Another two days passed in the blink of an eye. Yu Shu stayed at home, reading calligraphy, calculating, and studying the Book of Changes. She did not step out of the house and waited for the news of the Supreme Judiciary's trial.
Nothing major happened in the past two days. Zhao Hui picked out a reward from the palace and asked He Fangzhi to send it to Pei Jing. In addition, Xia Mingming sent a letter from the Wangji Tower, asking why Yu Shu did not keep her appointment. Yu Shu wrote a reply and asked Gui Liu to send it. There was no explanation in the letter, only an appointment to meet Xia Mingming at the end of the month.
In addition, Yu Xiaoxiu met Xue Wenzhe in the Academy. As Yu Shu expected, Xue Wenzhe knew that Ji Xingxuan was imprisoned. No one knew where he heard that it had something to do with Yu Shu. He caught Yu Xiaoxiu and sneered at Yu Shu. As a result, Yu Xiaoxiu reported it to Academician Song and Xue Wenzhe was reprimanded.
Yu Shu listened to Yu Xiaoxiu's story and sneered. She said, "If you see him in the future, just treat him as a fly and ignore him. If he makes trouble for you again, just tell him that if he doesn't want others to know that he was used as an offering to Heaven naked, he should keep his mouth shut. "
When they were in Yiyang City, Xue Wenzhe was caught by a group of people and used as an offering. Yu Shu and Yu Xiaoxiu were implicated by him and were in danger. They witnessed Xue Wenzhe being stripped naked. It was also at that time that Yu Shu met Jing Chen for the first time, so it was still fresh in her memory.
Yu Xiaoxiu remembered Yu Shu's words and went to school the next day. However, he did not see Xue Wenzhe again. He thought that Xue Wenzhe was afraid of being reprimanded by the academician. He did not know that Xue Wenzhe did not come to school at all.
Putting this trivial matter aside for the time being, at dusk, Yu Shu finally received the news that the joint hearing would be held. Xue Rui sent Lao Chui to tell her that the date of the joint hearing would be tomorrow. Xue Rui asked her to wait at home tomorrow morning. He would send someone to pick her up and bring her to the Supreme Court. Lao Chui only said these two sentences and didn't say anything else. This made Yu Shu very relieved. She only thought that Xue Rui did not remember what happened that day when he was drunk.
Later, she told Zhao Hui that she was going out tomorrow and asked the kitchen to boil water. With the help of Yun Dou, Yu Shu, who could not touch water with one hand, took a bath and went to bed early.
Just when Yu Shu was sleeping peacefully, in the prison of the west of An Ling city, in the silent night, the door of a cell was opened. The jailer inserted a torch on the wall, illuminating this gloomy stone room. A hunchback figure on the wooden bed appeared. Faintly, a weak cough was heard. The person on the bed heard the sound of the door opening. He slowly turned half of his body, revealing a gray face and a sickly body. However, it was Ji Huaishan who was still energetic ten days ago.
"Cough, cough, who, who is it?" Ji Huaishan looked at the figure at the door. He was not sure whether it was the people from the government who wanted to interrogate him late at night or someone else came to visit him.
"Grandfather!"
A person at the door called out in a low voice. He ran to the wooden bed and knelt in front of him. The black cloak on his head slid down, revealing a face without any makeup.
"Xuan, Xuan Er?" Ji Huaishan was shocked. He forced himself to sit up, "Why, why —"
"It's His Highness Ning Wang," Ji Xingxuan reached out to support the old man with red eyes. She said in a small voice to him: "Tomorrow, the court will start the interrogation. Wang ye found a way for me to sneak out of the cell and come see you.
Hearing this, Ji Huaishan hurriedly looked outside the door, searching for the figure of Seventh Prince Liu Hao. But it was dark outside and he couldn't see anything clearly. He asked her in a low voice: "Seventh, wang ye also came?"
Ji Xingxuan nodded, "Wang ye is waiting outside. It's not convenient for him to come in here. Don't look for him. Let's quickly discuss how to answer tomorrow in court."
Ji Huaishan moved his gaze away. He didn't see Liu Hao and disappointment flashed through his eyes. He coughed twice and raised his head to look at his granddaughter who was kneeling by the low bed. Using the light from the fire on the wall, he saw the worry, anxiety, and a bit of fear on her face. He felt very guilty. He reached out a hand that was trembling from the pain to touch the top of her head. He slowly said: "If I had known that this would happen, I wouldn't have taken the risk to steal the question. I wouldn't have been deceived by that bastard with wild ambitions. I allowed you to use the Disaster Blocking Stone to make a deal with her, causing a great disaster. Good child, cough cough, this time, it was grandfather who harmed you. "
Ji Xingxuan tightly held the old man's other hand. Tears welled up in her eyes. She shook her head and held back her sobs. She forced a smile at him: "Don't say such depressing words. Wang ye said that as long as they don't have any material evidence, no matter who testifies, the Supreme Court can't easily convict us. Didn't you already burn that exam paper? Grandson's answer paper was also self-explanatory. As for them accusing us of colluding with the traitors who murdered the royal family, it's even more impossible to convict us. Father came to see me the day before yesterday and said that he had already asked someone to go to the Supreme Court to arrange things … It's okay, grandfather, it will be okay. "
Ji Huaishan's palm paused on her hair. He looked at her and closed his blurry eyes. He didn't have the heart to tell her the news that his good friend Zhao Zhixue had told him yesterday when he came to visit the prison — — The Celestial Commissioner had found seven or eight identical exam papers from this year's Da Yan Examination Astrology.
His crime of favoritism and fraud was confirmed. At the very least, he would be stripped of his official position and sent away. As for his precious granddaughter, she would lose her bright future because of cheating. She would never be able to enter the Da Yan Examination for the rest of her life. As a female customer, her life would be ruined.
"Xingxuan, listen to grandfather," Ji Huaishan pulled himself together and patted Ji Xingxuan's shoulder. He lowered his voice and said, "It's not that there's no turning back. In court tomorrow, no matter what they ask, you must insist that you don't know anything. Grandfather will also not admit to stealing the exam papers. Both of us are innocent. Do you remember?"
Ji Xingxuan had been in prison for several days. She had been tortured and interrogated. Her arrogance had long been worn down. At this moment, she must be at a loss. After listening to Ji Huaishan's words, she only nodded vigorously and firmly held his withered palm.
The grandfather and granddaughter pair whispered a few more words. The jailer outside the door began to urge them. Ji Xingxuan was involved in the murder of the Imperial Family. If she were to sneak into another prison cell, if she was discovered, the jailer would lose his job that day.
Ji Xingxuan was reluctantly taken away by the jailer. The prison door closed and the stone room once again sank into darkness. A long time later, a heavy sigh could be heard.
"Xuan 'er, don't blame grandfather."
Ji Xingxuan was taken by the jailer through a corridor. She saw Liu Hao waiting in front of the iron bars. She lowered her head and walked forward. She raised a hand and bowed: "Many thanks, wang ye."
"There is no need to thank me," Liu Hao held her wrist with one hand and looked at her with pity. He said: "You have suffered in prison these days. Don't worry, ben wang knows that you have been wronged and will seek justice for you.
Ji Xingxuan raised her head and looked gratefully at him. Without a trace, she pulled her wrist out of his hand and said in a soft voice: "Wang ye's benevolence, if there is a day, Xingxuan will definitely repay it."
"Ben wang does not need you to repay me," Liu Hao lowered his head and moved closer to her. His raised hand landed on her shoulder and he said in a warm voice: "As long as you do not hide from me in the future."
Ji Xingxuan gave a bitter laugh and lowered her eyes, not replying.
Seeing her like this, Liu Hao did not force her to promise anything. He patted her shoulder, "Let's go, I'll send you back before we leave."
Ji Xingxuan did not refuse and let him send her to the door of the prison. Watching her enter and lock the door, she walked to the only window in the room. She raised her head to look at the stars in the sky. Her hand moved in front of her chest and she began to silently chant.
After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly put down her hand and stiffly turned her head. She sat on the wooden bed and hugged the damp blanket. She slowly curled into a ball at the corner of the bed. A ray of moonlight shone on her figure and it could be seen that she was trembling.
The fourteenth year of Zhao Qing, the twenty-third of the first month. The sky was cloudy. This day was suitable for gathering, tailoring, entering a school, and meeting friends. Avoid visiting graves, digging, and brewing.
Yu Shu had specially changed into a brand new Hu skirt today. She wore a pair of boots that had been wiped clean. Since the weather was cold, she put on a sheepskin waistcoat and a pair of soft leather wrist guards. A piece of Fushan auspicious jade hung on her neck. Her hair was tied up in a braid, revealing a clean face. She was full of energy. She didn't look like she was going to be a witness in court, but more like she was going to ride a horse to play.
Lao Chui drove the carriage to Zhao Hui's house on time. Yu Shu went to the upper room and said goodbye to Zhao Hui. Then she got on the carriage and left. No one in the family knew that she was going to see the Ji family being tried today.
Knowing that it would rain in the afternoon, Yu Shu didn't forget to take an umbrella when she went out. On the way, she sat at the door of the carriage and chatted with Lao Chui for a while. She learned that Xue Rui had been busy for two days because of his work. Last night, he went back to his house and slept. Early this morning, he went to the Supreme Court to deal with the case. As an assistant official of the case, he participated in the joint trial.
Before this, Yu Shu had been invited to the Supreme Court for tea twice. So she knew the gate. After getting off the carriage and reporting her name, she was led in by the officer in front of the gate. They didn't go to the court directly. Instead, they took her to the side hall where the witnesses were resting to wait.
The trial of the Supreme Court was different from that of the county government. They were very strict. First, they didn't allow people to watch. Second, they had to follow the procedure. They only called the witnesses when they needed to come out.
As a witness, when Yu Shu arrived, Jing Chen hadn't come yet. Except for the two guards at the door, she was sitting alone in the room. There was no tea here. She put her hands in front of her abdomen and closed her eyes to rest.
"Daozi, please sit inside and wait for a while. I'll go to the hall first. I'll send someone to invite you later. Someone, make a pot of good tea and bring it here."
When Yu Shu heard the voices outside the door, she opened her eyes. Turning her head, she saw Jing Chen being escorted to the door by two officials from the Supreme Court. Behind him were two palace guards, standing in front of the door with sabers slung over their shoulders.
"Jing Chen, you're here." Yu Shu smiled and called out to him. She didn't stand up. She just sat there and greeted him. They hadn't seen each other for a few days. She knew that it was inconvenient for him to come out of the palace and she couldn't go find him. It was rare to see him, so of course she was very happy.
"Xiaoyu." Jing Chen sat down next to Yu Shu. He looked at her complexion and asked with concern, "Is your finger better?"
"I still take the medicine every day, but I can't move." Yu Shu held out her left hand in front of him.
Jing Chen looked and took out a square wooden box from his sleeve. He handed it to her. "This is the bone healing ointment I told you about last time. When you go back, have Doctor He apply it for you. Use it early in the morning. Don't stop once every three days."
Yu Shu received it and opened it. She first smelled a bitter and sweet smell, and then she looked at the shape of the ointment that was so red it was almost black. It was obviously similar to the box of ointment that the Ninth Prince asked Xue Rui to give to her not long ago, but this box of ointment had obviously been made not long ago, causing its smell to be slightly stronger. She laughed in her heart, yet didn't say anything.
"I thought you had forgotten about this." Yu Shu played with the finely made wooden box and said casually.
"I was going to deliver it to you the day before yesterday," Jing Chen explained to her. "But Shimei suddenly fell ill. I left the palace to see her, so I was two days late."
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