Let’s Squander A Billion First!

Chapter 871: Chapter 871: Phoenix Dominates the Rivers and Mountains (13)

Young Master Xu’s face was drained of all color.

He was trembling.

Young Master Xu said nothing, and no one else in the room spoke either.

The silence was eerily unsettling.

”Is it...”

”Young Master Xu, I stood up for you, yet you dare deceive me like this!”

The Seventh Princess shouted sharply.

Young Master Xu was so taken aback by her outburst that he seemed to forget what he was about to say.

”Your Highness, the Seventh...”

”Why did you frame the Eldest Imperial Sister!” The Seventh Princess demanded again.

”You...”

”Who exactly is the person you were colluding with!?”

The Seventh Princess bombarded him with questions, not giving Young Master Xu a chance to speak.

”Did you never consider your parents when you did all these things?”

Parents...

Young Master Xu’s face turned even paler.

Chuzheng glanced at the Seventh Princess: ”Say it, and I assure you your parents will be safe.”

Young Master Xu trembled, head down, clenched his teeth, caught in internal torment and struggle.

The Seventh Princess broke out in a cold sweat from Chuzheng’s words.

She knows?

No.

Impossible.

Don’t frighten yourself.

Chuzheng spoke again: ”She can betray you now, and she will definitely do so in the future. Protect her, and you’ll gain nothing in return. You could lose your life and your family’s future.”

Each word struck at the heart.

Young Master Xu looked towards the Seventh Princess.

The Seventh Princess maintained a stern expression, showing no signs of emotion.

But the warning in her eyes was intense.

Young Master Xu turned his gaze to Chuzheng: ”Your Highness will keep her promise?” To protect his family.

Chuzheng nodded: ”Of course.”

The Seventh Princess secretly broke into a cold sweat, but she could do nothing now.

Otherwise, she would be exposing herself.

Young Master Xu avoided the threatening gaze of the Seventh Princess, biting his lip, and finally made his decision: ”It was... Seventh Highness.”

”What nonsense are you spouting!”

The Seventh Princess exploded instantly.

”I am not spouting nonsense.” Young Master Xu clenched his fist: ”The Jade Pendant was brought by Seventh Highness, and the birthmark was also something Seventh Highness told me about.”

Half of Young Master Xu’s previous statements were not a lie.

After being rejected by Chuzheng, he went back to drink.

Feeling stifled in the room, he went out for some air, still holding his drink, and found another place to continue drinking.

It was there that he encountered the Seventh Princess.

At that time, he was drunk and had a long conversation with the Seventh Princess, mostly about his affection for the Grand Imperial Princess.

The Seventh Princess comforted him.

He couldn’t remember much of what happened after that.

But when he sobered up, he was already in that secluded hall.

The Seventh Princess was also present, and Young Master Xu understood what had transpired.

”Why are you crying? You were the one who wouldn’t let go of me first.” The Seventh Princess’ eyes held a hint of malice: ”You kept calling me Imperial Sister, and now that you realize it wasn’t her, are you very disappointed?”

Young Master Xu could not recall if he had mistaken the Seventh Princess for someone else in his drunken stupor.

Or was it for another reason...

But now the incident had already occurred.

The Seventh Princess impatiently said: ”Fine, I’ll offer you a solution. It can help you get the person you’ve been yearning for, how about it?”

Then...

The current situation unfolded.

The Seventh Princess promised him that even if Chuzheng was unwilling, if it reached the Empress, for the sake of reputation, she would surely marry him.

However, things did not turn out as they had expected.

Young Master Xu agreed to such terms, mainly due to the Seventh Princess’ assurance that ’he could marry as a matter of course.’

The Seventh Princess couldn’t admit it, denying it outright.

But Young Master Xu said that after their conspiracy, the Seventh Princess sought him out once more.

Marks were still on the Seventh Princess.

This time, Young Master Xu was sober and remembered clearly.

The Seventh Princess did not bring her Attendant Lord, and those marks were unexplainable.

It couldn’t have been self-inflicted, right?

Young Master Xu had been cautious enough to keep a piece of fabric torn from the Seventh Princess’ clothing.

The fabric of the clothes worn by the imperial princesses was different from common attire, and a simple comparison could reveal the truth.

Chuzheng looked at the Seventh Princess expressionlessly: ”Seventh Imperial Sister, I didn’t realize you were this kind of person.”

The Seventh Princess’ face turned ashen as she glared venomously at Chuzheng.

”One last question, why did you steal my Jade Pendant? Is Seventh Imperial Sister short of money?”

”...”

Being caught stealing left the Seventh Princess with no face to show in public.

-

”I never expected it to be Seventh Highness who did it.”

”I just couldn’t believe it was Her Royal Highness the Princess. Her Highness has been of age for two years, and she doesn’t even have one Attendant Lord by her side. How could she force someone else?”

”The Xu family young master always liked Her Royal Highness the Princess. Have you seen his gaze... I think it was him trying to seduce Her Royal Highness the Princess, failing, and then turning to slander Her Royal Highness.”

”Truly shameless...”

”Hey, how will this matter be resolved?”

”How else? The Seventh Princess agreed to take him as an Attendant Lord.”

What else could the Seventh Princess do?

If she didn’t take Young Master Xu back, what would people say about her?

Playing around with a man is one thing, but the target being a minister from the court is another.

If it reached the Empress, could she face the consequences?

The Seventh Princess felt stifled.

She hadn’t intended to do anything to Young Master Xu when she encountered him.

He had been the one to hold onto her, mistaking her for Chuzheng.

The more the Seventh Princess thought about it, the angrier she became; even a fool had admirers. Coupled with Young Master Xu’s reckless behavior, she took out her frustrations on him.

But she calmed down afterward.

In the red-light districts, one could play however they liked, but this man was the son of a minister from the court.

Could one just play around with such a person?

So before Young Master Xu was fully conscious, the Seventh Princess devised this plan.

The Jade Pendant was something she had stolen initially for a different purpose, but due to this situation, she had to use it.

Now look.

The plan failed.

She set herself up instead.

The Seventh Princess could only blame her bad luck.

-

After two incidents in succession, nobody was in the mood to continue the hunt, so everyone packed up and headed back.

The main troupe was preparing to leave.

Chuzheng headed towards her carriage. Ning Yao was talking to the Seventh Princess, and when she saw her, Ning Yao walked over.

”Eldest Imperial Sister.” Ning Yao’s voice was somewhat cold: ”How have I offended you, for you to strike me like this?”

”I haven’t.”

”I saw it.” Ning Yao gazed at her, his eyes deep and enunciating every word: ”That person was you.”

He saw it?

Was Ning Yao awake at that time?

It seems I should have finished the task.

I’ll have to be careful next time.

”It wasn’t me.” Chuzheng was extremely calm: ”Perhaps someone was impersonating me.”

”Eldest Imperial Sister, is there any point in denying it now?”

”Yes.” Chuzheng paused: ”Because I didn’t do it, you saw wrong.”

”I couldn’t have seen wrong.” Ning Yao said firmly: ”That person was you.”

Chuzheng asked seriously: ”Do you have any evidence?”

If you have no evidence, what can you do about it, hmph!!

”...” She witnessed it with her eyes, and that isn’t evidence?

Chuzheng stood her ground: ”Without evidence, it cannot prove that person was me.”

Ning Yao’s expression suddenly turned sorrowful, questioning her: ”Why? Eldest Imperial Sister, what did I do wrong for you to treat me like this?”

Chuzheng: ”...”

I was initially going to finish you off, but... it’s on rewind!