After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 128 Did you use torture on her?
After Zhu Zhang finished speaking, his expression was full of respect, and he quickly beckoned the people behind him to come forward and pay their respects to Pei Yanzhi.

Upon receiving Zhu Zhang's instructions, those people immediately stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said in unison, "Greetings, Lord Pei."

Upon hearing Zhu Zhang's address to Pei Yanzhi, Huang Xu, who was not far away, instantly lost all color in his face.

His body jolted violently, and he staggered as if he had been punched hard.

Minister of the Court of Judicial Review?

The name struck him like a thunderbolt.

He began to recall his attitude at the door, and a sense of despair welled up inside him.

Could it be that he's already got his eye on her?

Huang Xu raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat that had involuntarily beaded on his forehead. The sweat soaked his palm, making him even more nervous and uneasy.

"This humble subject greets Lord Pei."

After everyone above had finished their greetings, Huang Xu hurriedly stepped forward to bow to Pei Yanzhi as well.

His movements were somewhat flustered, and his voice trembled slightly, revealing his extreme unease.

Upon hearing Huang Xu's words, Pei Yanzhi didn't even raise his eyes, as if he hadn't heard Huang Xu's voice at all.

He simply held the dossier handed to him with focused attention, his expression calm and his eyes focused.

Zhu Zhang turned his head and glanced at Huang Xu, his eyes filled with a complex emotion.

She then quickly looked away, as if she didn't want to linger on Huang Xu any longer.

"Sir, this is the aggrieved party, Young Master Huang."

Zhu Zhang's voice rang out in the quiet government office, carrying a sense of caution.

The atmosphere on the field was tense, as if the air itself had frozen.

Zhu Zhang quickly said something to let Pei Yanzhi know Huang Xu's identity, hoping to ease the tense atmosphere.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Zhang saw Pei Yanzhi change his posture and cross his legs.

The pages turned slightly, making a soft sound, but he still didn't speak.

"grown ups……"

Zhu Zhang couldn't help but speak again, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Isn't the victim a woman?"

After a long while, everyone heard Pei Yanzhi ask this question.

His voice was steady and powerful, carrying an undeniable authority.

This statement was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up countless waves.

"This is indeed a woman, but Madam Yu is still unconscious, so Young Master Huang came to the government office to question her."

Zhu Zhang bowed and replied, and Huang Xu nodded repeatedly: "Yes, that's right, sir..."

Did I ask you a question?

Before Huang Xu could finish speaking, Pei Yanzhi asked a question.

Then he looked up and stared at Huang Xu with that cold gaze.

Huang Xu looked up and his eyes met Pei Yanzhi's.

For some reason, there was always a faint killing intent in Pei Yanzhi's eyes.

It even gave Huang Xu the feeling that if this weren't the government office, he would be torn apart by five horses and executed by slow slicing in the next instant.

"Your humble servant has spoken out of turn."

Zhu Zhang said something sullenly, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"This case shouldn't be difficult to judge. Chenghua, go and invite Lady Miao here."

"Find a few more onlookers."

Pei Yanzhi put the case file aside and gave an instruction to Cheng Hua beside him.

Upon hearing this, Chenghua nodded in agreement and left to take care of it.

After he finished speaking, Pei Yanzhi looked at the officials standing in a circle and chuckled, "Why don't you sit down?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhang sat down with trepidation. Everyone else followed suit, but the atmosphere remained tense and oppressive.

Huang Xu stood there, at a loss, sweat beading on his forehead.

He wanted to say something in his defense, but he didn't know where to begin, fearing that he might anger Pei Yanzhi again.

Huang Xu had a feeling that Pei Yanzhi wanted to kill him, and this thought made him feel uneasy.

His arrogant attitude at the government office gate had vanished without a trace.

Before long, Chenghua returned with Miao Niangzi and several onlookers.

Miao Niangzi's face was pale, and although there was some panic in her eyes, she still looked relatively calm.

Several commoners also looked nervous and cautiously watched Pei Yanzhi in the hall.

Pei Yanzhi's gaze slowly swept over everyone, finally landing on Miao Niangzi.

"Why did you lay a hand on my wife that day?"

Upon hearing Pei Yanzhi's question, Lady Miao knelt down with a thud: "Your Excellency is wise. That day, I only intended to collect the silk from Manager Li."

"But then we ran into Madam Yu from Huang's Embroidery Shop. It's normal to have some disagreements in business."

At this point, Lady Miao turned her head and glared fiercely at Huang Xu.

“If it were for business, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but she shouldn’t have said that my daughter was born to a prostitute.”

"I am a mother, and no mother in the world can tolerate others slandering her child like this."

Miao Niangzi's voice choked with sobs, and what happened next is well-known.

During the argument between Miao Niangzi and Yu Niangzi, Yu Niangzi tried to stab Miao Niangzi with scissors.

Shuanglu went to help, but couldn't stop it. In the chaos, Xiangning smashed a vase at Madam Yu, which led to all this trouble.

"Xiang'er did it to save me and Shuanglu, it has nothing to do with her."

"I implore Your Excellency to investigate this matter thoroughly."

Miao Niangzi kowtowed deeply to Pei Yanzhi, her forehead turning red from the effort.

Xiang'er was implicated because of her. If Xiang'er were really beheaded or exiled, she would never have peace of mind for the rest of her life.

After listening, Pei Yanzhi narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Huang Xu with a cold expression.

"Young Master Huang, what is your explanation for this matter?"

Huang Xu's face turned pale, and he quickly bowed and said, "My lord, Madam Yu... she is usually a bit impatient, I didn't expect her to say such outrageous things."

"But she is currently unconscious in the clinic. This matter needs to be resolved."

"I didn't say I wouldn't end things with you."

Pei Yanzhi gave a soft chuckle, and the atmosphere in the hall became even more tense.

The onlookers began to whisper among themselves, criticizing Huang Xu and Madam Yu's excessive behavior.

Pei Yanzhi was silent for a moment, then said, "Chenghua, go and bring Xiang Ning here."

Before long, Xiang Ning was brought to the government office. Her thin clothes made her look frail.

It was as if a gust of wind could blow her over.

She knelt down and bowed to Pei Yanzhi, saying, "Greetings, Your Excellency."

Pei Yanzhi nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Xiang Ning for a moment. Seeing her like this, he felt very complicated.

Xiang Ning looked up and heard Zhu Zhang ask her a question.

“That day, Madam Yu verbally insulted Shuanglu, and Madam Miao argued with her. Madam Yu went even further and tried to hurt them with scissors. I saw that the situation was not good and that if I did not intervene, Madam Miao and Shuanglu might be in danger of losing their lives. That’s why I smashed Madam Yu with a vase. I did it to save them, not to hurt them.”

Xiang Ning's voice was weak, and she collapsed as soon as she finished speaking.

Before Zhu Zhang could say anything, Pei Yanzhi had already gotten up and walked to Xiang Ning's side.

"Go and find a doctor."

His face showed a hint of panic, and he breathed a sigh of relief after checking Xiang Ning's breathing.

"You used vigilante justice on her?"

(End of this chapter)