Chapter 38: Court
Wang quickly ordered her servants to go to the Hanlin Academy to invite someone.
"Help me change my clothes."
Li Shufeng strode towards the inner room, followed quickly by his two personal maids.
"mother……"
Li Ningsheng was still a little uneasy.
Although she had always been somewhat afraid of her second brother, she still had a deep bond with him. As the daughter of the Prime Minister, she understood the principle of shared success and shared failure.
If my second brother is really involved in this matter, the entire Li family will be implicated.
Normally, I wouldn't be so worried, but I heard that woman was unusual, her every word and action stirring up public sentiment. Oh, a woman who could so shamelessly publicize her defilement was certainly unusual.
"Don't panic. Your father is here to take care of things. He will never let these scoundrels succeed."
Wang patted her daughter's hand gently, glanced towards the inner room, and gradually felt relieved.
Before His Majesty ascended the throne, she had been with him through the ups and downs of officialdom, and was no longer the kind of woman who would panic when faced with problems.
But today's incident happened too suddenly. It became known to the whole city within two hours. It also happened to involve her most beloved second son. In addition, her daughter was very panicked beside her, so she lost her composure for a moment.
Now that the master has returned home, she feels more at ease.
A mere lowly woman of unknown origin dares to ruin her child's future?
It's just a pipe dream!
Seeing that his mother looked normal, Li Ningsheng felt relieved.
Yes, with dad around, there’s nothing to be afraid of, no matter how big the problem is.
But who is so bold as to plot against my second brother?
Wang was also thinking about it secretly.
Lin An is such a kind person and never makes enemies with anyone. It must have been done by the master's enemy in the officialdom.
Since they couldn't touch Lin An, they used their son as a pawn to suppress the Li family.
If this is true, then they deserve to be killed! Once the truth is revealed, I will make sure they know that the Li family is not to be trifled with!
Soon, the servants of the Li Mansion invited Li Lin'an back from the Hanlin Academy.
As soon as Li Lin'an stepped over the threshold, the servant guarding the front yard hurried forward to greet him.
"The master is waiting for the young master in the study."
Li Lin'an looked calm and said, "I understand. Let me go change my clothes first."
The servant was stunned when he heard this, then hurried to catch up. He couldn't help but mutter inwardly: "Young Master is so calm, it's obvious he has nothing to hide. I was saying, with Young Master's character, how could he do such a wicked thing?"
After Li Lin'an changed his clothes and comforted his pregnant wife, he went to the study.
"father."
"You're quite patient," Li Shufeng, who was sitting behind the desk, said with a sharp, scrutinizing gaze, "Did you do this? Do you recognize that woman?"
Li Lin'an lowered his eyes slightly: "My son has never done such a dirty thing."
Li Shufeng stared at him for a moment before saying, "The officials are already waiting in the front hall."
"My son heard about it."
He looked calm and fearless: "My son has a clear conscience and is not afraid to confront that woman in court."
Li Shufeng narrowed his eyes.
No one knows a son better than his father, he knows it very well.
Although he did not fully understand some things, he was not completely unaware of them during these days. He just never took them to heart - because he always believed that his second son knew the limits best.
He looks so calm now, as if he has something under control.
"Since you know what to do, there's no need for me to explain," Li Shufeng said, looking at Li Lin'an. "We can't make any mistakes this time."
If you can clean up the trouble you caused, it won't be completely useless.
It doesn’t matter if you make mistakes. What matters is whether you have the ability to clean up after you get into trouble.
Li Lin'an bowed his head and replied, "Son, I understand. But after causing such a stir in the city, that little thief disappeared in plain sight. Even the men I sent were apprehended on the spot. There must be someone behind this."
And Wang Mingfu who disappeared out of thin air...
All signs indicate that Zhao Tinglan's discovery was no accident.
But he was not sure whether the person behind the scenes was targeting him or the Li Party behind his father.
"I'll get to the bottom of this matter," Li Shufeng said, his voice unrecognizable. "Don't keep the authorities waiting too long. Go and clear up the official business first, and don't create any more complications."
"Yes, son, I'll take my leave."
Li Lin'an bowed and was about to leave the study when he suddenly heard his father's cold voice coming from behind the desk.
"Remember what your father once told you and your brother. Our Li family never keeps useless people, and we certainly won't tolerate trash who only causes trouble."
Li Lin'an's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he replied softly, "Yes." After a moment of silence, he turned and left.
The outside of the Beijing government office was already crowded with people watching the excitement.
"Look, it's the Li family's carriage!"
Someone with sharp eyes shouted loudly.
The crowd suddenly became agitated, and countless eyes were cast towards the street intersection.
The carriage slowly came to a stop, the curtain lifted, and a young man in a moon-white robe stepped out. He had a handsome face, gentle eyes, and his every move exuded the dignity of a young man from an aristocratic family.
The yamen runners led the way, and several followers surrounded him on both sides, protecting Li Linan in the middle.
"Is this the second son of the Li family? He looks so gentle and refined, but he doesn't look like someone who would do that kind of thing..." Someone whispered, and quickly covered his mouth halfway through.
"Haven't you ever heard of the term 'beast in human clothing'?"
"That's right! Where else did this saying come from? You can only know a person's face but not his heart..."
The crowd outside the yamen pushed and shoved forward, all wanting to watch the excitement.
In the court, Li Lin'an calmly bowed to Lord He. He was a proper Jinshi, so according to the rules, he didn't need to kneel.
In contrast, Zhao Tinglan, a commoner, knelt down and kowtowed to Lord He as soon as he entered the hall.
She had changed into plain clothes and had tied her black hair into a simple bun, but the scars on her face and neck were still hideous.
"Miss Zhao is injured, so please stand up and answer."
He Jizhong sighed secretly and ordered someone to bring a stool.
"Thank you, sir."
Zhao Tinglan did not refuse. After thanking him, he sat down on the stool.
I just had some food in the back hall, and now I should get enough rest to confront this beast in human clothing in court.
"The person standing in the hall is the second son of the Li family. Miss Zhao, please identify him carefully. Is this the person you want to sue?" He Jizhong asked according to the rules.
Zhao Tinglan looked directly at Li Linan.
Her voice was clear, and she spoke word by word, "My Lord, it was this man! He was the one who abducted me, imprisoned me, and humiliated me in every way! Even if he were burned to ashes, I would never mistake him!"
A faint smile appeared on Li Lin'an's lips.
His Miss Zhao has always been the best at using words to stir people's hearts and knows what to say to arouse public anger.
Smart indeed.
What a pity, it is too unruly and even dares to show its claws to its owner.
He looked calmly at Zhao Tinglan, whose face was covered with scars.
When he first heard about this, in order to minimize the impact, he sent someone to kill her.
It’s better that he failed now - it would be a pity if he really died.
"Does Li Xiuzhuan have anything to say?" He Jizhong asked in the hall.
Li Lin'an frowned slightly as he saw the hatred boiling in Zhao Tinglan's eyes. "It's strange, but Miss Zhao and I have never met before. Could it be that Miss Zhao, distraught after her ordeal, mistook me for someone else? Or... has someone instigated her to deliberately make a false accusation?"
After hearing this, Zhao Tinglan curled up the corners of his lips into a sneer.
"Young Master, to get away with it, you've come up with such a lame lie. When I was working at Jin Man Tang, you brought the Second Young Lady to order jewelry, and you even praised my craftsmanship. How come you've now said you've 'never seen it'?"
The people watching outside the hall were suddenly in an uproar.
"It's actually Master Zhao from Jin Mantang?"
"That famous jade carving master!"
"In that case, isn't Mr. Li lying?"
Li Lin'an remained composed, a little surprised as he said, "So it's Master Zhao from Jin Mantang. However, we only met once, and since the girl's face was damaged, I didn't recognize her."
Zhao Tinglan clenched his fists.
He just pretended not to know her. It wasn't a flaw revealed in a moment of desperation, it was clearly a trap set long ago.
Admittedly, they only met once, and her appearance was damaged. If he recognized her immediately, it would arouse suspicion.
Even at this point, he still remained calm.
Is this really because he is calm and composed?
No, he is clearly irritable and angry on a daily basis.
His calmness at this moment was simply because he was certain that she was helpless and that she could never convict him.
This is not just a matter of relying on one's status to feel confident.
It also shows that... he has already prepared a backup plan.
Zhao Tinglan clenched her hands even tighter. The more times like this, the more she had to keep her composure.
Otherwise, she would really become the "insane mad woman" he described, and who would believe the testimony of a madman?
His every word and action was leading her into his trap.
Just as Zhao Tinglan was about to speak, a yamen runner came in and reported to Lord He, "Sir, the servant we brought from the mansion has woken up."
The man who used the poison dart to commit murder committed suicide by taking poison on the way back to the yamen.
As for this servant, he had tried to escape from the City Patrol, but he was injured in the head while struggling and was unconscious for a long time.
As an insider of the case, his confession is crucial.
The servant was quickly brought into the hall and knelt on the ground with a deathly pale face.
"I'm asking you, who ordered the imprisonment of Miss Zhao? And who wants to harm her?" He Jizhong slammed the table and shouted.
"I...I really don't know anything!" The servant trembled like a sieve.
He Jizhong glanced at him coldly.
This is not ignorance, it's clearly asking for a beating.
"How dare you conceal the truth of the case and shield the murderer! Come, drag him out and give him twenty lashes!"
The officers on both sides immediately stepped forward and held the prisoner. The servant was so frightened that he almost lost his soul and crawled forward on his hands and knees: "Sir, spare my life! I will confess! I will confess!"
"If you tell me even a single word falsely, I will not forgive you!"
"I dare not..."
The servant's forehead was covered with sweat, and his lips trembled for a long time before he finally spoke in a trembling voice...
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