"Besides that, has your lady been in contact with anyone else?" Ran Yan asked with patience.
Peony lowered her head, fell silent for a while but then shook her head very firmly.
"That means, the only suspects now are you and me." Ran Yan’s voice was unflustered, as if the matter did not concern her, as she looked at Sun Zhen, "Junior Minister Sun, even though it’s possible that I murdered Lady Dou, can this Peony also be free from suspicion?"
Without waiting for Sun Zhen to answer, Ran Yan continued, "The fact that I do not know Lady Dou is something that all from my uncle’s family, the Ran Family, and the Xingyang Zheng Family, can testify to. As for the cleaning powder, I happen to have some here as well, Junior Minister Sun can take it back and have the Imperial Physician examine it. I had no old grudges or recent hatred with Lady Dou, why would I kill her? Yet, concerning the cleaning powder that Lady Dou used, apart from Peony, only a few other ladies and their maids knew, isn’t their suspicion greater than mine?"
Even if Peony wasn’t the murderer, she must certainly be an accomplice. Ran Yan guessed that she had been under surveillance these past days, but even so, with a secret guard by her side, those watching her couldn’t get too close without being detected. How could they know what Lady Dou did inside the medical clinic?
Being able to quickly concoct a medicine that injures one’s face is something Ran Yan admitted she was incapable of, and aside from Su Fu, she couldn’t think of anyone else who could do it. The Imperial Physicians in the palace had much to attend to and superior medical skills, but when it came to mixing poisons, they might not necessarily be better than Ran Yan.
"This slave has received the Dou Family’s grace since I was young; how could I possibly kill my lady! I plead for Junior Minister Sun and Junior Minister Yuan to discern the truth," Peony pleaded, prostrating on the ground and sobbing incessantly. Even though her face could not be seen, her posture seemed pitiful enough to evoke sympathy.
By contrast, there was nothing endearing about Ran Yan’s appearance. Junior Minister Yuan had harbored some fantasies about Ran Yan originally due to her truly beautiful features and the absence of many expressions on her face, something he had never seen before. But now, upon comparison, he inwardly found a woman as lacking in charm as Ran Yan to be very dull.
Having seen countless women, Junior Minister Yuan could easily tell that Ran Yan was not just outwardly indifferent; the lack of interest went deep to her very bones, and moreover, she was not easy to win over.
Because of this, all of Junior Minister Yuan’s attention shifted to Peony, "Miss Peony, please don’t cry anymore. Lady Duanliang has not said that you are the murderer! To crack a case, it’s always necessary to list everyone with a suspicion. Junior Minister Sun is known for his integrity and uprightness, and he will certainly not accuse you wrongly."
Wan Lu felt a tightness in her chest and couldn’t help but say, "What does Junior Minister Yuan mean by that? If you won’t wrongly accuse her, then do you believe our lady is the murderer? Our lady has been virtuous and chaste since she was young, and since marrying into the Xiao Family, she has been even more pure and devoted herself to serving her husband fully. Are you suggesting that our lady is less trustworthy than a maid? Just because Lady Dou used cleaning powder doesn’t mean she should be convicted. I use it every day and haven’t seen a single drop of blood."
This uninterrupted stream of words left Liu Qingsong somewhat slack-jawed; even he wouldn’t dare to question Junior Minister Yuan with such a tone. Wan Lu was certainly audacious.
Wan Lu wasn’t just relying on the power of the Xiao Family; in fact, when she was previously in Suzhou, during the time when Ran Yan was left on the manor, she was far more brash than now, not even hesitating to create a fuss in front of the Emperor himself. Back then, she felt there was nothing left to fear – at worst, she would face death. Now that Ran Yan had gradually gained more favor, she had restrained herself and tried not to cause trouble. But at this moment, since Ran Yan’s safety was threatened, how could she care about restraint!
A flicker of astonishment appeared on Sun Zhen’s wooden face.
Junior Minister Yuan felt embarrassed and his gaze darkened as he looked at the sharp-tongued girl. Yet, upon further inspection, he realized that Wan Lu’s appearance was not inferior to Peony’s, even more delicate in features, only previously his attention had been entirely on Ran Yan, overlooking the plainly dressed maids beside her, Ge Lan serene and Wan Lu brash, a stark contrast.
Even though Junior Minister Yuan found the two beauties across from him to be a pleasure to the eyes, he had lost face in public and naturally couldn’t step down gracefully, hence he assumed a stately bearing and said in a deep voice, "Junior Minister Sun’s fairness in handling cases is well witnessed, he wouldn’t wrongly accuse a mere maid, and naturally, he wouldn’t rashly convict the Marquis’ wife."
"If convenient, I would like to inspect the corpse," Liu Qingsong suddenly interjected.