Chapter 61: Kindness Does Not Mean Being Taken Advantage Of

Emperor Zongkang furrowed his brows. This Xia Jiujiang truly was no easy character; she had only been in the palace for an hour and already caused so much trouble.

He spoke, “You claim the Princess Consort of Jin struck you—what exactly happened?”

Xia Jiujiang responded in astonishment, “Spring Matron, what nonsense are you spouting? I have never even seen you before. How dare you accuse me so baselessly? Are you aware of the consequences of slandering the Princess Consort?”

Spring Matron wiped her tears in anguish. “It happened on the path beside the artificial hill near Hongjing Pavilion. The Princess Consort of Jin struck this old servant and several eunuchs. I beg Your Majesty to grant justice!”

Her face was bruised and swollen, grotesquely resembling a pig’s head. Princess Anya, seeing her personal matron battered so, stomped her feet in rage. Was this not a slap to her own face? Furious, she cried, “Xia Jiujiang, Spring Matron is my attendant! Who gave you permission to strike her?”

Xia Jiujiang’s gaze grew sharp and stern. “Princess Anya, you question me, yet I would like to question you in turn—why do you insist on framing me? Now your matron appears, immediately claiming I attacked her and the eunuchs. Is one false accusation not enough for you?”

Her righteous demeanor left Spring Matron gasping for breath in anger. She had indeed been struck by Xia Jiujiang, yet now was accused of slander!

Gritting her teeth, Spring Matron said, “Princess Consort of Jin, if you had the courage to act, why not admit it?”

Xia Jiujiang sneered inwardly. Why should she admit anything? Was Spring Matron allowed to orchestrate schemes against her, but she was not allowed to retaliate?

If one wished to deal with Xia Jiujiang, one must be prepared to bear the consequences of failure.

Princess Anya trembled with clenched fists, “Xia Jiujiang, how dare you deny it when Spring Matron was beaten so badly by you? Do you truly think I would arrange for someone to beat my own attendant and then frame you?”

Xia Jiujiang laughed lightly. “That is indeed possible. Princess Anya, you have persistently accused me, claiming I pushed you into the water, but I believe you simply suffered an accident and hallucinated, imagining I was responsible. I have endured your false charges time and again, and now you orchestrate yet another slander with Spring Matron. Perhaps your fall into the water was not an accident, but another deliberate attempt to frame me.”

These successive schemes—Princess Anya’s fall had already been proven not to be Xia Jiujiang’s doing, so even if Spring Matron’s accusation was true, it would still raise doubt.

“You… you… you spout nonsense and slander!” Princess Anya cried.

Xia Jiujiang smiled and said, “All things require evidence. There are so many noble ladies present, and His Majesty himself is here. Does Princess Anya believe that mere words suffice, disregarding hard, irrefutable proof?”

Princess Anya was left speechless.

Xia Jiujiang pressed her advantage. “The matter of the fall has already been proven to be a false accusation against me. Did I say anything wrong? Now you claim Spring Matron was beaten by me—then show the evidence, or who will believe it?”

Spring Matron protested, “What evidence do you need? The injuries on my face are proof, and the eunuchs are witnesses. They can confirm you attacked us.”

Xia Jiujiang gave a cold laugh. “Spring Matron and the eunuchs cannot be considered impartial witnesses. You are all close to Princess Anya. Who knows whether you are simply following her instructions… making false statements to frame me?”

Spring Matron, unable to vent her indignation, retorted, “You speak nonsense! You clearly struck us, yet claim we are fabricating testimony. You are truly turning black into white!”

Turning black into white? Xia Jiujiang intended to make Spring Matron swallow her grievances whole.

She extended her hand—slender fingers, delicate bones, skin like jade. She showed her flawless hand, saying, “Leaving aside whether Spring Matron’s injuries are severe, if I really struck you… why is there not a single mark on my hand?”

Indeed, Xia Jiujiang’s hand was unblemished, not even a hint of redness or swelling; it bore no trace of violence.

She laughed inwardly. To deal with Spring Matron and her cohort required no real effort—a few quick slaps would heal swiftly, and after all the fuss over Princess Anya’s fall, even the slightest redness had faded away, leaving no evidence.

Spring Matron could offer no proof, while Xia Jiujiang’s argument was flawless.

She feigned innocence. “Moreover, all of the capital knows I am considered a useless fool. How could I possibly have the strength to beat Spring Matron and several eunuchs so badly? Spring Matron gives me too much credit. If you said I joined the eunuchs to beat Spring Matron, some might believe it, but to claim I alone bested them all is quite the feat.”

Emperor Zongkang was so enraged by Xia Jiujiang’s words that smoke nearly poured from his ears. No wonder the Prince of Jin claimed she was his perfect match—they truly were a pair!

Xia Jiujiang openly declared her reputation as a fool and used it as a shield. She and Jun Buwen seemed intent on provoking Emperor Zongkang.

He had hoped Princess Anya would teach Xia Jiujiang a lesson, but now he found himself hoist by his own petard.

Xia Jiujiang continued, “Furthermore, Spring Matron claims she was beaten near the artificial hill beside Hongjing Pavilion. I came to Yufu Hall today to attend the palace banquet. Yufu Hall and Hongjing Pavilion are far apart. Why would I go near Hongjing Pavilion, and how could I have met Spring Matron there? Why was she there?”

“You… you… I…” Spring Matron was struck dumb. She had no explanation, for she could hardly tell Emperor Zongkang she led Xia Jiujiang to the secluded path beside Hongjing Pavilion to have her punished.

Xia Jiujiang smiled with satisfaction. “Unable to explain, are you? Since you can’t, you have no witnesses, no evidence. Princess Anya, what more do you have to say?”

Princess Anya was left flustered. She had hoped to use Spring Matron’s beating to trouble Xia Jiujiang, but now the tables had turned, and she seemed the one scheming against her.

Xia Jiujiang curtsied to Emperor Zongkang. “Your Majesty, I entered Yufu Hall to attend the palace banquet, yet Princess Anya repeatedly orchestrates slanders against me—first accusing me of pushing her into the water, now of harming Spring Matron. Kindness should not mean enduring injustice.”

Spoken by Xia Jiujiang, this was almost comical, for she had thoroughly outwitted Princess Anya; the one who fell into the water and suffered was Princess Anya, yet Xia Jiujiang spoke as if returning good for evil. Truly, the Princess Consort of Jin was not to be trifled with.

She continued, “But the Princess has gone too far, even involving her matron to falsely accuse me of violence. This repeated targeting is not merely against me—it is a slight to the Prince of Jin’s household. I beg Your Majesty to grant justice for me and for the Prince of Jin’s residence.”

Originally, it was Spring Matron who sought to have Emperor Zongkang punish Xia Jiujiang. Now, the situation had reversed, with Xia Jiujiang requesting punishment for Princess Anya.

Emperor Zongkang felt a surge of frustration rise in his chest. Well, so be it.