Miss Truth-Chapter 492 - 323 Confrontation

Chapter 323

Lady Dugu flicked her sleeve slightly and headed towards the council hall.

"Mother, allow me to accompany you," Ran Yan quickly caught up to her.

Lady Dugu paused in her step, gave her a cold glance, and said coolly, "What are you going to do there, watch my disgrace?"

"The innocent are clear of guilt. I believe in you, Mother, and do not think you would do such a thing, but I am somewhat concerned," Ran Yan said, gazing at her with a forthright look.

Lady Dugu observed for a moment, then turned and walked away. She did not verbally agree, but also did not say that Ran Yan was forbidden to go. Therefore, Ran Yan took it as her consent and led Wan Lu to follow as well.

The council hall was built on the north side of the front courtyard, near the study. Upon entering the front courtyard, Ran Yan immediately saw white silk fluttering everywhere, and many servants were hanging white banners, creating a suddenly somber atmosphere.

Two rows of guards stood at the entrance to the council hall. They bowed their heads in salute as Lady Dugu approached but did not stop Ran Yan either.

Inside the room, more than twenty people in mourning dress gathered, with the Clan Leader sitting at the head seat, not arranged by their official ranks outside. Seeing this, Lady Dugu felt a slight tightness in her chest and couldn’t help but look towards Duke Song.

Duke Song had a somber expression and appeared quite displeased. Seeing his wife’s gaze, he gave a slight nod. Lady Dugu felt a bit more at ease. As long as her husband still had faith in her and stood on her side, what was there to fear! She, Lady Dugu, had never been one to be manipulated by others.

The Clan Leader’s eyes fell upon Ran Yan and he said slowly, "Lady Ran, there is no matter here that concerns you."

Meaning, this doesn’t involve you, you may leave now.

Having come this far, Ran Yan had no intention of leaving and was about to speak when Xiao Song interjected, "Fourth uncle, when the matriarch relayed her last words, aside from Ling Xiang and a few other maids, Lady Seventeen was also present. For caution’s sake, it is best to have both testimonial and physical evidence complete."

The matter of Ran Yan’s attendance was trivial; besides, they were dealing with someone’s mother, and it was only right to give them a chance to defend themselves. Xiao Jing nodded in agreement, "Jiulang speaks sensibly. Lady Ran, please take a seat."

Being surrounded by men on either side, Ran Yan naturally could not seat herself beside them, so she chose the last seat and kneeled down.

A servant laid out a mat in the center of the hall for Lady Dugu, who kneeled down calmly. "May I ask why the Clan Leader and the respected elders are making such a scene, summoning me here?"

"The circumstances regarding Ling Xiang’s death are filled with suspicion. I ask you, did you invite the Lady of Daning County into the palace today?" Xiao Jing asked.

Upon this question, all eyes in the room converged on Lady Dugu. As a noble daughter of a prominent family, she had witnessed many grand spectacles and naturally was not intimidated. She met Xiao Jing’s gaze and answered calmly, "I did not."

"Summon the Lady of Daning County. Let’s have you confront each other," said Xiao Jing, who adhered to the Xiao Family tradition of loyalty and uprightness, so he directly sought evidence.

The Lady of Daning County was also Xiao Song’s wet nurse, Nurse Shu. The entirety of Chang’an knew of Nurse Shu’s tempestuous and relentless disposition, but she was without a doubt straightforward and valued loyalty.

In just a moment, a loud bang was heard from outside, followed by Nurse Shu’s distinctive loud voice, "What the hell do you think you are? Even if I were guilty now, are you the one to restrain me?"

Ran Yan looked towards the doorway, only to see Nurse Shu dragging two guards with bleeding mouths, tossing them aside, and striding into the room.

Nurse Shu crouched slightly in a bow and immediately a trembling servant provided her with a mat.

After Nurse Shu kneeled down, Xiao Jing overlooked her rudeness. She was from a brigand background; why bother being petty about etiquette with her? After all, she was not part of the Xiao Family. It seemed that the two guards must have offended her to be beaten, so he went straight to the matter at hand. "Our Xiao Family guards have been impolite. Lady of Daning, please calm your anger. I will deal with them shortly. However, the matter of Ling Xiang is most urgent to resolve. Please assist us, the Lady of Daning. I and the other members of the Xiao Family will be forever grateful."

Shuniang has always been more receptive to kindness than to force. Seeing how polite Xiao Jing was, she couldn’t well maintain her dignity and promptly said, "If you have any questions, just ask. I, Shuniang, have always spoken frankly, never have I cheated or deceived."

Xiao Jing paused for a moment before he asked, "Lady Danning said it was the Dugu clan who asked you to deliver the golden silk nanmu box into the palace. Who was it for?"

"Naturally, it was for Lady Xiao." Shuniang replied.

"Who handed you the box? And why did you believe that it was truly the Dugu clan who asked you to do this?" Xiao Jing pressed on with his questions.

It was only then that Shuniang realized the seriousness of this matter, and it very likely pointed to the Dugu clan, but she still did not conceal the truth, frowning as she said, "It was a maid named Sang Yu from Lady’s side."

These words were clearly rehearsed in advance, and nobody showed much emotion. Xiao Jing turned to the Dugu clan, "What do you have to say?"

Upon hearing Shuniang’s words, the Dugu clan’s heart had already been raised. She had known Shuniang for many years, and although the relationship had never been very close, Shuniang was the Lady Danning, and she knew everything about her inside out. There was absolutely no need to frame her!

"Please call Sang Yu to confront her." This was the only way for the Dugu clan now. Sang Yu was just a second-class maid in her yard, brought in when she was just over ten years old and had been with her for six or seven years. Who had used her? Or was she essentially a spy?

"Sang Yu has already disappeared. She is your maid, don’t you know?" Xiao Jing asked.

Regarding this question, everyone expressed their doubts, and the Dugu clan’s insistence on confrontation to prove her innocence seemed under these circumstances to hint at something more.

The Dugu clan straightened her spine, knowing that today’s matter would probably not be resolved easily. Since the other party had set a trap for her, daring to alarm so many people, they must be utterly confident. And she now didn’t have any solid evidence to prove she hadn’t instructed Sang Yu to do this deed; the only way was to find the person and confront them.

"Who says just because Sang Yu is my maid, she must have been acting under my orders? I will never admit to something I have not done," the Dugu clan took a deep breath, stating each word clearly, "I do not commit wrongs and I fear no confrontation. I believe the Clan Leader and the elders will restore my innocence!"

Song, the Duke who had been silent all along, suddenly also spoke up, "I also believe the Lady would not do such a thing."

The Dugu clan smiled faintly.

Ran Yan was sitting behind her and could only see a bit of her profile, yet she could feel that her smile at this moment must be very beautiful.

"Even so..." Xiao Jing pondered for a moment and then said, "but we cannot take anyone’s word for granted. You’ll have to be wronged and stay in your courtyard, not permitted to make contact with the outside world for the time being."

"Wait!"

"Wait!"

"Hold on!"

Just as Xiao Jing was about to summon someone to take the Dugu clan away, Xiao Song, Ran Yan, and the Duke objected in unison.

Such a temporary arrangement was in itself unproblematic, but for a lady of the Duke’s stature to be confined, given the Dugu clan’s pride and concern for her reputation, the outcome once this matter leaked would be imaginable.

This sudden turn of events left everyone stunned for a moment, and Xiao Jing was the first to react, "Is there anything else you wish to say?"

Since the father and son had already stepped up, Ran Yan was about to sit down but then saw Xiao Song giving her a look. She immediately understood that this was a perfect opportunity for her to earn the Dugu clan’s favor. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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