Chapter 239 Evidence of Bribing the Censor
White powder spread out, and several nearby assassins fell to the ground.
"There's an ambush!" Wei Chengye hadn't expected her to set an ambush. He roared and drew his longsword, thrusting it towards her chest.
Ye Wanning dodged to the side, but didn't notice that a assassin was wielding a knife and slashing at her from behind.
Just then, a whooshing sound came from outside the kiln. Pei Zhi led his guards in and rushed in, his longsword blocking the assassin's blade.
But he didn't notice that Wei Chengye's arrow had already been shot, heading straight for his back.
"careful!"
Without thinking, Ye Wanning rushed forward and stood in front of Pei Zhi.
With a "thud," Ye Wanning was struck in the left arm by an arrow. The excruciating pain nearly made her faint, and she stumbled and fell into Pei Zhi's arms.
"Wan Ning!" Pei Zhi's pupils constricted, his hands holding her trembled uncontrollably, and the worry in his eyes instantly turned into boundless rage. "Wei Chengye! I'll make you pay with your life!"
He protected Ye Wanning, and with a flick of his longsword, each move was deadly.
The guards quickly brought the situation under control, and the assassins were captured one after another. Wei Chengye tried to escape, but Pei Zhi kicked him to the ground and pressed a long sword against his throat.
"Speak! How many more members of the Wei family are left!" Pei Zhi's voice was chillingly cold.
Wei Chengye remained defiant: "My Wei family will never be defeated, you just wait..."
"Take her away and interrogate her thoroughly." Pei Zhi was too lazy to waste words with him. He turned around, picked up Ye Wanning, and quickly walked out of the kiln, his movements as gentle as if he were protecting a precious treasure.
Cui'er had already been rescued, and upon seeing Ye Wanning's wounds, she burst into tears.
Inside the carriage, Pei Zhi personally treated Ye Wanning's wounds. Although the arrowhead hadn't reached the bone, it was deep enough to expose the bone.
He tore open her sleeve, and the gruesome wound stung his eyes, instantly bringing tears to Pei Zhi's eyes.
"Why were you so foolish? Why did you shield me from the arrow?" His voice was slightly choked with emotion.
Ye Wanning gritted her teeth and endured the pain, forcing a smile: "If something happens to you, who will help me clear my mother's name?"
Back at the Heritage Hall, Pei Zhi stayed by her bedside, brewing and feeding her medicine.
As night deepened, Ye Wanning woke up groggily. When she opened her eyes, she saw him lying by the bedside, his brows slightly furrowed and his eyes bloodshot.
"Pei Zhi," she called softly.
Pei Zhi immediately looked up: "Awake? Does your wound hurt?"
Ye Wanning shook her head and placed her hand on the back of his hand: "I'm fine, don't worry."
Pei Zhi gripped her hand tightly, his fingertips tracing the back of her hand, his voice deep and resonant: "If anything happens to you, I will not live on alone."
These words were like a pebble thrown into Ye Wanning's heart, creating ripples. Looking at his reddened eyes, she felt a warmth in her heart and tightened her grip on his hand.
The two of them have completely understood each other.
But the sound of the night watchman's drum outside the window reminded them that there were still remnants of the Wei family who had not been eliminated, and the court was in such a complicated situation that this feeling could not be made public yet.
"Once everything has calmed down, I will give you a proper status," Pei Zhi promised softly.
Ye Wanning hummed in agreement and closed her eyes. She could feel the warmth of his palm, and she slept exceptionally well that night.
The following day, Pei Zhi extracted crucial confessions from Wei Chengye's advisors.
It turns out that the Wei family had stockpiled a large amount of medicinal herbs and had secretly colluded with the princes of Jiangnan, planning to cause trouble during the autumn harvest.
Pei Zhi immediately reported this to the emperor, who was furious and immediately ordered an investigation into the princes of Jiangnan.
The last vestiges of the Wei family's power are now trapped like fish in a barrel.
The joint impeachment memorial submitted by the censors was like a boulder thrown into the vortex of public opinion in the capital.
Before the morning court bells had even faded, Ye Wanning received a message from the palace that the Emperor wanted her to appear in court immediately for a confrontation.
Chun Tao gripped her clothes tightly, her face full of worry: "Miss, this is clearly a trap set by the Second Prince and Consort An, please don't go!"
“If I don’t go, I’ll be falling right into their trap.” Ye Wanning said calmly. “They want to destroy the Heritage Hall. If I back down, my mother’s exoneration will be in vain.”
Pei Zhi was already waiting outside the palace gate, his black official robe fluttering in the wind.
Seeing her approach, he quickly went to greet her: "Don't panic, I've found the craftsman who forged the letter—Uncle Li from the Moxianzhai in the south of the city. He's been placed under house arrest by the Second Prince."
"I'll go rescue Uncle Li, you stall for time in the court." A cold glint flashed in Ye Wanning's eyes. "The Second Prince thinks he has a handle on him, but little does he know that Uncle Li has not forgotten his roots."
The two went their separate ways. Pei Zhi entered the main hall first, while Ye Wanning, with Chun Tao and the guards, headed straight for the Second Prince's residence.
The Second Prince's residence was heavily guarded. Ye Wanning had her guards distract the guards outside the gate, and then she climbed over the wall and entered the residence, heading towards the woodshed in the backyard.
Inside the woodshed, Uncle Li was tied to a pillar, his face covered in bruises.
Upon seeing Ye Wanning, his cloudy eyes lit up: "Doctor Ye, I am innocent! The Second Prince used my wife and children to blackmail me into forging your handwriting!"
Uncle Li cried incessantly and followed Ye Wanning out of the tunnel.
As soon as she left the mansion, she ran into the Second Prince's pursuers. Chun Tao immediately took out a sleeping potion and sprinkled it on them.
With the guards blocking their way, Ye Wanning led Li Bo and rushed into the palace.
The Second Prince, who is under house arrest, has sent a letter of complaint to Consort An through a third party.
He tearfully accused Ye Wanning of being "ungrateful and colluding with the rebels."
Consort An knelt beside her, sobbing, "Your Majesty, I saw Ye Wanning and Wei Chengye meeting in private with my own eyes. She definitely wants to overthrow the court!"
The censors joined in the commotion, demanding that the emperor punish Ye Wanning and shut down the Heritage Hall.
Pei Zhi stood in the main hall, his tone icy: "Your Majesty, it is far too hasty to convict someone based on just a letter."
"Letters can be stolen, and handwriting can be forged. Your Majesty, please wait until Ye Wanning arrives before making a decision."
“Prime Minister Pei, could it be that you too have been deceived by Ye Wanning?” The Prince of Runan stepped forward, his tone full of sarcasm.
"The letter bears the seal of the Heritage Center, and the handwriting is identical. What else is there to investigate?"
“Your Highness, you are mistaken!” Pei Zhi handed over a stack of papers and said, “These are the medical records that Ye Wanning usually keeps.”
“Comparing it to the so-called ‘counter-espionage letter,’ although the characters are similar, they lack her brushstrokes and transitions, clearly indicating it is an imitation!”
Just then, a guard outside the hall reported: "Ye Wanning has arrived, and she has also brought a witness!"
Ye Wanning led Li Bo into the hall, and Li Bo knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, spare my life! The letter of treason was forged by this humble citizen!"
"The Second Prince threatened my wife and children, forcing me to imitate Doctor Ye's handwriting and even affix a forged seal of the Heritage Hall!"
The second prince behind the screen was so anxious he was jumping up and down, but he still didn't dare to show himself.
Consort An's face turned deathly pale instantly, but she forced herself to remain calm: "You're talking nonsense! How could His Highness do such a thing?"
"This humble citizen is not lying!" Uncle Li pulled out a piece of paper. "This was written by the Second Prince's subordinate, who forced me to forge the letter. It also has his private seal!"
Pei Zhi took the paper and handed it to the emperor: "Your Majesty, this private seal is consistent with the seal submitted by the Second Prince, which is enough to prove that what Uncle Li said is true!"
He handed over another stack: "These are communications seized by the secret guards. They say 'cooperating with Ye Wanning to help the Crown Prince fall from power,' and there is also evidence of bribing the censors!"
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