Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

The emperor raised his hand, and the imperial guards who were holding Liu Wenying stopped immediately and returned to their original positions.

Liu Wenying was forced to kneel in the hall, her hair disheveled and her breathing unsteady.

The oppressive atmosphere inside the hall eased slightly, but it remained heavy.

"What evidence do you have? Present it here."

Pei Dingxuan nodded: "Your Majesty, please allow me to summon one person to the palace."

"Your Majesty's permission is granted."

Immediately, the sound of iron chains dragging on the ground came from outside the palace gate.

A woman was brought in. She was dressed in prison clothes, her hair was simply tied up, and although her face was dirty, she was still tidy enough not to offend the holy eyes.

The woman kept her head down, her steps unsteady, each step difficult.

Taking this opportunity, Pei Dingxuan observed the people in the hall.

Xiao Yiheng, though unable to see, remained seated as before.

Yelü Yuanjia, the crown prince of the Northern Barbarians, looked puzzled.

At that moment, Xiao Chenlin sat up straight from his relaxed posture in the chair, picked up the teacup beside him, and took a sip.

Pei Dingxuan saw everything and understood.

Sure enough it was him...

When Liu Wenying saw the woman's face, her face turned slightly pale.

That face was etched into her memory; it was the maid who had led her to the edge of the hunting grounds that night, drawn a dagger at her, and nearly killed her.

Liu Wenying's breathing quickened as the fear of that night surged into her heart.

The emperor noticed Liu Wenying's unusual behavior and asked in a deep voice, "Who is she?"

Pei Dingxuan respectfully said, "Your Majesty, this woman's name is Kouzhu. She was originally a lowly maidservant in the hunting grounds."

"She was bribed to murder Liu the night before she fell off the cliff in the hunting grounds."

"Your Majesty is wise. If Lady Liu was truly a spy who orchestrated the whole thing and intended to harm others, why would she have been hunted down the night before she fell off the cliff?"

This is clearly someone trying to silence her, afraid she'll say something she shouldn't in the hunting grounds.

The emperor's face darkened. As someone who had long held a high position, he rarely showed his anger outwardly. He did not lash out directly, but his anger was more chilling than thunderous fury.

"Within the hunting grounds, right under the emperor's nose, a murder-for-hire incident has occurred. Why didn't you report it?"

Pei Dingxuan bowed respectfully, showing no sign of panic.

"I am guilty, but I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness. The reason I kept it a secret is that I was afraid of alerting the enemy."

The person behind this dared to hire someone to kill right under His Majesty's nose; they must be incredibly audacious and claim to have extraordinary connections.

If we had spoken out then, the trail might have gone cold, and the real culprit would have gone unpunished.

As he spoke, his gaze seemed to casually sweep across Xiao Chenlin's direction.

With each word he spoke, the Crown Prince's eyes grew deeper.

The changes were subtle, but they could not escape Pei Dingxuan's keen eyes.

The emperor turned to Kouzhu, "Explain yourself clearly, who exactly ordered you to do this?"

Pei Dingxuan turned to look at Kou Zhu, who was kneeling on the ground, and said, "Tell me everything you know."

He was warning her not to try anything funny, or she would lose her life if what she said differed even by a single word from her testimony in the dungeon that day.

Kou Zhu lay prostrate on the ground, trembling like a leaf, both intimidated by the emperor's majesty and fearful of the methods employed by Pei Dingxuan, the Vice Minister of Justice.

"Your Majesty, my name is Kouzhu. I have been an orphan since childhood and have no one to rely on."

Someone provided the criminal girl with food, shelter, and even raised her. Unable to repay him, she could only do dirty, shameful things for him.

The murder in the hunting grounds was also ordered by that man. The woman did not know his identity and had never seen his face.

However, his voice was high-pitched and his figure was slender, suggesting he was a eunuch.

He said that the woman was blocking the adults' path, and keeping her around would only cause trouble sooner or later. He urged the wicked woman to eliminate her completely to prevent future problems.

Although Xiao Yiheng was blind, he slightly turned his head toward Kouzhu.

"If it was a eunuch, then it involves the royal family. Why would someone from the royal family kill a maid from a duke's household?"

Liu Wenying's eyelashes trembled. She had simple interpersonal relationships. If she had to say that the royal family was involved, it would be the time the stablekeeper reminded her...

The emperor, not staring at Pei Dingxuan, asked in a deep voice, "Have you found anything?"

Meeting the emperor's deep gaze, Pei Dingxuan calmly returned the reply.

"At the time, I was still investigating, and I never expected that before I could get a definite result, the incident of falling off the cliff would happen."

While I was leading the search for Liu and her second brother, Kouzhu was imprisoned in the palace dungeon and almost got poisoned to silence her.

"If I hadn't left trusted confidants to secretly watch over her and discover it in time, she would already be a corpse, with no way to prove anything."

"Absurd!" the emperor exclaimed in fury.

He was furious not only because someone dared to poison the palace dungeon, but also because of the information it revealed.

This person's influence has already infiltrated the royal palace. If he can poison the dungeon today, will he be able to extend his reach to the emperor tomorrow?

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This case involves many people and the clues are intricate. I implore Your Majesty to give the Ministry of Justice time to investigate carefully. We will surely be able to find the real culprit behind this."

The emperor did not immediately agree.

He remained silent for a long while before turning to Xiao Chenlin, who had been silent ever since Kou Zhu was brought in.

"What does the Crown Prince think?"

Xiao Chenlin's cheeks twitched, and he stood up and bowed towards the throne.

"Your Majesty is wise. I believe that what Minister Pei said is absolutely right."

However, since this case involves poisoning in the palace dungeon, it is already a serious case. I suggest that the Court of Judicial Review cooperate in the investigation, so that both departments can work together to bring the truth to light as soon as possible.

Pei Dingxuan scoffed inwardly. The Court of Judicial Review colluding? If he remembered correctly, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was one of the Crown Prince's men.

If the Dali Temple were to get involved, the case would likely be turned into a muddy mess, and the truth would never come to light.

"I cannot agree with what Your Highness has said."

The emperor urged him to continue explaining.

"Although both the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review manage prison criminal cases, their responsibilities have different focuses."

The Ministry of Justice presides over the trial, and the Court of Judicial Review reviews it; this is the ancestral system. If the two courts jointly try the case, the division of responsibilities will be unclear, which will easily lead to obstacles. Moreover…”

His sharp eyes pierced the Crown Prince. "This case involves poisoning in the palace dungeon, and it is now an internal affair."

According to the law, cases within the inner court should be presided over by the Ministry of Justice, with the Palace Attendants' Office assisting in the investigation. For the Court of Judicial Review to intervene would be against the rules.

"What does Lord Pei mean by this? Do you not trust the Court of Judicial Review?"

Xiao Yiheng smiled, seemingly fair but with some bias.

"Father, I also think that what Lord Pei said makes sense. Since this case involves the inner court, it should be handled according to the rules of the inner court."

Besides, why is Your Majesty so eager to have the Dali Temple intervene? Could it be that you have some concerns?

Surprised by the combined attack from the two, Xiao Chenlin's face paled. "Second brother, what do you mean by this? I also want to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible and give everyone the truth."

"Your Majesty, I have no idea; naturally, I think the same thing as you."

Pei Dingxuan bowed and reported to the emperor: "Your Majesty, I guarantee that the Ministry of Justice is competent and there is no need to trouble the Court of Judicial Review."

Xiao Chenlin was about to argue again when he was interrupted by a soft laugh.

Yelü Yuanjia stood up, clapped his hands, and laughed.

"Your Majesty of Great Wei, I am also tired. Since this matter has nothing to do with the Northern Barbarians, it is not appropriate for me to stay any longer."

The emperor nodded: "The Crown Prince of the Northern Barbarians, please proceed."

Yelü Yuanjia turned and left with his entourage, but stopped abruptly when he reached the palace gate.

He smiled, his gray eyes full of amusement.

"Today's trip was worthwhile. I witnessed a great spectacle and was able to see the brotherly affection and respect of the Great Wei royal family. My Northern Di are ashamed to admit that we are inferior."

He openly expressed his feelings, but in reality, he was implying that the Wei royal family was fighting amongst themselves and engaging in endless infighting; every word he said was barbed.

Out of consideration for the reputation of both countries, the emperor could not vent his anger and said coldly, "Crown Prince Yelü, please take your leave."

Yelü Yuanjia's smile deepened. He said no more and led his entourage out of the main hall.

As soon as he left, the atmosphere in the hall became even more tense. The emperor's expression remained displeased; he waved his hand dismissively.

"All of you may leave. Since Lady Liu has proven her innocence, there is no need to imprison her any longer."

Liu Wenying's shoulders slumped. "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."

Just as everyone was about to leave as instructed, the emperor's voice rang out again: "Yi Heng, stay here. The crown prince will wait outside."

Xiao Chenlin and Xiao Yiheng were taken aback, then said in unison, "Your subject obeys the decree."

…………