Sensing the oppressive atmosphere suddenly emanating from the Emperor, Xie PanâEr felt rather anxious.
But when she looked up and met Huo XingâErâs encouraging gaze, she immediately summoned her courage.
"At the Yang City Restaurant, the Princess and my Clan Sister had a bit of an argument."
"Hmm?"
The young Emperorâs icy gaze swept over her.
Xie PanâEr shivered and quickly corrected herself.
"At the Restaurant, my Clan Sister, failing to recognize the Eldest Princessâs status, bullied her for her youth. The words she spoke to the Eldest Princess were deeply insulting, so the Eldest Princess retorted."
Xie PanâEr carefully chose her words. As she spoke to this point, she finally felt a weight lift from her shoulders; the young Emperorâs disdainful gaze had at last moved away.
"Later that evening, something happened to my Clan Sister. What occurred was highly consistent with what the Eldest Princess had said.
At first, I didnât think it had anything to do with the Eldest Princess. It wasnât until the next day, when my Clan Sister couldnât eat meat and complained of a stomachache, that the Doctor said she had digestive issues. Only then did I start to connect it to what the Eldest Princess had said."
"And just for that, you started suspecting my daughter?"
The young Emperor ground his teeth. He suddenly had the urge to pry open this young girlâs head and see how her brain worked.
How could she suspect his daughter possessed such Great Divine Techniques based on just a few scant clues?
The young Emperor scrutinized her from head to toe.
The girl, appearing timid, didnât dare to look up at him.
"I wasnât completely sure at the time," Xie PanâEr said, her voice subdued.
"Continue!"
"I became certain that the Eldest Princess had a jinxing ability... no... this kind of Great Divine Technique, this very noon.
We met at Zhiwei Restaurant. At the time, the Eldest Princessâs pet was causing a commotion, turning Zhiwei Restaurant upside down. The Xiao Er there muttered something in anger, and the Eldest Princess retorted with his exact words. Then, that Xiao Er, right on the spot..."
"What happened to the Xiao Er on the spot?"
The young Emperor, hearing her pause at such a critical point, couldnât help but press,
"That Xiao Er was afflicted on the spot. His eyes wouldnât stop producing discharge. The Doctor from Pingâan Pharmacy said it was the most aggressive case of trachoma he had ever seen in his life."
The young Emperor blinked and turned to look at Xiaosuisui, whom Ji Youzhi was holding. Xiaosuisui, with wide, innocent eyes, glanced at Xie PanâEr and then at the others present.
The black veil covered her small face, obscuring her expression from everyone.
"When we were at the Xie Familyâs residence, I noticed both Xie Yingying and Xie Yinghui were injured. Xie Yinghui seemed better off; he likely only had some superficial wounds. However, judging by Xie Yingyingâs complexion and the way her mother supported her, I felt her injuries were likely not simple. What happened there?" Huo XingâEr asked.
At the mention of Xie Yingyingâs injuries, Xie PanâErâs scalp tingled, and a wave of regret washed over her.
Everyone present was astute; no one missed the expression on her face.
"Is this related to you? Or to Suisui?" Huo XingâEr pressed.
Xie PanâEr said helplessly, "Itâs related to me, but... all of this was done by the Eldest Princess."
Huo XingâEr rubbed his temples. "Did she inflict Xie Yingyingâs injuries as well?"
"Yes! Iâm the one who hit her!"
Before Xie PanâEr could speak, the little girl blurted out the answer.
All eyes turned towards her.
The young Emperor, also rubbing his temples like Huo XingâEr, asked, "Why did you hit her?"