In the afternoon, Wu Caiwei changed into a maid's outfit and quietly slipped out of the mansion. As darkness fell, she arrived at the outskirts of the city.
Yu He had initially been confused as to why they had been kidnapped. However, the moment she saw Wu Caiwei, she knew she was doomed this time.
Wu Caiwei, seeing the expression on Yu He's face, knew she had been recognized. She said with a sneer, "What goes around comes around. You look like you've accepted your fate. It's a pity your family has to die with you in their ignorance."
Upon hearing this, Yu He almost broke down. Her husband and in-laws were one thing, but her children were her flesh and blood. She dared not look back at their faces and could only plead, "Miss, it was my own foolishness back then that led me to do wrong. They are innocent. Could you please be merciful and let them go?"
Wu Caiwei let out a cold laugh, finding it the funniest joke she had heard all day. "If our positions were reversed, would you still say such a thing? Your family is innocent, but am I not innocent too?"
Yu He collapsed to the ground, filled with despair.
"However, I can spare one of your children. Are you willing to cooperate?"
Without a second thought, Yu He replied, "I am willing."
Wu Caiwei nodded with satisfaction.
The next morning, Yu He went to the yamen and beat the drum to summon the court.
The door was pounded on vigorously early in the morning. The gatekeeper of the Wu mansion, impatient, said, "Hold on, don't be so hasty!"
As he groggily opened the gate, his slightly clouded mind cleared instantly upon seeing the yamen runners standing at the entrance.
He quickly and tremblingly ran to find the steward. Upon hearing the news, the steward exclaimed, "This is unacceptable!" He hurried over to them, catching his breath, and said, "Brother yamen runner, we are honest business people. Have you come to the wrong place?"
The yamen runners ignored him and charged into the main hall. They found Mr. Wu and his wife having breakfast.
The leading yamen runner said expressionlessly, "Master Wu, Madam Wu, please accompany us to the yamen."
Mr. Wu was bewildered and nervously asked, "Why? We haven't broken any laws recently?"
"We are merely acting on orders. If Master Wu and Madam Wu do not comply, we will have to resort to force." The yamen runner frowned unconsciously. There was no point in saying more to them; they could explain themselves to the magistrate.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Wu exchanged a glance with the steward, who immediately produced several silver ingots from his sleeve and pressed them into the yamen runners' hands. He smiled and said, "You see, our master and madam truly have misfortune befall them out of the blue. They have no idea what's happening. Could you possibly give us a hint so we can be mentally prepared?"
The yamen runner felt the weight of the silver and nodded with satisfaction, his attitude softening considerably. "We don't know the specifics. This morning, a woman came and accused Master Wu and Madam Wu of selling the eldest daughter of the Wu family, which led to the original wife being driven to madness."
When Mr. Wu and Madam Wu heard this, their hearts sank. Their faces turned pale, and they urgently asked, "Do you know the name of that woman?"
Seeing their change in complexion, the yamen runner felt a surge of contempt, suspecting the accusation was true. He was too lazy to say more. "How could we humble folk know such things? Master and Madam, please hurry. His Honor is waiting."
Without further hesitation, they followed, discreetly signaling the steward with a gesture representing silver ingots. The steward immediately understood and nodded.
By the time they reached the yamen, a crowd had already gathered to watch the spectacle. Their arrival in the main hall immediately caused a stir, as some people had lived there for many years and knew about the events of more than a decade ago.
At the time, the Wu mansion had searched for the eldest daughter with great fanfare, but she was never found. Madam Wu had gone mad and drowned in a pond. Madam Wu had been a great benefactor in their town, doing many good deeds. Her death had been mourned by many, who lamented that good people didn't live long. Who would have thought there was something more to it?
The two immediately knelt and said in unison, "Your humble subject (your humble subject's wife) pays respects to His Honor."
"Do you recognize the woman kneeling before us?" the county magistrate asked calmly.
When they had entered the hall earlier, they had been too nervous to get a good look. Now they could finally turn around and see, but her face looked unfamiliar. They shook their heads in confusion.
"She accuses you both of creating chaos and having someone secretly take the eldest daughter of your household away, handing her over to a human trafficker. Do you admit to this crime?"
Hearing the magistrate's stern voice, Mr. Wu felt a sense of awe and then answered earnestly, "We cannot admit to it. Regardless, the Wu family is not lacking in resources. How could I possibly hand my own daughter over to a human trafficker? That's absurd."
Yu He, hearing this, became anxious and quickly provided evidence, "Reporting to His Honor, I am not speaking falsehoods. I personally handed the young lady over to Granny Huang on East Street."
Upon hearing this, the magistrate immediately sent for Granny Huang.
Madam Wu, feeling panicked, couldn't help but try to defend herself, "This humble subject does not understand. These events happened over ten years ago. Why are they being brought up now? This is purely fabricated."
The onlookers outside the hall began to murmur, "That's right, that's right. It's been over ten years, why are they speaking up now? What were they doing back then?"
"Indeed. I remember Madam Wu searching so hard for her child back then, and in the end, she went completely mad."
"If it weren't for that incident, the Wu mansion's madam would still be her. How could this woman have taken her place? Thinking about it, could there be a conspiracy?"
...
The county magistrate, seeing that someone had filed a complaint, had quickly sent for Master Wu and Madam Wu. Now, hearing her question, he was also somewhat curious and looked at her with a questioning gaze.
Yu He swallowed hard and said with difficulty, "Although so many years have passed, I have been tormented by guilt every moment. I finally mustered the courage to file this complaint and reveal everything."
The magistrate nodded. Whether her words were true or false, they seemed plausible.
Granny Huang, never having dealt with the yamen before in her life, entered trembling. Upon seeing the scene, her legs went weak, and she knelt directly on the ground.
Seeing her timid demeanor, the magistrate quickly reprimanded, "Who are you? State your name quickly."
"Your humble subject is Granny Huang. I have been a human trafficker in this city for twenty years," she said, while contemplating her options.
"Li Yu He claims that you received the eldest daughter of the Wu family from her back then. Is this true?"
Hearing the magistrate's question, Granny Huang quickly replied, "Reporting to His Honor, I didn't recognize her until you mentioned it. Now that you've said it, I remember. About ten years ago, a woman who looked very much like her came to my residence with a four-year-old girl and asked me to sell the child to another region. Your Honor, is there something amiss with this matter?"