Chapter 132 Duke Dingxiang

Chapter 132: Duke Dingxiang

"A lawyer? A young man serving as a lawyer? There has never been such a precedent since the founding of Yu." The Shuntian Prefect wore a look of impatience, clearly believing that Meng Wan was being deliberately difficult.

Meng Wan sighed inwardly. Song Tingzhou's low-ranking seventh-rank official post indeed didn't carry much weight in the capital. Since that was the case, he would have to borrow Brother Lin's prestige.

The yamen runners beside him blocked his way, preventing him from entering the court. Meng Wan simply knelt at the entrance. "Your Excellency, please consider carefully. Although I am but an ordinary young man, my teacher has never approved of dividing people by gender. Having been taught by her, I momentarily forgot myself. I humbly ask for Your Excellency's forgiveness."

The Prefect's heart skipped a beat. The capital was crawling with imperial relatives, and this young man before him had an extraordinary demeanor. And whose distinguished disciple could he be?

Today's case was already like being roasted over a fire, and he felt on the verge of a mental breakdown. "And who might your esteemed teacher be?"

Meng Wan brushed the non-existent dust from his sleeves and said modestly, "My teacher is the master painter, Xiang Yun." It was not common for a woman's name to be known outside, but Mr. Xiang was clearly an exception.

If Mr. Xiang's name was celebrated by refined scholars, then her maternal family, the Yunxiu Xiang clan, was the wealthiest among the noble houses. The Xiang family had been entrenched in the Jianghuai region for five generations, and legend had it that their riches surpassed even the national treasury.

Xiang Yun's husband's family was the opposite extreme. For three generations, they had served in the Hanlin Academy, making them the most noble and untainted of the noble families.

Their son, Lin Congrong, was deeply favored by His Majesty. Any clear-eyed person could see that once Wu Wei retired, Lin Congrong would be the next Minister of Rites for sure.

If those refined literati valued Mr. Xiang's reputation more, then the Shuntian Prefect, a capital official who was two ranks below Lin Congrong, was more concerned with the Vice Minister of Rites.

"You are Vice Minister Lin's junior brother?"

Meng Wan said calmly, "The day before yesterday, my husband visited Brother Lin, and they spoke of how Your Excellency is a dedicated and admirable official."

The Prefect cleared his throat. "Ahem... rise and speak. Since you wish to serve as Miao Qingxing's lawyer, submit your petition first."

A runner presented the petition Meng Wan had prepared. The Prefect glanced at it casually, then suddenly paused. He scanned it and asked Meng Wan, "Is what you have written here true?"

Meng Wan said solemnly, "Every word I have written is true."

The Prefect pondered for a moment, then suddenly ordered the runners, "Go to the Zhang residence and search for evidence."

As soon as he spoke, the Xu family members, the Zhang family members, and certain onlookers outside the court were all startled.

Some people in the crowd even quietly followed.

Qin Jiao's lawyer sensed something was wrong. The Zhangs were clearly brought in by their side to coerce the female doctor, but now it seemed they were also connected to the Xu family?

He was no fool. He realized in an instant that while they thought they were the mantis stalking the cicada, someone else was the oriole behind.

Meng Wan leaned close to Qin Jiao's lawyer and whispered, "Do not worry, sir. We may not be opponents after all."

Meng Wan's stunning looks, with his gorgeous face, easily drew attention. When he leaned in, Qin Jiao found him increasingly familiar. "It's you? Your husband is a new imperial graduate."

Meng Wan hadn't expected the young marquis to know him, but he was not overly surprised. The powerful families in the capital had a long reach; they had likely investigated him because of his close ties with the Lin family.

He remained cautious of everyone, but on the surface, he maintained an innocent and gullible look.

"Young Marquis, you recognize a commoner like me?"

Even though Qin Jiao was falsely accused of violating a noblewoman, he showed no fear. "I once saw you when the imperial examination results were posted. You and your husband stood beneath the list, so in love. All my friends were envious."

His words were somewhat flirtatious. Unsure who was friend or foe, the lawyer wanted to shut him up.

The courtroom was hardly a place for idle chatter. Meng Wan quickly returned to Qing Xing's side. "Relax. I won't let anything happen to you. I've already taken the little ones away, and your grandfather has someone looking after him."

Meng Wan's words felt like a warm ray of sunshine, shining directly into the softest part of Qing Xing's heart. Her eyes grew hot, and tears welled up. "Thank you, Master Meng..."

Meng Wan had done so much for her, not just for a simple thank you—but it was too soon to say.

Everyone was waiting for the runners who had gone to search for evidence. They moved quickly, ransacking the Zhang residence. They brought back a pouch of gold nuggets, a small chest of neatly stacked silver ingots, and two suspicious individuals who had followed them.

"Your Excellency, during the search we encountered a suspicious group. However, several of them were agile and escaped; we only managed to capture these two."

Having handled numerous cases over the years, the Prefect could tell at a glance that something was amiss. "Take these two away for questioning first. Bring the evidence to me."

He first opened the small chest of silver. Each ingot was worth twenty taels. The chest had originally contained twenty ingots, but three had been spent, leaving seventeen.

The Prefect picked up one ingot at random and questioned the Zhang family in a stern voice: "Every ingot in this chest has an official seal and year stamped on the bottom—clearly official silver. How could a minor household like yours come by so much? Speak! How did you obtain it?"

The Zhang family trembled with fear. They exchanged glances with someone in the court, then pointed a finger at Qin Jiao's lawyer. "He came to us and told us to sue the female doctor for assault."

The lawyer narrowed his eyes. Their people had indeed approached the Zhang family, but how could they have been so careless as to use official silver as bribes? It seemed the information they had received earlier was correct.

A petty household like this dared to play them for fools—did they not fear they would die before they could spend the money?

Meng Wan had been waiting for this moment. He asked the Zhang family in court, "You mean someone instigated you to falsely accuse Qing Xing?"

The Zhang family glanced at the unflappable Xu family members, then at Meng Wan, who had previously instructed them to change their testimony. They nodded and admitted, "Yes! We were threatened with money and our lives, so we had no choice but to falsely accuse Miss Qing Xing!"

They spoke with such fervor that anyone who knew the truth would realize they had taken money to slander a kind-hearted female doctor. Those who did not know might think they were people of unshakable integrity.

Meng Wan nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Your Excellency, since they have admitted to falsely accusing Miao Qingxing, can her testimony now be used?"

The Prefect pulled out the original testimony from the Zhang family's initial hearing. After scanning it, he saw many inconsistencies. Coupled with the evidence just found, it did suggest a false accusation. "Yes," he said.

The Xu servants exchanged smug looks.

The Zhang family tried to defend themselves further. "Your Excellency, the young marquis's lawyer threatened us. We are a small household and feared offending powerful people, so we made a mistake."

Qin Jiao's lawyer wanted to argue, but Meng Wan stopped him. "Your Excellency, as I said, we may not be opponents."

At that moment, Qing Xing spoke up. She knelt at the front and raised her voice as much as possible. "Your Excellency, I did see Marquis Qin at the Xu residence, but he was not the one who violated Miss Xu!"

Her words caused an uproar in the courtroom. Everyone—even the Xu family—had believed Qing Xing was on Miss Xu's side. Now she had said something completely unexpected.

A Xu family maidservant was the first to attack. "You witnessed Miss's tragic state with your own eyes that day! How dare you speak for the villain!"

Meng Wan suddenly let out a soft laugh. The Xu maidservant responded sharply, "What are you laughing at?"

Meng Wan countered, "I am laughing at the Xu family for suing this one and that one, but never thought to ask the party involved."

Another maidservant shrieked, "What do you know! Miss was unconscious at the time of the incident. When she woke, she only saw Marquis Qin. If not him, who else?"

In ordinary circumstances, given Yu's strict standards for women and young men, a family would want to marry their daughter to Qin Jiao, even if it meant becoming a concubine. But the Xu family had immediately sued, even at the cost of their daughter's reputation. This made it impossible for her to marry—or even to live. Others might not see it, but could Miss Xu, the one directly involved, fail to understand?

"Miss Xu was unconscious, but before she lost consciousness, she accidentally tore off a token from the criminal. Knowing she could trust no one around her, when the female doctor Qing Xing came to treat her, she saw Qing Xing's kind heart and integrity, and handed that token to her!"

Meng Wan's words shocked everyone. There was a token?

Qin Jiao's lawyer was elated, but the Xu servants were in disbelief. "Impossible! That's impossible!"

Qing Xing then actually pulled something from her bosom, wrapped in dark cloth. She clutched it tightly in her hand. After kneeling so long, she struggled to stand, intending to personally deliver it to the Prefect's table.

The Xu servants became agitated in the court, but the runners restrained them. The Zhang family was likewise subdued, but this meant several runners guarding the entrance had been drawn away.

At that moment, a figure suddenly lunged out of the crowd. He was big and burly, with a masked face, strong enough to take on a hundred men. His movements were sweeping and powerful, like he could uproot a mountain.

The palm strike rushed straight towards Qing Xing. Meng Wan was greatly alarmed; he had expected a martial artist might appear, but not that their moves would be so ruthless. He quickly moved to Xue Sheng's side to protect himself.

Meanwhile, Qing Xing couldn't dodge and nearly had her neck snapped by the man, but his target was the object in her hand.

He seized it and was about to flee when Meng Wan shouted at that moment, "This guy's the murderer! If Prince Qin wants to clear his name, capture him!"

The Qin family were skilled in martial arts; he didn't believe Qin Jiao would just stand by.

Qin Jiao's barrister immediately grasped the situation—so this Meng Fulang had truly set a trap, had fooled even him. The Xu family, so sure of their victory, were even more caught off guard.

The barrister called out loudly, "Prince!"

Just as the masked man was about to disappear into the crowd, Qin Jiao finally moved. He took a step and swiftly gave chase.

The masked man burst out of the crowd only to find ambushing government constables waiting outside, with Qin Jiao closing in from behind. Realizing he stood little chance against Qin Jiao in a fight, he fiercely squeezed the object in his hand, only to produce a handful of dried flour.

"Damn it!" he fixed a venomous glare at Meng Wan, who was behind Xue Sheng, finally realizing he had been tricked.

The constables and Qin Jiao surrounded and apprehended the masked man, who gave up struggling and surrendered. Qin Jiao pulled down his mask, and the barrister came closer to take a look.

Well, well, an old acquaintance.

"General Han, it has been a long time!"

—

Inside the heavily guarded imperial study, the emperor sat on an intricately carved dragon throne, with a white-haired old general seated below him. Kneeling on the ground were Xu Yue, the chief minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and General Han, who had just been sent by the prefectural magistrate to the Ministry of Justice.

The emperor's tone was relatively cordial. "General Han just returned from the battlefield with the duke; it is understandable that there might still be some bloodlust left in your heart unquenched. I have heard that your lawful wife passed away a few years ago; have you remarried since?"

General Han understood that His Majesty intended to let him off in consideration of the duke. He glanced at the old duke's expression as he knelt, then carefully replied, "Your Majesty, it was I who, in a drunken stupor, did a foolish thing. In my household, I have only two concubines and have not remarried. I am willing to take the eldest Miss Xu as my lawful wife with full rites and treat her well."

The emperor looked at Xu Yue with a magnanimous expression and asked, "In that case, Minister Xu, your daughter has suffered an injustice. I will betroth her to General Han, a third-rank military officer; it is not a dishonorable match. What do you say?"

With an imperial decree of betrothal, how could Xu Yue dare say a word otherwise? Tears of gratitude streaming, he prostrated himself, knocking his head on the ground. "Your Majesty is merciful, bestowing great honor upon my insignificant daughter. My whole family is deeply grateful for Your Majesty's grace!"

Thus, it saved face for Duke Dingxiang and gave the legitimate daughter of the Xu family a way to survive. Otherwise, with the matter of her defilement so widely known, she would have been hanged to preserve the family's honor.

But the next moment, Duke Dingxiang, who had remained silent until then, descended the steps with heavy footsteps. He still bore the murderous aura of a soldier fresh from the battlefield. Step by step, he approached General Han, exuding an intimidating pressure.

No one expected that, though the emperor had granted him permission to carry a sword into the hall, he would actually draw the blade from his waist without a moment's hesitation, aimed directly at the general's lowered head, and swing it down in one swift motion.

The blade was heavy, the force immense, and in an instant, the man who had just been speaking of taking a wife was separated from his head.

Blood splattered onto Xu Yue, who was closest, startling the refined, middle-aged man into trembling violently. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, a large wet patch soaking the golden, dragon-patterned silk carpet.

The emperor was also shocked by the scene, rising from his dragon throne. The eunuch beside him instinctively stepped in front of the emperor, shouting shrilly, "Guards! Protect His Majesty!"

Duke Dingxiang immediately dropped the blade. The heavy sword fell into the carpet with a dull thud.

"Your Majesty, forgive me. It is my fault for failing to discipline my subordinates strictly, allowing such a lecher to emerge. Military orders are absolute. For such a man, indulging in lust and defying orders, even in a border camp, the end should be the same. In a moment of righteous anger, I disturbed Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"

The emperor pushed aside the palace attendant in front of him, his expression shifting from shock to solemnity. He said in a low voice, "The duke has always hated evil as if it were an enemy, and is upright and impartial. To uphold the law and personally execute a trusted subordinate—what crime is there in that? Please rise."

He suppressed his anger as he spoke these words, then ordered the imperial guards who had rushed in, "Deliver the corpse of the criminal Han Zhe to the Ministry of Justice."

The palace attendants quickly began to deal with the bloodstained carpet. The emperor shifted his gaze and saw Xu Yue still standing dumbfounded, not yet recovered. He said with disgust, "Convey my oral decree to the Ministry of Personnel: Xu Yue, the chief minister of the Court of Judicial Review, displayed indecorum in the hall and is unfit for his position. Order the Ministry of Personnel to remove him from his post in the Court and exile him far away."

Relying on his military power and great merit, Duke Dingxiang dared to draw his sword and kill a third-rank military officer in the imperial study, showing no regard for the emperor.

The emperor was both furious and fearful, and Xu Yue, who had been eager to curry favor with Duke Dingxiang and Prince Lian, became the target of his displaced anger.

Before the emperor himself had died, Xu Yue was already rushing to pick sides, selling his daughter for advancement. Since he was so fond of climbing up the ranks, let him stay at the bottom. The Ministry of Personnel would send him far away, so he can never crawl back to the capital in his lifetime.