"Bring forth the witnesses," Lord Ye's heart skipped a beat, never expecting that after so many years, witnesses could still be found.
Soon, two prisoners, clad in prison uniforms, dirty and with dishevelled hair, were brought forward.
"Prisoner Zhang Erhu, do you recognize the man kneeling before the court?" Lord Ye was initially puzzled. He had expected witnesses, not two prisoners.
But as he heard the name, it sounded strangely familiar. After a moment, he suddenly realized that the young attendant standing behind the bandit chief, whom he had cautiously contacted years ago, was indeed called Erhu.
His body trembled uncontrollably, knowing that this was the end.
"Reporting to Your Honor, this man is Ye Youtian, who bribed my elder brother back then and killed Mr. Lin on his way home," Zhang Erhu said with absolute certainty after a single glance. The main reason for his certainty was that it was his first mission with his elder brother after joining the bandits, and the memory was vivid.
Moreover, he had paid a hefty sum to persuade his elder brother back then. Seeing this seemingly respectable man abduct the wife, not only kill her husband but also take all his wealth, he had inwardly marveled, thinking, "A barking dog doesn't bite."
Now, seeing him in trouble brought him a sense of satisfaction. He had only killed one person and had been imprisoned for so many years, while this man had not only killed but also robbed, and lived as a master for so long. It was so unfair. Seeing them now in the same predicament brought him an unspeakable pleasure.
To completely bring down the Ye manor, although the guard's aunt was unwilling to appear in person, Guan Tianyi still visited her and promised to guarantee the safety of her family, regardless of whether the matter was successful.
She hesitated for a long time before agreeing to testify. The main reason was that she couldn't get past her conscience. Frankly, Master Lin was truly a good man. He treated not only his wife well but was also gentle and courteous to them, the servants. She didn't know how his wife could have done it. Now that there was an opportunity to seek justice for him, she considered it repayment for his kindness.
Madam Ye looked at the woman entering, feeling a sense of familiarity but unable to recall where she had seen her.
It wasn't until the official called her "Chen Meixiang" that she remembered. Wasn't this her dowry maid? She remembered her being sent away early. How could she be here to testify in court?
It was Chen Meixiang's first time in court, and to be honest, she was a little nervous. She didn't dare to look around. As soon as she entered, she quickly knelt down, "This humble subject Chen Meixiang greets Your Honor."
"Witness Chen Meixiang, please tell us what you heard," the official's stern voice boomed.
Chen Meixiang quickly recounted what she had seen and heard that year in a trembling voice.
Madam Ye was displeased upon hearing this, "You ungrateful wretch who betrayed your master! I treated you well back then, why are you framing me? It's clearly fabricated, yet you make it sound like the truth." Su Dan Fiction Net
Madam Ye decided to strike first, intending to deny everything. She had no desire to spend the rest of her life in prison. It would be a lie to say she had no regrets at this moment.
With witnesses present, neither of them was willing to confess. The county magistrate directly ordered them to be given twenty heavy blows each.
They had inflicted beatings before and didn't find it particularly painful. They thought those people only needed a period of recovery at home before returning to work. They braced themselves to endure it.
But who bears the pain when the rod falls? Lord Ye was slightly better off. Born into poverty in his youth, he had endured much hardship. Despite living a life of luxury for so many years, he couldn't bear this pain, but he could still endure.
Madam Ye, however, was different. She had lived a life of privilege and comfort since childhood, with everything going smoothly. To be facing caning in court in her old age! She, who used to feel pain from a needle prick, felt as if she was about to die when the rod struck her. She couldn't help but cry out in pain, cold sweat pouring down her face. Many times she wanted to beg for mercy, but thinking of spending the rest of her life in prison, she endured it deeply.
After the beating, she lay motionless on the ground, utterly devoid of strength. When the official announced that they would proceed with the torture of the thumb screws, she completely broke down, realizing that confessing was the only option.
Gathering all her strength, she cried out, "I confess, I confess! Your Honor, please do not inflict further torture."
"Your Honor, is this a forced confession? They are framing us, yet you are trying to crush us to death," Lord Ye exclaimed loudly as soon as his wife pleaded for mercy.
"There's no need to be courteous to people like you. It's fine if you don't confess. I can lock you up in prison and interrogate you daily. You will regret it then," the official stated impassively, seeing their continued denial.
Madam Ye, hearing that confession was the only way, thought that if she were interrogated daily as the official described, she would eventually be beaten to death by them. It would be better to confess now. Although a death sentence was unavoidable, she would suffer less.
"Your Honor, this humble woman is willing to confess," she said, not daring to look at Lord Ye's expression, knowing that as soon as she confessed, they were both finished.
"What crime have you committed? Speak quickly," the county magistrate's spirits lifted.
"It is true that we bribed the bandits to kill him. It's just that he was too focused on his business, barely visible for half a month at a time. He didn't know that as a woman married into the Lin family, I faced so many difficulties at the beginning, with no one to comfort or understand me," Madam Ye admitted. She couldn't deny that he was a good man, but as a husband, he had too many shortcomings. Now, she even resented him. If he hadn't neglected her, they wouldn't have ended up in this situation.
"But my brother worked tirelessly outside to earn money just so you could have a better life! You couldn't bear the loneliness and now you're shifting all the blame onto him," Lin Qiao retorted, defending his brother. He felt his sister-in-law truly didn't cherish what she had. If it were him, he would have worked hard to manage the family.
"You're just talking without experiencing it yourself..."
Seeing that they were about to quarrel, the official slammed his gavel, "Silence!"
The two immediately quieted down, not daring to make another sound.
Tears slowly streamed down Lord Ye's cheeks. Although he had approached his wife with ulterior motives back then, he couldn't deny that over the years, their affection had grown. Knowing that neither of them would escape consequences this time, he didn't regret his actions from years ago, but he couldn't bear for his wife to die with him.
The case was now basically clear. The official directly sentenced both of them to execution in the autumn and roughly calculated the assets of the Ye-Lin family from that year, returning them to Lin Qiao.
Lin Qiao, with tears streaming down his face, kowtowed deeply to the official, "Thank you, Your Honor!"
While Guan Tianyi was avenging Wu Caiwei, Wu Caiwei had not been idle either. How dare anyone make a move on his man! He was determined to get revenge. After many days of effort, she had also made significant progress.