The Prefect of the Capital clutched his throbbing head, looked at the troublesome man before him, and realized that the matter was extremely difficult to handle.
Everything that just happened took place in the brothel, but if we're talking about written evidence, irrefutable proof that Song Ruoan plagiarized, there really isn't any.
"Then you must prove that what you said is true, otherwise I will not punish you. You said that the incense you burned was more than ten years ago, do you have any evidence?"
Upon hearing this, Song Ruoan remained silent for a moment before speaking, "They've already used up all that incense, so there's no way to prove it."
The Prefect of the Capital slammed his gavel: "You have no evidence to prove your innocence, but there are witnesses everywhere at Pinxianglou! Guards, take Song Ruoan into custody first, and we will proceed with the trial after I have collected the evidence!"
Upon hearing this, Song Ruoan's breath caught in her throat. She had no desire to stay in jail waiting for the Prefect of the Capital to find evidence!
Is it even a place for a human to stay if the boss smells so bad?
Seeing the constables approaching her as ordered, Song Ruoan immediately struggled: "But I also have witnesses! My husband saw those incense sticks, and I have the ancient recipe for those incense sticks, which can prove that they are from more than ten years ago!"
“My work is different from Song Xizhi’s, so I misunderstood her. It was all a misunderstanding, and had nothing to do with plagiarism or false accusation. If you treat human life so lightly, I will take this matter to the Emperor himself!”
Upon hearing this, the Prefect of the Capital grew even angrier. He sneered, "Your husband? He has no intention of coming! If he could prove your innocence, why wouldn't he come?"
Upon hearing this, Song Ruoan collapsed to the ground, feeling utterly powerless.
But at that moment, she heard a familiar sound of footsteps.
Song Ruoan turned her head sharply and saw He Yunce walking towards the courtroom step by step, holding a thick stack of papers in his hand.
Song Ruoan's previously anxious heart suddenly relaxed, and she was overjoyed, her eyes shining as if she had seen a savior.
"My husband, my husband has arrived!"
The man's imposing figure walked towards her step by step against the light. Song Ruoan was so moved that she almost burst into tears, her whole body trembling as she cried.
"Lord Ji, my husband has brought evidence. He has come to prove my innocence."
Hearing Song Ruoan's overjoyed words and looking into her tearful eyes, He Yunze suddenly clenched his hands, staring at Song Ruoan's pale face for a long time before falling into an eerie silence.
Then the Prefect of the Capital frowned and tapped the gavel again, before asking, "Lord He, have you come here to provide evidence?"
He Yunze then came to his senses. He nodded and said, "Yes, I'm here to submit evidence to the Prefect of the Capital."
Upon hearing this, the Prefect of the Capital immediately realized that things had become more complicated.
If there were irrefutable evidence proving Song Ruoan's innocence and that it was all a misunderstanding... but Prince Ning had just given such instructions, so it would be difficult for me to explain myself!
He Yunze closed his eyes briefly, then presented the stack of prescriptions in his hand to the yamen runner, and said in a deep voice, "These prescriptions are old ones from more than ten years ago."
“If these prescriptions are genuine, then it proves that everything was a misunderstanding. Ruoan mistakenly believed that Song Xizhi had plagiarized her, which is why she made such a scene. It was neither plagiarism nor a false accusation.”
Song Ruoan nodded hurriedly.
He Yunze continued, "But His Highness Prince Ning has verified that all of these prescriptions are fake; they were forged a month ago."
"The Prefect of the Capital can send a knowledgeable coroner to examine the body and verify whether Your Highness's judgment is correct."
After saying this, He Yunze turned his head again, looking at Song Ruoan with a sorrowful and grief-stricken gaze, his eyes seemingly filled with a thousand unspoken words.
Upon hearing this, Song Ruoan was struck dumb, as if by lightning. She stood there in a daze, her eyes wide open, unable to believe her ears.
Even the Prefect of the Capital looked at the couple below the hall with great surprise.
If this formula is used as evidence, and it was found that a month ago the formula was forged to falsely accuse and plagiarize the incense from Pinxianglou, then the evidence against Song Ruoan would indeed be irrefutable.
Song Ruoan stiffened and grabbed He Yunce's sleeve: "Husband, husband, what are you saying?"
"Husband, how could you do this? Do you want to kill me? Do you want to kill me?"
Song Ruoan's almost heart-wrenching cries softened He Yunze's heart. He recalled their past lives and felt a dull ache in his heart.
But he only said, "Ruo'an, if you're wrong, you should admit it. We did something wrong, I'm sorry... Sister-in-law, how can you make me lie and cover up your crimes?"
Song Ruoan's head buzzed, and she almost screamed at the top of her lungs: "Then you could have chosen not to produce this evidence!"
He Yunze stared at her silently: "Ruo'an, I've forgotten how many times I've asked you this. You didn't have to lie!"
The more he looked, the more unfamiliar Song Ruoan's face seemed: "At this moment, I don't even know how many lies you've told me, and I can't even recognize who you are anymore!"
Song Ruoan looked away from He Yunce, but then suddenly fell silent.
Upon hearing this, the Prefect of the Capital slammed his gavel again: "Hey! I'm still right here!"
"The coroner and Prince Ning have both examined these prescriptions. Now that the witnesses and physical evidence are conclusive, it can be proven that Song Ruoan deliberately plagiarized and made a false accusation."
"According to the 'Memorial on the Great Expedition,' Song Ruo'an's commercial fraud was established, and he showed no remorse and deliberately concealed it. He was sentenced to fifteen lashes and half a month of detention. He Yunze, who conspired with him, was fined eight hundred taels of silver because of his good attitude in admitting his mistake. The incense shop was ordered to rectify its practices and was prohibited from selling incense in the future."
Song Ruoan raised her head in disbelief, her whole body turning ice-cold, drenched in sweat, on the verge of collapse.
"No, I don't want to be whipped! I don't want to be imprisoned!"
If it weren't for Prince Ning, the Prefect of the Capital wouldn't have imposed such a merciless punishment on her out of consideration for the Marquis of Anding's and the Song family.
If she were to accept this, she would likely lose all face in the capital.
Song Ruoan helplessly grabbed He Yunce's wrist: "Husband, I know I was wrong, I really can't do it. Please plead for me, please ask the Marquis to plead for me. I will never hide it from you again, I will never deceive you again..."
But He Yunze's ears were ringing, and the words of the Prefect of the Capital were echoing in his mind. He was not much better off, and his blood seemed to cool down in an instant.
Eight hundred taels...
Incense shops were ordered to rectify their practices and were prohibited from selling incense anymore...
But now he is penniless. He not only received all the cash from the Huang family and the Song family, but also owed a lot of money to others for the renovation of Ruoan Building. He has no money left at all.
The sound of Song Ruoan's sobbing filled his ears, and his soft-heartedness vanished instantly, turning him into a hardened man.
He Yunze abruptly shook off Song Ruoan's hand: "Ruoan, you've really made things so bad for me!"
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