Xu Fang softly uttered these words, making everyone present feel their scalps tingle.

At that time, this eldest daughter of the Marquis of Changchun was probably only five or six years old, yet she had hidden in the wardrobe and witnessed her father murdering her mother?

This was simply too tragic and inhumane.

For a moment, the courtroom was extremely quiet, with only the Marquis of Changchun’s heavy breathing audible.

The Marquis of Changchun felt both furious and regretful.

Furious that his own daughter had run to the courtroom to expose his crime, regretful about why he had been soft-hearted back then.

He shouldn’t have spared this unfilial daughter’s life!

For a five or six-year-old girl, there had been so many opportunities to make her die quietly.

He had been soft-hearted for a moment, and as a result, had ruined himself…

After listening to Xu Fang’s account, the Vice Minister of Justice looked at the Marquis of Changchun: “Does the Marquis have anything else to say?”

The Marquis of Changchun was immersed in regret and didn’t respond.

“Marquis?”

The Marquis of Changchun jolted back to awareness. Under countless complex gazes, he struggled to maintain his stance: “This unfilial daughter harbors resentment toward me for expelling her younger brother from the family, so she colluded with the abandoned wife Yang Shi to frame me.”

Xu Fang kowtowed heavily: “Your Honor, please see clearly—there are no parents in the world who are not right. As a daughter, how could I frame Father for murdering Mother just because Father expelled my erring brother from the family? Today I came not to accuse Father, but merely to serve as a witness.”

The plaintiff in this case was Yang Shi—this point had to be made clear.

After hearing this, the Vice Minister of Justice showed a troubled expression: “Both sides insist on their own versions. This is difficult to handle.”

Although by now the scales in people’s hearts had completely tipped toward Xu Fang, after all, this was a major case that couldn’t be concluded lightly.

“Your Honor, this humble official has a method.”

Hearing these words, everyone’s eyes turned to a young man.

The speaker was Lin Teng.

“Speak.” The Vice Minister of Justice breathed a slight sigh of relief.

With Lin Teng here, there was nothing to worry about.

Being stared at by the officials, Lin Teng showed no signs of unease and calmly asked Xu Fang and Yang Shi: “Can you two read and write?”

Xu Fang and Yang Shi answered in unison: “We can read and write.”

Given their status, it would be strange if they couldn’t.

Lin Teng asked this out of caution.

“Please turn around, both of you, with your backs to each other.”

Xu Fang didn’t understand the intent, but having heard from Luo Sheng about this Magistrate Lin’s capabilities, she silently turned around.

Yang Shi’s expression was wooden, her movements slightly slower.

“Regarding the events of that year, I want to ask you both about a detail. Of course, after so many years, you may not remember, so after I ask my question, first tell me whether you remember or not. Don’t say anything extra.”

Xu Fang and Yang Shi nodded silently.

Lin Teng’s words undoubtedly piqued the curiosity of everyone present, and they all perked up their ears waiting for his question.

“Yang Shi said the Marquis of Changchun used a soft pillow to smother Princess Huayang to death. Xu Xu Shi said her father used a pillow to smother her mother to death. So do you remember what pattern was on the pillow that smothered Princess Huayang to death?”

The Marquis of Changchun’s eyes flickered slightly.

The pattern on the pillow that smothered Princess Huayang to death?

He had no recollection of it at all. Could they possibly still remember?

Taking in the Marquis of Changchun’s reaction completely, Lin Teng’s expression became even more serious.

For a murder case triggered by a heated argument, it was normal for the perpetrator to not remember many details in their panic, but bystanders were different.

Whether it was Yang Shi standing beside the murderer, or Miss Xu hiding in the wardrobe, witnessing the entire murder process of someone close to them would leave an impression impossible to forget for a lifetime.

Where their eyes fell at that time was precisely on the pillow that smothered Princess Huayang to death.

In that case, even though he was asking about such a minor detail as the pillow’s pattern, the likelihood of both people remembering was very high.

Of course, if they didn’t remember, that was fine too—he would just ask about other details.

What happened had happened and would always exist. It couldn’t be erased through sophistry and denial.

Almost as soon as Lin Teng’s words fell, Xu Fang said: “I remember.”

How could she not remember? She had hidden in that cramped, dark wardrobe, looking through that tiny gap at the pillow pressing down on Mother’s face until Mother stopped struggling.

That was something that appeared repeatedly in countless nightmares afterward. Never mind the pattern on the pillow—she remembered even a tiny stain on the pillow’s corner clearly.

Yang Shi was a moment slower, saying: “I remember.”

“Bring two sets of writing materials.” Lin Teng instructed the bailiffs.

Soon two sets of writing materials were brought.

“Write the pillow’s pattern on paper.”

Xu Fang picked up the brush and quickly wrote a line of characters on the paper.

Yang Shi also finished writing quickly.

Two bailiffs collected the papers with the answers and presented them before the Vice Minister of Justice.

The Vice Minister of Justice looked them over and indicated they should be shown to the observing officials.

Everyone looked them over one by one, and their gazes toward the Marquis of Changchun changed and changed again.

The papers returned to the Vice Minister of Justice’s hands.

The Vice Minister of Justice cleared his throat lightly and spoke: “The answers on both papers are the same—both say ‘continuous gourd vine pattern.'”

“So what!” The Marquis of Changchun panicked a little.

The Vice Minister of Justice glanced at Lin Teng.

Lin Teng said coolly: “With such answers, surely the Marquis won’t claim this is a coincidence?”

“They discussed it beforehand!” The Marquis of Changchun refused to give up and argued.

Lin Teng shook his head: “For the Marquis to still say this at this point is simply arguing unreasonably. The circumstances of that year could be colluded on, but could they be meticulous enough to collude on details like the pillow’s pattern? Moreover, their identities are inherently opposed. What could make them stand united? There is only one answer: thirteen years ago, the Marquis murdered his first wife, Princess Huayang!”

“I didn’t, I didn’t!” The Marquis of Changchun staggered backward, his face ashen.

However, no one was listening to the Marquis of Changchun’s sophistry anymore.

Xu Xi was mixed in with the crowd watching the commotion outside the Ministry of Justice offices, listening to those discussions, wishing he could rush in and hack that man to death.

But he didn’t.

Day after day of chopping firewood had quietly worn away the youth’s impulsiveness and taught him to be calm.

Not knowing how long he had waited, he finally saw Xu Fang come out.

“Elder Sister!” The youth rushed forward.

Seeing her younger brother rush before her, Xu Fang’s eyes reddened as she showed a trace of a smile: “It’s my younger brother.”

“Elder Sister, he—” Xu Xi looked toward the government office entrance but didn’t see the Marquis of Changchun appear.

Xu Fang said three words softly: “He’s finished.”

Xu Wulang, who had been waiting outside, came forward: “It’s over now. Let’s go home.”

Xu Fang smiled at Xu Wulang: “I’d like to go to a teahouse with my younger brother to talk.”

Xu Wulang looked at his brother-in-law and nodded without hesitation: “Alright, I’ll accompany you.”

Xu Wulang took the siblings to a teahouse and considerately gave them space to talk.

Xu Xi could no longer hold back and asked through gritted teeth: “Elder Sister, did he really kill Mother?”

Xu Fang nodded slightly.

“You saw it back then?”

Court proceedings were public, allowing common people to observe, so naturally what happened in the hall spread quickly.

Xu Fang nodded again.

Xu Xi clenched his fists tightly: “Elder Sister, you… why did you never tell me!”

So when he was getting into fights and causing trouble, muddling through his days like all the other profligate sons, his elder sister had been carrying such a painful secret and growing up so cautiously?

And what about him? He had actually blamed his sister for currying favor with Duke Ningguo’s manor.