☆、182, Trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead!
Fu Meier immediately said coldly, "Princess Consort Chen should watch her words. After all, I am your elder. You are insulting me as well."
Ouyang Yue simply smiled and said, "Oh? Fifth Prince, you haven't married a proper wife yet, what's wrong?" Ouyang Yue smiled in confusion, then suddenly realized and said, "Yes, yes, I was a bit inappropriate in my words, hehehe."
Ouyang Yue had previously stated that Baili Jian had not married a principal wife, and that Fu Meier was merely a concubine. Although she was considered Ouyang Yue's fifth sister-in-law due to seniority, she was still just a concubine and not as noble as Ouyang Yue's principal wife, Princess Chen. Ouyang Yue would never call her "sister-in-law."
Fu Meier looked gloomy, while Ouyang Yue looked at the person she had frightened to the ground earlier. The gray-clothed man was not old, probably not yet thirty, and his face was deathly pale. He unconsciously glanced at the group of people kneeling in the hall and immediately lowered his head.
Fu Lin, who was walking ahead, was also startled by the man in gray. He immediately turned around and scolded, "You ignorant fool! It's your first time in the main hall. You're too timid to be frightened by this solemn hall. You've been so rude in front of so many people. You've completely disgraced the Fu family. Stand up now!" As soon as Fu Lin shouted, his men who had come with him immediately helped the man in gray to his feet.
Upon hearing this, the man in gray immediately apologized, saying, "Master, please forgive me. It was my ignorance and fault. I've always been a coward. Please forgive me, Master."
Ouyang Yue laughed: "This family head Fu has traveled all over the country, and he has such a timid and cowardly person by his side. I hope he won't get things done before he gets scared and ruins everything."
Fu Lin said with a forced smile, "I'm sorry to trouble Princess Chen with this. I will keep it in mind and give it serious consideration."
Fu Lin immediately led his men to kneel before the Prefect of the Capital: "Prefect of the Capital, I wonder what brings you here, I have always held you in the highest esteem. If I may offer my assistance, please do so without hesitation." On his way here, Fu Lin had, of course, overheard what was happening in the main hall, but now he pretended to be completely unaware.
The Prefect of Jingzhao nodded and said, "It would be best if Lord Fu cooperated so well. I'm sure Lord Fu is aware of the murder case at Meiyi Pavilion. Today, I'm holding a trial and we've come to this point. However, there's a problem. The banknotes and silver held by the people involved in this case all came from Fu's money shop. I wonder what explanation Lord Fu has for this?"
Fu Lin was clearly taken aback, looking puzzled: "My lord, as the number one bank in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Fu Family Bank handles a huge volume of transactions every day. It's not uncommon for a hundred or so people to withdraw money each day. I'm not exaggerating, but the Fu Family Bank is very popular among the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty. So, let alone these people, it's perfectly normal for a hundred or eighty people to withdraw money from the Fu Family Bank at the same time. My lord, this doesn't prove anything at all."
The Prefect of Jingzhao nodded and looked at Ouyang Yue, saying, "Princess Consort Chen, this matter also makes sense to me. It seems that the evidence you have presented is insufficient to prove that the people of your Meiyi Pavilion are innocent."
Fu Lin suddenly looked up in confusion and said, "So Princess Chen is the owner of Meiyi Pavilion. I never expected that. However, it makes no sense for Princess Chen to try to exonerate her own shop by involving Fu's Money House."
Ouyang Yue's lips curled into a smile: "Oh, this princess knows that Fu's Bank keeps records of every large transaction. Since these people all happened to withdraw money from Fu's Bank, there must be some records. Whether there are any problems or not, we'll probably have to check to find out."
Fu Lin's face darkened: "This matter concerns the secrets of Fu's Bank, and not just anyone can see it."
“What you said is true, but if the Fu family money shop can’t produce its account books for people to check, then of course the Fu family money shop can’t just dismiss the suspicion. The money in these people’s hands all came from the Fu family money shop.” Ouyang Yue smiled faintly, while Fu Lin’s eyes revealed a coldness.
Fu Meier's expression changed drastically. Just as she was about to speak, the old Princess Consort of Ningjun said, "Both sides have their own reasons, so let the Prefect of Jingzhao decide." As she spoke, everyone in the hall looked towards the Prefect of Jingzhao. The Prefect's expression changed. He had previously received benefits from the Fu family, so naturally he would side with them. However, now that Princess Consort Chen had proposed a conclusion, if the Fu family could not provide counter-evidence, it would be difficult to convince the public. He said, "Master Fu, I think it would be better to just take a look at these account books. We can just look at the accounts for this month, so it shouldn't matter too much."
Fu Lin's expression stiffened, but he immediately understood the meaning of the Prefect of the Capital. Under such public scrutiny, the doubts raised by Ouyang Yue were indeed enough to make people suspicious of the Fu Family Bank. The Fu family had always been the richest family in the Great Zhou Dynasty, but that was all their wealth. The Meiyi Pavilion and Meiren Pavilion had been open for quite some time, yet they were among the top ten most famous shops in the capital, demonstrating their immense profits. Even the Fu family's other profitable businesses only ranked three of the top ten shops in the capital. Wouldn't the Fu family be envious? Wouldn't others be envious? It wasn't impossible that they would deliberately damage the reputation of the Meiyi Pavilion to suppress it. Moreover, Ouyang Yue's words made perfect sense. If Fu Lin used the excuse of some secret to refuse to see the Fu Family Bank's accounts, Ouyang Yue would probably come up with other excuses and insist on seeing the accounts. At that time, the Fu Family Bank would appear very hostile, which would be extremely disadvantageous for them.
Fu Lin immediately said, "Since I have contributed to this matter and can help you, sir, relieve your worries and clear my Fu Family Bank of any suspicion, I will do my best to cooperate. Someone, go and fetch the account books."
The account book arrived shortly afterward, and Fu Lin was about to hand it over to the Prefect of Jingzhao when Baili Chen suddenly said, "Since this matter concerns whether Guan Meiyi Pavilion has been wronged, the Princess Consort should naturally take a look at this account book as well."
Fu Lin frowned and said, "Prince Chen, my wife and I are both business people. How can we let Princess Chen see such a confidential matter? Whether there are any doubts or not, it is up to the Prefect of Jingzhao to decide."
Bai Lichen sneered: "What, is Master Fu afraid, or is there some unspeakable secret in your ledger that you're afraid of being seen?"
"Your Highness, please be careful with your words. I have always acted with a clear conscience, but I cannot be wronged like this." Fu Lin's expression was extremely unpleasant.
Bai Lichen narrowed his eyes and said, "These are just what Fu Lin said himself. Do you think bad people would have 'I am a bad person' written on their faces? Master Fu is so worried. If you say you are innocent, I'm afraid no one will believe you."
Fu Lin was furious. The ledger was extremely confidential, containing all the income and expenditure records of the Fu Family Bank. If it were seen, it could very well reveal what the Fu Family Bank had done in over a year, and even some of its less-than-shady dealings. Of course, Fu Lin dared to show it because he wasn't afraid of being seen. The Prefect of Jingzhao was just an official; he was completely inexperienced in auditing accounts, but he wasn't afraid. However, Xuan Yuan Yue, who could run the Mei Yi Ge (Beautiful Clothes Pavilion), was no ordinary person. If she were to use this to reveal the Fu Family Bank's business secrets, it would be a huge loss for the Fu Family Bank. How could he agree to that?
At this moment, Ouyang Yue said, "I understand Master Fu's thoughts. However, this incident concerns the life and death of my Meiyi Pavilion and Meiren Pavilion, so I naturally have to be extremely cautious. I think the Prefect of Jingzhao and everyone present can understand this. But Master Fu, you don't need to worry. I promise you, I will only look at the account books of the silver notes and silver circulated by these people over the past month. I think there shouldn't be any major problems."
Fu Lin's expression was still not good, but after thinking about it, he realized that there was indeed nothing wrong with the accounts for the past month. The main problem was that if he really didn't release the accounts, Baili Chen would probably not let it go, and there would be a lot of wrangling. It was uncertain when the case would be resolved: "Alright, this was promised by Princess Chen herself, and Princess Chen must abide by it."
Ouyang Yue nodded: "Of course."
The ledger was immediately shown to the Prefect of the Capital. Looking at the numbers, the Prefect felt a headache coming on and immediately handed it to his clerk for a quick look. The clerk also found no problems. The ledger then passed to Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue picked up the ledger, which bore the four large characters "Fu's Money Shop." Turning to the first page, she saw the dates from Emperor Mingxian's reign (XX year, XX month, XX day) to his reign (XX year, XX month, XX day), exactly one year's ledger. This was the usual practice of shops; ledgers were changed annually. Generally, unless there was no more space, only one ledger per year was used, and no additional ledgers were marked. What she held in her hands was precisely the Fu's Money Shop's inflow and outflow records for the past year.
Ouyang Yue immediately turned to the first page, and Fu Lin hurriedly said, "Princess Consort Chen, if you want to see the entry and exit records for the past month, you need to turn to the end. It's not there before. Princess Consort Chen promised."
Ouyang Yue glanced coldly at Fu Lin: "What does Master Fu take me for? I am not the kind of person who goes back on my word. I'm flipping through pages like this because I'm afraid I might miss a page or two. And those pages might have some problems, so of course I have to turn to them all." As she spoke, Ouyang Yue's eyes swept across the first page, then she turned to the second, then another quick glance and turned to the third. Ouyang Yue's speed was incredibly fast; she barely glanced at each page before turning it.
Seeing this, Fu Lin finally shut up. At Ouyang Yue's speed of flipping through the ledger, it would be a miracle if she could remember anything. Even the best accountant in his household would take the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to check a single page. Clearly, Ouyang Yue was indeed as she claimed, checking each page to avoid any mistakes. Fu Lin and Fu Mei'er exchanged a glance. Since they dared to target Meiyi Pavilion, they had considered everything carefully and wouldn't let Ouyang Yue discover any problems.
Sure enough, after about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Ouyang Yue had reviewed the ledger from beginning to end and said, "This record shows that all these people withdrew the money in person, and the lenders are all different. So, it seems there's no problem." Ouyang Yue said, seemingly to herself. Fu Lin and Fu Meier both sneered. They had already considered this possibility and eliminated the potential risks. Did Xuan Yuan Yue really think she was a god? Could she find problems just by glancing at the ledger? How laughable!
The Prefect of Jingzhao also revealed a mocking expression: "So, Princess Chen also thinks there are no problems with these accounts. In that case, since Princess Chen can't provide any dubious counter-evidence against those who accuse Meiyige, I have reason to suspect that their accusations against Meiyige are based on solid evidence, and that Meiyige has indeed committed a crime."
Ouyang Yue looked up at the Prefect of Jingzhao and said, "I said there's nothing wrong with these account books, but I didn't say there's nothing wrong with these lawsuits against Meiyi Pavilion."
The Prefect of Jingzhao sneered: "Prince Chen had better not waste my time and the time of everyone present. I didn't say much before because I respected you as the Princess Consort, but Princess Consort Chen, you called Master Fu over and even looked at the Fu family's account books, but you only did useless work. With this time, I could have closed this case."
"That's right, Princess Chen is clearly just stalling for time for the Beauty Pavilion."
"My feet are tired from standing, let's finish this already."
"What a dragging! It's obvious that the Beauty Pavilion has really committed a serious crime. Do they really think they can disregard the law just because they're a princess? Everyone from the Beauty Pavilion should be punished!"
"That's right, that's enough, it's a waste of our time."
"That's right, close the case quickly, close the case quickly!"
As soon as the Prefect of Jingzhao finished speaking, the crowd outside began to shout. The ladies and young women who had originally supported the Beauty Pavilion fell silent. They had only acted out of self-interest, and now that the Beauty Pavilion dared to do such a thing, they wondered what kind of good place it could be. They even suspected that if they went there next, they would be the next victims. Thinking this, they hated the Beauty Pavilion and the Beauty Pavilion itself, and no longer cared about its affairs.
Madam Cheng and Li Rushuang exchanged a glance amidst the crowd, looking at Ouyang Yue with some concern. The longer this matter dragged on, the more difficult it would become. They had initially thought they had found a clue, but upon investigation, it turned out to be useless. Now, it had aroused the accusations and curses of these people. Originally, Ouyang Yue had nothing to do with this, but she might actually be implicated in the aftermath.
Liu, the woman from the General's Mansion, also showed a hint of worry. Ouyang Zhide's appointment had not yet been finalized, although it would be soon. However, Ouyang Yue was now considered the General's Mansion's backer. If something happened to her, it would be of no benefit to the General's Mansion. She had always followed Ouyang Yue's lead and Ouyang Yue had helped her in the past. For any reason, she did not want Ouyang Yue to be implicated in the end.
Ouyang Yue stood up and said, "Prefect of the Capital, I now request that the victims be summoned to court."
The Prefect of Jingzhao sneered: "Princess Consort Chen, some of those victims have already passed away, and others have suffered psychological trauma because of the Beauty Pavilion. I have arranged for them to stay in the backyard. If I were to summon them directly to court, it would probably only worsen their injuries."
Ouyang Yue said, “It’s a pity they are the parties involved. Since they dared to sue Meiyi Pavilion, they have to bear the psychological pressure. Moreover, these people who filed the complaint are all their relatives, not the parties involved. But many things can only be accurate if the parties involved say it. Often, a single word or sentence can become the key to solving the case. The Prefect of Jingzhao should understand this principle.”
The Prefect of Jingzhao's face darkened: "Princess Consort Chen, I know you are anxious about the safety of Meiyi Pavilion, but you cannot disregard the safety of others. I personally interrogated these people before going to court, and they have said everything they needed to say. Your coercion is unreasonable and too much to ask."
"Hmph, Princess Consort Chen, you are a princess, yet you only own two shops. If you want, you can certainly build another one. To resort to coercion for two shops will only make you a laughingstock and damage your reputation," Fu Meier said sarcastically. This immediately drew agreement from many people. In their view, since the Prefect of Jingzhao had already investigated, there was no need for a second investigation.
Even the old Princess Consort of Ning County looked at Ouyang Yue with a less gentle expression than before.
Ouyang Yue insisted, "As one of the parties involved, I have the right to hear these victims' accusations with my own ears, and I still insist that they come to court and speak for themselves."
"Princess Consort Chen, this is simply too much! You have absolutely no humanity!"
"Truly evil, yet she's still the number one beauty in Langya Continent. Were the judges of those beauty pageants blind? I thought Consort Fu was beautiful and pretty, unlike this Princess Chen who is so vicious. How come their rankings were so different back then?"
"Hmph, with a master like that, what good can Meiyi Pavilion possibly have? There's a 99% chance this case is true."
"Let's see what new tricks she can come up with. She really committed such a serious crime and still wants to get away with it. It's simply outrageous."
"They should be severely punished, and everyone in the Beauty Pavilion should be held accountable!"
"Yes, yes, severely punished! Severely punished! Severely punished!"
"Severe punishment!" The shouts from outside the arena grew louder and louder. The Prefect of the Capital Prefecture looked at Ouyang Yue with a smug expression, but then Ouyang Yue suddenly shouted, "Prefect of the Capital Prefecture, aren't you going to bring the plaintiff out?!"
The Prefect of Jingzhao was taken aback. At this point, what was Princess Chen still insisting on? Wasn't she afraid of losing even more face? He snorted coldly and sent people to invite the victims. Of the more than ten cases, including the women involved in the previous incidents, a total of three people had died. The other nine cases involved people who were frightened. Soon, nine women were kneeling in the hall. These women had red eyes from crying. They were all frail and delicate, like willow branches, which was very distressing to see. When the women saw these women, the shouts and commotion became even louder.
Ouyang Yue addressed the Prefect of the Capital: "The Prefect of the Capital has already conducted the interrogation and has asked all the necessary questions. However, I, the Princess Consort, have a few questions to ask. I will now speak directly."
"Since Princess Chen has this intention, I will naturally not stop her. However, I must also state beforehand that if Princess Chen cannot get a clear answer this time, then this case can no longer be delayed. The Qiuyi Pavilion will be sealed off, all the employees of the Meiyi Pavilion will be jointly liable and punished, and the parties involved will be severely punished!" The Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture seemed to be giving Ouyang Yue a chance, but his words clearly indicated that he had already made up his mind.
Ouyang Yue stood up and circled the nine women twice. The nine women immediately became nervous. Ouyang Yue suddenly pointed to a woman in the middle wearing a pink dress and said, "You, tell me what happened in the Beauty Pavilion back then."
"I... Waaah... That shameless man..." The woman immediately recounted the events of that day, her account identical to that of her family who had complained, without a single error. Fu Meier sneered. Who did Xuan Yuan Yue really think she was? Still trying to turn the tables? Absolutely not. Today, not only would Mei Yi Ge be shut down, but all those involved would be secretly eliminated if convicted. As for Xuan Yuan Yue's own business, such a scandal not only brought shame to the royal family but also became a laughingstock throughout the capital and even the entire world. It would be a relief if her superiors weren't criticized and insulted; they still had the right to challenge her and fight her. At that time, Fu Meier would certainly be kind enough to spit her own saliva in Xuan Yuan Yue's face!
After asking three women, who all gave similar answers, Ouyang Yue suddenly turned to the first woman and asked, "What color and style was the bellyband you tried on back then?"
This question immediately stunned everyone in the hall. The woman in pink was even more stunned, and said with a sad expression, "I...I was so frightened at the time that I didn't remember."
Ouyang Yue then quickly asked the other women, "Is it the same for you? Because you were so frightened, you don't remember the style and color you chose."
"Yes, yes, I was so scared at the time that I was completely disoriented and didn't remember any of these little things."
"Yeah, I didn't remember either."
Ouyang Yue suddenly laughed: "That's really strange. Logically speaking, when a woman is severely frightened, as you all said, you should be completely disoriented. But you all in the hall should have clearly heard my conversation with these young ladies. They described the perpetrator, the so-called lecher Li Quan, in great detail from beginning to end. I ask you, how many people can describe something so clearly when they are severely frightened?"
The woman in pink's expression changed, and she immediately said, "That's because I hate Li Quan. It was because of him that my reputation was damaged. I wish I could tear him to pieces. Every time I dream of him, I recall the situation, so naturally I remember him very clearly."
“Yes, that’s true for us too,” the nine women immediately echoed.
Ouyang Yue looked at the woman in pink with a cold smile: "Fine, then let me ask you, do you remember the style of the first piece of jewelry you received when you were a child? Do you remember when your parents first praised you? Do you remember who and when the first person praised your beauty?"
The woman in pink was taken aback: "I... this has nothing to do with this case, I don't want to answer."
"No, this is very important. May I ask all the ladies present, do you remember what it was like when you first personally selected jewelry, rouge, and other items? Do you remember what it was like when you wanted something but couldn't have it? Have you forgotten your favorite clothes and jewelry?" Ouyang Yue stood in the hall, slightly raising her chin, and said, "No, you will not forget any of these things, and you will remember them clearly. If you don't believe me, I, the Princess Consort, can send someone to conduct an experiment right now. Will you forget something you really like and are choosing?"
These people were stunned for a moment. Recalling Ouyang Yue's question, they were shocked because they could remember everything Ouyang Yue had said.
Ouyang Yue sneered at the woman in pink: "You say you forgot because you were surprised at the time? That might be possible, but the probability is too low. Since you can remember the murderer's appearance, that bellyband was the one you really liked and wanted to try on. You didn't get it in the end, so you have no regrets at all. How could you forget it all? Moreover, that bellyband is also a piece of evidence, yet you forgot it. However, you remember Li Quan very clearly. But from a month ago until now, Li Quan has always worn the same gray clothes and dressed the same way. It's very easy for me to remember him. This makes me very suspicious."
The woman in pink's expression changed, and she suddenly said, "Now that Princess Jingchen has mentioned it, I do remember. That bodice was indeed very beautiful, with a bright red hue. There were two colorful butterflies with outstretched wings in the front, and several clusters of flowers in the middle, in pink, red, and yellow respectively."
"Oh, this young lady is right to remember. Are you absolutely certain that those clusters of flowers are pink, red, and yellow, just like the ones you remember Li Quan from?"
The woman in pink nodded and said, "I'm sure it's correct!"
"Where are these ladies?"
"Oh, I chose the yellow one first..." The nine ladies then began to describe it in detail, even specifying the outline on the bib they chose.
Ouyang Yue watched them finish speaking one by one, then suddenly her face darkened, and she shouted angrily, "Utter nonsense! Full of lies! Someone, bring the items here!" Ouyang Yue waved her hand, and Chuncao came in carrying a box and handed it to Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue picked it up and took out a piece of paper. "This one is called 'Colorful Butterflies Fluttering,' this one is called 'Mandarin Ducks Playing in the Water,' this one is called... These are the embroidery patterns of all the finished products from Meiyi Pavilion. Meiyi Pavilion exports only one piece to the world, there is no other like it. And all the items sold in Meiyi Pavilion's shops, as well as the finished products, are recorded in booklets. Whether it's exported to shops, there are records. In addition, every item sold is recorded. Even each item has a skilled painter who personally draws it to prevent errors. But the clothing patterns you nine mentioned, whether it's the booklets for finished products, the booklets for shops, or the sales booklets, there are no records of them at all. You are clearly deliberately framing me and maliciously trying to harm me!"
"Ah, I've seen this catalog before. I took it out when I went to Meiyige to choose styles. I thought it was novel at the time. So this is all evidence. Yes, I flipped through this catalog and there was indeed no such thing as the descriptions of these nine people."
Fu Meier's expression changed, and she immediately said, "This booklet was compiled by you yourselves. How do you know that you might have missed a few entries? It can't be used as any kind of evidence."
Ouyang Yue sneered: "From the finished products that have left the warehouse, my Meiyi Pavilion has a total of ten booklets. My Meiyi Pavilion emphasizes high quality and rigor. My Meiyi Pavilion can even say that every single thread on every finished product has a record of which skein of yarn it came from. If Consort Fu is interested, I can take out all ten booklets and you can record them one by one. Each one has the production date, one after another, and there is absolutely no way to add or delete anything."
Suddenly, the old princess of Ning County said, "May I take a look?"
Ouyang Yue smiled and nodded: "Of course, if my imperial aunt is interested, that's fine. Would the Prefect of the Capital Prefecture like to take a look as well?"
The Prefect of Jingzhao's heart skipped a beat. On the other side, Dongxue had already taken out another box, divided the ten booklets into five on each side, and sent them to the Prefect of Jingzhao and the Old Princess Consort of Ning County. The Old Princess Consort of Ning County looked at them with curiosity and praised, "Excellent, what a meticulous mind, what a clever plan! In this way, no one in the entire Meiyi Pavilion can embezzle even a little bit, and the entry and exit are so tight that there will be no mistakes. The so-called nine bellybands are completely fictitious. I am certain that even if these people have those nine bellybands, they did not see them from Meiyi Pavilion. They are simply lying."
The Prefect of Jingzhao looked at the submitted booklet, his expression changing drastically, cold sweat trickling down his forehead. Even if he wanted to cause trouble, every record here was so clear and detailed that the claim that the undergarment might have been switched was simply impossible. The booklet even recorded the type and variety of items submitted to the warehouse each time, down to the exact year, month, day, and hour. The spacing between lines was almost perfect, and the pages were tightly bound. Any errors were simply marked with a large X, and the booklet was rewritten on a new page, leaving no room for cheating. With such solid evidence, the booklet contradicted the women's words. The nine women, who had previously been so confident, were now contradicting themselves, their lies exposed.
Seeing the Prefect's expression, Fu Lin and Fu Mei'er's hearts skipped a beat. Could that booklet truly confirm Mei Yi Ge's innocence? Had their plan been ruined by these inanimate objects?!
How is that possible!
At this moment, Ouyang Yue suddenly shouted at the nine women, "In the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, right under the emperor's nose, such malicious framing has occurred! More than ten cases have broken out simultaneously, and nine of them have suspicious points. Clearly, this is an organized and purposeful malicious attempt to frame Meiyi Pavilion. If it weren't for the strict rules of Meiyi Pavilion, how many lives would have been lost because of these people? These people are so heinous, treating human life like a game; they have all committed capital crimes. These nine women should be executed, and their relatives who came to cause trouble and roared in court should also be severely punished. I have reason to suspect that you suddenly had a large sum of money in the past month and that your coordinated appearances to frame Meiyi Pavilion were orchestrated by someone. That money should be used to compensate Meiyi Pavilion for its losses, and you should be severely tortured to force these shameless scoundrels to confess their crimes."
The nine women's expressions changed drastically: "No, we don't deserve to die."
Ouyang Yue sneered: "Not deserving of death? No, you deserve to be torn to pieces! Under this bright and clear sky, how dare you commit such an evil deed! If you had succeeded, you would have caused the deaths of more than ten people in the Beauty Pavilion. To prevent such incidents from happening again, we must make an example of you. I, the Princess Consort, will go to the Empress's office to plead for your lives. Anyone involved in this matter will be sentenced to death for their serious crimes, and those with minor offenses will all be given a hundred lashes and exiled to the border. I want to see who will dare to covet my Beauty Pavilion in the future. How dare they insult me? They are simply courting death!"
As soon as Ouyang Yue finished speaking, several gasps rippled through the hall. The nine women and their families were all pale with fright. They had taken the money and knew that the plan had absolutely no chance of failure; otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to take the risk. The Meiyi Pavilion was so large, and the items inside were so expensive that they had never even dared to dream of it before, and they would have felt too ashamed to even visit. They had no idea about those clothes. Moreover, apart from the deceased woman, the other twelve people had never even been to the Meiyi Pavilion and had no idea about those styles. They were simply making things up. They had really bitten off more than they could chew.
The woman in pink suddenly jumped up: "You...it's you! You're the one who approached me! Speak up! You have to stand up for me! I don't want to die!"
"I don't want to die! It's all your fault! You gave me eight thousand taels of silver and made me pretend to be a victim to demand justice at the Beauty Pavilion. You're the culprit! I don't want to die! It's all your fault!"
"What? You're giving me eight thousand taels? I only have six thousand taels!"