freenovelworld Chapter 314 Capturing a Fake Goods
Chapter 314 Capturing a Fake Goods
As the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, a frail woman hurried toward the capital's government offices.
Her trembling hands gripped the confession covered in writing.
"Have you heard? Madam Gu has been imprisoned in the imperial jail."
"That's right, I heard it was someone who was poisoned to death."
"I doubt it. Madam Gu has always been kind and gentle. How could she do such a thing?"
Small groups of people gathered outside the government office, whispering amongst themselves.
Chen ignored him and went straight to the grievance drum in front of the yamen.
Just as she reached out to strike the drum, a group of thugs dressed in coarse cloth appeared like ghosts and quickly surrounded her.
"Aunt Chen, this drum isn't something you can just play casually."
The leader of the thugs grinned maliciously and snatched the confession from her hand.
Chen panicked and tried to snatch it back: "Give it back to me!"
The thug sneered and leaned close to Chen's ear, "If you want to save your family's lives, come with us obediently, otherwise..."
He made a throat-slitting gesture, which was sinister and terrifying.
Chen's face was pale, and her legs were trembling uncontrollably.
Without saying a word, the thug grabbed her and quickly disappeared.
From the corner, Qin Fang witnessed the whole thing, a slight smile playing on his lips.
The young mistress's predictions were indeed accurate; as expected, Prince Su sent people to monitor the government office.
"Let's get ready to begin," Qin Fang whispered to the person beside him.
A woman dressed in mourning clothes knelt on the cold stone floor.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The heavy sound of the grievance drum seemed particularly jarring in the quiet morning.
The woman, weeping bitterly, accused herself of poisoning her husband and begged only for a swift death.
"I deserve to die! I poisoned my husband!"
"But my dead husband was instructed by someone to slander Princess Anyang and General Gu!"
Her hoarse voice was filled with endless grief and indignation.
"We beg Your Honor to investigate and restore Madam Gu's innocence!"
The news spread like wildfire, causing an uproar among the people of the capital.
Teahouses, taverns, streets, and alleys were abuzz with discussion.
"What...what's going on? Could it be that Madam Gu has really been wronged?"
"I knew it! Princess Anyang is kind-hearted, how could she do such a thing?"
"Someone must be plotting this behind the scenes to frame General Gu!"
Public opinion quickly reversed, and many people began to sympathize with Chu Ruohan.
The voices condemning the mastermind behind the scenes for their wickedness are incessant.
Prefect Cheng Yuan sat in the main hall of the Jingzhao Prefecture, looking at the petition in his hand with a furrowed brow.
He felt a headache coming on; the case involved a wide range of people, including Princess Anyang, Gu Junze, and the unfathomable Prince Su.
He was caught in the middle, torn between two options.
"My lord, what... what should we do?" The clerk stood by, looking equally anxious.
"Sigh!" Cheng Yuan sighed. "Let's follow the rules for now."
Before long, the gates of the yamen (government office) burst open, and a dignified official announced in a loud voice: "Court is now in session to hear this case!"
The people were immediately excited and rushed into the inner courtyard of the government office.
In the courtroom, Lord Cheng, with a stern expression, slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Bring the prisoner!"
Chen knelt on the ground.
"Are you Chen, the wife of the drunkard Wang Gui?"
The woman looked up, her gaze firm: "Exactly."
"According to our investigation, your husband, Wang Gui, died suddenly. Rumor has it that he was poisoned by Madam Gu. Are you aware of this?"
"Your Excellency is wise; this matter has absolutely nothing to do with Madam Gu!"
Chen knelt down and kowtowed, tears streaming down her face, saying, "It was I who was momentarily bewitched and poisoned my husband."
The crowd below the stage erupted in uproar.
Lord Cheng pounded the gavel repeatedly and shouted sternly, "Silence!"
"Why did you kill your own husband?" Lord Cheng asked.
A deep hatred flashed in Chen's eyes: "My husband is addicted to gambling. He often loses all the money in the house and then beats me when he gets home."
"My children and I are suffering terribly..."
Her voice choked with emotion as she spoke of the bitterness that had been building up in her heart for years.
“That day he came home, reeking of alcohol, and said that a nobleman had given him money and asked him to go to a restaurant to spread rumors.”
"I asked him who he was, but he wouldn't say, he just kept drinking. I knew he was going to gamble all the money away again, and I made a foolish mistake..."
Qin Fang gave her a large sum of money, which would ensure her children could live well.
She doesn't care whether she lives or dies, she only hopes that... her children won't have to suffer in the future.
Lord Cheng frowned, his gaze sharp: "Your husband has money, and your family's circumstances have improved. Why do you still want to kill him?"
Madam Chen shook her head: "Sir, you don't know this, no matter how much money he has, he won't spend it on us, mother and son. He'll lose it all at the gambling table."
Lord Cheng's gaze was sharp: "Why did you only turn yourself in today?"
Ms. Chen looked up, her eyes filled with composure: "I am worried about the children and dare not act rashly."
"But upon hearing that Madam Gu had been wronged as a result, I could not bear to see good people implicated, so I mustered up the courage to come and turn myself in."
The clerk beside him whispered a few words in Lord Cheng's ear.
Lord Cheng frowned and slammed his gavel down heavily.
"There are many suspicious points in what Chen said! Guards, take her to the imperial prison for further interrogation!"
The bailiffs stepped forward and lifted Chen up.
She remained completely calm and turned to look at Qin Fang in the crowd.
Qin Fang nodded to her, and Chen's body went completely limp.
"Take him away!" Lord Cheng shouted, then announced, "Court adjourned!"
In Prince Su's Mansion.
Prince Su suddenly slammed the teacup in his hand to the ground, shattering it into pieces.
"Trash! They're all trash!"
He roared, his face turning ashen.
"You can't even handle this small matter properly, giving that vile woman a chance to seek justice!"
His subordinates knelt on the ground, trembling, not daring to utter a sound.
"Send someone to the Jingzhao Prefecture immediately!" Gu Chengyan gritted his teeth. "Tell them I am concerned about the case and that they must handle it impartially!"
"Yes! Yes!" The subordinate, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, scrambled out of the room.
Gu Chengyan's eyes were sinister as he muttered to himself, "Gu Junze, let's see how you turn things around this time!"
His trusted aides soon arrived at the capital and found Cheng Yuan.
"Lord Cheng, the Prince attaches great importance to this case and specifically instructed me to come and inquire about it."
The man gave a forced smile, but his words carried a threat.
"His Highness said that the truth must be found out as soon as possible and justice must be served for the deceased."
Cheng Yuan broke out in a cold sweat. This wasn't concern; it was clearly pressure.
This implies that he should delay the trial, and it would be best if the woman "died of illness" or "retracted her testimony."
"I understand, I understand," Cheng Yuan nodded repeatedly, inwardly groaning.
"Sir, something terrible has happened!" A constable rushed in anxiously.
Cheng Yuan was already irritated and angrily rebuked, "What's wrong with you? You have no manners at all."
"A crowd has gathered outside, demanding that the government handle Madam Gu's case fairly!"
"These troublemakers..."
Upon hearing the news, Prefect Cheng Yuan rushed out and was shocked by the scene before him.
Father Chu: "Lord Cheng, now that the real culprit has confessed, why are you still dragging your feet? What is the reason for this?"
Cheng Yuan looked displeased. "Master Chu, there are still some doubts about Chen's testimony, which need to be further investigated..."