Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 737 - 734: 7 Inches_1

The Crown Prince also later understood that his brother, King Liang, was not as weak and incompetent as he seemed. This time, the Emperor protected King Liang by just putting him under house arrest instead of killing him.

"What does this have to do with you framing the Princess of Zhen?" the Crown Prince asked again.

"The house today was the former residence of King Liang’s old counselor, Du Zhiwei. I could only hand over Wang Qiulu to Old Mr. Fang and Mr. Ren in that house, under the surveillance of King Liang’s people! Otherwise, there was no way I could take Wang Qiulu away alone!" Li Mingrui bowed to the Crown Prince, "I framed the Princess of Zhen to stay out of the matter. I knew she had saved you before and that you trusted her deeply. I was certain you wouldn’t truly suspect her!"

"I also had someone inform the Princess of Zhen about Wang Qiulu and King Liang’s frequent interactions to alert her. If the Crown Prince questioned her, she could check in that direction..."

Just as Li Mingrui was attempting to justify himself, Bai Jinxiu slammed the small table and stood up, ruthlessly exposing him: "Nonsense! Your words are contradictory! If you were a loyal minister, you should have gone to the Crown Prince or presented your case to the Left Prime Minister when King Liang threatened you... At that time, Wang Qiulu was still in prison. Would the Emperor and Crown Prince have suspected your Li family of disloyalty? Do you think the Crown Prince is a fool?"

The Crown Prince, jolted by Bai Jinxiu’s words, adjusted his posture and nodded in agreement.

Li Mingrui hurriedly bowed to the Crown Prince: "It was because I was confused and muddleheaded at the time. Although I deeply regret it, I had already rescued Wang Qiulu and could only try to make amends. I beg the Crown Prince to understand!"

"You don’t trust the Crown Prince or the Emperor! You make the decision to rescue Wang Qiulu on your own and then try to fix it by framing my eldest sister? Your explanation is barely plausible. But Minister Lu is here... Let Minister Lu judge whether it’s convincing or not!"

Bai Jinxiu sneered and turned around, pulling out seven or eight letters from her sleeve. She then knelt on the ground, raising the letters above her head.

"Crown Prince, after Minister Lu arrived earlier, Old Mr. Fang and Mr. Ren discussed this matter with him first. I, Bai Jinxiu, dared not interrupt. Since Li Mingrui is here now and the conversation has come to this point, I must apologize for my boldness and present these letters to the Crown Prince. These letters are the real reason Li Mingrui intended to frame my eldest sister!"

Upon hearing about the letters, Li Mingrui’s body trembled. If he hadn’t been bowing his head, his shocked expression would have been visible to everyone.

Bai Qingyan, how dare she?!

She actually handed the letters to the Crown Prince!

Didn’t she still want to use the Li family? Otherwise... she should have handed the letters to the Crown Prince and Emperor when she first obtained them, dooming the entire Li family.

But she didn’t do that then. Why hand them over now? Even if Bai Qingyan knew he intended to frame her, wasn’t she afraid he would spill everything, claiming that Bai Qingyan had used these letters to blackmail him into rescuing Wang Qiulu?

No... Bai Qingyan wouldn’t be that foolish. Those letters must be insignificant. They were merely meant to intimidate him!

His father was the Left Prime Minister, a significant official in the court. Now, Princess of Zhen was far away in Shuoyang... If she wanted to control court affairs, she needed his father, the Left Prime Minister Li Mao. How could she afford to ruin such a valuable chess piece... without reason!

Ren Shijie glanced at Li Mingrui, subtly sipped his tea. So... the Princess of Zhen had a backup plan.

Old Mr. Fang stepped forward to take the letters and handed them to the Crown Prince.

Bai Jinxiu stood up straight, her clear eyes looking at the Crown Prince: "My eldest sister came to Dadu this time not only to advise the Crown Prince but also to risk her life to escort these letters to Dadu."

"These letters were given to me after my eldest sister was carried back to the residence! She instructed me to keep these letters secret and take them to Master Tan and Lord Shoushan, the two great calligraphy masters, to verify if the handwriting belonged to Left Prime Minister Li Mao and the second prince who once conspired against the throne!"

Bai Jinxiu’s voice was smooth and articulate: "My eldest sister instructed that if the handwriting was indeed Left Prime Minister Li Mao and the second prince’s, I must quickly and personally hand these letters to the Crown Prince! If the letters were fake... I shouldn’t bother the Crown Prince with them and act as if nothing had happened! After all, the Crown Prince is currently managing countless state affairs and dedicating himself to the Jin Kingdom. Though we cannot assist the Crown Prince in major matters, we should do our best to share his burdens in minor ones!"

The Crown Prince’s gaze moved from the letters to Bai Jinxiu’s delicate face. His emotions surged within him...

He didn’t expect Bai Qingyan to be so completely considerate for him, even more so than Old Mr. Fang.

Bai Jinxiu continued: "My eldest sister said these letters are incomplete. If they are indeed genuine... they are only a part. Li Mingrui must have found out my eldest sister was looking for other letters, which is why he tried to frame her in front of the Crown Prince! He wanted to make her seem untrustworthy to you!"

Bai Jinxiu bowed to the Crown Prince: "My entire Bai family is wholeheartedly loyal to the Jin Kingdom and devoted to the Crown Prince! Please, Crown Prince, seek justice for my eldest sister!"

The Crown Prince lowered his eyes to continue reading the letters. When he reached a critical part, his eyes suddenly widened.

Li Mingrui was caught off guard but dared not resist rashly. Although he didn’t know the contents of the letters, Bai Jinxiu had said... these were only a part. The Princess of Zhen must have the most crucial letters in her possession.

Lu Jin was also greatly surprised. He got up and walked to the Crown Prince, taking the first letter the Crown Prince read for a closer examination.

"This Li Mao... actually colluded with the second prince!" The Crown Prince looked up at Li Mingrui, shaking the letter in his hand, "Li Mingrui! Is what Mrs. Qin said true? Did you frame the Princess of Zhen because of these letters?"

Bai Jinxiu turned her head to glare at Li Mingrui: "Earlier, I wasn’t sure if these letters were genuine. Thanks to your effort to frame my eldest sister, now... even without consulting Master Tan and Lord Shoushan, I know they must be real! You’re afraid my eldest sister would confirm the letters’ authenticity, find the rest, and hand them to the Crown Prince. So, you framed her in advance to make her lose the Crown Prince’s trust! Is it true or not?!"

Li Mingrui clenched his teeth, his eyes darkening. He couldn’t think of any rebuttal and dared not argue with Bai Jinxiu.

With his vital nerve being held, Li Mingrui was like a vicious snake unable to move.

This Princess of Zhen, Bai Qingyan, was even more ruthless than Li Mingrui had imagined. Now he understood his father’s words... If the Li family opposed Bai Qingyan again, she would undoubtedly destroy the entire Li family.