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After getting a good beating from Wu Ruian, Gongsun Qi was taken to the Ministry of Justice that same night. The three men who had cheered him on—Liu Ziwen, Luo Chang, and Han Guang—were also thrown into the imperial prison with him.
In Wu Ruian’s view, this was a monumental case. He then rushed to the Daming Palace, wanting to report the incident to Empress Chen as soon as possible.
When Wu Ruian arrived at Empress Chen’s palace, she was being attended to by maids, preparing for bed.
Her lips were chapped from her illness, and her face was pale.
An Suyun handed Empress Chen a cloth, and as she wiped the corners of her mouth, she heard Wu Ruian’s shouting from outside the door: “Mother Empress, your son has an urgent matter to report!”
“Your Highness, you cannot enter. Her Majesty has just taken a sedative. If you have a matter, please discuss it tomorrow morning,” Shi Wenchang’s hesitant voice could be heard from outside, trying to stop him.
“Let him in.” Empress Chen glanced at An Suyun and waved her hand.
An Suyun looked at Empress Chen with concern, clearly believing that nothing was more important than Empress Chen resting.
But she also understood how much Empress Chen cared for Wu Ruian. If Wu Ruian came to visit late at night, Empress Chen would definitely not ignore him. Continuing to argue would only delay Empress Chen’s rest further. So, she didn’t say anything more but obediently walked over and opened the palace door.
“Your son pays his respects to Mother Empress.” Wu Ruian bowed quickly and then said, “Mother Empress, your son has just apprehended a heinous criminal. He has an utter disregard for human life and a blatant contempt for the law. I beg you to issue an edict to have him beheaded at the Meridian Gate tomorrow as a public example!”
Empress Chen suppressed a cough and frowned at him. “Who is he? What crime did he commit that you would come so late at night?”
Wu Ruian replied, “The criminal is named Gongsun Qi, the youngest son of Gongsun Miao. Gongsun Miao had a child late in life and indulged him, and now he has become completely lawless!”
“Recently, he raised a white tiger and captured some helpless women, locked them in with the tiger. While the women were being stripped and devoured, he was still cheering and applauding.”
Wu Ruian kept talking, not noticing Empress Chen’s increasingly gloomy face.
“Is this what you came to talk about?” Empress Chen looked solemn and disappointed after hearing him.
Wu Ruian nodded. “Your son witnessed this with his own eyes. It’s simply shocking!”
Empress Chen waved her hand. “Leave this matter to the Ministry of Justice. If it is as you say, I will not be lenient. You may leave.”
“Thank you, Mother Empress. Please take care of your health. Your son takes his leave.” Wu Ruian looked delighted and then left.
After Wu Ruian was gone, Empress Chen’s face fell, and she coughed repeatedly, as if her heart and lungs were tearing apart.
An Suyun and Shi Wenchang stood by, their faces filled with worry.
After drinking a large bowl of medicinal soup to temporarily suppress her cough, Empress Chen said to An Suyun, “Go and investigate who Prince Wu has been getting close to recently.”
“Yes.”
...
...
That night, Gongsun Miao quickly received the news. After he learned what had happened, the first thing he did was not to beg Empress Chen for mercy, but to send people to destroy all the items at the Fragrant Pavilion.
The maids who had served at the banquet all disappeared. No one knew where they went, and they were replaced by a new group. Then, he sent people to visit all the guests who had attended the banquet that night and asked them to keep their mouths shut.
By the time all of this was done, it was nearly three in the morning.
After having a late-night meal, Gongsun Miao went to bed and woke up early the next morning, looking energetic and ready for court.
As an eighth-grade record keeper, Wu Ruian should not have been in court, but he ignored the obstructions and rushed into the hall, righteously exposing Gongsun Qi’s scandal.
Wu Ruian’s words were sharp, and he described the events so vividly that they were horrifying, causing everyone in the court to look at Grand Chancellor Gongsun Miao.
Gongsun Miao stepped forward calmly and steadily, looked at Wu Ruian, and said, “Your Highness, your story is very entertaining, but do you have any evidence?”
“Evidence? Do I still need evidence?” Wu Ruian glared at him, furious. “Your son witnessed this with my own eyes. I am the evidence!”
“Your Highness, begging your pardon, but besides you, is there any other evidence?” Gongsun Miao said with a smile. “Although your status is noble, it is not fair to let my son be wrongly accused based on your words alone.”
After saying this, Gongsun Miao turned to Empress Chen and announced, “Your Majesty, I implore you to agree to a public trial of this case to clear my son’s name and mine. Otherwise, I will have no face to continue as the Grand Chancellor and serve you faithfully. I ask that you allow me to retire and live a quiet life, praying for your well-being every day.”
After Gongsun Miao finished speaking, more than half of the civil and military officials in the court stood up and chanted in unison, “Your Majesty, please handle this case justly and clear Young Master Gongsun’s name.”
Empress Chen coughed twice, a look of utter exhaustion on her face, and looked at Wu Ruian. “Record Keeper Wu, do you have any evidence?”
“Yes! There was a large iron cage in the Fragrant Pavilion, and inside it was the white tiger your son shot and killed! These are all evidence. You can also send someone to ask all the young masters who attended the banquet last night. They are all witnesses!”
Empress Chen rubbed her forehead and said, “Wenli, you will be in charge of this case. Go and investigate this matter thoroughly right now.”
“Yes.”
...
After court was adjourned, Wu Ruian followed Wenli to the Fragrant Pavilion.
But when they arrived, they found that the iron cage and the white tiger were gone. Even the carpets were clean, with not a trace of blood.
The maids and servants there, when questioned by Wenli, all shook their heads and said, “Your servant knows nothing of this.”
Wu Ruian was furious and then went to the mansions of a few of the guests he recognized. But they all claimed to be ill and refused to see him. In the end, Wu Ruian had no choice but to go to Wu Yu’s residence. But when he got there, he discovered that Wu Yu had fallen ill the night before and had been unconscious ever since.
Wu Ruian was completely dumbfounded.
Overnight, all the evidence had been destroyed.
He had become a person with no proof, maliciously framing others.
...
In the afternoon, Wenli returned to the palace and reported the investigation results to Empress Chen.
Empress Chen’s expression was grave, and she suppressed her anger as she looked at Wu Ruian. “You have no witnesses and no physical evidence. How dare you arrest people without any basis? Do you think the law is a game? What a farce!”
“Your son...” Wu Ruian looked troubled. He realized he had indeed reached a stalemate. Besides Di Jiang, he had no other witnesses. But he couldn’t involve Di Jiang in this.
Wu Ruian thought for a moment and then said, “Your son just remembered! The body of Xu Ya is buried in the Huitou Forest outside the city. Her body is incomplete, clearly bitten to death by a beast...”
“Are you opposing Gongsun Qi because of her?” Empress Chen interrupted him.
Wu Ruian nodded without hesitation. “Xu Ya and her grandfather relied on each other. She died innocently after becoming a servant at the Gongsun residence. She...”
“Enough!” Empress Chen’s heart grew colder as she listened. Before Wu Ruian could finish, she slammed her hand on the desk, knocking over the inkstone.
“Stop this nonsense! Get out of here right now! I don’t want to see you again!” Empress Chen was furious. Wu Ruian wanted to say something else, but saw both An Suyun and Shi Wenchang shaking their heads at him.
Wu Ruian let out a long sigh and said gloomily, “Then your son takes his leave.”
After Wu Ruian left, Empress Chen ordered Wenli to release Gongsun Qi, Liu Ziwen, Luo Chang, and Han Guang from the imperial prison and gave them silk and satin as a form of appeasement.
When Wu Ruian returned to the Ministry of Justice, Wenli followed him in and brought with him the Empress’s imperial edict.
Gongsun Qi was released from prison and granted a new mansion as a gift before his marriage. The others were given several chests of gold, silver, and silk as compensation.
When Gongsun Qi emerged from prison, he saw Wu Ruian at the entrance. He deliberately walked past him, covering his bruised face, and bowed slightly. “Prince Wu, I have always treated you well. Why did you do this to me?”
“Because you deserve to die,” Wu Ruian said, his eyes filled with anger.
“That’s too bad. It seems I will have to disappoint you this time,” Gongsun Qi said with a smirk, walking past him.
Behind him, Liu Ziwen, Luo Chang, and Han Guang all said, “We’ve disappointed Prince Wu.”
Saying this, one after another, they walked past Wu Ruian.
Wu Ruian clenched his fists, watching their retreating backs, and shouted, “Someday, you will all fall into my hands. When that time comes, let’s see if you can still smile!”
Before getting into his sedan chair, Gongsun Qi looked at Wu Ruian, pulled the corners of his mouth apart with his hands, and made a smile even uglier than a cry. He said, “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness, but I believe our Xuanwu country is a place of law, not a place where you can get away with anything.”
“You!” Wu Ruian’s lips trembled with anger. Seeing his shameless appearance made his liver tremble with fury.
“Since you have no shame, then I won’t either!” Wu Ruian was furious. He rolled up his sleeves, rushed forward, pulled him out of the sedan chair, and kicked him in the stomach.
The smile on Gongsun Qi’s face immediately turned to a look of terror and pain, and he lay on the ground wailing.
When Liu Ziwen, Luo Chang, and Han Guang saw this, they immediately told the sedan bearers to leave quickly. In a moment, they were gone.
“Your Highness! Calm down!” Wenli saw this and immediately went forward with his guards to intervene.
The guards of the Ministry of Justice were much stronger than the helpless people at the Fragrant Pavilion. After Gongsun Qi had been kicked eight times and slapped a dozen times, they finally managed to pull Wu Ruian away.
Wenli helped Gongsun Qi and instructed the sedan bearers, “Hurry up and go!”
Gongsun Qi no longer dared to be arrogant. He scrambled into the sedan chair and disappeared down the street in a flash.
The guards then dared to release Wu Ruian.
Wu Ruian let out a long sigh, clapped his hands, looked at the people on both sides, and showed a relieved, nonchalant smile.
By doing this, he had at least temporarily vented his anger.
Playing dirty?
He could do it too.
As for what would happen next... he was confident that one day, he would find the evidence and send Gongsun Qi to hell openly and righteously!
...
...
That evening, a depressed Wu Ruian went to find Di Jiang to complain, but Di Jiang was not at the clinic. Shuxiang told him, “The manager went to Kangping Ward to provide medical care.”
Wu Ruian thanked her and quickly went to Kangping Ward. Indeed, as soon as he stepped through the ward’s gate, he saw a long queue at the crossroads. At the front of the line was a makeshift consultation table. Wen Yao was sitting there, seriously taking pulses for people.
Di Jiang, holding a notebook, was both recording Wen Yao’s consultation notes and providing timely pointers when she found something amiss.
Wu Ruian stood at the ward entrance, looking at Di Jiang’s serious profile. He felt that the place where she stood seemed to emit a white light.
It was sacred, bright, and benevolent.
Wu Ruian watched her quietly and suddenly felt that his turbulent heart had settled down.
That entire afternoon, he stood there without going over to disturb her.
It was only when Di Jiang and Wen Yao packed up to go home that he pretended to have just arrived and offered her a cup of hot ginger tea.
“Thank you.” Di Jiang smiled at Wu Ruian as she held the ginger tea.
Wu Ruian escorted the two of them back to the clinic. The entire way, he never mentioned Gongsun Qi’s name.
After he had calmed down, he remembered that Di Jiang was a person of absolute light. Her world should be simple and happy.
Making the woman he liked happy was the most basic thing for a man to do. Faced with Gongsun Qi and the complex network of relationships behind him, Di Jiang couldn’t help him, so he shouldn’t let her be sad with him.
He thought that when he was capable of solving these problems, he would be very happy to share the process with her.
Di Jiang looked at Wu Ruian’s smiling profile and suddenly felt that he seemed a little different from the day before.
Di Jiang suddenly had a whim. “Your Highness, what would you like to eat tonight? I’ll cook for you myself.”
Wu Ruian rubbed his stomach, realizing he hadn’t eaten all day, and said with a smile, rattling off a string of dish names: “Sweet and sour fish!”
“Sweet and sour pork!”
“And emerald dumplings!”
Di Jiang listened and nodded repeatedly.
Wen Yao followed behind the two of them, feeling as if everything in front of her had turned pink.
They had completely ignored her existence.
She felt a little redundant.
Yes, very redundant...
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