"My little Xi is so considerate," Yi Yuan said affectionately as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind Ye Xi's ear. He then repeated what Lin An had just reported to Ye Xi and added, "Although these witnesses were found with great difficulty, you never really know a person. I'll only feel at ease after you've questioned them."
"Being cautious is always a good thing," Ye Xi nodded in agreement.
The subordinates brought in the witnesses. They were an old man in his fifties or sixties, a man in his late thirties, and a young boy about eleven or twelve years old with a naive face.
The three of them had traveled a long and arduous journey and had survived multiple assassination attempts. They were exhausted and weather - beaten, with their dirty clothes torn in many places.
Ye Xi was surprised to see such a young boy among them.
After a detailed inquiry, she learned that the boy had a ten - year - old sister. Their hometown had been hit by a disaster, and their parents had died on the way to escape. The siblings had managed to make their way to Tanzhou and found a menial job to survive. But the corrupt officials in Tanzhou had abducted his sister under the pretext of looking for maids and forced her into becoming a page boy. The poor little girl had died miserably, covered in bruises after just half a day.
The boy was a tough one. After burying his sister with great sobs, he had managed to escape, even though he was beaten half to death, to seek help from the high - ranking officials in the capital to avenge his sister.
Everyone present felt heavy - hearted and their eyes welled up with tears.
Ling Yan, in particular, had also lost a younger sister. She was so small and soft, sweetly calling her sister. Later, she too had died at the hands of those beasts in human form...
Ling Yan placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and said coldly, "Don't be afraid. Even if the lawsuit fails, I'll kill that corrupt official for you."
The boy's eyes were red - rimmed, and his young face was full of undisguised hatred. He kowtowed repeatedly and said, "Thank you, my lord. Thank you..."
Next was the old man, and the man beside him was his son. Their few acres of farmland and their only houses had been forcibly taken over to build a mansion, leaving their family of six with no means of livelihood. They had gone to the government to file a complaint but had been beaten severely and thrown out. They had used all their money to treat their injuries. The old man's wife and daughter - in - law had tried to earn a living but had been retaliated against by the corrupt official and died.
The two young children at home, left unattended and starving, had gone to the river to find food. But they had drowned. Only the old man and his son, both injured and weak, were left in the family. They were heart - broken and desperate, thinking they were going to die, when Lin An had found them.
"My lord!" The old man burst into tears. His weather - beaten face made everyone's heart ache. "I'm an old man on the verge of death. It doesn't matter if I die. But my two grandchildren, they were only eight years old... They were so smart and filial. Why is God so unfair... I'll fight for justice for them even if it costs me my life."
The man was also in tears. He kowtowed to the ground and cried, "Please, my lord, seek justice for us. I'll be your servant and repay you."
These honest farmers didn't know the difference between different officials. They only knew that these people were their saviors who could help them.
All three of them were crying uncontrollably and kowtowed one after another, asking for justice.
Everyone felt heart - rendingly sad, especially Sai Xing, whose tears couldn't be stopped.
Ye Xi quickly helped them up. After asking a few more questions and finding no problems, she nodded to Yi Yuan.
Receiving Ye Xi's signal, Yi Yuan comforted the three of them. He then ordered his subordinates to prepare new clothes, hot water, wine, and food for them to clean up. He would take them to court the next day to seek justice.
Meanwhile, at the Shen family's mansion...
"Second brother! Second brother!" Shen Bianhuai rushed into Shen Zhou's courtyard. There were beads of sweat on his forehead even though it was an autumn day with a growing chill. "I heard that the Prince of Yu'an has brought back some people from Tanzhou. Why couldn't all of Zai Shuang's elite killers stop them? And what about Yan Yifan? Why hasn't he taken action after all this time?"
Shen Zhou was carefully wiping the gift he had bought for Ye Xi. Hearing Shen Bianhuai's flustered voice, he snapped the wooden box shut.
He said calmly, "Don't be in such a hurry, third brother. Be careful not to fall."
"Not be in a hurry?" Shen Bianhuai was almost angry enough to laugh. "The Prince of Yu'an has found the witnesses. He'll surely take action tomorrow. This concerns my life. How can I not be worried? You're so calm, second brother, because it doesn't affect you directly."
"Don't forget, second brother, I'm a member of the Shen family. If something happens to me, can the Shen family still be okay?"
"Third brother," Shen Zhou poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of him casually. His peach - blossom eyes were so dark that no emotion could be seen. "Do you mean to betray the Shen family?"
Startled, Shen Bianhuai's eyes flashed, and he blurted out, "Of course not. I just mean that we're all family. We rise and fall together."
Feeling guilty, he stole a glance at Shen Zhou's unfathomable eyes and quickly changed the subject. "I'm just worried. You said you'd find someone to deal with Yan Yifan. But time has passed, and now the Prince of Yu'an has found the witnesses. We've done nothing. How can I not be worried?"
Shen Zhou looked at Shen Bianhuai deeply, then softened his expression and smiled faintly. "You're right. But don't worry, third brother. Knowing that the Prince of Yu'an is taking action, how could we really not make any preparations?"
"Do you think those witnesses are really that easy to find?"
"Oh?" Shen Bianhuai's eyes lit up, and he instinctively leaned closer to Shen Zhou. "Do you mean... it was deliberate?"
Shen Zhou gave him an appreciative look but didn't say much.
Seeing that Shen Zhou didn't give him a definite answer, Shen Bianhuai was itching with curiosity. He asked further, "But I don't quite understand. Why do this? It seems to be all harm and no benefit."
Shen Zhou smiled mysteriously and leaned close to Shen Bianhuai's ear to whisper a few words.
Shen Bianhuai's expression gradually changed from worried to happy. He exclaimed, "Good! Second brother, it's really a great idea!"
Then he frowned again and said, "But what about the Supreme Court? Xie Huaiyue is on the Prince of Yu'an's side."
Shen Zhou sat down calmly, and a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes. "The Supreme Court is a big place. Just because Xie Huaiyue is on Yi Yuan's side doesn't mean the others are."
Shen Bianhuai left happily.
Yi Xing emerged from behind the window. He glanced at the wooden box on Shen Zhou's table without a trace and reported emotionlessly as usual, "The master has ordered: Man Ping is to be executed immediately."