Chapter 102: Ventriloquism Imitating Human Voices

Jun Buwen said, “From the very beginning, I never believed that my princess consort would kill Madam Xia. Naturally, I suspected someone was framing her. But the timing couldn’t have been so precise—the moment Madam Xia allowed the Princess into the room, she spoke, and immediately afterward, she died.”

Jun Qianye’s face darkened with embarrassment; he felt utterly mocked. Not only Xia Jiugang but Jun Buwen as well were involved. He had thought his plan was flawless, that Xia Jiugang would be ensnared, but Jun Buwen had already uncovered the evidence. Was Jun Qianye merely a clown in this play? Both Jun Buwen and Xia Jiugang were watching from the sidelines.

Jun Buwen smiled slyly and said, “There is only one possibility: Madam Xia must have died before the Princess entered the room. But if that’s the case, it contradicts what Aunt Xiu said—she clearly heard Madam Xia speak when the Princess entered. So if Madam Xia was already dead, then the voice Aunt Xiu heard could not have been hers.”

Not only was the time of death disproved, but even the voice issue was neatly resolved by Jun Buwen. The coordination between Jun Buwen and Xia Jiugang was flawless; there was no loophole to be found.

Finally, Jun Buwen seized the opportunity to add insult to injury: “As for a servant like Aunt Xiu, I trust my princess consort far more.”

This remark dripped with sarcasm toward Xia Wentao. Though Xia Wentao was Xia Jiugang’s father, he not only refused to believe his daughter but repeatedly sought to have her executed on the spot.

Madam Chu, brought forward, spoke: “I am a performer in the Xiao Chun Hong troupe. On the night before last, around the hour of the pig, Madam Xia came to our troupe leader seeking a master of vocal mimicry. Madam Xia gave a thousand taels of silver—equivalent to over half a year’s income for our entire troupe. After the leader agreed, I followed Madam Xia to the Prime Minister’s mansion.”

Lin Baixue trembled and shouted, “No, I didn’t! You wretch, you’re lying! Your Excellency, this woman’s origins are unknown. Who knows if she was sent by the Princess to take the blame?”

Madam Chu was startled: “I am telling the truth. If Your Excellency doubts me, you may ask our troupe leader.”

Jun Qianye, unwilling to concede, said, “That voice doesn’t sound like Madam Xia’s either.”

Jun Buwen said, “Chu, imitate Madam Xia’s voice.”

After a brief silence, Madam Chu spoke again, her voice hoarse but resonant, perfectly mimicking Madam Xia’s tone: “The voice of Madam Xia is one I have carefully practiced since arriving at the Xia residence. It’s almost indistinguishable.”

As Madam Chu’s voice echoed, Lin Baixue collapsed to the ground, as if reliving the eerie, horrifying scene of that hellish moment, feeling an unbearable, bone-deep anguish.

After Madam Chu finished, the surrounding crowd buzzed with whispers.

“That voice is truly Madam Xia’s.”

“I heard Madam Xia once came to my shop to have clothes made. It was exactly that voice.”

“What? So it was the matriarch who committed murder?”

“To think she slandered the Princess consort, and pretended to grieve so deeply before.”

“I didn’t believe Lin Baixue’s confession before, but now it seems it was all true.”

“Prime Minister Xia has been harsh to his own daughter. It seems the Princess’s life in the Prime Minister’s mansion was truly miserable.”

From confident certainty to utter disgrace, Xia Wentao, though suspicious about Madam Xia’s death, never sought to uncover the true murderer. Instead, he aimed to use the death to target Xia Jiugang.

Now, his efforts had come to nothing, and he had dragged the family’s reputation through the mud. Even the entire capital knew how the Xia family had wronged Xia Jiugang. His ties with the Princess consort were severed, effectively making an enemy of the Prince.

Xia Wentao panicked and immediately turned to Lin Baixue. “It was you! You wicked woman! You killed Madam Xia and framed my daughter. I trusted you all along, but you’ve been deceiving me!”

Xia Jiugang sneered. Seeing the truth revealed, Xia Wentao immediately targeted Lin Baixue. Yet to Lin Baixue, this so-called ‘affection’ must have seemed like a twisted mockery of family love.

Lin Baixue had always believed she possessed Xia Wentao’s entire heart, aiming to become the matriarch of the Xia family and seize control step by step. But now, seeing Xia Wentao’s demeanor, how could she feel anything but despair?

Previously, if Xia Yue’er still wished to protect Lin Baixue and maintain her own image among everyone, now, with concrete evidence, Lin Baixue had become a stain in Xia Yue’er's eyes.

Xia Yue’er frowned, stepping back in shock. “Mother, is it really you who killed Grandmother? How could you do something so cruel? Was it because Grandmother wanted Father to welcome the new wife into the household...?”

“Yue’er, you…” Lin Baixue was stunned at Xia Yue’er’s betrayal, her heart turning icy.

Xia Mingxuan, a major general, pushed Lin Baixue aside. “Mother, you have made mistake after mistake. You killed Madam Xia, and now you’re framing the Princess consort. Are you trying to destroy the Xia family?”

Originally, Xia Yue’er and Xia Mingxuan had stood united with Lin Baixue in the main hall, but now they both distanced themselves, fearing any association with her would harm themselves. Lin Baixue was left isolated, a pitiful sight for the watching crowd.

Slowly, Lin Baixue rose. Her gaze at Xia Wentao, Xia Yue’er, and Xia Mingxuan became wild. She laughed bitterly. “You… ha ha, truly worthy of being my good husband, my good daughter, my good son. Each of you wears such a look of disgust at my downfall.”

Xia Yue’er gritted her teeth, feeling wronged. “Mother, what are you saying? Don’t you realize your mistakes? I only want you to confess quickly, so the Xia family won’t lose all face.”

Lin Baixue had always taught Xia Yue’er to use her grievances and beauty to play the victim. But now Xia Yue’er was turning that tactic against her, igniting Lin Baixue’s fury.

Lin Baixue roared, “What shame have I brought upon the Xia family? You want me to confess quickly because you don’t want to be associated with me, so you can put today behind you and rest easy, right? I am your mother! And you, all of you, are unfilial children to treat me like this!”

Xia Mingxuan shook his head in disappointment. “Mother, you will always be our mother, but that doesn’t mean we support you murdering Grandmother. You call us unfilial, yet your crime against Grandmother—how can that be called filial?”

He spoke with sharp clarity. No matter what, she was their mother, but now the evidence was undeniable that Lin Baixue orchestrated everything. They were distancing themselves completely.

Xia Mingxuan’s meaning was clear: even if Lin Baixue died, she would still be their mother, but they found her shameful and wished her gone as soon as possible.

Lin Baixue smiled bitterly, staggering as her hair fell loose, wild as a madwoman. “What husbandly love, what filial devotion—it’s all lies. The ones you love most are yourselves. Now that I’m exposed, you want me to bear the blame. Each of you will burn in hell!”