After a brief, dead silence, the crowd erupted.
"This maid’s story is so detailed. Could it actually be true?"
"I think it’s true! If she wasn’t confident, why would she have reported it to the authorities herself?"
"That Ye Shixian must have really pushed her to the brink... Otherwise, why would this maid risk her own life just to drag her down too?"
"I really misjudged her! The so-called number one beauty of the Capital City is actually a venomous snake!"
Ye Shixian opened her mouth, but not a single word came out.
Zhao Chengyin immediately demanded, "Where are the clothes now!?"
Shaoyao kowtowed. "Your Honor, after she changed out of that outfit, I secretly put it away. I brought it with me when I fled. It’s in my bundle."
Zhao Chengyin knew about this. The day Zhang Qian received her report, he had confiscated all her belongings.
Zhao Chengyin commanded at once, "Go and bring her belongings!"
"Yes, sir!"
The constable acknowledged the order and quickly returned with the items.
Before the watchful eyes of the crowd, a crimson jacket and skirt with a gold-woven narcissus pattern was held up and unfolded.
"Your Honor, please look."
Zhao Chengyin carefully inspected the left shoulder for a long moment, his expression growing grave.
Ye Shixian’s heart leaped into her throat, and her mind went completely blank.
’I truly didn’t expect this. I made such thorough preparations, yet such a massive oversight still occurred!’
Every passing second was agonizing. The onlookers, too, fell silent, unconsciously holding their breath as they awaited the final verdict.
Finally, Zhao Chengyin spoke.
"There is indeed a tear here, and it’s stained with blood. The stain appears to be several days old. It was difficult to spot only because the color of the fabric is so similar to the color of blood."
That was probably why even Ye Shixian herself hadn’t noticed!
Ye Shixian’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.
Standing behind the crowd, Murong Ye looked as if he’d been struck by lightning, staggering back a step.
What else was there to misunderstand?
Zhao Chengyin stared intently at Ye Shixian and demanded, "Ye Shixian, at this point, what do you have to say for yourself!?"
With both a witness and physical evidence, there was no longer any chance of overturning the accusation!
Ye Shixian propped herself up with her hands, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
Meanwhile, the crowd watching this scene unfold fell into an eerie silence.
For a daughter to murder her own mother was a complete violation of human decency!
Many people here had come simply for the spectacle, but now, they felt an indescribable chill creep over them.
When they looked at Ye Shixian again, their shock and disbelief were mixed with a greater sense of disgust and fear.
Such a person... No, she could no longer be called human!
Zhao Chengyin asked another question, "And the letter written in blood? Where did that come from?"
At this point, there was nothing Shaoyao wouldn’t say.
She closed her eyes. "When I went in, the letter written in blood was already finished and lying on the table."
Zhao Chengyin understood. He turned his head and asked Ye Shixian, "In other words, you wrote that letter by drugging Mrs. Gao unconscious and then cutting her finger to use her blood?"
Ye Shixian’s face was ashen, but she remained silent.
But her answer was no longer important.
Everyone could see that she had indeed done these things!
Not only had she killed Mrs. Gao, but she had also tried to pin the blame on Ye Chutang—killing two birds with one stone!
If she had actually succeeded, then—
Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted in anger:
"Tch! How disgusting! A daughter like that is worse than an enemy. She’s completely depraved!"
Once one person spoke out, others immediately chimed in.
"Isn’t that the truth? And to think I used to pity her for losing her mother and being bullied. Who knew she was the one behind it all!"
"What a monstrous sin!"
"Dying ten thousand times wouldn’t be enough for someone like her!"
"Say, hasn’t that Murong Ye always been quite fond of her? He helped her a lot, especially after her family’s troubles began! Do you think... he was involved in this?"
The last thread of tension in Murong Ye’s mind finally snapped!
At that moment, only a single thought remained in his mind: ’Leave! Get as far away from here as possible!’
However, he had just turned to leave when Ye Chutang blocked his path.
"Leaving so soon, Mr. Murong?"
Murong Ye snapped, "What do you want now!?"
"Oh, I don’t want anything." Ye Chutang gestured with her chin toward the scene. "I just noticed that Shixian doesn’t look well. Aren’t you going to check on her, Mr. Murong?"
’Check on her?’
How could Murong Ye possibly spare a thought for Ye Shixian right now?
His own face was already ashen!
With Ye Shixian’s guilt in the murder of Mrs. Gao confirmed, it wouldn’t be long before the news spread throughout the Capital City. When that happened, his own reputation would be dragged through the mud!
The thought of having spent so much time with such a vicious woman made Murong Ye’s skin crawl; he felt utterly disgusted.
"Get out of my way!"
He cursed viciously and tried to push past her.
The commotion finally caught the attention of some people at the front. One of them glanced back and gasped.
"Isn’t that Murong Ye? He’s here too!"
His appearance sent ripples through the crowd.
Everyone whipped their heads around in unison. In an instant, all eyes were on Murong Ye, making him feel as if he had thorns on his back.
"He’s actually here!"
"Could he be connected to Mrs. Gao’s death, too? Maybe he came because he has a guilty conscience."
"Who knows? Maybe he and Ye Shixian are just so deeply in love, their affection so boundless, that he came here specially for her."
This remark immediately drew a wave of derisive laughter from the crowd.
Many of them had read the popular storybooks based on Murong Ye and Ye Shixian, so they naturally understood the jab was aimed at him.
The son of a dignified Second-Grade Official, in love with a woman like that! He must have been completely blind!
Besides, if he was mixed up with Ye Shixian, he couldn’t be much of a saint himself, could he?
Murong Ye was utterly humiliated, wishing the ground would open up and swallow him whole.
He couldn’t care about anything else. He had to leave as quickly as possible!
However, just at that moment, a muffled thud came from the center of the crowd.
Immediately after, someone shouted, "Ye Shixian fainted!"
Ye Chutang lifted her gaze to look.
But upon hearing this, Murong Ye didn’t hesitate for a second. He turned and fled without looking back.
But he had only taken a few steps when he heard another shriek.
"Ah! Th-that’s—why is there blood underneath Ye Shixian!?"
Those standing at the front could see it clearly. After Ye Shixian fainted, a pool of blood began to spread from beneath her.
Even a fool could guess the reason for such a scene.
Even Murong Ye felt as if he’d been struck on the back of the head with a club, and he came to a dead stop.
Ye Chutang glanced at him, a thoughtful look on her face.
"Mr. Murong, should I be... congratulating you?"
Murong Ye’s jaw twitched. "Don’t you spout nonsense!"
By then, Zhao Chengyin had already called for a doctor.
An elderly doctor took Ye Shixian’s pulse, then announced in a trembling voice:
"Your Honor, Miss Ye... is one month pregnant."