A grandmother and granddaughter swap souls, causing chaos throughout the entire court.

He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and urged them sternly.

"Under no circumstances should Lihua be allowed to spend the night in prison. How could someone of her noble birth be allowed to stay in such a filthy place?"

"Let's go, I'm going to personally meet that Lord Wei and see just how dare he hold my Zhao family's daughter hostage!"

Chung Ting-yu quickly followed behind, constantly flattering him.

The night was deep, and the water clock dripped its last drops.

Minister Zhao and Zhong Tingyu hurriedly traveled to the capital city in the same carriage.

*

at the same time.

The backyard of the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Lord Wei, the Prefect of the Capital, had long since retired from his official post, but he hadn't even taken off his official robes. He simply leaned against the soft couch in his study, still fully clothed, and closed his eyes to rest.

He knew in his heart that he would definitely be disturbed and unable to sleep tonight.

I might as well just wait here.

as predicted.

Not half an hour after the advisor had sent the Marquis of Yongning away, an urgent report came from outside.

"My lord! Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Revenue has arrived and is waiting for you in the front hall with Marquis Yongning." The clerk wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and reported cautiously.

If it were the Marquis of Yongning, he could probably refuse.

But he dared not offend the Minister of Revenue.

Please, sir, don't assign him such dangerous tasks again.

Lord Wei sighed helplessly, sat up from the soft couch, and straightened his slightly disheveled official robes.

"Let's go, follow me to greet Lord Zhao."

lobby.

Minister Zhao sat in the guest seat, his face ashen.

Chung Ting-yu stood anxiously to the side.

Seeing Lord Wei stride in, Minister Zhao didn't even lift his eyelids, but simply picked up the teacup beside him and gently stirred the tea foam.

"Lord Wei, I apologize for disturbing you so late at night."

Minister Zhao's tone was calm, yet it exuded an undeniable air of authority.

Lord Wei quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "This humble official greets Your Excellency, Minister. You flatter me, Your Excellency. Is your late visit related to the case of Princess Anyi?"

"Since Lord Wei is a sensible man, then I will get straight to the point."

Minister Zhao put down his teacup and stared intently at Lord Wei.

"I have already heard about my daughter Lihua's matter from Marquis Yongning. It was just a minor squabble between women in the inner quarters dealing with household affairs. How did it become a major case of murder and the use of vigilante justice in Lord Wei's hands?"

Wei Changgeng inwardly grumbled.

Lady Hou ordered her servants to bribe witnesses and frame a five-year-old legitimate son of the Hou family for stealing his wife's dowry.

They even beat the person to death, and they wanted to use the child to force the parents out. They must have other wicked and unspeakable intentions.

Such a vicious scheme, such a cruel heart.

In the minds of Lord Zhao and the Marquis, it was just a minor domestic squabble in the Marquis's household?

No wonder Lord Zhao chose Marquis Yongning as his son-in-law.

It really was true that birds of a feather flock together back then.

But Lord Wei dared not reveal anything on his face.

He looked troubled and explained with a wry smile, "Your Excellency, it's not that I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. It's just that the old lady of the Yongning Marquis's mansion personally reported it to the authorities, and it was also the old lady Zhong who provided the evidence. I've personally investigated it, and the evidence is absolutely complete. If I don't handle this impartially, it will be difficult to convince the public."

"absurd!"

Minister Zhao snorted coldly and slammed his hand heavily on the table.

"That old lady Zhong is quite old; she may have suffered some kind of shock and become mentally unstable. How can her supernatural tricks be used as evidence for conviction in court?"

Minister Zhao stood up and approached Lord Wei step by step, attempting to use his power to intimidate him.

"Lord Wei, you've been navigating the officialdom for many years, you must understand the stakes involved."

"Not to mention that the eldest son's child is completely unharmed and has not suffered any real injury."

"Based solely on the testimony of a mentally unstable old woman, you intend to convict the legitimate daughter of a high-ranking official and a county princess of the imperial court. If this case file were submitted to the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, do you think you could still hold onto your position as the Prefect of the Capital?"

Lord Wei was furious, but as the saying goes, "a higher rank can crush a lower one," so what could he do?

"Your Excellency is right to admonish me, but I was only acting in accordance with the rules, and I am truly apprehensive."

Seeing that the time was right, Minister Zhao softened his tone slightly.

"Alright, I won't make things difficult for you. This is not a big deal. For my sake, I will let this matter go unpunished."

"I will take Lihua back to my residence and discipline her strictly. You can close the case file and pretend it never happened."

"In this way, we can avoid the trouble of the government investigating the private affairs of the inner quarters, and we can also save face for the Zhao and Zhong families. What do you think, Lord Wei?"

Lord Wei didn't think so.

He lowered his head, quickly calculating in his mind.

If he, a mere third-rank Prefect of the Capital, were to truly offend the second-rank Minister of Revenue and the newly risen nobleman, the Marquis of Yongning, over this matter, his future would be bleak.

But when he thought of Madam Zhong and the methods she used, he felt a little more confident.

Lord Wei raised his head, his face displaying just the right amount of embarrassment and respect: "Your Excellency, it's not that I'm unwilling to make an exception."

"However, the confessions in this case are all in black and white and signed, the evidence is conclusive, and they have already been sealed, so it is really impossible to take them out and destroy them easily."

"Is this feasible? Apart from myself and a few trusted officers, no one else in the government office knows the inside story. There will be no leak of information, and the case file will not be submitted. I hope you will understand my difficulties."

"I will have someone bring the county princess out immediately so you can take her back to your residence and rest well."

Minister Zhao frowned, his shrewd old eyes fixed on Lord Wei with dissatisfaction.

But he also knew in his heart that Lord Wei had already taken a big step back.

If we continue to press on and insist on destroying the case files, we might really push this slippery fellow to the brink, leading to a fight to the death.

If this matter were to escalate to the Emperor's presence and become a major scandal, the Zhao family would truly lose all face.

If such a stain were seized upon by political enemies, they would inevitably accuse him of failing to properly manage his household!

"That's enough."

Minister Zhao took a deep breath, suppressing his dissatisfaction, and coldly flicked his sleeves.

"Since Lord Wei has put it this way, I cannot force you. However, since the case file has been sealed, it must be sealed tightly. If even the slightest rumor spreads outside and damages the reputation of my Zhao family, I will hold you accountable!"

"Your humble servant understands, and will certainly keep quiet!"

Lord Wei felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and repeatedly bowed with his hands clasped. He then turned around and ordered his clerk to go to the dungeon to fetch the man.

Not long after.

Zhao Lihua was then led to the front hall.

When Minister Zhao and Zhong Tingyu saw Zhao Lihua's disheveled appearance, their expressions changed instantly.

The usually radiant Lady Hou was now disheveled, wearing only a thin white undergarment.

The clothes there were still covered in glaring, disgusting filth, emitting a nauseating smell.