Chapter 661: Evidence (3)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The emperor glanced at the two of them and was very satisfied with Lin Mu’s way of doing things.
“Do you know her?” He pointed at the mute woman.
Only then did the two of them raise their heads slightly and look in the direction the emperor was pointing.
Too much time had passed. The two of them sized up the mute woman’s wrinkled face for a long time before finding a sense of familiarity.
One of them said uncertainly, “Your Majesty, I think she looks a little like Madam Zhou.”
The other person said the same thing.
The Emperor frowned and said unhappily, “Are you sure?”
The two of them were so frightened that they quickly bent down and explained with trembling hands, ‘Madam Zhou was originally a famous embroiderer in the capital. However, ever since she was invited to the residence by a noble, I haven’t seen her again. It’s been more than ten years, so…”
After so long, she still had an impression of her because the mute woman’s
skills were really good back then. Later on, she was chosen by a benefactor. For a long time, everyone would sigh at her luck when they mentioned her.
This exchange could basically confirm the mute woman’s identity. The emperor waved for someone to send the two old women out.
“Go on.” He looked at the mute woman.
“Yes.” Thinking of what had happened back then, the mute woman’s body trembled. She took a deep breath and said, “The benefactor they were talking about just now was actually Prince Xia.”
“That was 18 years ago. Apart from myself, there were three other embroiderers who were invited into Prince Xia’s residence at the same time. Unfortunately, I was the only one who escaped death, the other three were all silenced. ”
She only seemed to sigh.
It was Prince Xia again. The emperor’s eyebrows twitched.
The mute woman continued, “At first, the few of us thought that we were going to be special embroiderers for the princess consort. Unexpectedly, Emperor Xia actually asked us to embroider according to the pattern of the True Dragon.”
They were already in the prince’s residence. Did they have a choice? The outcome was obvious.
The commoners were in an uproar. Did this mean that the old prince was the one who framed the disinherited crown prince?
“Even if you did embroider a dragon robe back then, others can also embroider it. How do you know that it’s the same piece as the one found in the Eastern Palace? Even if it’s the same piece, how do you know that Lord An Le didn’t conspire with the old prince?” the emperor reprimanded coldly.
“You dare to say that I’ve wronged someone just because you’ve once embroidered a dragon robe? How dare you?”
Actually, the emperor already had a guess in his heart, but it was clearly impossible for him to admit his mistake based on this.
“I have a way to prove that it’s the same thing.” With that, the mute woman fumbled in her pocket and took out a handkerchief.
Fortunately, she had practiced embroidery since she was young. Even after so many years, even if she couldn’t see, she could still embroider skillfully.
Qi Shou received the emperor’s signal and went forward to take it. He pinched it to make sure that there was no problem before handing it to the emperor. There was a dragon’s eye embroidered on it, and it looked real.
“The dragon eyes on that dragon robe were embroidered by me. Your Majesty, you can get someone to compare them.”
Even if it was the same pattern, using the same embroidery method, it would be different when different people embroidered it.
It was like the words written by a scholar. It was obvious at a glance if they were written by the same person.
The emperor tightened his grip on the handkerchief. The dragon robe had indeed not been destroyed as evidence, but so what if it was the same one? Didn’t he say that there was another possibility?
“Your Majesty, I still have a witness,” Song Jingchen suddenly said.
The emperor’s face darkened. Song Jingchen was so well-prepared. Who would believe that he didn’t send Madam Zhou?
“Bring him in,” the emperor said through gritted teeth.
South Wind walked in with a dirty man and an old man. When they saw who the man was, the crowd immediately exploded.
“Isn’t that the old prince?”
“Is he still considered a prince? Didn’t they say that he’s already gone crazy?”
“What?” The emperor was so shocked that he almost stood up from his chair. The reason why he didn’t send anyone to look for him was actually because he thought that Shangguan Pu had already killed him!
Moreover, he had heard from the palace servants that the old prince had gone crazy.
The old prince knelt down and cried, “Your Majesty, I’m guilty.”
The emperor’s forehead throbbed. He hadn’t asked anything yet. What crime was there?
He glared at the old prince.
However, the old prince had already started to babble about how Shangguan Pu had taken the dragon robe from him and how he couldn’t tell anyone about it. Afterwards, Shangguan Pu used it to frame the Eastern Palace. In the end, he spilled the beans.
His confession couldn’t be stopped.
The emperor was furious. At the same time, he blamed Shangguan Pu for not killing the old prince with one strike.
After the old prince finished speaking, Song Jingchen took out another stack of rice paper.
Qi Shou took it and presented it to the emperor.
The content on the rice paper was very messy. There were three types of handwriting. It was obvious that they were written by three people. Two of them were just excerpts.
The third one was the key.
Seeing the contents, the emperor’s pupils constricted.
This was clearly the same as the letter found in the Eastern Palace back then, but the handwriting was different.
What did this mean?
“Your Majesty, the handwriting on that paper was actually written by the same person, but somehow, it includes traces of my grandfather and Lord An Lets handwriting.”
As soon as Song Jingchen finished speaking, the old man kneeling at the side kowtowed. “Your Majesty, please spare me. I was forced by Lord Jing. I didn’t want to!”
The evidence was conclusive.
The emperor’s expression was ugly.
Song Jingchen bent down. “Your Majesty, Lord An Le is innocent. Our Song family is innocent. The officials who were implicated two years ago are innocent. Your Majesty, please uphold justice and clear our names!”
His voice was not loud, but every word was like a huge rock that smashed into everyone’s hearts.
Madam Li was already in tears. She pulled Brother Hao and Sister Huan to Imeel down together.
The surrounding commoners also knelt down. “Lord An Le is innocent. The Song family is innocent. The officials who were implicated two years ago are innocent. Your Majesty, please uphold justice!”
Their uniform voices resounded through the clouds, as if they wanted to tell the world that Old Master Song had been wronged and that they were all innocent.
Shen Yijia turned to look at Song Jingchen and realized that his eyes were red. She felt a lump in her throat and felt terrible.
“Hubby, you did it! Grandfather and the others will see it!” She secretly grabbed his hand.
Song Jingchen subconsciously held it and nodded.
In the Cold Palace, Su Yun ran into the main hall excitedly. “Miss, Miss, did you hear that? Outside…
She paused mid-sentence.
On the soft couch, Song Li was already crying..
