“Sister Xihe, this fool is the one who ambushed you!” Xue Jinqiao rushed to Shen Xihe’s side as the guards pressed a dark-skinned man in gray clothing down before them.
Shen Xihe glanced at Mo Yu. Mo Yu vaguely remembered the outline: “Looks like him.”
“It’s him!” Xue Jinqiao was unsatisfied with Mo Yu’s hesitant response.
Earlier that day, she had finally managed to escape the tedious customs of the Xue family. Upon arriving at the Princess’s mansion, she learned from Hong Yu that Shen Xihe and Shen Yun’an had gone mountain climbing. She immediately gave chase. At the foot of the mountain, she saw Mo Yuan and Mo Yao with the carriage, indicating Shen Xihe’s group had gone up the mountain.
When she caught up, she saw Mo Yu pursuing someone. She thought following Mo Yu would lead her to Shen Xihe, but Mo Yu turned back midway. She had intended to follow as well, but sensing something was wrong, she ordered her guards to continue the pursuit while she turned back herself, arriving just after Shen Yun’an and Mo Yu.
However, her guards had managed to capture the person Mo Yu had been chasing.
“Why are you arresting me? Randomly seizing people in broad daylight—have you no regard for the law?” The captured man immediately began shouting. “Help! Help! The nobles are committing murder!”
“You—” Xue Jinqiao was so angered she nearly drew her blade to finish him, but she restrained herself in Shen Xihe’s presence.
His loud cries had attracted attention. There were already many people at the foot of the mountain, and they quickly gathered around.
Though Xue Jinqiao and Shen Xihe wore veils, their luxurious clothing made it clear they were nobles. While no one dared to openly intervene, they all gathered around whispering.
Shen Xihe quietly allowed him to continue shouting. As more and more people gathered, she gave Mo Yuan a subtle signal.
Mo Yuan’s fist struck the man’s chest, sending him sprawling to the ground, clutching his chest and coughing violently.
“Help… help…”
Mo Yuan followed with a flying kick that sent the man tumbling over several times, curling up on the ground.
The watching commoners backed away. Many couldn’t bear to watch but dared not speak up, afraid to provoke Shen Xihe’s group.
Mo Yuan stomped down on him again, causing him to cough up blood, and demanded while standing on him: “Who ordered you to do this?”
“Kah kah kah…” The man coughed up several mouthfuls of blood. “I…”
“Although Princess Zhaoning isn’t of royal blood, she was still bestowed her title by His Majesty. How dare you publicly torture commoners like this? Do you not fear bringing shame to the Northwestern King’s reputation and tarnishing His Majesty’s name?” A clear, resonant female voice suddenly rang out.
It came from a woman wearing a lapeled robe. These days, women often wore men’s clothing for convenience when going out, with lapeled robes being particularly fashionable.
She wasn’t pretending to be a man, merely wearing men’s clothing with light makeup and finely drawn eyebrows, giving her a gallant appearance.
Shen Xihe recognized this person—it was Jiang Baiyan, daughter of Jiang Bashi, the Minister of the Imperial Stables. She was said to be as skilled in horsemanship and archery as any man.
“Lady Jiang, who did you see earlier?” Shen Xihe suddenly asked.
Jiang Baiyan was startled, not understanding why Shen Xihe would ask this. She frowned reflexively: “Why do you ask?”
“Perhaps before Lady Jiang stepped forward to uphold justice, you saw someone, or heard someone speak?” Shen Xihe pressed further.
“What exactly are you trying to say?” Jiang Baiyan was completely confused.
“Today, while my brother and I were climbing the mountain, someone released a snake intending to take my life, frightening many other climbers as well,” Shen Xihe said calmly. “This man is the one who released the snake.”
“Slander… pure slander…” The man on the ground squeezed out the words through his pain.
“What evidence do you have?” Jiang Baiyan glanced at him and asked Shen Xihe.
“He caught the snake, and to avoid being bitten, he smeared sulfur on his hands.” Shen Xihe gestured for Mo Yuan to bring the man over. Had she not noticed the yellow sulfur powder on his hands, she wouldn’t have let Mo Yuan act without investigation.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Xue Jinqiao, but with so many people on the mountain, confusion was possible.
But why would an ordinary mountain climber have both hands covered in sulfur?
As Mo Yuan forcefully spread open the yellowed hands, Jiang Baiyan also heard cursing from someone in the crowd who had been frightened earlier. She realized Shen Xihe’s words were likely true. She clasped her hands in greeting: “Please forgive me, Princess. I spoke rashly without verifying the facts.”
Shen Xihe didn’t dwell on it: “Lady Jiang need not blame herself. I deliberately had my subordinate use excessive force on him, knowing you wouldn’t be the only one to think me cruel. I did this because I suspected the person who ordered him must also be here mountain climbing…”
As she spoke, her eyes swept around in a circle with her body. This person had acted opportunistically—they couldn’t have predicted they would rest in the pavilion and planned ahead. Therefore, they wouldn’t have sent only their agent; they must have come themselves to direct the plan against her at any moment.
“This person is meticulous. If not for Miss Seven’s presence, I wouldn’t have caught him either,” Shen Xihe glanced at the man who couldn’t deny the evidence of the sulfur. “Seeing their agent fall into my hands, the mastermind would surely become anxious. I deliberately had my subordinate beat him to provoke righteous individuals’ indignation, knowing they would find someone to speak up for justice.”
Ordinary commoners, even the most upright, would be prudent when faced with nobles like Shen Xihe, as common folk naturally held nobles in fearful respect. The person who could be manipulated to confront Shen Xihe must be of high status, righteous but not particularly clever, or perhaps already prejudiced against Shen Xihe.
Since Jiang Baiyan could openly apologize, she wasn’t prejudiced against Shen Xihe—she must be the former.
“It was the Second Lady of the Rong household!” Jiang Baiyan was also furious now, realizing they had dared to use her after committing such evil. “The Second Lady of the Rong household said the Princess was showing off and abusing commoners.”
Shen Xihe’s lips curved slightly—she had been worried about lacking evidence.
“Mo Yuan, take him to the Metropolitan Court. Biyu, go invite all the ladies who were frightened at the pavilion today to testify at the Metropolitan Court.” After giving these orders, Shen Xihe took Mo Yu’s hand and boarded her carriage.
The group proceeded grandly to the Metropolitan Court. Last time they had gone to the Court of Judicial Review because it involved sons of high officials, and Shen Xihe had also wanted to see if Cui Jinbai would appear.
This time only involved commoners and officials’ female relatives, so Shen Xihe gave a face to the Metropolitan Governor.
In truth, the Metropolitan Governor wished this ancestor would ignore his face and go directly to the Court of Judicial Review!
Behind Shen Xihe was the Northwestern King, while behind the Rong family were the Noble Consort and both Prince Xin and Prince Lie!
If Shen Xihe hadn’t been outside the imperial clan, he would have loved to dump this case on the Court of Imperial Clansmen!
“Li Er’lang before the court, the Princess accuses you of accepting orders to deliberately release a snake with murderous intent. Do you confess?” The Metropolitan Governor questioned with a bitter expression.
“Your Honor, this commoner has been wronged. Snake charming is my family’s traditional skill. I went to the mountain today only to catch snakes…” In this short time, he had already thought up an excuse.
“Absurd! Catching snakes while covered in sulfur—do you take this official for an ignorant child to be fooled so easily!” The Metropolitan Governor berated.
“This humble one only applied the sulfur after catching the snake, fearing injury from its venom,” Li Er’lang argued.