novelhk Chapter 130: Waiting for the Witness
Chapter 130: Waiting for the Witness
Fang Xiao handed the black mud in her hand to Wang Youcai and gave him instructions again.
"Your Excellency, this medicine only needs to be applied before going to bed each night."
"Remember, never stop taking the medication, otherwise it is easy to relapse."
Upon hearing this, Wang Youcai immediately thought of a very important question: what should he do when the medicine ran out?
"Madam Fang, I have another matter to discuss. What should we do when we run out of medicine?"
That's just how people are; once they think about one aspect, they easily overlook the other.
Fang Xiaoxiao took advantage of this mindset when she deliberately told the other party not to stop taking the medication.
She paused for a moment, then slowly began to speak.
"It's alright, just come to our store to pick up the medicine when you run out."
"As for the money, I'll just charge the county magistrate a small service fee!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Youcai felt as if he had gotten a great deal and immediately nodded in gratitude.
……
Above the court.
Not only were the four characters "明镜高悬" (a phrase meaning "a bright mirror hangs high") polished until they shone, but even the cobwebs around the plaque were cleaned off one by one.
Wang Youcai sat next to the clerk.
However, a high-ranking person arrived at the main seat.
This person has sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, purple and white lips, and three-dimensional features, but also carries a hint of undeniable femininity.
He sat upright behind the desk, holding a gavel.
"Snapped!"
The gavel made a terrifyingly loud bang.
The old, worn-out table could no longer withstand the force of the blow; a dent had appeared where the gavel had struck it.
So miserable.
He's so old, he's seen four or five generations of county magistrates pass away, yet here he is, being harmed by someone.
Fang Xiaoxiao looked at the table in front of her and couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for it.
Standing beside her, Pei Yan stared at the man behind the desk, her expression extremely complicated.
But he quickly composed himself and stood beside his wife as before.
Behind the desk, Pei Zuo wore a magnificent crown and robe, with an expensive gold hairpin adorning his topknot, making him appear both elegant and noble, yet still exuding royal majesty.
Pei Zuo's eyes were like an eagle's, fixed on the people in front of him.
He had seen two of them before.
One was a man with a scholarly air, and the other was a woman as beautiful as an angel.
His purpose in participating in the poisoned face mask case was to achieve something so that he could gain favor with his father when he returned to the capital.
"Who are you below? Why do you not kneel before me, the prince? Do you know the consequences?"
Fang Xiao glanced at Li Mubai, who had been quite assertive just moments before.
As soon as he heard that the prince had taken over the case, he obediently knelt down, looking like a quail, with his head lowered and not daring to raise his eyes even slightly.
What a worthless scoundrel! He's completely lost all the integrity of a scholar.
Fang Xiaoxiao spat at him, expressing her contempt.
At this time.
Wang Youcai explained to the eldest prince in a low voice.
"Your Highness, Lady Fang and her seven husbands are all from prominent families in the capital and possess imperial jade tablets bestowed by His Majesty. They do not need to kneel."
"Oh~~~~"
Upon hearing that they possessed a jade plaque bestowed by their father, Pei Zuo said no more, only remarking...
"Fang Xiaoxiao, prisoner in court, do you know what you have done?"
Fang Xiaoxiao looked completely bewildered, shrugged, and pouted.
"Your Highness, I am just a small shopkeeper selling medicinal cuisine, pills, and black face masks. I have no idea what wrong I have done!"
"You won't learn your lesson until you're faced with a death sentence. If you continue like this, I, the prince, will have to torture you."
"I'm innocent! I'm just a law-abiding citizen. I really don't know what I've done wrong!"
"You still dare to call yourself an ordinary citizen? That's utterly ridiculous. Judging from your current income, it's probably close to surpassing the annual tax revenue of Changle County."
Pei Zuo didn't want to give her a chance to argue, and directly pointed out the true financial situation regarding Fang Xiaoxiao's net worth and assets.
His move was called a feint, seemingly implying that Fang Xiaoxiao's Lingxi Pavilion was doing well and making a lot of money.
However, in the eyes of those with ulterior motives, it was clear that the eldest prince's words had a double meaning, and his purpose was to get Fang Xiaoxiao to reveal the specific silver revenue data of Lingxi Pavilion.
Fang Xiaoxiao, being a shrewd person, knew exactly what this guy meant.
But she would never say that, going along with what the other person meant.
“Your Highness is mistaken. My little shop is nothing to brag about.”
"Unlike Yaojitang, which is rich and powerful and can solve all problems with money."
"!!!"
These words stunned everyone present.
After seeing Fang Xiao's temperament, Pei Zuo changed to a gentle expression and smiled.
"Fang Xiaoxiao, do you know what you're saying?"
"This humble woman is unaware; I hope Your Highness will enlighten others."
Fang Xiao stood up straight as a bamboo, resilient and unyielding.
Pei Zuo paused noticeably for a moment before speaking again.
"No wonder she's known as someone who can marry seven husbands at once; it's truly enviable."
"Enough with the nonsense. I am now the most powerful person here, and my word is law."
"Quickly tell me the methods of poisoning, and I, the prince, will surely reduce your sentence."
"If you dare to spout nonsense again, I, the prince, will not hesitate to beat you to death and throw you into that mass grave."
Fang Xiaoxiao quickly replied.
"Your Highness, please rest assured, I can assure you that there is something fishy about this poisonous face mask."
"What I'm waiting for now are some witnesses who can prove that our Lingxi Pavilion is innocent and that we were framed by villains!"
Pei Yan was surprised to find that the woman in front of him spoke with a certainty in her voice.
This made him greatly admire the woman standing before him.
You mentioned beautiful women? Pei Zuo has already seen them all before. In fact, he only looks at extremely beautiful women out of curiosity.
But now it's different. Just thinking about Fang Xiaoxiao makes his heart tremble slightly, as if he really wants to see her, even for just a second.
In his mind, he had already ruled out Fang Xiaoxiao as a suspect.
However, he still maintained a suffocating sense of oppression.
This is what royalty is like; their speech and manners are incomparable to ordinary people.
"Then this prince will wait and see what tricks you're going to pull."
"Don't dare."
After repeatedly saying she dared not, she turned her head behind her, hoping for the arrival of the witness.
Li Mubai, who was kneeling on the ground, immediately straightened his back, his attitude became tough, and his words were full of sarcasm.
"Hmph, I think you're just trying to stall for time, aren't you? You even let the poisoned guest come out to get some fresh air. What are you really up to?"
A huge accusation was pinned on Fang Xiaoxiao's head, leaving her speechless.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea has passed.
As a prince, Pei Zuo's patience had reached its limit and was about to explode.
If it weren't for Fang Xiaoxiao's stunning beauty...
He had already ordered the case closed and the man imprisoned, awaiting the decision of the Kyoto governor before a verdict was reached.
Just when the wait was getting unbearable, several people suddenly squeezed out of the crowd.