Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 687 - 523: Climbing and Biting

Ji Mingxuan became annoyed as soon as he saw Gu Chengyu. Why didn’t Gu Chengyu show up for the appointment? And how did he appear in the room? It’s obvious there’s something fishy going on.

He had personally seen Kong Shuhuan enter the room, yet the person lying beneath him wasn’t Kong Shuhuan. If someone told him Ji Yuying orchestrated this, he’d find it hard to believe.

Ji Yuying, a woman without even a maid by her side, how could she possibly plot against him?

Could it be that Gu Chengyu had seen through his plan and used it against him? Taking advantage of his inattention to knock him out, leading to what followed.

But how did Gu Chengyu see through his plan? And where did Ji Yuying come from? He found it quite baffling.

Gu Chengyu pretended to be puzzled and said, "Heir Qin, feel free to ask; I certainly won’t hide anything. But I still don’t know what happened here. Please enlighten me, Heir Qin."

Qin Min didn’t answer Gu Chengyu’s question but instead asked directly.

"Mr. Gu! I remember you left once after finishing the painting, saying it was to the restroom. But you were gone for almost half an hour. What exactly did you do?"

Gu Chengyu looked even more puzzled, yet he patiently responded.

"I went to relieve myself, and afterward, when they were choosing poetry, I wasn’t very interested. The flowers and plants in the residence were so lush and colorful that they captivated me. I lost track of time while admiring them. By the time I realized, a lot of time had passed, and that’s when I remembered to return."

What he did was entirely up to Gu Chengyu to say, as no one was there to back him up. Similarly, they had no evidence to pin any of this on him.

However, he did find it suspicious. Even if Ji Mingxuan had embarrassed himself in front of everyone, it shouldn’t have caused such an uproar, right? Why was the Eldest Princess even involved?

Did something unexpected occur? He suddenly thought of the woman hiding outside earlier, and his expression changed. Could it really be as he imagined?

Qin Min frowned, thinking this explanation would be hard to convince people with.

"It must be you, it has to be you! You’re the one who knocked me out and threw me into the room. You even lit the aphrodisiac to frame me. Mr. Gu, I have no past grievances or recent animosity with you; why would you frame me? Is it just to vent your anger for Zhu Pang?"

Ji Mingxuan mentioning this made Zhu Pang unable to hold back.

He stepped into the room and pointed at Ji Mingxuan’s nose to scold him.

"Stop slandering! Before, I couldn’t stand you and hit you twice; that was my mistake. But this matter has long passed. You are to blame for not behaving yourself and seducing girls from respectable families. And now, to evade responsibility, you want to blame it on me and Jinyu. You’re nothing but a despicable person."

Zhu Pang was worried Ji Mingxuan might spill secrets about his half-sister, so he quickly stepped forward to curse at him, speaking without thinking, which made everyone frown.

Gu Chengyu was also quite helpless. Couldn’t they be a bit more civilized? But the information Zhu Pang brought was quite significant! Was there really a girl who suffered?

Could it be the girl hiding in the woods? If it really were that girl, it would confirm that this was her intention all along.

Otherwise, upon seeing a strange man, how could a well-mannered girl linger there?

Inhaling the aphrodisiac requires some time to take effect. This girl certainly stayed in the pavilion for quite a while.

"Mr. Ji! You can’t just try to blame us because of a prior conflict with Zhu Pang. As you said, I have no past grievances or recent animosity with you. Why would I frame you? I believe the Princess Mansion will certainly clear our names. Those who are clean will remain clear; speaking harshly won’t solve anything."

The Eldest Princess squinted her eyes upon hearing Gu Chengyu. She had initially wanted to pin this issue on Gu Chengyu; someone inevitably had to take the blame.

If they claimed Ji Yuying was supposed to meet Gu Chengyu, but he didn’t show, thus unintentionally allowing Ji Mingxuan to take advantage, that would suffice.

Such an action, despite Gu Chengyu’s talent and beauty, like Pan An, would prove him unworthy, with a frivolous nature, thus quelling her daughter’s interest.

But seeing Gu Chengyu’s eloquence and strategic thinking left her in a wait-and-see stance.

"Furthermore, I’m merely a scholar, essentially powerless. How could I possibly knock you out without you noticing? And where were you at the time? What were you doing?"

Gu Chengyu asked several questions in succession, leaving the originally confused Ji Mingxuan even more befuddled.

Without waiting for him to respond, Gu Chengyu turned his attention to Qin Min.

"May I ask Heir Qin, have you questioned that girl? How did she come to Hanlan Pavilion? What was the gatekeeper doing? Why did she come here?"

Gu Chengyu sneered; these people didn’t ask the main player but instead questioned him, an outsider. Just because of Ji Mingxuan’s random accusations, did they really want to pin the blame on him?

Heir Qin was left speechless by Gu Chengyu’s questions. Indeed! It was inappropriate not to question the involved parties before hastily summoning Gu Chengyu. Besides, the whole matter was still unclear!

See? Faced with Gu Chengyu’s questions, they were at a loss.

Qin Min cleared his throat and spoke to his mother, "Mother, I think we should bring that maid for questioning. Also, it would be wise to inform the Ji Mansion."

The Eldest Princess nodded, as the Ji Mansion had to be informed. Whether the two families form ties is a matter for them to discuss, and as outsiders, they shouldn’t interfere too much.

"Send for the Ji family’s lady relatives, but whoever orchestrated this must be found out. As it concerns the reputation of the Princess Mansion, Madam Kong shouldn’t blame me for intervening."

The Tang Family also emerged from the inner room. She couldn’t stay next door, as Ji Mingxuan must be held accountable for this.

"Your Highness, you’ve stated the importance, but as young Mr. Ji cannot make decisions on behalf of his elders, we must ask his family’s matriarchs to join the discussion. As for my niece, who has suffered this grievance, I beg the Eldest Princess to stand up for her!"

The Tang Family realized she had almost offended the Eldest Princess earlier, so she softened her tone.

The Eldest Princess’s expression softened at the Tang Family’s words. Ji Yuying was certainly troublesome, yet the Tang Family remained to clean up the mess, proving her not ill-hearted.

"You can only discuss this with the Ji family’s women. You know that while the incident occurred at my mansion, I can’t overstep. Rest assured, Madam Ji is reasonable, and if you discuss it well with her, I’m sure it will turn out for the best."