Chapter 1134: Joint Trial of the Three Judicial Agencies

By the time Dong Chiyu hurried to the Dong Estate, she heard only a chorus of weeping. A crowd of onlookers had gathered to watch the spectacle. Moving a little closer, she recognized the wailing voice of the Dong family's old madame.

"What happened here?"

"Heh, it's quite the spectacle. People from the Court of Judicial Review came by just now, and without a word, they arrested everyone from the first and second branches of the Dong family! If you ask me, the Dong family is finished."

Dong Chiyu froze. She parted her lips and asked, "How long ago did the people from the Court of Judicial Review leave?"

"Not long. I'd guess they're almost back to the Court of Judicial Review by now."

Dong Chiyu gave a quick word of thanks and hurried toward the Court of Judicial Review.

Once she arrived, however, she realized she had underestimated the scale of the scene.

Officials from the Ministry of Punishments, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate were all present.

A wave of panic washed over Dong Chiyu. She had no idea what Ruyi was trying to do.

Inside the main hall of the Court of Judicial Review, Ruyi sat in a chair off to the side. An Imperial Waist Token hung at her waist, and she held a sword in her hand. Her eyes were fixed coldly on the person kneeling before the tribunal.

"Bang!!"

"You wicked woman, Li Feng! Liu Shuang has confessed everything about how you instigated her to frame Dong Sanniang. Do you still refuse to plead guilty?!"

The high officials presiding over the hall wore solemn expressions. They never could have imagined that their first Joint Trial of the Three Judicial Agencies after taking their positions would be over a case from the previous dynasty.

By all logic, the Dong family were remnants of the previous dynasty; quietly killing them off wouldn't have mattered. The officials didn't understand what this woman of unknown origin was trying to achieve, but they had to cooperate with her regardless. After all, a Joint Trial of the Three Judicial Agencies was a rare occurrence.

Down on the floor, Li Feng panicked upon hearing this. "Milords, I am innocent! I never instigated her to frame Sanniang! I didn't! She's speaking nonsense, utter nonsense! She's framing me!"

"Fine, fine, fine. Still stubborn, even at death's door."

The official from the Ministry of Punishments spoke up. "Let me ask you this. On the night Dong Sanniang was murdered, where were you?"

Li Feng froze for a moment. "I... I was sleeping. I was asleep, milord."

"You claim you were sleeping?" The official from the Ministry of Punishments sneered. "Bring in the witness!"

A moment later, guards escorted an old servant into the hall.

Li Feng stared blankly at the man. "Who are you?"

But the memory came flooding back a second later, and her eyes went wide.

"Madam, do you truly not remember me?" the old servant asked. "Back then, to cover your tracks, you claimed you were giving me silver as hush money and sending me to the countryside to lay low. Who would have thought you actually intended to silence me for good? I bet you didn't expect this, Madam. Not only did I survive, I'm still alive and well."

Li Feng stared at him, her expression turning vacant. "No... no, impossible. You can't be... How could you still be alive?! They clearly told me that..."

She caught herself, cutting her words off abruptly.

Ruyi arched an eyebrow. "Told you what? That he was already dead?"

The color drained from Li Feng's face. She glared viciously at Ruyi. "Who are you?! We have no grudges between us! Why are you trying to ruin me?!"

Ruyi frowned and glanced at the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review beside her.

The minister understood implicitly. "You wicked woman," he barked. "How dare you make a scene in this court and disrespect your superiors! Guards, slap her."

The guards dealt over a dozen resounding slaps to Li Feng's face. She wailed endlessly, begging for mercy as her cheeks swelled and turned a violent shade of red. But she was held fast, unable to struggle.

Ruyi stood up. "The witness is right in front of you. Second Madam, do you still refuse to plead guilty?"

After being slapped repeatedly, the dazed Li Feng finally seemed to sober up a bit.

She knew perfectly well that the events from back then couldn't stand up to the slightest scrutiny. Moreover, seeing the expressions of the officials presiding over the court, she realized that whether she had committed the crime or not, she was going to die. There was no way out. The Dong family was a relic of the previous dynasty; now that the era had changed, they were nothing more than ants.

Tears spilled from her bloodshot eyes, and she lowered her head.

"I confess..."

Ruyi looked down at her coldly. "Bring her a brush and ink. Write down exactly how you instigated Eldest Madam Dong to conspire and murder Dong Sanniang! Sign it and stamp it with your thumbprint!"

Tears streaming down her face, Li Feng wrote out her confession of the events from that year, stroke by stroke.

Ruyi stood before the tribunal, watching her in silence.

The three high officials beside her maintained their imposing stares, and the guards of the Magistrate's Office lining the hall all wore grim expressions.

Shortly after, the written confession was handed over.

Li Feng glared at Ruyi. "You'll die a horrible death!"

Ruyi merely smiled mildly, dropping her gaze to the confession.

"Milord, what sentence does this criminal's offense carry?"

The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review paused for a moment before returning a courteous bow. "To answer the Young Lady," he said, "for conspiring to take a human life resulting in death, the law dictates that the principal offender be sentenced to beheading. Accomplices are divided into two categories: those who directly carried out the deed are sentenced to hanging, while those who participated in the planning but did not strike the blow are punished with one hundred strokes of the heavy bamboo and exiled three thousand li away. Since Li Feng is the mastermind in this case, she is to be beheaded in public."

When the presiding official pronounced this sentence, Li Feng clearly stiffened, her body breaking into an uncontrollable tremble.

Ruyi looked down at her. "Did you hear that?"

Li Feng began to struggle wildly, like a desperate final fight before death. She glared at Ruyi once more. "Why?! I don't even know you! Why did you have to destroy me like this?!"

Ruyi walked over and stood right in front of her. "You ask why I ruined you?"

"Why would I bother? Weren't you the one who ruined someone else?"

Ruyi crouched down and said, "Did you think no one knew what you did? That your scheme was flawless? What a joke. I had a hundred ways to make you die a quiet, silent death, but I didn't think that was good enough. Otherwise, Blockhead's mother would have died an unjust, obscure death, and no one would have ever known she was murdered."

Li Feng froze. A sudden vicious light flared in her eyes. "It's for that little slut!"

A figure suddenly shot forward.

Ruyi paused, turning her head to look.

The guards of the Magistrate's Office stepped up to intervene, but Ruyi raised a hand to hold them back.

"Smack!!"

A harsh slap struck Li Feng across the face.

Ruyi let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Dong Chiyu stared coldly at Li Feng, murderous intent surging in her eyes.

Li Feng's lips trembled as she raised her head to look at her.

"You... you..."

Dong Chiyu raised her hand and delivered another vicious slap.

But the next moment, her eyes went red, and tears spilled down her cheeks.

Ruyi froze for a moment, making no move to stop her.

Dong Chiyu didn't say a word. She just kept slapping her.

"Smack!!"

The crisp, violent sounds of slaps echoed continuously throughout the court hall.

Within moments, the woman on the floor was beaten into a bloody, incoherent mess.

The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review hurried down from his seat. "Young Lady," he said to Ruyi, "if she takes any more beatings, she'll die right here. This is against regulations. This is the Joint Trial of the Three Judicial Agencies, after all... Please..."

Ruyi nodded. She finally stepped forward and pulled Dong Chiyu back.

Dong Chiyu's eyes were bloodshot, and she was panting heavily.

A moment later, she threw herself into Ruyi's arms.

Her tears quickly soaked through Ruyi's robes.

Ruyi hesitated for a moment before saying, "Blockhead, don't cry... don't cry..."

"What a mess you are..."