Three ex-husbands and a marriage

Evidence

Bang! Bang! The resounding echoes of two loud bangs reverberated through the room, jolting everyone's attention. The Bai Regent forcefully slammed his wooden judgment block on the table, demanding absolute silence and attention. The yamen officials joined in a menacing chorus, their voices low and threatening, declaring, "Judgment is here."

"Bai Xiao Wei and Bai Su Mi, how much longer will you persist in withholding information? Do you truly believe that this Regent is a fool easily deceived?" The Bai Regent's voice boomed, filled undeniable authority.

Mother Bai cowered in fear, her body trembling uncontrollably, her head bowing so low that it collided with the unforgiving tiles beneath her. She dared not lift her gaze or utter a word. I observed her pitiful state before redirecting my focus to the unyielding face of Regent Bai. He remained composed, his face unflinching and unreadable.

"Regent Bai, I fail to comprehend the information to which you refer," I responded cautiously, feigning innocence.

The Bai Regent's voice was cold and measured, but I could sense the undercurrent of danger in his words. "Bai Xiao Wei, this Regent shall test your resolve, and we shall see just how long you can conceal the truth."

I held his gaze without flinching. "Regent, you will only get the truth from me," I replied.

He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "In that case, I will start. When you came to seek justice with this Regent, you claimed that you accidentally killed your father to protect your mother, is this correct?"

"Yes," I replied, my heart racing as I began to recall every single word I said to him previously.

"Father had drunk too much and beaten mother within an inch of her life. If I didn't step in at that moment, she would have died. Initially, I just wanted to stand in between him and Mother, to use my body to block the blows, but alcohol had blinded him. My body just reacted and pushed him away. I pushed him too hard and he fell."

The Bai Regent's lip curled. "So he fell into a blade that is conveniently sticking up?"

"No," I replied, my voice steady. "He fell and then he got back up to hit us again. I had a small hairpin that is a bit flat and sharp like a blade, that I had pulled out to warn him from coming closer. Father ignored my pleads and walked difficultly towards us, with a stool raised. Luckily, he stumbled into my hairpin," I replied, my voice trembling as I pretended to be traumatized by the memory.

"Then why is it that you tried to hide the body and pretended that he was still alive? This reeks of premeditated murder," stated the Bai Regent, his eyes piercing.

I felt a moment of panic, wondering how much the Bai Regent knew. "I had read a few medicinal manuals, so I tried to heal father. But I couldn't risk that he would recover and beat us up again, so I wanted to buy us time to get to you and seek protection. Only just before we left did father breathe his last breath and I lost all hope of his recovery," I replied, hoping that my words would be enough to convince him.

The courtroom was silent as the Bai Regent processed my words. I looked up at the man sitting authoritively up high, his expression still unreadable. After a long moment of silence, his lips tilted slight, a nuanced sight that I had only learnt to pick up when I was Bai Mingling. My heart raced, trying to second guess him is impossible but his lips have given me a clue.

Suddenly, he spoke, his voice ringing out with authority. "Bring in Magistrate Zhang!" he ordered. The chorus rang again, ''judgement is here.'' I lowered my eyes and looked to the ground, bracing for what is to come. The magistrate must have come here pre-emptively after failing to capture me. Once his men did not return, he must have guessed that I escaped and came here to hide his guilt.