Pan Jingwan's face instantly turned even paler than Kou Qiwen's.
She had only just managed to free herself from confinement and had yet to wrest Huaian back from Consort Yan. Now, with something like this happening-
To her, it was undoubtedly a devastating blow.
Yet she could not even say anything in her own defense.
What the little one had said was essentially true, and so many members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard had been there to corroborate it. If she rashly spoke up now, people would inevitably think she was a guilty thief betraying herself.
Pan Jingwan took a deep breath. All she could do was hope Jiang Yi'an could resolve this perfectly.
Jiang Yi'an watched that tiny figure for a long moment before finally speaking amid the Empress Dowager's questioning.
He offered the explanation he had prepared long ago. "I did not know the Eleventh Princess's identity yesterday. Seeing how sweet and adorable she looked, I felt inclined to tease her. I never imagined the little one would take it seriously."
His explanation glossed over the serious matters and dwelled on the trivial, yet it left no room for reproach.
After all, no one could prove that Prince Jing had truly intended to kill her at the time.
The Empress Dowager raised a hand and stroked the little one's back again and again, while Jiang Yanchuan slowly withdrew his gaze from the upturned corners of her lips.
Ever since returning to the palace, the little one had stuck to him like glue. This morning, she had even gotten out of bed on her own, quite unlike her usual self. Before he could finish speaking with Lu Yao and the other person, the sleepy little one had come looking for her "beautiful imperial father" and stumbled right into them.