Chapter 56 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
Tonight is the last night of the wake for Princess Anguo, and all of Zhang Xiaojia’s childhood playmates and classmates are here.
In the mourning hall, male and female guests were carefully seated separately.
Zhang Xiaojia brought Mingming with her. She held Mingming in her arms and asked Mingming to send her mother off.
At midnight, the young uncle came rushing in, holding the adoption documents in his hand.
Before, although the female relatives of the royal family came to burn incense to Princess Anguo, they were more concerned about Zhang Xiaojia's identity and status, and inevitably had a bit of worldly coldness in their reactions.
Now that Princess Anguo has been adopted by the young emperor's uncle, the male members of the royal family, upon learning the news, none of them were absent, even in the middle of the night. They entered the mourning hall one after another to bid farewell to Princess Anguo.
With the arrival of the young emperor's uncle, the burial ceremony of Princess Anguo officially began. The atmosphere in the mourning hall became more solemn and dignified.
Several elderly palace maids slowly approached. With skillful and gentle hands, they carefully prepared Princess Anguo's remains and dressed her in the ornate shroud that had been prepared. The shroud was intricately embroidered with exquisite patterns, symbolizing the princess's nobility and dignity. Then, they gently lowered her into the prepared coffin, each gesture revealing respect and grief for the deceased.
After the coffin was placed in the coffin, preparations for the funeral procession began. The coffin was carefully carried out of the mourning hall, and the royal family members who had been waiting outside came forward one after another. They bowed their heads in silence, or whispered soft prayers, offering their final blessings to Princess Anguo.
The funeral procession was enormous, moving slowly along a pre-planned route. In addition to the royal family and Zhang Xiaojia's group, there were also many officials who came to see him off.
When the coffin arrived at the cemetery, the burial ceremony officially began. The young emperor's uncle, the adopted queen's father, personally presided over the ceremony. Holding incense sticks, he bowed deeply toward the grave, then placed the sticks in a pre-prepared incense burner. He then read the eulogy aloud.
After the eulogy was read, everyone stepped forward and bowed in respect towards the tomb. Then, the coffin was slowly lowered into the tomb. Under everyone's gaze, the tomb was gradually sealed, and Princess Anguo finally rested there.
Back to the capital, Lin'an County Lord's Mansion.
Zhang Xiaojia slumped in the recliner.
Bai Shao stepped forward lightly, her voice filled with urgency, "County Lady, the latest news is that officials from the Dali Temple have gone to the Duke of Heng's mansion and have brought in the Duke's son and his cousin's concubine to assist in the investigation."
Zhang Xiaojia's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this, a flash of deep thought flashing through his eyes. "Hmph, the Prince of Hengguo is nothing to be feared, but his father, the Duke of Hengguo, is a cunning man. Could he really be so foolish as to push all the blame onto that concubine?"
She shook her head slightly, her tone full of emotion about the complexity and changeability of human nature: "I'm afraid it won't be that simple. However, the Dali Temple must be fair and strict this time and will never let him frame others at will. There must be many twists and turns behind this matter, and we have to wait and see." It's a pity that she can't go there in person this time.
Bai Shao's expression grew even more serious upon hearing this. "You are absolutely right, County Lady. The news of the Prince of Hengguo abusing Princess Anguo has spread throughout Kyoto. If the Dali Temple dares to show partiality, it will only incite public outrage, and they will definitely not sit idly by."
Zhang Xiaojia nodded slightly and then instructed, "Bai Shao, you must continue to monitor the progress of this matter. If there is any movement, be sure to report it to me immediately. In addition, you must also pay attention to the developments at the Hengguo Mansion to see what countermeasures they have."
Bai Shao took the order and left in a hurry. Zhang Xiaojia closed his eyes again, lost in thought.
She cannot question the Dali Temple's handling of the case, but as the plaintiff, can't she go and see her case?
Dali Temple
Zhang Yuncheng, Zhang Xiaojia's lawyer, stood aside throughout the whole process without saying a word. It was not his turn to speak.
They sued the Censorate for slandering the rumor that Zhang Xiaojia poisoned Princess Anguo.
All the censors in the Censorate denied spreading the rumors. Now there is an autopsy report on Princess Anguo, which has confirmed that Princess Anguo was not poisoned by Zhang Xiaojia.
In this situation, his main job as a lawyer has shifted to observing and preparing for possible subsequent debates or questions.
Because the core issue has been resolved through conclusive evidence, his room for speech has naturally been greatly compressed.
Zhang Yuncheng turned pale when he saw Zhang Xiaojia.
Zhang Xiaojia: "Brother, what's the situation now?"
Zhang Yuncheng sighed softly, his eyes revealing a hint of helplessness. "The concubine of the Duke of Hengguo, the Crown Prince, is not in good condition for pregnancy. The doctor has diagnosed her and believes that she needs to rest and not be exposed to any further stimulation. Therefore, the Supreme Court has decided to adjourn the case temporarily and will resume the trial once her condition stabilizes."
Zhang Xiaojia frowned, "So how is the Duke Heng's Mansion coping now?"
Zhang Yuncheng shook his head, his expression growing more serious. "They have consistently denied all allegations of assault and poisoning, emphatically denying them. They claim that Prince Hengguo and Princess Anguo had been at odds for four years and had long since separated. Princess Anguo had refused to allow Prince Hengguo into her courtyard, and upon returning to the capital, she had voluntarily requested to move to a separate courtyard. They also claim that both parties had intended to file for divorce, but hadn't formally taken action for various reasons. Now, with the concubine's bleeding, the trial has been temporarily suspended."
Zhang Xiaojia then pressed on, "How do you explain the fact that Princess Anguo's dowry was taken away by the concubine of the Duke of Hengguo?"
Zhang Yuncheng pondered for a moment and replied, "According to normal trial procedures, after questioning the Prince of Hengguo, they should have asked the concubine about her dowry. However, the current situation is somewhat special. The concubine's pregnancy is not looking good, and her health is worrying. This may affect her ability to speak and the credibility of her testimony. Therefore, the Supreme Court Minister may consider delaying the relevant questioning until her health stabilizes."
Zhang Yuncheng paused briefly, then continued in a steady voice, "Don't worry too much. Although we can't get direct testimony from the concubine at the moment, we still have other strong evidence and clues. The censors you abducted and brought to the Censorate have already taken swift action and conducted a thorough investigation at the Duke of Heng's mansion. They not only checked the dowry list, but also successfully tracked the specific distribution of the dowry items and recovered all of them one by one.
As for the silver bills in the dowry, the Censorate has also conducted an in-depth investigation and discovered conclusive evidence of financial transactions between the Prince of Hengguo and his concubine. This evidence undoubtedly puts the Prince of Hengguo in an irrefutable position, and he is currently imprisoned. At least, regarding the dowry, they can no longer deny it.
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