Chapter 53 - 053: Miscarriage of Justice

“Why would the Emperor go through such trouble?”

Sang Yan wasn’t fooled, her voice cold with mockery, “On one hand, you slaughter, on the other, you pray for blessings. Even the Buddha would hide away upon seeing you.”

He Ying was still unaware of the Cold Palace incident and frowned, “What do you mean by that?”

With a sarcastic smile, Sang Yan replied, “Could your Prison Department ever do anything commendable? Would you really not know?”@@novelbin@@

The entire Cold Palace, twenty-three lives!

All dead!

The Prison Department wasn’t investigating, it was clearly eradicating to the root!

Upon hearing about the Prison Department, He Ying understood everything.

With a cold expression, he ordered someone to summon Wang Lishuo.

Wang Lishuo was still in the Imperial Palace organizing case records and hadn’t left. When he heard the summons, he hurried over.

It took less than the time to finish a cup of tea.

He kneeled down to pay his respects, presenting the case files, “The matter involves Princess Consort Li, and I’ve not yet interrogated her; everything is awaiting the Emperor’s command.”

He Ying took the case files, quickly glanced over them, and with a sullen face, issued the command, “Summon Princess Consort Li!”

He would handle this matter here in the side hall, where Sang Yan was.

Sang Yan watched quietly up to this point and couldn’t help but speak out, “Do you also believe that Princess Consort Li is responsible?”

He Ying didn’t answer directly but countered, “Who else could it be if not her?”

Indeed!

Who else could it be but Princess Consort Li?

Everyone in the Imperial Palace knew they had grievances.

And Princess Consort Li had once stayed in the Cold Palace.

But could the truth really be so simple?

Could someone be taking advantage of the chaos?

“Do you think it’s not her?”

He Ying asked for her opinion.

Sang Yan shook her head, “I don’t know. It just feels wrong to me, but I can’t pinpoint what exactly is amiss.”

She was like a laid-back fish in the palace, always kind to others; who else would want to harm her?

She was confused yet clear about what she needed to do.

“Whoever it is, Emperor, I don’t want anyone else to die.”

Because of the Cold Palace incident, truly too many had died or been harmed.

He Ying knew of her kindness but insisted, “I can only promise you this – the mastermind shall be shown no mercy, but for the accomplices, I shall show some leniency.”

“…”

Did this still mean that Princess Consort Li had to die?

Princess Consort Li was dragged out of her bed by the guards.

She was sleeping soundly, oblivious to the impending disaster.

Now dragged over, her clothing in disarray, she wasn’t even wearing shoes.

“How dare you? Let go of me! I am Princess Consort Li! How dare you treat me like this!”

Qu Xueli screamed as she was thrown to the ground.

Her hair was in even greater disarray, and when she looked up to see the Emperor and the officials from the Prison Department, she realized she was in trouble, her face a picture of panic and confusion, “Emperor, what has your concubine done wrong?”

Her hands clutched at her undergarment at her chest, her feet still exposed, in a very pitiful state.

Sang Yan, seeing this, had Qiuzhi bring over a cloak for her.

Qu Xueli initially didn’t want to accept it, but with men present and a woman’s modesty at stake, she had no choice but to thank them and took it to cover herself.

He Ying didn’t dwell on this small matter, and directly threw the case files in front of her, “Take a look for yourself!”

After reading, Qu Xueli immediately shouted, “Emperor, I am wronged! I am wronged!”

“The evidence is irrefutable, and you still dare to cry innocence!”

He Ying didn’t believe her, his voice cold, “Ms. Qu, you’re in luck. I’ve just promised her not to implicate the innocent, so I’ll give you a chance. As long as you admit to your crimes, I won’t go after your maternal family!”

“It wasn’t me! It really wasn’t me! Emperor, please see clearly!”

Qu Xueli was frantic and fearful, tears reddening her eyes; she began to speak recklessly, blurting out everything, “I certainly envied Sang Yan, but I never thought of harming her. Truly. Believe me. That time you took her through the Imperial Garden, I even went to complain to the Empress Dowager. She said that your not loathing Mrs. Sang is a good thing for us concubines. As long as you’re attracted to her, and have had your fill, our good days would arrive. I had an epiphany then. I’m still waiting for your favor to be shared, to bear the heir for you, how could I possibly harm her?”

Sang Yan: “…”

So this is what the Empress Dowager was thinking?

I really had too high an opinion of her!

And—should these words even be spoken?

If what Qu Xueli said is true, it seems there indeed is no motive for murder.

Then, besides her, who would want to harm her?

“Filthy language spewing from your mouth!”

He Ying roared furiously, standing up with an ashen face, brimming with murderous intent, “Do you think by saying this, I would believe you? Ms. Qu, since you persist in being stubborn, then don’t blame me for being ruthless. Guards—”

Sang Yan quickly spoke up to stop him: “Does the Emperor intend to force a confession like the Prison Department?”

He Ying: “…”

His expression halted, he sat back down, holding his forehead and said, “I let anger cloud my judgement! Listen to what she’s saying? Shameless!”

Is she thoroughly satisfied now?

Although Sang Yan had thought this way about him, when others thought this about him, it was a sin!

Such is the double standard!

Sang Yan didn’t think there was anything in those words to be angry about, and if anyone should be angry, it should be her.

She has been treated as his appetizer!

Who knows how they’ve been mocking her behind her back?

Although internally unsettled, she still separated the issues at hand.

Sang Yan was still rational and turned toward Princess Consort Li to say, “If you have not harmed me, would you dare to swear an oath?”

The ancients were very superstitious, not swearing oaths lightly.

And she indeed saw people who had sworn curses that led to misfortune in her childhood.

A neighbor once lost five hundred pieces of silver, and the matron who visited claimed she hadn’t taken it but swore a curse that if she had, she would fall down the stairs and break her leg, or go upstairs and knock out her teeth. Indeed, within three days, she fell down the stairs and broke her leg; when she was carried to the hospital for a checkup and had to go upstairs, she was dropped and knocked out two teeth.

In short, even modern people shouldn’t swear oaths lightly.

“I dare!”

Qu Xueli raised her hand and swore an oath, “I, Qu Xueli, hereby swear, if I have done anything to harm you, Sang Yan, may I die a terrible death!”

“How exactly would you die a terrible death?”

Sang Yan wasn’t satisfied with this vague oath and taught her to be more specific, “You should describe the method of death in detail. The more specific the oath, the clearer the heavens will hear it. Oh, right, you should also state your full birth details, so the heavens can find you precisely.”

She believed saying this would discourage anyone from swearing an oath.

Qu Xueli did indeed look frightened, but still slowly raised her hand, stated her birth details, and even swore a dreadful curse involving “beauty turning to white hair, lifelong illnesses, and a lifetime of poverty.”

This time, Sang Yan said nothing more.

Seeing Sang Yan silent, Qu Xueli, thinking she wasn’t believed, became frightened and distressed, tears forming as she cried out, “I really didn’t do it. Sang Yan, believe me, I truly didn’t! It wasn’t me!”

Sang Yan believed her.

She had actually felt it wasn’t her from the beginning.

“Emperor, let’s investigate anew.”

“…You believe her just like that?”

He Ying frowned, feeling the turn of events was somewhat farcical—was she going soft in the heart, wanting to save Princess Consort Li?

Sang Yan was indeed not going soft; she just subconsciously felt Princess Consort Li was innocent.

And she wanted to trust her intuition.

However, intuition alone surely couldn’t justify releasing someone.

She thought for a moment and had an idea: “I’ve heard the Emperor went to the temple to pray for my well-being. Since you’ve prayed for my well-being, you must believe in the divine. So why now, when Princess Consort Li swears an oath, you do not believe? Emperor, sincerity moves the heavens.”

He Ying: “…”

Found himself at a loss for words.

“Emperor, Lord Sang—”

Wang Lishuo, who had been observing the trial, saw that the Emperor seemed persuaded and hurriedly spoke up, “We must not determine her innocence simply because of Princess Consort Li’s oath. Otherwise, in the future, anyone who commits a crime could merely swear an oath—where would the law stand then?”

His words made sense.

Sang Yan also agreed and nodded, “Lord Wang is right, indeed we can’t ignore the law because of a single oath. But what is the point of law if it is upheld through forced confessions?”

Thinking of the more than twenty lives lost at his hands, she doubted his integrity, and her tone became sharp, “May I ask what wisdom Lord Wang has to offer? How do you propose we deal with Princess Consort Li?”

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