Chapter 223 Evidence: This person is right here in the main hall.

"Where did Guan Xiaotian get the information?" Cui Jin suddenly asked. "There are over a hundred people in Tianhufang, why was he the only one who got the news? And you said Lu Chaoge also escaped, how did she get the information?"

Guan Ye seemed to have anticipated such a question, and calmly replied, "My father is a generous and open-minded man with a wide circle of friends throughout Rongdu. With the great battle raging, it's not surprising that he would receive some true and false information. Grand Preceptor Cui, you don't need to dwell on my Guan family's affairs. Compared to what I'm about to say, how my family escaped is insignificant. If you continue to question my father, I might suspect that you and he are old acquaintances."

Cui Jin's face twitched. If it weren't for the fact that everyone in the Zetian Hall was watching, he would have already drawn his scimitar and strangled the girl.

"—To say how Lu Chaoge obtained the information, it was related to the Ma family's case. Brass was controlled by the imperial court, and only two trades could receive a share: the five major workshops with the right to forge weapons, and the mint. When the crossbowmen of the crossbow camp all broke apart, everyone thought that the five major workshops had tampered with the workmanship of the crossbows. Three thousand crossbows, right under the nose of the Ministry of War, how could they all break down without a single one missing? Father thought about it for many years but couldn't figure it out, until…" Guan Ye's hand went into her pocket, "until the brass that the Ma family had lost… matched with the brass in the guard's sword… I had a bold guess… the craftsmanship was not the problem, the problem… was the material, the material used to make the crossbows…" Guan Ye opened her palm, inside which was a copper-colored fragment.

Wushuang approached Guan Ye, and before even touching her, he could already see the trick at a glance. "These are fragments of the crossbow's locking mechanism, mixed with brass. When the crossbow is pulled, the brass in the locking mechanism can't withstand the force and will inevitably break instantly, injuring the archer. Blood crossbow, blood crossbow, this trick is indeed bloody and vicious, determined to take the lives of three thousand archers."

Wan Qixi's narrow eyes narrowed. "This humble commoner deals in iron ore in the martial world, and has seen all sorts of materials. I wonder if I could take a look?" Wan Qixi asked, but his hand was already reaching for Guan Ye impatiently. He picked up a small piece of the material between two fingers and rubbed it carefully. He examined Wushuang closely, as if he had seen this item before and wanted to confirm it with Wushuang one last time. "Is that really so?"

Wushuang nodded affirmatively, "My eyes and my hands can never be wrong."

Wan Qixi narrowed his eyes and closed them, releasing the fragments with two fingers into Guan Ye's palm. A complex expression appeared on his thin face. "What a vicious trick! They actually manipulated the materials. In a word, brilliant!"

Lou Cangyu frowned, stealing a glance at Mu You's unreadable expression, and hesitantly raised a question, "Guan Ye, you are proficient in Iron Essence, and you can even find Kunwu Stone. Who knows where you got the things in your hands?"

Before Guan Ye could speak, Mei Shiyu stepped forward and said, "Perhaps it really is fate. Even Heaven can't bear to see so many people die in vain. The thing in Guan Ye's hand belongs to my cousin, Mei Xiaojing." As Mei Shiyu spoke, he looked up at Mu You, who was sitting silently, "Back then, Your Majesty was the fourth prince of the Great Jin Dynasty. You were ordered to lead reinforcements to Eagle Ridge Road in a time of crisis. I wonder if Your Majesty remembers a junior general named Mei Changfeng from the Bent Crossbow Camp."

Mei Changfeng… Mu Youcang closed his eyes and did not answer Mei Shiyu.

“Many years have passed, it’s normal that His Majesty doesn’t remember,” Mei Shiyu continued. “Mei Changfeng is my cousin’s father and my uncle. He was skilled in archery and joined the army in the crossbow battalion. On that day, he and other archers were lying in ambush on Eagle’s Ridge. The crossbow exploded when it was touched, blinding him. Despite his serious injuries, he refused to retreat and led the surviving archers in a desperate fight against the rebels, buying time for the others on Eagle’s Ridge to retreat and preventing the entire army from being wiped out.”

Mu You chuckled dryly, "Yes, I was just a hundred meters above Eagle Ridge that day. I don't remember Mei Changfeng's name, but I really have to thank the three thousand archers that day for my escape."

"Mei Changfeng was a rank-holding general who had rendered meritorious service in resisting the enemy. His body was brought back to Rongdu and then sent back to his hometown for burial. The fragments in Guan Ye's hand were found in his eyes during the encoffining. His daughter, seeing the object, missed her father and had carried it with her for many years as a memento. We originally thought that the crossbow in the Blood Crossbow Case was hard to find, but who knew it would be right in front of us. This is what they call fate."

Mei Shiyu looked at Lou Cangyu as he spoke, "Is this how it was obtained? Does it make sense?"

Lou Cangyu looked embarrassed and turned away from Mei Shiyu's gaze, stubbornly saying, "So what if it has a source? Tianhu is a century-old workshop. Couldn't Tianhu workshop have found this brass from somewhere else on its own? I heard that the Lu family signed and fingerprinted their confession. Could they really have been wronged?"

"Lou Cangyu." His eyes narrowed with disdain. "If you don't understand, don't spout nonsense. Brass is strictly controlled by the imperial court. You say that Tianhu Workshop obtained it from elsewhere? Are you implying that the Salt and Iron Bureau is just a decoration?"

"I..." Lou Cangyu's expression changed drastically, and he lowered his head in a panic, not daring to interrupt.

"There's something I've never understood," Guan Ye said. "If the brass in the blood crossbow case came from the Ma family's mint, and the Ma family was implicated, they should have been executed along with their entire family. Why... did only the old patriarch of the Ma family die? How were Ma Yanyu and his wife spared? I heard from Young Master Mei that Ma Yi surrendered himself to the Three Judicial Offices, saving them a lot of trouble by confessing, and exchanging his own quick death for the lives of his family. In the blood crossbow case, the workshop owner Lu Nian also confessed and signed his confession, so why was his entire family still beheaded? And then there's... Little Ma..." Guan Ye's heart skipped a beat. Every time she mentioned that name, the image of Little Ma's tragic death would flash before her eyes. "Ma Lin... he was born after the counterfeit copper coin case. But why, when counterfeit copper coins reappeared in the court, just a dozen or so, the court treated it like a major crisis, not only investigating Ma Lin's origins but also confiscating Xingguo Ward on charges of harboring a wanted criminal?"

As she spoke with fervor, Guan Ye's voice trembled slightly. "My father is a suspect in the blood crossbow case, so it's understandable that you're investigating him. But those who deserve to die or be sentenced in the fake copper coin case have already been dealt with. The dead are gone, so why can't the living break free? Because..." Guan Ye's sleeve slipped, and a folded piece of paper was held between two fingers. "Ma Lin's grandfather didn't surrender himself to the authorities, but... used what he knew and what he possessed as bargaining chips to plan a way out for his family."

All eyes turned to Guan Ye's hands. Lou Cangyu's sharp gaze pierced through him, his hand instinctively reaching for the sword at his waist. Though he hadn't fully understood, Lou Cangyu knew that Guan Ye held something of earth-shattering significance. He wasn't sure who was hidden deep within Guan Ye's story, but he was certain that this person was in the Zetian Hall. Lou Cangyu glanced at the faces of the people in the hall—it was him…it could only be him…

If Guan Ye were to reveal everything, what would become of his reputation, and how should he be dealt with? The best solution would be to silence Guan Ye immediately, burying all the untold truths with her. Then nothing would change... no... it would change. Lou Cangyu would no longer be a lowly swordsman. Lou Cangyu's eyes shone brightly, and his heart began to surge.

Kill Guan Ye! Kill her! Lou Cangyu abruptly stopped his fingertips. He had promised Wushuang that he would never draw his sword without her permission... Lou Cangyu... The opportunity for unparalleled merit is right now. Are you really willing to... Lou Cangyu hesitated as he lowered his fingertips, glancing at Wushuang beside him who was listening intently, and sighed with resentment in his heart.

"What's written on the paper?" Mu Lexiu reached out to snatch it, but Mu Chenbi blocked him with an arm, making it clear that he wouldn't let anyone get close to Guan Ye.

Guan Ye unfolded the folded paper, and the eunuch Chang Lu leaned closer to examine it. Years had passed, and the paper was yellowed, but due to careful preservation, the handwriting was still faintly discernible—"Personal edict: The war is critical, the rebel army is advancing. Order the Ma family mint to allocate 500 catties of brass to Tianhu Workshop. Register any vacancies and have the Salt and Iron Bureau fill them. Proceed immediately." The seal was blurry, and Chang Lu's old eyesight was failing; he squinted and looked again, softly reading, "Mu…You…seal? This old servant deserves to die!" Chang Lu knelt down with a thud, his face contorted with fear, drained of color. "This old servant, have you gone blind…?"

—Mu You… Seal? Lou Cangyu suddenly regretted that he hadn’t killed Guan Ye just now. Mu You… the fourth prince back then, the current emperor of Jin… it was him… it really was him? It really was him.

Chang Lu suddenly pounced on Guan Ye like a leopard. The words he had just recited had already put him in a hopeless situation. His only lifeline was to destroy the evidence in Guan Ye's hands. If he could destroy it, there would still be a glimmer of hope. Mu Chenbi had anticipated Chang Lu's move. With a slight wave of his hand, the old eunuch fell to the ground, groaning and unable to get up.

Chang Lu's movements startled Lou Cangyu. He suddenly reached for his sword hilt, about to unsheathe it, when Wushuang's gaze shot at him like a sharp arrow. Lou Cangyu froze, too flustered to move.

“Father…Emperor?” Mu Lexiu turned to look at Mu You blankly, then suddenly realized something and angrily pointed at Guan Ye, saying, “Forging evidence, attempting to frame my father, Emperor! Guards, take Guan Ye away to await punishment.”

"Wait a minute." Ajiu, who had been silent for a while, suddenly said, "Guan Ye's story isn't finished yet. Perhaps... Father Emperor wants to hear more? There are still Eagle Guards guarding outside the Zetian Palace. Not even a fly can get out. Are you afraid that Guan Ye will escape?" As she spoke, she asked Mu You in a low voice, "Father Emperor, Guan Ye's story is very imaginative. Regardless of whether what she has in her hand is true or false, I really want to hear the rest of the story and see if it can connect to the second half that I didn't finish telling."

Mu You's sallow face was gloomy and dark. Even Cui Jin, who thought she had seen through him, couldn't figure out his thoughts for a moment. After a moment of silence, Mu You placed his palm on the dragon head on the chair armrest. A Jiu saw this and nodded slightly to Guan Ye, signaling her to continue.

"Old Master Ma has been minting coins for the imperial court for decades. All the materials he needs are allocated by the Salt and Iron Bureau. Brass is strictly controlled, and its entry and exit require imperial approval. Although this edict is not an imperial approval, it comes from the Fourth Prince. Although it is not an official order, it cannot be disobeyed. More importantly..." Guan Ye paused, "Old Master Ma should know... that the Fourth Prince has a close relationship with Tianhu Workshop... or more precisely, with the eldest daughter of Tianhu Workshop."

“How could that old scoundrel from Mayi know that the eldest young lady has a close relationship with the fourth prince?” Cui Jin blurted out, then realized his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth, and slammed his hand down, pulling his black robe tighter around his neck.

"I must thank Young Master Mei for his guidance," Guan Ye said with a smile.

"It would be my pleasure to help you along the way." Mei Shiyu seemed to have expected this, and a smug smile appeared on his dry lips.