"Your Highness, this document contains the exact amounts of silver received by the village women over the years. By cross-referencing it with the court's allocated funds, we can determine how much Ma Liang has embezzled."
Mrs. Wei stared fixedly at Ma Liang, whose face was twisted in disbelief, her eyes flashing with a trace of madness.
"You thought you could threaten me with my child?"
"You were gravely mistaken."
"I dared to risk being shot delivering letters for the late Empress when I was barely a teenager. Ma Liang, I have never been one to submit to slaughter like a helpless fish."
Ma Liang lunged for the indictment, but Baoxia kicked him several steps back.
"How audacious! To snatch evidence in the courtroom—guards, give him twenty strokes of the rod!" The gavel slammed as Song Yu pointed at Ma Liang and berated him.
The surrounding bailiffs exchanged uneasy glances, their hands trembling as they gripped their staffs.
The prince was ordering them to... beat the county magistrate?
Wasn’t this like striking their own benefactor?
"You dare not?" A ruthless glint flashed in Song Yu’s eyes. "It seems Yongning County now belongs to the Ma family. My words hold no weight here."
Yongning County was far from the capital, and its people still remembered Song Yu as the frivolous prince from months ago.
But now, his frosty gaze and commanding tone silenced the entire hall.
"Imperial Guards, step forward!"
In an instant, a group of black-clad guards swiftly appeared, kneeling before Song Yu. "At your command, Your Highness."
Ma Liang was drenched in cold sweat. Imperial Guards... Prince Qin had secretly brought them!
"Give this corrupt official and these useless bailiffs twenty strokes each."
The Imperial Guards struck far more ruthlessly than the bailiffs. Had they not held back to avoid killing him, Ma Liang would have already perished.
Even so, he was left half-dead.
"Do you admit to the crimes listed in the indictment?"
Song Yu now resembled the King of Hell himself, and Ma Liang’s heart sank to the depths.
"I... I am innocent! For years, I have poured my heart into Yongning County. The people know this. Your Highness is extracting a confession through torture, but I believe the people will speak for me."
As Ma Liang’s broken words reached the crowd outside, murmurs of unrest began.
"Your Highness, Magistrate Ma is truly a good official!"
"Please spare Magistrate Ma!"
One plea after another rose, and Ma Liang managed a weak smirk. See? This was the loyalty he had earned over the years—more steadfast than the imperial family’s hold.
But the next moment, another group surged toward the courthouse.
These were women in patched clothing, some cradling infants, others holding children’s hands—clearly from a different class than those who had defended Ma Liang.
"You call that scoundrel Ma a good official? Nonsense!"
A woman named Liu Yueniang rolled up her sleeves and spat, "I was once foolish enough to believe it too. But in truth, my family could only afford one meal every two days. He took our men for labor and paid us pitiful wages."
"Exactly! I later learned that in other regions, laborers like my husband earned far more," another woman added.
How laughable.
Had Mrs. Wei not opened their eyes, they would still be deluded into thinking this tyrant would lead them to prosperity—that their suffering was temporary.
The wealthy townsfolk fell silent under the barrage of accusations.
Living in the bustling county center, they had no idea the villages suffered so.
Yongning’s grand streets and temples were built on the blood of these very villagers.
"Ma Liang, what do you have to say for yourself? Confess where you’ve hidden the embezzled silver!"
At Song Yu’s demand, Ma Liang grew eerily calm.
"Your Highness, a case requires both witnesses and evidence. You have witnesses, but where is the proof?" Ma Liang seemed confident Song Yu would find nothing. "My residence holds no such wealth. With only their word, you cannot convict me."
His smugness made Song Yu’s teeth grind.
"Search the Ma residence thoroughly."
An hour later, the Imperial Guards returned empty-handed.
"Your Highness, we dug up the grounds but found no hoard of silver or valuables."
Hearing this, Ma Liang’s eyes gleamed with triumph.
A cunning rabbit has three burrows—he had prepared multiple escape routes.
"Money doesn’t vanish into thin air. If it’s not in the Ma residence, then it’s somewhere Magistrate Ma thinks we’d never look." Song Shihuan cheerfully approached Ma Liang. "Father and I will be here for months. We’ll turn every stone in Yongning County—how hard can it be to find?"
"Or... has the silver already been smuggled out of Yongning?"
Ma Liang remained composed until Song Shihuan’s last sentence. Then, unmistakable fear flickered in his eyes.
So that was it.
"Your Highness, Princess, if the silver isn’t in the Ma residence, you might try these other locations." Mrs. Wei listed several places, and Ma Liang’s face twisted in fury.
"Have you lost your mind?!"
"I lost it the moment I schemed to get you your position." Mrs. Wei looked at Ma Liang—disheveled, pale, and bleeding—and slapped him hard.
"Without me, you’d still be a mediocre farmer toiling in the fields." Each word struck at Ma Liang’s deepest insecurities. "You climbed up using me, then locked me away without shame. Did you ever imagine this day would come, Ma Liang?"
Memories surfaced—a handsome young man bending to coax her, swearing to cherish her forever.
So she gave him everything.
And this was her reward.
"Mrs. Wei, you’re this heartless? Don’t think I won’t kill the child!" Ma Liang bared his true nature. "You’ll never see them again."
Her nails dug into her palms, pain radiating through her limbs.
Yet Mrs. Wei crouched, gazing down at Ma Liang, who lay battered and bleeding.
"Ma Liang, haven’t you realized? Not just you—Concubine Feng and her child will die too." A cold smile curled her lips. "If you want your bloodline to survive, my child is your only hope."
Ma Liang spat a mouthful of blood, seething with rage.
