Chapter 10:
The morning in the Main Hall of the Shen Household was cool and still. The mellow fragrance of lotuses drifted softly from the incense burners, a scent meant to purify the mind and cleanse the soul. But on this day, even the lotus' sweetness could not wash away the stench of scheming hearts and poisoned truths.
Caught in the sudden counter-accusation, the two guards went pale. Sweat gathered at their temples, their eyes darting frantically to Su Wanning for direction. The tears welled up unbidden in their eyes, not from guilt—but from fear.
Understanding that the situation was slipping, Su Wanning stepped forward smoothly, her tone gentle yet pointed. "Yuhan, I understand that mere words from lowly guards are hardly credible, but Xiao Ling claims to have seen the bribery herself. Surely, a servant so close to your sister would not dare lie in front of the whole household?"
Shen Yuhan turned to her with the faintest smile, as if watching an amusing play unfold. "Why wouldn't she lie?"
Su Wanning's brows furrowed. "Why would she lie?"
"That's what I'm wondering as well," Shen Yuhan said, eyes glinting. "Why would a maid go out of her way to spy on me, and then fabricate such a wild story to defame me?"
Her gaze slowly shifted toward Xiao Ling, whose stiff frame betrayed her growing nervousness.
"Tell me, Xiao Ling," Shen Yuhan said softly, "why are you lying? Did someone instigate you to falsely accuse me? Or was it silver that loosened your tongue?"
The word bribery struck Xiao Ling like lightning. Her eyes widened. That was her accusation. How had it turned on her?
"I'm not being bribed by anyone!" she shouted in panic. "It was you—you bribed the guards that day, I saw it with my own eyes!"
"Oh?" Shen Yuhan tilted her head. "And which day was that, exactly?"
"Th-three days ago!"
A low murmur swept through the room.
Shen Yuhan's smile widened. "That's strange. I haven't left my courtyard in ten days. How could you have seen me bribing anyone three days ago?"
Xiao Ling hesitated. "You're lying! I saw you!"
"Are you sure it was me?" Shen Yuhan's voice grew colder. "Not someone else?"
"Yes, it was you!" Xiao Ling snapped, her composure slipping under the pressure. "It was clearly you! I saw you give those guards silver for the ledgers!"
From the side, Su Wanning and Shen Yulan exchanged glances and smirked. In their eyes, the trap had snapped shut. No matter how clever Shen Yuhan acted, the more Xiao Ling insisted, the more real it would seem. Even if it wasn't the truth—perception was a powerful thing.
But—
"I say you are lying," Shen Yuhan declared. Her voice was firm, cutting through the room like a blade. "It could never have been me. If you don't believe me, I can have Ming'er and Ah Zhu testify. They were with me the entire day, three days ago."
That single sentence cracked Xiao Yue's resolve like a hammer to glass.
"You're lying! They could never testify for you!"
"Oh? And why not?"
"Because they—they weren't in your courtyard!"
Shen Yuhan's eyes narrowed slightly. "How can you be so certain?"
"Because I saw them!" Xiao Ling's voice rose in pitch. "I saw them bribing the guards that day!"
A stunned silence fell over the hall.
"But just now, didn't you say it was me who bribed them?" Shen Yuhan's voice suddenly rose with a sharpness that made even the guards flinch. "You said it was me! Why are you changing your story?!"
"I—!" Xiao Ling's face twisted, her breath hitching.
"Why are you lying?! Why are you so determined to smear my name?!" Shen Yuhan's voice boomed, filled with fire.
Xiao Ling shook her head violently. Her composure crumbled. Her voice cracked as she screamed, "Because my young miss hates you! She told me to spy on you! That day… that day I saw your maids give silver to the guards! She said it would be enough to ruin you!"
The hall went utterly still.
No one moved. No one dared to breathe.
Su Wanning turned ashen. Shen Yulan froze, her lips parted in disbelief. It was as if the ground beneath them had vanished.
Then—
"You insolent wretch!" Su Wanning shouted. She darted forward, her hand raised to slap Xiao Ling across the face, to shut her up before more damage could be done.
But Shen Yuhan's hand caught her wrist midair.
A loud smack echoed—not of a slap landing, but of Su Wanning's hand being blocked.
"Don't you dare," Shen Yuhan said quietly, her gaze burning.
Su Wanning's face paled as her wrist trembled in Shen Yuhan's grasp. The young woman before her was no longer the soft-tempered daughter she had once dismissed. There was something razor-sharp in her eyes, something that did not yield.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ling was still shouting incoherently, her voice now hoarse. "I'm not lying! It's the truth! Second Miss asked me to ruin Eldest Miss's reputation—she planned everything! She said once Eldest Miss is driven out, she'd be the only daughter left—she'd get everything!"
Her body trembled as she screamed, veins standing out against her neck. Her hair had fallen loose, and her face had gone flushed and red. Her eyes, wide and bloodshot, seemed to have lost all reason.
Then her gaze snapped to Shen Yuhan with wild hatred. "It's all your fault! You made my young mistress suffer! You should just go and die—you filthy slut!"
Before anyone could react, Xiao Ling suddenly lunged forward with all her might, shrieking like a madwoman. Her fingers were curled into claws, aiming for Shen Yuhan's face, neck—anything she could tear.
Gasps erupted in the hall.
Everyone screamed and stepped back. Even Su Wanning stumbled, eyes wide in horror.
But Shen Yuhan didn't flinch.
Just as Xiao Ling neared, Shen Yuhan raised her leg and struck—swift and merciless. Her foot slammed into Xiao Ling's abdomen.
With a sickening thud, Xiao Ling flew backward and slammed into a stone pillar. Her body crumpled to the floor, unconscious, blood trailing from her temple.
"Ah!"