Lord He helped Chen Yu up and whispered, “Yu’er, if you can prove that Bai Yehua murdered your father, it will be enough to show that he harmed a loyal minister. Liu Yu will be considered to have eliminated a treacherous minister. I will definitely work with the other ministers to protect Liu Yu’s life. As for the case of Prince Hong’s assassination, you can find evidence to appeal to the Dali Temple for Liu Yu’s innocence. The Emperor will not allow me to investigate, but he cannot stop the people from seeking justice.”
Shen Yu nodded, already having made her plans.
She is still the eldest daughter-in-law of the Bai family; how can she seek justice for an outsider? If she wants to rightfully seek justice for Liu Yu, she must relinquish her status as the general's wife.
Therefore, the first step is to find evidence that Bai Yehua murdered his father, so as to break away from the Bai family.
Thinking of this, she quickly bid farewell to Uncle He: "Uncle, Yu'er will go find the evidence now."
"Remember, we must find evidence for Liu Yu before noon tomorrow."
------
The next morning, the streets were teeming with people, even more crowded than usual, with pedestrians whispering and making a great deal of noise.
"Did you see that? Mu Chenyu posted a notice: divorce."
"She divorced her deceased husband."
"General Bai has only been gone for nine days, and she couldn't hold on any longer?"
"Stop talking, they're here, look!"
Shen Yu walked into Dali Temple in silence and with a fierce aura.
Lord He was already seated in the hall. Only after seeing Chen Yu and the other woman kneeling in the center of the hall did he strike the gavel and order: "This case concerns the woman's reputation. The court shall adjourn for trial."
Shen Yu retorted: "My lord, before coming here, Shen Yu had already discussed it with my sister and requested that you conduct a public trial of this case."
In fact, to prove that Bai Yehua murdered Master Mu, Shen Yu could have done it alone. The reason she brought Chen Mo along was to prepare for the next case.
Seeing that Lord He had not yet made a decision, Chen Yu stood up, faced the people outside the gate, and shouted loudly: "Bai Yehua murdered my father, I will not be the general's wife anymore. I am willing to give up my title and sue Bai Yehua for murdering my father, Mu Zheng. Even if Bai Yehua has become a ghost, I will still divorce him."
Before Chen Yu could finish speaking, the people began to stir. "There were rumors that General Bai murdered his master, and it seems that it was true."
"Yes, this news came from the military camp. Later, the Emperor bestowed upon Mu Chenyu the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady and upon Mu Nanfeng the title of Second-Rank Assistant General, and the matter was suppressed."
"Sigh... Mu Chenyu would rather give up her imperial title; it seems this is indeed true..."
Once the murmurs of the crowd had subsided, Lord He slammed his gavel and shouted, "Mu Chenyu! Do you have any evidence to support your accusation against General Bai? If it is found to be false, you will be severely punished!"
“I have evidence.”
As she spoke, Chen Yu took out two letters and handed them to the guard.
She found these two letters after staying up all night and dismantling Liu Yao'er's bed.
She searched Bai Yehua's room thoroughly, but found nothing. It seemed Bai Yehua was cautious and hadn't left any clues. On the contrary, it was Liu Yao'er who was wary of Bai Yehua, which is why she left the letter.
He took the letters from the man and said, "First, explain the origin of these two letters."
"My lord, this is a letter Bai Yehua wrote to Liu Yao'er. Before the refugees entered the city, Liu Yao'er wrote to Bai Yehua, falsely accusing me of murdering her unborn child. General Bai replied that he would definitely kill my father. Another letter, also written by General Bai to Liu Yao'er, mentions that he has already eliminated my father."
He opened the letter and read it carefully; the contents were indeed as Chen Yu had said.
He was furious. He slammed his gavel and said sternly, "These two letters prove that Bai Yehua and Liu Yao'er conspired to murder Mu Zheng, but their authenticity still needs to be verified. Men, go to the Bai family and the yamen to retrieve the handwriting of Bai Yehua and Liu Yao'er..."
"My lord, my lord, Her Majesty the Empress has ordered me to deliver evidence." Nianzhu stood outside the door, holding a long box and calling out.
Lord He ordered the guards to bring it over, and upon opening it, they found it contained calligraphy and paintings by Bai Yehua and Liu Yao'er.
Fifteen minutes later.
Lord He struck the gavel again and said loudly, "These two letters are indeed written by Bai Yehua himself, and they can prove that Bai Yehua plotted to harm General Mu, but... I dare not make a conclusion. Previously, Your Majesty verified that General Mu was framed by spies from an enemy country. Therefore, this case must be reported to Your Majesty for a decision. Court adjourns for now, and we will continue the proceedings another day."
"Please wait, my lord! Bai Yehua is dead, and my father has been laid to rest. I have no other request but that you grant me my filial piety."
After speaking, Chen Yu took out two pieces of paper and handed them to the guard, continuing, "This is the contract that Bai Yehua and I signed on our wedding night, and the other is the letter of divorce that I wrote. When Bai Yehua married me, it was only to have a legal wife and to help him bring his pregnant concubine into the family. He favored his concubine over his wife during his lifetime, committing a serious breach of righteousness, and should be expelled by the authorities. Now that it has been confirmed that he killed my father, even if the authorities do not allow me to leave the Bai family, I, Mu Chen Yu, will make my own decision."
After speaking, Shen Yu turned to face the crowd outside the door, cupped her hands and said loudly, "I hope you will all bear witness for me. From this day forward, I, Mu Shen Yu, will have no further connection with the Bai family, nor will I be the wife of a general or a noblewoman. I will not take any of the Bai family's gold and silver treasures. I only wish to leave the home of my father's killer."
"good!"
"Bai Yehua is wicked and unjust. He colluded with the enemy country to kill General Mu. He is a sinner."
"Support Miss Chen Yu leaving the Bai family..."
At this time, news of Mu Chenyu's divorce had already reached the palace.
Eunuch Cai reported to the Emperor: "Your Majesty, the people of the capital are all pleading for justice for General Mu and begging Your Majesty to allow Mu Chenyu to leave the Bai family."
*Smash!* The Emperor angrily slammed down his teacup, saying indignantly, "Mu Chenyu is utterly audacious! General Mu died in battle at the border, and I have already rewarded him. How dare she bring up old grievances? Is she trying to embarrass me?"
"Your Majesty, Shen Yu was initially unaware that General Mu had been killed by Bai Yehua. Only after finding the letter did she learn the true culprit, hence her desire for a divorce. Now that both General Mu and Bai Yehua are deceased and neither were military commanders, their deaths will not affect morale. Your Majesty should grant Shen Yu's wish, which would also be in accordance with public opinion. As for the cause of General Mu's death, it can be handled tactfully. Simply say that Bai Yehua is dead, and whether he colluded with spies from enemy countries is no longer verifiable."
"Hmm... This is a good conclusion. Eunuch Cai, go and carry it out." After saying this, the Emperor glanced sideways at the Empress.
In truth, the Empress's assistance to Chen Yu was indeed for ulterior motives. Now that Prince Hong has passed away, Prince Li has been captured, and the remaining princes are all mediocre, Prince Yan will surely ascend the throne.
The Empress was worried that Prince Yan and Prince Heng would turn against each other, so she wanted to arrange a marriage between Chen Yu and Prince Heng. After all, Chen Yu was quick-witted and intelligent, and she and Hong Yu were like sisters. With her help, Prince Heng would surely be able to live a peaceful life.
Seeing the scrutinizing look in the Emperor's eyes, the Empress calmly knelt down and pleaded, "Your Majesty, Prince Yan and Prince Heng are both my own flesh and blood. Now that Prince Heng has been demoted to the Western Liang region, and there is no wise person to take care of him, I am truly worried."
"Does the Empress want Chen Yu to marry Prince Heng?"
"Indeed, Your Majesty, I humbly request that you issue an imperial edict to bestow a marriage upon Prince Heng and Chen Yu."
"Absolutely not! I have already promised others that I will no longer interfere in Shen Yu's marriage. How can I go back on my word?"
"Who dares to make such a promise from the Emperor?"
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