"This lowly official confesses, confesses!"
Seeing that Ji Xingxuan was being tortured, Ji Huaishan confessed on the spot. Guo Huaian was not surprised and raised his hand as if he had expected it. He signaled for the officers to release Ji Xingxuan first. He then nodded to the registrar to record it down and asked: "So, you admit that you abused the law and stole the exam questions from this year's Grand Yan Examination?"
Ji Huaishan supported the sweating Ji Xingxuan and nodded with tears streaming down his face. He said in shame: "This lowly official was muddle-headed and abused his authority to steal this year's Astrology exam questions before the exam began."
Yu Shu raised her eyebrows. Ji Huaishan's willingness to confess so readily was beyond her expectations. She thought that he would be able to hold on for a little longer and wait for the Celestial Commissioner to show him the dozens of exam questions that were identical to Ji Xingxuan's answers. Only then would he obediently confess.
Yu Shu did not know that Ji Huaishan had already heard about the dozens of exam questions from Zhao Zhixue the night before. He knew that he had no way out and that he was forced to confess.
Ji Xingxuan was scared out of her wits. She leaned against Ji Huaishan, sweating profusely. Her arms were stiff and trembling uncontrollably. Half of her soul and seven apertures had flown away. When she heard Ji Huaishan confess, she did not react in time.
"Bang!"
Guo Huaian slammed the gavel and said with a cold face: "Then how did you steal this year's exam questions? Who is the accomplice? Who is the one who leaked the questions? Tell me everything and do not hide anything."
Ji Huaishan hugged Ji Xingxuan, his dry lips quivering. His eyes darted around and he gritted his teeth and said in a low voice: "Your Excellency, this lowly official knows that I have committed the taboo of favoritism and that there are indeed accomplices who stole the questions. But let me say this first. My granddaughter Xingxuan did not know that I had stolen the questions. It was I who found out where Yunhua's Yi Zi exam papers were kept and asked her to look for them. It was also I who asked her to meet the anonymous agreement to exchange the stone for the Yi Zi exam papers. After I succeeded, I tried my best to remind her how to answer the questions and did not let her take a look at the exam papers. This matter has nothing to do with her. It is my fault that I was blinded by greed. This child was only misled by this old thing and did not knowingly commit the crime.
I beg for Your Excellency's judgment! "After listening to his words, Yu Shu came to a sudden realization. This old thing took the initiative to confess. He intended to take all the blame on himself in order to protect Ji Xingxuan.
Sensing Ji Huaishan's intention, Yu Shu sneered. She thought to herself: Do you think it is that easy? Do you think everyone is a fool? Saying that Ji Xingxuan did not know anything will dispel the fact that she cheated? Who would believe that?
At this time, Ji Xingxuan recovered from the pain and heard the second half of Ji Huaishan's words. Her expression changed abruptly. She raised her head and stared blankly at Ji Huaishan. She stammered: "Great-grandfather?"
Ji Huaishan avoided her gaze and choked: "Child, grandfather is muddle-headed. Grandfather has let you down."
Not wanting Ji Xingxuan to escape, Yu Shu could not help but speak. She took a step forward and bowed to Guo Huaian. She said: "That day, this student handed that anonymous letter to Miss Ji. She was also the one who personally received the Yun Hua Yi Zi examination paper from Daozi. Miss Ji is extraordinarily intelligent. Even this student guessed that this was an examination question. How could she not know? This is obviously Lord Ji's excuse to absolve her of the crime of cheating.
Ji Huaishan raised his head and looked coldly at the unforgiving Yu Shu. No one knew what he was thinking. Was he regretting that he did not make the first move to gain the upper hand back then?
Listening to their argument, Guo Huaian had a rough idea of what was going on. He said: "Whether she is guilty or not, this official will judge for himself. Lord Ji, you should first confess to the process of stealing the examination questions."
In fact, the Supreme Court had been investigating the Celestial Commissioner for many days but could not find any other clues. At present, they could only start with Ji Huaishan. Only then would they be able to bring the officials involved in the theft of the examination questions to justice. Therefore, Guo Huaian thought of using torture on Ji Xingxuan to force Ji Huaishan to submit and confess to the others.
Ji Huaishan patted Ji Xingxuan's back and looked at her lovingly. After stabilizing her, he let go of her and crawled two steps forward. With his hair that had turned white overnight, he bowed to Ren Qiming who was sitting on his left. He actually kowtowed. This action was somewhat puzzling. Immediately after, he propped his body up and stood up. He raised his hands in a salute and lowered his head. In a trembling voice, he said: "This lowly official has failed in his duty. I have failed the Grand Supervisor and the Junior Supervisor. I have let down the court and my Lord His Majesty. I am willing to admit my guilt. However, I beg you to consider this old man's conscientious and conscientious feelings over these years and a little contribution. Please do not blame my granddaughter, Xingxuan. This old man dares to use my life to guarantee that she is innocent. If there is even half a word of falsehood, she will enter the netherworld to suffer in purgatory and become a slave in her next life. I beg you, Lord Ji, to tell the Grand Secretary to fulfill this old man's love for her. "
Listening to this old man's words of protection and sincerity, even his enemy, Yu Shu, was slightly moved, not to mention the others.
Ji Xingxuan looked at Ji Huaishan's stooped back with tears in her eyes. Her eyes were red and swollen. She opened her purple lips and wept. She called out weakly like a cat, "Grandfather."
Ren Qiming sat on the chair and shifted his body uncomfortably. He cleared his throat and said in a deep voice: "Lord Guo and I will investigate this case impartially. We will not wrong anyone. If Miss Ji did not cheat, we will not accuse her. What do you say, Lord Guo?"
Guo Huaian nodded. His expression was not as stern as before. He looked at Ji Huaishan and said: "Continue to confess. This official will make a fair decision."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Huaishan suddenly twitched. His body swayed back and forth. He raised his shackled hands to cover his throat and knelt on the ground with a thud. Everyone could only see his disheveled hair and no one could see his face clearly.
Seeing this, the experienced Guo Huaian's expression changed. He stood up abruptly and pointed at Ji Huaishan. He shouted at both sides: "He wants to bite his tongue. Quickly stop him!"
With a few swishing sounds, everyone in the room, including Xue Rui and Jing Chen, stood up with a shocked expression.
Yu Shu was taken aback. In the blink of an eye, she saw two constables rush forward. One supported Ji Huaishan, while the other lifted his head to pry open his mouth. Ji Huaishan tilted to the side, his hair disheveled, revealing his face. He was facing her, allowing her to clearly see a face as purple as a cow's ghost. His eyes were like copper bells, staring straight at her. His gaze was filled with unwillingness, causing her hair to stand on end. In the next moment, she saw his mouth being pried open, and blood gushed out, revealing a large, gaping red hole. It was a horrifying sight.
"Lord, he swallowed his tongue to commit suicide!"
Seeing this scene, Ji Xingxuan's body stiffened. It was as if he was possessed and he didn't move an inch.
Yu Shu's vision blurred and a shadow flashed past. When she regained her senses from the bloody mouth, she saw Jing Chen squatting in front of Ji Huaishan. With one hand, he quickly sealed a few acupuncture points on Ji Huaishan's chest and with the other, he pressed on the artery on the side of his neck. Ji Huaishan's throat seemed to be blocked. He kept coughing out blood but didn't make a sound.
Xue Rui also came out from behind the table and walked forward to take a look.
Guo Huaian leaned forward with the help of the table and asked anxiously: "How is it?"
Jing Chen put down the hand that was pressing on Ji Huaishan's neck. He closed his eyes and shook his head. There was no hope.
"Grandfather!"
At this moment, a heart-wrenching cry sounded in the court. Ji Xingxuan threw herself to Ji Huaishan's side like a madman. She pushed the officer away and hugged the old man with both hands. She lowered her head to look at the tragic state of his face. She felt a chill run down her spine, as if she was in an icehouse.
Ji Huaishan's mouth was full of blood. He let out a low, hoarse cry. He twisted his neck and looked at her. The malevolence in his eyes turned into love. He used the last bit of his strength to raise his hand, as if he wanted to touch her face. But his fingers brushed against her cheek, leaving a trail of blood. With a thud, his breath stopped.
Seeing this, Jing Chen's expression changed. He clenched his fists that were hanging by his side.
"Grandfather, grandfather!" Ji Xingxuan screamed. Her red and swollen palm shook Ji Huaishan. She held his blood-covered face and tried to wake the old man up. But in the blink of an eye, they were separated by life and death. He was dead and there was nothing she could do.
"Your Excellency, the criminal, the criminal is dead." The officer reported.
Ji Xingxuan hugged Ji Huaishan's body and cried. No one tried to stop her. Everyone in the court had a heavy expression on their faces. No one thought that Ji Huaishan would suddenly seek death and end his life in such a hurry.
Yu Shu stared at Ji Huaishan's dead body. She slowly bit her lips. At this point, she finally understood Ji Huaishan's intentions. He risked his life to protect Ji Xingxuan's innocence and protect her future. She would be lying if she said she wasn't touched by this kinship. She originally had no intention of killing them. Who would have thought that Ji Huaishan would lose his life because of this? This result was beyond her expectations. She couldn't feel happy at all. Instead, she felt an indescribable heaviness that made it hard for her to breathe.
"Wuuu — —" Ji Xingxuan's cries became hoarse. She suddenly stopped crying and struggled to support Ji Huaishan's body to the ground. She covered Ji Huaishan's widened eyes with her blood-stained palms. She lifted her swollen face and looked around. Finally, her gaze fell on Yu Shu. Her eyes suddenly became fierce. She staggered to her feet and took a step forward. She raised her hand to slap Yu Shu's face.
Xue Rui and Jing Chen were both nearby, and both of them noticed Ji Xingxuan's intentions at the same time, so they stretched out their hands to stop her. Xue Rui took the initiative to grab Ji Xingxuan's shoulder, whereas Jing Chen instead flashed over to stand in front of Yu Shu, causing Ji Xingxuan's slap to descend onto his chest, and it left behind a blurry bloodstain on his pure white clothes.
"Let me go." Ji Xingxuan struggled against her shoulder and hit Jing Chen's chest with all her might. She cried incoherently: "It's you, it's you who killed my grandfather. It's you, you're the murderer. Move away, move away. I want to ask her where she got her vicious heart from. Move away!"
Jing Chen did not try to avoid her blows. He stood there and allowed her to hit him. His clear eyes were filled with guilt as he stared at the crying woman in front of him. He said in a low voice: "… I'm sorry."
Yu Shu was standing behind Jing Chen and could clearly hear his apology. Her face darkened. She was not the type to hide behind someone's back so she walked around him and stood out. She looked at the crazed Ji Xingxuan and reached out to grab her right hand that was hitting Jing Chen. She gripped her wrist and forced her to look at herself. She said coldly: "Your grandfather only has himself to blame for his death. Instead of blaming others, why don't you blame yourself first? Your grandfather died to protect you. What does that have to do with us?"
Hearing Yu Shu's merciless words of truth, Ji Xingxuan was stunned. Her face turned green and white. Yu Shu's words were like a heavy blow to her head, causing her great sorrow and agitation. Suddenly, her eyelids fluttered and she fell forward.
Xue Rui's grip on Ji Xingxuan's shoulder loosened and Jing Chen reached out to catch Ji Xingxuan. He frowned and turned to look at Yu Shu. His face was so stern that she had never seen it before. Although he did not say anything, Yu Shu could see the reproach in his eyes.
Yu Shu's chest felt like it had been punched by someone. She felt stuffy, but she didn't avoid his gaze at all. She looked at him calmly because she didn't do anything wrong. She didn't need to feel guilty.
Xue Rui looked back and forth between the two of them. He seemed to be able to feel the undercurrent between them. He frowned slightly and turned to ask, "Daren, Ji Huaishan has committed suicide to escape punishment. How should we deal with him now?"
At this moment, Guo Huaian was sighing and annoyed. He sighed because a good person had died. He was annoyed because Ji Huaishan's death meant that there was no way to continue investigating the case. He was hesitating on how to proceed when he suddenly heard the announcement outside the door, "Ning Wangye has arrived!"
Everyone turned to look outside and saw a group of people walking in from the distant courtyard. When they were almost at the door, they could clearly see that the one in the lead was the Seventh Prince, Liu Hao, who had arrived late.
Guo Huaian and Ren Qiming looked at each other. They could see the confusion in each other's eyes. Xue Rui, who was standing below the hall, had a flash in his eyes. He thought, "After waiting for so long, he's finally here."
"Greetings to Ning Wangye." Everyone in the hall paid their respects.
As soon as Liu Hao entered, he first saw Ji Huaishan's corpse on the ground. He then found Ji Xingxuan, who was unconscious on Jing Chen's chest. His expression was ugly. He asked in a cold voice, "What is going on?"
Hearing this tone, Guo Huaian frowned imperceptibly. He said, "I wonder what business Ning Wangye has come to the Supreme Court at this time?"
He was speaking politely. The Supreme Court was in the middle of an investigation and prohibited people from entering or leaving. Liu Hao could be considered to have barged in.
Liu Hao calmly reached to the side and took a letter from a eunuch. In a loud voice, he said, "This is the purpose of the edict. Ben wang is acting on Fuhuang's orders to investigate the matter of Daozi being harmed on his way back to the capital."
Seeing the edict in his hand and hearing his words, everyone's expression changed. First, they stood to pay their respects to the Emperor. Then, Liu Hao had his attendant hand the edict into Guo Huaian's hands.
Seeing this scene, Yu Shu thought for a moment and understood the situation. She had seen Ji Xingxuan walk with Ning Wangye at Ding Bo Hall. At that time, she could see that this Liu Hao was fond of Ji Xingxuan. Now that he had come, he must have come to save the situation. This Liu Hao was smart and capable. He knew that he could not directly interfere with this case, so he used the investigation of Jing Chen as an excuse to get involved.
After Guo Huaian read it, he handed it to Ren Qiming. He raised his hand to Liu Hao and said, "Wang ye is a step late. This criminal, Ji Huaishan, has just confessed to his crime and committed suicide to escape punishment."
Displeasure appeared on Liu Hao's face. He looked at Ji Huaishan's corpse on the ground and then looked at the battered and unconscious Ji Xingxuan. He coldly said, "If that's the case, then collect the corpse first. Let this prince investigate and then judge later. What does Guo daren and Junior Supervisor Ren think?"
With the edict in his hand, what else could Guo Huaian and Ren Qiming say? They could only agree with him. Moreover, this scene was not suitable to continue judging. They needed to sort things out before making a decision.
"Come, inform the Ji family to come and collect the corpse. This Miss Ji …"
"This prince has questions to interrogate Miss Ji," Liu Hao interrupted Guo Huaian. He pointed at Ji Xingxuan and ordered, "Come, take her away."
Just as he finished speaking, two female guards came forward and supported Ji Xingxuan from Jing Chen. They carried her on their backs and returned to Liu Hao's side. Guo Huaian saw that he was acting on his own and was slightly displeased. However, he did not stop him.
"Guo daren, Junior Supervisor Ren, and Daozi …" Liu Hao turned his head and glanced at Xue Rui. He smiled coldly and said, "Xue daren, this prince will take his leave first."
Then, he left with his entourage.
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