2718 Mu Xingchen’s Interrogation
The two of them swiftly gathered all the clothing and equipment worn by the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince Consort over the past few days and loaded them into the carriage. Only after completing this task did they position themselves beside Li Ye. From the vantage point of Mu Jingfeng’s peak, they observed Mu Jingfeng and his wife, Mu Jingfeng’s peak, with a cold and aloof demeanor.
“Such an ancient aristocratic family. Their upbringing of maidservants seems to follow a predictable pattern—each maid intent on securing her place in her master’s affections. Truly distasteful.”
“Judging by the Crown Prince’s typically gentle and refined demeanor, these reckless individuals are rather easy to manipulate.”
However, little did they realize that the Crown Prince harbored an unusually detached and indifferent disposition beneath the surface.
After several days of interaction with the married couple, Caixiu, the embroiderer Caiqi, had discerned the temperaments of the two lords. Though the Crown Prince projected an outwardly pleasant temperament, he possessed a far colder heart than even the stoic and icy Crown Prince Consort.
“Qiao Mu,” Mu Jingfeng shouted from his peak, unable to suppress his outburst.
Without offering farewells, she swiftly led the Crown Prince away to the Eastern Palace, marking their departure from their ancestral home.
“If news of this spreads, it might be misconstrued that our Mu Clan is unenthusiastic about our daughter and son-in-law’s return,” lamented the passage.
The Emperor, if informed, might even interpret it as a sign that the Mu Clan was unwelcoming towards the Crown Prince’s reappearance in the capital, further complicating matters.
“Why are you bellowing like a beast?” Crown Prince Mo shot a chilling glare at Mu Jingfeng, who stood at the zenith of his cultivation.
At that moment, Mu Jingfeng’s aide approached and murmured discreetly into his ear.
Mu Jingfeng’s icy countenance gradually thawed. He courteously clasped his hands together and regarded His Highness the Crown Prince, his tone becoming gentle as he offered counsel, “Your Highness the Crown Prince, I have meticulously investigated this incident, including Xiao’xing’s prior confrontation with the Crown Prince. Undoubtedly, the Consort is uninvolved.”
By this point, Mu Xingchen and Mu Xingchen were already apprised of the events that had unfolded in Magnolia Court. They advanced towards Nanny Zhou, the aged maid in attendance, their gazes ice-cold. “Your audacity knows no bounds.”
/How dare these malevolent underlings cast their covetous gazes upon his brother-in-law and attempt to lure his younger sister away!/
Such a transgressor was only fit for a fitting retribution.
Nanny Zhou, the elderly maid, quivered with trepidation. She too felt a profound sense of injustice regarding the situation.
How could she have predicted that Juxian and Meixian, usually astute and reliable maids, would succumb to such a momentary lapse of reason, jeopardizing someone’s reputation?
The Xiao’xing before them had already provoked the ire of the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince Consort.
Now, the actions of Juxian and Meixian were even more audacious. To think they had dared to clandestinely approach His Highness the Crown Prince while he bathed, attempting to breach his privacy? Their audacity was truly astounding.
“Eldest Young Master, I beseech you to apply your discerning judgment! This humble servant and these two misguided girls are fundamentally at odds,” Nanny Zhou, the elderly maid, prostrated herself with tearful eyes and hastened to clarify, “The two of them deserve punishment for their insolence and recklessness, but this humble servant and the others are entirely innocent!”
Mu Xingchen and Mu Xingchen regarded them with cold detachment before turning their attention to Madam Consort Mu. Suspicion tinged their expressions. “Madam Consort, are you truly unaware of these events?”
Mu Qingya jolted as her gaze met her son’s, a stark pallor overtaking her features. She stared at him as if he were a stranger, momentarily unrecognizable.
“Big Brother!” Mu Rouxuan’s agitation surged forth. “How can you treat Mother in this manner? Are you genuinely suspecting her? Do you not comprehend the nature of Mother’s character after all these years? You! You! Your actions are pushing me to the brink of exasperation.”
“Xuan’er, please refrain from speaking to your Big Brother in such a manner,” Mu Qingya implored tearfully as she clasped Mu Rouxuan’s trembling hand.
Mu Xingchen and Mu Xingchen themselves acknowledged the abruptness of their query. Observing Mu Qingya’s fragile state, they found their own hearts aching.
Recollections of the countless ways in which Mu Qingya had nurtured and cared for them over the years prompted a deep sigh to escape from within.
“I too wish that my suspicions are unfounded.” Yet, the array of indications seem to inexorably tie this incident to the Consort.”
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