usatvline Chapter 253 Retrial Postponed
Chapter 253 Retrial Postponed
Chapter 253, adjourned for retrial.
Upon hearing that the case was related to an official of the imperial court, not only Chunyu Jing was surprised, but Ye Pianran was also taken aback.
When she first entered Shuntian Prefecture, she glanced at the pile of burlap sacks outside. There were at least twenty sacks. If they contained the remains of innocent girls, it would mean that court officials, along with Master Zhao and Madam She, had driven more than twenty people to their deaths!
Thinking of this, Ye Pianran couldn't help but gasp.
No wonder the matchmaker, Madam She, refused to confess earlier. She must have thought that the case was deeply involved and that she had someone backing her up, which is why she was so arrogant!
In court, after asking those questions, Feng Ling belatedly realized something was wrong, but the words had already been spoken and could not be taken back. He could only stare intently at Zheng Yan, who was kneeling below the court, and nervously await her answer.
Zheng Yan did not answer immediately, but hesitated for a moment with her head down, and then said in her strange tone:
“I know who those people are, and I know where the evidence is hidden.”
Upon hearing this, Madam She glared with bloodshot eyes and shrieked, "Nonsense, nonsense! There were no officials involved! It was all done by Master Zhao and me!"
"Silence! Do not disturb the court!" A constable stepped forward and restrained the matchmaker who was about to pounce on Zheng Yan, and viciously covered her mouth.
Zheng Yan glanced at the timid She Shi and sneered, "See, sir? Even she doesn't dare to say that person's name. I barely escaped with my life. I'm afraid that if I expose these people today, I'll die a violent death in some desolate place tomorrow."
Feng Ling's face was solemn as he said in a deep voice, "I am the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, in charge of thirteen counties in the capital region. I hold the rank of a third-grade official in the court and have been granted the Imperial Sword by His Majesty, which gives me the right to execute first and report later. Today, I swear on this Imperial Sword that if you can truly provide evidence of those officials' dealings with Master Zhao and seek the truth for those women who died unjustly, Shuntian Prefecture will guarantee your safety for life!"
After saying that, as if afraid that Zheng Yan still had some concerns, Feng Ling added:
"If you do not trust the Shuntian Prefecture, there is still someone in the courtroom who can guarantee your safety."
Upon hearing this, Chunyu Jing frowned slightly. Sure enough, Feng Ling pointed at him and said to Zheng Yan, "Do you know who that is? He is the fourth prince of the current emperor, the Prince of Nanping, renowned throughout the capital! With him here, he certainly won't stand idly by in this case. You can speak freely!"
Zheng Yan turned to look at Chunyu Jing, and finally, without further hesitation, clenched her fist and said:
“Alright, I’ll tell you. But I have one condition: I will only tell Lord Feng and the Fourth Prince the evidence; no one else can know.”
Feng Ling looked at Chunyu Jing and asked, "Fourth Prince, what is your opinion?"
Chunyu Jing smiled and said, "Lord Feng has already said that. If I disagree now, wouldn't I be breaking the hearts of the people?"
Although the corners of his lips were slightly upturned, there was no smile in his eyes. He stood up with the help of his attendant, concealing the fleeting impatience in his eyes, and glanced at the ugly Zheng Yan with considerable disgust, saying:
"Let's talk inside."
Having said that, he was about to walk towards the back of the courtroom when, after taking two steps, he suddenly remembered something, turned back to look at Ye Pianran, and said:
"I have something I wish to discuss with Miss Ye. Please wait here for a moment, and I will return shortly."
Ye Pianran did not raise her head after hearing this, but stared coldly at the ground without making any reaction.
Chunyu Jing smiled slightly, then turned and left.
Zheng Yan was led by the constables to Chunyu Jing. Feng Ling grabbed the gavel and slammed it down, saying, "This case involves many aspects and requires further investigation. The traffickers, including the She family and the Li family, will be temporarily imprisoned. This case will be adjourned for further trial! Court adjourned!"
The constables stepped forward and temporarily detained She Shi, Wang Bao, and the other criminals. She Shi knew she could not escape punishment, so she cried and wailed as she was taken away, cursing Zhao Yuanwai and Wang Bao all the way with extremely offensive language.
As the She family and others were taken into prison, the once solemn and tense courtroom became empty in the blink of an eye, leaving only Wang Shusheng standing there beside Xue Ling's corpse, his face deathly pale.
A constable stepped forward and said to Wang the scholar:
"Young man, you should go back now. The case has been resolved. The She family and Master Zhao are definitely guilty. We just need the young lady to tell our magistrate the evidence, and then we can close the case smoothly."
"Can I take my wife home now?" Wang Shusheng asked in a hoarse voice.
The constable replied, "Of course."
Upon hearing this, Wang the scholar knelt down, disregarding the corpse's swollen state and the stench emanating from it. As usual, he picked up the corpse and carried it outside step by step.
Ye Pianran's attention was focused on Wang Shusheng, and her brows were tightly furrowed.
This is strange. We've already figured out how Xue Ling died, and Wang Shusheng has found her body, but there's still no activity in the series of quests. Could it be a system malfunction?
The sound of "666" rang in her ears:
"It's not a system malfunction, chirp~ Intermediate chain quests aren't so easy to complete~ You'll need to use your own brain to figure out how to successfully complete the quest, chirp~"
"No matter what, I'll just follow them first," Ye Pianran thought to herself, and started walking forward to catch up.
Ye Lingyue followed behind her, hesitatingly saying:
"Miss, the Fourth Prince wasn't just now..."
"Why bother with him? We have important things to do." Ye Pianran quickly interrupted Ye Lingyue, turned around and saw her surprised expression, paused, and said in a very low voice:
"Remember, we can wait for anyone, but we must stay as far away from that person as possible."
Ye Lingyue's expression hardened, and she nodded, saying, "Yes, Miss."
When Wang Shusheng carried Xue Ling's body out of Shuntian Prefecture, the noisy crowd outside who had been rushing to watch the commotion fell silent and made way for him.
Ye Pianran and her servant Ye Lingyue caught up with him and said:
"Young Master Wang, are you taking your wife back to Wangjiang Tower? Let me see you off."
Young Master Wang raised his head and stared at Ye Pianran for a long time before realizing that she was talking to him. His face was expressionless, like a soulless walking corpse.
"My wife really likes the capital."
He spoke, his voice incredibly hoarse, which made everyone who heard it feel sad.
"She said this place is beautiful and bustling, making people never want to leave. I want to find a place suitable for all seasons to bury her there, so that she can watch over the capital and this prosperous world."
Ye Pianran sighed almost imperceptibly and said, "I know a place. I'll take you there."