The Minister of Justice respectfully led Rongyao inside.
Behind Rongyao came Hongyu, Chengyu, and several guards. They followed her in as well.
Since it was a day off, there were not many officials at the Ministry of Justice. Those passing through hurried about, busy with their work. Several people who saw the Minister of Justice came over to pay their respects.
The Minister of Justice was about to introduce Rongyao, but she stopped him.
“Let us go quickly and verify the truth in the prison.”
The Minister of Justice could only let the matter drop. He, too, wanted to take the Princess to the prison as soon as possible so that he could clear himself of suspicion.
The group soon entered the prison of the Ministry of Justice.
The air inside was foul, and every cell held prisoners.
The Minister of Justice immediately found the yamen runner who had escorted the criminals from the Censorate that day and questioned him.
“Were you the one who went to the Censorate to escort the prisoners today?”
“Yes! It was this humble servant.”
The Minister of Justice asked, “Did you see anyone suspicious?”
The runner replied, “My lord, I escorted them according to the register. When I arrived, they were already in the cart.”
“How many were there in total?”
“Three! All of them were thrown into the water prison.”
The Minister of Justice frowned and glanced toward Rongyao. “Your Highness, those thrown into the water prison are all vicious criminals. They will likely be executed in a few days. Do you truly wish to see such men?”
“I do.”
The Minister of Justice ordered the runner, “Quickly bring all three of them up!”
“Yes, yes!”
The group followed the runner to the water prison.
The water prison of the Ministry of Justice was located in a sealed underground chamber. It was damp and utterly airless. Those confined there were all prisoners who had suffered severe torture and were on the verge of death. If they died, their bodies were taken to the mass grave. If they survived, they remained imprisoned. They were rarely allowed to leave.
The runner dragged the first prisoner out. The man trembled like a leaf, curled up to one side, and repeatedly kowtowed as he begged for mercy.
When the Minister of Justice saw the stranger’s face, he inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness. Thank goodness it wasn’t Fan Xiuwen. He had known it—how could Fan Xiuwen possibly be in the Ministry of Justice?
He would have to be out of his mind to provoke that reckless brute, Fan Xiuwen, at his age.
He did not want to end up like Han Xuan, growing old with half his body already in the grave, only to be mocked by others.
A moment later, the second prisoner was dragged out.
This one was unconscious. His hair hung loose, and mud and blood stained his face and plain clothing. His build was fairly tall and sturdy, yet there was something about him that made it obvious he was different from the first prisoner.
The Minister of Justice’s heart gave an inexplicable jolt. He bent down, preparing to take a closer look.
“Chengyu! Take Lord Fan away!”
Rongyao’s sudden shout rang out.
The Minister of Justice felt a thunderclap explode beside his ears, as if he had been struck by lightning.
The Princess’s attendants had already lifted the prisoner into their arms. The Minister of Justice walked over stiffly and took a closer look.
The moment he saw the contours of the man’s face, his expression turned utterly horrified.
Impossible! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
This man was actually Fan Xiuwen! How had that plague god ended up in the Ministry of Justice?
He had to be insane to have invited this plague god here!
The Minister of Justice felt as though he could hardly breathe. Unable to defend himself, he tried to rouse the unconscious Fan Xiuwen and question him.
“Lord Fan! Lord Fan, wake up! Why are you here? Wake up!”
“Quickly! Go call a physician! Go call a physician!”
“Princess! Princess, this old servant truly knows nothing! I really don’t know why Lord Fan was here! I’ve been framed, Your Highness! Please, let me explain!”
Rongyao hurriedly took Fan Xiuwen to the medical hall to have Chu Mingyi examine him, paying no attention to the Minister of Justice.
On the way to the medical hall, Fan Xiuwen unexpectedly regained consciousness. His eyes were dark, filled with fear and wariness. But when he saw Rongyao, the murderous tension in his gaze instantly faded, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
“Thank you for saving me, Your Highness.”
Rongyao held his cold hand. “We’ll be at the medical hall soon. Save whatever you have to say until you’ve recovered.”
Fan Xiuwen nodded.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Chengyu carried Fan Xiuwen into the medical hall.
Chu Mingyi had just seen off a patient when she saw Chengyu rushing in with someone in her arms.
“Quick! Please save Lord Fan!”
Chu Mingyi came to her senses and hurriedly led them inside. After taking Fan Xiuwen’s pulse, she went straight to the dispensary, prepared a prescription, and instructed one of the assistants to decoct the medicine. She then asked detailed questions about Fan Xiuwen’s injuries and examined him carefully before speaking.
“Lord Fan suffered a severe blow to the head, and his leg was badly injured as well. Fortunately, he was brought here in time, so there is no serious danger. Lord Fan must rest properly for the next few days. I will treat his leg once every two days, but it will likely take half a month to heal completely. During that time, he must avoid walking if at all possible.”
Fan Xiuwen clenched his hand into a fist, hesitation showing on his face.
Rongyao said, “Lord Fan, put your mind at ease. The culprits will not escape. I will see justice done for you. For now, recovering your health is what matters most.”
Fan Xiuwen raised his head to look at Rongyao and said, “I will do as Your Highness commands.”
“Princess! Lord Fan! How is Lord Fan? I don’t know what happened, and I have no idea how Lord Fan ended up in the Ministry of Justice! I truly know nothing! Someone has framed me—framed me!” A shout came from outside.
It was the Minister of Justice, who had chased after them. He was clearly frantic and was calling out from outside.
Rongyao asked Fan Xiuwen, “Could the Minister of Justice be involved in this?”
Fan Xiuwen pressed a hand to his head and frowned. “I don’t know. However, I investigated the Minister of Justice before. He is upright and impartial, and he should not have harmed me.”
Rongyao rose and opened the medical hall’s door.
When the Minister of Justice saw her, he dropped to his knees. His face was flushed with anxiety, and he stared into the hall as he hurriedly pleaded, “Please investigate this thoroughly, Your Highness! This old servant truly did not know Lord Fan was in the Ministry of Justice. I truly know nothing! Someone must have framed me!”
Rongyao looked at the worried and frantic Minister of Justice. “You are the Minister of Justice. If you wish to prove your innocence, you must take advantage of the fact that the villain has yet to realize what happened and investigate the matter as quickly as possible.”
The Minister of Justice stared at Rongyao in shock. His lips trembled as he asked, “Your Highness… you believe me?”
“Although Fuxi is young, she has read many of Lord Yan’s case files. You are an upright man who will not tolerate even a single wrongful verdict in your hands. That is why you have made enemies among the officials at court. If you had truly been behind this, you would not have allowed Fuxi to enter the Ministry of Justice and inspect the prison today.”
The Minister of Justice knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face.
“Your Highness! Thank you for believing in me! With those words from Your Highness, this old servant could die without regret.”
Rongyao helped the Minister of Justice to his feet. “You are the Minister of Justice, the judge of Great Zhou. The situation is urgent. You must take advantage of the fact that the villain has yet to react and immediately find out who tried to kill Lord Fan and frame you. That will also dispel the suspicions of others.”
The Minister of Justice stood, a look of determination flashing across his face.
“Very well! I shall investigate this case at once and arrest everyone involved for questioning!”
“I have served as an official for thirty years, twenty of them in the Ministry of Justice. I have resolved countless wrongful cases. This time, I will uncover the truth, obtain justice for Lord Fan, and restore my own good name!”
