That person was none other than Old Mrs. Gu.
Last night, Chen Yu, accompanied by her maid, ransacked the Yixiang Garden, digging and tearing things apart, claiming she was looking for evidence that Bai Yehua had plotted to murder Master Mu.
Rong Momo told Old Madam Gu about this.
Although Old Madam Gu was advanced in years, she was still very sharp. She knew that Shen Yu and Liu Yu were mutually in love, but they couldn't be together. She feared that once Shen Yu left the Bai family, her marriage would no longer be her own decision. Therefore, Old Madam Gu took the initiative, swallowing her pride, to beg the officials to stop interfering in Shen Yu's marriage. She even said that if Shen Yu left the Bai family in the future, she would have to marry someone of lower status.
The emperor, considering that Old Madam Gu was a descendant of a founding hero, granted her request.
------
At the Dali Temple, Eunuch Cai read out the Emperor's decree: Mu Chenyu was permitted to leave the Bai family, but her first-rank imperial title was revoked.
Shen Yu knelt down to express her gratitude, weeping with joy. Afterwards, she kowtowed to Lord He and the people to express her thanks.
He silently helped her up, but she refused and instead pulled out a lawsuit and presented it to him.
This is the complaint she wrote to Liu Yu.
After reading the complaint, Lord He said loudly, "Mu Chenyu, you say Liu Yu did not assassinate Prince Hong, do you have any evidence?"
"My lord, I was afraid of the rumors before and dared not testify for outsiders. Now that I know that Liu Yu eliminated the treacherous officials and avenged my father, I am extremely grateful and will definitely seek justice for Liu Yu."
On the fifteenth of August, I went to Prince Yan's residence to have tea with Consort Yu. In the courtyard, I encountered Prince Hong and Liu Yu. Prince Hong had been assassinated; I personally witnessed the assassin in black, and Liu Yu chased after him over the wall. Consort Yu and I can both testify that Liu Yu was definitely not the assassin.
"Yes, I did indeed see the assassin in black."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Hongyu, dressed in a dark green gown, slowly approaching.
Hongyu was the Princess Consort of Yan, so the guards did not stop her and allowed her to enter the hall and stand next to Chenyu.
Lord He dismissed the matter, slammed his gavel, and rebuked, "What brings Princess Yan here? Does she also wish to testify for Liu Yu?"
“Exactly! The black-clad assassin was burly and highly skilled in martial arts, while Liu Yu was thin and frail, quite unlike the assassin. I urge you, Lord He, to re-examine this case and not wrong Liu Yu.”
Bang! Lord He slammed the gavel again and rebuked, "You two both say that Liu Yu did not assassinate Prince Hong, so how do you know that the black-clad assassin was not ordered by Liu Yu? Unless you two can find the black-clad assassin and prove that he assassinated Prince Hong, Liu Yu cannot escape punishment."
"That's too much."
"Yes, isn't this dereliction of duty? Making Chen Yu and Yu Fei help catch the culprit."
"I never imagined that Lord He would be such a muddle-headed official."
"..."
Hearing the people's indignation, the official lowered his head helplessly. The Emperor had already determined Liu Yu's guilt, and even if there was evidence to exonerate him, he dared not release him. He could only temporarily adjourn the court and invite the Emperor to observe the proceedings. If it could be proven that Prince Hong did not die at the hands of a prince, the Emperor would not use Liu Yu as a scapegoat.
At this moment, the Emperor had already entered the inner hall of the Dali Temple. Upon hearing that Shen Yu was defending Liu Yu, he rushed over, because the case of Prince Hong involved many people, and Prince Li was also suspected. If other princes were implicated, wouldn't the dignity of the royal family be completely destroyed?
Therefore, as long as Mu Chenyu cannot produce conclusive evidence, Liu Yu is doomed!
The Emperor ordered that the trial continue, and if the assassin in black could not be found, the court would adjourn.
Lord He sat back down in the hall and, in accordance with the Emperor's wishes, said, "If you cannot prove that the black-clad assassin and Liu Yu are not of the same ilk, then this case need not be tried again."
"My lord! The assassin in black is Bai Yehua. How could Liu Yu be on the same side as him?"
"Is there any evidence to prove that the assassin in black is Bai Yehua?"
Shen Yu hurriedly pulled at the silence beside her.
She remained silent, head bowed, because she found it difficult to give her testimony. She had written it down beforehand and handed it to the guard.
Upon seeing this, the adult's expression changed drastically.
It turned out that on the day Bai Yehua set off for the expedition, the sky was overcast and heavy rain was imminent. He instructed his wives and concubines to drink ginger soup before setting off.
Silent, with some medical knowledge and familiarity with medicinal herbs, immediately recognized the medicine in the ginger soup. She then induced vomiting. Afterwards, He Yuan and Su Ma fell into a deep sleep, and she also pretended to be asleep.
Unexpectedly, Bai Yehua changed into black clothes and got off the carriage.
An hour later, Bai Yehua returned, his black clothes soaked through, and instructed Ma Wen to dispose of them...
The subsequent testimony details Bai Yehua's mistreatment of his wives and concubines, as well as his cursing of Mu Chenyu.
Therefore, Bai Yehua's marriage to Heyuan and his taking of Mochen as a concubine were all ways to manipulate the Mu family and take revenge on Shen Yu!
After reading the testimony, the magistrate slammed his gavel in anger and ordered sternly, "Guards! Bring Marvin here immediately!"
Before long, Ma Wen was brought in and knelt down to state: "My lord, Bai Yehua did indeed leave the group dressed in black that day, but I do not know where he went. He only ordered me to destroy the black clothes and stay behind to guard Yixiang Garden. I know nothing else."
Lord He looked troubled. His attendant handed him the imperial decree. Lord He then struck the gavel heavily and said in a deep voice, "The testimonies of Chen Mo and Ma Wen are insufficient to prove that Bai Yehua assassinated Prince Hong; the black-clad man described by Consort Yu and Chen Yu cannot be confirmed as Bai Yehua. If there is no new evidence, the court is adjourned."
"Sir, please wait, there is new evidence."
Prince Yan strode over, handed a paper package to a guard, and then said to Lord He, "Lord He, on the fifteenth of August, Liu Yu pursued the assassin in black, and the assassin used this poisoned needle against Liu Yu. I have had the imperial physician examine it, and the poison on this needle is the same rare northern poison that poisoned Prince Hong. Bai Yehua is skilled in medicine, knowledgeable in herbs, and stationed on the northern border; he must be the one who assassinated Prince Hong. Liu Yu killed him to avenge Master Mu and Prince Hong, and to rid the court of evil."
The case finally showed some promise, and Lord He was secretly pleased, but still said with a stern face, "Since Prince Yan suspects that Bai Yehua assassinated Prince Hong, then produce evidence to prove that this poison came from Bai Yehua."
Bai Yehua is dead, how can this be proven?
Yan Wang's eyes widened, and he was about to step forward to reprimand Lord He, but Hong Yu stopped him. "Yan Wang, please calm down. Lord He was only acting under orders. His public trial of this case has already angered the Emperor. Let's not make things difficult for Lord He. Let's find the evidence as soon as possible."
After Hongyu finished speaking, she helped Chenyu up.
Shen Yu's knees ached, and she was hunched over, unable to stand upright, yet she remained rooted to the spot, refusing to leave. Last night, she had searched Bai Yehua's room thoroughly, but found no poison, let alone the rare poison from the north!
"Sister Yu, let's go back first and think of something. Besides, we've never seen the Northern Poison before, so how would we know where Bai Yehua has hidden it?"
"yes!"
Shen Yu was startled and straightened up abruptly. She remembered the head of the apothecary saying that the Northern Poison, whether made into powder or extracted juice, was extremely poisonous and would kill instantly. Since Bai Yehua didn't have any poison, then he must have cultivated a Northern Poison.
Thinking of this, she was overjoyed and quickly said, "My lord, I can prove that this poison came from Bai Yehua. Please come with me to Yixiang Garden."
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