Chapter 025: The Trial in the Hall

Chapter 025: The Trial in the Hall

Fu Heng and Fu Wanan were already waiting in the hall, along with Qin Yuanting, who stood nearby holding his embroidered spring saber.

Ever since Fu Jiaze was nearly assassinated, Fu Bin had increased his protection around Fu Jiaze. This trial was too close to the autumn examinations, and with his mother arriving in the capital city, Fu Heng was eager to join in the spectacle. Thus, Fu Jiaze stayed at home to study while Fu Heng brought her daughter to observe the trial. Qin Yuanting was there to ensure their safety.

Fu Wanan had been instructed not to speak loudly. When she saw Wen Hui, she gasped and quickly covered her mouth with her hand. She whispered to her mother, "She's so beautiful."

Fu Heng observed Lin Yingxue's attire and thought that it suited the occasion of the trial well. However, upon closer inspection of Wen Hui's makeup, she understood the latter's intention—Wen Hui was wearing the same clothes that once captivated Lin Yi, to intensify his pain during the release of the concubine.

A straightforward yet effective scheme.

Fu Heng could almost imagine how much this would hurt a man with a strong possessive streak.

To think that a bird once held tightly in one's grasp had flown away, only to reappear before him, radiant and unattainable, would be a torment for the rest of his life.

Fu Heng nodded with a smile, "Indeed, very beautiful."

Fu Heng chatted idly with her daughter, but when she noticed someone from the Changqing Hou Mansion approaching, she glanced over. Soon, her gaze returned to the Changqing Hou Mansion and fixed on one person.

The young lady wore an expensive Shu silk robe and adorned herself with ruby headwear from Lingxuan Pavilion.

This young lady looked good in red, with features that elders found appealing, but her eyes stared intently at Fu Heng and her daughter, particularly with a mix of anger and pity towards Fu Wanan. This made Fu Heng dislike her even more.

Fu Heng gestured to Qin Yuanting, who approached.

After confirming that it was indeed Lin Baozhen, Qin Yuanting gave her a nod.

Fu Heng waved her hand in front of her daughter, and Fu Wanan reluctantly turned her gaze away from Wen Hui. "Mother, what is it?"

Fu Heng pointed at Lin Baozhen and said succinctly, "Stay away from that girl in red."

If Lin Baozhen were to marry her son, she might have tried to foster a relationship between Fu Wanan and Lin Baozhen for the sake of family harmony. But now, as strangers, it was better to keep her daughter at a distance.

Fu Wanan looked at Lin Baozhen. Though slow to react and not particularly clever, she was obedient and carefully remembered Lin Baozhen's face. She nodded towards Lin Baozhen, "Mother, I understand."

Seeing their actions, Lin Baozhen frowned deeply. She disliked Fu Wanan intensely, considering her a fool and a prearranged concubine for Fu Jiaze. Because of some unfortunate events, Fu Jiaze did not take her as a concubine, likely because he did not want an unchaste woman.

However...

Lin Baozhen glanced at Qin Yuanting again. This Jinyiwei commander had married Fu Wanan. She wondered what he saw in such a fool, perhaps he had fallen for her back in the capital city?

Lost in thought, Lin Baozhen heard Wang Zifan speak up, "Cousin, what are you looking at?"

Wang Zifan entered the courtroom and immediately spotted Wen Hui and Lin Yingxue. Although both were off-limits—one betrothed and the other an elder—he forced himself to look away and focused on Lin Baozhen instead.

Noticing Lin Baozhen's changing expressions, Wang Zifan became curious.

Lin Baozhen could not admit that she disliked Fu Heng and Fu Wanan, nor could she reveal her thoughts about Fu Wanan's tragic fate. So she said, "I was talking about Lin Yingxue's fiancé. He doesn't seem to care much for her, not even showing up on such an important day. Instead, his mother and sister came."

Following Lin Baozhen's gaze, Wang Zifan saw Fu Wanan and was struck by her beauty. "Cousin, I've been having good luck with women lately. Is this young lady from the Fu family? Do you know anything about her?"

Lin Baozhen knew her cousin's weakness and replied irritably, "Don't bother with her; she's a fool. You wouldn't want a drooling concubine, would you?"

Lin Baozhen's expression showed disgust. Her cousin was always drawn to any woman he saw.

Wang Zifan felt disappointed that the young lady was a fool, but then shifted his attention. "By the way, Cousin, you mentioned Fu Jiaze didn't come. I think it's normal. People like Lord Xie coming here are rare."

"Why?"

"The autumn examinations are in three days," Wang Zifan said casually. "Didn't you tell Lord Xie to take care of himself earlier? How could you forget so soon?"

Lin Baozhen fell silent for a moment, then looked at Xie Jingzhi, who was staring at Lin Yingxue, entranced.

Her heart ached, realizing that marrying Wei Wuhou might not be a good idea. She had feelings for Xie Jingzhi, and watching him pine for Lin Yingxue daily would be torture.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Baozhen tried to calm down and snapped at Wang Zifan, "There's nothing to talk about with you. I don't want to discuss it."

Huh?!

Wang Zifan was puzzled. He had merely stated the obvious, so why was his cousin upset?

At that moment, the bailiff's staff tapped the ground rhythmically, signaling the start of the trial. Wang Zifan stopped arguing with Lin Baozhen, knowing the trial was about to begin.

The courtroom was spotlessly clean, even the floor tiles had been scrubbed repeatedly. Prince Zhao Xuan took his seat amidst the cries of "Majestic!"

/

Sitting on a simple blackwood chair, he felt a sense of elevation, overlooking everyone below.

Zhao Xuan thought to himself, no wonder his brothers coveted the supreme throne.

Sitting on the imperial throne, one decided the fate of the common people, and all bowed in submission to the emperor.

Zhao Xuan first called Wen Hui forward. While her appearance stunned many, Zhao Xuan merely raised an eyebrow.

He had seen beauties of all kinds in the palace, and their methods of vying for favor far surpassed Wen Hui's. Their smiles were measured to perfection, making Wen Hui's efforts seem insignificant.

After Wen Hui stated her grievances, Zhao Xuan followed procedure and called for Lin Yi to be brought into the hall.

"Summon Minister of Rites Lin Yi to the hall."

Prince Zhao Xuan chose a loud eunuch whose voice clearly echoed through the courtroom. Lin Yi, however, remained motionless.

Wang's wife grew anxious and nudged her husband, reminding him, "Your Highness is calling you."

Lin Yi had been resting with his eyes closed. When his wife nudged him, he opened his eyes, revealing dark circles beneath them.

As the trial approached, Lin Yi found it increasingly difficult to sleep. When the Jinyiwei presented the letter, he knew the release of the concubine was inevitable.

Even if Wen Hui had provoked him at the Lin Manor gate, he still refused to release her as a concubine.

Wen Hui is his person, and she has borne him a child with whom he shares blood ties. Why would he choose to leave her now?

"Sir!" Wang Shi reminded him again, and Lin Yi finally rose.

Wang Shi breathed a sigh of relief, standing beside Lin Yi, and they walked out together.

He reached the curtain and saw the person kneeling in the center, his breath catching in his throat.

Layers of light, sheer gauze dresses created a spectrum of colors; when she lifted her head, she smiled at him, her bright eyes reminding him of the past.

Lin Yi clenched his fists, lowering his gaze to avoid looking at Wen Hui.

Wang Shi was initially stunned, then her chest burned with anger. This Wen Hui, about to be released as a concubine, still chose to make such a display, disgusting both her and the master.

Lin Yi slowly moved to Wen Hui's side. With an official position and being a scholar, he did not need to kneel before the Fourth Prince; instead, he bowed slightly and said, "Your Highness, this humble servant Lin Yi greets you."

With everyone present, the Fourth Prince began the interrogation.

Ou Mama narrated the events, Wen Hui spoke, Lin Yingxue spoke, but Lin Yi started to drift away, his gaze falling on Wen Hui's spread golden gauze dress.

In a haze, he recalled the scene from years ago. He sat in the hall waiting for his mentor who had urgent matters. He heard hurried footsteps and looked outside, only to see something that quickened his heartbeat.

Amidst the warm spring, a girl dressed in layers of golden gauze held a vase filled with peach blossoms. The blossoms were beautiful, but they could not match the girl's delicate beauty.

He schemed to bring the girl into his arms. Later, during their conversations, Lin Yi discovered that this woman, who met his aesthetic standards, was also talented. Wen Hui was different from Wang Shi, perfectly fitting his ideal wife.

He, Lin Yi, had escaped a life of poverty. He had entered the Hanlin Academy and might even enter the cabinet one day. Why couldn't he take such a beautiful concubine?

As long as he had Wen Hui, he didn’t need any other women.

At this moment, the Fourth Prince continued, "Inspector Lin, you deceived your mentor’s daughter, Wen Hui, making her your mistress and later taking her as a concubine. I ordered the Jinyiwei to investigate the truth of those years and obtained a letter written by Wen Hui’s father, Wen Yu, to his deceased wife. In the letter, it is stated that you sought to marry Wen Hui as your main wife. Here is the letter, which will now be read aloud."

This letter had already been delivered to Lin Yi during his confinement, and he had read it many times. His heart remained calm, while the onlookers felt sorrow.

"What a sin."

Wasn’t it a sin?

Wen Yu had only his wife, loving this daughter dearly. During Lin Yi’s hardest times, he gave him a lifeline, yet Lin Yi deceived his mentor, forcing his beloved daughter to become his mistress and ultimately a concubine.

After the reading, the Fourth Prince said, "The handwriting on this letter has been verified as indeed belonging to Old Master Wen. Lin Yi, you deceived Wen Hui to be your mistress and later took her as a concubine. After thorough investigation, these facts have been confirmed. Do you admit your guilt?"

"I admit my guilt."

With Lin Yi’s words, Wen Hui’s body swayed slightly. She had finally waited for this admission of deceiving her into becoming his mistress.

"Wen Hui, Lin Yi deceived you into becoming his mistress and tricked Old Master Wen into signing the concubine agreement. Now that the truth has been revealed, I order Lin Yi to give you a release document."

An attendant presented the prepared release document to Lin Yi, who looked up to see Wen Hui watching him.

Her eyes were clear and bright, just like when they first met. Back then, she was curious about her identity; now, she awaited freedom.

Under her gaze, Lin Yi signed the release document.

Wen Hui’s body swayed again, and Lin Yi raised his hand, knowing he no longer had the right to support her. It was Lin Yingxue who steadied her mother.

After regaining her balance, Wen Hui stepped forward to take the release document from Lin Yi’s hand. "Thank you, Sir Lin."

From now on, she no longer needed to address him as "master" or feign respect by calling him by his courtesy name. She could call him "Sir Lin," without hearing him affectionately call her "Hui."

Wen Hui’s eyes shone brightly as she turned to bow deeply to the Fourth Prince. "Thank you, Fourth Prince, for upholding justice for this commoner."