Lord Han was stunned for a moment. These two possessed considerable courage. Ordinary commoners, upon entering Dali Temple, would usually tremble uncontrollably, unable to even speak clearly. Yet, these two not only showed no fear but also presented their thoughts with clarity and eloquence, devoid of any subservience.
Were they… truly ordinary merchants, common folk?
Aside from Consort Mei, everyone else was also momentarily surprised. These two showed no apprehension in the presence of officials, a princess, and the Empress?
“Lord Han,” the neighboring Lord Wei nudged him with his elbow, reminding him softly.
Lord Han snapped back to attention, put on a stern face, and said gravely, “The suspects are waiting. I… shall first seek instructions from Her Majesty the Empress and the Fifth Princess.”
They needed to seek instructions even after presenting evidence?
Consort Mei was furious. She slammed her hand onto the desk before her and declared, “Lord Han! Should the plaintiff not have submitted the evidence to Dali Temple long ago? Dali Temple, without conclusive proof, has already imprisoned these individuals. What dereliction of duty is this!
Can I, too, arbitrarily grab anyone off the street, accuse them of harming me, and have Dali Temple immediately arrest them?
This is simply absurd to the extreme!”
Lord Han’s face showed embarrassment and alarm. He was caught between moving towards the screen and retreating, resembling a weak, timid animal trapped between a tiger and a wolf.
Lord Wei also wiped the sweat from his brow. In fact, before the Fifth Princess reported the matter, he had asked her for evidence. Her reply was: “If you continue to blabber, your entire family will be executed!”
The Empress said coldly, “Consort Mei, what do you mean by this? My daughter used the rouge from their shop and was disfigured, is there any falsehood to this?” This unsightly woman dared to bang on the table and show displeasure in front of everyone. What impudence!
“It was precisely their cosmetics that caused me to become like this!” Princess Xin Yao cried out hoarsely.
Consort Mei also gave a cold smile, “Empress, as the mother of the nation, this subject believes you are well-versed in the laws of Da Xia. If one accuses another of poisoning oneself, sufficient evidence must be presented, must it not? Otherwise, the laws of our Da Xia would be rendered meaningless, and what respect would be shown to the Emperor’s authority?”
Mentioning the Emperor again! Was she not merely relying on the Emperor’s protection? The Empress behind the screen gritted her teeth in anger, clutching her handkerchief tightly.
Bai Sheng faced the Empress and the Princess, bowing respectfully. “Your Majesty the Empress, Your Highness the Princess, this commoner greets you! This commoner has not claimed that the Fifth Princess’s disfigurement is false, nor does Consort Mei intend such a thing.
Our point is that any accusation requires ample evidence, even if you are accusing the powerless and destitute common people, evidence is still necessary. This is also clearly stipulated by the laws of Da Xia.
Furthermore, that box of rouge was sold from our shop, left our premises, and ultimately reached the hands of the Fifth Princess, having passed through other hands. It is not impossible that someone maliciously framed this commoner.
Therefore, this commoner earnestly requests the Fifth Princess to produce that box of rouge for immediate examination in front of all the esteemed officials. This commoner is skilled in medicine and will undoubtedly discern the truth of the matter.”
Xin Yao was so enraged that she kicked over the screen and pointed at Bai Sheng, shouting, “What right do you have? Do you think you are worthy of speaking to this Princess? Daring to lecture this Princess!”
Lu Ye’s gaze deepened. He raised his arm to shield Bai Sheng and said loudly, “Your Highness the Fifth Princess, this humble subject’s wife is the defendant. In this court, she naturally has the right to defend herself!
If the Fifth Princess accuses us five, then please present evidence. If there is no concrete, substantial evidence, and it is not sufficient to convict us based solely on the Fifth Princess’s word, then, Lord Han, can we be released from prison and go home immediately?”
Consort Mei’s face lit up with a smile, and she cast an appreciative glance at Lu Ye. Yes, it was good. Not only was this husband of young Sheng handsome, but he was also full of spirit when facing adversity. He was indeed a good match for young Sheng.
Lord Yan also couldn’t help but raise his eyelids and say to Lord Han, “Lord Han, please present the evidence. If there is no evidence, then indeed, they can be released!”
Bai Sheng declared loudly, “My Lords, a prince who breaks the law is subject to the same punishment as a commoner. If no evidence is presented, it proves that this commoner has been intentionally wronged. Therefore, this commoner also seeks justice. My shop, ‘Hong Fen Jia Ren,’ has had its reputation ruined due to this incident, resulting in extremely heavy losses. This commoner and my family have suffered physically and mentally, and should also receive compensation!”
“Bitch! How dare you be so disrespectful to the Empress and this Princess!” Xin Yao trembled with rage.
Lu Ye glanced at Xin Yao, his eyes suddenly filled with coldness, and his fists clenched with a crackling sound.
Bai Sheng bowed again to the Empress and Xin Yao, then said calmly, “May I ask the Fifth Princess where this commoner has been disrespectful to Her Majesty the Empress and you? This commoner has paid her respects to both of you and has not spoken ill of you. I have treated you with utmost respect.”
“You – you –” Xin Yao was so angry she couldn’t speak. Until now, no commoner had ever failed to show a fawning, subservient demeanor when meeting them. This lowly servant actually dared to speak to them in such a tone!
Consort Mei couldn’t help but laugh.
Young Sheng was very much like her. She was tough! Consort Mei liked that.
Lord Han looked at Consort Mei, then at Lord Yan, who had lowered his eyelids again. He suppressed the anger towards Bai Sheng with great effort, gritted his teeth, walked to the screen, and bowed slightly. “Your Majesty the Empress, Your Highness the Fifth Princess, could you please produce that box of rouge for us to examine on the spot?”
The Empress also felt like slapping someone, but she retained a shred of reason. She hadn’t expected these two peasants to be such tough nuts to crack! Daring to confront them directly.
The Empress glanced at the Princess, signaling her to produce the evidence.
Seeing everyone staring at her, Xin Yao stomped her foot and said impatiently, “That box of rouge was bought for me by Zhou Yanran and Dong Xuerou. They told me that the rouge and powders from Hong Fen Jia Ren were very good, so I asked them to buy it for me. As for that box of rouge, I was so angry at the time that I just threw it away.”
Lord Han’s heart suddenly tightened. Oh my heavens, how did the Zhou and Dong families get involved now?
This case was becoming increasingly maddening. It seemed he would offend all the influential families in the capital.
If the Minister of Dali Temple were here, he wouldn’t have to step forward to take the blame. Alas, Lord Qi, you are fortunate! By going out on duty, you have narrowly avoided this massive responsibility!
“May I ask the Princess, where was that box of rouge thrown?” Bai Sheng asked respectfully.
Xin Yao impatiently roared, “How would I know? The eunuchs in the palace take away the garbage every day!”
Lu Ye cupped his hands towards Lord Han. “My Lord, it has only been three days since April 13th. This humble subject implores you to track down that batch of garbage; you will surely find the box of rouge thrown away by the Fifth Princess.”
Lord Han glared at Lu Ye and rebuked, “The imperial palace handles so much refuse every day. How can a small box of rouge be found?!”
“My dogs can definitely find it!” Lu Ye replied loudly. “My Lord, I have three dogs at home with exceptionally keen senses of smell. They usually find anything lost in the household, even a needle or a thread.”
Black Soil, Fat Sand, and Poop Ball: Master, is it really okay to lie like this in broad daylight?