Fortunately, Lu Baichuan wasn't truly heartless and didn't completely force the emperor to confront the issue. He then added, "I have brought a witness; Your Majesty can listen to her."
This is a case that needs to be decided in court.
Some of the court officials began to feel nervous, worried that they would be the ones to be exposed in the end, after all, they had all been shouting quite loudly last night.
Seeing that Lu Baichuan didn't say a word in court today, they thought he would never be able to turn things around, and they even deliberately mocked him when they met him on the street.
But who would have thought that he would bring a witness up with him?
The emperor's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly settled down. This Lu Baichuan, really! Couldn't he have told him about this plan beforehand? He'd worried for nothing!
"Announce!"
The emperor was inwardly excited, but outwardly he tried his best to remain calm and not let his subordinates notice anything amiss.
Soon, someone carried a person wrapped up tightly in a stretcher into the main hall.
The court was full of men with an overwhelming sense of male chauvinism. Whether they were civil or military officials, they all frowned in disgust at the sight of this scene.
How could one possibly meet the emperor with such an honor?
How could we let these men see such a scene?
What bad luck!
Everyone instinctively turned to the other side, thinking that out of sight, out of mind.
The emperor, however, looked on with some curiosity. The person wrapped in the blanket was motionless, and he worried that they had died in the hall.
Lu Baichuan explained, “Your Majesty, this woman is the one who caused trouble at the Qin family yesterday. It happened suddenly; she gave birth to a baby boy at the Qin family. Because of the cesarean section, the wound is very large, making it difficult for her to move around or be exposed to the wind, so she could only come to court in this way.”
Cesarean section to remove the fetus?
Everyone stared wide-eyed. How could someone survive a cesarean section to remove a fetus?
It's one thing to be alive, but to be able to appear in court and give a reply?
Even dogs would shake their heads if they heard that!
But that's the truth; the woman not only survived, but was also brought up as a witness.
This means that the woman has turned against them.
Some people panicked even more.
The emperor was taken aback when he heard about the cesarean section, but when he remembered that it was Jiang Jiuniang who had personally saved him, he calmed down. It seemed that there was nothing in this world that could stump Jiang Jiuniang.
Having figured it out, the emperor stopped dwelling on the matter and asked directly, "Can you still speak?"
After all, with a large hole in her stomach, this woman must have been enduring extraordinary pain, pain that even a man might not be able to bear. It's already quite remarkable that she, a woman, was able to endure it all the way here.
But no matter what, she caused this mess, so she should give an explanation.
"Can."
The woman nodded, her voice not loud, but everyone could still hear her clearly.
Jiang Jiuniang gave her painkillers before she left, so the pain is still within a tolerable range.
She took a deep breath and slowly began to speak:
“My name is Yinghong. I was originally a girl from Qingyun Pavilion. Later, I fell in love with Wang Yang, who was under General Lu’s command. He helped me redeem myself, and we settled down in the city and had a child.”
"Wang Yang died while on a mission, and I struggled to survive carrying his only child. Because of my special status, I was bullied and almost lost my baby several times."
“Three days ago, someone came to me and gave me a sum of money, saying that General Lu is the most soft-hearted and sentimental. As long as we make a big fuss about this, the child’s future will be guaranteed.”
"I originally thought that person really wanted to help me, but I didn't expect that he would drug me and almost harm my child. Fortunately, Madam Lu and Madam Qin saved my life."
As she spoke, Sakura held back her tears. Although her voice trembled and her eyes were moist, she stubbornly refused to let the tears fall.
She was lying on a stretcher when she spoke, and no one could see her tears, but she still felt that she had harmed someone because of her momentary greed and did not deserve to shed tears.
"I was bewitched and manipulated for a moment. I am willing to die. Please, Your Majesty, spare him for the sake of the child being Wang Yang's only flesh and blood. He knows nothing. It is all my fault!"
As she spoke, she became somewhat agitated and struggled to get up and kneel to beg for forgiveness. Fortunately, the people who carried her up were arranged by Jiang Jiuniang. Seeing this, they quickly pulled her back and whispered, "Don't move. What will happen to your child if you die?"
She did indeed calm down, only looking at the emperor sitting on the throne with a humble expression. Normally, she would not dare to look the emperor directly in the eye, but now, she had disregarded life and death, and her courage had grown.
The emperor did not immediately respond, but asked, "Who are they?"
Many people in the court trembled, their hearts seething with hatred. They resented that this woman was so lucky to survive and still be able to come to the court to make a fuss.
I just hope that person does something clean and doesn't give anyone any leverage over them.
Yinghong recalled carefully and said, "When he saw me, he deliberately covered his face, so I don't know what he looks like. But when he gave me the money, I saw that he had a black mole on the web of his right hand, and judging from his clothes, he seemed to be a steward of a wealthy family."
Sakura was clever enough to notice these details, but even with these symbols, she couldn't be sure who the person was.
With so many wealthy families in the city, and quite a few people with moles on their hands, it's really hard to pinpoint who it is right now.
The emperor frowned upon hearing this. He regretted asking the question. If this news were revealed, those with ulterior motives would surely take action. If the person was hidden, where would they be found?
He glanced at Lu Baichuan subconsciously, and seeing him as calm as a rock, he somehow stopped being in a hurry.
Since we don't know who the person is, we can still deal with this woman.
Just as he was about to speak, someone stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, how can we believe just one side of the story? How do we know if this woman has been threatened by the Lu family? If I remember correctly, her child is still in the hands of the Lu family."
"Exactly! Yesterday they said she was General Lu's lover, and today they say she's Wang Yang's lover. They change their minds so quickly!"
"There are many suspicious points in this matter. This woman must be imprisoned in the imperial prison and interrogated thoroughly!"
...
Those who spoke out included not only suspects, but also people who were stubborn and only wanted to find out the truth. They were only thinking about investigating the case and their own interests, and did not care at all that Yinghong was a woman who had just given birth via cesarean section.
The emperor was furious and said, "Heaven cherishes life. This woman has already suffered a great crime, which will atone for her crime of framing General Lu. As for who is behind this, I will find out and clear General Lu's name!"
"Your Majesty is wise. What if General Lu is not innocent at all? His private conduct is flawed, and he is not suitable to lead troops!"
"Your Majesty is too soft-hearted, always finding it difficult to act for the sake of innocent bystanders. But this is a serious matter; Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
...
Seeing that Lu Baichuan had no substantial evidence, these people started stirring up trouble again.
Whether or not we can bring down Lu Baichuan depends on this!
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