The crowd rushed into the inner hall.
The merchant was lying on the ground, blood gushing from his nose and mouth.
Ji Rong stood directly opposite him, indifferent to his death, holding a still-wet testimonies in his hand, a bright red fingerprint showing through the back of the paper.
"What...what's going on?!" Jiang Linyuan said sternly.
He never imagined that Ji Rong, who was always upright, would resort to forced confession.
"After signing the document, the merchant committed suicide out of excessive shame," Ji Rong said. "Fortunately, I had already obtained his testimony before that."
Jiang Linyuan took a look, his expression changed drastically, and he suddenly looked at Jiang Wan.
"How is this possible!"
Song Ziyu stepped forward, read the confession, and pointed at Jiang Wan, saying, "Well, even the merchant admitted to colluding with you to steal the tiger tally, and then framed me afterwards. What else do you have to say!"
"Nonsense!" Ji Huaichuan immediately rebuked, "My cousin would never do such a thing."
The matriarch narrowed her eyes: "It's all in black and white, how can you deny it now!"
Ji Huaichuan's face turned ashen.
The businessman committed suicide after leaving his testimony, clearly intending to drag his cousin down with him!
What puzzled him was how his father, who had reviewed countless cases, could not see through such a trick!
"Father, please say something," Ji Huaichuan said.
"I have just confirmed that the Tiger Tally mechanism has been destroyed, and now we have the testimony of the merchants. We have both witnesses and physical evidence." Ji Rong said coldly, "I am certain that Jiang is indeed a suspect."
Ji Huaichuan was shocked and stared at him in disbelief.
Song Ziyu said, "Then why don't we put her in jail and let her experience the methods of the Ministry of Justice prison, just like me, to teach her a lesson!"
Ji Huaichuan's face darkened. He stepped forward and shielded Jiang Wan behind him, then couldn't help but look at Jiang Linyuan.
Jiang Linyuan frowned, clearly also unable to understand Ji Rong's actions.
Despite it being Song Ziyu's case, Jiang Wan was falsely accused of a crime in a short span of time.
What on earth is he doing?!
"General, you're in such a hurry to convict me, but have you explained your own affairs clearly?" Jiang Wan suddenly asked with a smile.
Song Ziyu blurted out, "I... what else do I need to say!"
Jiang Wan said, "Putting aside the matter of the tiger tally, how do you explain your dispatch of the Song family army to attack friendly forces and innocent civilians outside the city?"
“That’s right!” Ji Huaichuan said. “I can testify to this. The people were begging for mercy, but you still wouldn’t stop. You clearly had ulterior motives!”
“That, that was…” Song Ziyu gritted his teeth, “I was in the palace at the time and didn’t know what was going on outside!”
Mu Feng, who had been silent until now, suddenly said, "If Princess Anyang hadn't said that she was acting on the general's orders, why would we have listened to her?"
Song Tingyue, who was kneeling on the ground, paused and suddenly looked at Song Ziyu.
She was the one who came up with the idea of attacking friendly forces. Later, when Song Ziyu entered the palace, she stayed in the camp and took charge of the operation.
But from beginning to end, this matter was discussed and decided by Song Ziyu and her together.
Song Tingyue couldn't help but say, "Ayu, what do you mean by that? Are you trying to pin all the blame on me?"
Song Ziyu looked away and glanced at the matriarch of the elder family.
The matriarch understood his meaning and frowned.
Jiang Wan smiled coldly: "Military orders cannot be forged. The difference lies in whether this guilty military order was issued by General Song or by the princess on her own initiative?"
"After all, the general might mistake the Donglai people's attire for theirs, but the princess, as the queen of Donglai, would not."
Song Tingyue's eyes widened: "No, it wasn't me!"
That's right, if Song Ziyu admitted to it, there would still be room for argument, but she... absolutely could not shirk her responsibility.
But Song Ziyu remained silent.
Massacring friendly forces is a serious crime, equivalent to treason.
For him, having just resolved the matter of trading the tiger tally, if he were to incur this same crime, he would still be punished.
On the contrary, if Song Tingyue were to take the blame, he would be completely innocent.
The matriarch's face was grim, clearly indicating that she had also considered this point.
Song Tingyue's interference in military affairs will inevitably lead to charges of overstepping her bounds, and she cannot be released without charge.
But right now... Song Ziyu has that possibility.
The matriarch looked at Song Tingyue with pity: "Sister Yue..."
Song Ziyu is the pillar of the General's Mansion. Even if she dotes on her granddaughter, she must choose Song Ziyu for the sake of the Song family's interests.
Song Tingyue seemed to realize something, crawled to the old lady's side, hugged her leg and pleaded, "No, Grandmother, you can't do this to me!"
Hearing her pleading voice, Song Ziyu also showed a hint of reluctance, but still hardened his heart and said.
"Sister, don't worry, once I'm reinstated as general, I'll definitely find a way to rescue you!"
Song Tingyue struggled to lift her head: "But this is simply..."
"Sister Yue, you did this for the sake of the entire Song family." The old lady held her hand and squeezed it tightly.
Song Tingyue shook her head desperately, her eyes brimming with tears.
She was already an abandoned princess, and then she became lame, making her the laughingstock of the entire capital. If she spent a few more years in prison, the rest of her life would be truly ruined.
When she resolutely married into Donglai, wasn't it all for the sake of the Song family's future?
All these years of secretly plotting with Pei Jin, wasn't it all for the future of the Song family?
Now, her dearest grandmother and brother are abandoning her like this!
How could she not be heartbroken?
Song Ziyu made up his mind and stopped looking at her: "Lord Ji, I don't know what's going on in the camp, and I don't know why Mu Feng would massacre civilians. I have never given such a military order."
Song Tingyue, her eyes red, vehemently denied it.
But she had no evidence or tokens to prove her claim.
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