Mistakenly identified as a suspect

The silvery moonlight streamed through the small window in the wall and fell onto the floor inside.

The room smelled damp and musty.

Lan Xin sat on the ground with her knees drawn up to her chest, only then coming to her senses. The series of events that had just happened were too unbelievable.

Murder, imprisonment, waiting for the trial to begin at dawn.

These are all seemingly normal criminal procedures, of course, if we exclude the premise that she is the protagonist.

However, the most unusual thing was that she appeared in an antique-style ancient house, and everyone was dressed in ancient costumes.

If the man who slapped her and called her father brought her to her senses, then being imprisoned in this ancient prison that only exists in TV dramas has brought her to her complete senses.

She traveled through time.

This is so ridiculous! She doesn't even know her name or identity here, has no memory of this body, and no one has come to answer her questions.

In ancient times, government offices started their work at dawn. When I came in, I asked around and found out that it was about 10 p.m. in modern times, so there were still 7 or 8 hours before the trial.

Lan Xin let out a soft "Ah," exhaled a breath of stale air, patted her cheeks, and cheered herself up.

I started to mentally review the situation.

When she woke up, the room was pitch black, and the slippery, cold touch on her hands made her realize that something was wrong.

Before she could react, several women dressed as maids burst through the door, and then the body's father and mother were summoned.

Just as her father ordered her to be locked in the woodshed, people from the Dali Temple came and took her to the prison.

She completed this series of operations smoothly, much to her astonishment, which was truly amazing.

In that short time, she could only see the surrounding environment. At the crime scene, she could only see the body's clothing, coarse linen clothes, face down, and she couldn't see its face.

The short-handled blood-stained blade he held in his hand had no markings.

As she pondered, Lanxin couldn't resist dozing off and started pecking at rice like a chick.

She was startled awake by the clanging of the chains.

“Xu Lanxin, come with us,” one of the prison guards called out to her in the cell.

So this body is called Xu Lanxin? It has an extra surname.

As I stepped out of the cell, the sunlight shone on me. The sun wasn't very hot yet; it was gentle and comforting.

The air was so fresh in ancient times! There were no exhaust fumes, no pollution, and the air was filled with a clean, fresh smell.

Two expressionless guards stood at the entrance, their hands gripping the hilts of the swords at their waists.

A handsome man wearing a scarlet robe with a dark pattern and a round neck, and a black gauze hat, sat in the main hall. His official robe was embroidered with cloud and goose patterns in gold thread.

Lanxin had no idea what official position it was.

His face was imposing, his body exuded a murderous aura, his eyes were cold, and his pupils were dark and unfathomable, making him seem like a difficult person to deal with.

He sat upright behind a black desk, on which sat a gavel, writing implements, and a neatly arranged divination tube.

Two rows of yamen runners, wielding their stern warning sticks, stood in awe.

Lanxin straightened her back, raised her head, and walked straight in.

There was no fear on his face, nor did he show any hesitation at the sound of knocking.

They looked like they were strolling through a back garden.

The gavel struck with a loud thud.

"Who are you here? State your name," the handsome man asked.

His voice is clear and pure; if you ignore the slight chill in it, it is quite pleasant to listen to.

"Xu Lanxin".

Lan Xin cut off her thoughts of admiring the handsome man and said calmly.

"Is the visitor Xu Lanxin, the legitimate daughter of Xu Yingshan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites?" the man continued to ask.

"yes."

How would she know who the original owner was? Since the names match, then it must be her.

"A murder occurred in your bedroom at three-quarters past 7 PM last night. Do you acknowledge it?"

"Your Excellency, my daughter does not acknowledge it."

Is that how you answer? Forget about ancient etiquette, saving my life is the most important thing.

"Sir, is there a plaintiff in this case? If not, is the person who reported the case here? If neither, this case need not be heard."

Lan Xin looked around and saw no one else besides the officials and herself.

Gasps rose in the hall, while a few scattered people gathered outside, whispering among themselves.

I doubt anyone has ever seen a sheltered young woman do something so astonishing.

Not only did he commit murder, but he also had an iron tongue.

"Bang!" Another gavel sounded.

"Silence!" the adults in the main hall said simultaneously after knocking.

"Summon the plaintiff."

While waiting, Lan Xin didn't look anywhere else, but stared intently at the person in the center of the main hall.

Well, as the saying goes, everyone has a love for beauty, and besides, she's just looking.

Were all men in ancient times this handsome? Their faces, sculpted by a master craftsman, and their imposing presence made them far more attractive than modern men.

The two stared at each other until a heart-wrenching cry of injustice broke out.

"My lord, you must do me justice!" After kneeling before the people in the hall, she turned and pointed at Lan Xin, cursing:

“You heartless man, you killed my son, you must pay with your life, you murderer.”

The gavel slammed down, startling her into silence.

"Who is below? What grievances do you have to tell me in detail?" The man asked in a standard manner, just like in the play.

"My lord, I am a woman named Niu, working in the kitchen of the residence of Xu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. I want to accuse Xu Lanxin, the eldest daughter of Xu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, of killing my son Niu Da."

My son, Niu Da, was betrothed since childhood, but the young lady took a liking to him and forced him to marry her. My son refused, and she ruined him!

"My lord, I beg you to redress my grievances and do justice for this humble woman!"

Lan Xin's forehead twitched upon hearing this. What a ridiculous excuse! How dare they try to pin this on her? Did they really think she was some weak, vulnerable woman from ancient times who couldn't take care of herself?

"Xu Lanxin, do you have anything to say?"

"Your Excellency, I would like to ask her a few questions! Please grant me permission!"

Lan Xin imitated a slightly non-standard hand gesture from the TV show, and said with neither arrogance nor servility.

"Let me ask you, what does your son Niu Da look like?"

The woman rolled her eyes and pointed to the three burly, dark-skinned yamen runners near the door, saying, "They're not much different from that sir; they're tall and imposing."

Lan Xin pointed directly at the judge and asked, "How does he compare to this gentleman?"

"What nonsense are you spouting, Miss? How can you compare to an adult?"

Lan Xin laughed mockingly: "So you know I'm not blind. I'm the daughter of a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Rites. Why would I ignore someone as important as you and like your bear? Are you out of your mind? Or am I not?

The guard beside the man was barely suppressing his laughter, but the man, upon hearing the strange woman's confession, maintained his dignified and composed demeanor. Even as she stared at him, his gaze never wavered.

Weren't people from ancient times supposed to be reserved? He's so calm.

"Perhaps you have different tastes, miss?" the woman continued to argue.

Lan Xin laughed angrily: "What proof do you have?"

The woman reached into her bosom and took out a sachet and some papers, holding them above her head.

"My lord, these are the tokens of love and love poems that Miss Xu gave to my son. Please take a look."

"Bring it here."

The man examined the item, held it up, and looked over: "Xu Lanxin, do you recognize this?"

"I don't know it, sir. Why don't you ask this woman if her son can read? Why would I bother to give him a poem if he's an illiterate servant?"

"Young Miss, just admit it!" A woman's voice from the crowd outside the hall interrupted her argument.

"Who is making such a racket here?" The man struck the gavel, and the outside immediately fell silent.

A government official ran up to him and whispered in his ear, then he knocked again: "Bring the witness to the court."

"My lord, I am Xiao Cui, the young lady's personal maid. Whenever the young lady communicates with Niu Da, it is I who deliver the message." The maid continued without looking up.

"The tokens in your possession were all given to you by Miss, and I can testify to that."

Do you know the consequences of perjury?

"Yes, this servant knows, but it is true that the young lady committed murder," she said, then looked up at him, feigning extreme terror.

"This servant cannot cover it up either, please, Your Excellency, make the decision!"

Lan Xin felt somewhat anxious, as she knew nothing about the original owner's identity or preferences.

The maid spoke with such sincerity that it seemed so real!

But so what? In this strange world, protecting oneself is the most important thing. Even if it's black, she has to turn it white.

“My lord, since she claims to be my personal maid, then she can have all my personal belongings.”

How would I know if she was stealing my valuables to meet her lover in secret? After all, secret exchanges are punishable by death or being sold off.

I have reason to suspect that their secret rendezvous was discovered, and that this maid conspired with her to frame me, shift the blame, and extort money from me.

Lan Xin clasped her hands in front of her forehead. To be honest, she didn't really want to kneel down all the time, so she imitated the yamen runners' awkward way of bowing.

"Please, Your Honor, make a wise judgment!"

Seeing that he didn't react, Lanxin anxiously reminded him, "Sir, why don't you give her a few lashes and see if she behaves?"

The gavel slammed shut again.

"Nonsense, Xu Lanxin. If you do not abide by the rules of the court, I will not hesitate to give you ten strokes of the cane first."

Lan Xin stuck out her tongue inwardly and gave a forced smile.

That man is a real scoundrel.

"Niu, Xiao Cui, is what you two said true? If you have given false testimony, this official will not let you off lightly!"

As he spoke, "smack!" the gavel slammed down, startling the two women.

"This servant, this servant would not dare to lie."

“I dare not lie. My son told me that when the young lady married me, she had a flower petal birthmark on her chest.”

The two spoke at the same time, but the woman revealed the secret.

Instantly, an uproar erupted both inside and outside the hall, with everyone pointing and whispering about her.

Some people even cursed her, saying she was shameless and should be drowned in a pig cage or something.

Even that person was looking at her, but she couldn't tell that he was any different. She met his gaze openly and calmly.

Although she didn't know if she had this birthmark, even if she did, she didn't believe that a modern person like her couldn't defeat two ancient women and children.

A commanding voice and the sound of a gavel striking the ground rang out. With his shout of "Silence!" accompanied by the clatter of a gavel, everyone fell silent.

"Xu Lanxin, what else do you have to say?" He still looked stern, and then the yamen runner who had just delivered the message came to his ear and whispered a few words.

"Someone, summon the coroner."

"Reporting to your Excellency, the deceased was killed by a sharp weapon. The wound matched the shape of this short blade, and he died from excessive blood loss."

The coroner held up a tray, on which lay the murder weapon that had been in her hand, the blood dried and turned blackish-red.

"Your Honor, blacksmith Li from the blacksmith shop has come to testify."

"pass"

"Greetings, sir. I am the owner of the blacksmith shop in the east of the city. Five days ago, the young lady beside me, accompanied by the kneeling maid, came to the shop and commissioned a short blade without any markings."

The man in the hall gestured to his subordinates to bring the evidence for the blacksmith to identify.

Do you recognize this?

"Reporting to you, sir, this is indeed the knife. If you wish to examine it, you may remove the hilt. The inlaid end is engraved with my surname, Li."

Good, good, good, what a elaborate scheme! They managed to gather so many witnesses in just one night, and even prepared so-called evidence.

If you say this isn't a setup, she'd never believe it even if you beat her to death. Who could possibly have such a deep grudge against someone as sheltered as her?

I wish I could kill her.

The gavel struck with a loud thud.

She turned her gaze away, and the man stared directly at her, his expression even colder than when they first met.

If she were the original owner of this body, she would have fainted from fright.

"Xu Lanxin, the evidence is now irrefutable. Will you admit it or not?"

"I don't acknowledge it."

She wouldn't take the blame for a crime that wasn't made out of nothing.

"Guards, bring the torture on."

As the torturers approached, Lan Xin finally saw the torture racks, something she'd only ever seen on television, up close.

Her teeth started to ache, and her fingers even started to hurt slightly.

"Wait," Lan Xin stepped forward and bowed, speaking as she did so.

"Sir, please allow me to examine the body."