met Pan Yueqing's gaze, saying in a cold voice, "Miss Yue, it's not that there's a problem on my side."

Lai Changya looked at Pan Yueqing, who remained calm as ever, and couldn't help but have malicious thoughts. The way Qi Sian had been indifferent to her earlier was in sharp contrast to how he had rushed to Pan Yueqing right after the polo game, asking her to help untie his sleeve - ties. And before, at Changxian Pavilion, Pan Yueqing had made her lose so much face. Although she didn't dare to do anything openly, she secretly hated her.

At the moment, she raised her eyes and shook her head in disbelief, saying, "At the banquet in Prince Anbei's mansion before, we felt such a strong connection... " As she spoke, there was a hint of having misjudged their relationship.

Zou Yingruo, however, slowly interjected, "Maybe you're the one playing the thief who cries thief. An ordinary person naturally wouldn't show such a thing openly, but it's not impossible that you're afraid of being found out someday, so you do the opposite. You can curse the Third Miss and also clear your name."

"Besides, everyone knows that the Second Miss and the Third Miss of the Pan family don't get along!" Zou Yingruo's smile became more and more ferocious, as if a vengeful female ghost had possessed her.

"Second Sister..." Pan Miaoqian seemed to have heard some bad news. Leaning against the pillar, she cried even louder, "Although I was naive and made you angry before, I've apologized to you later. Why do you still hate me so much... to the extent of using such a thing to harm me..."

Pan Yueqing clicked her tongue and shook her head. Although Pan Miaoqian's acting wasn't that brilliant, her "beauty's tears" were enough to make many noble disciples feel sorry for her.

"I've always trusted His Highness the Crown Prince. I just don't trust the person who took the package from my maid and sent it to His Highness's mansion." Pan Yueqing raised her eyes slightly, took three steps forward to Pan Miaoqian, walked around her twice, and then smiled, "Fourth Sister, do you remember who that servant boy is?"

Pan Lianshan, who was standing by the side, was suddenly called out by Pan Yueqing. Her originally flustered eyes became clear in an instant. She frowned and said, "He was just brought up from the estate at the beginning of the month. Among those people, he looked the most honest. Aunt said we just needed a messenger. His name should be... Liu Laixing."

"Come to think of it, Second Sister, isn't it a coincidence that this Liu Laixing was one of the coachmen this morning." Pan Lianshan pointed at the servant boy waiting by the Pan family's carriage outside the horse - racing field. Seeing the master's instruction, he was a bit confused but stepped forward, bowed, and knelt respectfully in front of Pan Yueqing, Pan Lianshan, and the others.

"I'm asking you, when you were told to send the package to His Highness's mansion yesterday, did you go right away?" Pan Yueqing crossed her arms and asked with a leisurely smile.

Liu Laixing stammered for a while, then raised his eyes and glanced at Shanchai, the chief maid beside Pan Miaoqian. Shanchai stepped forward and angrily glared at him, shouting, "Liu Laixing, you'd better tell the truth!"

Pan Yueqing looked at Shanchai and softly called out, "Luoshui." Luoshui understood and stepped forward, then slapped Shanchai hard in the face. Pan Miaoqian was alarmed. Unlike her previous weak appearance, she stepped forward and grabbed Luoshui, who was about to strike again, and said to Pan Yueqing word by word, "Why did you hit my maid?"

"When the master is asking a question, what right does she have to interrupt?" Pan Yueqing raised an eyebrow, walked in front of Liu Laixing, stopped, and chuckled, "However, she's right. You'd better be honest."

Although Pan Yueqing's expression and tone were calm when she said this, the shock she gave Liu Laixing was far greater than Shanchai's previous shout. But... although he was afraid, he still stammered and looked in Pan Yueqing's direction, "Second Miss, as soon as I received the package from Miss Luoshui, I rushed to send it to His Highness's mansion. It was an urgent matter, and I didn't dare to delay at all!"

Hearing Liu Laixing's words, Pan Miaoqian slowly let out a sigh of relief.

A smile curved the corners of Pan Yueqing's mouth. She looked back at the Empress Dowager, whose face had long lost its smile. She lifted her skirt and slowly squatted in front of Liu Laixing, then beckoned to Luoshui. Luoshui squatted down and reached into Liu Laixing's collar, grabbing a piece of jade hidden there.

Pan Yueqing took the jade from Luoshui's hand and examined it carefully. She smiled and said, "But how did you get such fine - quality jade? This Hetian jade was sent from the estate in Hetian at the end of last year for us sisters to play with. If I remember correctly, this piece should belong to the Third Miss." She let out a long sigh and held the jade in front of Pan Miaoqian, "This is unpolished raw jade. It's really generous of you, Third Miss, to give it away like this."

"You... How could you... " Liu Laixing looked at Pan Yueqing in a daze as she precisely took the thing from his arms. He couldn't believe it. Pan Lianshan clicked her tongue twice and said, "The person sleeping next to you sold you out early this morning at Aunt's yard just to serve in the inner courtyard."

Li Shuran couldn't hold back her temper. She stepped forward and grabbed Liu Laixing's collar, shouting angrily, "Tell the truth now!"

Liu Laixing stammered and finally told the truth, "Miss Shanchai stopped me yesterday and asked me to give the thing to her. I don't know anything else!"

Pan Miaoqian managed to raise her eyes and meet Shanchai's disbelieving gaze. Then she slapped Shanchai, "Why did you do this to harm me? Why did you do this to harm Second Sister!" Shanchai covered her cheek, and her anger welled up. She had taken many of Pan Miaoqian's blame before, but this time it was a crime that could cost her life! Her legs went weak, and she knelt on the ground, then crawled forward and hugged Pan Miaoqian's legs, "It's not true! Third Miss! It wasn't me! He's framing me. You've lost this piece of jade for a long time! Third Miss! For the sake of my years of service, even if I have no merit, I have hard work... "

Pan Miaoqian frowned tightly, her eyes filled with tears as she squatted down. Yao Zhen saw the situation was not good and stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, a maid couldn't possibly know the master's birth date!"

These words woke everyone up. Pan Miaoqian took a deep breath, looked at the seated Empress Dowager, and bowed gracefully with tears in her eyes, "Your Majesty, when I saw that thing, I was so scared. Although she is my maid, my birth date is something that can't be casually told to others... Please, Your Majesty, do me justice..."