The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 262: Princess is Supposed to Avoid Suspicion

Chapter 262: Princess is Supposed to Avoid Suspicion

The father had just reminded them a few days ago to be cautious and not cause trouble for the family and the Prince Yu’s mansion. How could he forget in an instant? Had all the teachings of the sages he had read been in vain?

Elder Cao slammed the armrest, glaring fiercely at Chu Huan. "You’ve already killed someone. What’s the use of regretting now, Chu Huan? Killing requires paying with your life; it’s only right and proper!"

Chu Huan’s body felt weak. He didn’t want to live with blood on his hands.

"Elder Cao, the case is not yet clear. Why the hurry?" Ye Siheng spoke displeasedly.

Elder Cao snorted. "The evidence is conclusive. Why is it still unclear? Does Your Highness want to delay and reverse the situation?"

Qin Zheng hurriedly said, "Elder Cao, please be cautious in your words. How could His Highness violate the law? Besides, the case still needs careful examination; after all, it involves a loss of life."

Elder Cao remained silent.

At this moment, shouts suddenly rang out from outside:

"An eye for an eye, it’s just and righteous!"

"If the emperor breaks the law, he should be treated like any commoner!"

"If there’s any cover-up, where’s the law?"

One after another, everyone in the Grand Court heard them clearly.

Ye Siheng glanced outside.

Qing Feng went out to take a look and hurried back to report, "It’s some officials from humble backgrounds and students from the National University, numbering in the hundreds."

Nanli, upon hearing this, realized that the case had already become entangled in court struggles. She instinctively grabbed Ye Siheng’s hand.

Ye Siheng patted her hand back, reassuring her to be calm.

He spoke nonchalantly, "Elder Cao, do you not trust me?"

Elder Cao raised an eyebrow. "Your Highness, please forgive me. These officials and students want to know the truth and seek justice for Yaozu."

He had arranged everything before coming to the Grand Court.

Previously, Ye Siheng had almost cut off Jiang Yang’s hand for Chu Shuo, so he couldn’t guarantee that Ye Siheng would protect Chu Huan this time.

For these people from humble backgrounds, without power or influence, they could only resort to such desperate measures.

Ye Siheng didn’t care much and coldly said, "Since Elder Cao has brought them here, they might as well listen to the trial."

With a glance, Qing Feng had already received the order and immediately went out to invite those officials and students in.

Suddenly, the courtyard was filled with people, all of them shouting angrily, "Chu Huan, you must pay for what you’ve done!"

These people weren’t necessarily sincerely seeking justice for Sun Yaozu. It was because Chu Huan, a promising scion of a noble family, was involved in the murder case that they wanted to speak out and assert themselves.

Chu Huan turned around and saw their angry expressions. He actually began to think about paying for his actions.

The pillar was right in front of him.

"Sanye!" Nanli had been watching Chu Huan closely and noticed something was off. She quickly called out, "You didn’t kill him. Trust me and His Highness."

Chu Huan stared blankly at her.

Soon, his heart settled down, and he nodded to her.

Elder Cao couldn’t help but sneer. "What’s this? Is His Highness and the princess consort trying to distort right and wrong?"

With so many people here, if Ye Siheng dared to shield Chu Huan, he would be ruined! Whether in court or among the people, he would never be trusted again!

Ye Siheng shifted his posture, resting his chin on his hand as he looked completely unfazed.

"With so many people watching, I don’t have that ability," he said slowly, yet with an inexplicable sense of pressure.

The Black Armor Guards stood at the door, causing the officials and students to fall silent.

Ye Siheng stared directly at the young official, his gaze imposing. "You said earlier that Chu Huan knocked the person down with a single punch, right?"

The young official dared not meet Ye Siheng’s gaze. "Yes! He used a lot of force. Brother Sun was knocked down directly by a single punch."

"Was it one punch or two punches?"

The young official replied, "It was two punches. One punch hit Brother Sun’s face, and the other hit his chest!"

Chu Huan, still dazed, heard Ye Siheng calling him. "Third Brother, think carefully. Was it two punches?"

"I..." Chu Huan hesitated, meeting the gaze of the two. He began to recall the situation. Although he was flustered at the time, he had calmed down now. He shook his head abruptly. "It wasn’t two punches! I only punched him in the face."

A cold smile curled up at the corner of Ye Siheng’s mouth as he stared at the young official. "In the Grand Court, dare you make a false statement?"

Elder Cao immediately stood up. "Your Highness, how can you determine that he’s giving a false statement? He’s an eyewitness and has no grudge against Chu Huan. How could he frame Chu Huan? Clearly, Chu Huan is lying to escape punishment. Everyone praises Your Highness for being wise and martially adept, but why can’t you see through this?"

The surrounding commoners from humble backgrounds began to clamor, accusing Ye Siheng of blatantly protecting a murderer without any sense of justice.

Qin Zheng immediately called for silence.

He said, "It’s simple. The princess consort has a Truth-Telling Talisman. We can use it to determine who’s lying."

Elder Cao objected, "The princess consort is Chu Huan’s sister. She should avoid suspicion. How can we use the symbols she draws? Besides, investigating cases like this with such methods... it seems that from now on, the position of the Grand Court Minister will be held by whoever has money to buy symbols."

This statement gained support from the commoners from humble backgrounds.

Qin Zheng’s face turned red and then white.

Nanli wasn’t angry; instead, she smiled faintly. "Elder Cao, don’t be so rash. There are many unusual things in this world. Some cases indeed require unconventional methods to uncover the truth."

"Is this case just a common case of assault resulting in death? Do we need these unconventional methods?" Elder Cao retorted. "Now, whether it’s court officials or the common people, they all say that the princess consort not only has abilities but also a kind heart. In this case, the princess consort should set an example to avoid tarnishing her reputation."

He spoke to Nanli without aggression, persuading her calmly.

It was only Chu Huan who committed the offense. As long as Nanli distanced herself from him with righteousness, the case wouldn’t implicate her.

In this way, she would still be loved and trusted by court officials and the common people.

"If I say that Sun Yaozu was killed by unconventional means, would Elder Cao be willing to give me the opportunity and time to prove it?" Nanli asked.

Elder Cao was taken aback. "You haven’t even seen the body of Sun Yaozu. How dare you claim that he was killed by unconventional means?"

"As long as we bring Sun Yaozu’s body, I can prove it."

Elder Cao immediately shook his head. "No, as I said earlier, the princess consort should avoid suspicion."

Nanli thought for a moment. "Elder Cao is right. Then I will go and invite Master Lingzhen. I believe Elder Cao has no objections, right?"

Naturally, Elder Cao had no objections.

Master Lingzhen had been practicing for many years, with a seniority even higher than Master Yuan Fan.

He nodded slightly. "I have no objections. However, this will delay the trial."

It would take at least half a day for the round trip to invite someone from the Wanfo Temple.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.