To Hold One’s Joy

  Chapter 425 Sophistry is useless

  Xu Fang uttered these words softly, and everyone present felt their scalps go numb.

  At that time, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Changchun was probably only five or six years old, but she hid in the cabinet and witnessed her father killing her mother?

  This is too tragic.

   For a while, the courtroom was very quiet, except for the heavy breathing of the Marquis of Changchun.

  The Marquis of Changchun was angry and remorseful.

   What was angry was that his own daughter ran to the court to expose his crimes, and what was regretful was why his heart softened back then.

  He shouldn't have spared the life of this rebellious woman!

  A five or six-year-old girl, if she wants her to die quietly, there are too many opportunities to start.

  He softened his heart for a moment, and ended up hurting himself...

  After listening to Xu Fang's narration, the servant of the Ministry of Punishment looked at Changchun Hou: "What else can you say, Lord Hou?"

  Marquis Changchun was immersed in regret and did not respond.

   "Master Hou?"

  The Marquis of Changchun came to his senses in a jerk, and held on to the end with countless complicated eyes: "It was this rebellious girl who held a grudge against me for driving her younger brother out of the house, so she colluded with the abandoned wife Yang to frame me."

Xu Fang kowtowed heavily: "My lord, there are no wrong parents in the world. How could a daughter accuse her father of killing her mother just because her father drove her wrong brother out of the house? I am here today not to sue my father, but to sue my father. It’s all for personal identification.”

  The plaintiff in this lawsuit is Yang, this must be made clear.

  After hearing this, the servant of the Ministry of Punishment showed embarrassment: "It's not easy for both sides to insist on their own opinions."

  Although the balance in people's minds is completely in favor of Xu Fang, it is still an important case and it is not easy to draw conclusions.

   "My lord, there is a way for a humble job."

  Hearing this, everyone turned their attention to a young man.

   It was Lin Teng who spoke.

   "Say it." The Minister of Punishment was slightly relieved.

  With Lin Teng around, I don't have to worry about it.

  Being stared at by the adults, Lin Teng did not show any embarrassment, and calmly asked Xu Fang and Yang: "You two can read?"

  Xu Fang and Yang said in unison: "Literacy."

  It is rare for them to be illiterate.

  Lin Teng asked this out of caution.

   "Two of you, please turn around and turn your backs to each other."

  Xu Fang didn't understand what he meant, but she had heard about the ability of Master Lin from Luo Sheng, so she turned around silently.

   Yang's expression was numb, and his movements were a little slower.

   "I would like to ask the two of you for details about what happened back then. Of course, after so many years, you may not remember it, so let me know if you remember it after I ask the question, and don't say anything else."

  Xu Fang and Yang nodded silently.

  Lin Teng's words undoubtedly aroused the curiosity of the people present, and they all waited for his question with their ears pricked up.

   "Mr. Yang said that the Marquis of Changchun used a soft pillow to suffocate Princess Huayang, and Mrs. Xu Xu said that his father used a pillow to suffocate his mother. Do you remember the pattern of the pillow that suffocated Princess Huayang?"

  Hou Changchun's eyes flickered slightly.

   Smothering the pattern of Princess Huayang's pillow?

  He has no memory at all. Could it be that they still remember?

  Seeing the Marquis of Changchun's reaction in full view, Lin Teng's expression became more serious.

  In a murder case caused by a fierce dispute, it is normal for the perpetrator to not remember many details in a panic, but the bystanders are different.

  Whether it's Mrs. Yang standing next to the murderer, or Miss Xu hiding in the cabinet, witnessing the whole murder process of someone close to her left an unforgettable impression.

  Where their eyes fell was the pillow that suffocated Princess Huayang to death.

  In this case, even if it is such a small detail as the pattern of the pillow, it is very likely that the two of them will still remember it.

  Of course, it doesn’t matter if you don’t remember, then he will ask for other details.

  What happened will always exist, and it cannot be erased by sophistry and denial.

  Xu Fang said almost as soon as Lin Teng finished speaking, "I remember."

  How could she not remember, she hid in the small dark cabinet, through the little gap, watching the pillow pressed against her mother's face until the mother stopped struggling.

   That was something that reappeared in countless nightmares later, not to mention the pattern on the pillow, even the little stain on the corner of the pillow, she remembered it clearly.

  Mr. Yang was a moment late, and said, "I remember."

   "Bring two sets of pens and inks." Lin Teng ordered the yamen servant.

   Not long after, two sets of pens and inks were delivered.

   "Write the pillow pattern on paper."

  Xu Fang picked up the pen and quickly wrote a line on the paper.

  Yang also finished writing quickly.

  The two yamen servants put away the white paper with the answers written on it, and presented it to the minister of punishment.

  The servant of the Ministry of Punishment looked at it, and motioned to show it to the adults who were watching.

   Everyone looked at it one by one, and the eyes they looked at Changchun Hou changed again and again.

  The blank paper returned to the hands of the minister of punishment.

  The servant of the criminal department coughed lightly, and said, "The answers on the two pieces of paper are the same, both are melon lines."

   "So what!" Marquis Changchun panicked.

  The Minister of Criminal Justice took a look at Lin Teng.

  Lin Teng said lightly: "Such an answer, Lord Hou, wouldn't it be a coincidence?"

   "They negotiated it!" Marquis Changchun did not give up in his defense.

Lin Teng shook his head: "At this time, Lord Hou still said that. It is unreasonable. The situation back then could be colluded, but it was so meticulous that it could collude with details such as the pattern of the pillow? What's more, their identities are originally opposites, and there is only one person who can make them agree. Answer: Thirteen years ago, Lord Hou killed his wife, Princess Huayang!"

   "I didn't, I didn't!" Changchun Hou staggered back, his face pale.

  However, no one listened to the sophistry of Marquis Changchun.

  Xu Xi was among the spectators outside the Yamen of the Ministry of Punishment, listening to those discussions, wishing he could rush in and chop the man to death.

   But he didn't.

  The day-to-day life of chopping wood has quietly worn away the boy's impulsiveness and taught him to be calm.

   After waiting for some time, he finally waited for Xu Fang to come out.

   "Sister!" The boy rushed forward.

  Looking at the younger brother rushing in front of her, Xu Fang with red eyes smiled slightly: "It's the elder brother."

   "Sister, he—" Xu Qi looked towards the gate of the yamen, but did not see Marquis Changchun appear.

  Xu Fang whispered three words: "He is finished."

   Xu Wulang, who was waiting outside, greeted him: "It's okay, let's go home."

  Xu Fang smiled at Xu Wulang: "I want to go to the teahouse with my brother to talk."

  Xu Wulang looked at his brother-in-law and nodded without hesitation: "Okay, I'll go with you."

  Xu Wulang took the two siblings into a teahouse, thoughtfully giving them space to talk.

  Xu Qi couldn't bear it anymore, he gritted his teeth and asked, "Sister, did he really kill mother?"

  Xu Fang nodded slightly.

   "Did you see it back then?"

  The questioning in the courtroom is open, and the common people are allowed to listen in. Naturally, things in the courtroom spread quickly.

  Xu Fang nodded again.

  Xu Qi clenched his fists: "Eldest sister, you...why didn't you tell me!"

   It turned out that when he was fighting and getting into trouble and was muddling around like all dudes, did the elder sister carefully grow up with such a painful secret?

  As for him, he was still blaming his sister for clinging to Ningguo Mansion.

   I was knocked down by a cold again, and I really want to start exercising when the weather gets warmer. If I can get up at night, I will write another one. If not, I will see you tomorrow.

  (end of this chapter)