Chapter 164 Sending the Dali Temple to Investigate
Ye Wanning cried even harder, tightly holding Chun Tao's hand: "Chun Tao, thank you for telling me all this."
"I will make Zhao Dechang pay the price and avenge my mother!"
Pei Zhi felt bad seeing this scene.
He gave the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review a wink, and the official immediately understood. He said to Chun Tao, "Chun Tao, I will take you back to the Court of Judicial Review and take good care of you."
"I'll have the imperial physician treat your injuries again, don't worry."
"Then I'll trouble you, sir. Go quickly and return promptly," Pei Zhi instructed.
"Yes!" The official nodded and left with Chun Tao.
When Ye Wanning saw Chun Tao being taken away, she finally felt relieved, knowing she had leverage over Chun Tao and could now take revenge.
Pei Zhi walked to her side and said with a smile, "No need to rush to repay the favor, just don't treat me like an outsider."
After Chun Tao was taken away by the Dali Temple, she quickly gave a statement, revealing that Zhao Dechang had murdered Ye Wanning's birth mother and embezzled her dowry.
The official presented the confession to the emperor, who was furious and immediately ordered an investigation into Zhao Dechang, also appointing Pei Zhi to handle the case.
Zhao Dechang panicked. He hadn't expected Ye Wanning to be able to find Chun Tao and even obtain her confession.
Knowing that he would be severely punished by losing his official position and even his head if convicted, he decided to strike first, killing Ye Wanning and Chun Tao before destroying the evidence.
That night, Ye Wanning was tidying up her things at the clinic when she suddenly heard a commotion outside, so she went out.
Several burly men armed with guns stormed in, and the leader said menacingly, "Ye Wanning, if you know what's good for you, you'll have the Dali Temple release Chun Tao!"
"Withdraw the charges against Lord Zhao, or you'll be in big trouble, your blood will flow like a river!"
Ye Wanning's heart sank, knowing that this was Zhao Dechang's man, but she calmly said, "I will not withdraw the charges."
"Zhao Dechang killed my mother and embezzled my dowry. I want him dead!"
"You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences!" The burly man roared in fury, waving his hand to order his men to start smashing it. "Smash it! Smash it to pieces!"
"Smash all the medicine in the pharmacy, let's see how she'll run her clinic then!"
The burly men under his command swarmed forward, smashing medicine cabinets and throwing medicine jars. Before long, the clinic was in complete chaos.
Ye Wanning tried to stop them, but the big man grabbed her and pinned her down, making her unable to move.
"Let me go!" Ye Wanning struggled desperately, but she couldn't break free.
Pei Zhi arrived with his guards, and upon seeing the scene, his face instantly turned cold: "Stop! Smashing a clinic and injuring innocent civilians in broad daylight is outrageous!"
The burly man felt intimidated when he saw Pei Zhi, but he refused to back down, saying, "This is between Ye Wanning and me, Lord Pei, please mind your own business!"
"Wan Ning is my wife, her business is my business!" Pei Zhi sneered.
"Go, arrest them all and send them to the Dali Temple for severe interrogation to find out who ordered them!"
The guards rushed forward and quickly subdued the big man and his accomplices.
The big man tried to resist, but Pei Zhi kicked him to the ground, pinning him down.
Pei Zhi walked to Ye Wanning's side, gently released her hand, and looked at the red marks on her hand, asking with concern, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine." Ye Wanning shook her head, looking at the mess in the clinic, feeling a pang of sadness. It was her life's work, and it had been destroyed like this.
Pei Zhi noticed her distress and gently comforted her, "Don't worry, I'll have someone repair the clinic as soon as possible and send over another batch of medicinal herbs. It won't delay your practice."
Ye Wanning looked at him, feeling a warmth in her heart: "Thank you, Pei Zhi."
"No need to thank me, protecting you is my responsibility." Pei Zhi smiled.
"By the way, I had someone record their threats on a phonograph. This is irrefutable evidence of Zhao Dechang threatening witnesses, which can make his crime even more serious."
"Really? That's great! Now Zhao Dechang will have nowhere to escape!" Ye Wanning exclaimed in surprise.
“Yes.” Pei Zhi nodded. “I have already sent the recording to the Dali Temple. It won’t be long before we can convict him.”
Ye Wanning was completely relieved. Zhao Dechang wouldn't be able to escape this time, and she would soon be able to avenge her past life.
The next day, the Dali Temple interrogated the burly men.
Faced with irrefutable evidence, they quickly confessed that Zhao Dechang had sent them to blackmail Ye Wanning and vandalize the clinic.
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, holding the confession, reported it to the Emperor once again.
The emperor was thoroughly enraged and issued an edict to immediately arrest Zhao Dechang and confiscate his property.
After being captured alive, Zhao Dechang tried to deny it, but Chun Tao's testimony, the recording of the phonograph, and the stolen money and goods found during the raid left him with no way to deny it.
In the end, Zhao Dechang had no choice but to plead guilty and accept punishment.
He was sentenced to death for intentional homicide, embezzlement, and threatening witnesses. All his property was confiscated, and his family members were exiled three thousand miles away.
Upon receiving the news, Ye Wanning cried with joy, saying that her mother's injustice had finally been cleared and she could rest in peace in the afterlife.
Pei Zhi looked at her, happy for her, and gently hugged her: "It's alright, it's all in the past, no one can hurt you anymore."
Ye Wanning nestled in his arms, feeling his warmth, and smiled happily.
She knew that without Pei Zhi, she wouldn't have been able to avenge her mother so quickly.
She looked up into Pei Zhi's eyes and said earnestly, "Pei Zhi, thank you. I want to live a good life with you from now on."
Pei Zhi's eyes lit up, and he hugged her tightly, his voice choked with emotion: "Okay, let's live well together."
The next morning, as the sun shone into the clinic, Ye Wanning, holding the reconstruction blueprints, squatted down beside the hole in the medicine cabinet and sighed.
Zhao Dechang's men wrecked the clinic badly; medicine cabinets were overturned, medicinal herbs were scattered all over the floor, and doors and windows were smashed. Reconstruction would require approval from the Ministry of Works.
Ye Wanning took the blueprints and went to the Ministry of Works.
The official in charge of approval, Lord Zhang, sat in his armchair, toying with his teacup. He glanced at the blueprints, pursed his lips, and said, "Madam Ye, the clinic is a private building, and according to regulations, we cannot use official kiln bricks and tiles."
"The approval process is complicated. Go back and wait for news. It will take at least three months."
Ye Wanning's heart sank for three months? The clinic was closed for three months. What would happen to the people who relied on her for treatment?
She quickly pleaded, "Lord Zhang, the clinic is a public service, specifically for treating the poor."
"Ordinary bricks and tiles will do, why use official kiln bricks? Please make an exception and expedite the approval process."
"Make an exception?" Lord Zhang slammed down his teacup, his eyes full of disdain. "Madam Ye, you're being foolish!"
"Rules are rules, there's no room for compromise. You're just a folk healer, marrying Lord Pei is already a blessing from heaven, how dare you push your luck?"
Ye Wanning gripped the blueprints tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white.
She knew in her heart that Lord Zhang was making things difficult for her. Chun Tao had said that Lord Zhang had received benefits from Zhao Dechang.
Now that Zhao Dechang has fallen from power, he is taking his anger out on himself.
A few days later, Ye Wanning went to the Ministry of Works again, but was sent away by Lord Zhang with an excuse.
Seeing her worried expression, Chuntao advised, "Miss, why don't you go and beg Lord Pei to help you?"
"Lord Pei is the prime minister, Lord Zhang will give him face."
Ye Wanning was in a dilemma. She didn't want to keep troubling Pei Zhi, but right now, besides him, no one else could help her.
She gritted her teeth and went to the Pei residence anyway.
Pei Zhi was reading a memorial when he put down his pen. Seeing her arrive, he smiled and said, "What's wrong? You look so pale."
Ye Wanning recounted in detail how the Ministry of Works had made things difficult for her.
Pei Zhi's face immediately turned cold: "Lord Zhang, how dare you bully you!"
"Don't worry, leave this to me. I'll go and meet him."
The next morning, Pei Zhi took the evidence gathered by his secret guards to the Ministry of Works.
He threw a stack of account books in front of Lord Zhang and sneered, "These are the account books of the bribes you received from Zhao Dechang, and evidence of your embezzlement of project funds."
"Do you need me to read it aloud in public so everyone can judge for themselves?"
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