A lucky little peasant girl is reborn and brings prosperity to her entire family.

Xie Youchang asked the shopkeeper to serve Tian Denghua and the others hot tea again.

The shopkeeper dared not delay and ran faster than a rabbit.

Princess Wu then calmly stopped the old woman's cursing: "Alright, that's enough. Don't lose your manners in front of outsiders."

The old woman knelt down and said loudly, "Your Highness is right. This old servant was just standing up for you."

Princess Wu, with a calm expression, took another sip of tea.

Xie Youchang asked a few questions as usual.

For example, their purpose in being there today, what they were doing when the fire broke out, and how they escaped.

Princess Wu answered them one by one.

They were quite cooperative.

Xie Youchang memorized the documents behind him with lightning speed, almost to the point of writing them down in bold strokes.

After the writer finished writing the statement, Xie Youchang picked up the paper, blew on the ink, and carefully read it over. Finding no flaws, Xie Youchang then handed it to Princess Wu.

"Your Highness, please take a look. If there are no problems, please sign here."

Princess Wu raised an eyebrow, glanced at it briefly, and pressed her handprint with a half-smile: "Young Master Xie is indeed very capable."

"You flatter me." Xie Youchang remained unmoved, carefully put away the confession signed by Princess Wu, and then asked Song Yanyan the same questions he had asked Princess Wu earlier.

After Song Yanyan answered the first two questions, Princess Wu said quietly when it came to the third one, "Speaking of which, I also have a question. There were too many people earlier, and I was afraid it would damage Miss Song's reputation, so I didn't ask. Now that there are fewer people, I can ask it."

Song Yanyan looked directly at Princess Wu and said, "Please."

Princess Wu stared intently at Song Yanyan: "I would like to ask Miss Song, my son Zhiming risked his life to return to the fire to save you, why did you stab him and push him into the pond?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Youchang suddenly raised his head and stared intently at Princess Wu.

Xie Youchang had already heard about Xin Zhiming harassing Song Yanyan.

He didn't believe a single word of what Princess Wu said.

However, since Princess Wu dared to ask this question in front of him, it means that such a thing did indeed happen—Xin Zhiming was injured and fell into the pond.

However, how exactly it happened is certainly not what the Queen of Wu said.

Xie Youchang looked at Song Yanyan with some worry in his eyes.

The Wu Prince's family is truly shameless.

Song Yanyan is just a young girl, yet she has to be bullied like this...

But Song Yanyan was not as Xie Youchang had feared.

She was calm and composed, with clear and bright eyes, without a trace of gloom.

She said softly, "Oh? So, the lecherous man who tried to tear my clothes in the fire was the young prince of the Wu Prince's Mansion? In my panic, I injured the lecherous man who tried to take liberties with me in order to protect myself. With thick smoke billowing around, I didn't know that the lecherous man was actually the young prince."

Princess Wu's face darkened, and the old woman beside her shouted, "Outrageous! Our young prince risked his own safety to save you, and not only did you injure him, but you also slander him as a lecher?!"

Tian Denghua slammed her hand on the table in anger: "What, you think you're right just because you raise your voice?! You know my daughter was trapped in the fire. If your young prince hadn't acted inappropriately, would my daughter have treated him like a lecher? Don't you value your life?!"

The old woman's face flushed red: "Are you trying to pin the blame on my young prince?! Our young prince would never do such a thing!"

Tian Denghua retorted angrily, "You're clearly trying to slander my daughter! My daughter is perfectly fine, how could she do something like this?!"

The two sides argued endlessly.

Princess Wu's face turned cold: "Enough!"

Tian Denghua wasn't afraid of any princess at this moment!

She realized that these arrogant people, if you behave yourself and don't provoke them, they'll want to tear you apart and eat your flesh.

It's better to bite them hard with all your might and let them know that it's not so easy to eat their flesh!

Even if it ends in a futile struggle, it's better than the outcome where only the victims get hurt!

Tian Denghua looked at Princess Wu coldly, showing no sign of yielding.

Xie Youchang suddenly spoke up: "Since Princess Wu said that the young prince could not have done such a thing, and Miss Song said that there was such a lecher, then it means that Miss Song may have hurt the real lecher, and the young prince was hurt by someone else."

Princess Wu suddenly looked at Xie Youchang.

She never expected that Xie Youchang would actually say such a thing!

Xie Youchang, however, did not look at Princess Wu.

He stood there with a cold expression.

Princess Wu finally withdrew her gaze, her eyes taking on a fierce look.

"If that's the case, it seems this was all a misunderstanding," Princess Wu said calmly. "After all, with thick smoke billowing in the fire, it's common to mistake one person for another."

Tian Denghua snorted coldly, but did not accept the way out offered by Princess Wu.

Song Yanyan remained silent.

It was as if no one paid any attention to Princess Wu.

Princess Wu's expression was rather unpleasant.

Xie Youchang, knowing he couldn't push Princess Wu too far, took the initiative to break the awkward silence: "...By the way, Miss Song, you haven't had a chance to tell us how you escaped the fire?"

Song Yanyan then recounted how she escaped from the fire.

When discussing the part about Deng Tu Zi, she didn't mention the young prince at all, referring to him only as Deng Tu Zi.

But when Tian Denghua and Zhao Annian, the two parents, heard this, their fists clenched so tightly that the veins stood out!

Xie Youchang was also swept up in a surge of anger.

This young prince of the Wu royal family is truly despicable!

Xie Youchang already felt that the fire was suspicious, and after hearing what Song Yanyan said, a strange thought suddenly popped into his mind.

—With such a grand spectacle, could it be that Princess Wu is trying to ruin Song Yanyan's reputation?!

Imagine if Song Yanyan hadn't broken free from Xin Zhiming, and had been rescued from the fire in full view of everyone, disheveled and naked.

So, either she marries Xin Zhiming, or she cuts her hair and becomes a nun!

There was no other way out!

After all, with so many eyes watching, even though the current dynasty is no longer so strict about the separation of men and women, the mouths of the world are like knives, and they will still torture Song Yanyan to death!

—Looking at it this way, Song Yanyan only has one good path left: to marry Xin Zhiming, who risked his life to save her from the fire!

As for the suspicion that it might have been a scheme orchestrated by the Princess of Wu?

No, Princess Wu herself is involved, which is actually the best way to clarify things!

Thinking of this, Xie Youchang felt a cold sweat break out on his back!

How vicious is the Princess Consort of Wu!

How treacherous is the Queen Consort of Wu!

Xie Youchang remained outwardly calm, keeping the guess in mind. He bowed slightly to Princess Wu and Tian Denghua, saying, "You've all been frightened by today's events. The questioning by the Five Cities Garrison is temporarily over. Please return to your residences and rest well. If I need any help from you in the future, I will pay you a visit."