After Li Wanming arrived at the county yamen in Ting County, there were already people waiting at the entrance.
The yamen runner didn't take her to the main hall of the yamen but instead led her and Chuntao to make a turn, passed through the courtyard, and arrived at the back hall.
As soon as Li Wanming stepped into the room, she saw the jadeite bracelet on the table and blurted out, "Isn't that my bracelet? Why is it here?"
Hearing this, Sun Miaoqing, as if grasping at a straw, immediately grabbed County Magistrate Huang tightly.
"Uncle Huang, did you hear that? She admitted it! She admitted it! This is her bracelet. It's her who should be arrested and beheaded!"
Li Wanming was utterly confused.
Beheaded?
Wasn't it just her bracelet? What did it have to do with beheading?
"Sun Miaoqing, are you out of your mind?"
But Sun Miaoqing grabbed County Magistrate Huang's sleeve and kept saying, "Uncle Huang, quickly arrest her. She's overstepping her bounds. She's being disrespectful to the royal family!"
County Magistrate Huang walked over with a solemn look on his face. "Madam Cheng, is this really your bracelet?"
After a moment's hesitation, Li Wanming decided to tell the truth. "Yes, it was a gift from my in - laws when they first met me."
"Do you know the origin of this jade bracelet?"
"Well... I never asked. But my in - laws are from Langya. I think they probably bought it from the Langya market."
Seeing County Magistrate Huang's strange expression, Li Wanming asked, "Your Honor Huang, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with my bracelet?"
County Magistrate Huang looked at her and told her what had happened.
How Sun Miaoqing had taken the bracelet to the pawnshop and how the pawnshop owner had panicked and come to find him.
Finally, he looked directly into Li Wanming's eyes and slowly said, "This jade bracelet is made of Xuanshan jade, a royal - commissioned item. It's extremely valuable and can only be worn by noble ladies... Madam Cheng, are you sure this bracelet was bought by your mother - in - law from the market?"
Although Li Wanming remained calm on the surface, her heart was in turmoil.
A royal - commissioned item...
Xuanshan jade...
Was the gift from her mother - in - law really of such great origin?
Although County Magistrate Huang didn't finish his words, she had already keenly realized the seriousness of the matter.
In the Dacheng Dynasty, there were strict regulations regarding the clothes, jewelry, and utensils used by people of different social statuses.
For example, only officials of the third rank and above could wear purple clothes, and only those of the fifth rank and above could wear gold belts.
As for royal - commissioned items, they were only for the royal family and their relatives.
She, the daughter of a fourth - rank general and the daughter - in - law of a peasant family, without a noble title and not a member of the royal family, wearing such an item would be considered overstepping her bounds and disrespectful to the royal family!
This was one of the ten most heinous crimes and once proven, there would be no pardon.
Beheading just her would be considered a light punishment. Maybe even her whole family would be executed!
In a split - second, Li Wanming suddenly remembered that on a rainy night on Banshi Mountain, she seemed to have asked her husband if their family was a wanted criminal of the court or a bandit... And her husband hadn't denied it!
Oh my God!
Could they really be bandits?
And had they stolen the royal jewelry!
This... This was just too audacious...
At this critical moment, Li Wanming's mind became unexpectedly clear.
She calmly said, "Your Honor Huang, my father - in - law once worked as a doorman in the Langya Cheng family. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to inquire. This matter is probably well - known in the capital."
"The Langya Cheng family is the maternal family of the current Princess Ning. It's not surprising for them to have such imperial gifts. Maybe this bracelet was also a reward from the head of the Cheng family to my father - in - law..."
Before she could finish, Sun Miaoqing shouted, "You're lying! Your father - in - law was just a doorman. Which family head would reward a servant with such a valuable thing?"
Li Wanming looked at her coldly, her eyes as sharp as blades. "Oh? Now you say it's a valuable thing? I remember that at first, you said it was just a broken bracelet."
Sun Miaoqing said, "I... I didn't recognize it at that time..."
"However, there's something I'd like to ask you."
Ignoring Sun Miaoqing's words, Li Wanming stepped forward and stared at her. "This is my bracelet. How did it end up in your hands?"
Sun Miaoqing's eyes flickered. "I picked it up. Is that not okay?"
"Oh?"
Li Wanming gave a soft laugh. "You were there when my mother - in - law gave me this bracelet. If you picked it up, and you knew it was mine, instead of returning it to me, you took it to the pawnshop. That doesn't seem right..."
Sun Miaoqing's face flushed red. After holding back for a while, she stubbornly said, "There are so many bracelets in the world. How could I recognize it? You should take good care of your own things. Instead, you're trying to blame me?"
Li Wanming's expression remained unchanged. "Where did you pick it up?"
"At... At the entrance of Tingxuexuan..."
"You're lying!"
Li Wanming said sharply, "I lost this bracelet when I was fighting with you that day. After that, I never went back to Tingxuexuan. How could it be lost at the entrance of Tingxuexuan?"
"Clearly, you picked up the bracelet at that time but deliberately hid it and didn't return it to me. Even after you knew I was looking for it, you still refused to return it. Such behavior is no different from theft!"
Sun Miaoqing got anxious. "No, I didn't!"
She grabbed County Magistrate Huang's sleeve and cried, "Uncle Huang, I didn't steal it! You have to believe me. I really picked up that bracelet!"
She pointed at Li Wanming again, her eyes full of hatred. "It's all her fault! Seeing that she's made a big mistake and is about to be arrested and beheaded, she's deliberately trying to frame me!"
County Magistrate Huang frowned. "Madam Cheng, regardless of how Miss Sun got this bracelet, it's ultimately your thing, right?"
By this time, Li Wanming had completely calmed down.
She could see that this matter was too serious. So both County Magistrate Huang and Sun Miaoqing were very scared, even more scared than her, for fear of being implicated.
Moreover, County Magistrate Huang had an old relationship with the Sun family and might be partial to her...
"Your Honor Huang, I've already said that this bracelet might have been a reward from the head of the Langya Cheng family to my father - in - law. If you don't believe me, you might as well send someone to the Langya Cheng family to inquire!"
She was certain that County Magistrate Huang didn't want to make this matter a big deal.
Sure enough, County Magistrate Huang frowned even more tightly.
Send someone to the Langya Cheng family to inquire?
Was he crazy?
He was just a low - ranking seventh - rank county magistrate. If he went to the Langya Cheng family, the top of the Five Clans and Seven Lineages, to inquire, he would be courting death!
After a moment of deep thought, County Magistrate Huang said, "I think we should first invite your in - laws here. After we find out the truth, we can then make a decision."
Li Wanming said, "My mother - in - law is not in good health. If you go, it will scare her. How about I go and tell her myself..."
"I'm afraid that's not possible."
County Magistrate Huang's voice turned cold. "Madam Cheng, I'm afraid you'll have to stay in the county yamen tonight."
"You want to detain me?"
Li Wanming raised her eyebrows, her eyes sharp as she stared directly at him.
After a moment, she said coolly.
"Your Honor Huang, not to mention that my father - in - law has a connection with the Langya Cheng family, and not to mention that my father is a fourth - rank general. Even if I were just the daughter of an ordinary commoner, you can't just lock me up on a trumped - up charge, can you?"
County Magistrate Huang thought to himself: You've already said it all, haven't you?
Although he thought so in his heart, he had to consider the implicit threat in Li Wanming's words.
Even though Li Rusong was a military general and had nothing to do with their civil - official system, detaining the daughter of a fourth - rank general rashly would be enough to get him into big trouble.
Seeing his hesitation, Li Wanming knew her goal had been achieved. She let out a soft sigh and pretended to be in a difficult position. "If you won't let me go back, at least let my maid go back and inform them. Otherwise, my family will be worried. They might even go to find my father."
After hesitating for a while, County Magistrate Huang finally agreed.
Li Wanming said to Chuntao, "Go find Master on the street. Hurry!"
Chuntao nodded and ran out.