Ding Yanxiang was actually quite flustered. She never expected that things would be exposed so quickly. Liu Yu was brought here by Steward Tie, and it was unclear whether she had been discovered by the Long family and then brought here. And yet, she had so easily implicated her; this woman was truly unreliable.
But seeing Liu Yu's calm and unhurried demeanor, Ding Yanxiang felt suspicious. Could it be that she had been deceived by this woman?
But clearly her husband was Mu'er's ex-lover, and she was full of resentment... Ding Yanxiang pursed her lips, determined not to say anything until her husband appeared.
Ding Yanxiang didn't know where Yun Qingxian had gone. She also didn't know whether Mu'er was dead or not. She had only just heard from Prefect Qiu Ruoming that Mu'er had disappeared.
Although Liu Yu had handed over the letter and poison given by Ding Yanxiang to the authorities, and also told them what Ding Yanxiang had instructed her to do, and the maid who delivered the letter and monitored Liu Yu had also been arrested, Ding Yanxiang did not say a word except to accuse them of "talking nonsense".
She remained silent, but Qiu Ruoming was not idle. He first interrogated Liu Yu, then the maid, and then took the poison powder to be tested. Upon testing, it was found to be the same poison used to kill the eight bandits.
Qiu Ruoming immediately reprimanded Ding Yanxiang, who remained silent despite her panic. Qiu Ruoming slammed his gavel, but before he could speak, a bailiff outside the hall announced that Prince Kang and his entourage had returned with Second Master Long, Mu'er, and Lord Yun.
Qiu Ruoming was overjoyed; the return of these people meant that the case had made progress. Ding Yanxiang also perked up, suddenly feeling a sense of security.
Long Er and his group came in. Some people took seats, some asked for water, and some made introductions to relatives. It was lively for a while.
When the old man saw his daughter return safely, he rushed over and hugged her tightly, bursting into tears. He was old, and he was still being frightened every day. Was it his bad luck, or his daughter's bad luck?
Ding Yanxiang rushed over to Yun Qingxian as soon as she saw him. Seeing the paint on his face and hands, she thought he was injured and hurriedly asked what was wrong. The couple quickly whispered a few words to each other.
Qiu Ruoming shouted loudly, drawing everyone's attention back. The cases to be tried now, besides Yun Dingshi's hiring of a hitman to commit murder, also included Yun Qingxian's prison break case.
Because Yun Qingxian was an official appointed by the imperial court, Prince Kang and several other officials were present for the trial. After exchanging barbs, the trial resumed.
First, Long Er jumped out and accused Yun Qingxian and his wife of plotting to murder Mu'er. The woman hired someone to kill her, but when that failed, the man kidnapped and killed her instead. He recounted the details of both incidents again and finally pleaded with Prince Kang and the other officials to uphold justice for the people.
Before anyone could speak, Yun Qingxian said, "As far as I know, the Emperor himself severed Mu'er's ties with the Long family during the day. I wonder if Second Master has become a lawyer or something, and is able to file a lawsuit on behalf of others?"
Long Er hated it most when people brought this up, and as a result, he had been teased and ridiculed several times in the past half day. He turned his head fiercely and glared at Yun Qingxian: "Lord Yun, you should worry about yourself. Why are you meddling in other people's business? Although Mu'er is not my wife for the time being, I am still her fiancé, so we still have a relationship. Besides, Mu'er is in the hall right now, but she is frightened and cannot speak properly. Her father is old and cannot speak properly either. What's wrong with me, her ex-husband and fiancé, speaking on her behalf?"
"She's not my wife anymore, that's what she's saying. Ex-husband is one thing, but why bring up fiancé? It all boils down to him wanting to cling to the title of 'husband'."
But less than half a day after their divorce, he's already back as her fiancé. How could he even bring himself to say that?
Someone nearby snickered, which displeased Long Er. Mu'er, however, suddenly understood why Long Er was so eager to marry her a second time, and why he had even sought the Empress Dowager's decree. Because in all his plans, he had to be her husband; he needed that status to legitimately participate in every matter.
Therefore, this means that her imprisonment was caused by her husband, Master Long.
As Mu'er was pondering this, Qiu Ruoming slapped the gavel, bringing the atmosphere back on track.
The trial of Ding Yanxiang's hiring of a hitman was halfway through when Qiu Ruoming continued to ask about it.
"Yun Ding, do you plead guilty?"
Seeing Yun Qingxian standing to the side, Ding Yanxiang straightened her back and replied, "That was purely a frame-up by Chen Liushi. I don't know her at all."
At this moment, Liu Yu said, "My lord, I have witnesses regarding my acquaintance with Madam Yun. Our first meeting was under a big tree next to a breakfast stall outside the government jail. The old lady at the breakfast stall can testify to that. Then we went to chat at a nearby tea shop, and the old man there can testify to that..."
Before she could finish speaking, Yun Qingxian sneered, "The breakfast stalls are thriving, with food always in hand. The tea shops are also bustling with people. I just wonder how this lady is so sure that the people you mentioned actually saw you and haven't forgotten you? I've handled many cases and seen many witnesses. To say that you can truly remember someone's face after only one meeting is not easy. So, lady, please be careful what you say when you present your testimony."
Liu Yu wasn't intimidated by Yun Qingxian. She smiled and said, "What Lord Yun says is true. It was precisely because I was afraid that others wouldn't remember that I had met your wife that I made sure the witnesses had a good look at us and remembered us. I quietly asked them if the lady who had spoken to me earlier was the famous Lady Yun's wife. So even those who hadn't paid much attention to your wife before would take a second look at her and remember us."
Yun Qingxian frowned and turned to look at Ding Yanxiang. He knew from the situation that someone had set a trap for her, but he didn't know that the trap was so deep, even providing witnesses who could recognize people. Moreover, it wasn't bribery or instigation, but a completely natural method.
Seamless.
If even this is prepared, then I believe that every accusation that Ryuji made just now was not a feint.
Ding Yanxiang was also shocked. She clearly didn't want to attract attention, so she always chose quiet, secluded places to meet people, and she always wore simple clothes and makeup. Chen Liushi had previously said that no one would know they had met. Now, however, the whole situation had completely reversed.
Liu Yu smiled sweetly and said to Ding Yanxiang, "Is Madam surprised? Actually, Madam hasn't understood the situation. My husband isn't the only one who grew up with Mu'er." She paused, then said clearly, "Me too."
They were not only childhood sweethearts, but also deeply in love.
That's why Ryuji made this arrangement.
It turns out that Long Er approached Liu Yu because Mu'er told him the whereabouts of the third musical score.
The sheet music was hidden with Liu Yu. Based on this alone, Long Er felt that this woman could be trusted.
However, being cautious, Long Er still conducted an investigation into Liu Yu. The results of the investigation satisfied him greatly.
Low-key, unassuming, intelligent, and willing to take responsibility. These are the reasons why Long Er chose Liu Yu.
Another important reason, and a very crucial one, is her identity—Chen Liangze's wife.
Back then, Mu'er's ungrateful and heartless reneging on the engagement was the talk of the town. It was also common knowledge that Chen Liangze and Mu'er were childhood sweethearts. But it was precisely this clamor and common knowledge that overshadowed, or rather, made one thing easily overlooked: Chen Liangze's final wife, Liu Yu, was also Mu'er's childhood friend. In men's parlance, their friendship was unbreakable.
But what everyone is focused on are the rumors and gossip; they don't care that the affection between these two women is no less than that between Mu'er and Chen Liangze.
This is, of course, because Chen Liangze is in the middle.
To outsiders, with an old flame and a new wife, there was naturally little to say about these two women. Even rumors circulated that they were on opposite sides.
Liu Yu is the daughter of a dyeing workshop. She usually works in the backyard and rarely shows her face to outsiders. She is low-key and has been entrusted by Mu'er to hide the musical score. Therefore, she gradually stopped having any contact with Mu'er on the surface, which further confirmed the rumors that there was a grudge between her and Mu'er.
This is exactly what Ryuji can use.
Before the plan could unfold, Liu Yu's task was to make Ding Yanxiang remember her as a resentful woman. That day, Ding Yanxiang went for a stroll in the street, and a spy from the Long family reported her whereabouts. Liu Yu then dragged Chen Liangze along as well. Finding an opportunity, they first sat down and chatted at a teahouse. When Ding Yanxiang came over, Liu Yu put on a show of a jealous wife scolding her husband.
Liu Yu often threw tantrums and acted jealous towards Chen Liangze over things like Mu'er, which was just a little playful thing between husband and wife, so Chen Liangze didn't take it seriously. But that time, Liu Yu seemed to have really lost her temper, and he was completely baffled, so he could only chase after her and keep coaxing her.
Liu Yu performed that scene, but she didn't know how well it went. She suggested to Long Er that they perform it again. But Long Er said that more would be worse and would easily arouse suspicion; once was enough.
Ryuji's judgment was correct.
Ding Yanxiang never saw Liu Yu again after that, but she was deeply impressed by the woman. Because they had no further interaction, she didn't take the matter to heart.
Mu'er's arrest was a very important move by Long Er.
The task for Ding Yanxiang was to let her know that Mu'er had been arrested and that Yun Qingxian had gone to great lengths to make it happen. Of course, just knowing wasn't enough; someone also needed to stir things up.
So Su Qing stepped in. She went to Ding Yanshan and gave her a long, indignant talk, implying that Yun Qingxian was behind it all. Ding Yanshan already knew about Yun Qingxian's feelings for Mu'er, and had even wanted to teach Mu'er a lesson on behalf of her sister. So once she got this news, without anyone saying it outright, she assumed that Yun Qingxian was trying to harass Mu'er.
Next, Ding Yanshan went to find Ding Yanxiang.
Long Er's desired effect was for Ding Yanxiang to learn from others that Mu'er had been detained by Yun Qingxian. Ideally, this news would be delivered by Ding Yanshan, who knew of Ding Yanxiang's resentment. Even if Ding Yanshan didn't go, it wouldn't matter; Ding Yanxiang would eventually hear about it, as long as she knew.
A woman's jealousy is like a river; it always flows in its predetermined direction.
So as long as Mu'er's name is related to Yun Qingxian, Ding Yanxiang will think the worst, and that's enough.
However, the whole thing turned out even better than Long Er had initially envisioned. Ding Yanshan said something that greatly provoked Ding Yanxiang. The spies Long Er sent out were keeping watch outside the Yun residence, which made Ding Yanxiang go to the Ministry of Justice that very night, and then go to the prison outside the government office before dawn to keep watch.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a chance encounter.
Upon receiving Li Ke's message, Liu Yu told Chen Liangze that she had heard Mu'er had been arrested and that her father was very anxious. Chen Liangze took good care of his father, and upon hearing this, he hurried to visit him. Coincidentally, Li Ke was about to take his father to visit him in prison. So Chen Liangze and his wife went together.
Outside the prison gate of the government office, Liu Yu made an excuse that she was not feeling well and instead of entering the gate, she went to Ding Yanxiang's hiding place.
Two resentful women met and hit it off immediately.
Liu Yu had two things to do. First, she needed to gather information from Ding Yanxiang about Yun Qingxian's involvement in the case. The method, of course, was to discuss how Mu'er had captivated Yun Qingxian and what he had done for her. Liu Yu was adept at extracting information, as she herself had much to say. She had known Mu'er and Chen Liangze since childhood and knew their story inside and out; she didn't need to lie, recounting everything fluently.
Once she opened up, Ding Yanxiang, the listener, couldn't help but pour out her grievances to her as well. Back and forth they talked, and the two women, now confidants, became friends.
Liu Yu's second task was crucial: to find evidence that Ding Yanxiang had incriminated Mu'er. Specifically, to find evidence that Ding Yanxiang had orchestrated Mu'er's kidnapping by bandits years ago. This was challenging for Liu Yu. Ding Yanxiang would certainly not easily flaunt such a criminal act, much less hand over the evidence. Liu Yu needed to maintain Ding Yanxiang's trust without resorting to obvious manipulation or coercion.
In the end, Ryuji helped her resolve this matter.
Long Er told her not to worry about what Ding Yanxiang had done in the past, as it was too difficult to dig up evidence of her past misdeeds. Instead, he suggested that she be tempted to do something evil now.
Long Er believed that Ding Yanxiang would target Mu'er based on three points.
First, he thought this woman was incredibly stupid. If forcing Mu'er into marriage was an attempt to please Yun Qingxian, then sending a matchmaker to steal her away was utterly foolish. Not only did it fail to achieve her goal, but it also humiliated Yun Qingxian. Long Er felt that if it were him, he would definitely throw this stupid woman into the mountains, out of sight, out of mind. Ding Yanxiang's stupidity was also evident in that bandit robbery.
Long Er believed Ding Yanxiang was responsible for the robbery, because only a fool would rob Ding Yanshan to clear himself of suspicion. Yun Qingxian, however, was not. Yun Qingxian was methodical, steady, and meticulous in his actions. Later, when he discovered Yun Qingxian's genuine feelings for Mu'er, he became even more certain. He believed Yun Qingxian, like himself, would never tolerate those bandits touching Mu'er.
This robbery led Long Er to a second conclusion about Ding Yanxiang: she was not only jealous, but also vicious.
Her desire to bring Mu'er into the Yun family wasn't simply to please her husband. Long Er was certain that if Mu'er did enter the family, she wouldn't have a good life; she might even lose her life someday for no apparent reason. Ding Yanxiang, failing to achieve her goal, quickly developed a desire for revenge. To achieve her revenge while avoiding suspicion, she even harmed her own younger sister. What kind of heart could drive someone to do such a thing?
Long Er's third assessment of Ding Yanxiang was that she was audacious. All those foolish and wicked deeds could only be accomplished with a great deal of courage.
It's not surprising what a stupid, vicious, and audacious evil woman would do when deeply provoked and given the right conditions.
The excitement is here. Yun Qingxian can't forget Mu'er and goes to great lengths to win her over.
The conditions are in place. Mu'er is imprisoned, making her the perfect target.
In deciding how to proceed, Long Er also gave Ding Yanxiang a hand. The political situation was chaotic, and there was a nationwide crackdown, making it difficult to find even江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) thugs. Her family had broken ties with her, and she couldn't rely on her husband's family. Therefore, Ding Yanxiang had no choice; a resentful, inconspicuous woman was the perfect fit. Liu Yu, this timely accomplice, was the opportunity Long Er presented to Ding Yanxiang.
Throughout the entire plan, Long Er's only worry was that Ding Yanxiang wouldn't make a move. Perhaps she had been manipulated by Yun Qingxian, or perhaps she would swallow her anger. But fortunately, this woman was more foolish, vicious, and audacious than Long Er had imagined.
The plan went incredibly smoothly.
This made Ryuji feel that his talents and strategies had not been fully utilized, which was quite regrettable.
On the other hand, Liu Yu's performance indeed exceeded Long Er's expectations. Not only did she completely deceive Ding Yanxiang, obtaining the evidence as Long Er instructed, but she also kept Chen Liangze completely in the dark, and everyone around her was unaware, making the whole affair appear flawless. Therefore, before Ding Yanxiang took action, she briefly checked Liu Yu's recent whereabouts and found nothing amiss, which reassured her before writing a letter explaining how to proceed and handing the poison to Liu Yu.
The whole matter was explained clearly. Qiu Ruoming explained the details one by one. At this point, Ding Yanxiang finally understood, but it was too late.
The handwriting on the letter was hers, the maid who delivered it was hers, and the poison was also given by her. Every meeting she had with Liu Yu was witnessed. This made it impossible for her to deny knowing Liu Yu.
And to make matters worse, this poison was the same one that had killed the eight bandits.
She had hired bandits to rob people, but Yun Qingxian found out afterward. The bandits had already been arrested, and it seemed she would be implicated next. Yun Qingxian berated her severely, but also cleaned up the mess for her. He poisoned the eight people, killing them.
That was the medicine they used back then. He told her that this poison was rare, and even people in the martial arts world didn't know much about it, making it difficult to detect. However, Ding Yanxiang didn't know how Prefect Qiu Ruoming could obtain the powder and know it was the same medicine used to poison the bandits.
Long Er, beaming with pride, explained to her, "You're inexperienced. Let me tell you. There's a renowned physician in Baiqiao City named Han Xiao. She's an expert in poisons, and her antidote manual is considered a treasure by physicians throughout the land. Coincidentally, she's a good friend of my Long family, and I invited her to treat Mu'er. While she was at it, she also went to the government office to examine the poisons inflicted on those eight corpses. She explained the toxicity and the poisons in detail to the officials. So now you understand, not only is the evidence against you for murdering Mu'er irrefutable, but you're also a prime suspect in the murders of those eight bandits."
Ding Yanxiang's face was deathly pale, and she couldn't speak.
Yun Qingxian coldly observed Long Er. He had certainly heard of Han Xiao's reputation, and he knew that Han Xiao had arrived in the capital and stayed at the Long residence, and that it was Han Xiao who had saved Mu'er from the brink of death. He also knew that Han Xiao and Princess Ruyi were old acquaintances, and that the two had even met. However, he was unaware that Han Xiao had gone to the government office to defend Qiu Ruoming against the poison. Therefore, Han Xiao's behavior and whereabouts were sometimes flamboyant and open, as if he wanted others to know, and sometimes so secretive that he left no trace.
Yun Qingxian stared at Long Er, meeting his eyes. How long ago did this stingy, greedy, and self-righteous shrewd businessman begin plotting all this?
The courtroom fell silent. No one spoke. Everyone waited, as if by unspoken agreement, for the two men who had been staring at each other to speak.
Yun Qingxian spoke first, saying slowly, "It has nothing to do with her; I did it."
Everyone was taken aback, but they immediately understood what he was talking about.
"Husband!" Ding Yanxiang cried out in alarm.
Yun Qingxian didn't look at her, but spoke only to Prince Kang and Qiu Ruoming: "It was I who wanted to kill Mu'er. The motive was simple; everyone knew I had feelings for her, but she married Long Er. When she married for the first time, I hired bandits to kidnap her. All the subsequent events were to cover up this. When she married for the second time, I waited for the opportunity of her imprisonment to poison her. However, this time I had no one to use. The whole country was cracking down on major cases, and even bandits were hard to find. I heard from my wife that she had made a friend who was Mu'er's friend, so I wanted to use her to poison Mu'er. But I couldn't do it myself, so I threatened my wife to do it for me. But just then, Long Er was going to break her out of prison. I knew that the poisoning hadn't been done in prison, so I kidnapped Mu'er and wanted to poison her myself. Because Long Er had arranged the prison break, I thought that if Mu'er disappeared, everyone would suspect Long Er. I didn't expect the plan to fail in the end. That's the whole story."
After Yun Qingxian calmly finished speaking, Ding Yanxiang burst into tears.
He confessed himself. Not counting those whose bodies were never found, the case also involved eight bandits, and two innocent village girls who were robbed and tragically killed—at least ten lives lost. Add to that the kidnapping and prisoner breakouts, and the repeated attempts to kill. All of this combined likely warrants the death penalty.
For a moment, everyone fell silent. Some were thinking about the trouble that would follow, while others were surprised that Yun Qingxian had taken the blame for his wife.
Long Er suddenly laughed: "Yun Qingxian, Yun Qingxian, this is the result." Unable to find Yun Qingxian's weakness, he started digging into the people around him. He had Ding Sheng deal with him and his wife cause trouble.
If Ding Sheng wins, Yun Qingxian will die. Even if his wife causes a major disaster, Yun Qingxian will still die. He himself will also die if he carelessly reveals a flaw.