The Double-Chapter 612 - 177: In the Court_3

But today, these people wouldn’t give her the slightest dignity. He Qin kept calling her "guilty woman," enraging Princess Yongning to the point of steaming fury. And whenever she raised her voice in protest, someone would even slap her.

Princess Yongning was furious, but in this courtroom there was not a single person she recognized. The atmosphere of the Three Judiciaries suddenly made her realize that some things had changed. She even saw Jiang Yuanbai out of the corner of her eye, his gaze upon her as though he wished to slice two cuts into her flesh, filled with hatred.

She had learned in prison that her Private Prison had been discovered, which likely meant Jiang Youyao had been found as well. The torment she inflicted on Jiang Youyao was quite severe. For one, she never intended to leave Jiang Youyao a way out, and for another, Jiang Youyao just happened to witness her in a foul mood, which led Princess Yongning to order the gouging of her eyes. She hadn’t expected Jiang Youyao to return to the Jiang Family one day. Princess Yongning was clear in her heart that Jiang Yuanbai was here for revenge on behalf of Jiang Youyao.

At last, Princess Yongning felt a hint of fear.

The petition of Xue Huaiyuan was being read out loud, each word saturated with blood and tears. Shen Yurong’s gaze, however, fell on Xue Huaiyuan himself.

As the plaintiff accusing them, Xue Huaiyuan was on the stand, watching silently. Hearing the blood and tears of Xue Fangfei’s past spoken in the petition, Xue Huaiyuan didn’t lose his composure. His stare at Shen Yurong suddenly filled Yurong with an unbearable pain as he thought back to the day Xue Fangfei got married.

Back then, the residents of Tongxiang all knew about it, coming to see her off and bringing many gifts. They weren’t anything valuable - a length of floral fabric, a basket of eggs, a cotton quilt, or the like. Xue Huaiyuan stood among them and said to him, "I entrust Ah Li to you."

He greatly admired his father-in-law and knew that he was a talented man. Even though he was just a county magistrate in Tongxiang, should he wish, he might achieve great things even in Yanjing City. Only such a father could raise such a bright and brave daughter.

Xue Huaiyuan liked him very much, praising him endlessly except for the fact that his family lived too far away in Yanjing. At that time, they both believed it was an excellent match, that Xue Fangfei had chosen the right husband, and that they would spend their lives in perfect harmony and love till old age.

Who could have known what happened later...

When Princess Yongning tortured Xue Huaiyuan, Shen Yurong did not intervene. He knew that even if he tried to stop it, it might not be successful. The more he tried, the more Princess Yongning would grow jealous, and even if she let Xue Huaiyuan off on the surface, she would certainly employ even more terrifying means to torment him privately.

So Shen Yurong feigned ignorance.

But he didn’t know whether this was just an excuse he gave himself. Because Shen Yurong also understood that once Xue Huaiyuan learned about the events that befell Xue Fangfei in Yanjing City, he would definitely travel great distances to seek the truth behind his daughter’s death. With Xue Huaiyuan’s abilities, he might very well unravel it.

Perhaps he just wanted to be at peace with himself, or perhaps he was the same kind of person as Princess Yongning. The reason he turned a blind eye to everything that later happened to the Xue family, pretending not to hear, was nothing more than wanting to eradicate them root and branch.

And his feared scenario eventually came to pass.

Xue Huaiyuan, saved by the Second Miss of the Jiang Family, saw daylight once more and regained his senses. The first thing he did upon regaining his senses was to seek out the true culprit behind the deaths of the siblings of the Xue family. It was like retribution, a terrifying curse, as if Xue Fangfei’s spirit in heaven was aware of it as well.

If she were still alive, she would certainly be standing here, coldly watching her own wretched state. Shen Yurong thought.

On Xue Huaiyuan’s face was utter calmness. He was like another Xue Fangfei, who had understood everything and come to terms with it. Abandoning his right to show emotions, he spoke the truth in a calm tone, silently doing what he could for his children.

Hai Tang, as a witness, also appeared.

At the first sight of Hai Tang, Princess Yongning froze for a moment, then shrieked, "How are you still alive?"

"Didn’t expect it, did you, Princess Yongning?" Hai Tang’s face no longer bore fear or dread, replaced instead by the same composed indifference shown by the Xue family. She said, "Back then, your people killed all the maids around the lady to silence them. Du Juan and I managed to escape. We survived by the thinnest of margins, and after Du Juan died, I didn’t even dare to collect her body. I struggled to stay alive to this very day, just for the chance to proclaim your vicious acts and those of that heartless bastard beside you to the world!" She lifted her head, "and to expose your evils before everyone!"