Chapter 287: Your Majesty, Please Uphold Justice For This Subject
Emperor Qin swept a glance full of ink-like darkness at Jiang Ruanxi, then turned his gaze to Jiang Minghuai and Li Chaoyang.
The atmosphere in the Imperial Court immediately became solemn, with the ministers all wearing expressions of eager onlookers waiting for Emperor Qin to speak.
A few seconds later, Emperor Qin slowly opened his mouth, “Censor Li is right.” He then said to Eunuch Li beside him, “Pass on my oral decree, summon the Imperial Advisor and the Lin Family Members to the hall.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Eunuch Li responded.
Half a shichen later, Jiang Kui and He Sheng sent by the Lin Family arrived in the hall.
“Do you recognize this person?” Emperor Qin asked them.
Jiang Kui nodded.
He Sheng glanced at Jiang Ruanxi and also nodded.
“Someone says she is Jiang Ruanxi, take a look and see if she is.” Emperor Qin got straight to the point.
Jiang Kui seemed not surprised at all, turned his wheelchair towards Jiang Ruanxi’s direction, his gaze staring at her like a venomous snake, making Jiang Ruanxi’s heart tighten.
Jiang Kui’s lips curved in a smile, staring at her eerily for several seconds, Jiang Ruanxi grew increasingly nervous, her heartbeat accelerating until it nearly reached her throat.
In the past, she had little contact with Jiang Kui, and she was not very clear about how much he knew about her.
Jiang Kui shifted his gaze away.
“Your Majesty, Madam Wei resembles my family sister, but my family sister does not have that mole at the corner of her eye.”
Jiang Ruanxi did not expect Jiang Kui to say this; she thought he knew a lot and would directly expose her.
She looked up and glanced at him, their gazes colliding, and she seemed to understand a bit.
One prospers, all prosper; one suffers, all suffer.
If she were identified as Jiang Ruanxi, it would be the crime of deceiving the emperor, and the Jiang Family would not escape either.
The others also seemed unsurprised by Jiang Kui’s words.
Jiang Ruanxi had been sent away as a child, and after being brought back not long ago, she was married to Lin Ningkun, so it was understandable that the Jiang Family Members were not familiar with her.
“First Madam Lin, you and the original Second Madam Lin were sisters-in-law and knew each other for several years; take a look and see if she is the original Second Madam Lin.” Li Chaoyang suddenly spoke up.
He Sheng looked at Jiang Ruanxi, “This humble woman and the Imperial Advisor think the same.”
Jiang Ruanxi breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.
Fortunately, when returning to the Capital, Wei Chang had the foresight, and at that time, to prove she was Ling Lin, she did many things, making those familiar with Jiang Ruanxi believe she was Ling Lin.
But He Sheng’s next words made Jiang Ruanxi’s heart, which had just relaxed, rise to her throat again.
“But this humble woman remembers that this humble woman’s sister-in-law has a small crescent-shaped birthmark between the middle finger and ring finger of her left hand; I wonder if Madam Wei could let this humble woman see your hand.”
Jiang Ruanxi’s body stiffened.
She had overlooked this matter.
“Madam Wei, please extend your left hand for First Madam Lin to check.” Li Chaoyang ordered.
Jiang Ruanxi pretended not to see, lowering her head and thinking about something.
Li Chaoyang immediately became angry, his voice involuntarily rising, “Madam Wei.”
The Imperial Court fell silent, everyone wearing heavy expressions of watching the drama.
Jiang Ruanxi knew she could not escape now and could only extend her hand; Li Chaoyang’s face lit up with joy.
Jiang Kui and Jiang Minghuai’s lips also involuntarily curved into a smile.
“Your Majesty, I have a wrongful case; please grant me justice, Your Majesty.”
Suddenly, a shout came from outside the door.
Everyone’s gazes involuntarily turned to the door, wanting to see who was so bold as to make a commotion in the Imperial Palace.
Only to see a man entering wearing a dark gray long robe, with a slightly bulging square hat on his head.
The crowd looked at each other, wondering if anyone knew who this was.
But it seemed no one recognized him.
Li Chaoyang, seeing the newcomer, had eyes full of gloom, glaring fiercely at him.
The newcomer looked confused; wasn’t it Li Chaoyang who told him to come in when his voice was loud?
Why did he look not very happy.
But he did not dare show it and could only pretend not to hear.
Seeing the newcomer, Jiang Ruanxi’s body stiffened, but she did not turn back.
She had a premonition that these people today were all here to get her killed.
Emperor Qin did not seem angry at all, looking seriously at the newcomer and asking, “Who are you?”
“This humble subject pays respects to Your Majesty.”
Jiang Ruanxi looked up and saw it was actually Zhong Ding.
Hadn’t he been transferred by Wei Chang to a very secluded place? How could he appear here?
Who had brought him here?
Jiang Ruanxi’s peripheral vision swept over Jiang Minghuai, seeing the smug smile at the corner of his mouth, and she understood everything.
“Who is in the hall below?”
Zhong Ding glanced at Jiang Ruanxi and quickly lowered his head.
“This humble subject was originally the Prefect of Lingnan, now the County Magistrate of Xikun Town. This humble subject accuses the Deposed Crown Prince and his Crown Princess.”
Emperor Qin’s brows furrowed slightly as he glanced at Jiang Ruanxi and said sternly, “What is the accusation?”
Zhong Ding knelt and said, “This subject accuses them of killing my family mother and daughter.”
His words caused an uproar among the crowd.
Everyone turned to look at him in unison.
Then looked at the kneeling Jiang Ruanxi.
Jiang Ruanxi involuntarily frowned, gazing coldly at him, “Your Majesty, this humble woman has never killed them; please do not believe others’ slander against me, Your Majesty.”
Zhong Ding looked furious, raising his hand to point at her.
“Back then in Lingnan, you exploited my trust in you; because of the Deposed Crown Prince, that is, Second Master Yu of Lingnan’s intimidation, he made me recognize you as my dead daughter and live in my Zhong Family. But due to your jealousy, you often clashed with my family mother and daughter; because of your power, we could only endure it silently. But I did not expect you to be so ruthless: you transferred me to the barren Xikun Town, then took advantage of me leaving first for the post to kill my family mother and daughter, and returned to the Capital. If I had not gone back to investigate for a long time, I would not have believed you would repay kindness with enmity.”
After speaking, Zhong Ding lunged forward; Jiang Ruanxi was caught off guard and knocked to the ground, with Zhong Ding slapping her face.
All the ministers standing in the Imperial Court, whether not yet reacting or unwilling to step forward to stop or pull them apart, let Zhong Ding continue beating Jiang Ruanxi.
No matter how Jiang Ruanxi struggled, the difference in strength between man and woman meant her resistance was futile; soon her face swelled up.
Emperor Qin, reacting first, said angrily with a full face of rage, “Are you all dead? Hurry up and pull them apart. Beating someone openly in the Imperial Court.”
Only then did the ministers react, swarming forward to pull them apart; but with so many people, in the chaos, not only did they fail to separate them, but Jiang Ruanxi was also slapped or deliberately stepped on by some with ulterior motives.
She could only endure the pain and struggle.
When Jiang Ruanxi felt she could not endure anymore, the harm falling on her finally stopped.
Her vision also gradually brightened.
Emperor Qin looked at Jiang Ruanxi curled up on the ground, hugging her head with both hands, her face like ink.
