On the way to the room where the incident happened, Ji Yunshu asked the boy.
"Oh right, did you see Du Mubai that day?"
"Yes!"
"When?"
"Once in the morning and once in the evening."
"What was the situation when you saw him?"
"Du Mubai went out in the morning, but came back in the evening with a dazed look."
"What kind of dazed look?"
The boy recalled, "In the morning, Du Mubai seemed to be going somewhere. He seemed to be in a hurry, but he walked very slowly! When he came back in the evening, his head was lowered and he looked depressed. I called out to him, but he didn't respond. He just kept walking forward in a hurry. "
"Oh." Ji Yunshu replied.
The boy led them to the room where Du Mubai committed suicide.
"Since the incident, this place has been sealed. No one has entered for six years."
"Open it."
"Ah?"
"The yamen is handling some affairs."
"Yes."
The boy took out a key and opened the door.
It had been six years since they entered. The moment the door opened, an unpleasant smell rushed out from inside.
They couldn't help but cover their noses.
Only when the smell gradually dissipated did they enter the room.
They didn't know where the boy got an oil lamp and a lantern.
He handed the oil lamp to Ji Yunshu.
Ji Yunshu took it and walked in.
The room hadn't been occupied for six years. It was very old and covered in cobwebs.
The furnishings inside were the same as the one in Fang Tong's room.
However, there was a table in the middle.
The boy said, "This table was the one Du Mubai stepped on to hang himself."
It was left untouched.
The rope hanging from the beam had already been removed.
Ji Yunshu brought the lamp closer to the table, then turned it around to look at it.
From time to time, she would look above her head.
She didn't say anything.
She just frowned.
Jing Rong and Bai Yin stood to the side and didn't disturb her.
The boy was about to ask something, but Jing Rong promptly stopped him.
Jing Rong signaled him not to say anything and just wait quietly.
That night, Ji Yunshu looked around the room for a long time. Her originally frowning brows relaxed a bit when she came out.
She said, "We will know the truth tomorrow!"
The next day.
She returned the dossier and said to Li Cheng, "Crown Prince Cheng, I'll have to trouble you to bring Fang Tong, Jiang Wenhe, and Bingzheng here."
Hmm?
Li Cheng didn't understand.
"Didn't we already talk to them yesterday?"
"We'll know once we bring them here."
How mysterious.
Li Cheng had no choice but to order people to bring them here.
Soon, the three of them were brought over again.
One by one, they were pressed into the department hall.
Li Cheng sat on the main seat, while the old officials and Jing Rong sat on either side of him.
All of them stared at Fang Tong and the other two who were brought to the center.
Fang Tong and Jang Wen still looked as guilty as yesterday. They asked, "May I know … why did you call us?"
Li Cheng looked at Ji Yunshu because he didn't know either.
Ji Yunshu got up and walked straight to Bing Zheng.
Bingzheng's head was still lowered.
"Young Master Bing, do you still remember what I asked you yesterday?"
He remained silent! "I asked you if you've eaten Cun Zhi before. You said you don't know what it is, right?" Ji Yunshu smiled faintly and continued, "Then let me tell you. The Cun Zhi I mentioned is actually Jiangnan's famous Jadeite Flower Cake. However, the natives of Jiangnan call it Orchid Bamboo. It's the Orchid Bamboo that you wrote about in your poem! It's not the bamboo of noble character and unquestionable integrity that Young Master Bing mentioned. Moreover, there has never been a bamboo called Orchid Bamboo in the Jiangnan region! It's obvious that Young Master Bing has never been to Jiangnan. If you had, you would know that Orchid Flower Cake is Jadeite Flower Cake.
Jadeite Flower Cake is Orchid Bamboo, not the bamboo that you mentioned. "
Huh!
Everyone was astonished.
They all stared at Bing Zheng.
He was still very calm. He lowered his head and buried his face deep in the ground.
Ji Yunshu said, "Also, you said that your Flying Catkins in April caused rashes all over your body. That's a lie! There is no Flying Catkins in Jiangnan. It's in Nanshen, near Jiangnan, which is Du Mubai's hometown. "
Bing Zheng smiled.
It was as if a stone in his heart had finally been lifted.
It had been six years. He had buried this knot in his heart for six years.
Every night, he felt unbearably guilty.
He slowly raised his head and looked at the delicate and pretty Teacher Ji in front of him. "You're different from others."
Huh?
"That year, when the Ministry of Rites thoroughly investigated Du Mubai's theft of my poem, they couldn't find anything from it. But you're different. You're very smart and can see more clearly than anyone else."
The meaning behind his words.
He admitted that he had wronged Du Mubai.
Li Cheng immediately questioned, "So, Du Mubai didn't steal your poem at all. That poem was written by himself."
"That's right! Du Mubai is the most talented person I've ever met. I like his poems very much. The Flying Catkins in April. Old people smell the lake. Orchid Bamboo fighting in the spring rain. A small bridge shows Jiangnan. How good would it be if I could write such a poem. "
When he finished speaking, he smiled.
Li Cheng asked, "Bing Zheng, why did you say that he stole your poem?"
"Is it important?"
"This official wants to know the truth."
"He's talented. I'm jealous." He said concisely.
Jealous!
He could turn a man into a demon.
Li Cheng glared at him and waved his sleeves, "Bingzheng, you slandered Du Mubai, saying that he stole your poem, causing him to be disqualified as a student, and that he committed suicide. Do you know that you are simply unforgivable? This prince can chop off your head. "
His anger soared!
Then, he turned to Fang Tong and Jang Wen, who were trembling on the side, and asked, "And you two, how dare you make false testimonies for justice and make Du Mubai bear such a crime. You two deserve to die."
Fang Tong and Jiang Wen were sweating profusely.
Then —
"Thud!" They knelt down.
Both of them fell to the ground.
No wonder the two of them were so guilty yesterday.
Fang Tong was a smart man. He said, "My Lord, please spare us. We don't know anything. It's just that Bing Zheng said that he wrote the poem. We saw that he was honest and wouldn't lie, so we testified for him. My Lord, please understand!"
"How dare you shirk your responsibility."
"We don't dare. Indeed, Bing Zheng asked us to testify for him. At that time, Du Mubai was a student of Marquis Pingyang and had the support of Marquis Pingyang. We felt sorry for Bing Zheng, so we agreed to testify for him."
Li Cheng asked Bing Zheng, "Is what they said true?"
Bing Zheng smiled, as if he didn't care at all.
Now that he had come this far, there was no turning back.
He said, "Yes, I begged them to testify for me. If you want to punish me, then punish me. Even if I have to die, I am willing. If it were not for me, Du Mubai would not have been disqualified as a student, and he would not have committed suicide. My life is his, and now, it is time to return it."
Suddenly —
Ji Yunshu said, "His death has nothing to do with you."
What?
Bing Zheng smiled bitterly. "Teacher Ji, now that things have come to this, why are you comforting me? Although I didn't kill him with my own hands, I indirectly caused his death. I'm a sinner. "
"You don't understand what I mean. In fact, Du Mubai wouldn't have committed suicide just because you slandered him for stealing your poem! Because … he was killed! "
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
