Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 399 The Vital Point
Yingzi's expression was clearly illuminated by the four corner lanterns.

Lu Jie's chest heaved, and his brows furrowed.

The room was dimly lit, but Yan Liang's gaze was even darker than the night. "Uncle Lu, do you have any objections to Yun Dou's accusations?"

Lu Jie withdrew his gaze: "This is just her guess. Ying Zi has not admitted that Ying Jie'er is the murderer!"

“Then let’s continue looking down, Uncle Lu.” Yan Liang looked down again.

In the courtyard, after voicing a series of questions, Yingzi grabbed Yundou's collar and demanded, "Who told you all this? Who instructed you to talk nonsense?!"

"When Madam Lu murdered the lady with the plum vase, she left a bloody fingerprint on the rim of the vase. Did she not tell you that?"

Yun Dou's gaze was like a knife, piercing straight into Ying Zi's chest!

Yingzi swallowed hard, her mouth open but no sound came out.

She wasn't at the scene when it happened, she didn't see everything, and she can't judge whether it's possible!

However, she knew that Lu Ying had indeed killed the person, and she also knew that Yun Dou had never touched the plum vase!
"The fingerprint was placed right at the neck of the bottle. It's obvious whether that fingerprint is mine or not! And it won't be hard to find out who it belongs to either!"

Yingzi panicked.

Lu Ying insisted afterwards that she had already fainted when Madam Yan was still alive. If her fingerprints were indeed left on the plum vase, then the lie would fall apart!

"I don't believe it!" she blurted out. "If you can really prove that our grandmother is the murderer, why don't you tell the eldest son?"

"Do you think I didn't say anything? Do you think he didn't know? Do you think I'm still alive after being accused of murder?"

"Of course, it's because I produced solid evidence that he allowed me to live! He wants to keep me alive as a witness in court!"

Yingzi's face paled even more: "You mean, the eldest young master already knows the whole story?"

His attitude towards Lu Ying—was he really doing it on purpose?! And did he also invite Lu Jie here tonight because of this?!
"You've finally admitted to the fact that Lu committed murder." Yun Dou stared at her menacingly. "That's more like it. Let's not beat around the bush. Is there any need to hide it from me?"

Ying Zi's facial muscles twitched: "Shut up!"

"Too late!" Yun Dou sneered. "Of course the eldest young master knows all this! Madam Lu secretly colluded with the Shen family, personally killed her own mother-in-law, and still tried to hide it from everyone. Doesn't she even consider who she's dealing with?!"
"She murdered the matriarch of the Yan family, the eldest young master's biological mother! How could the eldest young master possibly let this go?"

At this point, she leaned forward and whispered in Yingzi's ear, "Even if she really didn't stay, so what?"

"Once the eldest young master is convinced that she is the real culprit, wouldn't it be easy to get evidence?"

Yingzi stumbled back a few steps and crashed into the wall with a thud!

That's a truly scathing statement!
The crucial point is not whether evidence was left behind, but whether Yan Liang identified the real culprit and decided to bring the perpetrator to justice.
If Yan Liang wanted to punish Lu Ying, it would be an easy task to send her to her death!
He knelt on the ground and hugged his head.

Lu Jie remained motionless, seemingly suffocating as well.

Yan Liang said, "Our personal maid confessed to murdering her mother-in-law, and the testimony is quite clear. With such a daughter, Uncle Lu's moral character is truly worrying." He turned around with his hands behind his back, facing Lu Jie with the air of a victor.

"To save time and to allay Uncle Lu's concerns, I have specially set up a courtroom here tonight." He clapped his hands as he said this.

As the applause subsided, lights suddenly illuminated a small building on the side, shining on a window that was exactly the same as the one on the other side!
Through the bright window, one could clearly see that a table had been set up inside the room, with three officials dressed in the robes of the Three Judicial Offices sitting solemnly at the back, all looking down at Yingzi and the other person in the courtyard below.

They were not ordinary officials from the three judicial departments; one was an censor of the Censorate, one was the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, and the other was the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

Behind the three of them stood an official, each holding a pen and paper and writing with their heads down, clearly taking notes!

"Any one of these three gentlemen could make a final decision. Uncle Lu's status is extraordinary. I wonder if Uncle Lu is satisfied with this setup?"

Yan Liang waved his hand, and someone came to add a few lights to the dim room, instantly making it as bright as day, revealing all the changes in expressions.

After a long silence, Lu Jie said slowly, "As expected of the eldest grandson personally trained by the Grand Secretary, your shrewdness and methods surpass even those of your father."

"You flatter me." Yan Liang's eyes were cold. "My nephew has lost his beloved mother. Now that we have witnesses and testimonies, if we don't seek justice, my mother will have no peace of mind in the afterlife."

"If Uncle Lu has no objections, then please provide an explanation."

"She is right here in your house. If you want her to pay with her life, there is nothing I can do."

"But if this confession is submitted to the authorities, Uncle Lu will be implicated in the crime. I've heard that Uncle Lu is currently enjoying great success in the palace and is only one step away from entering the cabinet, which is something to celebrate."

"If we cause a public uproar because of our failure to properly discipline our daughter, the Emperor is unlikely to openly protect her. In that case, we might end up losing more than we gain."

As Yan Liang spoke, he returned to his seat, slowly poured out the cooled tea, and brewed a fresh cup: "Uncle Lu has been lurking around the Yan family for many years, painstakingly cultivating this opportunity. I imagine he is reluctant to give it up."

"Back when my father was still alive, Uncle Lu did many deals with him. Now, how about we make a deal too?"

Lu Jie narrowed his eyes: "What do you want?"

Yan Liang took a sip of tea and slightly raised his eyes: "You're a smart man. You know what I'm after. I want you to re-examine the case in Tanzhou and stuff this set of case files into the case file."

He picked up a stack of documents beside him and pushed them in front of Lu Jie.

Lu Jie flipped through a few pages, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as he looked up: "You want to frame the Shen family?"

"It's just some clues I've gathered. You can take it as a frame-up if you want."

“You should know that this was achieved at the cost of my mother’s life,” Yan Liangyi said, his eyes sharp as knives. “If you still think it’s not enough, I might as well add another charge against Lu Ying: murdering her own mother.”

"Is Chiang Kai-shek's wronged soul still lingering at the gates of hell?"

"If killing one's mother-in-law could be considered an accident, then there is no reason to forgive an emperor who deliberately murders his own mother and rules the world with the principle of filial piety!"
"And if you raise a daughter like this, not only will you never be able to enter the cabinet in this lifetime, but the Yan family will also do everything in their power to make it difficult for you to even keep your current official position!"