After Consort Mei's figure disappeared down the corridor, Yan Mingkun turned to face the prison cells and asked in a deep voice, "Which young lady is Miss Lu Hua?"
Lu Hua immediately stepped forward, bowed neither servilely nor arrogantly, and said, "Reporting to Lord Yan, this commoner is Lu Hua. Thank you, Lord Yan, for your hard work on this case!"
Yan Mingkun scanned her face and found that this young girl was indeed exceptionally beautiful, no wonder that foolish boy fell for her at first sight.
Lu Ye and Bai Sheng also stood in the prison and bowed to Lord Yan.
"This commoner Lu Ye thanks Lord Yan."
"This commoner Bai Sheng thanks Lord Yan."
Seeing these two, Yan Mingkun froze for a moment. The man before him was truly radiant and graceful, perhaps the most handsome man he had ever seen. The woman beside him also possessed extraordinary beauty and bearing. Judging by their features, both were extraordinary individuals, destined for greatness. Why then were they from a humble merchant family?
Lord Yan regained his composure and said solemnly, "The trial begins tomorrow. If you are truly innocent, you have nothing to fear from the interrogation."
"Thank you, Lord Yan!" The two bowed in unison.
Lord Yan turned and strode out of the prison. Lords Han and Wei wiped the cold sweat from their brows and also walked out with heavy steps. Both were troubled and dispirited. This case was truly… difficult. On one side were the Empress and the Fifth Princess, and on the other, Consort Mei and Lord Yan. Moreover, the entire city was aware of it. Which clueless person had leaked the case so quickly?
After the officials had left, Lu Yin and Ding Xiang stepped forward, grabbed Lu Hua's arms, and exclaimed joyfully, "Huahua, it must be young master Yan who asked his father for help! Young master Yan's feelings for you—"
Lu Hua glanced nervously in the direction of Lu Ye and Bai Sheng, and anxiously signaled to Lu Yin and Ding Xiang to stop talking. Lu Yin and Ding Xiang understood and immediately fell silent.
Bai Sheng smiled gently, "Huahua, sister-in-law already knows about you and young master Yan from your cousin."
"Sister-in-law…" Lu Hua's face flushed crimson. Young master Yan must have mentioned her to Lord Yan. Even so, she would not become a concubine.
Lu Ye said, "Don't get happy too soon. Lord Yan's willingness to oversee this case might not be solely due to his son's request. In official circles, self-interest is paramount."
Bai Sheng nodded, "However, Lord Yan is a relatively just official. Having him supervise this case is more beneficial to us."
Lu Hua, blushing, explained, "Big Brother, Sister-in-law, there's nothing between young master Yan and me. Please don't misunderstand."
Bai Sheng smiled, "Mmm, no misunderstanding, Huahua, you don't need to be nervous."
Lu Hua's face turned even redder.
After leaving the prison, Lord Han immediately went to see the Empress. As men were not allowed in the inner palace, the Empress received Lord Han at the lotus pavilion within the palace. The Empress, with a stern expression, asked slowly, "Lord Han, have those people been executed?"
Lord Han stood trembling before the Empress, wiped the cold sweat from his brow with his sleeve, and said with a quaver, "Reporting to Your Majesty, they have not yet been executed. This morning, I was about to escort them to the execution ground. Unexpectedly, Consort Mei and Lord Yan suddenly entered the prison, stating that this case must be heard in court and could not be hastily concluded, and that they both wished to personally oversee the entire process."
The Empress sneered and said angrily, "That cosmetic shop ruined my daughter's face. The evidence is conclusive. Why is my word worth less than Consort Mei and Lord Yan's?"
Lord Han immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and begged for forgiveness, "Your Majesty, please do not be angry. This humble subject would never dare to defy Your Majesty's will! However, for some reason, the entire capital's populace is aware of this case and is eagerly awaiting the court's verdict. This matter concerns the reputation of the Dali Temple, the imperial family, and the laws of Great Xia. If handled improperly, the impact will be too great. Furthermore, if His Majesty were to blame me, I could not bear it! Your Majesty, since the Fifth Princess's face was indeed ruined by the cosmetics from that shop, then we have nothing to fear from a court trial. We can openly execute those wretches."
The Empress closed her eyes and remained silent for a moment. "Mmm, what you say has some truth. However, I am very curious. Lord Yan, as an imperial censor, monitors all officials, which is understandable. But why is Consort Mei so concerned about a mere merchant? Lord Han, have you investigated the background of that merchant?"
Lord Han's brows relaxed slightly, and he respectfully replied, "According to Consort Mei herself, the owner of that shop is her dear friend."
"Oh?" The Empress's gaze suddenly sharpened. "What is the name of the owner of that shop?"
Lord Han said, "The man is named Lu Ye, and the woman is named Bai Sheng. They are farmers from Hongshu Village, Tianshui Town, Taisha Commandery—"
"What?!" The Empress exclaimed in shock and leaped to her feet. "The man is named Lu Ye, the woman is named Bai Sheng? And they are from Tianshui Town, Taisha Commandery?"
Lord Han was quite bewildered by the Empress's strong reaction and immediately replied respectfully, "Precisely!"
"Hahaha…" The Empress suddenly burst into laughter, shaking her body violently. The Empress had never laughed like this before, and the palace maids, wet nurses, and eunuchs standing nearby were all astonished, instinctively shrinking back.
"It is truly a case of searching high and low in vain, only to find it easily!" The Empress finally managed to suppress her laughter, her eyes gradually filling with a chilling glint. She sternly commanded Lord Han, "Lord Han, I want you to nail those people! By any means necessary!"
"This…" Lord Han's face showed a hint of difficulty. He quickly considered and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, if they truly ruined the Fifth Princess's face, this subordinate will not be lenient."
The Empress glanced at him and snorted, "Tomorrow at the trial, I will also be present. I want to see those wretches meet a miserable end! You may withdraw."
"Yes, this humble subject… withdraws." Lord Han's legs felt weak, and he stumbled as he walked. What a situation this was! Even the Empress wanted to personally oversee the trial. Why had such a minor case escalated into a city-wide sensation? Alas, Lord Qi, the Minister of Dali Temple, who was on a business trip investigating the case of the Fortune Boy, had managed to evade this calamity.
Fifth Princess's sleeping quarters.
Before the Empress reached Xinyao's chambers, she could hear the sound of cups and plates smashing from within.
"Wretched servant, are you deliberately trying to insult me with tea?" The Fifth Princess, wearing a veil, stomped her foot fiercely on the fingers of a kneeling palace maid.
"Princess, this servant was merely bringing… bringing you a cup of tea. I would never dare to insult you," the palace maid trembled in fear. She never imagined that the Princess would see her own face reflected in the tea.
The Empress entered and signaled to all the attendants to leave. Seeing the Empress, Xinyao burst into tears and threw herself into her arms, "Mother, my face is ruined! I want those people torn to pieces!"