Chapter 52: Begging Prince Chen to Keep Deceiving

Chapter 52: Begging Prince Chen to Keep Deceiving

If one were to speak of the ties between their two families, it wouldn't be that deep.

It was clear that he held leverage over her, yet she was the one being coerced.

How infuriating.

Would Zheng Jinyu yield to his threats? No, she would first stabilize the situation and then seize an opportunity to turn the tables on him.

To whatever Xie Peiyu said, she agreed as if genuinely cowed by his threat.

Before long, Zheng Jinxiu arrived.

It was indeed prompt. Now that she was involved with the Imperial Princess's residence, she seemed quite eager.

However, when she stood at the entrance and saw the two people inside, she froze in her tracks.

"Pr—Prince Chen, my sister? You two...?" She glanced back and forth between their faces, utterly confused. After a moment, she asked hesitantly, "Wasn't it a county princess who invited us to watch a play?"

A gentle smile graced Zheng Jinyu's face as she approached, warmly linking her arm with hers. "Sister, I was also tricked into coming here by the County Princess to watch a play. Oh my, you too?"

Zheng Jinxiu's expression shifted dramatically, a fascinating display of emotions.

"Tsk tsk, Prince Chen is quite the deceitful scoundrel, isn't he?"

Zheng Jinxiu: "...."

Xie Peiyu: "...."

He gently touched his nose and spoke calmly, "I've summoned you both in the name of the Duchess for the sake of your reputations. Please forgive me."

Zheng Jinyu pouted but remained silent.

Still confused, Zheng Jinxiu was a mix of anxiety, joy, and fear.

She was delighted to see Xie Peiyu, but she was unsure of his intentions when he had also invited Zheng Jinyu along.

Xie Peiyu turned to Zheng Jinyu and said, "The person you wished to see is here. Speak."

Zheng Jinxiu was taken aback. It wasn't Prince Chen who had summoned her; it was Zheng Jinyu.

Zheng Jinyu's fake smile faded as she looked at Zheng Jinxiu and said, "Zheng Jinxiu, I asked you here to clarify certain matters in person."

"What... what?" She had almost guessed it, and her face had turned somewhat pale.

Zheng Jinyu spoke calmly, "It's about what you told Prince Chen – how I supposedly instructed you to drug him and force his hand into marrying you by sleeping with him. Now, I want you to explain to Prince Chen yourself: did I really say those things to you?"

Ah?

At that time, she was provoked by Prince Chen's words and spoke some impulsive remarks that were indeed the honest sentiments from her heart.

She had genuinely entertained the thought of making their relationship irreparable, forcing Prince Chen to marry her.

But who was Prince Chen? How could he possibly let her succeed in her schemes?

She was aware that no matter what tactics she employed, she would never attain her goal.

However, in that moment of desperation, she had lost control. In retrospect, she regretted her hasty and irrational words.

Words had already spilled out, so she could only blame the idea on Zheng Jinyu.

If she couldn't achieve her goal, she would at least make Prince Chen believe that Zheng Jinyu was resorting to underhanded tactics, unsuitable for royal court proceedings.

To her surprise, Prince Chen had summoned Zheng Jinyu in the name of a princess to discuss this matter.

Even more unexpected, Zheng Jinyu was willing to confront her publicly.

"Sister, you're the one who said that even if the Imperial Princess doesn't favor me, I still have a chance. You were the one who told me that as long as Prince Chen likes me, I can still marry into the princess's residence, isn't that right?"

Before Prince Chen, she naturally wouldn't admit it.

Zheng Jinyu smiled faintly and said, "Don't try to confuse the issue. Did I ever tell you to drug Prince Chen and proceed with our plans before he was fully on board?"

After all, she was only a teenager. When it came to lying, Zheng Jinxiu still felt a bit nervous.

Glancing at Prince Chen, she weighed her options in her mind and decided right there to cling steadfastly to her accusation against Zheng Jinyu.

"Yes, that's exactly what you said."

"Indeed?"

"Yes, that's exactly what you said," Zheng Jinxiu insisted relentlessly.

Zheng Jinyu pressed on with her question, "Are you absolutely sure you didn't mix anything up?"

"I couldn't be more certain. Every single word you spoke is etched in my memory."

"Really? When did I say that?" Zheng Jinyu probed further.

"On the day we left the Princess's residence."

"Where exactly?" Zheng Jinyu pressed insistently.

"In...," she started.

But Zheng Jinyu interrupted, "Was it on our way back to the Zheng family, perhaps? In the carriage?"

"No, not there. It was after we arrived at the Zheng residence."

"Where is the Zheng residence?" Zheng Jinyu asked swiftly and eagerly, leaving no room for contemplation. The moment she finished her sentence, Zheng Jinyu was already posing the next question.

Zheng Jinxiu replied, "Back at Mother's quarters. The moment we returned to the Zheng family, Mother summoned us both to her chamber for a conversation."

There, she had extracted the information she needed.

Xie Peiyu's gaze toward Zheng Jinyu carried an extra hint of approval.

Observing this, she could almost guess how Zheng Jinyu intended to prove her innocence.

Zheng Jinyu smiled, then continued after a brief laugh, "You said you remembered every word I said. Now, describe the situation back then and tell me why I would say those things."

Zheng Jinxiu was already fuming with anger as she gritted her teeth, "Because you're good at pretending. You deliberately acted magnanimous in front of Mother to win her favor. In her heart, only I am worthy of marrying into Prince Chen's residence, so you gave me advice to please her."

Zheng Jinyu clapped appreciatively and looked at her with a smile in her eyes, "Brilliant, you're absolutely right. I gave you suggestions to please my mother. After she heard my proposal, she indeed felt even more affectionate towards me. Today, when we went out to play, she even gave me a pouch of silver. So... Zheng Jinxiu, it wasn't just the two of us there; Mother was present too."

Zheng Jinxiu's expression froze.

Zheng Jinyu ignored her and turned to Xie Peiyu, "Please, Prince Chen, lure Lady Zheng here under the pretense of a meeting with a princess."

Xie Peiyu: "..." Am I a fraud?

"Someone, come here," Xie Peiyu called out. The guards waiting outside promptly pushed the door open.

Zheng Jinxiu's face was deathly pale, and her body seemed on the verge of collapsing.

"No, please don't."

She had already lost her composure in front of Prince Chen. If they couldn't be married, there was nothing left to lose.

But Madam Zheng could not afford to do that; she still needed to maintain her image as a obedient daughter.

Xie Peiyu scoffed coldly and waved the guards away.

The guards retreated, shutting the door behind them.

"Miss Zheng, do you have anything else to say?"

"I..." Zheng Jinxiu suddenly knelt down, lifting her tearful gaze to meet Xie Peiyu's. "Yes, it was me who slandered my sister. I'm sorry. But I did so because I cared too much about you. I couldn't accept our broken engagement, Prince Chen. It wasn't intentional, please forgive me."

Xie Peiyu was perplexed. Did she admit to it? Why didn't she explain about the drugging?

Perhaps, in her panic at that moment, she had forgotten to mention the drugging?

Or could it be that Zheng Jinxiu had indeed entertained the thought of drugging him?

At this realization, a dark cloud settled on Xie Peiyu's face.

Zheng Jinxiu was in the midst of tearfully pleading her case.

Zheng Jinyu pulled her firmly toward herself, making her face her directly.

"Hey, you've pleaded with the wrong person."

Zheng Jinxiu's expression was one of astonishment.

With an angry countenance, Zheng Jinyu continued, "In any case, you didn't actually do anything to Prince Chen; he hasn't suffered any loss. But by slandering me, you've tarnished my reputation, portraying me as a rustic girl who employs despicable tactics."

As she spoke, she deliberately raised an eyebrow at Xie Peiyu, challenging him with her gaze.

"Prince Chen, you've accused me of being a rustic and vulgar woman who employs underhanded tactics. How do you explain that?"