Apart from Pei Yue, everyone else looked at each other in bewilderment.

Yin Jin'an pointed at the teahouse owner and said, "Let's start with you!"

The teahouse waiters and manager testified that Pei Yue handed a pair of vases from the Duke of Xun's mansion to Liu Jie, telling him to pawn them, preferably to keep them for good.

The pawnbroker recounted Liu Jie's pawning of a celadon vase at Sun's Pawnshop, and the shopkeeper explained why he had initially denied accepting the pawn.

Mo Yan testified that he saw Liu Jie pawning the imperial gift vase. He assumed that Liu was colluding with the Duke's family to steal it, so he discussed with the shopkeeper and redeemed the celadon vase and handed it over to Master Yin.

Liu Jie gritted his teeth and recounted the whole story.

He had no choice but to speak. Yin Jin'an found him, brandishing a small knife in front of his eyes, and said, "You must testify for me. If you don't cooperate, I will torture you by dismemberment and kill your whole family."

Yin Er is a living Yama, and Liu Jie is afraid of death, afraid of dying a bad death, and afraid that his whole family will die a bad death!

All witnesses provided conclusive and corroborating evidence, confirming that this matter was absolutely genuine.

Yin Jin'an said to Cheng Yu, "Go and take the bottle to the Duke. He gave me half of his family fortune, and he's probably so heartbroken he can't sleep."

Cheng Yu went to Mo Yan's carriage to return the reward bottle intact. Yin Jin'an sneered at Yin Jinzhuo and said, "Remember, I helped you redeem it this time. Next time, no one will help you."

"Marrying an unvirtuous wife will bring disaster to three generations!" Yin Jin'an stood up and told Wang Fen, Mo Yan, and the others to leave. "I will never come back to this Duke's mansion!"

After Yin Jin'an revealed the whole story, Hua Zisheng finally understood why Xie Zhaozhao had summoned him.

He said with a smile, "Lord Duke, your son and his wife are of questionable character! How can you joke about the lives of your entire clan just to drive your brother-in-law out of the manor? You're joking, but you're also defiling the imperial gift!"

The person was laughing, but their words were chilling.

Yin Xiushan's smile was more like a grimace, and he begged Hua Zisheng to help him smooth things over with His Majesty.

The Duchess and Yin Jinzhuo quickly stuffed silver notes into Hua Zisheng's hand.

Hua Zisheng laughed and said, "Oh, young master, we are a rootless man in the family, just a dog in front of His Majesty. If we lose our loyalty because of a bone, we will not be far from death."

Do not accept the silver notes; you must report the truth.

After Hua Zisheng left, the Duke and Duchess collapsed to the ground.

The entire clan's lives were saved, but pawning the imperial vase, even if redeemed, would still be a grave sin.

Yin Xiushan was both angry and upset. No matter how bad Yin Jin'an was, he was still his own son. His eldest son was already the heir apparent, and everything in the family had been handed over to him. Why couldn't he tolerate his own brother?

He's not dead yet!

Then, thinking back to the person who started this whole thing, it wasn't the Pei family member whom I'd never even looked at.

Although Pei Yue is also a legitimate daughter, there is a world of difference between the eldest legitimate daughter and the second legitimate daughter.

Which prominent family doesn't choose the eldest legitimate son as their daughter-in-law? Is there a difference between the second, third, and fourth legitimate sons?

Yin Xiushan summoned the Duchess and Yin Jinzhuo to his study and sternly ordered Yin Jinzhuo to divorce Pei Yue!

“A woman who schemes against her brother-in-law and is willing to risk the safety of the entire clan must not be allowed to live.”

"Father, Lady Pei has connections with Consort Wei, the Crown Prince's concubine, and Princess Xiyan. The Duke's mansion will surely prosper for a hundred years to come. Lady Pei must not be dismissed!"

Duke Xun wanted his son to divorce his wife, but unfortunately, Yin Jinzhuo loved Pei Yue, who was a delicate and tearful little white flower, to the core.

"Father, Mother, Pei did all this because my second brother forced her to. You can forgive my second brother for all the ridiculous things he did, so why can't you forgive Pei for cutting off a source of trouble for the family?"

The bottle has been found, and half of the family fortune has been given away. Yin Jinzhuo is heartbroken. Divorce her? Absolutely not!

Yin Xiushan looked at the Duchess, his fingers trembling, and said, "Look at this, this is your good son, your good daughter-in-law. Jin'an is the root of all evil? I think she's the root of all evil..."

To be on good terms with the Wei family?

Isn't this like recognizing a thief as your father (or mother)?

Yin Xiushan laughed loudly: "Yin Jinzhuo, you're something else! I'm not saying anything now, I'll go to the palace and beg for my head!"

When Hanako returned to the palace, she told His Majesty everything, and His Majesty was very disappointed.

Duke Xun was a military man by birth. He chose Yin Jinzhuo as his heir, but Yin Jinzhuo had no backbone and spent his days showing off his military strategies and tricks. He was just like Zhao Kuo.

"Is Yin Er throwing a tantrum?"

"No, not at all. This servant saw that Second Master Yin handled things very clearly, gave his instructions, and then left. He had the dashing and heroic spirit of 'a handsome young man with a golden whip, leaping on a green horse'!"

Hanako Katsutoshi is very eloquent; he speaks to His Majesty's heart.

"Hua Zisheng, I heard that the Crown Prince's wife, Consort Wei, and Princess Xiyan are getting very close?"

Hua Zisheng dared not speak carelessly, and only said, "This servant does not know; you should ask Lord Leng about this matter."

Leng Luo had just returned from his errand when His Majesty ordered him to present Yin Jinzhuo with detailed information.

His Majesty read the message and his expression darkened. The next day, he summoned Hua Zisheng to the Duke of Xun's residence to issue an oral decree.

"His Majesty's decree: Yin Jinzhuo, the heir apparent of the Duke of Xun, and his wife, Lady Pei, are narrow-minded and stubborn. They first disrespected the imperial artifact bestowed upon them by the late Emperor, and then framed their own brothers. They are shameless and unfit for important positions."

Yin Jin was punished with thirty strokes of the cane, stripped of his hereditary title, and dismissed from his position as a principal officer in the Ministry of War, never to be employed again.

The title of Fifth-Rank Imperial Lady and all related privileges of Lady Pei were revoked, and she was publicly reprimanded.

An oral edict is also an imperial decree.

Yin Xiushan gave a wry smile, thanked the emperor for his grace, and gave Hua Zisheng and Xiu Ning reward money. This time, Hua Zisheng accepted it.

Yin Jinzhuo was given thirty lashes on the spot. Two palace eunuchs confiscated Pei Yue's official documents and court robes, and ordered Pei Yue to kneel on the main street outside the Duke's mansion and be publicly reprimanded for an hour.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!