Dugu Jingyao is reborn as Li Chu's beloved

Chapter 319 Everyone Stands Up for Dugu Jingyao

Dugu Jingyao raised her eyebrows slightly and said with a smile: "Oh? I wonder what the evidence that Lord Yang mentioned is? Could it be that Madam Han Guo really has solid physical evidence? Or is there someone who witnessed this with their own eyes? Why not tell me about it." Her cold voice was as pleasant to the ears as a mountain spring, but it contained a hint of chillness.

Dugu Jingyao's words left Yang Guozhong and Madam Han Guo speechless. But after a moment, a smile returned to Yang Guozhong's face, and he slowly said, "Haha, if you do something like this, it's naturally impossible for others to see you." His words seemed understated, but they held a hidden meaning.

At this time, Dugu Xin, who had been silent on the side, seemed to understand the deep meaning of his daughter's words, and immediately retorted loudly: "Hmph! Lord Yang, as the saying goes, hearing is not believing, seeing is believing. Since you keep saying that there are witnesses, but that person has not even seen the incident with his own eyes, how can he be called a witness? Isn't this nonsense?" Dugu Xin's tone was quite tough, and he showed no mercy to Yang Guozhong.

Yang Guozhong's face darkened upon hearing this, and he secretly grew furious. He suddenly raised his voice and shouted, "Stop your unfounded arguments! You're simply being unreasonable!" For a moment, the atmosphere became extremely tense, and everyone held their breath, not daring to interrupt.

At this moment, Mrs. Han Guo noticed that her brother had lost his composure, and she hurriedly coughed a few times to hint to Yang Guozhong to pay attention to his words and actions.

Yang Guozhong was, after all, a seasoned official, and he quickly realized that his actions had been inappropriate. He quickly bowed to the emperor and apologized, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was impulsive and lost my manners. I beg your Majesty to punish me."

The Emperor simply waved his hand casually, saying, "Never mind. Since you claim to have a witness, bring him up quickly. A face-to-face confrontation before me will clear both parties' names."

Although the emperor's words were calm and gentle, everyone present knew that the outcome of this confrontation was crucial and any inadvertent move could cause an uproar.

Since the emperor had spoken, Yang Guozhong naturally did as he was told. He sent someone to bring up the witnesses. There were two of them: one was dressed in ordinary clothes and looked like an ordinary citizen, and the other looked like a soldier.

Where had they ever seen such a grand spectacle? Where had they ever seen the Emperor or the Crown Prince? They were taken aback by the scene, but they still remembered the rules. The soldier and the civilians knelt together and said, "Your humble servants pay their respects to the Emperor."

The emperor's solemn voice rang out: "Tell me, what did you see or hear? You must explain everything clearly."

The soldier spoke first, "Your Majesty, I was responsible for escorting the two princesses back to Yunnan. After the assassination attempt, Princess Yi'an was fine at first, but then she suddenly fainted. She later found a nearby inn to stay at. She was fine when she first checked in, but when I went downstairs, I saw people carrying water to Princess Yi'an's room. On the way back, I accidentally bumped into one of them, who seemed to be Princess Yi'an's maid. The water splashed on me, and I'm pretty sure it was cold water. Later, I heard that His Royal Highness Prince Guangping had arrived with the apprentice of the miracle doctor. About an incense stick of time later, I heard the sound of... that coming from the princess's room."

The man dressed as a commoner also agreed: "Yes, yes, I am a waiter in the inn. I still remember that day, it was that girl who asked me for cold water. She said that the colder the water, the better." As he spoke, he pointed to the sword beside Dugu Jingyao.

Yes, Shi Jian, standing by, also recognized him. It was the same servant she had asked for cold water that day. She knelt and saluted, "Your Majesty, I did ask this waiter for cold water that day, but that doesn't seem to have anything to do with whether the princess has lost her virginity, does it?"

What he said seems to be true. What can using cold water prove?

But Yang Guozhong seemed to have caught the loophole and said, "Even if ordinary people wash wounds or their bodies, they use hot water. Who would use cold water?"

Liu Jingyue couldn't remain calm at this moment. After all, it was she who had asked Shi Jian to borrow the cold water. Who could have imagined that such a small matter would be seized upon and made into such a big deal? She absolutely couldn't let it go like this! Now that she was here, she had to take action.

Liu Jingyue stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and then said calmly, "Lord Yang, please calm down. It was indeed me who requested the cold water. My sister was unfortunately injured, and the wound became inflamed and caused a high fever. I borrowed this cold water simply to help lower her body temperature."

Hearing this, Mrs. Han's face suddenly showed a trace of suspicion, and she asked: "What kind of wound requires so much cold water to clean it?"

Liu Jingyue cursed inwardly: Is this woman looking for trouble on purpose? She's just looking for trouble! She really wants to rush over and tear her chattering mouth apart!

However, despite the rage burning within her, she maintained a polite demeanor on the surface and patiently explained, "Mrs. Han Guo, you may not know that cooling the body isn't just about the wound itself; it's about effectively cooling the entire body. Only in this way can we truly alleviate the symptoms of a high fever."

After hearing this, Mrs. Han was speechless, as if her throat was blocked by something, and she couldn't utter a single word. She thought to herself: How abhorrent! I didn't expect this family to be so eloquent and eloquent!

At this moment, Dugu Xin, Dugu Jingyao, and Dugu Moyan, who had been silently observing the situation from the sidelines, couldn't help but give Liu Jingyue a thumbs-up. They were cheering for Liu Jingyue in their hearts, hoping that she would continue to confront the other party and refute them harshly.

The emperor was so annoyed by their quarrels that he slammed the table and said sternly, "Stop quarreling! It's giving me a headache!"

At this time, Yang Guifei hurried forward to help the emperor calm down and said, "Your Majesty, you should put the dragon's health first!"

Before anyone else could make a move, Liu Jingyue knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm down. I simply couldn't bear to see my sister suffer, so I couldn't help but argue with Lord Yang and Lady Han. I beg Your Majesty to forgive me."

On the other side, Yang Guozhong and Lady Han Guo were dumbfounded. Such a little kid had actually learned to be the first to complain. But before they could think about it, they both knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm down!"

Yang Guozhong also defended himself, saying, "Just now, I was too anxious and couldn't help but quarrel with the King of Yunnan and Princess Yining. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

The emperor looked at the gentle and considerate Yang Guifei beside him, then looked at Yang Guozhong and Lady Han Guo who were kneeling below him and said, "Forget it, forget it. Get up!"

Yang Guifei thoughtfully asked Eunuch Gao to bring over some heat-reducing tea and said softly, "Your Majesty, since both sides are arguing with each other and there has been no result for a long time, why not resort to the methods of the harem?"

The emperor put down the teacup, looked up at Yang Guifei, and asked, "What do you mean, Concubine?"

Yang Guifei bowed solemnly and said, "How about asking the palace maid to examine Princess Yi'an's body? If the examination proves that she is still a virgin, the rumors will naturally be dispelled."

The Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, Li Chu, Dugu Xin, and Dugu Moyan all gasped when they heard this. After all, they were all insiders and knew that Dugu Jingyao was no longer a virgin. If they checked, wouldn't that confirm the rumor?

The Crown Prince first bowed to the Emperor and said, "Father, I believe this method is inappropriate. Apart from anything else, if we verify it, even if the rumor is proven false, wouldn't that cast doubt on your judgment in choosing a wife for your grandson?"

The prince truly understood the emperor. Even though the emperor was old, he was still the emperor. His decisions were unquestionable, and he would not easily admit his mistakes. So, he looked at Yang Guifei with a gloomy expression.

Yang Guifei quickly realized that the emperor was angry, so she feigned panic and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I did not mean to do that. I just wanted the truth to be revealed and to clear Princess Yi'an's name. I had no intention of questioning you!"

The Emperor had always considered the Imperial Concubine a close friend, and the two of them were in perfect harmony. He believed the Imperial Concubine had no such intentions, so he said to them, "You both should get up. I also think this method is inappropriate."

Then Yang Guozhong launched a new round of attacks: "Your Majesty, this matter cannot be left unresolved like this! After all, Princess Yi'an is the daughter-in-law of the royal family. If she carries on with such rumors, wouldn't it be bad for the royal family's reputation?"

This time, Li Chu retorted, "Lord Yang, you're worrying too much. Since it's just a rumor, we can always find out the source. Once we find the source, we'll naturally know whether it's a frame-up or the truth. Furthermore, I was at the scene at the time, and nothing of the sort happened."

Mrs. Han Guo said, "The soldier and the waiter didn't know each other, but their statements were the same. Could it be that they were both talking nonsense?"

Li Chu sneered and said, "Oh? Madam Han Guo, are you questioning me?"

Mrs. Han Guo could only say awkwardly, "I dare not."

Dugu Jingyao was deeply moved when she saw so many people standing up for her. She didn't want to embarrass them, so she stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to accept the examination and prove my innocence!"

Li Chu couldn't help but ask: "Jingyao, you?"

Dugu Jingyao bowed to everyone and said, "Thank you all for speaking up for me, but the innocent will be cleared. If this can quell the rumors and prevent everyone from getting into trouble, then I am willing to do it." After saying this, she looked at Li Chu with a firm look.

When Li Chu saw this look, he understood that Dugu Jingyao had made up her mind and must have countermeasures, so he stopped trying to stop her and secretly signaled to the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess with his eyes not to stop her.