The case of Cen Xiaoniang caused quite a stir throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty. Although Cen Xiaoniang had already confessed her guilt, there were women from many places filing complaints against Rongchang Embroidery Workshop. They all claimed that Shen Xiangjun of Rongchang Embroidery Workshop, relying on the emperor's favor, had secretly engaged in shady and money - making activities.
Even several county magistrates joined forces to submit a memorial to the emperor, requesting permission to arrest the Lady of Rongchang Township and send her to the capital for trial by the Court of Judicial Review.
However, some court officials also mentioned that the Lady of Rongchang Township was formerly a daughter of the Xue family. The former chief justice of the Court of Judicial Review was her grandfather. The current chief justice was a protégé of the late old master of the Xue family, and Xue Yusong, the eldest legitimate son of the Xue family, was the left vice - chief justice of the Court of Judicial Review. No one knew whether they would show partiality to the Lady of Rongchang Township because of these relationships.
For a while, the court was in an uproar. Some proposed that this case should be tried by the Censorate or the Ministry of Justice. Immediately, someone sneered and said that the concubine - born son of Lord Chen, the grand censor of the Censorate, had had frequent contacts with the Lady of Rongchang Township when he served as the county magistrate of Yun County. Out of this friendship, it was better for him to avoid suspicion.
Finally, the Marquis of Qiyang, who was currently the minister of the Ministry of Personnel, stepped forward, bowed, and said coldly, "Before my father passed away, he taught my brothers and nephews that as officials of the court, the most important thing was integrity. If, as all the lords said, among the cases that could be reported to the Three Judicial Departments, how many were not major cases that could not be solved by the common people? How many hidden agendas were there behind them? Not to mention anything else, a few years ago, there was an incident in the Prince Yu's Mansion. His Highness the Prince Yu was a royal relative and had close relations with our Xue family. Did all the lords of the Three Judicial Departments show partiality because of this?"
All the lords quickly denied it, saying that the Three Judicial Departments only focused on the case and had no personal feelings.
The Marquis of Qiyang sneered again, "When I, the Marquis of Qiyang, drove Shen Xiangjun out, everyone said that we were heartless, picking on a young orphan girl. But now, why do you remember that the young orphan girl was the wrongly - raised daughter of our Xue family?"
No one dared to reply. Then the Marquis of Qiyang knelt down and saluted, "Your Majesty, although our Xue family has no more ties with Shen Xiangjun, that child was raised by my father. I believe that she is tough - minded and upright and would never do such immoral things. I beg Your Majesty to allow her to be arrested and this case to be investigated by the Court of Judicial Review."
The emperor stared at him intently, "Aren't you afraid that this incident was really done by your former niece?"
The Marquis of Qiyang shook his head, "I believe that if she really did such heinous things and wasted my father's sincere care, how could I show any partiality? I only hope that the Court of Judicial Review will severely punish her and never bend the law because of her title as a lady of the township."
However, before the Court of Judicial Review sent people to arrest Shen Yuning, it was reported that Shen Yuning had brought her family to the capital just for this case.
Coincidentally, when Shen Yuning and her entourage arrived in the capital by carriage and were thinking about renting a mansion not too far from the Court of Judicial Review, they met Xue Yuxuan.
Xue Yuxuan was the younger brother of the Marquis of Qiyang and Shen Yuning's former father. Today, he had just finished his duty and was strolling in the flower and bird market in the city with his friends. As soon as he got off the carriage, he ran into Shen Yuning and her group.
When the two suddenly met, they almost didn't recognize each other at first. Even the several officials beside them were stunned, not knowing what was going on.
It was Shen Yuning who took the initiative to step forward gracefully and pay her respects, "Yuning of the Shen family pays respects to Lord Xue the Second."
The people beside them then realized that the wrongly - raised daughter of the Xue family was named Yuning. The person in front of them was the Lady of Rongchang, who had been granted the title of a female household and a lady of the township by the emperor for speaking up for the common people, and was also the owner of the currently controversial Rongchang Commercial Firm.
Xue Yuxuan looked at Yuning now. The cute and intelligent daughter of the past was gone. The woman in front of him, looking haggard after days of traveling, was a bit different from what he had imagined.
He pursed his lips and sneered, "You were raised by my father, but you did such shameless things. How dare you come forward to recognize your relatives?"
Old Man Zhang and Shen Fugui saw that the person was hostile and immediately stepped forward to protect Shen Yuning, staring coldly at Xue Yuxuan.
Shen Yuning didn't care. She waved her hand reassuringly, bowed to Xue Yuxuan, and said, "Lord Xue the Second has misunderstood. I'm not here to recognize my relatives. When you told me to leave the marquis's mansion, you said that I was not a daughter of the Xue family and should never try to take any advantage of the Xue family. Since I left, there's no reason for me to turn back. As for the shameless things you mentioned, I think it's because the Rongchang Commercial Firm is currently at the center of public opinion. I came to the capital this time just for this matter. The old master of the Xue family raised me, and I will always remember it. No matter where I am, I will never do anything to disgrace his reputation."
Xue Yuxuan was different from his elder brother. He had been a playful and irresponsible person since childhood. He got his official position thanks to the ancestral privilege but had never been promoted. Even his eloquence was mediocre. He couldn't even argue with his former daughter.
He felt that he had lost face and deeply resented Yuning for daring to mock him after she had been away for five years. He immediately shouted sternly, "Do you think that if you let your subordinates confess their guilt for you, you can get away with it? Don't you know that the net of heaven is vast, and though its meshes be wide, it lets nothing through? Even if the people in the Court of Judicial Review were old acquaintances of your grandfather, they would never show partiality for you."
Shen Yuning smiled slightly, "Lord Xue the Second is right. The net of heaven is vast, and though its meshes be wide, it lets nothing through. I hope that the lords of the Three Judicial Departments can clear the name of my Rongchang Commercial Firm and not let good citizens like us suffer unjustly."
With these words ringing out firmly, she turned around and left with Old Man Zhang and Shen Fugui. Xue Yuxuan was so angry that he stamped his feet on the spot. He wished he could grab this unfilial daughter and give her a good beating.
Some of the officials who came with him looked down on Xue Yuxuan. In fact, in recent years, Xue Yuxuan had been very frustrated. His biological daughter had returned home but had become the laughingstock of the whole capital. He had been scolded by his elder brother several times for his poor management of the family. He had sighed in front of his friends more than once, saying how filial and intelligent his former daughter was, much more sensible and well - behaved than the current one.
Especially when Shen Yuning was granted the title of a lady of the township, Xue Yuxuan almost beat his chest and stamped his feet in regret. He regretted not listening to his elder brother's words and still keeping Yuning as his adopted daughter.
However, after the incident of the Rongchang Commercial Firm broke out recently, Xue Yuxuan never mentioned again that the lady of the township had once been his daughter.
After Shen Yuning found a house and just signed the lease contract and settled her family down, two clerks from the Court of Judicial Review came to visit.
The two clerks were very polite. They bowed respectfully and called her Lady Shen, saying that they invited her to go to the Court of Judicial Review to sort out the case.
Shen Yuning nodded, "It should be so. But I just arrived. It took me an afternoon to find a house. I was afraid that the people in the Court of Judicial Review had already finished their duty, so I planned to go there early tomorrow morning."
If someone else had said this, the clerks would surely have thought it was a deliberate excuse. But the lady in front of them had come to the capital voluntarily and looked tired from the journey. There was not the slightest sign that she wanted to escape.
After Shen Yuning washed her hands, she smiled apologetically at the two clerks, "Normally, I should offer you tea when you come. But as you can see, we just moved in. We haven't even started the stove yet. I'm really being negligent."
The clerks were flattered and shook their heads repeatedly. Then they asked, "Does the lady want to wash up and change clothes first? We'll wait at the porter's lodge."
Shen Yuning laughed, "I won't waste the lords' time. The earlier we go, the earlier the lords can go back and rest."
The clerks seemed to have never met such a cooperative suspect before, so they became even more polite. When the two clerks and Shen Yuning entered the Court of Judicial Review chatting and laughing, it really surprised the lords.
Especially Xue Yusong at the front. He had been waiting at the entrance of the Court of Judicial Review early. He hadn't seen his second sister for more than five years. Although he had known something about her from Chen Wenwei's letters, he had never seen her with his own eyes.
Now seeing that although Yuning looked a bit haggard, her spirit was still high and she was not greatly affected, he finally felt relieved.
Shen Yuning still bowed gracefully and asked curiously, "Doesn't the Heir of the Xue family need to avoid suspicion?"
Xue Yusong shook his head, "You're no longer a member of our Xue family. There's no need for so many formalities."
Shen Yuning nodded and smiled, "You're right. Moreover, the Heir has really learned the essence from the old master of the Xue family. You're definitely not the kind of person who bends the law for personal gain."
Xue Yusong couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. This second sister was still as bold and straightforward as when she was a child. No wonder she had done such remarkable things in the countryside.
The two entered the Court of Judicial Review together. Perhaps because she had been here since childhood, Shen Yuning was not afraid. After saluting according to the law, she stood aside and listened to the instructions of the lords in the court.
Lord Chen, the grand censor of the Censorate, sorted out the case and asked, "Does Lady Shen have any objections?"
Shen Yuning nodded, "I have no objections to what the lord said. But I've never instigated women to set up a private women's hostel."
Lord Chen asked someone to hand her the copy of Cen Xiaoniang's confession, "Take a look. This is the confession letter of your subordinate Cen Xiaoniang. It says that the women in Bailuo Village, Cangfeng Town, were lured by Cen Xiaoniang to become prostitutes."
Shen Yuning looked at the copy. Cen Xiaoniang had learned a few characters later, but she didn't know many and could hardly write. This confession letter was naturally not written by her but by someone else, and then she had put her fingerprint on it.
There was no handwriting. Shen Yuning looked at the circle drawn by Cen Xiaoniang. It was not neat at all, twisting like an earthworm, which was completely different from the way she usually drew symbols on the ledger with a pen.
Shen Yuning clenched her fists and looked up, asking, "May I see the original copy?"
Just as Lord Yuan, the chief justice of the Court of Judicial Review, was about to refuse, he heard Lord Chen wave his hand, "Give her the original copy."
Lord Yuan was quite dissatisfied and hesitated, "This is against the rules. That's the testimony. If the criminal damages it..."
Shen Yuning looked up and smiled, "Lord Yuan, I'm not a criminal. I'm here today to assist all the lords in investigating this case. Moreover, if I damage this testimony, all the lords will see it clearly. Wouldn't it be even more proof that I'm the culprit and that I'm just too scared to face the truth and thus damage the testimony?"
Lord Yuan looked embarrassed. After all, this was a girl he had watched grow up, so he softened his tone, "I'm not saying it's you. I just think this is inappropriate."
Shen Yuning didn't say anything else. She lowered her head, brought the confession letter to her nose to smell it, and then looked at the lords seriously, "My lords, when a criminal confesses, they should press their fingerprint with inkpad. Why was this confession letter pressed with human blood?"