All eyes turned toward one spot, where the first sight was a maidservant holding a sword. Behind her were two rows of uniformly disciplined guards, exuding an aura of solemnity.
Amidst this entourage, Song Shihuan stepped into the county magistrate’s office, clad in fiery red robes, her expression icy. Even Ye Shijie hurriedly rose to greet her.
"Your servant Ye Shijie pays respects to the Princess."
Song Shihuan cast a sidelong glance at Wu Li, a single look sending a bone-chilling cold through him.
"Every word spoken in this courtroom earlier—repeat them for me, Magistrate Ye."
At this moment, no one yet understood the purpose of Song Shihuan’s arrival.
Only Song Yu couldn’t suppress a slight upward curl of his lips.
After Ye Shijie faithfully recounted every word spoken by those present, Song Shihuan slowly walked up to Wu Li.
"So just because Guo Feng is a wastrel, you assume he drove his wife to her death?"
Wu Li, mistaking her tone for potential support, eagerly nodded. "Princess, what good character could a wastrel possibly have? My aunt must have lost all hope for the future because of him."
But the next moment, Baoxia kicked Wu Li, sending him flying.
"What does it matter if he’s a wastrel?" Song Shihuan’s voice dripped with fury. "Should a wastrel bear the blame for everything?"
"This Princess has never tolerated the word 'wastrel.' Guards! Wu Li has made baseless accusations—give him twenty heavy strikes of the rod."
Her approach was nearly identical to Song Yu’s.
Pinned to a wooden bench, Wu Li wailed as the rod came down with brutal force, his cries so agonizing that the commoners outside the yamen instinctively stepped back.
Only then did the crowd begin to grasp the situation.
Wasn’t Prince Qin, the father of Princess Fu'an, the very man who had borne the label of "wastrel" for decades?
Now that Prince Qin’s reputation had been redeemed, the Princess naturally wouldn’t tolerate such unfounded accusations.
Once the realization dawned, the onlookers silently pitied Wu Li in their hearts.
By the time the beating ended, Wu Li was barely clinging to life.
"Master Guo, Wu Li has no evidence. You need not entertain such unreasonable accusations," Song Shihuan said, turning to Song Yu, her tone softening considerably.
"Many thanks to the Princess for upholding justice for this commoner."
Song Yu maintained an air of righteousness. "But the imperial examinations are no trifling matter, and my wife’s death remains a lifelong regret. I wish to investigate myself and clear my name."
"Excellent!"
Song Shihuan clapped her hands in admiration. "Master Guo’s devotion is commendable. This Princess is impressed."
"In that case, Baoxia, take some men and assist Master Guo in his investigation!"
Seeing her stance, Ye Shijie finally relaxed. With the Princess’s help, Guo Feng would surely emerge unscathed.
Though... this Guo Feng’s luck was almost too good.
To have caught Princess Fu'an’s eye in such a way.
......
As the situation spiraled out of control, the troublemakers who had egged Wu Li on now tried to slip away—only to be intercepted by Liuxi and his men.
"Wu Li claims you incited him to stir trouble at the yamen. You’re coming with us."
The men nearly wet themselves in fear.
In the courtyard, Song Shihuan leisurely sipped tea while Song Yu, sprawled on a recliner with a book over his face, had transitioned from a light doze to deep slumber.
Clearly exhausted to the extreme.
Liuxi entered quietly, careful not to disturb the scene.
"Princess, we’ve apprehended those men, but they refuse to talk."
"Even under torture?" Song Shihuan arched a brow.
At Liuxi’s nod, a cold smile curled her lips.
"That only means they’re complicit in Madam Wu’s death!"
Otherwise, why endure pain rather than reveal the truth?
Just then, Mrs. Wei arrived in Ji'an Prefecture and hurried into Song Shihuan’s courtyard.
"Princess, there’s progress on the matter His Highness Prince Qin previously instructed."
Since Ma Liang’s death, Mrs. Wei had been staying at the residences of Song Yu and Song Shihuan. Skilled in accounting, she had been tasked by Song Yu to scrutinize all the Guo family’s businesses.
"I’ve examined the profits of the Guo family’s shops over the past decade. The ledgers for Madam Wu’s dowry shops show discrepancies—starting two years before her death."
After reviewing the accounts, Song Shihuan’s gaze turned frosty.
The forgery was so meticulously hidden that only someone of Mrs. Wei’s skill could have uncovered it.
"Liuxi, use the shop ledgers to pressure those men. See what else we can dig up."
Closing the ledger, Song Shihuan mused, "The Guo family isn’t short on funds. Madam Wu wouldn’t have taken her life over shop profits. There must be more to this."
Though Guo Feng was reckless, delaying his studies and neglecting the imperial exams, he had treated Madam Wu with genuine kindness.
He never visited brothels, and despite Madam Wu’s inability to conceive, he never took a concubine. So why had she chosen to hang herself?
Song Shihuan sighed.
The likeliest culprit was the Wu family.
......
"Have you heard? The Wu family accused Guo Feng of killing his wife at the prefectural yamen, demanding his disqualification from the imperial exams."
"I also heard Princess Fu'an sent people to help Guo Feng investigate."
"Such a shame... They were once a match made in heaven. How did it come to this?"
In Yong'an County, everyone was talking about Guo Feng.
"What a waste. Passing the county-level exam isn’t easy. If he can’t clear his name, his scholarly career ends here. The prefect only gave him six days."
Amid the chatter, a disheveled old woman suddenly froze, her eyes welling with tears.
The young master... the young master really took the exams?
Meanwhile, the homes of the troublemakers who had incited Wu Li were thoroughly searched, uncovering a slew of unsavory deeds.
In the prison cell, Song Yu stood before the men, his gaze dripping with scorn.
"Was it worth ruining your own families just to target me?"
At his words, their eyes widened in disbelief.
Song Yu smirked. "You’ve angered Prince Qin and Princess Fu'an. If you keep silent, they’ll dig up even worse... unpleasantries."
"Guo Feng, what do you want?"
"What do I want? You provoked me first." Song Yu let out a cold laugh. "Tell me—what do you know about Madam Wu’s death?"
"This is your only chance. If you stay silent, Prince Qin and the Princess will uncover everything. By then, it’ll be too late for you to speak."
As Song Yu turned to leave, the men finally cracked.
"Guo Feng... I’ll talk."
