Chapter 159: Confrontation (2)

At this moment, a voice rang out from atop the imperial dais, echoing faintly in the vast hall: “Is this the woman you spoke of, Lord Lu?”

The suddenness of the voice jolted Shen Xiling slightly back to her senses. She raised her head and looked toward the throne, where she saw the new emperor, Xiao Ziteng, seated calmly on the dragon chair.

She had met this emperor twice before. The first time was when she had just entered Fenghe Garden years ago, and he had tricked her by pretending to be someone else. The second time was during the Lantern Festival, when he invited her to eat tangyuan at a small shop by the street and gave her a fox lantern as a gift.

Shen Xiling didn’t have a strong impression of this emperor. The only thing she remembered clearly were his flirtatious peach-blossom eyes, which always seemed to smile when he looked at others, giving him an air of kindness. Now, after several years, those eyes still looked the same—still smiling, still flirtatious—but they no longer held any warmth. Instead, they gazed down at her with arrogance and mockery, sending chills down her spine.

The emperor’s expression, combined with the solemn atmosphere of the court, sharpened Shen Xiling’s awareness. Her vision no longer fixated solely on Qi Ying. She began to take in the scene unfolding in the great hall.

On either side of the Liang Palace hall, officials stood divided into civil and military ranks. In the open space in the middle, several people knelt on the ground. Among them were familiar faces—Qi Ying’s eldest and third brothers. Both men came from noble families and were accustomed to privilege, yet here they were, kneeling in tattered clothes. The eldest brother was covered in wounds, a sight too gruesome to behold, while the third brother wept uncontrollably, his face pale and streaked with tears.

Beside them knelt several others, including some dressed as farmers and merchants. Having been involved in trade for many years, Shen Xiling recognized them as owners of moneylending businesses who had been operating for decades.

Shen Xiling had previously read the letter Yao Shi sent to Qi Ying, so she already knew about the legal troubles the two brothers were embroiled in. Judging from the scene before her, it seemed that the farmers and moneylenders were the plaintiffs. They were facing off against the accused in front of the entire court, and it appeared that the debate had been going on for some time. Whether a verdict had been reached, however, remained unclear.

But why had she been dragged into this?

Why had she, someone completely unrelated to the case, been suddenly thrown into prison and then brought to the court?

It was almost laughable. During her time in prison, Shen Xiling’s thoughts had revolved endlessly around Qi Ying. She hadn’t spared even a moment to think about herself, let alone consider why she had been imprisoned in the first place. Only now did she begin to reflect on it.

When the Shen family fell from grace years ago, she and her mother were imprisoned as part of collective punishment. But now, with the Qi family’s case still unresolved, there was no question of collective punishment. So why was she here?

Her mind was a chaotic mess, and she felt disoriented. Overwhelmed by the tangled threads before her, she froze in place.

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, an unremarkable-looking official with a stooped figure stepped forward and bowed deeply. “Your Majesty,” he said, “this is indeed the woman.”

Upon hearing this, the emperor raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused. Leaning casually against his hand, he lounged on his throne, looking down at Shen Xiling. “I do recall seeing this woman a few times at the Privy Councilor’s residence years ago,” he said lazily. “If memory serves, she was… the orphaned daughter of Fang Yukai, a former official. Out of gratitude for Fang’s past service, the Privy Councilor took her in. Tell me, Lord Lu, why have you brought her here today?”

The “Lord Lu” the emperor referred to was none other than Lu Zheng, the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review. He had longstanding ties to the Qi family and had once handled the case of Yang Dong. Back then, he had been utterly subservient to Lord Qi Ying, but now, with the winds of fortune shifting, he had quickly turned against him. Standing before the emperor, he wore an expression of utmost sincerity and bowed deeply. “Previously, Your Majesty entrusted me with investigating the case involving the right minister and the third son of the Qi family over their usury and land-grabbing schemes. In my zeal to serve Your Majesty, I delved into the various connections behind the members of the Qi clan. To my surprise, I uncovered certain irregularities. Given the gravity of the matter, I dared not make a private judgment and thus wished to present the case before Your Majesty today for your holy decision.”

The emperor raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. “What kind of case could possibly trouble you so, Lord Lu?”

Lu Zheng dropped to his knees, his eyes flashing with intensity. Pointing directly at Shen Xiling, he declared loudly, “Your Majesty! This woman is not the orphaned daughter of Fang Yukai!”

His words caused an uproar in the hall. Shen Xiling’s eyes widened in shock!

This…

She had never expected this to be the reason!

Fang Jun… For years, she had lived under this false identity, carefully avoiding trouble. Why was this suddenly being dragged into the open now?

Panic-stricken, she instinctively looked toward Qi Ying, the person who had always protected and cared for her. She wanted to know what he thought, unsure of what to do next.

But he still did not turn around.

His back remained distant and aloof, hidden among the crowd of officials, seemingly oblivious to Lu Zheng’s accusations.

The emperor, however, reacted. He first looked surprised, then frowned deeply. Addressing Lu Zheng, he said sternly, “While diligence in investigation is commendable, the Privy Councilor is a pillar of the state. His reputation concerns the dignity of the nation. If you slander him with baseless claims, don’t blame me for punishing you accordingly!”

The emperor’s tone was grave, his expression one of genuine disbelief. The surrounding officials watched as Lu Zheng, who was known for his cautious and opportunistic nature, now stood firm, arguing with unwavering resolve. “Your Majesty,” he declared, “I have witnesses. May I call them to the hall?”

The emperor frowned, pondering for a moment before nodding. “Granted.”

Lu Zheng seemed prepared. As soon as the emperor gave his approval, he turned and signaled to the palace attendants waiting by the entrance. One of them hurried away and returned moments later with a person in tow.

Everyone in the hall turned to look, craning their necks to see who this so-called witness might be. Shen Xiling’s heart pounded wildly as she involuntarily turned her head along with the others.

A frail woman walked into the hall, her steps uneven and halting. Her face was unfamiliar.

Shen Xiling didn’t recognize her, but the woman slowly knelt beside her and bowed to the emperor. The hall fell deathly silent, so quiet that even the drop of a pin could be heard.

In this silence, everyone heard the woman say, “Your humble servant Fang Jun pays respects to Your Majesty.”

… Fang Jun.

Five years ago, during the Great Liang’s crushing defeat at Shicheng, the original head of the Privy Council was executed by the emperor, and Qi Ying succeeded him as deputy head. Upon learning this, Gao Wei dispatched assassins to kill him. Fang Yukai, who had recently been transferred to the Privy Council, sacrificed his life to shield his superior during the assassination attempt. A single sword pierced his heart, killing him instantly.

Fang Yukai hailed from a humble background. His elderly mother, wife, and daughter all lived far away in Bazhong. Unable to bear the journey, his mother remained behind. His wife, devastated by his death, poisoned herself and their daughter in their food. While the wife died immediately, the daughter, Fang Jun, survived due to an insufficient dose of poison but was left in a vegetative state.

Fang Jun… Fang Jun… How could she… how could she still be alive?

Shen Xiling stared at the gaunt, sickly woman kneeling beside her. Shock wasn’t enough to describe what she felt—it was sheer terror.

She had never imagined that this person… was still alive.

She was completely stunned.

Meanwhile, Lu Zheng’s voice grew louder. He pulled several documents from his robe and handed them to Su Ping to present to the emperor. Speaking clearly, he said, “Your Majesty, please examine these. This woman is the true Fang Jun. Her household registration documents are all in order, and I have sent men to Bazhong to verify her origins. She is indeed the sole daughter of Fang Yukai!”

He pointed at Shen Xiling. “And this woman is an imposter who has usurped another’s identity for years, deceiving everyone with false pretenses!”

Shen Xiling felt as though she had plunged into an icy abyss!

Her whole body trembled violently. She could barely hear or speak, her thoughts frozen in place. Still, she could see the real Fang Jun glaring at her with hatred. She couldn’t bring herself to meet her gaze and quickly averted her eyes in distress. Instead, she met the shocked stares of Left Chancellor Qi Zhang and the eldest and third sons of the Qi family.

They were all looking at her, their eyes filled with disbelief at being deceived. Left Chancellor Qi Zhang even looked stricken, as if he wanted to tear her apart!

But soon, their gazes shifted from her to Qi Ying. Their eyes were filled with questions, accusations, incredulity, and anger.

They… blamed him.

They resented him because of her.

Grief and helplessness overwhelmed her. She realized that everything happening now was like arrows piercing him, wounding him deeply—and it was all because of her! All because of her!

Why! Why had she begged for his mercy four years ago? If only she hadn’t gone to Fenghe Garden to seek his help, if only she hadn’t shamelessly stayed by his side, if only she had frozen to death in the snow that year, then he wouldn’t be in this predicament now!

Shen Xiling had never hated herself so deeply.

Amidst her self-loathing, the pain in her heart was even more intense. She wanted to rush to him, to shield him from the cold, hostile gazes directed at him. She wanted to tell everyone that she had fabricated the lie and deceived him—that he had no idea she wasn’t Fang Jun. She…

Suddenly, her previously chaotic thoughts cleared. She resolved to take full responsibility for everything and even planned to commit suicide in the hall. That way, even if anyone doubted the truth of her words, there would be no way to prove otherwise. Perhaps this would ensure his safety, or at least spare him one more accusation!

Her eyes lit up with determination, and she was about to speak when the emperor, still holding Fang Jun’s household registration documents, paused thoughtfully and said, “Lord Lu, even if you can prove that the real Fang Jun is someone else, you cannot conclusively link this matter to the Privy Councilor. It’s possible that this woman deceived him, and Lord Qi Ying had no knowledge of it.”

The emperor’s words aligned perfectly with Shen Xiling’s hopes. Overjoyed, she wished he would sentence her to death immediately and end all the suffering. But before she could act, Lu Zheng interjected again. “Your Majesty,” he said, “I have another witness who can testify that this matter was orchestrated entirely by the Privy Councilor.”