Upon seeing this, Lin Mingcai jumped up, trying to stop him, but it was too late.
"Our blood has mingled!" Yang Cui exclaimed. "My blood and Guo Dazhuang's blood have mingled!"
How could their blood have mixed?
"Could it be that Yang Cui is Guo Dazhuang's daughter?"
"How is that possible? Guo Dazhuang doesn't look much older than Yang Cui, how could he possibly have a child this big!"
"There's definitely something wrong with that water; this is a setup!" Zhou Yushu shouted. "If you ask me, someone is definitely trying to confirm Guo Dazhuang and Yang Liu's affair and clear their own name. What a vicious idea!"
Upon hearing Zhou Yushu's words, the rest of the Zhou family quickly added, "We've lived in Ji'an Village for decades. We know Yang Liu and Yang Cui's temperament better than anyone. They would never do such a thing. There must be something wrong with the water."
"Yes, there's something wrong with the water."
"This is a setup!"
...
Hearing these discussions, the Lin family was truly panicked this time. They had planned everything, but they never expected that Yang Cui would discover the problem with the water and then, one step ahead, drip her own blood into it!
In that water, anyone's blood can mix with it.
The Lin family members glared at Yang Cui with venomous resentment. If looks could kill, Yang Cui's grave would probably be covered in grass two meters tall by now.
...
Yin Zhihua glanced at the yamen runner who came out with the water, and he already understood the reason.
Yang Cui cried out, "It is already extremely difficult for a woman like me to make a living with my child, and yet I have to suffer such a framing. Please, Your Honor, do justice for me and give me the best possible outcome!"
Yin Zhihua wasn't stupid; at this point, he naturally understood what had happened. The water was brought by officials from the yamen, which meant they had been bribed. Today, those attending the trial included ordinary citizens, as well as the dean, teachers, and students of Nanshan Academy—people who were either renowned or descendants of wealthy merchants. Yet now, his own men had framed the plaintiff in front of everyone, and to make matters worse, they had been exposed. He had completely lost face!
Yin Zhihua was furious, feeling that the Lin family didn't take him seriously at all!
Yin Zhihua also knew that if he didn't handle things well today, he would lose his official reputation and might even incur the wrath of the Su family, who wanted to protect Yang Cui!
The Su family was not someone that Yin Zhihua, a mere county magistrate, could afford to offend. He had been extremely cautious even after delaying the trial by a day out of consideration for Master Sun.
Thinking of this, Yin Zhihua slammed his gavel, his face serious and stern: "What's going on with this water? Fu Changhai, what's going on?"
The water was brought over by this yamen runner named Fu Changhai. When Yin Zhihua questioned him sternly, he panicked and broke out in a sweat.
"You brought the water, so what's going on? Tell me!"
At this moment, the Lin family's hearts were in their throats.
Fu Changhai glanced at Lin Mingcai, pointed at him and said, "He made me do it! He gave me eight taels of silver and told me to do it!"
"You're lying! I didn't! I didn't! It was her!" Lin Mingcai pointed at Yang Cui. "You must have conspired to frame me! Otherwise, how would Yang Cui know there was something wrong with the water? You framed me!"
Yang Cui: "I knew there was something wrong with the water because I was certain that Er Ya and San Ya were my sister's children with Lin Shikang! My sister isn't the kind of woman who's promiscuous! But you insisted that my sister had an affair, and what's even stranger is that you offered to do a blood test to prove paternity! Your words and actions made me uneasy, so I wanted to do the test. I didn't expect that I was right. You did indeed tamper with the water!"
"That Lin fellow is truly vicious."
"Isn't that right? They're throwing mud at a dead person and want to sacrifice two daughters."
"Poor Yang sisters, one is dead but still not let go, the other is alive and raising two children, living a hard life but still not letting go. Tsk tsk, you really have to keep your eyes open when it comes to marriage, or you'll end up like this."
These words immediately resonated with the general public.
Yin Zhihua slammed his gavel, silencing the room instantly. He then said, "Lin Mingcai, Fu Changhai has already confessed. Aren't you going to tell the truth? Even if you don't plead guilty, with witnesses present, you still can't escape."
"This humble subject..." Lin Mingcai's eyes darted around, and he said, "This humble subject did indeed bribe Fu Changhai to tamper with the water, but it is also a fact that Guo Dazhuang and Yang Liu had an affair."
Why would you have someone tamper with the water for no reason?
"This humble subject...this humble subject..." Lin Mingcai couldn't think of an excuse.
Yang Cui continued, “Sir, Guo Dazhuang’s mother had a quarrel with me. I suspect that he deliberately framed me and my sister to avenge his mother. His testimony is also unreliable. Many people in the village know about our quarrel. You can send someone to investigate at any time.”
“We can testify.”
"Yes, yes, we can testify that they had a fight."
Outside the courtroom, the Wen and Zhou families shouted and vied to testify for Yang Cui.
“Guo Dazhuang, committing perjury will also result in imprisonment,” Yin Zhihua said.
Guo Dazhuang stammered, "I...I..."
Yang Cui sensed that Guo Dazhuang's mental fortitude wasn't as strong as Lin Mingcai's, and thinking that perhaps she could turn him against Lin Mingcai, she said to Guo Dazhuang, "Guo Dazhuang, I know the Lin family must have promised you a lot of benefits before you framed me. But think about it, what impact will your confession today have on your son and daughter? You know very well whose daughters Er Ya and San Ya are. The Lin family is willing to frame me like this for wealth and status, even abandoning their own children, and follow such treacherous people to make a living. Aren't you worried that they might poison your food? Is the benefit you received really worth it?"
Yin Zhihua said, "Guo Dazhuang, it's not too late to tell the truth now."
Lin Mingcai became anxious: "That's the truth!"
Yin Zhihua slammed his gavel: "Shut up! Don't interfere with the witness! Let the witness speak for himself! If you interrupt again, you'll be severely tortured!"
"I...I..." Guo Dazhuang stammered for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and saying, "I...I was just talking nonsense. I have no...no relationship with Yang Liu and Yang Cui."
"Then why are you talking nonsense? Why are you framing Yang Cui and Yang Liu?" Yin Zhihua asked.
Upon hearing this question, the Lin family members' hearts nearly jumped out of their chests, and their eyes were fixed on Guo Dazhuang.
"No...no one ordered me to do this. I...I framed them to avenge my empress..."
Guo Dazhuang still didn't dare to offend the Lin family and didn't involve them.
Seeing that Guo Dazhuang did not implicate them, the Lin family breathed a sigh of relief.
Yin Zhihua: "Lin Mingcai, what do you have to say now?"
“That damned Guo Dazhuang, he lied to me! My lord, I was also deceived before, which is why I misunderstood Yang Cui and Yang Liu. I am willing to apologize.”
Lin Mingcai said the words "willing to apologize" through gritted teeth. Although he hid it well, Yang Cui could still feel his deep hatred for her.
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