Chapter 636 Unmasking
Xiao the cook stood silently to the side, her face pale. Despite her efforts to remain calm, her body trembled slightly, revealing her strong aversion to returning to the Wen family.
"Since this lowly servant bribed the scribe, this contract of servitude is naturally invalid. The Wen family has already given Xiao the cook to me, and now she is a servant of my Zhe family!" Zhe Jing declared, her chin held high provocatively as she looked at Zhan Feiyu. "You, a lowly girl of unknown origin, dare to snatch someone from me? Are you worthy?"
Zhan Feiyu did not respond. She looked at the stiff-faced second steward of the Wen family with a half-smile. "I truly thought Miss Wen Er was running out of time and would starve without the meals prepared by Xiao the cook. I didn't expect that in Madam Wen's eyes, her own daughter is not as important as an outsider. That's right, a concubine's daughter, and one who is mentally ill. How could she be as important as the eldest daughter of the Zhe family?"
"Miss Zhan, speak with caution!" The second steward's expression darkened as he interrupted Zhan Feiyu. He was also speechless at Zhe Jing's thoughtless words. Even if she wanted someone, she should have waited until Madam Xiao returned to the Wen family.
"What are you looking at? Wen Er, that madwoman, is even less qualified to snatch people from me!" Zhe Jing glared, her displeasure evident, and reprimanded the second steward without hesitation. "If Wen Er isn't eating, don't you know to force-feed her? What flavor could a madwoman possibly discern?"
Miss Wen Er was a madwoman. Let alone flavor, even if the food were spoiled or rotten, she likely wouldn't know. The second steward, who had been scolded, suppressed his anger with a sense of grievance. He couldn't afford to offend this little ancestor either.
Zhan Feiyu did not dwell on the matter. Instead, she turned to Minister Ge. "Since it was a scribe from the Household Department who accepted the bribe, how does Your Excellency intend to deal with these two?"
The scribe and Madam Tang, who were kneeling on the ground, trembled. They looked at Minister Ge with terror. They had taken responsibility for this, but the minister had previously said it was just a formality.
"This is a matter for the yamen. I must report to my superiors before making a decision." Minister Ge's hand, which was stroking his mustache, trembled involuntarily, pulling out two whiskers. The pain made his already dry and withered face twist even more.
"Alright, how you deal with them is your business. I'm taking this cook with me!" Zhe Jing said impatiently. Her objective had been achieved, and the lives of others were of no concern to her.
"Wait!" Just then, a voice sounded from outside the door.
The people in the room turned to see Bai Zhaohui striding in. The figure that had flashed past outside the door was the constable Ke from before, presumably having come to deliver the news.
Minister Ge shot to his feet, his sharp-mouthed, monkey-faced countenance blooming into a smile. "Young master, greetings. Is there anything you need this subordinate to do?"
"Minister Ge." Although Bai Zhaohui was impatient with Ge Zigui's fawning and obsequious expression, he still offered a bow. His gaze then turned to Zhan Feiyu, filled with genuine happiness. "I haven't had the chance to thank you for saving my life yet."
Bai Zhaohui had nearly lost his head to Chef Yao's cleaver at Yufeng Tower. He hadn't been to the Imperial Academy for the past few days, otherwise, even if he had known about today's events, he wouldn't have been able to rush back in time to handle them.
"Young Master Bai is too kind. It was merely a casual matter," Zhan Feiyu replied with a smile and a bow.
The day after the incident, Bai Zhaohui's elder sister-in-law, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Bai family, had sent a gift of gratitude. Because this case involved Bai Zhaohui, Prefect Bai, as his father, had to recuse himself according to the law. Furthermore, since Zhan Feiyu was also involved, it was inconvenient for the Bai family to express their thanks openly. They could only wait until the case was concluded to offer their sincere gratitude.
Although Bai Zhaohui studied at the Imperial Academy, he was not a bookworm who was oblivious to the world. On his way here, Constable Ke had already explained the situation.
"You two, think carefully. This is the Li Shun Tian Prefecture yamen. If you dare to give false testimony," Bai Zhaohui said coldly, looking at the scribe kneeling on the ground, "you, as an official of the court, will be doubly punished if you give false testimony!"
"Bai Zhaohui, don't think you can threaten people here just because you are Prefect Bai's son!" Zhe Jing exclaimed in exasperation. She hadn't expected Bai Zhaohui to show up at the last moment and cause trouble.
Especially seeing the scribe's expression change and Madam Tang's plump body trembling with fear, Zhe Jing wished she could whip Bai Zhaohui.
Zhan Feiyu smiled and added, "According to the Great Qing Laws, if a witness in a trial provides false testimony, or if an outsider is convicted, or if an interpreter fails to translate truthfully, leading to a discrepancy in the verdict, the witness's sentence will be two grades lighter than the criminal's, while the interpreter will be punished as an accomplice. Minister Ge, am I correct?"
Minister Ge's face had turned pale. He hadn't even heard what Zhan Feiyu had said. He had merely accepted a favor from the Zhe family and facilitated the matter. Moreover, the Wen family had also sent their steward.
Minister Ge had intended to handle the matter flawlessly, hoping for future support from the Zhe or Wen families to advance his career. However, looking at Bai Zhaohui before him, Minister Ge wished he could shove the hundred taels of silver notes back into Zhe Jing's hands.
"Miss Zhan actually understands the law?" Bai Zhaohui was genuinely surprised. They also had to study laws at the Imperial Academy, as they would need to understand criminal law to preside over cases and pass judgments when they became officials in the future.
Even among the talented women of the capital like Wen Ruyi, Bai Zhaohui knew that while they might have poetic talent or be skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, they were certainly not proficient in law. Perhaps they knew a little, but they could never recite it verbatim like Zhan Feiyu.
"I know a little," Zhan Feiyu replied with a smile. It was fortunate she had the ability to memorize at a glance; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to recall the clauses of the Great Qing Laws.
Minister Ge was merely a seventh-rank official in the Household Department. Young Master Bai represented the Prefect. Furthermore, Prefect Bai was known for his impartiality and integrity. The scribe began to kowtow repeatedly. "Young master, I was blinded by greed, but I was also forced by Minister Ge to give false testimony..."
Madam Tang was terrified. She was merely a hereditary servant of the Wen family, relying on this status to bully other servants within the Wen household. However, at the yamen, Madam Tang dared not act wildly. Seeing that the scribe had already confessed, she let out a scream and confessed as well.
It's over, it's all over...
Minister Ge's legs went weak, and he staggered, but he managed to grab onto the desk behind him to prevent himself from falling. However, he knew he was finished. As an official of the court who had broken the law, Minister Ge knew his fate without even having to think about it.
"Miss Zhe, save me!" Minister Ge suddenly lunged forward, falling to his knees with a thud, and pleaded with Zhe Jing. "Miss Zhe, this subordinate acted according to your instructions."
"Get away!" Zhe Jing was furious. She kicked at Minister Ge. Before Bai Zhaohui had even said much, these useless people had all confessed out of fear.
(End of Chapter)