This reversal caught many off guard.
Especially Fu Ning.
Earlier, Fu Ning had visited Qin Liuyan, who clearly felt guilty and had promised to help them.
So why, upon meeting Chu Huaiyu, had she changed her mind?
"You..."
"And you!" Seeing Fu Ning standing by, Qin Liuyan pointed at her, her face full of anger.
"You threatened me, saying that if I didn't slander Huaiyu, you would kill me!"
She looked at Feng Yexuan again, this time kneeling down once more.
"Your Highness, they, mistress and servant, have been coercing and tempting me, forcing me to frame Huaiyu!"
"Although Huaiyu is not my child, she has been kind and gentle since childhood, amiable and good-natured. How can I bear to let such a good girl suffer such unfair treatment?"
"Your Highness, Huaiyu is indeed the daughter of Long Qianyue. Please do not believe Chu Qianli's lies and misunderstand Huaiyu! I thank you in advance."
"You... you old fool!"
Fu Ning was furious and couldn't help but exclaim, "Do you think Chu Huaiyu really cares about you? After you die, she'll turn around and leave. You're still helping her!"
"I am not helping anyone, I am merely stating the facts." Qin Liuyan glared at her, her expression firm. "Huaiyu is Long Qianyue's daughter!"
Fu Ning was so angry she couldn't speak.
Feng Yexuan's gaze fell upon Chu Qianli.
He wasn't displeased; instead, he seemed somewhat expectant. "Do you have anything else to say?"
Leng Ji was also anxious, thinking the situation would truly turn around, but unexpectedly, it had become like this!
Facing such accusations, Chu Qianli remained as serene as a clear spring, pure and undisturbed.
She said faintly, "They have a deep mother-daughter bond. What else can I say?"
Chu Huaiyu immediately retorted, "Concubine Qin raised me since I was small. Even if she isn't my biological mother, I still respect and love her as if she were. But you, as her daughter, yet..."
"If I were truly her daughter, would she conspire with you to bully me like this?"
Chu Qianli laughed instead of getting angry, her voice clear and bright. "As the saying goes, even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs. But why don't you look at how vicious her eyes were when she looked at me just now?"
Hearing this, Qin Liuyan immediately averted her gaze, and when she looked at Chu Qianli again, she had an expression of heartbroken grief.
"Li'er, Mother is just too heartbroken and angry. But as long as you sincerely repent, Mother will definitely..."
"Do you think His Highness is a foolish imbecile?"
This statement, meant to imply she wasn't trying to insult anyone, was not believed even by Leng Ji.
Miss Chu was scolding His Highness again, alas.
Feng Yexuan snorted and glanced at her.
This damned woman never intended to make things easy for him.
However, at this moment, he didn't have much energy to dwell on such things.
Last night, she had almost been tortured to death in the cold palace. Now, as long as he saw her looking lively and well, he felt at ease, to be honest.
If she wanted to curse a few times, let her.
Qin Liuyan was extremely apprehensive, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Feng Yexuan suddenly said, "Since you've brought someone, you might as well call him out. What kind of behavior is it to hide in the dark and act sneakily?"
Someone else was hiding in the dark?
Everyone's heart leaped in surprise.
Chu Huaiyu had thought it was just the prince's guards, and she was wondering how the guards of a mere prince could possess such high martial arts skills.
Could it be, Chu Qianli's people again?
A resurrected Qin Liuyan had almost made her a mess. Fortunately, this woman was foolish enough, otherwise, she wouldn't have had a chance to turn things around.
Now, this bitch Chu Qianli, who else did she want to bring?
Feng Yexuan knew that the person he had arranged for was there, so Chu Qianli wasn't surprised.
Fu Ning had gone out and brought back not just Qin Liuyan.
It was just that Qin Liuyan truly didn't know martial arts and didn't realize someone was following behind them.
She looked at the courtyard gate, her voice indifferent. "This matter must be faced sooner or later. How long do you plan to hide?"
Everyone's gaze involuntarily turned towards the gate.
At the entrance, a tall figure, bathed in moonlight, slowly walked in.
As he entered, his steps were somewhat slow, each one heavy and unhurpable.
"Han Zhan?" Chu Huaiyu was startled, her mind racing.
A moment later, she spoke first, "Han Zhan, I no longer blame you for what you did to me before, and I don't hate you anymore, but..."
"You don't need to deliberately stir up my guilt. Nothing happened between us that night."
Han Zhan's voice, though low and hoarse, was spoken clearly, word for word.
"You... what did you say?" With His Highness Xuan present, how could he speak so clearly?
Didn't he know that she still relied on His Highness Xuan as her backer?
Han Zhan, holding a cloth bag, raised his dull, gray eyes and stared at her eyes, which flashed with a hint of panic.
"What I said is very clear. Since everyone is here, let's make things even clearer."
"Han Zhan..."
"I was drunk that night. When I woke up, I found you in my bed, your clothes disheveled, and there was a bloodstain on the sheets..."
"Han Zhan! Don't slander me!"
Chu Huaiyu's face turned pale. She immediately walked to Feng Yexuan's side and said anxiously, "Your Highness, don't believe him! He and I are innocent. Up until now... I, my body is still clean!"
"Whether you are clean or not, I don't know. However, you have undressed in front of me multiple times, and I haven't seen any cleanliness in you."
"Han Zhan!" Chu Huaiyu truly did not expect that Han Zhan, who had always bowed to her for so many years, would turn against her like this one day!
He was too much!
"Your Highness, don't believe him. I didn't do those things. It's him... it's him who likes me. He just wants Your Highness to misunderstand me and drive me away. Your Highness..."
"Chu Huaiyu... no, I don't know what to call you either."
Chu Qianli smiled faintly, her lips curving upwards, making Chu Huaiyu grit her teeth in hatred.
She said, "You've been deceiving him for so many years. How much hatred must he have for you in his heart now? However, saying this is actually of little significance to you, because you are not Chu Huaiyu at all."
"What did you say?"
"What I have in my hand is the evidence."
Han Zhan put down the cloth bag and looked at Qin Liuyan. "The real Huaiyu is here. Third Madam, you can come and see for yourself."
"You... what are you talking about?" Qin Liuyan was completely stunned.
What did it mean... Huaiyu wasn't Huaiyu?
What were they talking about?
"I found a skeleton not far from the small wooden house in the back mountain. The skeleton has a bracelet on its wrist."
Han Zhan looked at her. "Whose bracelet is it? Why don't you come and see for yourself?"
"No, impossible..." Qin Liuyan, although she hadn't looked, seemed to already know what Han Zhan wanted to say.
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
Her Huaiyu was right in front of her.
The skeleton in the cloth bag... impossible!