483 Give Me Your Hand
The empress was about to speak when Xia Qiluo beat her to it and spoke first. “You both are sticking to your own argument. If you insist on reporting it to the authorities, then do it.”
Zhang Shuangshuang looked at Xia Qiluo firmly. “Thank you for fulfilling my wish, Princess.”
Zhang Heng wanted to slap Zhang Shuangshuang to death. He said angrily, “You unfilial daughter, how long are you going to cause trouble for? You’ve completely embarrassed me. You did such a thing and still want the entire world to know about it. Do you want the world to laugh at me?”
Zhang Shuangshuang did not look at Zhang Heng. She said firmly, “I didn’t push her. If Father doesn’t believe me, I can only seek justice myself.”
Su Yanyu broke free from Mrs. Su’s hand and said with a smile, “It’s not so difficult to investigate this matter. Miss Liu, who helped the Xuanyi Department investigate the toughest of cases, is here. It’ll only take her a while to figure out who’s telling the truth and who’s lying.”
Mrs. Su was angry and helpless. She hit Su Yanyu a few times.
Liu Sanniang walked up to Zhang Shuangshuang and squatted down. She stretched out her hand and said, “If Second Miss trusts me, put your hand in mine.”
Zhang Shuangshuang looked at the palm in front of her. She looked at Liu Sanniang and saw a pair of warm eyes. After her mother died, she had never felt warmth again.
Every step she took was like treading on thin ice. She thought that she had already been engaged and that she only needed to endure until the time of marriage. However, she did not expect such a thing to happen on such an occasion. Her fiancé jumped into the water without caring about his own safety, but the person he saved was not her.
She felt completely heartbroken inside. Her tone was gentle and a little choked. “You’re Miss Liu?”
Liu Sanniang nodded. “I am.”
Zhang Shuangshuang stretched out her hand. Qing Mei was still a little worried. “Miss.”
Zhang Shuangshuang placed her hand on Liu Sanniang’s palm. Immediately, she felt a warm force spreading throughout her body, dispelling the coldness in her heart.
Liu Sanniang reached out her left hand and pulled down Zhang Shuangshuang’s hand that was holding the hairpin. “Put it down.”
Zhang Shuangshuang did not resist and slowly put down her arm. Qing Mei quickly covered the wound on her neck with a handkerchief. “Miss, why are you doing this to hurt yourself?”
It was not worth it to hurt herself over this matter. It was not worth it at all.
Zhang Shuangshuang choked. If she had not been forced into such a desperate situation, she would not have hurt herself to prove her innocence.
No matter what the outcome was, her life was ruined. Li Jing wanted to break off the engagement, and no one was willing to stand up for her. Her father was biased. What else could she expect? She was using her death to prove that she was not lying.
Zhang Shuangshuang looked into Liu Sanniang’s eyes and was stunned. She felt that Liu Sanniang understood her pain.
Liu Sanniang’s expression was gentle and her eyes were warm. The power she released was also as gentle as water. It broke Zhang Shuangshuang’s defense and Liu Sanniang sensed everything about her.
Liu Sanniang slowly said, “You’re a very gentle woman, but you are also very strong. No matter how many injustices you suffer, you can always make it through. You’re not lying. The scenery on the lake is extremely beautiful. You were focused on admiring this beautiful scenery. When you saw a lotus, you stood up and wanted to pick it. With a scream, a hand pulled you into the water. You don’t know how to swim. You’re desperate, suffocated, and in pain…”
Liu Sanniang let go of Zhang Shuangshuang’s hand and smiled. “Even if you’re in peril, don’t be disheartened. Only by tearing through the darkness can you see the light.”
Zhang Shuangshuang looked at Liu Sanniang. No one could understand her feelings. Emotions surged in her heart, and tears welled up in her eyes. Every word Liu Sanniang said tugged at her heart strings. She wanted to ask how she could tear through the darkness and see the light.
After her mother’s death, she had fallen into a predicament that became more and more difficult to bear. No one could help her. What could she do to get out of this swamp? Could she really escape? Countless words came to her mouth, but they only converged into a few short words. “Thank you, Miss Liu.”
No one had said a word supporting her today. She could feel that even the empress did not want to give her justice. The empress had been in the harem for many years and seen everything. How could she not understand what was going on? She also knew that Zhang Shuangshuang was already disappointed enough and was prepared to die.
The justice Liu Sanniang promised her was a ray of light that shone into her world.
Zhang Yufei could no longer sit still. She looked at Liu Sanniang and said weakly, “I really felt someone push me. Miss, you weren’t there at that time. How did you know what happened?”
Zhang Yufei did not know Liu Sanniang, but she had heard some rumors about Liu Sanniang. However, how credible could rumors be?
She had tried her best to scheme and frame Zhang Shuangshuang, not giving her any chance to turn the tables. Who in the world was Liu Sanniang? Why right did she have to uphold justice?
After saying that, Zhang Yufei said to the empress, “Your Majesty, I was really pushed. Please help me.”
Xia Qiluo looked at Zhang Yufei with a complicated expression. “Were you really pushed?”
Zhang Yufei nodded. “If no one pushed me, how could I lose my balance?”
Xia Qiluo frowned. She hated Liu Sanniang, but she had to admit that Liu Sanniang was much more capable than her. Xia Qiluo looked at Zhang Yufei and said, “If you insist that someone pushed you, Miss Liu will have to read your mind.”
Zhang Yufei looked at Liu Sanniang. “Read my mind? Like how Miss Liu grabbed Second Sister’s hand just now?”
In everyone’s eyes, Liu Sanniang just grabbed Zhang Shuangshuang’s hand and said that Zhang Shuangshuang was not lying. She then described the scene as if she had seen it in person. Zhang Yufei was a little suspicious. Liu Sanniang was not present at that time, so how could she have seen it?
Xia Qiluo nodded. “Yes.”
Zhang Yufei hesitated for a moment before deciding not to let go of this opportunity to bring down Zhang Shuangshuang. She did not believe that anyone in this world could be so capable as to read minds.
She looked at Liu Sanniang and said calmly, “That’s fine. Second Sister threatened to kill herself. If I refuse to cooperate, won’t the world say that I’m narrow-minded and scheming? Second Sister refuses to admit what she did. Why should I admit something that I’ve not done?”
Originally, the situation was to her advantage, but some meddlesome people suddenly showed up. If she refused, how would others look at her in the future?
The empress’s eyes darkened as she said, “This is the Left Censor-in-chief’s family matter. How about this? Those who have nothing to do with this, go to the hall and rest first. I’ll be the judge and give justice to the wronged party.”
The birthday banquet became a place to watch a good show. No matter who was right or wrong, the empress was displeased. Zhang Shuangshuang even threatened to kill herself, which made her even more unhappy.