“Little Eight’s ability to defend An’nan City proves he was never foolish.” Xiao Huayong examined the submitted evidence, including a confession from Yu Gong’s son admitting his crimes. He turned to ask Tianyuan, “Was torture used?”
Tianyuan shook his head gravely: “No private punishment was used. He confessed on his own.”
“Confessed on his own?” Shen Xihe was surprised, confusion rising in her eyes. “Is he an idiot?”
“Crown Princess, this man is a xiucai scholar. If not for Dengzhou’s drought this year, he might have passed the provincial examination,” Tianyuan replied.
Someone capable of taking the provincial examination, even if bookish, should know that confessing to such crimes would implicate his entire family.
Shen Xihe couldn’t understand how he could voluntarily confess to such crimes. Even under threats or bribes, it seemed impossible: “Is his mind clear?”
“He’s fully conscious,” Tianyuan nodded.
Shen Xihe looked at Xiao Huayong, who was also deep in thought, clearly this exceeded his expectations.
The couple remained silent. After a while, Tianyuan said: “Your Highness, Crown Princess, when Young Master Yu was caught at the scene, all the commoners were present and furious. Someone had spread the Crown Princess’s previous words that ‘digging waterways is of utmost importance, whoever obstructs it shall be killed without mercy.’ The people are waiting for the Crown Princess to severely punish Young Master Yu.”
“This is quite a move against me,” Shen Xihe laughed lightly.
Those words were only spoken in the presence of Shen Xihe, Xiao Changqin, and Xiao Changyan. Who spread them was obvious. Shen Xihe had originally intended to pit Xiao Changyan against the Yu family, but Xiao Changyan’s counter-move pushed everything onto her.
She couldn’t go back on her word without severely diminishing her authority – that was the first point. The second and more important point was that if she didn’t follow through on her words, future matters wouldn’t go smoothly, and she’d have no grounds for severe punishment if others caused trouble.
Moreover, with Young Master Yu was caught red-handed and confessing, failing to punish him severely would not appease the people.
Once she acted, the Marquis of Pingyao’s household would blame everything on her, believing it was all her careful scheming. Though it was indeed her scheme, and she didn’t fear the Marquis’s hatred, she could bear her responsibility but didn’t want to shoulder half of Xiao Changyan’s burden.
“Go see Young Master Yu,” Shen Xihe ordered.
She wanted the Yu family to bleed and to warn the Marquis of Pingyao not to play clever games before her. Naturally, she wouldn’t oppose Xiao Changyan by making excuses for the Yu family. She just wanted to know what had possessed Young Master Yu to confess to such serious crimes.
And was the Yu family truly involved with Xiao Juesong? How could Shen Xihe not know the truth?
If these were fabricated crimes, why had Young Master Yu lost his mind and tried to destroy the reservoir without reason?
“I’ll go with you,” Xiao Huayong strode after Shen Xihe.
Shen Xihe paused: “I’ll tell you everything I see and hear when I return. You shouldn’t appear.”
This was her clash with Xiao Changyan. Since he had made his move, he would surely have people watching. Xiao Huayong accompanying her would only make the suspicious Xiao Changyan doubt him.
Xiao Huayong reluctantly stopped, watching with gentle eyes as Shen Xihe gave him a reassuring smile before floating away.
To see Young Master Yu at the county office, Shen Xihe had to go there. Five or six commoners waited at the entrance – not ordinary people, but representatives waiting for news.
“Return home for now. Though he was caught in the act, the Crown Princess says Young Master Yu’s motives are very suspicious,” Mo Yuan conveyed Shen Xihe’s message to those waiting. Seeing them about to speak, he added first, “The Crown Princess needs to investigate whether there are accomplices.”
That last sentence stopped their words. How could they not worry about accomplices?
Having dismissed these people and calmed the public’s anger, Shen Xihe saw Yu Wu Lang sitting cross-legged on the wooden bed in jail. He was a proper-looking, clean, and scholarly youth of about seventeen or eighteen.
Hearing movement, he opened his eyes. Seeing Shen Xihe, he rose unhurriedly and bowed properly: “Greetings to the Crown Princess.”
Shen Xihe stood before him, examining him up and down. He seemed completely normal, conscious, and clear-minded: “Do you know what crime you’ve committed?”
The young man before her was elegant and composed. He replied calmly: “This student attempted to destroy the reservoir. By law, this crime deserves death.”
Shen Xihe’s expression remained neutral as she stared at Yu Wu Lang. He didn’t seem to be provocatively fearless – he knew what he’d done and understood the consequences, even seeming prepared to bear them.
“Why did you try to destroy the reservoir?” Shen Xihe asked.
Yu Wu Lang kept his head lowered without answering, maintaining his respectful posture in silence.
“Crown Princess, I’ve asked several times, but he won’t answer,” said the County Magistrate accompanying Shen Xihe.
“Evidence found in your study shows correspondence with the criminal Xiao Juesong. Under his instructions, you deliberately attempted to destroy the reservoir, which would have caused civilian casualties and social unrest. Do you know that if this crime is proven, you and your entire family will not escape punishment?” Shen Xihe asked sternly.
Yu Wu Lang seemed deaf to Shen Xihe’s words, neither hearing nor responding.
“Crown Princess, Governor Yu has arrived,” reported a yamen runner just then.
“Let him in,” Shen Xihe ordered.
Soon Yu Gong arrived, travel-worn. He looked unwell, wearing casual clothes with mud and water stains on his lower half, his hair in disarray. He came running, somewhat stumbling.
“This official greets the Crown Princess.” Yu Gong briefly tidied himself before bowing to Shen Xihe.
“Governor Yu, you’re just in time. Ask your son why he committed this evil act and if he has accomplices.” Shen Xihe threw the evidence found by the County Magistrate and the confession at Yu Gong before sweeping them out of the cell.
The County Magistrate didn’t follow Shen Xihe but stood outside the cell watching the father and son talk. However, Yu Wu Lang maintained the same attitude toward his father as he had toward the County Magistrate and Shen Xihe.
When asked if he committed the crime, he spoke clearly. When asked why, he became mute, refusing to speak even when Yu Gong became angry and struck him.
“Beichen, could Young Master Yu harbor a grudge against his father, wanting mutual destruction?” Shen Xihe had never encountered such a strange situation.
After hearing Shen Xihe’s account, Xiao Huayong turned a black Go piece in his hand, remaining silent for a moment before saying: “Youyou, have you heard of soul-capturing sorcery?”