Chapter 314: Caught a Fake
The sky was turning pale, and in the dim morning light, a thin woman walked quickly towards the government office in the capital.
Her trembling hands tightly grasped the confession filled with handwriting.
"Have you heard? Madam Gu has been imprisoned in the Sky Prison."
"That's right. I heard that someone was poisoned to death."
"I don't think so. Madam Gu has always been kind to others. How could she do such a thing?"
People gathered in groups of three or four outside the yamen, whispering to each other.
Chen turned a deaf ear and walked straight to the drum for appealing in front of the yamen.
Just as she reached out to beat the drum, a group of thugs in coarse cloth appeared like ghosts and quickly surrounded her.
"Auntie Chen, this drum can't be played casually."
The leading thug snatched the confession from her hand with a grim smile.
Chen panicked and tried to take it back: "Give it back to me!"
The gangster sneered and leaned close to Chen's ear, "If you want to save your family's lives, then follow us obediently, otherwise..."
He made a gesture of wiping his neck, which was eerie and terrifying.
Chen's face was pale and her legs were shaking.
The gangster picked her up without saying a word and quickly disappeared.
In the corner, Qin Fang witnessed the whole process with a slight smile on his face.
The young lady was very good at predicting things, and Prince Su really sent people to monitor the yamen.
"Let's get started." Qin Fang whispered to the person next to him.
A woman in mourning knelt on the cold stone floor.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The heavy sound of the drums of complaint seemed particularly harsh in the quiet morning.
The woman burst into tears, accusing herself of poisoning her husband and only asking for a quick death.
"I deserve to die! I poisoned my husband!"
"But my damn husband was instructed by someone to slander Princess Anyang and General Gu!"
Her hoarse voice was filled with endless grief and indignation.
"I beg the Lord of Justice to investigate and clear Madam Gu's name!"
The news spread like wildfire, and the people of the capital were in an uproar.
People were talking about it in teahouses, taverns, streets and alleys.
"This...what's going on? Is Madam Gu really being wronged?"
"I told you, Princess Anyang is kindhearted. How could she do something like that?"
"Someone must be behind this, trying to frame General Gu!"
Public opinion suddenly showed signs of reversal, and many people began to sympathize with Chu Ruohan.
There is a constant stream of curses against the vicious mastermind behind the scenes.
Prefect Cheng Yuan sat in the lobby of Jingzhao Prefecture, looking at the petition in his hand with a frown.
He felt a headache coming on, as this case involved many people, including Princess Anyang, Gu Junze, and the unfathomable Prince Su.
He was caught in the middle, in a dilemma.
"Sir, what...what should we do?" The lawyer standing aside also looked anxious.
"Alas!" Cheng Yuan sighed, "Let's follow the rules first."
Soon, the gate of the yamen burst open, and a majestic official announced loudly: "The court will be in session today to hear this case!"
The people were suddenly excited and rushed into the inner courtyard of the yamen.
In the hall, Master Cheng had a serious face and slammed the table and shouted, "Bring the prisoner!"
Chen knelt on the ground.
"Are you Chen, the wife of the drunk Wang Gui?"
The woman raised her head, her eyes firm: "That's right."
"According to investigation, your husband Wang Gui died suddenly. Rumor has it that he was poisoned by Madam Gu. Are you aware of this?"
"Your Excellency, this matter has nothing to do with Madam Gu!"
Chen knelt down and kowtowed, tears streaming down her face. "I was momentarily bewildered and poisoned my husband."
The audience was in an uproar.
Lord Cheng banged the gavel repeatedly and shouted sternly: "Silence!"
"Why did you kill your husband?" asked Lord Cheng.
Chen's eyes revealed deep hatred: "My husband is addicted to gambling. He often loses all the money in the house and beats me when he comes home."
"My children and I are suffering..."
Her voice was choked with sobs as she expressed the pain that had been pent up in her heart for many years.
"That day he came home, reeking of alcohol again, and said a noble had given him silver and told him to go to the restaurant and spread rumors."
"I asked him who he was, but he refused to tell me and just kept drinking. I knew he was going to gamble away all the money, so I lost my mind for a moment..."
Qin Fang gave her a large sum of money, with which her children could live a good life.
She didn't care whether she lived or died, she only hoped... that her children wouldn't have to suffer in the future.
Master Cheng frowned, his eyes piercing: "Your husband has money, and your family's financial situation has improved. Why did you want to kill him?"
Chen shook her head: "Your Excellency doesn't know that no matter how much money he has, he won't spend it on us mother and son. He will lose it all at the gambling table."
Lord Cheng's eyes were sharp: "Why did you turn yourself in today?"
Chen looked up, her eyes calm, "I'm worried about the children, so I don't dare to act rashly."
"But when I heard that Madam Gu was wrongly accused, I couldn't bear to see such a kind person implicated, so I mustered up the courage to come forward and turn myself in."
The legal advisor beside him whispered a few words into Lord Cheng's ear.
Lord Cheng frowned and slammed the gavel heavily.
"What Chen said is full of doubts! Someone, take her to the Sky Prison and let me interrogate her again!"
The bailiff came forward and lifted Chen up.
She was not panicked at all and turned to look at Qin Fang in the crowd.
Qin Fang nodded at her, and Chen's body completely collapsed.
"Take him away!" Lord Cheng shouted, and then announced: "Court adjourned!"
In Prince Su's Mansion.
Prince Su suddenly threw the teacup in his hand to the ground, and fragments flew everywhere.
"Waste! All of you waste!"
He roared, his face livid.
"You can't even handle such a small matter, and you actually gave that bitch the opportunity to complain!"
The men knelt on the ground, trembling and not daring to breathe.
"Send people to Jingzhao Prefecture immediately!" Gu Chengyan gritted his teeth, "Tell them that I care about the case and ask them to handle it impartially!"
"Yes! Yes!" The men ran out crawling as if they had been pardoned.
Gu Chengyan's eyes were sinister, and he muttered to himself: "Gu Junze, I want to see how you can turn things around this time!"
His confidant quickly came to Jingzhao Prefecture and found Cheng Yuan.
"Sir Cheng, the prince attaches great importance to this case and specifically asked me to come and take care of it."
The man had a fake smile on his face, but his words were threatening.
"The prince said that we must find out the truth as soon as possible and give justice to the deceased."
Cheng Yuan broke out in a cold sweat after hearing this. This was not concern at all, it was clearly pressure.
He was hinting that in order to delay the trial, it would be best to let the woman "die of illness" or "retract her confession."
"I understand, I understand." Cheng Yuan nodded repeatedly, groaning in his heart.
"Sir, something bad has happened!" A yamen runner rushed in anxiously.
Cheng Yuan was already irritated and shouted angrily, "What's wrong? There are no rules at all."
"A group of people have gathered outside, demanding that the government handle Madam Gu's case fairly!"
"This group of unruly people..."
Upon hearing the news, Prefect Cheng Yuan hurried out and was shocked when he saw the scene.
Father Chu: "Master Cheng, since the real murderer has confessed, why are you still dragging your feet?"
Cheng Yuan looked displeased. "Mr. Chu, there are still doubts in Chen's confession. Further investigation is needed..."
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