On the third day after Tu was imprisoned, during the court hearing, another constable arrested Gu Boyu.

Because of the matter of selling people, Madam Tu said that the Earl had agreed to it.

Lord Meng also arrested Gu Boyu, and without saying a word, gave him a beating first.

Gu Boyu, who had lived a life of luxury, only learned after being beaten that all the indentures were forged by Tu Shi, and that some of the female soldiers were ordinary people from the outskirts of Beijing, but they just hadn't filed a complaint.

Tu insisted that Xie Zhaozhao gave it to her, since Xie Zhaozhao was already dead and there was no way to verify it.

However, Lord Meng was not easily fooled. He interrogated Zhang Qing alone, and Zhang Qing could not withstand the torture and said that he had stolen it with Tu Shi.

Lord Meng angrily said, "If you are not honest, then keep them locked up. You can come to court again when you tell the truth."

The plaintiff, Dongfang Gongzi (Dongqin), accused the Bofu of fraud and demanded not only the return of his 10,000 guan deposit but also compensation for breach of contract.

Lord Meng acted swiftly and decisively, first ordering the Earl's Mansion to immediately return and compensate Dong Qin with 11,000 strings of silver, and secondly, imposing a fine of 2,000 strings of silver on the government to punish this fraudulent behavior.

The old lady asked Madam Lu and Xie Xiangxiang to return the money they had been given. Madam Lu insisted that the money was all spent and there was no more to ask for.

She was absolutely furious!

Wasn't it said that the total sale would be 10,000 strings of cash? The Tu family pocketed 6,000 strings of cash from the 10,000 strings of cash deposit, plus Xie Xiangxiang's 500 taels, bringing the total to 6,500 strings of cash for the eldest son's family.

She only has 2,500 strings of cash to return? Don't even think about it!

The old lady was so angry that her hands trembled. She summoned Granny Wan, who was by Tu's side, and opened Tu's private treasury. Thirteen thousand strings of cash were all taken from Tu's treasury.

Xie Xiangxiang clenched her fists. Wasn't she supposed to be broke? She had so much money, yet the money she owed for her dowry was just a yard full of junk!

The old lady told Gu Chengyan to take out the silver and use it to bail out his father.

When Gu Chengyan and Gu Zheng went to the prison to see Gu Boyu and Madam Tu, they could hardly recognize the two of them.

Gu Boyu was limping on one leg, and his buttocks were all bruised and battered.

Tu was beaten particularly badly; the finger-crushing torture nearly broke all ten of her fingers, and she was no longer the elegant lady she usually was.

Upon seeing Gu Chengyan, Tu Shi's eyes were filled with fear. She crawled with difficulty, supporting herself on her elbows, and cried out, "Yan'er, please, please take me back!"