Chapter 110

Chapter 110

Meng Die didn't have to wait long. Four days later, at dusk, Nurse Fan hurried into the residence from outside, entering the room to deliver the good news to Meng Die, who was only wearing her nightclothes. "Second Lady, they caught the culprit. It was a red-handed capture."

Meng Die sprang to her feet. "Really? How did they catch him?"

Nurse Fan's face was beaming with joy. "As Second Lady predicted, Shi Huanli really felt it was bad luck. The very night after Second Lady left the Shi family, many private brokers received news about the purchase of a young girl. Realizing he couldn't buy one, he immediately dispatched his servants to act as kidnappers and snatch a girl. Old Master's men happened to witness the servant carrying away the child, and also saw where they took her."

Meng Die asked, "Where did they take her?"

Nanny Fan: "It truly is an unexpected place. Near the Mountain Sea Academy, there's a perilous peak with an ancient pear tree by its cliffside. Every year, visitors go there to admire the flowers or marvel at the swirling mists around the cliff. Someone, at some point, built a small shelter nearby for travelers seeking refuge from the wind and rain."

Meng Die felt puzzled: "With so many people passing by, wasn't he afraid of being discovered?"

Nanny Fan shook her head: "He constructed a secret chamber beneath that shelter. He could observe if anyone was in the shelter from there. When no one was around, he could emerge from his secret chamber undetected. Who would know?"

Meng Die pondered: "That shelter was probably built by him as a cover. What happened next?"

Nanny Fan continued: "The men the Old Master sent knew the exact location but dared not approach too closely. With only that one shelter in such a quiet area, they risked being noticed by the servants if they got too close. They waited until the servants left before venturing near, only to find that they couldn't locate the young girls who had been taken inside. In the end, it was the Old Master who summoned the Nine Gates Inspectorate. They had experts skilled in understanding such mechanisms. They discovered the hidden passage and the secret chamber, finding the young girl bound to the bed."

"Meng Die, beaming with joy, replied, 'Excellent work. When you return tonight, make arrangements immediately. Send someone to Lu Wei's residence at dawn when the city gates open with a message. Last time she was here, she mentioned that Hailan is willing to come forward as a witness. I think we should first observe the court proceedings. If needed, we can then call upon Hailan. Otherwise, if she does appear and the matter is resolved, she'll likely be the subject of gossip even within my manor.'

"Granny Fan hesitated for a moment, 'I recall when Grandfather served as the Chief Justice, trials were never held in public. How will we know the outcome of the trial without public access?'

Meng Die chuckled, 'Don't forget, his good son cursed me and defamed me. Tomorrow morning, I'll submit an official complaint, accusing him of poor parenting. As the aggrieved party, I will certainly have a place in the courtroom during his trial.'

Granny Fan also laughed, 'Madam, your plans are always so meticulous. I'll make the arrangements right away upon my return.' "

Meng Die nodded, "Everyone has been working tirelessly these past few days. Go to Manager Rong's place and draw more silver for distribution. Reward those informants accordingly, and also the soldiers borrowed from the Nine Gates Inspectorate by Grandfather. After I submit my memorial tomorrow, you can reward them in their name as a gesture of gratitude for helping me vent my frustration."

"Alright."

Meng Die felt delighted and immediately wrote the memorial that night. She instructed Hulu to arrange for it to be delivered to the Hanlin Academy the next day, ensuring she wouldn't miss Shi Huanli's trial.

There were only twelve Vice Ministers in the entire Great Yi Dynasty, and one of them had been apprehended – this shook the entire court. The Censorate hurriedly submitted the memorial before the palace gates closed for the night, unable to afford any delay.

The emperor was leading the Ministry of Revenue in an overtime session at the Lihua Pavilion's warm chamber. The workload had expanded, for the accounts were in such disarray that it might take ages to sort through them, even with the emperor, the Minister of Revenue, and the two Vice Ministers working together.

After all four ministers had visibly lost weight, the emperor finally decided to reinforce their team. Ran Pengfei, after selecting a few young men from his own Ministry of Revenue, unceremoniously commandeered Yue Jingzhi, who was idling away his days in the Hanlin Academy, to join the overtime army.

The group, now fortified with a stimulating tea, mustered up their energy to continue auditing the accounts. Yue Jingzhi glanced cautiously at his colleague, who returned the look discreetly. Both bowed their heads and sighed; these records were so convoluted that no one could make sense of them.

In the midst of this tense atmosphere, a memorial from the Supreme Court arrived. The emperor snatched it from Lin Chu's hands, unfolded it, and threw it violently onto his imperial desk in anger, "Impudent wretches!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down," Lin Chu hurriedly poured the emperor a cup of tea.

The emperor waved him off, "Order the Supreme Court and the Board of Censors to jointly investigate the matter tomorrow. Every detail must be uncovered and clarified."

"Yes," Lin Chu promptly arranged for someone to convey the emperor's edict.

The officials from the Ministry of Revenue exchanged bewildered glances. What had happened? The emperor picked up the memorial again and read it through once more. His face darkened further. He passed the document to Lin Chu, who in turn gave it to Ran Pengfei.

Putting down the ledger in his hand, Ran Pengfei opened the memorial and glanced through its contents. His face twitched, and the old man felt a wave of nausea wash over him. Swiftly, he picked up his teacup and took a sip of cold tea, managing to suppress the queasy sensation. "Your Majesty, it seems that the Commander of the Nine Gates has been quite instrumental in assisting Minister Meng. He likely possesses substantial evidence. Should we invite Commander Fu to attend the hearing tomorrow as well?"

The emperor gave the matter little thought before nodding in agreement.

The next morning was not a grand court session. After breakfast, the emperor first went to the Diligent Governance Hall. Every day, he would first deal with the most pressing memorials, then proceed to the Warm Pavilion of the Lustrous Palace to review accounts.

The first memorial was from Meng Die, accusing the Right Vice Minister of Justice, Shi Huanli, of failing to discipline his son. Meng Die's report was not about military or state affairs, yet it was placed at the top – this undoubtedly indicated assistance from someone within the Hanlin Academy.

The emperor couldn't afford to consider Meng Yuan's favoritism now. As he read through the content in Meng Die's memorial, detailing how Shi Yaoyao had slandered and insulted her, a wave of anger surged through his veins once more. The thought that he had personally promoted this man made his cheeks burn with shame. Shi Huanli's behavior was outrageously absurd.

"Lin Chu, convey my imperial edict. The matter of Shi Huanli's failure to discipline his son shall also be investigated by the Supreme Court. Meng Die is allowed to attend the hearing as an observer."

Lin Chu replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Early in the morning, Meng Die instructed Hulu to request leave from Lady Ning on her behalf. Meihong helped her with her makeup and attire. Just as she finished a few pieces of pastry for breakfast, the palace eunuchs arrived with the imperial edict.

Hulu distributed the reward money. Nurse Fan helped Meng Die into the carriage. Today, visiting the Supreme Court, Meng Die only wore her county princess's court attire, without any grand procession or ceremony. She chose to travel simply and discreetly.

The current Chief Justice, Dong Hongjie, took on this case. Apart from being astonished that Shi Huanli could commit such a despicable act, he was well-versed in handling cases involving officials and royal descendants – that was the very purpose of the Supreme Court.

He had no objections to the presence of the Left and Right Censors as co-judges; joint trials by the three major departments were routine matters. This time, however, the Minister of Justice was absent because Shi Huanli belonged to that department, and everyone there needed to avoid any appearance of bias. Dong Hongjie was also unperturbed by the presence of the Commander of the Nine Gates to observe the trial. But when he learned early that morning that Meng Die had accused Shi Huanli of failing to properly educate his son, and that she would be attending as an observer, Dong Hongjie was taken aback.

"Quick, arrange for two more clerks. Bring me the case files again."

Old servant Li Zhong gave the order while perplexed. His master had always been in charge of trials, but he hadn't seen such meticulousness and caution in over a decade.

Madam Yun was equally perplexed. "Didn't Lord Dong pore over those files more than ten times last night? Why is he reading them again now? The trial is about to commence."

Dong Hongjie took the file from the servant. "That County Princess Meng, Meng Die, she wishes to attend as an observer."

Madam Yun paused and turned her head, smiling slightly. So her husband was afraid of being criticized by Meng Die if anything went wrong during the trial.

Dong Hongjie cast a glance at his wife, his aged face turning slightly red. He carefully reviewed the file once more. He needed to conduct the entire trial meticulously, without any errors. Absolutely not!

The hall of the Supreme Court was spacious. Dong Hongjie sat in the main seat, with the left and right censors seated on either side. Fu Yanxiu, the Commander of the Nine Gates, occupied the upper seat on the left, while Meng Die sat on the right. Their seating arrangement wasn't based on gender but their status. Apart from being the Commander of the Nine Gates, Fu Yanxiu was also the heir apparent of the Marquis of Guarding and the emperor's cousin. The current Empress Dowager hailed from the House of the Marquis of Guarding.

In the present reign, without such a formidable maternal family, the previous emperor would not have secretly plotted for over a decade, only to see the Empress Consort and her son fail to ascend to the throne. The Duke of State's Manor held tight control over the hundred thousand troops in the outskirts of the capital and the city's security. The previous emperor employed countless tactics but was unable to seize these military powers.

Dong Hongjie rose and made a salute to the assembly, "Shall we commence now, everyone?"

Fu Yanxiu responded, "Please proceed."

Meng Die smiled, "Please."

Dong Hongjie sat back down, "Bring in the prisoner."

Shi Huanli was promptly brought to the main hall. As he had yet to be convicted, he still held an official position and thus was not required to kneel in greeting. Instead, he bowed his fists in salute to everyone, saying, "Greetings to all."

Dong Hongjie glanced at the memorial he had just received, which was written by Meng Die. "Shi Huanli, County Lord Meng has accused you of failing to discipline your son properly, allowing him to spread slanderous rumors about her. Do you have any explanation for this?"

Shi Huanli bowed deeply. "Honorable Lord Dong, regarding my son's defamation of County Lord Meng, it is indeed due to my negligence in upbringing. I am willing to personally bring my disobedient son to Marquis Yongyi's residence to apologize and accept whatever punishment County Lord Meng deems fit, be it a beating or scolding."

Dong Hongjie looked at Meng Die, who nodded in agreement.

With the victim's consent, Dong Hongjie pronounced his judgment on the spot. This matter was now settled, but the real battle was yet to come.

Dong Hongjie couldn't help stealing another glance at Meng Die. "Shi Huanli, do you admit that last night you attempted an indecent act upon that young girl?"

Caught red-handed, Shi Huanli admitted without hesitation, "This official admits it."

Dong Hongjie continued, "Where did that young girl come from? According to the men under Minister Meng, the Grand Secretary of Justice, she was abducted by your servants under your instruction, posing as kidnappers. Do you admit to this?"

Shi Huanli replied, "Lord Dong, I confess to having a regrettable predilection for young girls, which is indeed a moral shortcoming. However, all previous girls have been obtained through legitimate channels, purchased from brokers. I have never transgressed the laws of our nation."

Dong Hongjie pressed, "Are you saying, then, that the young girl from last night was also purchased from a broker by you?"

Shi Huanli: "This official instructed my servants accordingly."

Dong Hongjie: "Bring the witnesses."

Two soldiers, a scholar, and two elders, along with a woman, were brought before the hall. All except for the scholar knelt to pay their respects. One of the soldiers promptly spoke up, "Replying to Your Excellency, I am Ma Qiang, part of the patrol squad in Huaihua Alley. Yesterday, while on patrol, I saw a man suddenly pick up a young girl from afar. I pursued him, and he entered the residence of the Deputy Minister of Punishments."

The other soldier continued, "I am Wang Qi, also from the Huaihua Alley patrol squad. I patrolled with Ma Qiang, but halfway through, I felt severe abdominal pain and sought a lavatory. Upon returning, I heard a woman wailing about her lost child. I approached to inquire and accompanied them to report the incident at the local office."

The scholar bowed respectfully, "I am the Vice County Magistrate of Dui County. Indeed, around noon yesterday, a soldier brought a family of three to file a report, claiming that their daughter had been lost."

Dong Hongjie nodded, his gaze falling on the three trembling commoners. "Stand up and answer me. What are your names? Have you lost a daughter?"

The three of them finally rose. The elderly male's voice trembled as he spoke, "This humble citizen is Wang Li. It's my granddaughter who's gone missing."

Shi Huanli glanced at the three peasants apologetically. "Your Excellency, I have a question. Wang Qi was only away for a brief moment to relieve himself. From this, we can infer that the child has been missing for only a short while. Children often play outside; why would they immediately conclude that their daughter is lost just because she hasn't returned?"

Wang Li replied, "It's noon now. Little Silver, my granddaughter, was supposed to help her daughter-in-law cook. If she hasn't come back yet, something must have happened to her."

Shi Huanli was stunned. He never expected such an answer. Last night in the quiet room of the Dali Temple, he had meticulously reviewed everything that had happened over the past few days. Calming down, he had quickly deduced that from the moment his son's insults towards Meng Die echoed throughout the entire capital, their family had already fallen into Meng Die's trap.

Visiting to scold him was likely a deliberate act by Meng Die, who knew about his peculiar preference. The intention was to provoke him into seeking a young maiden for purification, and since he couldn't find one through legitimate means, he would resort to the illegal path of abduction. It's highly probable that the servant's abducted child was prearranged by them.

Thus, Shi Huanli listened intently to the commoners' account and swiftly identified a loophole using his years of experience in solving cases. Normally, when a family loses a child, they would search neighboring houses and call out, only believing the child is truly missing after exhausting all possibilities. Yet, he never anticipated this response from the townsfolk.

Meng Die glanced at Shi Huanli, a faint mocking smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Playing? Only children from affluent backgrounds enjoy a true childhood. In such impoverished households, especially for girls, they would likely start assisting their mothers in the kitchen around the age of five or six.

Dong Hongjie: "Shi Huanli, do you have anything else to say?"

Shi Huanli: "Lord Dong, I indeed instructed my servant to acquire a young maiden, but I never ordered him to abduct her forcefully." Shi Huanli stubbornly denied any wrongdoing. As an official, he couldn't be subjected to arbitrary torture. As long as he didn't confess, it would be difficult for them to prove his guilt.

Dong Hongjie: "Bring the servant Li Hao."

Li Hao, in his early forties with fair skin and a short beard, wore a clean, dark-blue cotton robe. Upon entering the main hall, he immediately knelt down and bowed deeply. "This humble servant pays his respects to all the honored officials."

Dong Hongjie: "What orders did your master give you? And where did you acquire that girl?"

Li Hao bowed again. "In response to your honor, my master instructed me to purchase a young girl. This girl was bought from her own father, Wang Youfu. Here is the purchase contract."

A bailiff took the contract and presented it to Dong Hongjie. Dong Hongjie started by examining the bottom, where both parties' names and seals were, along with Shi Huanli's stamp. The content roughly stated that Li Hao, on behalf of the Vice-Minister's residence, had purchased eight-year-old Wang Xiao Yin from Wang Youfu for twenty taels of silver. However, there was no date on the contract, nor any official seal, indicating that it had not been registered with the local authorities.

Dong Hongjie passed the contract for the left and right censorate inspectors to examine. The three exchanged glances, and Dong asked, "Wang Li, were you aware that your son, Wang Youfu, sold off Wang Xiaoyin?"

Wang Li shook his head repeatedly. "He hasn't returned home for half a month. I knew nothing about it."

Dong turned to Ma Qiang. "Are you absolutely sure someone forcefully took away Wang Xiaoyin?"

Ma Qiang replied, "Your Excellency, I'm certain it was someone from the Vice-Minister's residence who forcefully abducted the young girl. She was alone at the time, with no adults around. Not only did I witness it, but when I reported the incident, our neighbor also saw what happened."

Li Hao suddenly interjected, "Your Excellency, there seems to be a misunderstanding. It was like this: Wang Youfu sold his daughter to pay off gambling debts. When he negotiated the sale with me, he mentioned that his parents might not approve, so he requested that I arrange a staged abduction, where we would forcefully take away Wang Xiaoyin as if she had been kidnapped by traffickers. This way, his parents wouldn't find out about his gambling and the debts he incurred."

Wang Li was astounded. Wang Youfu's wife, Min Shi, the woman who had been cowering with her head lowered since she entered, lifted her head for the first time. "What did you say? You're saying he sold our Little Yinzhen?"

Wang Li: "That ungrateful brat."

Dong Hongjie knitted his brows into a deep frown. "Fetch Wang Youfu."

"Aye."

Li Hao promptly responded, "Your Excellency, there's a high chance that Wang Youfu is at the Lucky Gambling Den."

Upon receiving the news, the bailiff immediately rushed to the Lucky Fortune Gambling Den to apprehend Wang Youfu, who was in the midst of an intense gambling session. As he was escorted into the main hall, he was met with Min's furious gaze. Wang Youfu shot her a disdainful look, but when he noticed his own father staring at him with equal disapproval, he finally cowered slightly.

Dong Hongjie gazed upon Wang Youfu, who knelt in the hall, "Was it you who sold your daughter, Wang Xiaoyin, to Li Hao?"

Wang Youfu lowered his head, his eyes flickering nervously. "Yes."

King Li roared in anger, "You beast! Who gave you the right to sell your daughter?"

Wang Youfu instantly shrank back, "He said he's from the Minister's residence. If Little Silver goes in, she'll have food to eat and clothes to wear. Perhaps with good fortune, she could become a concubine when she grows up. Then there'll be no need to worry about food and clothing for us, and we might even benefit from her success."

"You despicable scoundrel!" Wang Li rushed forward, fists swinging, ready to pummel Wang Youfu.

Dong Hongjie remained silent, while the bailiffs made a show of intervening. "No fighting, no fighting..."

Wang Li exerted all his strength, and with the bailiffs focusing on holding back Wang Youfu, it wasn't long before the latter was covered in bruises and his nose swollen. Only then did the bailiffs intervene, "The magistrate is still conducting the trial, stop this fighting."

At the mention of the magistrate, Wang Li's vigor dissipated, and he fell to his knees once more with a thud. "Your Honor, this commoner..."

Dong Hongjie interjected, "Enough, just stand up and answer my questions."

All fear vanished from Wang Li's heart in an instant.

As the spectacle came to an end, Dong Hongjie looked at Wang Youfu, who was still kneeling, and asked, "Tell me in detail how you and Li Hao made your agreement."

Wang Youfu replied, "I recently lost some silver gambling and wanted to recoup my losses but lacked the capital. So, I thought of selling Xiaoyin. Yesterday, Li Hao approached me, offering a high price of ten taels. I... I agreed. But... I also worried that my parents wouldn't consent, so I suggested he arrange for someone to take her away forcefully, making them believe that Xiaoyin had been lost."

Dong Hongjie inquired, "Why is there no official seal on this document?"

Wang Youfu stammered, "I... I returned to the gambling den after getting the silver and temporarily forgot about it. The fingerprint on there is definitely mine."

Dong Hongjie: "Li Hao, how did you come to know that Wang Youfu planned to sell his daughter?"

Li Hao: "In response, Your Excellency, I didn't dare to confirm that Wang Youfu would sell his daughter. But he often mentioned it in the gambling houses before, and I paid attention. This time, out of urgency, I took the initiative to seek him out for inquiries. At first, he was hesitant. Only when I offered a price much higher than the market rate did he agree to sell."

His reasoning was clear, and his words sincere; there seemed to be no flaw in his account. However, everyone present knew it was a fabrication. Wang Youfu had betrayed them for personal gain, but without concrete evidence, they were powerless. Even if they insisted on the lack of an official seal on the contract, the fingerprint was Wang Youfu's, and thus the blame would fall on him, not Shi Huanli or even Li Hao.

Dong Hongjie's gaze fell upon Meng Die, who was attending the trial. He certainly didn't believe that Meng Die was here simply to hear the verdict on Shi Huanli's failure to discipline his son. To avoid suspicion, Meng Tingyi had refrained from attending, so Meng Die was representing him. Yet, this Meng Die truly had nerves of steel; witnessing Shi Huanli's acquittal, she didn't show the slightest sign of distress.

Shi Huanli also watched Meng Die closely. Seeing her reaction, his heart leapt. He didn't think Meng Die had such self-control to hide her emotions. If she remained so calm, she must have a backup plan!

"Your Excellency, two women have arrived at the gate, claiming they wish to file a complaint against Shi Huanli for colluding with brokers in the abduction of young girls," announced the servant.

Meng Die lowered her gaze, not having signaled for Lu Wei to bring Hua Rui in as a witness. Apparently, Lu Wei and Hua Rui had learned of the kidnapped girl's family's change of heart and could no longer contain their urgency.

Dong Hongjie tore his gaze away from Meng Die. "Bring them in."

Lu Wei, Hua Rui, and a fifty-something man entered the hall, kneeling to pay their respects. "This humble servant, Lu Wei, this commoner, Hua Rui, and this commoner, Zhu Yuan, bow before all the esteemed officials."

The mention of Lu Wei's name immediately drew the attention of those in the hall back to Meng Die. They were all aware of the extortion case involving Lu Wei years ago – this maid was by no means an ordinary figure.

Dong Hongjie: "Rise and answer. You wish to accuse Shi Huanli—do you have any witnesses? Can you elaborate on the details?"

Lu Wei replied on behalf of them: "To inform Your Excellency, my master has an estate in the outskirts of the capital where many women have been recently recruited to help with silk production. As I oversee their wages, I've become acquainted with quite a few. Hua Rui is one of the workers. In our casual conversations, she mentioned that at the age of thirteen, she was forcibly taken away by traffickers. Her struggles left her with numerous injuries, and after a few days of recovery, she was led to a secret chamber where she was assaulted by Lord Shi."

"At that time, she had no idea who he was. Following the assault, she was sold into a brothel in Yangzhou, where she learned various musical skills. At the age of sixteen, a wealthy merchant purchased her and sent her back to the capital, placing her in the concubine quarters of a noble family."

Lu Wei paused here.

Dong Hongjie, curious, asked: "And then what happened?"

Lu Wei spoke with remarkable composure, "The person she was forced to serve as a concubine was none other than the youngest son of Minister Shi, the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Punishments, Shi Ya."

Meng Die looked at Shi Huanli with intrigue. Noticing the sudden shift in his complexion, a subtle smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Even the well-versed Dong Hongjie, along with the Left and Right Censors and Fu Yanxiu, could not maintain their poker faces. All of them displayed astonishment, swiftly followed by disdain.

Lu Wei continued, "It was then that Hua Rui recognized Minister Shi. Later on, as Shi Ya's affection for her waned, he sold her to the Yanying Pavilion in the capital. She managed to save some silver to buy her freedom and, upon hearing that my master was hiring, she went to work there."

As soon as Lu Wei finished speaking, Fu Yanxiu let out a cold snort, casting an disdainful glance at Shi Huanli.

The Left Supreme Censor Lin Kaidé turned to Meng Die and said, "County Princess Meng, I recall that not long ago, while you were enjoying the spring scenery, someone argued with you about women who become concubines being destined for a tragic fate. That person truly seemed to cherish women's delicacy!"

Meng Die pinched herself to suppress her laughter, managing to nod composedly.

Shi Huanli's face alternated between pale and flushed, leaving the entire hall deathly quiet for a moment.

After Dong Hongjie stifled his amusement, he asked, "Hua Rui, did you find out who forcefully abducted you back then?"

Hai Tang replied, "There were two individuals who abducted me at that time. One was named Zhu Yuan, and the other has unfortunately passed away."

Zhu Yuan prostrated himself, "Your Excellency, six years ago, this criminal, along with my fellow villager Zhang Shen, forcibly abducted Hua Rui and sold her to Li Hao, receiving twelve taels of silver in return."

Dong Hongjie asked, "You admit to abducting Hua Rui?"

Zhu Yuan replied, "This criminal admits it. It was this criminal's hands that did it, but we were instructed by Li Hao. Not only this criminal and Zhang Shen, but even when Zhang Shen was alive, he mentioned that Li Hao had incited many others to do the same."

Li Hao countered, "Your Excellency, he is utterly slandering me. This servant indeed bought several young girls, but all transactions were legitimate with payment of silver. I believed them to be private brokers and had no knowledge that they were involved in abduction."

"F-you..." Zhu Yuan was so agitated that he could hardly form a coherent sentence while pointing at Li Hao.

Dong Hongjie: "Zhu Yuan, are you absolutely certain that Li Hao instructed you to do this? Do you have any proof?"

Zhu Yuan: "Your Excellency, I am the evidence myself. I swear by my honor that he orchestrated it. Initially, he said he needed young girls. So, Zhang Shen and I scoured the lands for those abandoned or sold by their parents. Such cases were scarce, and with many others in the capital engaging in the same, competition was fierce. There was a time when Zhang Shen and I went two months without any business, and our funds were running low. That's when Zhang Shen suggested we borrow some money from Li Hao."

"I accompanied Zhang Shen to see Li Hao, and he admitted himself that this capital city, being under the Emperor's feet, is where most people live comfortably. How could there be so many girls being discarded? If someone doesn't want to raise a child, they would abandon them at birth, not nurture them until they grow up. Zhang Shen agreed with this logic and asked Li Hao how others manage to acquire so many young girls then."

"Your humble servant remembers vividly, Li Hao first smiled, sipped his wine, and then said, 'Those who raise them, how many truly care about these unprofitable burdens? Whether they die or go missing, people grieve for only a moment. They won't go on living as if their world has ended, right? So, what are you afraid of if you forcibly abduct them?'"

Li Hao quickly prostrated himself. "Your Excellency, you mustn't believe his one-sided story! This is purely a false accusation."

Zhu Yuan also bowed and vowed, "Your Excellency, I swear that every word I've spoken is true. If I have uttered even a single false sentence, may I be struck by lightning and die an agonizing death."

Li Hao sneered, "You are, by nature, a kidnapper, and according to the law, you deserve the death penalty."

Meng Die suddenly interjected, "No wonder you're the servant of the Vice Minister of Justice; you're quite familiar with the laws of our Great Yi Dynasty."

Shi Huanli immediately retorted, "I cannot compare to Miss Lu Wei from County Master's residence, who can recite our dynasty's laws effortlessly."

A smile curled up the corners of Meng Die's lips, and her brows relaxed. "Indeed, in every aspect, from top to bottom, inside and out, there is no comparison."

Shi Huanli: ...

Dong Hongjie pinched his thigh to suppress his laughter and pointed at Zhu Yuan. "Sign and thumbprint the document."

The scribe promptly presented the recorded confession before Zhu Yuan, who, without even glancing at it, signed and affixed her thumbprint with a look of relief on her face.

Dong Hongjie took back the signed and sealed confession from the scribe and quickly scanned its contents. "Zhu Yuan, you mentioned that Li Hao not only sought you and the late Zhang Shen but also others. Do you know who else was involved?"

Zhu Yuan: "I know a few. I've already shared this information with Miss Lu Wei."

Lu Wei retrieved a slip of paper from her sleeve. "This servant has transcribed all that Zhu Yuan said onto this parchment. Please, sir, peruse it."

The bailiff took the paper and Dong Hongjie unfolded it, studying its contents in silence for a moment. He then passed it to the Left and Right Supervisors of Justice, Lin Kaidi and Song Jianqiao, who, after reading, concurred in passing the document to the Commander of the Nine Gates.

Observing that Fu Yanxiu had finished reading, Dong Hongjie spoke. "Several names on this list are marked as notorious ruffians in the capital. I fear it may take some effort for our officers to apprehend them. Hence, I request that Commander Fu dispatch his men to carry out the arrests."

Fu Yanxiu nodded. "I shall make the necessary arrangements."