This line of reasoning had worked on Zhang Tai before, but now, listening to it, she only wanted to laugh.
If he truly cared for her in his heart, why did she have to bear his child to gain any recognition?
She withdrew her hand from his grasp, turning her head away in disgust.
When Situ Ling entered, Mingyi was still staring at Zhang Tai.
Her eyes were also red, her expression weary, but she seemed slightly more composed than Zhang Tai. Seeing him arrive, she stood up and had barely begun to bow when tears threatened to fall again.
"Sister Ming, don't cry," Situ Ling comforted her. "Men are often heartless, that's all."
Mingyi had been trying to hold back her emotions, but his words nearly made her laugh. "And you, young master, aren't you a man?"
"Every year in Star Yearn City, over a thousand women take their own lives because of matters of the heart," Situ Ling sighed. "When I grow up, I won't be like those men."
Hearing this, Mingyi realized that this person was just a half-grown child, yet he was already out and about in official robes.
Feeling pity, her tone softened. "Young master, you summoned me here early. Do you have any instructions?"
What instructions could Situ Ling have? He had merely heard about last night's events and thought she and Zhang Tai were in similar situations, wanting to see if she had anything to say. But though Mingyi was heartbroken, she wasn't as distraught as Zhang Tai.
He pondered for a moment before speaking. "I wanted to ask Sister Ming what you plan to do next."
Ji Bozhai was a man of status. Her outburst had displeased him, and it was unlikely she could return.
Mingyi immediately burst into tears again, waving her handkerchief. "I don't know what to do! Ji Bozhai... his heart is so cruel, wuwuwu!"
Zhang Tai stirred, finally snapping out of her daze. Seeing Mingyi crying, she let out a bitter laugh. "I thought you were the lucky one. Turns out you're just as pitiful as me."
With that, she turned to look at Xu Lan, who was still relentlessly berating her. "Leave."
"Leave? Where would I go?" Xu Lan frowned. "The things you've said would land me in prison. If I don't clear my name in front of the young master today, how can I leave?"
Zhang Tai scoffed. "What have I accused you of that isn't true? Wasn't it you who extorted the Dancing Girls in private? Wasn't it you who forced us into indecent acts? Wasn't it you who took bribes to choose which Dancing Girls would perform in the center?"
Xu Lan grew frantic, glancing at Situ Ling before glaring at her. "You're spouting nonsense! I didn't!"
Then, grabbing her arm, he hissed in frustration, "You're carrying my child. What good does it do you if I lose my position?"
"You were never going to take me back anyway. What does it matter to me if you lose your position?" Zhang Tai sneered. "The child? I'll take a dose of medicine and be rid of it. Go find someone else to bear your children."
Xu Lan was stunned, anger slowly building on his face. "You selfish bitch!"
As his emotions flared, Mingyi quickly stepped between them, frowning at Situ Ling. "Young master, aren't you going to protect your witness?"
Situ Ling hurriedly ordered Xu Lan to be taken away, awkwardly explaining, "He hasn't been convicted yet. He has the right to visitation."
"Then at least keep him at a distance. What if he lashes out and hurts someone?" Mingyi chided.
Zhang Tai looked at her and suddenly asked, "Did you know all along that Xu Lan was this kind of person?"
Here it was. A poorly answered question could be deadly.Mingyi didn’t hesitate: "I don’t know. I only just saw his true colors moments ago. Even you, who were so close to him, couldn’t see through him—how could I, who rarely interacted with him?"
When a sister is deceived, the last thing she needs is an "I told you so." It’s useless and only makes her angrier. The best approach is to stand with her in solidarity at the same moment.
Though Mingyi was also annoyed that Zhang Tai had implicated her because of a man, she could tell it wasn’t intentional betrayal. Seeing how pitiful Zhang Tai looked, Mingyi let it go and softly comforted her, "You’re beautiful and still young. There’s no need to worry about finding a way to survive."
Zhang Tai’s dried-up eyes moistened again. She sniffled and said to Situ Ling, "That day at the inner banquet, it really was just me begging Mingyi to take my place. She didn’t wear Mulan Qing’s dress, left right after dancing, and had no interaction with Prince Ping whatsoever."
Hearing this, Situ Ling turned to Mingyi.
Mingyi pressed her fingers to the corners of her eyes and cried, "In any case, Lord Ji won’t want me anymore, and I have nothing left to lose. You’re free to investigate, Your Honor. Aside from the jealous Dancing Girls whose words can’t be trusted, everyone at the banquet—whether nobles or officials—saw that the one wearing Mulan Qing that day was Rong Xin."
"Did Sister Ming not exchange dresses with her?"
"If I owned such a fine color as Mulan Qing, why would I swap with her?" Mingyi widened her eyes.
Her acting was truly masterful—her expressions natural, her demeanor lively—making Situ Ling wonder if Rong Xin and the others really were framing her.
After jotting a few notes in his ledger, Situ Ling decided to investigate around Rong Xin. If there was no grudge against Prince Ping, the case could be ruled an accident.
A gut feeling told him Mingyi was hiding something, but Situ Ling chose to ignore it.
He was clever and talented, but he had one weakness: he was prone to first impressions. From the start, he had thought highly of Mingyi, so he was disinclined to suspect her as the culprit.
Besides, Prince Ping had it coming anyway.
Before closing the ledger, Situ Ling asked one last question, "Is there nothing else to say about Lord Ji?"
Mingyi sniffled, her eyes flashing with resentment. "I’d love to denounce him as freely as Zhang Tai did, but though Lord Ji favored me for a time, he never shared much of his private affairs with me. There’s nothing to accuse him of."
Situ Ling nodded.
Ji Bozhai was indeed a man of deep cunning. Among all the nobles in Star Yearn City, he alone was inscrutable—which was precisely why Situ Ling suspected him. But since Ji Bozhai had been so guarded against Mingyi, it was unlikely they had conspired to harm anyone. Sister Ming was completely innocent, while Ji Bozhai...
Without witnesses or evidence, he couldn’t even bring him in for questioning now.
With a soft sigh, Situ Ling said, "I’ve just settled in the main city and am staying in a modest residence assigned by the Hall of Judgment. If you have nowhere to go, Sister Ming, I can offer you shelter."
Mingyi smiled bitterly. "I still have to wait for Lord Ji to decide my fate."
Though he had wronged her first, given the disparity in their statuses, she couldn’t leave the Ji residence unless he released her.
Zhang Tai squeezed her hand and asked Situ Ling, "What punishment will I face?"
"As a Dancing Girl who evaded the inner banquet, the penalty is thirty lashes. But considering your cooperation in reporting the truth, your merits offset the offense. You’ll only need to pay a fine," he replied.
Zhang Tai sighed in relief but then frowned. Having left Xu Lan, she was penniless.
"I’ll pay it for you," Mingyi offered generously.
Everyone froze, staring at her until she added sheepishly, "How much is it?""Two thousand Shell Coins," Situ Ling blinked.
Mingyi gasped sharply, pinching the spot between her nose and upper lip as she rolled her eyes at Zhang Tai. "Find a way to pay me back later!"
Zhang Tai laughed and cried at the same time. "You..."
"All my money is emergency funds, saved for when Ji Bozhai eventually abandons me, so I can buy a house to live in," she pouted. "Men these days are unreliable. Money is the only thing you can truly count on."
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