"Lord Jiang," Sun Xu said with a stern face, "the courtroom is not a place for you to act recklessly. Let us first hear the witness's testimony. May all examinees succeed in their exams!"
Before Jiang Quan could speak, Butterfly kowtowed to Sun Xu and said, "Your Honor, this servant is here to confess the crimes committed by the mistress back then." She kept her head lowered, but her voice was clear and audible, just enough to reach the ears of the onlookers outside: "When the late mistress was still alive, my current mistress was merely a concubine. Though the master doted on the concubine and her daughter, the mistress held the position of the principal wife. The concubine, being proud and haughty by nature and coming from a noble family, naturally resented being subordinate. Even though her living conditions in the Shangshu residence were not poor—sometimes even surpassing the late mistress in status—she remained unsatisfied."
Though Butterfly's words seemed merely factual, they carried a vastly different implication to those listening. Everyone knew how Xia Cheng had obtained his title—had his brothers not died early, it would never have fallen to him, a mere illegitimate son. Even that title only came after Xia Yan entered the Shangshu residence. Before that, she was nothing more than the daughter of a minor official's illegitimate son—hardly what one would call nobility. It was laughable that she dared to claim such a background. Had she truly been from a noble family, why would Jiang Quan have married Zhao Mei instead of Xia Yan? If even the daughter of an illegitimate son was so vain, and if, as Butterfly claimed, Xia Yan's status in the Shangshu residence surpassed Zhao Mei's, was this not a clear case of favoring the concubine over the wife?
Though rumors of Jiang Quan's exclusive favor toward Xia Yan had circulated before, most assumed it only began after Zhao Mei's death. Yet it seemed Jiang Quan had gone to such extremes shortly after Zhao Mei's marriage into the household. Was it not obvious that he had married her for her family's influence, only to reveal his true colors once he realized it brought him no political advantage?
Butterfly continued, "Later... later, the concubine thought that since the master was a court official, he could not divorce his wife without cause, meaning she would remain subordinate forever. Unwilling to accept this, she decided to poison the late mistress. Back then, the concubine spent a fortune to acquire exotic poison and mixed it into the late mistress's daily meals. The late mistress was slowly poisoned, and as the toxins accumulated, she eventually perished. The master knew of this—once, he discovered the concubine's poison and even warned her to be careful not to leave any evidence." After finishing, Butterfly kowtowed twice more to Sun Xu. "Your Honor, every word I speak is true. I dare not deceive you in the slightest."
"Nonsense! Absolute nonsense!" Jiang Quan pointed at Butterfly and roared, "Who gave you the audacity to spout such lies and stir trouble? Butterfly, don’t forget who you are! You are a servant of the Jiang household!"
Butterfly shook her head. "The master must have forgotten—Butterfly's deed of sale is no longer in your possession. I am no longer a servant of the Shangshu residence." Though she struggled to suppress her emotions, a trace of hatred flickered in her eyes.
Jiang Quan fell silent. Sun Xu slammed the gavel heavily. "Order in the court!"
Kneeling on the ground, Butterfly made a startling declaration: "Your Honor, this commoner has further evidence to present!"
Jiang Quan froze. Sun Xu asked gravely, "Where is this evidence?"Butterfly glanced at Jiang Ruan, who sat composedly in her seat, the faint smile at her lips unwavering from beginning to end. Feeling reassured, Butterfly spoke candidly: "It was in Madam's own residence. Since the medicine was extremely precious at the time, and Madam couldn't predict when the late Madam would become critically ill, she thought the medicine might still be useful later. So she ordered me to keep it. That very day, I buried the medicine packet under a tree in Madam's courtyard. As for the prescription, it was probably preserved. Later, the Master said it might be useful and kept it himself in a box in his study. Coincidentally, the Master seemed to have forgotten about that box afterward. Once, when Madam had me tidy the study, I placed that box into the innermost wooden chest. That chest hasn't been touched for many years, as it only contains old items."
Zhao Guang cupped his hands toward Sun Xu, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Lord Sun, now that the evidence has been presented, shouldn't we send someone to search?"
"Naturally," Sun Xu replied gravely. "This official has already ordered officers to search the Minister's residence."
Jiang Quan sneered coldly: "Utterly ridiculous! Do you think a few wild accusations can convict me? Butterfly, it seems you have no fear of death!" He felt utterly confident—the officers would certainly find nothing in the residence. Not only had he never directly intervened when Xia Yan poisoned the late Madam, but Xia Yan herself wasn't foolish enough to leave behind evidence. She was meticulous, ensuring no traces remained. Though he didn't know what Jiang Ruan had offered Butterfly to fabricate false testimony, Jiang Quan was certain no one could easily infiltrate the Minister's residence. Especially the study, the most crucial area—he inspected it multiple times daily. Some wooden chest? Some box? He had never heard of such things.
Butterfly was likely just spinning lies without any real proof. Without proof, there could be no conviction—what could Butterfly possibly do? As he thought this, he turned to observe Jiang Ruan's expression. She sat upright, and as if sensing his gaze, she turned to him with a faint smile. Her smile was even more composed than his own, carrying a hint of subtle mockery. That look instantly sharpened Jiang Quan's mind, sending a chill of apprehension through him. He knew all too well how sinister this daughter of his could be. Over the years, neither the Xia Family nor Xia Yan had ever gained the upper hand against her. Even if the Jiang residence were an impenetrable fortress, there was no guarantee she wouldn't devise some bizarre scheme to harm them.At that moment, the officers in charge of the search returned. The leader of the group announced his presence before striding into the hall, bending down to whisper a few words to Sun Xu. As Sun Xu listened, he glanced at Jiang Quan, whose heart immediately sank. Before Jiang Quan could gather his thoughts, Sun Xu slammed the gavel and shouted, "Jiang Quan, how dare you! As an official of the court, you failed to manage your household strictly, allowing your concubine to harm others—even colluding with her to plot against your lawful wife! What punishment do you deserve? The officers have already found evidence in a wooden box from your room. What do you have to say for yourself?" With that, the officer beside him presented an iron case. Everyone watched clearly as Sun Xu personally opened it, revealing a thin piece of paper fluttering inside—undeniable proof under the public gaze.
Zhao Yuanping stood up and walked over to Sun Xu, requesting to examine the paper himself. After quickly scanning it, he returned it to Sun Xu and turned to Jiang Quan with an icy smile. "Lord Jiang, what meticulous planning and cunning indeed. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed such a heartless and ungrateful man existed in this world."
Zhao Yuanping was known for his subtle yet cutting sarcasm. Jiang Quan turned livid with rage at his words, but disbelief soon followed. Though he had come to court today, he had thoroughly inspected his study before leaving and had seen no wooden box or case. How could such evidence suddenly appear? "This is absolutely not my doing!" he protested. "Sun Xu, as the head of the Judicial Bureau, you must investigate thoroughly before drawing conclusions. How dare you arrest me based on a mere prescription? This is clearly a deliberate frame-up! Surely you must realize that?"
"This official only follows the evidence," Sun Xu replied calmly. He was not oblivious to the threat in Jiang Quan's words, but this case was no ordinary one. The plaintiff was none other than Xiao Shao's wife—now the Princess of Brocade Glory, formerly the Princess of Great Peace. The influence of the Brocade Hero King Manor behind her was well-known throughout the Da Jin Dynasty's official circles. Xiao Shao himself had given explicit instructions, so how could Sun Xu dare to slack off? Moreover, the victim in this case was the treasured daughter of the General's Residence. Without a proper resolution, given the Zhao family's notoriously protective nature, they might very well tear down the Judicial Bureau. And that wasn't even considering the pressure from the palace.
Though the Judicial Bureau specialized in cases others dared not touch—even those involving high-ranking officials—Sun Xu had built his career on the Emperor's favor and didn’t need to cater to anyone’s whims. But when it came to the Emperor’s trusted confidants, he knew the principle: "Clear waters breed no fish." Over the years, Sun Xu had managed to hold onto his position despite its controversial nature precisely because he was adept at navigating politics. Now, with Xuan Pei's rising status in the palace and the Emperor's growing favor, the power struggle between the Fifth Prince and the Eighth Prince was intensifying. Who could say where the throne would ultimately land? Perhaps the future crown prince of the Da Jin Dynasty would be none other than the newly prominent Thirteenth Prince. Xuan Pei had personally sent word—though Sun Xu didn’t know the reason—and the pressure was palpable. Having worked alongside these figures for so long, Sun Xu understood one thing clearly: Jiang Quan would find it nearly impossible to escape unscathed this time. Every person he had offended possessed the power to destroy him.Zhao Yuanfeng said leisurely, "Lord Jiang, that Minister's Residence is your estate, so naturally only your people can enter. If you don't even know when that box was placed there, how can you seek answers from us outsiders? You should know that since its establishment, apart from my younger sister, no one from the Zhao family has ever set foot in your Minister's Residence."
Zhao Yuanfeng's words carried no small amount of sarcasm. Back when Zhao Mei had severed ties with the Zhao family, and after her death, the Jiang family had also prohibited all interactions with the General's Residence. They even secretly regarded the General's Residence as a formidable rival. The Zhao and Jiang families had never gotten along, so the idea of Zhao family members entering the Jiang residence was out of the question.
Jiang Quan had run into a wall but had no intention of engaging in a war of words with Zhao Yuanfeng. Now, he realized the gravity of the situation. With both witnesses and material evidence present, and considering Sun Xu's attitude, it would be extremely difficult to escape blame. At this point, the usually confident Jiang Quan began to panic. He racked his brain trying to figure out how the box had appeared in his study, his gaze sweeping aimlessly through the crowd before suddenly freezing.
A familiar figure stood among the crowd—a relatively young and beautiful woman. Jiang Ruan was stunned, several thoughts flashing through her mind before she suddenly shouted, "Xia Yue! You vile woman, how dare you harm me!"
The woman in the crowd was none other than Xia Yue, the current mistress of the Minister's Residence. Initially, she had avoided Jiang Quan's gaze by lowering her head, but now, hearing him shout at her so loudly, she flushed with anger and remained silent for a moment.
Jiang Quan seemed to have pieced everything together in an instant. Without regard for the occasion, he began to loudly berate her: "It's her! This vile woman colluded with outsiders to harm me. My study is usually only accessible to her! Only she could have slipped that thing in unnoticed in such a short time. Xia Yue, I treated you well, yet you are so cruel as to murder your own husband! You poisonous woman!"
Xia Yue stood in the crowd as all eyes turned to her. She held back for a moment before suddenly shedding two streams of tears. "Master, ever since I married you, have I ever done anything wrong? How could you treat me like this, even pinning such a grave accusation on me? How could I ever frame you, Master? If anything were to happen to you, what future would a helpless woman like me have? I know your love for Sister Yan runs deep, and since I entered this household, I have never won your affection. But Master, I am also your wife. How could you treat me like this?" Her frail and timid appearance made her words all the more heart-wrenching. She knelt and kowtowed several times toward the courtroom door. "Fine, Master. Since we were once husband and wife, if my life can save yours, then I am willing to do so! It's true—I was the one who placed that box and wooden chest!"She spoke these words with tears streaming down her face, nearly fainting from grief. People have always sympathized with the weak, and when the weak happen to be a beautiful woman, that sympathy doubles. The more Xia Yue spoke like this, the more the crowd suspected that Jiang Quan had even framed his newly wedded wife—truly a selfish and self-serving man. Xia Yue's words were entirely reasonable. Indeed, with the Xia Family now gone, why would she frame Jiang Quan? If the Jiang household collapsed, she would become a widow, and life would be all the harder for her. As for Xia Yue's claim that Jiang Quan still pined for Xia Yan, the crowd inwardly scoffed. Only a man like Jiang Quan would cling to the memory of a woman who had been unfaithful and dishonored him with infidelity. Truly, like husband, like wife.
Jiang Ruan watched Xia Yue's performance in the crowd with an amused smile. The women of the Xia Family seemed born with a talent for acting, especially when it came to eliciting tears and sympathy. Back then, Jiang Quan had fallen for Xia Yan's act. Now that Xia Yan had been replaced by Xia Yue, one wondered if Jiang Quan could still stomach it. The lies and tears of women were something only those who had experienced them firsthand could truly understand. By now, Jiang Quan must have grown thoroughly disgusted with the Xia Family.
Xia Yue was a clever woman. With the Xia Family fallen, she, a mere pawn meant to maintain ties between the Xia and Jiang families, had lost her usefulness. Xia Yue knew full well that, given Jiang Quan's ambition, he would eventually kick her aside as an inconvenient obstacle. Moreover, as the current mistress of the Jiang household, she was well aware of its true state—a hollow shell of a mansion destined to collapse sooner or later. Jiang Quan treated her with indifference, and Xia Yue, still in the bloom of youth, was far from content. The women of the Xia Family had always been ambitious, and Xia Yue, even as a distant cousin, would never resign herself to obscurity. Jiang Ruan had struck a deal with her, and for the sake of her own future, Xia Yue had betrayed Jiang Quan without hesitation.
Jiang Quan was beside himself with rage. The suspicious gazes of the crowd bore into him, and he searched desperately for someone to speak in his defense—only to realize that no one was left to do so. His wife, his children, his colleagues, even his allies—none stood by him now. Suddenly, he realized he had been abandoned, reduced to a useless, discarded pawn.
"Is this what you wanted?" Jiang Quan fixed his heavy gaze on Jiang Ruan and let out a bitter laugh. "You turned everyone against me. My own daughter—ha! I never knew I had raised such a fine daughter!""Those who commit many unrighteous deeds will inevitably bring about their own downfall," Jiang Ruan replied indifferently. "Lord Jiang, the gods watch from above. When you did all those things to my mother, you should have foreseen this outcome." Yes, she wanted Jiang Quan to taste the bitterness of being abandoned by all. In her past life, this father had strategized meticulously, turning everyone he disregarded into mere pawns in his hands, stepping stones for the Jiang family, paving the way step by step for Jiang Susu's rise to the position of empress. Every bit of the Jiang family's glory had been built upon the blood of her and her two brothers. Now, it was Jiang Quan's turn to experience that taste—the helpless struggle, the loneliness and despair, the sudden realization of being betrayed by everyone, the ridiculousness of finding oneself utterly worthless. Enjoy playing chess? Fine! In this life, the roles would be reversed. She would dictate the game, and he—he would be nothing more than a useless piece in the final move, a discarded pawn!
Jiang Quan abruptly fell silent. He stared straight at Jiang Ruan, her undisguised hatred and frenzied gaze burning into his eyes. A sudden fear gripped him. He couldn't fathom the source of her hatred—how could a person wear such a terrifying expression, like a beast ready to devour its prey?
"Jiang Quan, do you plead guilty?" Sun Xu, seeing that the commotion had gone on long enough, struck the gavel and demanded.
Jiang Quan turned his head woodenly toward Sun Xu on the bench. Slowly, a smile crept onto his face. Standing in the center, he spoke with disdain, "Sun Xu, what’s with this righteous act? We serve the same court—none of us are clean. Today, you treat me like this, and I admit my power falls short. I have nothing to say, so I’ll plead guilty! But mark my words—I yield only to power. Had my influence been even slightly stronger, I would have fought to the end!"
Hearing his words, the corners of Jiang Ruan’s eyes curved downward slightly as she smiled faintly. Truly, Jiang Quan—after years in office, he had instantly grasped the crux of the matter. Today, witnesses weren’t the most important, nor was evidence. What truly mattered was how the case was judged, and Sun Xu’s attitude was the decisive factor. Jiang Quan had likely assumed Sun Xu wouldn’t dare go too far out of professional courtesy. But Sun Xu’s stance could only mean one thing: someone was backing Jiang Ruan. Whoever that person was, they must wield considerable influence to make Sun Xu bend so easily. Even in pleading guilty, Jiang Quan had left himself an out—his ostentatious admission was laced with insinuations, planting seeds of doubt. Even in defeat, he sought to tarnish Jiang Ruan and Sun Xu with a smear of suspicion. Such cunning malice.But how could Jiang Quan do such a thing? Jiang Ruan smiled faintly. Jiang Quan had never wasted time on meaningless matters. Since he had already confessed, what purpose would this insignificant mudslinging serve? Such behavior resembled the desperate flailing of a powerless man with no options left, which Jiang Ruan found utterly laughable. She slowly rose and walked toward Jiang Quan. The crowd silently watched this father and daughter pair—Jiang Quan, his aged face flushed crimson and contorted with agitation, his already gaunt cheekbones appearing almost darkened, bearing no resemblance to the dashing young official he once was; Jiang Ruan, in the bloom of youth with snow-white skin and flower-like beauty, her expression utterly composed, even carrying a hint of gentle amusement.
One ugly, one beautiful; one frenzied, one serene; one raging, one smiling—they appeared nothing like father and daughter. As Jiang Ruan stopped before Jiang Quan, he glared at her fiercely, his eyes filled with fury, resentment, and even a trace of fear, but not a shred of warmth. Jiang Ruan was long accustomed to this. She sighed softly and said gently, "So even the once-ambitious Lord Jiang, who prided himself on his unyielding integrity, would bow to power in the end."
Her sigh-laden words struck Jiang Quan like a hammer blow. Vaguely, he recalled his days as a rising star in court—his ambitions boundless, yet his fortunes paper-thin. He had spent years cultivating an image of incorruptible purity, only to now willingly admit submission to power. This was a fatal blow, an unbearable humiliation—and the shame came from this daughter he had trampled into the dirt.
The more radiant Jiang Ruan appeared, the more acutely Jiang Quan felt his own wretchedness. At heart, he was a cowardly hypocrite who had always cared deeply about others' perceptions, hence his decades-long pretense of uprightness. With that facade now torn away, he could bear it no longer. A surge of breathlessness overwhelmed him, and he collapsed unconscious.
Two bailiffs promptly carried Jiang Quan away. Sun Xu slammed the gavel and declared, "The criminal Jiang Quan has confessed in court! Conspiring with his concubine Xia to murder his lawful wife and abuse his children—these heinous crimes are proven beyond doubt, witnessed by all! The state has its laws, the family its rules. For such wickedness, he is sentenced to the Heavenly Prison, with judgment to be pronounced tomorrow!"
The crowd outside watching the commotion immediately erupted into an uproar. Zhao Guang clenched his fists tightly. He had restrained himself well today, but even after hearing Jiang Quan confess his crimes and knowing he couldn't escape punishment, Zhao Guang still couldn't control his emotions. Zhao Yuanjia comforted him, while Zhao Yuanping and Zhao Yuanfeng exchanged glances, their expressions grave.
Jiang Ruan stood indifferently in place, watching as Jiang Quan was dragged away. Slowly lowering her eyes, she thought: Was this the end? Of course not.
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