She carefully recalled every detail of her interactions with those exiled acquaintances, and really couldn't think of any reason for them to report the Wei family.
Wei Che, on the other hand, had a solemn expression on his face as he protected Su Huaiyue tightly. He knew very well that once the accusation was proven, the Wei family would face a devastating disaster.
When they arrived at the court, they were ordered to kneel down.
The atmosphere in the court was solemn. The yamen runners on both sides stood majestically, holding water and fire sticks. The four large characters "A Clear Mirror Hangs High" on the plaque in the center of the hall were particularly eye-catching.
The county magistrate sat in the hall with a serious face and looked at everyone below with cold eyes.
The county magistrate slammed the gavel and shouted, "Who is this person in this room? How dare you collude with the rebels? What is your punishment?"
Wei Che spoke first, his voice steady and powerful: "Sir, I am Wei Che, a commoner, exiled here with my family. We have always lived in peace and order, making a living by running a shop. We have no intention of colluding with the rebellion. I hope you will understand."
He straightened his back and looked at the county magistrate with firm eyes, without any fear.
Su Huaiyue also hurriedly said, "Sir, I am Su Huaiyue. We were just visiting some old friends yesterday. I really don't know why we were slandered as rebels. I beg you to conduct a thorough investigation and clear our Wei family's name."
Her eyes revealed sincerity and her tone was neither humble nor arrogant.
The county magistrate frowned slightly, looked at He Er and asked, "He Er, you said someone reported it. Where is the reporter? Where is the evidence?"
He Er hurried forward, bowed and said, "Sir, the informant is temporarily unable to show up, but he has provided evidence."
As he spoke, he took out a letter from his pocket and presented it to the county magistrate.
The county magistrate opened the letter and read it carefully, his face becoming increasingly gloomy.
After reading it, he slammed the letter on the table. "Wei Che, Su Huaiyue, the letter says that you have close contacts with the exiles and discussed rebellion. The letter also contains the content of your conversation. How do you explain this?"
Su Huaiyue was shocked. She had never talked about rebellion with those exiles. This was obviously forged evidence.
She looked up at the county magistrate and shouted, "Sir, this is a deliberate fabrication! We were just catching up with those friends and never discussed treason. Please investigate carefully and don't be deceived by this false evidence."
Wei Che also said: "Sir, I can swear to heaven that this is absolutely not the case. This letter must be a malicious frame-up by someone who wants to put our Wei family to death."
The county magistrate pondered for a moment and said, "It's hard to convince the public with just your one-sided statement. If you can't provide strong evidence to prove your innocence, I'm afraid you won't be able to escape the charge of treason."
Su Huaiyue was anxious. She tried hard to recall and suddenly thought of a detail.
She said, "Your Excellency, when we visited a friend yesterday, a passerby testified that we were just doing a normal visit and did not do anything suspicious. Furthermore, the handwriting on this letter is completely different from mine. Your Excellency can ask someone knowledgeable to authenticate it."
After hearing this, the county magistrate nodded slightly and said, "Well, that's a good idea. Someone, go get an expert in handwriting identification."
At this time, everyone in the Wei family was nervous and waiting for the results of the handwriting identification.
Su Huaiyue lowered her head slightly, with a look of surprise and uncertainty in her eyes.
Wei Che held Su Huaiyue's hand tightly, giving her strength and comfort.
However, at this moment, He Er sneered and said, "Hmph, don't think you can clear your name by getting a handwriting identification. This letter is the evidence. You must be guilty."
His eyes were full of pride, as if he was certain that everyone in the Wei family could not escape blame.
Su Huaiyue looked at He Er, anger welling up in her heart: "He Er, you are so sure, do you know something? Does this forged letter have anything to do with you?"
Her eyes were sharp as she stared at He Er, trying to find clues from his expression.
He Er's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "Don't spit bloody words at me here! I'm just following orders. Everything I do is based on the evidence."
Although his tone was firm, his eyes were a little evasive.
Wei Che looked at He Er's reaction and became more and more certain that he was involved in this matter. "He Er, if you really have a clear conscience, why don't you dare look us in the eye? There must be something hidden!"
He took a step forward and stared at He Er with a threatening look.
"quiet!"
The county magistrate angrily slammed the gavel, interrupting the confrontation between the several people.
"This is a court. If you dare to make noise again, the first charge won't be conspiracy to rebel!"
Wei Che took a deep breath, bowed his head and clasped his fists, "I know I was wrong, but I was worried that some officers and soldiers might have accepted bribes and colluded with each other, so I charged the Wei family with such a heinous crime."
"You! You are slandering me!"
He Er almost jumped up, his eyes blazing with fire. "At least I have evidence. How can you convict me without any evidence?"
"Yeah?"
Wei Che twitched the corners of his lips, narrowed his eyes slightly, and looked up and down at the officer uniform on He Er.
Finally, it locked onto the knife that the other person was holding tightly.
For some reason, He Er's fingers suddenly shrank, and he subconsciously hid the knife behind him. His throat rolled and he swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Wei Che's eyes were fixed on He Er's knife. Under the light from the lobby, the knife emitted a cold luster. The texture of the blade was delicate, and it faintly exuded a unique texture.
Wei Che sneered inwardly. He took a step forward, pointed at the sword, and said loudly, "Sir, please look at He Er's sword. The swords of our Youzhou officers and soldiers have always been of a unified style, made of ordinary steel. But the quality of He Er's sword is completely different from that of other officers and soldiers. It is clearly made of the finest black iron. Think about it, sir, where would an ordinary officer and soldier get the money to buy such a precious black iron sword?"
When everyone heard this, their eyes turned to He Er's sword.
The county magistrate also frowned, his eyes revealing confusion and scrutiny. He leaned forward slightly and looked at the knife carefully.
He Er's face turned pale in an instant, and he subconsciously reached out to block the knife, with beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
Ever since he got this knife, he felt extremely powerful and always subconsciously showed off a part of it.
Because the blade was always bright in the sun, people were frightened when they saw it, so he also received a lot of benefits.
People in Youzhou don't have much money, so no one can tell a good knife from a bad one.
But I didn't expect that I would be discovered by the Wei family from the capital today.
"You... don't talk nonsense! This knife... this knife is a family heirloom! Of course the quality is good!" His voice rose unconsciously, trembling with a hint of guilt.
Wei Che snorted coldly and continued, "Family heirloom? As far as I know, most of the officers and soldiers in Youzhou come from poor backgrounds, and their ancestors were all ordinary people. How could such a precious black iron sword be passed down? You are clearly lying! This sword is so valuable, it must have been given to you by someone, and that person is the one who wants to frame my Wei family!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
