53 Chapter 53

However, the Prime Minister didn't seem to blame Xiao Kexin in his tone. Instead, a pampering smile appeared on his face.

It seemed the Prime Minister could also scheme.

Then suddenly, the third prince, who had always treasured his words like gold, chimed in. "Hm, it was indeed not good."

This simple contribution of the third prince in this whole fiasco had everyone almost choked on their saliva. Did they hear it right? Was that the Third Prince, who was usually cold and detached, who just spoke right now? Had he intend to fight for the grand imperial consort?

But the words that came out next from his mouth had rendered everyone speechless. "It was indeed a bit improper to use such word. Maybe next time, you should choose lighter words..." The Third Prince looked at Tang Kexin and said this sentence in all seriousness.

Everyone was petrified. What did the third prince just say?

So, the third prince wasn't defending the Imperial consort at all, but rather reminding Miss Tang to be more tactful? But... was her word just a bit improper? Just a bit? If her words were a bit improper, then they didn't know what were proper.

Tang Kexin, who got herself a little startled when Ye Lanjue first open his mouth, got blown out of her wits the second time he did. This man was becoming weirder and weirder as days past-by, she was certain. However, despite of her getting shocked to the point where she couldn't think straight, she noticed how Ye Lanjue strangely brushing his face off with his hand. Then she saw how he seemed to glance at Liu Ruyue, as if pointing at her, in the corner of his eyes.

Tang Kexin's eyes flashed. Was he trying to tell her to just push everything on Liu Ruyue?

Despite of some doubt in her heart of the Third Prince's meaning, Tang Kexin took a quick look in the direction of Liu Ruyue where she happened to see a palace maid approaching Liu Ruyue covertly. With a quick and swift movement of her hand, the palace maid stealthy placed something onto Liu Ruyue's body without her nor anyone nearby noticing.

Aiya! Immediately, she completely understood what the Third Prince meant in that instant. Another clever scheme from the third prince ah. Wasn't he too insidious and sinister?

Of course, with minds being alike, she was in no time able to figure out what Ye Lanjue was conveying.

She suddenly felt ecstatic as she found the plan to be so good. Since it was the case, she had to cooperate well with the third prince.

Upon seeing her reaction, Ye Lanjue knew that Tang Kexin had completely understood what was he trying to convey. Not only was this woman smart, but her observation skills were also strong. She actually understood his meaning in an instant. Approvingly, he gave Tang Kexin a subtle smile. Not bad, not bad.

Tang Kexin couldn't help but smile lightly. Since the Third Prince had already laid out the path of retreat for her, she just had to think of a way to draw the fire onto Liu Ruyue's body. Because if she were to simply ask Liu Ruyue directly, she would definitely get nothing out of her.

But it wouldn't do her good if she were to directly search Liu Ruyue, even if an evidence was already planted on her, it would be too deliberate.

Then how would she draw the attention onto Liu Ruyue's body?

"Princess, you said earlier that this humble girl had attempted to assassinate you, then stole something important from you. Is that correct?" Taking advantage of the moment when everyone was still in a daze, Tang Kexin turned toward the princess, her face immediately broke out into a smile. It was exceptionally brilliant and beautiful.

"Just like what this princess said so earlier, with my own eyes, I saw you stabbed and stole from me..." The princess' voice now though was with a hint of uncertainty. Her eyebrows knitted together as doubt started to built up from her heart. This commoner was very smart and eloquent with her words that she suddenly felt a little doubtful and uncertain of her previous statement.

This was a good sign for Tang Kexin.

"Then, did the princess feel that the person who stabbed you at that time was as charming and gentle as this commoner?" Tang Kexin's smile grew brighter and pleasing. Her gentle voice seemed to carry a trace of enticement.

When the crowd heard Tang Kexin's question, they smirked. This Miss Tang had actually shamelessly praised herself in front of everyone so naturally. She was indeed the most thick-skinned person in the whole world.

The corner of Ye Lanchen's mouth twitched. However, he seemed to be used to it already and wasn't even reacting much. But to Ye Lanjue, this self-praising of Tang Kexin, he found it more and more fascinating that he couldn't help but smile.

The princess thought for a moment before replying truthfully. "I don't think so. At that time, that person's face didn't have any expression. It was so wooden that it cause people to be afraid."

"Did the princess feel that the person had a fragrance that could enchant people?" Tang Kexin moved slowly but gracefully closer to the princess, her smile spread out without restraint like clouds drifting wilfully in the vast sky.

This time, the crowd was dumbfounded! This girl really knew no bound when praising herself. Enchanting fragrance? Wasn't she too much?

"No, that person didn't smell good as you do." The princess shook her head and moved closer to Tang Kexin as she spoke. She took a whiff and said, "You really do smell good..."

Hmm, this little princess' mouth could really be sweet. Not bad, not bad.

"Then Princess, did you think that person had the grace of this commoner?" Tang Kexin continued to ask. As she spoke, she had even put on a perfect shape.

In the great hall, the expression of the people had began to distort. This Tang Kexin's narcissism tendency was too beyond the normal they couldn't help but cringe!

This time, even Ye Lanchen couldn't hold it in any longer. The corner of his mouth twitched a few more times—what grace was she talking about?!

Although in all honesty, this woman's figure was indeed pretty good. Even her countenance was very good, specially now that she was appearing smart, it could be said that her appearance was the most comely in the entire kingdom if not for her foolishness in the past. Moreover…

Suddenly realizing that his thoughts were going astray, Ye Lanchen quickly withdrew his gaze. But a tinge of blush could be seen on his face.

The smile on the third prince's face on the other hand had clearly became deeper, and he had no plan of hiding it.

"No, that person's figure is not as good as yours." The princess looked at Tang Kexin and answered without a second thought.

"The princess really has good eyes. So, with all that being said…" Tang Kexin sincerely praised the princess and, of course, didn't waste the chance to praise herself at the same time.

"Thus, that person definitely wasn't you. It must have been someone else who disguised herself as you." This time, without waiting for Tang Kexin to finish, the princess continued, eyes widened.

Tang Kexin was astonished. This princess' comprehension was rather fast. She was starting to like her na.

The crowd was once again petrified. How did it come into this? It was just sometime ago when Tang Kexin was without a doubt with guilt, but after some exchange of simple statements and she had already cleared out her name. And she had made the princess say it out loud herself.

It seemed like this woman had other qualities to boast to aside from flaunting her physical charm.

Ye Lanchen smirked. It seemed that he had once again underestimated Tang Kexin's ability to scheme against others. He got worried over nothing.

The Empress had finally smiled, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Tang Kexin with a hint of pride. Her Tang Kexin had truly grown up.

Imperial Consort Ming, however, gritted her teeth in annoyance. And Old General Li's expression turned uglier than it had already been.

"If the princess hadn't able to look closely at the face of the assailant at the time of the attack and had only looked at the overall appearance and the figure of that person, then it could be possible that someone in the palace who looked similar to this commoner tried to assassinate the princess instead?" Tang Kexin continued in her coaxing voice. As she spoke, she glanced intentionally at Liu Ruyue.

She felt that with the princess' discerning eyes, she would definitely understand what she meant.

The princess looked at Tang Kexin and blinked a few times. She then turned suddenly to Liu Ruyue and without a moment of hesitation, she raised her hand to point a finger toward Liu Ruyue, "She seemed to be more similar to that person who attacked me."

"P-Princess, no, it was not this commoner. No—" Being suddenly pointed out by the Princess, Liu Ruyue was shocked to the point where her soul was to fly out of her body. Stabbing a princess to steal a secret book was a capital offence! Who would not be frightened by this?

However, the princess cut her off with a resolute look on her face. "But it became clear to me now, this princess really feels it was you who attacked me earlier!"

"Princess, it wasn't really this commoner...!" Liu Ruyue was so terrified that her face turned pale. When she looked at Tang Kexin, who was leisurely watching at the sideline, the anger in her heart suddenly rose, "Princess, don't be played by Tang Kexin! She is purposefully toying everyone's emotion and manipulating everyone's opinion right now!"

"Impudent! Are you implying that I and everyone here don't have the ability to differentiate right from wrong?!" The princess let out an angry bellow at the top of her lungs as her face darkened. That kind of awe-inspiring display of power was absolutely top-notched. Indeed, age didn't matter in displaying ones prestige in the Imperial Family.

Tang Kexin laughed inwardly. This princess' character was not something to be trifled with. She may be still young but she's already strong.

The Princess' eyes sized up Liu Ruyue from head to foot. "Right now that I am looking at you..." Her expression was very serious, but her next words had left the entire hall agape. "Hmp! With your dull and wooded face along with your shapeless body, in addition to your stinky smell, you were exactly like the person who tried to assassinate me!"

"Pffft!!" After a moment of dead silence, Tang Kexin couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Aiya, this princess was simply adorable. Her words could be so outrageous yet at the same time soothing to the ears.

A dull and a wooded face?! This description was too ruthless.

When everyone came back to their senses, they couldn't help but laugh.

Liu Ruyue's face turned into white then into blue then into purple. With all these colour grazing alternately onto her face, it was evident that her emotions at that moment were in turmoil.

"What is it? You're not convinced?" The princess gave Liu Ruyue a cold smile, then with narrowed eyes, she snapped at her. "You vicious miscreant! How dare you fool me and everyone here?! You dared to assassinate this princess? You deserve to die a thousand times for your crimes!"

"This hum-humble girl really di-didn't try to assassinate the princess...! This humble girl was truly wronged! Princess, please investigate clearly, without any evidence, this humble girl…" Liu Ruyue's voice trailed off as she suddenly remembered earlier's situation where she condemned Tang Kexin for not providing evidences to refute the charges against her. However, this matter was not really done by her, so she wasn't that worried, because there would never be any evidence to prove her to be the assailant.

"Princess, there was the dagger she claimed this commoner used to stab her... It was said to be the same knife as the one that used to stabbed the princess..." Tang Kexin, who was standing at the side, was very kind and considerate to remind her.

"That's right! This princess had already said that that dagger you showed earlier was the same knife to assassinate me. And now that it was proven that it was not Miss Tang who stabbed me, it could then be indicated that that dagger definitely did not belong to her." That was right, she had already concluded these facts. This princess was indeed insightful and logical.

The crowd had long guessed up to this point. Now that they heard the princess say it, they looked at Liu Ruyue with contempt and disgust.

"Perhaps Princess needs to do a body-search to see if she has anything else hidden onto her?" Tang Kexin once again made a smooth manoeuvring to tackle the situation.

"That is a good idea." Upon hearing those words, the princess immediately nodded her head in agreement.

"Tang Kexin, you are undoubtedly manipulating the Princess! This is clearly a crime of deceit against the Imperial Family! How dare you!" Liu Ruyue looked at Tang Kexin with a burning, reproachful eyes as she gnashed her teeth in hatred. Her fists were tightly clenched as if she couldn't wait to tear Tang Kexin apart.

"This commoner was not manipulating the Princess nor had in anyway inclined of doing so...!" Tang Kexin looked at her and lightly blinked her eyes, her appearance was with bitter indignation for the needless accusation. And with a face full of seriousness, she replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "This commoner was merely reminding the Princess..."

"..." Everyone was speechless.

What she said just now was but a direct warning disguised as some innocent retaliation.

"Someone! Search this commoner for something. See if she has anything else hidden on her." The princess immediately gave the order.