It was late autumn and early winter, and a biting wind swept through the hall. Wei Shuwan, who was dressed rather thinly, couldn't help but shiver.

But she quickly bit her lip, forcing herself to calm down.

She stopped the execution, slowly lowered her hand that was raised above her head, and still held the gold medal tightly in her hand.

Everyone in the hall except Wei Shuwan was utterly shocked, staring at her in astonishment.

"Who did you say it was?" Zhang Jian asked her incredulously.

Wei Shuwan arrogantly raised her chin and loudly repeated, "It was the Prince of Qiaochuan who gave this woman this pardon."

Those who were wondering if they had misheard the first time were much more clear-headed after hearing her say it a second time. They were certain that they hadn't misheard; this girl was indeed talking about the Little Prince of Qiaochuan!

Wei Zheng and Wei Hai, the two men strapped to the torture bench, had very different expressions.

Wei Zheng's eyes revealed worry and concern; he couldn't be sure what kind of deal his beloved daughter had made with someone to obtain this life-saving gold medal. Wei Hai, on the other hand, was simply shocked and secretly delighted—he was finally saved!

Although Wei Chengxiu couldn't see, he frowned as some things that had puzzled him before flashed through his mind, and he realized that there seemed to have been signs of all this all along.

The pear wood books her elder sister gave her, engraved with the seal of "Chongwen Academy," made her realize that such things couldn't be bought with money alone. It turned out that her elder sister had somehow become acquainted with someone like the Prince of Xiaoqiaochuan.

The shock on Meng Shi and Wei Shuyao's faces was more exaggerated than anyone else's. The mother and daughter really did not expect that the second branch of the family could turn the tide and bring the situation back to life at such a critical moment!

But when exactly did Wei Shuwan get involved with the Prince of Xiaoqiaochuan? How come they never noticed at all?

Wei Wenshi, standing to the side, suddenly understood that the inexplicable confidence she had sensed in her granddaughter this morning actually stemmed from this! As the grandmother, she had always known that the third girl was more shrewd than her other siblings, and it was precisely because of this that she disliked her even more.

At such a young age, she was so cunning. She forced everyone to reveal their ugly sides at the critical moment of life and death, and only after seeing and remembering everything did she take out this life-saving charm.

Even Sun Lurong, who was closest to Wei Shuwan, looked up at her daughter with a puzzled expression. How could her mother not know anything about this?

Zhang Jian coldly swept his eyes over the reactions of the Wei family members below the hall, confirming that they were also completely unaware that Wei Shuwan possessed a pardon from death, which made him even more puzzled.

Why would the Prince of Xiaoqiaochuan give you something so important?

The Prince of Qiaochuan's residence was once bestowed with a death-exemption token by the Emperor, a unique honor in the dynasty and a well-known fact within the court. However, the young Prince of Qiaochuan's decision to give this token away was suspicious, as such a gesture was beyond the reach of ordinary friendships.

Wei Shuwan had previously considered publicly revealing her secret engagement with Li Qingchen through exchanging tokens of love in order to gain people's trust. However, now that she had actually come to this point and Zhang Jian had asked her about it, she was hesitant.

Before she could even speak, Wei Shuwan felt a burning sensation on both cheeks. Her carefully prepared speech faltered, and she stammered out:

“There was a time when the Prince of Xiaoqiaochuan was attacked, and I… saved him.”

While this statement was not entirely untrue, it lacked confidence, because no one would believe that a frail woman like her could rescue Li Qingchen, who possessed considerable martial arts skills, and thus receive such a valuable gift from him.

However, she dared not reveal more details. After all, Li Qingchen was ambushed by the Imperial City Guard when he was shot with an arrow. If she said too much, wouldn't she be putting him in danger?

Therefore, when Zhang Jian asked about the specifics of how to save her, Wei Shuwan began to change the subject:

"My lord, if you don't believe this is true, you can send someone to the Prince of Xiaoqiaochuan's residence right now to verify it. As long as it is proven that the gold medal in my hand is genuine, then you must release my father."

Wei Shuwan's words revealed no hint of guilt. Besides, misusing a pardon was a capital offense; no one would be foolish enough to tell such an easily exposed lie. Therefore, both Zhang Jian and Zhu Haogan firmly believed that the pardon was genuine.

It seems the trial can't proceed today.

After consulting with Zhu Haogan, Zhang Jian decided to first imprison the Wei family in the Censorate, then personally go to the Xiaoqiaochuan Prince's Mansion to inquire about the matter, and finally consult the Emperor's opinion.

As Zhu Haogan got up to leave the Censorate, his gaze lingered on Wei Shuwan for a moment. Suddenly, he remembered that when Consort Wen held the plum blossom appreciation banquet last time, Li Qingchen had rescued both Princess Yun'an and Wei Shuwan at the same time.

He had initially thought Li Qingchen wanted to establish a good relationship with the Prince Jing's mansion, but now it seemed that Li Qingchen was truly interested in this young lady from the Wei family. It turned out that the two of them had already had a close relationship back then.

With the gold medal in her hand, Wei Shuwan naturally did not need to kneel before anyone. Even when His Highness the Crown Prince walked past her, she still stood up straight, only slightly lowering her head, avoiding eye contact with His Highness the Crown Prince.

But she could still feel the Crown Prince's gaze upon her, like two sharp icicles piercing her body.

Are you two mutually in love?

The few words, spoken softly and slowly, floated down from above Wei Shuwan's head, her calm voice seemingly concealing turbulent waves.

Wei Shuwan didn't know how to reply for a moment, so she simply pretended not to hear and lowered her head even further.

Zhu Haogan gave a cryptic smile, showed no remorse, and then walked away.

After seeing His Highness the Crown Prince off, the yamen runners escorted the Wei family members from the hall to the Tai prison. Although it was a prison like the Dali Temple prison, the Tai prison was not so strict, and there was no distinction between men's and women's cells. All the Wei family members were imprisoned in the same cell.

Because Wei Zheng was the main culprit in the case, and he was extremely uncooperative and refused to confess during his time in the prison, the jailer was very rude when he was taken back to the cell and shoved him hard on the back.

Wei Zheng staggered a few steps and knelt on the ground. Wei Shuwan quickly ran forward to help him up, saying, "Father!"

Wei Shuwan squatted down, anxiously brushing the dust off her father's knees. Wei Zheng, however, pulled his leg back, causing his daughter to miss her footing as she tried to brush the dust off his knees.

Wei Shuwan tilted her head slightly, puzzled, and met her father's stern gaze. She knew what he wanted to ask.

She straightened up, her head slightly lowered, her gaze hidden beneath her long eyelashes. She had just saved her entire family like a hero, but now she looked like a child obediently listening to a scolding after doing something wrong.

At this moment, Sun Lurong also came over. Sensing the strange atmosphere between the father and daughter, she sighed deeply, understanding the situation, and pleaded for her daughter:

"It was Wanwan who saved everyone today, otherwise we would still be being tortured right now."

"But why would she keep such a big thing from all of us?" Wei Zheng questioned Sun Shi, then turned his gaze back to his daughter, "What exactly is going on between you and the Prince of Qiaochuan?!"