When Mingyu arrived at the Lu Mansion, Lu Hao was listening to Hong Fanger talking about having tea with Mingyu in the afternoon.
"Cousin." Hong Fang'er exaggerated and said, her face wrinkled with a look of grievance, "Aunt is right, Xu Mingyu is not a good person!"
“I thought it was nothing…” Lu Hao shook his head and laughed, “It’s just a joke. Fortunately you believed it. Just say it to me. Don’t tell my mom or your mom.” He has experienced this drama between three women for more than ten years and has learned it thoroughly.
Mingyu was such a smart girl that she could see that Fang'er would be his concubine in the future. In his opinion, these harsh words were nothing more than petty tricks of jealousy among women. Which woman is not jealous? Moreover, Mingyu was only a girl of fifteen or sixteen years old. No matter how smart she was, it would be strange if she could like Hong Fang'er.
It was just a few harsh words, how could she really do such things? Those daughters of noble birth, even if they were princesses, were all very powerful before they got married. After they got married, they still had to serve and please their parents-in-law and husbands, take care of the backyard and take care of the illegitimate children, and seek respect from their husbands. No matter how noble Mingyu was, she could not be more noble than those daughters of noble birth.
However, Lu Hao was secretly happy. Mingyu would be jealous. Doesn't this prove that Mingyu has him in her heart? He already regarded himself as the future Mrs. Lu. He didn't like the future Concubine Hong and threatened her.
This cognition made Lu Hao happy, but this kind of overbearing temper was not acceptable... Lu Hao squinted his eyes and looked at the sunset in the sky. A woman should not be spoiled too much, and she should not be allowed to do whatever she wants. Otherwise, she would not know the highness of the heaven and the depth of the earth, and would lose her duty of being virtuous and respectful. Mingyu's rebellious thoughts should never be allowed in the future.
Mingyu's temper. Before they talked about marriage, Lu Hao felt that she was very novel and very much to his taste. He had never seen a girl who could make him so worried. But if he really married her and entrusted her with the household chores, he would feel that this kind of cruel temper was not acceptable and he had to change it until it suited him.
I need to temper her temper, Lu Hao thought.
When Xiao Qi came in to tell Mingyu that she wanted to see him, Lu Hao thought that Mingyu regretted what she said to Hong Fang'er in the afternoon, and came to find out the details out of guilt. He laughed secretly, women are sensitive, and the marriage is already a done deal, can he not propose marriage because of these few words
However, when Lu Hao saw Mingyu at the majestic gate of the Lu Mansion, Mingyu looked anxious and did not look like she was here to apologize. Before Lu Hao could speak, Mingyu went straight to the point and said, "Lord Lu, my brother was framed and brought to court. Can you help him?"
Lu Hao was shocked. He came out of the palace and went straight home. He hadn't heard about this yet. At the same time, he realized that Mingyu came so late, and her purpose must not be as simple as he thought. He looked around and saw that no one passed by the gate of Lu's mansion at night. He said to Mingyu, "Come in and tell me in detail."
Mingyu was concerned about the Lu family and Mrs. Lu, who was not an easy person to deal with. She was worried about Xu Mingye's matter, so it was not convenient for her to meet Mrs. Lu at this time. If Mrs. Lu said something sarcastic, neither of them would be able to get off the stage. Now that she had something to ask of Lu Hao, she said, "No, let's talk about it here. It will only take a few words."
Seeing her insistence, Lu Hao smiled, thinking that the girl was shy and didn't want to step into her husband's house at this time, so he said, "Then tell me, what is the situation."
Mingyu repeated everything she knew. Seeing that Lu Hao remained silent, Mingyu quickly said, "Master Lu, you know what kind of person my brother is. He has no grudge against that person and may not even know him. How could he force someone to death?"
Lu Hao nodded. He believed in Xu Mingye's character on this point. Besides, with Xu Mingye's brain, he had many ways to kill people. It was probably not necessary for him to use such a thankless method and lose himself.
"It seems that the victim's family is determined to make a big deal out of this. They must involve Mingye and make him unable to extricate himself. They are asking for a huge amount of money..." Lu Hao said slowly, "They can't find anyone else, so they can only say that Mingye was the murderer." Setting up a mourning hall at the gate of the yamen and insisting that Xu Mingye was the murderer, I'm afraid the news has already spread in the capital. This matter is very tricky.
The night wind gradually picked up, and the early autumn night was already cool. Mingyu felt that her body was burning, and she was so anxious that she was about to burst into flames. She nodded patiently and said, "Yes, that's it. My brother must have been wronged. I don't know what to do, so I had to come to you."
Lu Hao was about to go out to find Jingzhao Yin immediately, but when he saw Mingyu with a look of panic and worry on her face and thought about what happened just now, he changed his mind. Mingyu's temper still needs to be tempered down a bit so that she can understand what she should do.
In a perfunctory tone, Lu Hao smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll think about what to do. You go home first and we'll talk tomorrow."
Mingyu opened her mouth and swallowed the words she was about to say. She looked at Lu Hao's gentle and friendly face, and finally bowed, and went back with Lixiang and Dongyuan. On the carriage on the way back, Mingyu sat silently in the dark, her heart cold. Lu Hao's attitude was unclear. From beginning to end, she didn't feel how anxious Lu Hao was and how much he wanted to help. It seemed that it had nothing to do with him. The trial would start early tomorrow morning. Even if she had to think of a way, she would act tonight and talk about it tomorrow? Is there still time to talk about it tomorrow
When they got home, Xu Changqian hadn't come back yet. Madam Xu hurried over to him, took Mingyu by the hand and asked, "What did Lord Lu say?"
Mingyu looked at her mother, whose face was filled with hope and expectation, and could not bear to say anything else. She only said vaguely, "Lord Lu told us not to worry, and he will think of a solution."
Madam Xu let out a long sigh, her face was filled with joy, she clasped her hands together and bowed to the east, saying, "That's good, that's good." Lu Hao was in a high position, so he should be able to handle this matter. "It's just that I have to owe him another favor." Madam Xu sighed. She didn't know how to politely refuse Lu Hao's marriage proposal, and now she couldn't say it anymore. "I owe him a lot of favors. How can I repay them?"
Mingyu lowered her head and remained silent. Based on Lu Hao's attitude tonight, she had a feeling that she no longer needed to owe him this favor.
It was late at night, and Mingyu was driven back to her room by Mrs. Xu to sleep. She lay in bed, tossing and turning, thinking, it was really ridiculous, Lu Hao's feelings for her were just like this. She thought that if she said that, Lu Hao would come out to help her. Maybe Lu Hao was laughing at her in his heart, he really thought he was a piece of cake.
However, what worries her is that without Lu Hao's help, she doesn't know if Xu Mingye can get out of this unscathed. Thinking of Xu Mingye who is still stuck in the government office, Mingyu feels like she is about to be torn into a ball. She has become accustomed to having such a spoiled brother who loves her but has a vicious mouth. Xu Mingye is in his prime, but he encounters such a thing. If he can't handle it well, in this ancient time where reputation is as great as the sky, it will be a fatal blow to him who has just started everything.
Mingyu woke up at dawn the next day. She didn't know when Xu Changqian came back last night. When she got up, she found that her parents had already gotten up early. The family was worried. They didn't eat last night, so no one felt hungry at this time. Seeing that her parents looked solemn, Mingyu didn't know what happened when her father went to see Master Qi last night, and she didn't dare to ask more.
The family waited in silence until daybreak, and then went to the government office in the capital. As soon as the carriage turned into the street in front of the government office, they saw a row of white cloth wreaths, dozens of people in mourning standing at the entrance of the court, and many women and children in mourning clothes crying.
Mingyu could see clearly that among the dozens of people, only a few were crying sincerely, and many of them had fat faces. Although they were wearing mourning clothes, they did not look sad at all, and they were full of ruffians. They must be the ruffians hired by the victim's family.
Seeing the Xu family arrive, the yamen runners guarding the door hurried over to greet them. When they heard that the Xu family had arrived, a group of people in mourning looked at them unkindly.
Jingzhao Yin had not yet come to the hall, Mingyu and her parents waited in the hall for a while, and finally Jingzhao Yin came and brought Xu Mingye. Mingyu tiptoed to take a look at Xu Mingye, and he looked normal, not as haggard and decadent as she had imagined. She was relieved and could not help but call out, "Brother..."
Xu Mingye waved at her and stood still in the court. More and more people gathered outside the court, but no one said anything. The huge court was so quiet that only the sound of breathing could be heard.
At this meeting, Mingyu saw Lu Hao and Hong Fanger coming over. She was surprised but felt relieved. She nodded to Lu Hao gratefully. Lu Hao's willingness to come to help was beyond her expectation. Mingyu couldn't help but feel a little ashamed when she thought about it. She was a mean person last night.
Jingzhao Yin was in his fifties. He had never expected Lu Hao to come to his court. He was so frightened and excited that he hurriedly walked up to Lu Hao and invited him to sit down. He wanted to give up his seat to Lu Hao so that he could judge the case. Lu Hao politely declined and said with a smile, "Your Excellency will judge the case impartially. I am here just to listen today."
After hearing what Lu Hao said, Jingzhao Yin had no choice but to walk back tremblingly, tears streaming down his face. His position sounds good, but it is actually very difficult. A grasshopper in the capital is bigger than him. For example, today, Xu Mingye and Xu Changqian just came to the capital, without any roots or foundation. Who would have thought that they could invite Lu Hao! I heard that Lu Hao intended to propose to the girl from the Xu family, but I don't know whether it is true or not.
What Mingyu didn't expect was that just as Jingzhao Yin walked back to his seat, he heard someone outside the hall shouting, "Hey, fellow villagers, please make way."
Bai Hao and several strong young men led the way, and Sima Hong followed behind, walking into the court with his chest held high and his head held high.
Mingyu was so surprised that she didn't dare to look up. Why did this idiot come here
"Who is this?" Jingzhao Yin asked curiously. Sima Hong had not been in the capital for a long time, and Jingzhao Yin found him unfamiliar. The legal advisor beside him quickly leaned over to Jingzhao Yin's ear and whispered, "This is the Marquis of Anxi, a fourth-rank general of Xuanwei. He was the son-in-law of the Xu family before, but they divorced later."
Look at Lu Hao standing on the left, and then look at Sima Hong standing on the right, the two great door gods on the left and right. The expression on Jingzhao Yin's face was as if he had swallowed a double-yolk egg in one gulp, and he choked and rolled his eyes.
Naturally Lu Hao was in a bad mood when he saw Sima Hong. He still remembered the last time this reckless man picked a fight, which not only prevented him from leaving the house for several days, but also caused him to be scolded by the emperor. The saying "enemies become particularly jealous when they meet" was exactly what they were talking about.
Sima Hong was a little surprised to see Lu Hao here. His eyes suddenly darkened and he felt unlucky. He could always run into this Lu who was still coveting his wife. What did Lu Hao like about Mingyu? Couldn't he ask Mingyu to change
"It is a great honor for our humble home to have the presence of Lord Anxi!" Jingzhao Yin got down from his seat again and saluted Sima Hong.
Sima Hong smiled politely and said, "Don't be polite, sir. I am here just to listen to the case today. Just judge the case impartially."
Jing Zhao Yin once again returned to his seat with tears as wide as noodles. It would be great if you were really just here to listen!
The gavel was slammed hard and the Jingzhao Yin announced the opening of the court session. A group of people in mourning began to cry and protest their injustice at the top of their lungs. However, before they could cry out at the loudest, Baihao and several others simultaneously pulled out half of the knives tied at their waists. The shiny blades reflected a dazzling light in the sunlight.
The leader of the crying hooligans was immediately subdued. These people usually only engaged in minor fights. They had never seen real swords and guns in combat. Some people still refused to give up and hid behind others and whispered, "You cannot bring a sword in court. You must punish..."
Before he could finish, a big man next to Baihao stared at him. They were all old soldiers who had crawled out of a pile of dead bodies. They killed people without a trace. Their eyes were fierce and ferocious. The man was so scared that he fell silent in the middle of his words.
Jingzhao Yin was disappointed. Let him carry a sword. They were all great gods. He, a mere land god, could not afford to offend them.
The lawyer came forward and read the petition. The general meaning was that Xu Mingye was accused of forcing someone to death, demanding severe punishment for the murderer and compensation for the losses. Of course, compensation for the losses was the most important thing. Reading the petition, the lawyer shook his head and sighed in his heart. The Zhang family was too short-sighted. They thought the Xu family was easy to kill because they had no roots. Looking at the current situation, they had hit a wall.
After the lawyer finished reading, Jingzhao Yin slammed the gavel and asked, "Zhang Cao, is this your lawsuit?"
A woman in mourning knelt down, hugged her children, and sobbed, "This is exactly what I said. My husband died unjustly. How can we, an orphan and a widow, live?"
Her sorrowful cries immediately attracted discussion and sympathy from the onlookers outside.
Jingzhao Yin slammed the gavel impatiently again, "You said that Lord Xu Mingye was the murderer who forced your husband to death, do you have any evidence?"
The woman pointed at a young man kneeling next to her and cried, "This young man can testify that he saw my husband and Lord Xu enter the box of Mindong Building one after another, and then... my husband died in the box."
Jingzhao Yin looked at Xu Mingye, "Master Xu, do you have anything to say?"
Xu Mingye's expression remained unchanged. He stood straight with his hands behind his back, looking disdainful of arguing. He only said, "If you want to convict me based on the one-sided words of one person, I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public!"
The man next to the woman became excited, stood up, pointed at Xu Mingye and shouted: "None of you officials are good people. If I told a lie, I will be struck by lightning and die a miserable death! I... I will die to prove it to you!" As he said this, he was about to bang his head against the pillar of the lobby, but was hurriedly hugged by several people in mourning, causing a commotion outside the lobby.
The people at this meeting were honest and simple. This young man swore such a solemn oath and was willing to die to prove that he was not lying. This made everyone present believe his words, and there was constant discussion.
Xu Mingye looked coldly at the man who was still pretending to hit the pillar. What? Did he have to do the same as this scoundrel and hit the pillar to prove his innocence
Mingyu's heart jumped up anxiously. She understood that the key to the problem was that the man who served as a witness insisted that he saw Xu Mingye and the deceased together before his death...
"I testify!" Mingyu spoke up. Seeing that everyone around her was looking at her, Mingyu calmed down and said, "I testify that my brother was with me yesterday afternoon."
Since they have witnesses, she can also testify. As long as Xu Mingye can be released safely, she will do anything.
"You are..." Jingzhao Yin asked in a pretentious manner.
Mingyu took a deep breath. She was really not good at lying. Every time she lied, her heart would beat very fast and she could almost hear her nervous heartbeat. Now, she was telling a huge lie in front of so many people in the court. The pressure was so great that she almost couldn't stand it.
Mingyu suppressed her anxiety and nervousness and said, "I am Xu Mingye's sister. My brother was with me yesterday afternoon. We even had dinner at Xu's cloth shop. Later, my brother said he had to go out for a while. But within two quarters of an hour, an official came to my house and said that my brother was sued in court and that he forced someone to death. This is really nonsense."
The victim shouted, "How is this possible? Nonsense!" "She is Xu Mingye's sister, so she will naturally speak for Xu Mingye!" "Someone saw Xu Mingye in Mindong Building in the afternoon, how could it be false?"
Jingzhao Yin didn't care about so many things. He just wanted to close the case quickly. The victim, Zhao Liyou, was originally an unemployed scoundrel. Xu Mingye, a newly-minted Jinshi who had just arrived in the capital, was unlikely to have any grudges with such people. God knows why Zhao Liyou swallowed gold and committed suicide. It seems that he must have offended someone. I don't know why the Zhao family is so determined to blackmail Xu Mingye.
Besides, the two great gods were watching in the court. Just as Jingzhao Yin was about to slam the gavel, he saw the girl next to Lu Hao clearly saying, "Sir, Miss Xu is lying. She was with me yesterday afternoon!"