Zheng Huiyin lived a secluded life and rarely appeared in front of ordinary people.
Aside from literary gatherings and banquets for people of similar status, they would often wear veils when going out.
The timing of that earth-shattering identification outside the hall today was so perfect; who else could it have been arranged by Qin Zhaoyue?
The reason she didn't make Chunying deny the fact that she had been "abducted" was precisely because she understood this.
Faced with a torrent of rumors, the truth has long ceased to matter.
The only thing we can do now is to use the power of the Jingzhao Prefecture to weave a relatively respectable lie.
Even if it can only salvage the slightest thing, it's better than nothing.
Suppressing the immense humiliation, he quickly washed and changed his clothes, putting on the clean garments that Chief Clerk Du had ordered someone to find for him.
When they reappeared before Registrar Du, at least on the surface, there was no apparent problem.
His exposed cheeks and skin, apart from being pale and haggard, had no obvious injuries.
Du, the registrar, was extremely efficient.
In the short time that Zheng Huiyin spent washing up, a "perfect" case file was created out of thin air and quietly taken to Deng Hongyi, who was putting on a brave face in the front hall, for a look.
Prefect Deng glanced quickly at the "seamless" details, looked at the statement that "the filial son rescued his mother, mistakenly kidnapped a noblewoman, only for money, and did not commit any wrongdoing," and did not ask any more questions, but simply nodded heavily.
Soon, the case in the front hall was concluded, and a middle-aged man who looked honest and unassuming was brought in by the yamen runners.
Deng Hongyi slammed his gavel and commanded authoritatively, "Who is kneeling? State your name!"
The man stammered, "I...I am Zhang Ergou..."
"Zhang Ergou, you are incredibly audacious! The day before yesterday at dusk, you kidnapped Miss Zheng from the Duke's Mansion and her maid Chunying at the alley entrance on the west side of Zhuque Street!"
Zhang Ergou kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "It's my fault, I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"
"I really didn't know they were young ladies from the Duke's mansion. I just noticed they were dressed so elegantly and their carriages were so impressive..."
"You audacious scoundrel! You still dare to argue even now? Confess the truth and tell us why you committed this heinous act!"
Zhang Ergou wept bitterly, "Your Honor, I was forced into this situation!"
The young man's elderly mother was seriously ill and bedridden.
The poor man sold the few acres of land his family owned, but it still wasn't enough to raise the money for the life-saving medicine.
Having no other choice, he entered the city hoping to find some work or... or perhaps beg for some charity...
Seeing that the two girls were dressed in fine clothes, I was momentarily blinded by greed and thought that if I tied them up, I could exchange them for some money to save my old mother's life.
I swear, I had no intention of harming them; I only wished to save my mother.
"If you're after money, why not extort it from the Duke's mansion?"
Zhang Ergou looked timid and fearful: "I regretted it as soon as I kidnapped them. Besides, they are from a wealthy and powerful family. How could a commoner like me dare to do that?"
I only dared to take the two girls' valuable jewelry, exchange it for some silver at the pawnshop, and buy some life-saving medicine.
Every word that villain said is true! That villain deserves to die! That villain deserves to die!
Why are they wearing such tattered and filthy clothes? And where did the bloodstains come from?
"That's because the little man thought their original clothes were also very valuable, so he made them change them."
The poor people had only some tattered clothes to cover their bodies.
I swear, I did not harm them in the slightest!
The bloodstains were probably...maybe they got them somewhere while they were struggling to escape?
I was completely unaware! I truly did not lay a hand on him!
Deng Hongyi, his expression unchanged, turned to Zheng Huiyin and asked, "Miss Zheng, is this person's confession true?"
All eyes immediately focused on Zheng Huiyin.
She straightened her back, her face revealing no emotion, only an almost indifferent calm.
"Your Excellency, what he said is basically true."
This person did not cause us any trouble; he provided us with food, water, and clothing, though they were very simple and crude, but he did not harm us.
As for the dust and grime on our clothes, and the few drops of blood that had accidentally gotten on us...
This was all because we two, unwilling to be trapped, tried to escape several times, and in the struggle and hiding, we came into contact with the cook in the woodshed.
At this point, Zheng Huiyin stepped forward two steps and bowed.
"My lord, although Zhang Ergou has committed a serious crime, there were reasons for it, and he did not humiliate us."
Considering his filial piety and the fact that no harm was caused, we beseech Your Honor to consider the matter and impose a lenient sentence.
Deng Hongyi nodded: "Yes, the case is clear."
Since Zhang Ergou kidnapped the female relatives of officials, and the victim pleaded for leniency, this official will punish him leniently.
You are sentenced to eighty strokes of the cane and exiled three thousand li!
Zhang Ergou felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and was so grateful that he cried, "Thank you, Your Honor, for your mercy! Thank you, Miss Zheng, for your compassion!"
Outside the yamen, the captain of the guards, Liu Feng, was completely dumbfounded.
He had absolutely no idea how things had turned out this way.
How could Miss... just admit it?
The surrounding crowd, upon hearing the verdict, began to murmur again, but the content of their discussions had subtly changed.
"So that's how it is. No wonder Miss Zheng wasn't on the list; she was tied up by this fool."
"Hiss... Falling into the hands of someone like that, even if it's not that bad, is still pretty bad enough, especially for one's reputation..."
"This young lady from the Duke's mansion suffered an undeserved calamity, yet she still pleaded for others. Alas, what a pity."
...
Unbeknownst to them, news of the "eldest daughter of the Duke's mansion being kidnapped," "clothes stained with blood," and "in a sorry state" had already spread like wildfire throughout every corner of Fengjing.
At this moment, in the taverns of Zhuquefang, in the teahouses of Yunshaofang, in the market of Yongxingfang...
Countless versions of the story are being passed down orally, vividly and colorfully, and the name "Zheng Huiyin" has become firmly linked with "blemished reputation" and "encountering great misfortune".
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