Chapter 28 The person behind the scenes is really her

The following day, the Court of Justice's mansion was tall and magnificent, with imposing animal-face door knockers on the main gate and a stone lion on each side, guarding the mansion with a majestic air.

A large crowd gathered below the rammed earth platform. Although it was a public trial, not all the people could be allowed inside, so the Court of Justice selected twenty representatives to observe the trial.

The main hall of the council chamber was solemn, with blue bricks paving the floor, predominantly black with vermilion accents, exuding a dignified and imposing atmosphere. At the very center, on a high platform, sat the presiding judge, with a low black wooden table. On either side of the main hall, rows of seats with bird and animal motifs were arranged for the officials under the Court of Justice.

A red silk ribbon was used to mark a boundary outside the hall, and the people watching the trial stood behind the boundary. At the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), Pei Yu, the chief secretary of the Prime Minister's office, and the censor took their seats one after another, exchanging greetings and pleasantries.

Bamboo slips containing laws and regulations were displayed before the court. Officials from the Court of Justice sat down on either side, holding their pens, with bamboo slips laid out in front of them, awaiting the start of the proceedings.

Pei Yu gave the order: "Bring Pingzhen and Su Xin to the hall."

Two guards dressed in black short jackets and leather armor brought Su Xin and Ping Zhen into the hall.

Su Xin remained fearless, his silk robe spotless, showing no signs of weariness despite the days in prison. His effeminate features, coupled with his eyes brimming with venom, made him appear terrifying.

In contrast, Pingzhen looked much more disheveled. His once handsome face seemed to have aged ten years, with stubble sprouting, his white clothes old and faded, and the redness in his eyes lingering for a long time.

Both men were from clan backgrounds, and the saying goes that "the law does not apply to high-ranking officials." For nobles, they should not be shackled or humiliated; their dignity must be preserved.

Pei Yu first looked at Ping Zhen, "Ping Zhen, you appealed your grievances at the palace gate, bypassing the Court of Justice and the Imperial Guard. According to the law, those who appeal beyond the proper channels are punished with fifty strokes of the cane. Do you agree to this?"

Pingzhen bowed and said, "Your subject acknowledges."

Pei Yu raised his hand and ordered the guards on both sides to take the man down and carry out the execution. A long black wooden table, as tall as himself, had been placed outside the hall. Ping Zhen lay down, and the guards carrying out the execution raised the heavy moss-covered board and struck him hard on the back.

With just one stroke, Pingzhen let out a muffled groan, a bloodstain appearing on his white back. Fifty strokes would be too much for even a strong, ordinary man, let alone Pingzhen's frail body.

After three more moss-covered surfaces, Pingzhen's eyes rolled back, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and his breathing became weak.

The chief secretary of the Prime Minister's office hurriedly spoke up: "My lord, Pingzhen is in poor health. If he is executed by fifty strokes, he may not survive. Would it be better to wait until the trial is over before carrying out the execution?"

Pei Yu did not answer, but turned to look at the other officials on the jury, waiting for them to speak. The next moment, several of them, unsurprisingly, begged for Pingzhen's life, suggesting that the punishment be postponed until after the interrogation.

These people had all been reprimanded by His Majesty and Empress Dowager in private. Empress Dowager Ping made it clear that she wanted to protect Pingzhen, and His Majesty was determined to repair the relationship between mother and son. If Pingzhen were to die in court, Pei Yu, being of noble status, would naturally not be affected, but these people would definitely be used to vent their anger afterward.

Pei Yu raised his hand to stop the guards carrying out the execution and asked the few silent jury officials, "What are your opinions? Speak up."

The officials: "..." You've already told people to stop, why are you asking us what to do?

They exchanged glances and echoed each other's sentiments.

Pei Yu nodded slightly: "Since we agree, let's finish the interrogation before carrying out the execution, and bring Pingzhen to the court."

Pingzhen was afflicted with seven moss-covered skin, his face was deathly pale, his steps were unsteady, and his clothes were stained with blood, but his gaze was firm, and he forced himself to walk into the hall.

Pei Yu picked up the bamboo slips, glanced at Su Xin, and said softly, "Su Xin, Pingzhen accused you of raping his wife and then killing Xiao Shi after the incident. Do you admit it?"

Su Xin protested, "Your Honor, I was indeed misled and seduced, which led me to commit this grave mistake. But to say that I committed adultery is absolutely untrue. My love affair with Xiao Fen'er was entirely consensual!"

"Not to mention the murder, I have been imprisoned and supervised by the Court of Justice since the incident occurred. How could I have committed murder?"

Pingzhen clutched his chest and coldly rebuked, "You're turning black into white! You say my wife and you were lovers, but do you have any evidence to prove it? Besides, regarding the murder, you're in prison, but where is your own brother?"

"What a joke! Then what evidence do you have to prove that I forced Xiao Fen'er?"

Su Xin glanced at Ping Zhen with disdain, a smile playing on his lips. "As for the death of the Xiao family, my brother wasn't the only one who did it!"

"So, you're admitting that your brother harmed my wife?"

Pingzhen seized upon the loophole in Su Xin's words and immediately bowed to Pei Yu at the head of the table, saying, "My lord, you heard it with your own ears. Su Xin admitted that his brother laid a hand on my wife!"

Su Xin panicked for a moment, and was about to reveal that there were also members of the Ping family present at the time, not just his brother, when an official in the hall quickly winked at him.

He swallowed his words and instead argued, "I was in jail, I didn't know anything, I was just making things up. Everyone knows your wife committed suicide by drowning, you say my brother harmed your wife, do you have any evidence?"

Snap—

Pei Yu slammed his hand on the table and said calmly, "Pingzhen, false accusation is a serious crime. What evidence do you have? Present it to me."

Pingzhen took out a white cloth from his sleeve and presented it, saying sadly, "Your Excellency, this is the autopsy report of my wife, Xiao. Before she died, her mouth was bound with cloth, her hands were tied behind her back, and she was drowned alive."

Tears streamed down his face as he cried out, "Who would do such a thing to someone who drowns themselves in a lake!"

Pei Yu unfolded a white cloth, on which was an extremely detailed description of Xiao's corpse, and the inscription read: Gongsun Pu.

"Hmph, who knows if you just found someone to write it? Maybe you faked a corpse to frame someone. I think you just couldn't stand being cuckolded, so you deliberately killed your wife and now you want to pin the blame on me to get away with it!"

Pingzhen finally couldn't hold back any longer. He rushed forward, grabbed Su Xin by the collar, and roared, "You beast! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you!"

Su Xin wore a mocking smile, his hands outstretched at his sides. With his skills, he could kill Ping Zhen in one move, but he had always looked down on Ping Zhen, and besides, he had someone to help him in court.

Two guards immediately stepped forward and pulled Pingzhen away. Su Xin complained to Pei Yu, "My lord, did you see that? Even in the courtroom, he's like this. This man is emotionally unstable. He must have killed Xiao Shi!"

Pei Yu slammed his hand on the table to silence the two men, his voice sharp as frost, "A second offense will be punished as a crime of disrupting court."

Pingzhen and Su Xin both quieted down. Pei Yu glanced at the two men and passed the autopsy report to other officials for review. One of them exclaimed, "Gongsun Pu, isn't that the former Imperial Physician who resigned to become a coroner?"

"That's him. I recognize the handwriting, but he's quite old and hasn't been seen in public for a long time."

Pei Yu listened to their discussion, tapping his knuckles lightly on the table. Gongsun Pu, it had been a long time since he had heard this name. The person behind Pingzhen was actually able to persuade Gongsun Pu to come out of seclusion. He was now really curious about what evidence Pingzhen would produce next to prove that Xiao's death was related to the Su family.

It should be noted that apart from Pingzhen, none of the other people present at the time would come forward to testify, so his testimony alone was useless.

Su Xin looked confused. Who was Gongsun Pu?

Then someone explained it to him: Gongsun Pu came from a family of physicians and was summoned to the palace to serve the late emperor at the young age of nineteen. He was a highly skilled physician. Seven years later, his father died tragically, and because the cause of death could not be found, the case was hastily closed.

In a fit of anger, Gongsun Pu resigned from his official post to study the art of coroner's work. He later served in the Court of Justice, where he assisted in solving several strange cases during the reign of the late emperor. He also investigated the cause of his father's death and solved the case fifteen years later, bringing the murderer to justice.

Now he is nearly eighty years old and has long since retired to his hometown. His whereabouts are unknown, but many elderly people in the Court of Justice still remember his demeanor. The case files of the strange cases he solved are still displayed in the archives.

Therefore, this autopsy report can serve as evidence.

Listening to their hushed discussions, Su Xin realized that even without a body present, the group had already accepted the validity of the autopsy report. He panicked, stubbornly retorting, "Even if Xiao didn't commit suicide, how can you prove it was my Su family who did it?"

Pingzhen ignored him and slowly walked to the front of the hall. Looking at the different faces in the courtyard, he began to recount the past: "I came to Chang'an with my wife Xiao Pan'er three years ago in winter. At that time, we were penniless and could only stay in a wooden house at the dock with some helpers. I had some education and found a job as an accountant at the dock, while my wife earned money by washing clothes for others."

“Throughout the winter month, her hands were covered in chilblains and looked terrible, but she didn’t complain at all. Instead, she comforted me, saying that as long as we worked hard, we would definitely be able to settle down in Chang’an.”

At this point, Pingzhen lowered his head and wept uncontrollably. The people outside the court also lowered their heads in sympathy. Many of them knew Pingzhen and his wife and were familiar with their character. They had come specifically to observe the trial.

Su Xin still looked disdainful and said nonchalantly, "I'm telling you, Ping Lang, this is a courtroom, not your home. If you want to cry, go back to your place."

Pingzhen looked resentful and loudly questioned, "If we're talking about character, everyone at the dock and our neighbors can attest to my wife's virtue and good character."

"And you, you're a scoundrel! Everyone knows you're a womanizer and a philanderer. Your claim that my wife seduced you is utter nonsense!"

"Sir, you are welcome to inquire in the marketplace to see if it is as I have described."

Su Xin retorted, "People change. Who says the Xiao family can remain the same? You are useless and from a poor family, while I am young, ambitious, and from a good family. Naturally, she wants to curry favor with me."

Pei Yu frowned. Without evidence, these facts alone were insufficient to prove Xiao's innocence.

He warned, "Pingzhen, one-sided testimony is not sufficient evidence. If you cannot produce any other evidence, I will convict you of false accusation."

Pingzhen wiped away his tears, shook his head and smiled bitterly: "I really have no evidence to prove whether you forced me or Fen'er seduced me."

Su Xin revealed a smug look. He was so confident because he knew this point. Anyway, Xiao Fen'er was dead, and there was no way to verify the matter.

Even if she didn't die, in court, when it comes to a woman's chastity, he would always have the upper hand. As long as he claims that Xiao Fen'er was promiscuous and seduced him, and that the fault lies with her, he can't be convicted of a serious crime.

Since there was no concrete evidence, he wanted to see how Pingzhen could bring him down.

Looking at Su Xin's confident face, Pingzhen recalled Huiyin's advice: "Without solid evidence, you can't bring down Su Xin by starting with matters of the bedroom. Instead, you'll only be bitten back."

She also said that they should use a feint to the east while attacking the west, and throw out a brick to attract jade.

Pingzhen said firmly, "However, I do have evidence that it was your brother who murdered my wife, and in such an extremely humiliating way as drowning her in a pig cage."

"Does this prove that you forced my wife into this situation, and then, fearing she would reveal the truth, you had your brother kill her to silence her? Even though I escaped the city with Fen'er, I still fell victim to his cruelty!"

Su Xin burst into laughter, tears welling in his eyes. He pointed at Ping Zhen and sneered, "Then tell me, what evidence do you have?"

Pingzhen glanced at him coldly, knelt down, and addressed Pei Yu and the other jurors: "If I can prove that Su Xin's brother killed my wife, can I prove that my wife was innocent in the adultery case and was coerced by Su Xin?"

Several officials from the Court of Justice gathered together to discuss the matter. The Chief Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office glanced at Pei Yu, who remained silent, and was somewhat unsure of his thoughts.

From Pei Yu's perspective, it would be best if Su Xin were safe, but the fact that he has remained impartial and unbiased throughout the interrogation is truly baffling.

After a long pause, one of the officials in charge of the Court of Justice sought Pei Yu's opinion: "Your Honor, we each hold half of the opinion. Half of us believe that if the person was indeed killed by Su You by drowning in a pig cage, it would prove that Xiao was innocent. The other half of us believe that Su You's killing of the person was unrelated to Su Xin and Xiao's adultery. We ask you to make a decision."

Pingzhen stood frozen in place, having followed Huiyin's instructions step by step. Huiyin had also said that Pei Yu was the decision-maker in this case. However, Pei Yu would not be biased towards Pingzhen, either in his stance or in his actions. The only way to win him over was through psychological warfare.

Thinking of this, Pingzhen wept again, saying, "My lord, I only wish to give my wife justice, and I do not want her to bear a stigma after her death, to be cursed for all eternity. This world is already difficult enough for women; they are trapped by their reputation, bound by their reputation. We cannot allow an innocent person to bear such a stigma after death!"

Pei Yu looked at Ping Zhen's trembling shoulders and neck. He bowed and kowtowed to the ground, revealing the bloodstains on his back. Dozens of people outside the hall were also staring at him. Su Xin's words had indeed moved him.

Pei Yu made the decision: "If it can be proven that Su You murdered the Xiao family, it can also prove that Su Xin coerced the Xiao family."

Su Xin was startled by the sound of the chopping board. He didn't understand why things had suddenly turned out this way. He secretly glanced at his subordinate on the left and found that he still looked confident.

Su Xin was relieved. Yes, only the Pei family, the Su family, and the Ping family knew about what happened that day. Those retainers were all members of their own families and would never betray them. Ping Zhen could not produce any evidence!

Pingzhen was relieved after receiving a positive reply and said loudly, "My wife died in a lake outside Shuangxilin. Many people saw her being retrieved yesterday. You can verify this with them, sir."

Pei Yu waved his hand, and two guards obeyed the order to check. He said, "Go on."

Pingzhen continued, "In spring and summer, a lot of grass grows in Shuangxi Forest and can be seen everywhere. This grass is called 'thorn grass' in the countryside. When its bristles come into contact with a person's skin, large red and swollen bumps will appear, similar to hives."

After Pingzhen finished speaking, he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing two fair arms. He had been pressed down on the grass that day, and his skin had come into contact with the grass quite a bit. His collarbone, chest, and arms were covered with dense red marks.

After Xiao Fen'er's death, he remained in a daze until he met the old woman who was with Huiyin at the restaurant that day. Only after she gave him a hint did he learn about the effects of this herb.

In summer, clothing is thin, and nobles often prefer to wear breathable plain silk gauze. Since plain silk gauze has sparse holes, thorns will definitely leave marks on them.

It has only been less than two days, and even the best ointment will not dissipate in a short time.

"I implore you, sir, to summon Su You and confirm whether he has these red marks on his body. If he does, it proves that he must have been to Shuangxi Forest recently!"

Su Xin retorted indignantly, "Even if it exists, it doesn't prove anything. Does that mean my brother isn't allowed to go to Shuangxi Forest?"

Pingzhen's eyes lit up; this was exactly what he had been waiting for. He shouted, "Your Su family, like other noble families, owns excellent fields and farms, all clustered in the eastern suburbs. Shuangxi Forest is in a remote location, only enough to sustain the surrounding farmers. Why would your brother go there for no reason?"

Su Xin hurriedly retorted, "Can't he...can't he go there for a bit of fun?!"

Pingzhen sneered: "Of course you can, but why did your brother's ornament end up in my wife's corpse?"

"Could all of these events be mere coincidences?"

Pingzhen took out a jade pendant and a silk scroll from his sleeve. The jade pendant was engraved with the character "Jun," which was Su You's courtesy name. The guards presented the jade pendant to Pei Yu for his examination.

"This jade pendant is made of Kunlun jade. It was carved by Gu Dai two years ago at the request of Su Dalangjun. Gu Dai is a master jade carver, and this silk scroll is a record kept by Master Gu Dai."

Pei Yu examined the evidence one by one and found that it was all genuine and there was no possibility of it being forged. However, the appearance of this jade pendant was too suspicious. Su You was not a careless person. When they left that night, they must have had their troops clean up the mess and would not have left such a flaw. So where did they obtain this jade pendant?

He recalled a rumor that Su Dalang had a sweetheart when he was young, and he repeatedly refused to marry her for her sake. That person was Song Huiyin.

Pei Yu ordered, "Bring Su You into the hall."

Upon receiving the news, Su You rushed to the Court of Justice. On the way, he already knew the ins and outs of the matter. He naturally knew who gave the jade pendant to Pingzhen, but Su You did not understand why Huiyin would help Pingzhen.

After Su You entered the hall, he first glanced at Su Xin, who was lying on the ground, and cursed him in his heart for his incompetence in causing so much trouble. He then bowed to Pei Yu.

Pei Yu said, "Su You, Pingzhen has accused you of murdering his wife. The autopsy report and physical evidence are all there. What else do you have to say?"

Su You smiled faintly. He wasn't handsome, but he gave off a warm and welcoming feeling. He said softly, "May I see the evidence?"

Pei Yu nodded, and the guard beside him presented the jade pendant to Su You. Su You looked at the jade pendant; it was indeed the one he had given to Huiyin, which she had refused to accept at the time.

He had no choice but to tell Huiyin that he had already agreed to his father's request for a marriage proposal and that they would be getting married soon. He told her that the jade pendant was a gift from her brother to her sister, and she reluctantly accepted it.

Su You looked at Pei Yu with an ambiguous smile, "This jade pendant is indeed mine, but I gave it to someone else three years ago."

Pei Yu narrowed his eyes, his palms itching. He was in a bad mood and wanted to crush the smile on Su You's face.

He lowered his head and chuckled; it turned out she really was the mastermind behind all of this.

"Let's not talk about that for now. Let's check if you have any marks from those thorny plants on you."

Su You openly displayed the red marks on his ankle, saying, "I did visit Shuangxi Forest recently, but that doesn't prove anything."

Pingzhen hated Su You so much that he wished he could tear him to pieces. He said sternly, "Then tell me, why did you go to Shuangxi Forest!"

Su You scoffed, "Do I need to prove to you where I'm going? As for that jade pendant..."

Pingzhen gritted his teeth. If he hadn't remembered Huiyin's instructions, he would have rushed forward right now to take the person who killed Fen'er down with him. He lowered his head with difficulty to hide the resentment in his eyes.

Fang Mu, who had been standing outside the hall since the interrogation began, spread his arms to examine the area. After returning from Shuangxi Forest, he noticed several itchy spots on his body, but he thought they were just insect bites and didn't pay much attention. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a plant.

Fang Mu listened to the argument inside, handed his sword to Chi Yan beside him, and stopped outside the hall just as Su You was about to reveal Huiyin's name, saying loudly, "Lord Pei, I can testify that it was Su Dalangjun who personally ordered the drowning of Xiao Shi."

When everyone turned around and saw that it was Fang Mu, their expressions varied. Su Xin looked as if he had fallen into an ice cave, while Ping Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was just as Huiyin had predicted.

Su You looked back at Pei Yu in disbelief, not understanding why he had suddenly changed his mind. But when he saw Pei Yu looking at him with a half-smile, he understood everything.

It's all his fault for being too hasty and not having thought of a good solution, which almost dragged the Pei family into it. Pei Yu is extremely protective of his own and will never let him drag the Pei family down and damage their reputation.

Fang Mu knelt down and cupped his hands, allowing everyone to see the redness and swelling on his hands. Then he recounted the events of that night, omitting the details about the Pei and Ping families from beginning to end.

Su You slumped his shoulders, helpless. He had been led by the nose from beginning to end, and he thought he could break the deadlock, but he didn't expect that he was already in the middle of it all.

If it were just Pingzhen alone, he wouldn't be afraid, but if we continue this discussion now, it will only involve the Pei family and the Ping family, which the Su family cannot withstand.

Su You lowered his head, knelt on the ground and confessed: "Your subject confesses his guilt. Your subject was temporarily deceived by his younger brother and was instigated by him to commit a serious crime. Please punish me leniently, Your Majesty."

Su Xin felt as if struck by lightning. What was his brother saying? They were the ones who had been telling him to keep insisting that Xiao Shi had seduced Xiao Fen'er, and they were the ones who decided to kill Xiao Fen'er. Why were they now shifting all the blame onto him?

"Brother, what...did you say?"

Su You turned and glared fiercely at Su Xin, his eyes threatening: "Things have come to this point, so just confess. Do you want the entire Su family to be buried with you?"

Su Xin pursed his lips, his mind blank, unsure of what to say. Finally, urged by Su You, he knelt upright, kowtowed, and numbly said, "I confess. I forced the Xiao family, and I... made my brother kill someone."

Snap—

Pei Yu's verdict: "Su Xin, a mere commoner, forced an official's wife into a compromising situation. Afterwards, he showed no remorse and instigated others to silence her. This court has decided to sentence him to death, to be executed in the autumn!"

"As for Su You, we will report this matter to His Majesty and then deal with it accordingly."

Pingzhen sat down, utterly exhausted, and looked up, laughing and crying at the same time. He had done it; he had truly done it. He had cleared Fen'er's name, and Fen'er's spirit in heaven could now rest in peace.

He could no longer hear the noise in the hall. A gentle breeze brushed his hair. Pingzhen slowly closed his eyes. It was Fen'er; she had come to pick him up.

She wore the crimson blouse she wore for her wedding, her hair was styled in a bun at the back of her head, adorned with rich rouge, and small silver fans swayed on either side of her as she looked at him happily and called him "Xun Lang".

Pingzhen opened his eyes and, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, rushed towards the pillar behind him.

Before he died, his forehead was covered in blood, his eyes were wide open, and with his last bit of strength he shouted, "Empress Dowager Aunt, your nephew is leaving. Please grant your wish and kill Su Xin immediately. Your nephew will pay his respects from the underworld!"