Xue Shuyao’s tears fell like rain as she slowly let go of her hands. As a woman, to have her outer garments stripped off in public—how could she still have any face to meet people? A woman’s chastity and reputation were utterly destroyed.

Very soon, she was dragged to the spiked board. Staring at the long, densely studded board before her, she couldn’t help swallowing hard. At this moment her body was already soaked in cold sweat; clad only in a white undergarment, she shivered uncontrollably before the spiked board.

Zhou Wei frowned slightly and glanced at Xue Shuyao’s trembling figure. “Do you still insist on continuing?”

Xue Shuyao lifted her head to look at Gu Chengyu, but gave no answer. Gritting her teeth, she shut her eyes and rolled onto the spiked board. Gu Chengyu drew in a deep breath; to use torture on someone so clearly innocent left him distinctly ill at ease. Fortunately, he had already ordered that the spikes on the board be filed down considerably. If she rolled quickly across, she should not suffer overly serious injury.

Just now Xue Shuyao had already endured a whipping; large swathes of blood had stained her undergarment. These people ought not to notice anything amiss.

“My lord! She’s fainted!” A Government Official watched Xue Shuyao roll down from the spiked board and lie motionless, knowing full well she had passed out from the pain.

“Splash water to wake her!” With so many officials waiting, Zhou Wei naturally would not show tender pity.

Gu Chengyu watched as a large bucket of cold water was dumped over Xue Shuyao, who lay prone on the ground. Her white undergarment was thoroughly drenched, the curves of her body laid bare. Cold water mingled with fresh blood, soaking the floor.

Xue Shuyao was jolted awake by the dousing. She let out a groan, struggling to force her eyes open. Though her vision was a blur, when she raised her head she could still make out the youth’s cold, refined brows and eyes.

“This is highly indecent. Put an outer garment on her.”

“Ahem! The Prince speaks most truly!” Zhou Wei was taken aback for an instant before he realized that Gu Chengyu was referring to having Xue Shuyao clothed again. It seemed this woman’s relationship with the Regent King was far from ordinary!

This case was one the Regent King had persuaded the Emperor to accept in person—then what exactly was the relationship between this woman and the Regent King, that she could make him disregard even his own teacher?

“Present your evidence of guilt!” Zhou Wei shot Gu Chengyu a glance; he was no longer sure what Gu Chengyu intended.

The officials present all kept their eyes to their noses and their noses to their hearts, adopting a stance of noninvolvement. The Regent King wished to personally sit in on the hearing; this clearly signaled his intention to intervene.

This time too many officials were implicated, some of rank far higher than theirs. They dared not do such a thankless task. Better to dump the matter on Zhou Wei—offending people was something they absolutely must not do.

Xue Shuyao just managed to steady herself in a kneeling posture. With trembling hands she drew out from her outer garment the letters and evidence Gu Chengyu had previously returned to her—these were the Xue Family’s last hope.

“This king has reviewed the dossiers of the Three Ministries. There are indeed doubts in the case of the Xue Family’s collusion with Da Xing. But the preservation of the original evidence from that year is incomplete, and several witnesses have already passed away. What you hold cannot serve as the most direct basis. It contains only letters about Grand Tutor Liang and others colluding with Da Xing. Even if the private seals on these letters are genuine, that cannot prove they themselves authored them. Though a private seal is meant to be kept secret, it is not impossible for others to steal it. As for the handwriting, there are plenty of people in this world skilled at imitation.”

Gu Chengyu suddenly spoke, startling Zhou Wei, who had been about to question her, into looking over at him.

All eyes in the hall shifted to Gu Chengyu. Clearly, they had been wise not to step forward.

“Since that is the case, we can only wait until the matter has been thoroughly investigated before making any final judgment. This case is to be re-entrusted to Dali Temple for verification. Once new evidence emerges, it will then be transferred to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation. The witnesses from that year must be reexamined as well. She is to be taken into custody pending trial; sentence will only be passed once this matter is brought to a close.”

Having spoken, Gu Chengyu rose and left the main hall, leaving everyone staring at one another, at a loss for words.

Zhou Wei returned to his office and began carefully combing through the oversights in the case from that year.

There was nothing for it—who told this matter to land squarely on his shoulders? He sighed. To his mind, that case had indeed been wrapped up in haste; there were far too many flaws. Though the physical evidence was abundant, it consisted solely of letters and nothing else.

As everyone knew, letters were the easiest things to forge—only the private seal was not so easy to obtain.

As for those witnesses, that was an even greater loophole. On closer examination, the testimony given by Xue Haozhen’s personal followers diverged in some respects from other witnesses’ statements; key details were never properly explained. And some confessions were taken in a single round, without repeated cross-checking, which was highly irregular.

Zhou Wei could not help thinking of Xia Qing. Back then, in the case of the Xue Family’s extermination, Xia Qing had contributed greatly; yet Xia Qing himself was precisely the traitor who betrayed the court and colluded with Da Xing. If the events of that year had been Xia Qing’s fabrication, that would hardly be impossible.

Involuntarily, his gaze dropped again to the evidence Xue Shuyao had presented. As for the accusation that Liang Zhirui had colluded with the enemy and sold out the country, he did not believe it in the slightest. If he truly had ties with Da Xing, then after becoming Grand Secretary, why would he resign his post and retire to his native place? If he remained in the court, could he not continue to serve Da Xing?

Had it not been for the Regent King’s success in the imperial examinations and his later becoming Liang Zhirui’s disciple, Liang Zhirui would probably never have returned to service in his lifetime. Was he supposed to possess some gift of foresight, knowing what would occur so many years later? That would be sheer fantasy.

Only now Zhou Wei found himself wavering. No, he had to find a way to sound out the Regent King’s attitude.

“Lord Zhou, this humble one is Ming Mo, a follower in the Prince’s service! The Prince has sent me to relay a message: he bids you take careful care of Miss Xue.” Ming Mo bowed to Zhou Wei, delivering Gu Chengyu’s instructions.

The Prince’s meaning was that Xue Shuyao must not die—at the very least, not before the truth of this matter was fully uncovered. There were still Hidden Guards of Da Xing lurking within the court; they had to be uprooted entirely.

Zhou Wei at once replied with a smile, “So it is Brother Ming Mo. Miss Xue is the orphan left by the Xue Family, and since this matter has not yet been truly clarified, ensuring Miss Xue’s safety is a duty that falls naturally within my office. Please assure the Prince he may set his mind at ease; I will certainly give this matter due weight.”

Once Ming Mo had departed, Zhou Wei’s smile vanished at once. The Prince’s intention could not be more obvious—heroes, it seemed, were no match for a fair maiden’s charms!

Half a month passed. Yan Bi finally set foot once more on the soil of the Capital. No sooner had she disembarked from the boat than she was escorted straight to the Prince Mansion.

She clutched the small booklet at her breast, her heart in turmoil.

Back then, if not for these so-called Zu Ziheng, she would never have drifted from place to place, becoming the despised Dark Woman Chang. The past was too painful to revisit. She had thought it all over, that those who hunted her had been completely removed. Who could have known she still could not escape?

“Yilan!” The moment Gu Chengyu entered the private room, he saw the woman before him, unable to sit or stand still.

Yan Bi’s whole body shook. This name—how many years had it been since she last heard it? In her ears it was at once familiar and strange.

“Yes.”

“As for what happened back then, I need hardly spell it out for you. Hand over the evidence of guilt you carry on your person.” Gu Chengyu had long since heard the servants from the Prefecture report that this woman indeed carried a booklet of incriminating evidence on her.

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