Song Yinghuai placed the cup on the table, rose to his feet, and bowed to Xu Ziyi with cupped fists to apologize.
"Second Master, please forgive me. I had no other choice. The princess is a fine woman who deserves a loving husband to spend her life with, not someone like me who has no feelings for her. It would only cause her more heartache... Second Master, as someone who has experienced it, you must know how painful it is when the other person is indifferent. I'm sure you wouldn't want to see your sister in the same situation."
Xu Ziyi fell silent immediately.
He recalled the bright and unruly face in his memory that always frowned and glared at him.
His heart suddenly ached as if it were being torn apart.
"... I understand," Xu Ziyi nodded. "I won't force you, nor will I interfere in your affairs."
Song Yinghuai straightened up. Then he heard Xu Ziyi say, "However, if my sister insists on pestering you, I can't control her. With her temper, she won't turn back until she hits the south wall, and even then, she may not."
Song Yinghuai's eyebrows twitched.
Xu Ziyi having said his piece, changed the topic. "His Highness the Prince of Yan wants the Xu family to serve you, which is not impossible. It's just that the Xu family..."
"I regard you two masters as my elder brothers. We rise and fall together," Song Yinghuai said. "The Duke of Dingguo, the third son of the Xu family, and the princess are all pillars of the country. I will surely do my best to ensure the well - being of the Xu family for generations to come."
This was a promise made.
But Xu Ziyi snorted. "Even real couples in this world may part ways in the face of adversity. Your Highness the Prince of Yan makes a mere promise and expects to tie the Xu family to the same boat... You're really bold!"
"Second Master, since you know that even couples may part ways in the face of adversity, there's no use in expecting the princess to tie me down. If I were to break the alliance, I wouldn't care about the relationship even if we were husband and wife. If I value relationships and keep my promises, I will abide by today's promise even without the bond of marriage."
Xu Ziyi rubbed his temples.
He couldn't win this argument...
Anyway, the Ministry of Justice was already involved. He should first solve the current situation!
As soon as Sheng Jiangli entered the Ministry of Justice, he handed over the key to the Wen family's private treasury. "I stole the silver. That day, I heard Wen Zilong babbling and slandering his own wife on the wine boat. It was completely different from his usual pretentious and refined appearance."
"What a loving husband and a deep - affection couple! This beast in human form!"
"I've always hated such behavior, so I thought of giving him a beating... I didn't expect to follow him and see him abusing his wife in the carriage. How could I tolerate this?"
Xu Ziyi coughed lightly and looked at Sheng Jiangli with a headache.
He had long heard that this commander of the Hu cavalry was unrestrained, but he didn't expect him to be so reckless...
Beating a court official and still being so self - righteous.
Dislike someone and just beat them?
He was truly a master of telling blatant lies.
Forget it. Anyway, he came to take the blame. As long as he admitted it.
Xu Ziyi asked, "What about the silver? How do you explain that?"
"The key was hanging on Wen Zilong's waist, so I decided to go all the way... I forced Mrs. Wen to take me to the private treasury."
Xu Ziyi sighed. "If that's the case... Why didn't you take out all the silver? There were jewels worth over a million taels in the treasury. Why did you only take those 200,000 - tael silver notes? Moreover, why were those silver notes found in Mrs. Wen's room?"
"Xiao Rencheng admitted to having an affair with Mrs. Wen. It made sense for the stolen silver to be in Mrs. Wen's room. You can't just..."
Xu Ziyi flipped through the files, subtly hinting to Sheng Jiangli to make his lie more reasonable.
Sheng Jiangli didn't seem like someone who came to surrender at all. He sat at the table, propping his face with one hand, and gave Xu Ziyi a charming look.
"Sir, you're asking... I'm not a real bandit. Gold and silver can't follow you when you're born or when you die. What do I need them for?"
"As for why the 200,000 - tael silver was in Mrs. Wen's place... It's like this." Sheng Jiangli hooked his finger, signaling Xu Ziyi to come closer.
Xu Ziyi looked at his unruly appearance, sighed, and still leaned in as he wished.
Then he heard Sheng Jiangli say, "I heard that Mrs. Wen was short of silver. Her husband and mother - in - law deducted her monthly allowance. Sir, look at the clothes Mrs. Wen is wearing. They're all old. Maybe when you searched her room, you also found that there weren't many valuable furnishings in it..."
Xu Ziyi was silent for a moment, and his contempt for the Wen family deepened.
Sheng Jiangli said, "Isn't it pitiful?"
Xu Ziyi: "... Yes, so you gave her the silver? Isn't that too much?"
Sheng Jiangli said, "Not much. Mrs. Wen cried and said that her family in Hainan was being harassed by the magistrate of Ding'an County in Hainan. The magistrate extorted 200,000 taels of silver... Didn't I just stand up for justice?"
"The silver belongs to Wen Zilong. Husband and wife's property is jointly owned. It's only right for Mrs. Wen to take the family's silver to save her family, right? I'm sure Mr. Wen wouldn't ignore his brother - in - law and father - in - law, would he?"
Xu Ziyi looked at Sheng Jiangli admiringly. "General Sheng is truly a talent. With your explanation... You took the silver on behalf of Mrs. Wen. Mrs. Wen took her own family's silver to save her family. The charge of stealing silver doesn't hold!"
"Sir Xu is wise," Sheng Jiangli slapped the table. "I don't admit the charge of Mrs. Wen's adultery. I'm not like some people who are fond of other men's wives. At most, I beat Wen Zilong. I admit this."
Xu Ziyi silently bowed in his heart for Xiao Rencheng.
He was implicitly criticized by Sheng Jiangli for no reason.
"Good!" Xu Ziyi slapped the table and stood up. "General Sheng is straightforward. For the unjust things in the world, those with a fiery spirit must step in. Don't worry. There was a reason for you to beat Mr. Wen... I will report this to His Majesty in court tomorrow. I believe His Majesty will make a fair decision."
Before Sheng Jiangli could suppress his smile, he heard Xu Ziyi order:
"Come here. Take the criminal to the prison of the Ministry of Justice!"
Sheng Jiangli: "... Sir Xu is truly just in enforcing the law!"
Xu Ziyi smiled, but there was still another matter weighing on his mind.
That was - Lan Jinqin was also involved in a murder case.
The murderer who killed Peilan hadn't been found yet. Among those who had the biggest conflict with Peilan, Lan Jinqin had no evidence to prove that she wasn't at the crime scene on the night of Peilan's death.
Inside the prison of the Ministry of Justice.
The sour smell filled the air everywhere. The dark and sunless dungeon was full of decay.
Xiao Rencheng was sitting on the pile of weeds in his tattered prison clothes, neither overbearing nor humble, as if he was closing his eyes to rest.
Suddenly, the door was opened from the outside, and Sheng Jiangli strode in.
The jailer locked the door and left.
Sheng Jiangli stood there and sized him up for a moment.
The grand censor truly looked calm and elegant. Only a bit of emaciation could be seen on his cold face, and there was not a trace of embarrassment.
"Sir Xiao, what a coincidence to meet you here," Sheng Jiangli hooked his lips and greeted him with a half - smile.
Xiao Rencheng raised his eyes and saw him sitting cross - legged in front of him as if they were old friends. He also smiled.
"It is quite a coincidence. Did General Sheng commit the same crime as me?"
Yesterday, Xu Buyue delivered a message from Song Yinghuai asking him to retract his confession. He had guessed that Song Yinghuai was going to rescue them.
He just didn't expect that the person who came was Sheng Jiangli, such a shrewd person.
He had to admire Song Yinghuai for being able to persuade Sheng Jiangli to enter the prison.
Sheng Jiangli snorted and turned his face away. "So, it's just that coincidental... I admit to the matter of the 200,000 - tael silver. It has nothing to do with you. The matter of adultery also has nothing to do with you. Tomorrow in the Qianqing Palace, just say that you were infatuated with another man's wife, your thoughts were dirty, and you were so eager to save the woman you loved that you were willing to fabricate false evidence."
Xiao Rencheng ignored Sheng Jiangli's sarcasm and just nodded with a smile. "Then I would like to thank General Sheng for sacrificing himself to protect me and the woman I love."
Sheng Jiangli felt extremely aggrieved. After saying that, he was too lazy to talk to Xiao Rencheng and just silently closed his eyes.
Xiao Rencheng was not a talkative person. Since Sheng Jiangli didn't speak, he was happy to be at ease.
So the prison fell into complete silence.
But Sheng Jiangli finally couldn't hold it back. After a while, he still asked:
"Mrs. Wen is also involved in a murder case. There are no clues about the murderer. Even if you get acquitted, she can't get out!"
Xiao Rencheng opened his eyes, sized Sheng Jiangli up for a long time, and then said:
"I will solve this matter after I get out."