Chapter 110
Daylight broke, the faint rays of morning light piercing the mist, gilding the towering capital with a faint golden hue. Outside the Dali Temple, early-rising officials yawned as they swept fallen leaves from the steps. The air still lingered with the chill of last night.
A plain carriage stopped at the corner of the street, and Shen Yanzhi got out. He was dressed in a dark suit, his posture as straight as a pine tree. He hadn't slept all night, but his eyes showed no sign of fatigue, but rather a startling clarity. He glanced back at the carriage curtain. Song Qingyuan hadn't gotten out, but instead handed out a warm food box.
"Your Highness has been busy all night, so please eat something first. Trying a case is physically demanding and mentally taxing, and you can't do it on an empty stomach." Her voice was filled with a soft warmth that dispelled the chill of the early morning.
Shen Yanzhi took the food box, feeling it warm in his hands. He said nothing, only a deep glance at the carriage curtain. In that glance, there was trust, reassurance, and a tenderness that could not be expressed to outsiders. He knew that she was not only concerned about his health, but also used this way to tell him that she would take care of everything in the East Palace, so that he could face the storms ahead without any worries.
He nodded, turned, and walked towards the Dali Temple. His back was resolute and determined, and each step echoed steadily in the morning silence.
The atmosphere inside the Dali Temple's main hall was so oppressive it felt almost unbearable. Sun Mingzhe, the Dali Temple's chief judge, sat in the main seat, his expression even darker than the sky outside. He would occasionally glance at the blue-robed scholar kneeling below, his heart aching with anguish.
Since turning himself in last night, Li Deyu has acted confidently, taking all the blame on himself, claiming only that he had been deceived by Manager Qian and that, as an aide to the Prince of Wei, he had failed to discipline him properly, and he was willing to take full responsibility. This statement was watertight, saving the Prince of Wei while also creating an image of a loyal defender.
But Sun Mingzhe had spent half his life in the officialdom, so how could he not see the danger behind this? This case involved two princes, and if he was not careful, he would lose his official hat as the Supreme Court Minister.
Li Deyu knelt on the cold ground, his back straight. He had calculated the time accurately. At this hour, the shopkeeper Qian in prison should have committed suicide out of fear of punishment.
As long as Manager Qian died, there would be no evidence against him, and he could take all the blame, allowing the King of Wei to completely escape. As for himself, the King of Wei had promised to exile him for a maximum of three years, after which he would find a way to bring him back, where he would be even more prosperous and wealthy than before. He closed his eyes, quietly waiting for the jailer to come and report the "good news."
At this moment, footsteps were heard outside the hall. Sun Mingzhe was alerted and looked up, only to see the Crown Prince Shen Yanzhi walking in with the gait of a dragon and a tiger.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Sun Mingzhe hurriedly stood up and saluted.
Shen Yanzhi nodded slightly, but his eyes passed him and fell directly on Li Deyu. His eyes were calm, but with a power that could penetrate people's hearts.
Li Deyu also opened his eyes. He looked at Shen Yanzhi and even forced a calm smile on his face: "I, the humble Li Deyu, greet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Your Highness came here so late at night, is it because of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei's case?"
"That's right." Shen Yanzhi walked over to Sun Mingzhe and didn't sit down. He just looked down at him. "I heard that Mr. Li took the initiative to surrender to the Dali Temple in order to exonerate the King of Wei. It's really a drama of a loyal minister and a righteous man."
"I dare not." Li Deyu lowered his eyes, "but I cannot bear to see Your Highness suffer such an injustice."
"Unjustly accused?" Shen Yanzhi's lips curved slightly. "That shopkeeper Qian embezzled and falsely accused the master. He truly deserves death. I'm sure Mr. Li has already arranged his funeral."
Li Deyu's heart trembled. He hadn't expected the Crown Prince to speak so bluntly. But his expression remained impassive. "Manager Qian deserves his punishment. I, a humble man, have indeed made up my mind. After he is executed, I will take good care of his family, which will be considered as a way to accumulate merit for His Majesty." He deliberately emphasized the word "take care of," speaking to Shen Yanzhi as well as reminding himself that everything was under control.
"No need." Shen Yanzhi's voice suddenly turned cold. "I have already sent someone to pick up Manager Qian's family. Mr. Li, please don't worry about it."
Li Deyu's body stiffened imperceptibly. Taken away? What did that mean? For the first time, a trace of uneasiness emerged in his heart.
"Oh, right," Shen Yanzhi said, as if he had just remembered something. He pulled a scroll of documents from his sleeve and tossed it gently in his hand. "I came here in a hurry and almost forgot the important matter. Last night, Shopkeeper Qian had a sudden illness in the prison and was talking nonsense in his sleep. I was afraid that he was confused by the illness, so I asked someone to record it and asked him to press his fingerprints. Lord Sun, Mr. Li, would you two like to listen to what Shopkeeper Qian said in his sleep?"
Li Deyu's expression finally changed. He stared intently at the document in Shen Yanzhi's hands. For the first time, panic flashed through his usually conceited and calm eyes. Talking in his sleep? How could it be possible! The people he'd arranged clearly said it was foolproof!
Sun Mingzhe was also sweating profusely. He took the document tremblingly, unfolded it, and took a quick glance. His hands began to shake like leaves in the wind. The dense handwriting on it, every sentence, every name, was like a death warrant.
"Li Deyu, do you admit your guilt?" Shen Yanzhi's voice was not loud, but it was like a heavy hammer, hitting Li Deyu's heart hard.
"This... this is a forgery!" Li Deyu suddenly raised his head and shouted at the top of his lungs, "It's you! You tortured me into confessing! Manager Qian has long been bribed by you. This confession is invalid!" He knew he couldn't admit it now. If he did, there would be no way back. He had to bite back, muddy the waters.
"Forgery?" Shen Yanzhi laughed, his laughter tinged with both sarcasm and pity. "Mr. Li, you probably don't know this yet. The two jailers you arranged to force Shopkeeper Qian to 'commit suicide out of fear of crime' are now drinking tea in the Dali Temple's side cell. They remember your 'arrangements' very clearly."
Li Deyu's mind went blank. How could every step he had carefully planned, every plan he had thought was flawless, be completely within the other party's calculations?
"Do you think you can silence the gossip and save your master with a dead man?" Shen Yanzhi stepped forward and threw the confession in front of Li Deyu, the papers scattering to the ground like a verdict on his fate. "Li Deyu, you underestimate human nature. You also overestimate your master. If someone can abandon a slave who has worked for him for over a decade without hesitation, what makes you think he will keep his promise to you in the future?"
Shen Yanzhi's words, like the sharpest knife, precisely sliced through Li Deyu's last psychological defenses. Why, then, could he trust the King of Wei? Wasn't he himself a pawn, ready to be discarded at any moment? The loyalty he had staked everything on seemed absurd and ridiculous in that moment.
"Take him away!" Shen Yanzhi stopped looking at him and gave a cold order to Sun Mingzhe, "Keep him under strict supervision. Don't let him get into trouble before Manager Qian testifies in court. I don't want anyone else to commit suicide out of fear of punishment in the Dali Temple."
The last sentence was full of meaning. Sun Mingzhe shuddered with fear and said yes repeatedly.
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