Sheng Lengshuang eyed Sima Min with a half-smile, her tone drawn out, "Miss Sima, why are you so agitated? I merely stated some facts I uncovered. Your reaction makes me feel as though you have a guilty conscience."
Sima Min's face flushed with displeasure. "Miss Sheng, if you were accused of being involved in your own father's case, would you not be agitated?"
Sheng Lengshuang's retort was quick. "Why should I be agitated? If I were truly slandered, my first reaction would be anger, not agitation."
"Miss Sima's first reaction is very strange. When you learned of this matter, shouldn't you have been angry and shocked? Yet you were agitated, as if you'd been exposed."
Sima Min knew all too well how difficult Sheng Lengshuang was to deal with, and her anger grew. "Miss Sheng, how I react is my business. I am not you, and I cannot react the same way you do."
"Furthermore, without conclusive evidence, it is slander!"
Sheng Lengshuang shrugged. "Evidence? Ask Prince Mingrui."
Mo Lingxi interjected, "Sima Min, after Prince Rui visited you at the Ministry of Justice that day and you returned to Prince Rui's mansion, your head maid secretly left the mansion to meet with several people."
Sima Min's heart sank further, her unease growing. "What of it? I can't control what my head maid does. Besides, I was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice at the time and couldn't do anything."
Mo Lingxi crossed his arms, leaning back against the chair, his cold gaze fixed on her. "It was also on that day that an inconspicuous jailer at the Ministry of Justice met with your head maid. And this jailer treated you very well, often speaking a few words to you."
"How do you explain this?"
Sima Min felt a cold sweat break out on her back, her hands trembling uncontrollably. She truly hadn't expected Prince Mingrui to have investigated all this.
After all, even the jailers and prisoners in the Ministry of Justice's prison were unaware of this matter. How had Prince Mingrui found out?
"Prince Mingrui is joking. My family once helped that jailer, so he was repaying a kindness."
She took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down. "With just this, Prince Mingrui wants to conclude that I am so wicked as to have murdered my own father? Why would I do such a foolish thing?"
"After my father was murdered, my family's situation became increasingly difficult, and those who used to associate with us also distanced themselves."
Mo Lingxi tossed a stack of documents onto the desk. "The reason you did this is simple: to use your father's death to get out of the Ministry of Justice's prison. You just didn't expect that your father's death would bring about such significant negative consequences."
Sima Min almost tore the embroidery handkerchief in her hand.
"What documents?" Sheng Lengshuang picked them up to look, her smile exceedingly strange. "Oh, I never would have guessed that Miss Sima had done so many things behind the scenes."
"I should be grateful that you never acted ruthlessly against me in the past."
Sima Min's mind buzzed. What were these documents?
"Miss Sheng, what strange things are you saying?"
Sheng Lengshuang leaned against the desk, waving the documents in her hand, the coldness in her eyes gradually deepening. "These documents detail how you framed and slandered ladies more outstanding than you over the years, and how you exploited the royal family, among other things. There is conclusive evidence."
Sima Min's face turned pale. She snatched the documents and looked.
Upon seeing each item and the conclusive evidence on the documents, her vision swam. How could this be? How could this be?
She had always been careful and cautious, never leaving any trace. But why could Prince Mingrui find out these things, and more importantly, find conclusive evidence?
"This is fake!"
She suddenly threw all the documents aside, clenching her fists tightly. "Prince Mingrui, everyone knows my character. I would never do such things."
Mo Lingxi's voice was unreadable. "Are you implying that I have the leisure to frame you?"
Sima Min was speechless. She desperately wanted to say that Sheng Lengshuang was framing her, but the conclusive evidence on the documents prevented her from saying so.
More importantly, if she said that, she would anger Prince Mingrui.
"Pick them up!" Mo Lingxi commanded sternly.
Sima Min flinched and quickly crouched down to pick up the scattered documents one by one. The suppressed anger and humiliation made her feel extremely awkward and intensified her hatred for Sheng Lengshuang.
It was all Sheng Lengshuang's fault!
If Sheng Lengshuang hadn't used despicable and low means to snatch her Prince Mingrui away, how could she have ended up in this state, let alone become an object of ridicule?
She had been betrothed to Prince Mingrui by the late Emperor.
Sheng Lengshuang watched with a mocking smile. Just looking at Sima Min's flushed face, she knew how憋屈 (bīeqū - stifled/aggrieved) and embarrassed the woman was. Most likely, this woman was still cursing her in her heart, fantasizing about impossible things.
"Prince Mingrui, Sima Min has done so many wicked things. How do you plan to deal with her?" she asked Mo Lingxi with a smile, glancing at Sima Min.
Mo Lingxi replied sternly, "I will hand her over to the Ministry of Justice for a thorough investigation."
"No!" Sima Min knelt on the ground, clasping her hands together in supplication. "Prince Mingrui, please don't do this to me. I really didn't do these things."
Mo Lingxi remained unmoved. "What I need to investigate is your patricide case!"
Sima Min's body went limp. "Prince Mingrui, please don't believe others' slander. How could I possibly do such a wicked thing? That was my father, the father who doted on me the most. I would never do such a thing."
"When you say 'others' slander,' you mean me, don't you?" Sheng Lengshuang looked down at her. "Sima Min, you can say it directly. There's no need to insinuate me indirectly."
Mo Lingxi added, "Sheng Lengshuang, there's no need to waste words with her. Even if she turned into a flower, I wouldn't believe her."
Sheng Lengshuang nodded repeatedly, her smiling face coldly glancing at Sima Min. "Did you hear that clearly?"
Seeing Sima Min's tear-filled eyes, she scoffed, "You are truly foolish, ruining a good hand. If it were me, I would have obediently accepted the imperial decree of betrothal back then. After all, with Prince Mingrui handling this, there would be no need for you to intervene."
"Your biggest mistake is that after refusing the betrothal, you turned around and wanted to marry him using the betrothal when Prince Mingrui gained power. What do you think Prince Mingrui is, someone you can casually scheme against?"
Sima Min truly regretted it. She bit her lip hard. Sheng Lengshuang spoke nicely, but she wasn't the one who was betrothed back then.
At that time, Prince Mingrui was in danger of being killed at any moment, so she would never marry him. Her actions back then were for her own sake and were correct. Even when Prince Mingrui later gained power, she was still acting for herself, which was also correct.