Yue Mingxuan's cold gaze swept around the hall. The Seventh Princess Rong Yuelin sat beside Xie Lianhua and her elder brother Rong Tieshan while glaring angrily at him.
Yue Mingxuan's thin lips curved slightly, a trace of mockery flickering in his eyes. "Madam Zhen said that I had improper relations with someone. For an unmarried person, that is indeed a grave accusation. But… is there any proof?"
Rong Yuelin who saw that Yue Mingxuan showed no sign of admitting guilt, shot to her feet in fury. Her slender finger pointed straight at his face and said, "Princess Xie Lianhua is the witness! Even my brother can testify, it was they who saw you appear at the city gate early this morning!"
"Appearing at the city gate is evidence of guilt?" Yue Mingxuan asked calmly. "As the Seventh Princess said, I was not the only one there this morning. Princess Xie Lianhua was there as well." His cloud like eyes glanced sideways at Xie Lianhua, who sat nearby.
Whenever there was a chance to laugh at him, this so-called "good sister" never failed to appear.
Hearing Yue Mingxuan's words, Xie Lianhua frowned slightly, then quickly put on a pitiful and gentle expression. Tears shimmered in her lovely eyes, as if she were suffering deeply.
Heh. With that acting skill she could win awards in the modern world. Even "flawless performance" would be an understatement.
Xie Lianhua stood up gracefully and bowed her head, looking as if she were too wronged to speak. "Younger Brother Mingxuan, I worried for you all night, waiting anxiously by the city gate. The moment I heard news of you, I rushed there. Now that things have come to this, you should admit your mistake to His Majesty, to Concubine Hua, and to Prince Rong. They are all kind and understanding people. Surely they will not… will not…"
Look at that, this was how a noble princess should speak and act: graceful, gentle, perfect, as if she were a goddess descended from heaven.
Yue Mingxuan raised an eyebrow and said lazily, "They will not punish an unchaste and impure fiancé, is that what you mean?"
"You…" Xie Lianhua's tearful eyes widened and tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Xie Lianhua, you're too kind to still speak for him," Rong Yuelin snapped angrily. "Can't you see how ungrateful he is? Such a filthy person!" She turned to Xie Lianhua and added coldly, "Come, let's not waste our time with him."
Filthy. Again that word—filthy. Since early morning, everyone had been calling him that. Was he really so filthy?
Yue Mingxuan lowered his head and looked at himself. His clothes were a bit wrinkled, but did that really make him dirty?
"May I ask, Seventh Princess," he said slowly, "how exactly do you see that I'm 'filthy'? I bathe and change clothes every day." His calm tone carried a faint edge of anger.
"Presumptuous!" Rong Yuelin gripped Xie Lianhua's arm tightly while scolding him with the authority of a princess.