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Chapter 966: Chapter 969: Is This How You Treat Your Guests?
ChunTao hurried to the front courtyard, fearing that if the person who harmed the young master didn’t receive their due punishment, others might target the young master again in the future.
This time the young master was fortunate enough to have a narrow escape, but what about next time?
With clenched teeth, Du Yingxue demanded, "What do you mean by this?"
"We are guests here; you can’t bully people like this!" Qiao Hua’er also spoke up, dissatisfied.
"I just want to know the truth. If I have misunderstood you, I will apologize," Chen Yiling stated earnestly.
Of course, if it were proved to be Du Yingxue, she would certainly not let it go easily.
Panic filled Du Yingxue’s heart, but fortunately, Qiao Hua’er stood firmly in front of her.
"You’ve smeared my sister’s reputation; do you think an apology is enough? The Qin Family might have some status, but how can you slander a guest like this?"
Chen Yiling glanced at Qiao Hua’er and decided to remain silent for the sake of Qiao Duo’er.
"Lady Qin just lost her son; it’s only natural for her to want to clarify the situation. Moreover, she never directly accused Du Yingxue of being the murderer, so how can you say she’s been slandered?"
"If it were me, I would want to clear things up as well; otherwise, there’s always an unease in everyone’s hearts."
"Even in an investigation, there are suspects. If you have nothing to hide, let them investigate."
The ladies of the inner court were all very astute and could guess what was going on just by watching the behavior of the Du Family ladies.
However, due to a lack of evidence, everyone spoke rather cryptically.
"Aren’t your insinuations targeting my Xue’er? It rained yesterday; isn’t it normal for the edge of a skirt to get a little muddy?"
Qiao Hua’er looked at everyone present with contempt.
What did their noble status amount to if they lacked even basic common sense?
"Lady Du, could you ask your daughter-in-law to quiet down? I’m not feeling well, and the slightest noise gives me a headache," Madam Qian said as she rubbed her throbbing forehead.
She wasn’t being delicate; she genuinely suffered from migraines.
Lady Du’s face turned pale and then flushed as she glared at Qiao Hua’er.
At home, she felt that Qiao Hua’er was obedient and saw nothing wrong with her.
Now, with a point of reference, she realized that Qiao Hua’er’s rustic demeanor was all too apparent, and it was embarrassing!
At that moment, she was even reminded of a vulgar, brawling woman on the streets.
Perhaps allowing Qiao Hua’er into their home was a gross mistake.
And then there was Qiao Duo, who, despite sharing the same background as Qiao Hua’er, carried herself with dignity and grace. How could there be such a vast difference?
Receiving a warning look from the Zhong Clan, Qiao Hua’er reluctantly fell silent.
Seeing her daughter look aggrieved, the Zhong Clan spoke up again, "Xue’er, don’t be afraid. Our Du Family doesn’t have much wealth, but we won’t let our daughter suffer any injustice."
Furthermore, interacting more with King Qin wasn’t a bad thing. She even wanted to thank Lady Qin for providing her daughter with this opportunity.
"Stop arguing; the Prince is here!" a woman alerted.
The previously chattering ladies all fell silent and hastily paid their respects to King Qin.
King Qin merely said, "Dispense with the formalities," and went straight over to Chen Yiling and Qiao Duo’er.
"Is there any new discovery?"
Chen Yiling nodded, "There are mud stains on the hem of a lady’s skirt with the shape of bamboo strips; I beseech the Prince to investigate this matter thoroughly."
Immediately, the Zhong Clan pushed Du Yingxue forward, "Prince, Lord Qin, you must bring justice for my daughter. She got her dress dirty by accident while looking for the young master, and now she is suspected; it’s truly unfair!"
She repeated the same explanation without a trace of doubt in her story.
