304 Perjury
Seeing that she still didn’t seem to care, Yu Sheng advised seriously, “I know you feel wronged, but he’s still your biological father. Can you stop hating him?”
Yu Niaoniao blinked. “I don’t hate him.”
Yu Sheng did not believe her.
Yu Niaoniao said, “It’s true that I don’t like him much, but it’s not to the point of hating him.”
Yu Sheng was still slightly doubtful.
Yu Niaoniao smiled.
“If I didn’t have a good life all these years, maybe I’d have hated him.
But in fact, I’ve been living well in Bashu all these years.
My mother and stepfather gave me a perfect family.
I grew up in a blissful atmosphere and personally felt what kinship was.
Why should I hate when I have so much love?”
This time, not only Yu Sheng, but even Yu Pingping was stunned.
This was the first time Yu Niaoniao had talked about the past in front of them.
They thought that Yu Niaoniao’s life should not have been very good in the past. After all, she lived in a remote place like Bashu. Moreover, Madam Xie married again and Yu Niaoniao had to live with her stepfather. Her life must be like walking on thin ice.
Unexpectedly, the truth was the opposite of what they had imagined.
She was actually living very well, even better than in the Imperial Capital.
Yu Pingping could not help but ask.
“If you’re living so well, why did you come to Imperial Capital?”
The smile on Yu Niaoniao’s face faded. “Because my mother and stepfather passed away. My maternal grandfather and grandmother are old. I don’t want to cause them trouble, so I can only come to Imperial Capital.”
Yu Pingping knew that she had misspoken. She wanted to apologize, but she could not bring herself to do so. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but she could not say a word.
Yu Sheng said, “I’m sorry for bringing up your sad matters.”
“It’s fine. It’s all in the past.”
Yu Niaoniao appeared very calm as if she had already gotten over everything. After sending Yu Sheng and Yu Pingping off, Yu Niaoniao sat alone at the table for a while.
Actually, she had never been able to get over it.
The deaths of Madam Xie and Feng Lianghan had always been a knot in her heart. Unless the real culprit was found, she would hold a grudge for the rest of her life.
Yesterday, Xiao Juan and Wei Liao interrogated all the relevant personnel in the case.
There was only one person who was not present, and that was Princess Tao Ran.
She was still grounded and could not leave the princess’s manor without the emperor’s permission.
In order to interrogate her, Wei Liao had especially entered the palace yesterday to seek permission from the emperor.
This morning, Princess Tao Ran was brought to the Justice Department.
The first thing she said was:
“The Princess Consort of Lang County killed someone. I saw it with my own eyes. There’s no mistake!”
Xiao Juan looked at her expressionlessly with a cold gaze.
Wei Liao still had a half-smile on his face. “Please tell me the whole story of the murder committed by the Princess Consort of Lang County.”
Princess Tao Ran only saw the palace maid being shot in the heart and falling to the ground. But she knew that saying that would not convict Yu Niaoniao, so she began to embellish.
“I saw her arguing with that palace maid. The two of them fought, and then she shot an arrow and killed the palace maid. After that, I asked her to stay and plead guilty. She refused to listen to my advice and fled. It’s obvious that she has a guilty conscience.”
Xiao Juan said coldly, “What posture did she use and from which direction did she shoot the arrow? What posture did the palace maid take?”
Princess Tao Ran did not answer the question.
“Cousin Mo Zhu, long time no see. I miss you.”
Xiao Juan emphasized, “Answer my question just now.”
Princess Tao Ran hooked a strand of hair with her finger and smiled slyly. “You can ask me to answer your question if you agree to one of my requests. You have to accompany me to dinner later.”
Wei Liao said with the mentality of watching a show, “Alright, I’ll promise you on his behalf.”
Xiao Juan did not even look at Wei Liao and said coldly, “It’s your duty to cooperate with our investigation.”
Princess Tao Ran pouted. “But I don’t want to cooperate! Are you going to torture me?”
Xiao Juan said, “You can try.”
Wei Liao looked at him in surprise and deliberately asked in an exaggerated tone.
“Don’t tell me you really want to hurt the princess?”
Xiao Juan said, “The Justice Department hasn’t tortured a princess yet. I don’t mind setting a precedent.”
Princess Tao Ran rolled her eyes and suddenly smiled.
“You can torture me, but I want Cousin Mo Zhu to do it himself.
“As long as it’s Cousin Mo Zhu, I’m willing even if it kills me.”
Wei Liao sighed. “Your Highness is so infatuated. I’m almost moved to tears.”
Xiao Juan knew Princess Tao Ran’s personality. The more he ignored her, the more excited she became.
He stood up. “I still have something to do. Little Lo, help me out for a while.”
With that, he strode out of the interrogation room.
Seeing this, Princess Tao Ran immediately panicked.
“Don’t go! Come back!”
She stood up and wanted to chase after him, but she was firmly held down by two Eagle Guards.
She shouted in exasperation.
“Get lost! Don’t touch me!”
Lo Pingsha took Xiao Juan’s place.
He quietly watched as Princess Tao Ran shouted. He had no intention of dissuading her.
In the end, it was Wei Liao who couldn’t stand the noise and rubbed his ears.
“Your Highness, stop shouting. He’s already gone. Even if you shout until your throat tears, he won’t hear you.”
Princess Tao Ran clenched her fists and said, “I only speak to Cousin Mo Zhu. No one else can get a word out of me!”
Wei Liao said, “But if you don’t speak, we won’t be able to convict the Princess Consort of Lang County.”
These words hit Princess Tao Ran’s soft spot.
She immediately calmed down. “I’ve already told you everything I saw. The Princess Consort of Lang County killed the maid.”
Lo Pingsha reminded him, “You haven’t told me the exact details of the murder committed by the Princess Consort of Lang County.”
Princess Tao Ran was very impatient. “What other details can there be? Isn’t it just an arrow? Those who shot from the front will be killed directly.”
Lo Pingsha said, “If she was shot from the front, they must have been facing each other. That palace maid is neither blind nor stupid. If she saw someone shooting at her, wouldn’t she dodge?”
Princess Tao Ran said, “They were fighting. The two of them were too close. The palace maid couldn’t avoid it.”
“Why were they fighting? What position were they fighting in?”
Princess Tao Ran did not want to answer these trivial questions.
Lo Pingsha said, “If you don’t make things clear, we won’t be able to settle the case.”
Princess Tao Ran could only say.
“I don’t know why they fought, but they were already fighting when I saw them. The palace maid grabbed the clothes of the Princess Consort of Lang County, and the Princess Consort of Lang County took the opportunity to shoot an arrow into her heart.”
Lo Pingsha asked, “Did the palace maid grab the clothes of the Princess of Lang County? Was it her chest? Or her clothes?”
Princess Tao Ran thought for a moment before saying, “It should be the hem of her clothes.”
Lo Pingsha said, “The gown the princess wore that day was very long and was draped all the way to the ground. If the palace maid wanted to grab the hem, she would have to squat on the ground.”
Princess Tao Ran immediately corrected herself. “It was the lapel on her chest! I misremembered it just now.”
Lo Pingsha called over an Eagle Guard. The two of them stood facing each other. Lo Pingsha let the Eagle Guard grab the lapels of his chest while he raised his right hand in an archery gesture.
In the end, they realized that the Eagle Guard’s action of grabbing the other party’s clothes caused his arm to block his chest.
It was impossible for the arrow to pierce through and hit the heart.
Lo Pingsha looked at Princess Tao Ran expressionlessly.
“Do you know the crime of perjury?”