Chapter 2

Gasps broke out around the room.

“A daughter-in-law plotting against her mother-in-law—an unforgivable crime! Has the Jiang family's second daughter lost her mind?”

“How horrifying! How can anyone be so vicious?”

Xiao Jingxing sprang to his feet and glared at me, hatred filling his eyes.

“You bitch! My mother has never wronged you. Why would you hurt her?”

The duke's gaze was just as cold.

“Lady Jiang, what have you to say for yourself?”

Their matching expressions of resentment made me laugh.

“No investigation, no questioning. One person's word is enough for you to pronounce me guilty. So this is how the duke's household judges a case. How enlightening.”

Su Qingyao's expression grew uglier.

She tugged at Xiao Jingxing's sleeve, feigning indignation.

“Jingxing, Her Grace was rather harsh with Miss Jiang earlier. She must have resented it and deliberately tripped her.”

“Her Grace has suffered so much. You must get justice for her!”

Xiao Jingxing clenched his fists and fixed me with a savage look.

“You were the one standing closest to Mother. Who else could have done something so despicable?”

I raised an eyebrow.

“You sound very certain, my lord. Where is your evidence?”

Su Qingyao's eyes shifted. She turned to her maid.

“Chunliu, you were standing right beside me. You saw Miss Jiang put out her foot and trip Her Grace too, didn't you?”

Chunliu hesitated, then nodded at once.

“Yes. I saw it too. Miss Jiang did trip Her Grace.”

The duke's face darkened.

“Servants! Drag this disloyal, unfilial bitch outside. A hundred strokes of the rod for plotting against her mother-in-law!”

Several servants rushed forward and seized me.

I did not struggle.

“Silver-thread charcoal is reserved for the imperial household,” I said coldly. “Its embers alone could not make someone's skirts erupt into such fierce flames in an instant.”

“Yet instead of finding out who tampered with the brazier, or checking whether anything flammable was scattered on the ground, you're in a hurry to punish me.”

“If you condemn me unjustly, can the Xiao family withstand my father's wrath?”

My father had fought beside His Majesty through life and death, and had led troops to rescue him more than once.

He was the only military commander at court who both controlled a powerful army and held first-rank office.

In my previous life, after the fire disfigured me, he had taken his imperial iron charter granting immunity straight into the palace to plead my case before the emperor.

But the duke's household had already destroyed all evidence of the crime.

His Majesty had sent countless men to investigate. None had uncovered the truth.

I would not make the same mistake again.

The duke hesitated at my words.

Xiao Jingxing, however, flew into a rage.

“Jiang Mingzhu, stop trying to frighten us!”

“Yao'er and her maid both saw you trip my mother. They have no quarrel with you. Why would they falsely accuse you?”

“You clearly had wicked intentions. Now that you've been caught, you're making up this nonsense to escape punishment.”

He hauled me up and flung me onto the wooden punishment bench.

“Beat her! Don't stop until the bitch confesses!”

The rod was raised.

A thunderous shout rang out from the doorway.

“Stop! Who dares lay a hand on my daughter?”

Father strode in, kicked aside the servant pinning me down, and carefully helped me to my feet.

“Mingzhu, are you hurt?”

At the anguish in his eyes, I could no longer hold back. Tears poured down my face.

“Father. You're finally here.”

I had been quiet and reserved since childhood. This was the first time I had cried since growing up.

Father's face darkened at once.

He rounded on Xiao Jingxing.

“I sent my daughter here to be cherished, not to suffer!”

“You beast! Bullying Mingzhu the moment my back is turned—have you grown tired of living?”

Father had once struck a prince in the middle of court. His fearsome reputation was known everywhere.

Xiao Jingxing's expression shifted, and his voice dropped despite himself.

“General, Jiang Mingzhu plotted against her mother-in-law. Her crime cannot be pardoned. A beating is the lightest punishment she could receive.”

“If this matter goes any further, your family will be the only one to suffer.”

Mother gave a cold laugh.

“So we should be thanking you?”

Su Qingyao's eyes shifted again. She spoke in a sickly-sweet voice.

“Lady Jiang, we all saw your daughter try to harm the duchess.”

“Her Grace is still lying in bed. We don't even know whether she'll live. Please stop making unreasonable demands.”