Princess Nangong Xuanning arrived with over a dozen guards, making quite a spectacle.
She entered the hall dressed in her royal attire.
Apart from General Gu, Gu Yefeng, Gu Qianying, Crown Prince Nan Rongqi, and a few other princes, everyone else rose to their feet and bowed.
"Your Highness the Princess, may you live for ten thousand, ten thousand, ten thousand years!"
After granting everyone permission to rise, Nangong Xuanning directly addressed her guards, commanding, "Guards, seize this woman Gu Qianying for me!"
Suddenly, the skilled servants of the Gu manor, loyal to General Gu, rushed in, drawing their swords and facing off against Nangong Xuanning's guards.
Gu Yefeng stood up and cupped his hands towards Nangong Xuanning, asking coldly, "Your Highness the Princess, what is the meaning of this?"
Nangong Xuanning, never one for subtlety, stated directly, "A few days ago, a woman knelt before my carriage, crying out injustice. Upon questioning her, I learned that her brother was beaten to death by you because he refused to be taken by you, who desired him.
Her brother was not a slave bought by your Gu manor with a death contract, nor was he a condemned prisoner in our imperial prison. How dare you, a young lady of a noble household, openly commit murder? Today, I, this Princess, will uphold justice for that woman's brother and have you, this venomous and cruel woman, apprehended for a thorough interrogation!"
Nangong Xuanning's words were like a sudden surge of waves on a calm sea, shocking everyone present.
"What? Impossible? The eldest daughter of the Gu manor forcibly took a man? And murdered him? This can't be true!"
"Her Highness the Princess is here, how can what she says be false?"
"I never imagined the eldest daughter of the Gu manor would be so shameless and so cruel."
The mocking whispers of the crowd reached their ears.
Gu Mingyue and Gu Yumei exchanged glances. For once, their thoughts were in complete agreement.
Gu Qianying was finished!
"Bang!"
General Gu's great saber landed heavily.
The table before him was instantly cleaved in two.
The murmuring of the crowd subsided slightly.
General Gu looked at Nangong Xuanning and said angrily, "Your Highness the Princess, my granddaughter would never commit such a vile act. What is your intention in slandering her like this?"
"I am not slandering Gu Qianying!" Nangong Xuanning showed no fear of General Gu's anger.
"Whether it is slander or not, Your Highness the Princess speaks without proof. Do you have any evidence to prove that my sister committed the deed you speak of, rather than you deliberately bringing people here to cause trouble!"
"Yes, Your Highness the Princess, this humble wife's daughter is not the kind of person you describe. There must be some misunderstanding."
General Gu did not believe Nangong Xuanning, and neither did Gu Yefeng nor the First Madam.
"Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding could there be? Could it be that Your Highness the Princess has nothing better to do and is deliberately slandering Eldest Sister?" Gu Yumei said with a light laugh.
The First Madam glared at her, "In the presence of this Madam and Her Highness the Princess, what right do you, a concubine's daughter, have to speak? You ill-mannered thing, shut your mouth!"
Gu Yumei felt her face redden from the First Madam's reprimand.
At this moment, Gu Mingyue approached and whispered in a very soft voice, "First Madam, please do not be angry. The matter is not yet clear, and none of us know what is happening. Please calm yourself and listen to what Her Highness the Princess has to say."
Normally, Gu Mingyue was the first to kick someone when they were down. Her unusual behavior today made the First Madam look at her a few more times.
Gu Mingyue felt a little uncomfortable under the First Madam's gaze and only offered a few explanations before falling silent.
What happened next had already been arranged by her. She refused to believe that Gu Qianying could escape today!
Nangong Xuanning did not order her men to act forcefully, only saying, "Everything I say is true, I am not lying. If you do not believe me, I can have the village elder who personally witnessed Gu Qianying beating the woman's brother brought here to testify."
As she finished speaking, she had her guards bring forward a middle-aged man dressed in green.
The middle-aged man knelt on the ground, his body trembling slightly. Especially after he glanced at General Gu, his body trembled even more.
Nangong Xuanning looked at him, "Tell us everything you saw that day."
The middle-aged man stammered, "That day, the eldest daughter of the Gu manor, Gu Qianying, brought people to Axiang's home, intending to forcibly take Axiang's brother, Awu. However, Awu refused stubbornly and insulted the eldest daughter of the Gu manor, calling her shameless. Enraged, the eldest daughter of the Gu manor ordered her men to tie Awu up and beat him to death."
Upon hearing this, everyone began to accuse Gu Qianying of being cruel. Even under General Gu's stern gaze, the accusations did not cease.
After the middle-aged man finished speaking, Nangong Xuanning looked at General Gu and continued, "General Gu, you have seen it yourself. I, this Princess, have not lied. Your precious granddaughter has now killed someone. I will take her away. Do you have any objections?"
Before General Gu could speak, Gu Qianying, who had been watching the spectacle silently from the side, suddenly let out a laugh. "Interesting, very interesting, extremely interesting."
Her laugh made everyone believe she must have been scared witless by the prospect of being captured, to the point of laughing.
Just then, Gu Mingyue left the First Madam's side and approached Gu Qianying, whispering in a similarly comforting tone, "Eldest Sister, do not be afraid. Even if you have killed someone, with Grandfather here, the Princess would not dare to act rashly."
Gu Qianying looked at her with a cold smile, "So, Second Sister, you think I should be imprisoned with Second Aunt?"
Gu Mingyue's expression froze.
Having a mother in prison was now the matter she least wished to mention.
"Eldest Sister is joking."
Gu Qianying looked at her for a moment, then leaned in close and whispered, "Second Sister, there is no need to be so anxious. Do you think this situation today can do anything to me?"
Gu Mingyue's face turned pale inch by inch.
Her fingernails dug tightly into her palms.
Damn it!
Gu Qianying actually knew everything!
She looked at Gu Qianying, the provocation in her eyes no longer disguised.
So what if you know! Hmph, you are dead today!
Gu Qianying returned her smile, a radiant one.
It was still unknown who would die.
Seeing Gu Qianying still smiling, Nangong Xuanning felt it was a clear sign of disrespect towards her as a Princess.
She was choked with anger and glared at Gu Qianying, "What are you laughing at! What is there to laugh about! I am telling you, you are the one who killed someone. Even if your family protects you, I will not let you off easily today!"
"Heh!"
Gu Qianying laughed again.
Nangong Xuanning stomped her foot in anger, "What are you laughing at again? Gu Qianying, if you keep laughing like this, do you believe I will cut you down first!"
Nangong Xuanning was like a flea, quick to ignite and straightforward.
Her guileless demeanor struck Gu Qianying as rather endearing.
Having lived in the "man-eating" palace for so long, to have developed such a personality, she must have been doted on by her father, the Emperor.
With the lessons of her past life, and cherishing family ties even more in this life, she didn't find Nangong Xuanning particularly detestable.
Perhaps, in the future, she and Nangong Xuanning could even become friends.
Thinking thus.
Gu Qianying slowly rose and faced Nangong Xuanning,
"Your Highness the Princess, to arrest this humble subject based solely on the word of this man, do you not think it is too hasty?"