Chapter 122 You want to put me under house arrest?!
Pei Zhiwei looked at Xie Ji's hesitant expression, and her heart sank. An ominous premonition surged up like a tide, almost drowning her.
She gripped the strap of the brocade bag tightly, her fingertips turning white from the force, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly: "Did something happen to you in court today?"
Xie Ji's anxiety deepened. He sighed, knowing he couldn't hide it from her, and simply said, "Something was off from the very beginning of the morning court session today."
His Majesty waited for a long time but did not see Lord Pei, so he sent someone to the mansion to inquire.
Before the Imperial Guards returned, an urgent report arrived, saying that Lord Pei had been found in a residence in the north of the city, with the corpses of Vice Minister of Revenue Zhang Qifeng and his second son Zhang Yanzhi lying beside him.
Those people were clearly prepared, and immediately jumped out to make trouble, saying that Lord Pei had a long-standing grudge against the Zhang family, and that his arrest of Zhang Xuren during his trip south to investigate the case must be a personal act of revenge.
They've become so arrogant as to commit murder right under the emperor's nose.
Therefore, all the cases we investigated during our trip south, as long as they involved Lord Pei, are invalid; they were all framed with personal grudges.
Of course, some people spoke up for Lord Pei.
The two sides were arguing fiercely.
Pei Zhiwei stood there, stunned, her mind racing.
So that's what their ultimate goal was!
It wasn't simply about getting rid of his father; it was about completely overturning all previous investigation findings and letting those powerful families escape unscathed.
She regained her composure and pressed on, "Then what does this have to do with the Prince?"
Mentioning Xiao Yunzhan, Xie Ji's temper flared instantly. He kicked a nearby rock and said angrily, "Those old bastards finished talking about Lord Pei and then started attacking Xiao Yunzhan!"
It is said that he was very close to my uncle, and that he protected Lord Pei at every turn during this trip south. Perhaps they had been in cahoots all along.
They even dragged my Ding'an Marquis's mansion into it, implying that he was plotting something sinister, using the investigation as a pretext to gather power and intend to rebel!
Pei Zhiwei unconsciously twisted the strap of the brocade bag tightly.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down: "They are using a feint to advance. His Majesty can see through these tricks. What does His Majesty say?"
Xie Ji glanced around warily, and seeing that the passersby were all hurrying by, he lowered his voice and leaned closer to say:
“My uncle hasn’t arrived in the capital yet. Although what he has now can prove that the Zhang family is guilty, it’s not enough to bring everyone involved to justice.”
His Majesty knew the truth, but didn't say anything. He simply kept Xiao Yunzhan behind after court for a private conversation; what they discussed remains unknown.
"Has His Majesty said anything about my father's case?" Pei Zhiwei pressed, her eyes full of expectation, hoping to find a glimmer of hope in His Majesty's attitude.
Xie Ji shook his head. "He didn't say anything specific."
Pei Zhiwei's heart sank instantly.
She had worked with her father on cases for many years and had seen too many similar cases of framing. The most dangerous thing was never the debates in the court, but the time spent in prison.
Since those people can meticulously design such a scheme, they can naturally also tamper with things in prison, the most common being "suicide out of fear of punishment."
Pei Zhiwei's hands, which were gripping the straps, began to tremble uncontrollably, and she suddenly grabbed Xie Ji's arm.
"Xie Ji, my father might be in danger in prison!"
Xie Ji also realized the key point, "Where is Lord Pei being held now?"
“My father is the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and the county government has no right to detain him.”
According to regulations, the Court of Judicial Review should avoid taking on this case to avoid suspicion of impropriety, so he should be imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail.
She glanced at the growing number of people on the street and said, "I'm fast with my light footwork, you ride a horse along the main road, and we'll meet at the entrance of the Ministry of Justice prison."
Xie Ji nodded, mounted his horse with swift and decisive movements, and said, "Be careful, I'll be there soon!"
Before she finished speaking, Pei Zhiwei had already lightly leaped onto the rooftop next to her with a light touch of her toes.
Her figure darted between the rooftops, moving so fast it was like a blur.
Before long, the heavy vermilion gate of the Ministry of Justice prison came into view.
She jumped off the roof and soon saw Xie Ji riding a horse at full speed, the sound of his hooves echoing rapidly on the stone pavement.
The two arrived at the prison gate together, and the guards immediately stepped forward to stop them: "Ministry of Justice prison, no unauthorized personnel allowed!"
Xie Ji revealed the Ding'an Marquis's waist badge, "I am Xie Ji, the heir of the Ding'an Marquis, and I have come to visit Lord Pei Lin, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."
Upon recognizing the name tag, the jailer immediately bowed respectfully: "So it's Prince Xie, my apologies for not recognizing you sooner."
Pei Lin is indeed imprisoned, but there are orders from above that no one is allowed to visit him before the trial begins. Please forgive him, Your Highness.
Xie Ji's face darkened, and he shouted, "Insolence!"
Lord Pei's case is still unresolved, and His Majesty has not yet issued an edict to remove him from his post.
He is still a high-ranking official of the imperial court, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review; how dare you address him by his given name?
The jailer was startled by his sudden anger and immediately knelt down.
"It was my foolishness that led me astray. I beg Your Highness to forgive me!"
Xie Ji snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and was about to walk inside when he was stopped by two other jailers.
Their faces were full of embarrassment as they bowed and said, "Your Highness, it is not that we intend to make things difficult for you, but we are simply following orders. Please understand."
Seeing the guards' strict and vigilant posture, Pei Zhiwei felt even more anxious.
The more they prevent him from seeing his father, the more dangerous he is inside. Perhaps those people have already secretly made arrangements, or even worse, they might be doing so right now...
Her index finger unconsciously gripped the strap of the brocade bag tightly, her mind racing, trying to figure out how to get in.
"I am acting on His Majesty's orders to jointly supervise the trial of Pei Lin's case with Prince Rui, Xiao Yunzhan."
"From this moment forward, Pei Lin will be under the sole guard of the Imperial Guards. No one is allowed to contact him without authorization or make any mistakes!" A familiar voice suddenly came from behind.
Pei Zhiwei looked in the direction of the sound and saw Imperial Censor Qin Liang leading a troop of imperial guards walking quickly towards them, his expression serious.
Following closely behind was Xiao Yunzhan, dressed in court attire. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were deep and unfathomable.
Pei Zhiwei was overjoyed and was about to step forward to speak when she heard Qin Liang say, "Madam Pei."
"I know you are desperate to save your father, but the case is still unclear. As Pei Lin's daughter, you are not allowed to visit him according to the law. Please stop here."
Just as Pei Zhiwei was about to argue, Xiao Yunzhan gave her a wink, signaling her to calm down.
She forced herself to calm her agitated heart and swallowed back the words that were about to come out.
Qin Liang was the first to enter the prison. As Xiao Yunzhan passed by Pei Zhiwei, he didn't stop and quickly said in a low voice, "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."
After saying that, he followed Qin Liang into the prison. The heavy prison door closed slowly behind them with a dull thud.
Pei Zhiwei stood there, staring at the tightly closed prison door, feeling a tightness in her chest, unable to sit still.
She knew that Xiao Yunzhan was a reliable person, and with him around, her father should be safe for the time being.
But since I didn't see my father safe and sound with my own eyes, I couldn't put my mind at ease.
The sun gradually rose higher, passing overhead, and the sunlight became intense, making the ground scorching hot.
Pei Zhiwei and Xie Ji waited at the prison gate, neither of them saying a word.
Occasionally, when jailers came in or out, they would see the two of them and simply bow hastily, not daring to say anything.
Finally, as the sun began to set, the prison door opened again, and Qin Liang and Xiao Yunzhan walked out one after the other.
Qin Liang's face remained serious, revealing no emotion whatsoever, while Xiao Yunzhan's brows were furrowed, his expression complex.
Pei Zhiwei immediately went to greet him, her steps faltering slightly. "Your Highness, how is my father? What did he say?"
Xiao Yunzhan looked at her reddened eyes, his face showing difficulty, and said in a low voice, "Lord Pei is currently safe and sound. The Imperial Guards have taken over the guard, and no one will be able to harm him."
He said that he was drugged on his way to court and when he woke up he saw Zhang Qifeng and his son lying in a pool of blood, and he was holding the blood-stained dagger in his hand.
It was only after hearing the shouting of the person who reported the incident that I fully came to my senses.
He paused, his tone growing increasingly heavy: "But the situation at the scene..."
Seeing that he and Qin Liang seemed convinced that their father was the murderer, Pei Zhiwei said urgently, "My father would never kill anyone!"
He had no reason to kill Zhang Qifeng!
She looked at Xiao Yunzhan, hoping to get his approval: "You know, my father didn't need to kill Zhang Qifeng with his own hands."
But Xiao Yunzhan remained silent and did not answer immediately.
Seeing him like this, Pei Zhiwei couldn't help but burst into tears.
"You don't believe my father? You actually don't believe my father either!?"
“It’s not that I don’t trust Lord Pei,” Xiao Yunzhan hurriedly explained.
"But the evidence is all there, but the evidence is all there..."
His explanation seemed weak and feeble, and Pei Zhiwei's tears fell even harder: "Evidence can be forged, and the scene can be staged!"
You let me investigate, and I'm sure I can find clues and prove my father's innocence!
I'm familiar with the crime scene; if you let me go to that house, I'm sure I can find the flaws they left behind!
"No!" Qin Liang interrupted Xiao Yunzhan before he could speak, his tone serious.
“Madam Pei, you are Pei Lin’s daughter. According to the laws of the Great Liang Dynasty, relatives are not allowed to participate in the investigation and examination of cases. Therefore, I cannot agree to your request.”
"Lord Qin!" Pei Zhiwei turned to look at Qin Liang, her tone pleading.
"You witnessed my investigative skills back then."
I beg you, let me go to the scene and see for myself. I'm sure I can find evidence, and I will not show any favoritism because of personal feelings!
Qin Liang's expression remained unchanged, still upright and incorruptible: "Madam Pei, I am grateful for your investigation of my daughter's case and I believe in your abilities."
But the law is paramount, and rules cannot be broken.
If you interfere in this case, not only will the outcome be unacceptable to the public, but it will also give people ammunition to criticize you, which would ultimately be detrimental to Lord Pei.
Pei Zhiwei's heart sank little by little, as if all her hopes had been extinguished.
She turned to Xiao Yunzhan helplessly, "Do you also think I can't get involved in this case?"
Looking at her tear-streaked face and despair in her eyes, Xiao Yunzhan felt as if his heart had been twisted hard, and the pain made it hard for him to breathe.
He reached out, wanting to take her hand to comfort her, but Pei Zhiwei abruptly shook him off.
"You not only don't believe my father wouldn't kill someone, but you also don't believe I can conduct a fair investigation of the crime scene!"
You don't believe us at all!
Pei Zhiwei roared in anguish, tears blurring her vision, "My father was an upright man who handled countless wrongful convictions, yet in the end he was framed like this."
You clearly know there's something wrong with this, yet you won't give me a chance to find out the truth!
"That's not what I meant..." Xiao Yunzhan hurriedly tried to explain, but Xie Ji pushed him away.
Xie Ji glared at Xiao Yunzhan, "Xiao Yunzhan, you've gone too far!"
Lord Pei has been investigating cases with us for so long, eating and living together, spending every day with us. Don't we know what kind of person he is?
Even if we take a step back and assume he had no reason to kill, he would never have acted at this critical juncture!
This is clearly a trap, how can you not see it?
"How could I not see clearly?" Xiao Yunzhan was also anxious, and his voice rose a few decibels.
"I know better than anyone that this is a trap!"
But now the evidence is right in front of us, and His Majesty has already given the order to act in accordance with the law!
How could I not want to clear Lord Pei's name?
"Enough!" Pei Zhiwei forcefully wiped away her tears, her voice carrying a hint of determination.
"Since Prince Rui doesn't trust me, then I'll investigate myself!"
I will definitely find the evidence and get justice for my father!
As she spoke, she turned and ran toward the crime scene in the north of the city.
"Stop!" Xiao Yunzhan suddenly shouted at her.
He declared loudly, "From this day forward, until Pei Lin's case is resolved, Pei Zhiwei, the wife of the Pei family, shall not leave the Pei residence even for a moment!"
As soon as he finished speaking, guards stood in front of Pei Zhiwei on the left and right.
Pei Zhiwei stopped abruptly, turning back to look at Xiao Yunzhan in disbelief. "You're actually going to put me under house arrest?!"
Xiao Yunzhan closed his eyes tightly, flicked his finger, and said, "Take him away!"
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