Shen Yu remained silent, and hurriedly left with Shen Lan and Chi Yan, her brows furrowed with worry and confusion. Why did Hong Yu frame her?
When she thought of Hongyu making her swear to heaven, she thought that Hongyu was deliberately framing her and must have other plans. But she couldn't let the innocent be harmed.
When she returned home, Shen Lan gave her a note and whispered, "Miss, this was given to me by Hongyu when Chiyan and I pulled her away."
Shen Yu withdrew from Shen Lan's presence and hurriedly knelt under the candlelight to open the note:
Sister, Hongyu wanted to use the kidnapping incident to help Kang'er escape. The baby that fell into the water was a corpse I bought. The reason I framed you was to break ties with you in public, so as not to implicate you and the child in the future.
Tomorrow, Hongyu will accuse her sister of plotting to harm Kang'er. Sister, rest assured, Feicui will prove your innocence.
------
The next morning, the yamen runners retrieved an infant from the city's dock and sent it to the yamen for autopsy, where Hongyu was asked to identify the body.
Hongyu is convinced that it was Kang'er and accuses Mu Chenyu of murdering Kang'er.
Shen Yu hurriedly led Shen Lan and Chi Yan to the yamen. She specifically instructed Shen Lan and Chi Yan to deny the crime based on the facts, but not to mention that Hong Yu had entrusted Kang Er with the matter.
The three entered the main hall and saw that Master Gu was already sitting in the hall, while Hongyu was kneeling in the center of the hall.
Seeing Chenyu walk in, Hongyu suddenly jumped up, rushed towards Chenyu, grabbed her clothes, and shoved her wildly, screaming, "Mu Chenyu, why did you kill Kang'er? I treated you like my own sister..."
*Smack!* Master Gu slammed his gavel in anger and roared, "Quickly pull Zhang Hongyu away!"
Two constables stepped forward, pulled Hongyu aside, and pinned her to the ground.
"stop!"
Everyone looked toward the doorway, where Kong Xiang strode in. His calm and elegant demeanor was gone, replaced by a fierce and imposing expression, barely concealing his anger.
Rumors are circulating in the capital: Prime Minister Kong is interested in Hongyu and wants to marry her as his second wife. Could it be that Prime Minister Kong is going to back Hongyu up?
Kong Xiang waved away the yamen runners and walked straight to Master Gu. He said in a deep voice, "I have come here to listen to the proceedings of Mu Chenyu's murder of Zhao Kang'er. I hope that Master Gu will not bend the law for personal gain and protect the criminal."
After Kong Xiang finished speaking, he glared angrily at Chen Yu. Last night, he heard from Fei Cui that Hong Yu had been kidnapped by one woman and two men. When the yamen officials arrived at the riverbank, Hong Yu was only accompanied by Chen Yu and two servants, also one woman and two men.
Therefore, he believed that Mu Chenyu was the one who murdered Kang'er.
Shen Yu glanced at Kong Xiang, then knelt behind Hong Yu with Shen Lan and Chi Yan.
*Smack!* Master Gu slammed his gavel again and said, "Zhang Hongyu, do you have any evidence to support your accusation that Mu Chenyu murdered Zhao Kang'er?"
"My lord, Kang'er and I were kidnapped by a woman and two men. All three were masked. They took Kang'er and me to an abandoned house. Later, the two men carried Kang'er away. When I chased after them, I saw that they had thrown Kang'er into the river."
Where did that woman go?
"At the time, I was in a hurry to catch up with Kang'er and didn't pay attention to the woman. When I saw Kang'er being thrown into the water, I turned around for help and saw Mu Chenyu and two servants behind me."
Lord Gu nodded and looked at Chen Yu, asking, "Chen Yu, do you have anything to say?"
Shen Yu replied, "My lord, Shen Yu, Shen Lan, and Chi Yan went to the riverbank after hearing the cries for help. There was only Hong Yu by the riverbank, so the three villains must have already escaped."
Hongyu suddenly looked at Chenyu and retorted, "Don't think I won't recognize you just because you took off your masks. I remember your figures. It was the three of you who kidnapped me and Kang'er."
whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Kong Xiang strode into the hall, picked up the gavel and slammed it down, angrily ordering, "Lies galore! At the scene of the crime, besides Hongyu, there were only the three of you, mistress and servant. You still dare to deny it? Guards! Take Mu Chenyu away and give her twenty strokes of the cane."
Master Gu quickly stood up to stop him, "Prime Minister Kong, we haven't even asked clearly yet..."
Kong Xiang was even more displeased, and glanced at Master Gu, asking, "Master Gu, I've heard that Shen Yu grew up in your Gu family. Are you perhaps going to bend the law and protect her?"
Seeing Kong Xiang's aggressive attitude, Shen Yu stood up angrily and retorted to Kong Xiang, "Kong Xiang! You can't just conclude that I murdered Kang'er based on Hong Yu's one-sided story. Do you have any other evidence?"
"Bring in witnesses." After saying this, Prime Minister Kong waved for Master Gu to step aside, and then sat down in the courtroom to hear the case.
A short while later, more than a dozen bailiffs entered the courtroom, and their testimonies were consistent:
“Last night, Gu Erlang led us to Qinghe Village to rescue Zhang Hongyu and Zhao Kang’er. We heard someone calling for help by the river and ran over to find Zhang Hongyu lying on the riverbank crying. Mu Chenyu and two servants were standing beside her. There was no one else there.”
Kong Xiang dismissed the bailiffs, slammed his gavel, and said, "Mu Chenyu, we have witnesses. Will you confess or not?"
"Hmph!" Shen Yu rolled her eyes at Prime Minister Kong and couldn't help but sneer, "I never thought that the Prime Minister of a country would be so arrogant and domineering? The case in the yamen should have been handled by Master Gu. Prime Minister Kong, are you here to win someone's heart? Or are you going to bend the law for personal gain?"
Bang!
Kong Xiang slammed his gavel down and angrily ordered, "Mu Chenyu has no regard for the law and has shown contempt for me. Drag him away and give him twenty strokes of the cane."
Hongyu panicked and hurriedly shouted, "My lord! Hongyu has witnesses!"
Who is it?
“It was my personal maid, Emerald. Last night, the villains entered Cheng Garden at 9 PM, so the courtyard was dimly lit, with only the candlelight in the room shining brightly.”
I was knocked unconscious by the thug while I was asleep, so I didn't see what the thug looked like. Jade escaped and went to the yamen to report the crime, so perhaps she saw what the thug looked like.
The adults could let Jade identify the murderer, so that the murderer would die willingly and convincingly.
After speaking, Hongyu glared at Chenyu, intending to confirm to everyone her suspicion and hatred towards Chenyu.
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