"Back on the island, I hated Shen Qingqing and Fu Jingshu for repeatedly thwarting my plans. I wanted to cause trouble for them, but the Third Prince protected them. Z, who is now the Fourth Prince, incited me and suggested I poison the Third Prince..."
At first, he was afraid, but that fear was quickly erased by repeated humiliation.
He acted.
Seeing Pei Ji poisoned and Shen Qingqing and others disappear one after another, he felt immense satisfaction.
But how could he have foreseen his current fate? If he had, he would never have done it!
Everyone listened, astonished and bewildered.
Shen Qingqing also said, "You should all be aware of my detoxification abilities."
The crowd nodded in agreement.
Shen Qingqing glanced at Pei Xi, a malicious smile playing on her lips. "I studied the poison Pei Ji was afflicted with. Developing an antidote would take at least three months. Even the old man and I couldn't detoxify him immediately."
Everyone understood her meaning.
It implied that only the poisoner could achieve a quick detoxification.
With both witness and evidence in hand, Pei Xi was left speechless.
Pei Xing, standing nearby, was also shocked. "How could you do such a thing?"
At this point, Pei Xi could no longer maintain his composure. He gritted his teeth, his face turning ashen. "So what if I did it? If I hadn't, how could I have been on equal footing with you?"
His eyes were red, glaring at Pei Lie and the others, his emotions a complex mix.
There was hatred, and also envy.
"You were all born into wealth, receiving the best education from childhood. What about me? I had the same blood as you, yet I had to endure years of being alone, bullied, and hated!"
The King looked heartbroken.
He still felt guilty towards Pei Xi and turned to the Queen, hesitating, "Perhaps we should let him off this once."
The Queen looked confused. "Your Majesty, you..."
She seemed to find his suggestion extraordinary.
The King also felt he had lost face, being contradicted in front of everyone, and then having to plead for the culprit.
However, Pei Xi's words echoed in his mind.
He couldn't bear it any longer and, with a heavy heart, said, "I know what he did was treasonous, but..."
"But he wasn't by my side for so many years. Doesn't China have a saying, something like, 'son's what, father's what'..."
"A father's fault if his son is unchaste," Shen Qingqing's voice cut in.
"Yes, yes!" The King looked gratefully in Shen Qingqing's direction. Upon seeing it was her, he couldn't retract his gaze quickly enough, his eyes nearly cramping, and he decisively turned back to the Queen. "Just this once, let him live as an ordinary person!"
The Queen remained silent.
The King gritted his teeth. "Ali, don't you feel any guilt?"
The Queen blinked, somewhat bewildered. "What are you implying? Guilt about what?"
Pei Lie wanted to laugh. Was his father insane? "I haven't even settled the score with him for poisoning Mother yet, and you're asking Mother to feel guilty? Father, is something... wrong with you?"
He pointed to his head.
The King was furious but prioritized saving the situation. "Queen, we'll discuss this privately. For now..."
"No," the Queen interrupted, standing up with a stern expression. "Whatever needs to be said, let's clarify it in front of everyone. I have a clear conscience."
"I'm doing this for you!" The King's face was grim.
"I don't need it." The Queen had never done anything to feel guilty about in all these years, so she wasn't afraid. "Just tell me directly, why should I feel guilty?"
The King gritted his teeth, his anger rising. "Fine, if you insist, but don't regret it later."
The Queen's expression was open. "We've been married for years, you know me. I never regret anything."
"You knew about Pei Xi's existence long ago and even sent people to bully them..." The King spoke with some resentment. "Why did you do that? Couldn't you have told me? You've always been generous, kind, magnanimous, and benevolent. I thought you were..."
He grew increasingly angry, even starting to accuse her.
The Queen was also confused. "What nonsense are you talking about? Who told you I knew about these things?"
"Pei Xi told me!"
The Queen burst into laughter. "Then let me tell you, I never took any action against them. Because before you introduced them to me, I didn't even know they existed!"
The King froze. "This, this is impossible."
He instinctively looked at Pei Xi, only to see a sarcastic smile on his face, which filled him with a bad premonition.
"You lied to me?"
Pei Xi's smile deepened. He raised his hand to cover his forehead, obscuring his eyes, his laughter low and husky, his body eventually trembling.
"You're so easy to fool, believing whatever others say."
The King's eyes widened, his expression of disbelief almost comical. "What did you say?"
Pei Xi lowered his hand, his smile still lingering. "You're already so old, why are you still so naive? I've been fending for myself for so many years; deceiving people is just a small trick."
He extended his little finger, indicating it was a very, very small matter.
He could even lie without batting an eye.
Because he himself believed his lies.
The King trembled with rage. The thought of being deceived and manipulated by such a young scoundrel made him dizzy, with the urge to faint.
Shen Qingqing gave Pei Lie a look. Pei Lie immediately stepped forward to support the King, his strong hands gripping him tightly.
Now, even if the King wanted to faint, he couldn't.
Shen Qingqing sighed and took a document from her bag.
She handed the document to the King.
"See for yourself."
It was a mother-son profile, detailing the lives of Pei Xi and his mother. The King read it thoroughly.
His hands, holding the document, trembled.
Seeing his expression, Pei Xi knew what was happening. "I knew you'd find something, Shen Qingqing. You truly are my nemesis."
He no longer bothered to ask how the old man and she had managed it.
After all, she had so many helpers around her. It was ultimately his oversight. If only he had kept all these people on the deserted island.
He sighed, but felt no regret.
These people were too entertaining. It would have been a shame for them to die on the deserted island like that.
The King threw the document to the ground. White papers scattered everywhere, some even landing on Shen Qingqing's shoes.
She frowned slightly and took a step back.
The King angrily questioned Pei Xi, "You dared to lie to me! How could you deceive me like this!"
Facing his accusation, Pei Xi felt no guilt. "I lied, so what? You were too easy to fool."
The King trembled with fury, his teeth almost grinding to dust. "How dare you!"
Pei Xi offered a cold smile. "Whether I dared or not is no longer important. After all, you're about to die."