Part 1: A Dream Within A Dream / Rebirth of Ill Fated Concubine

Chapter 022 Witness Confession

East Street is very busy today, because the prefect wants to try a case. It is said that a young lady who was demoted to a manor killed a maid in the manor and threw her into a dry well. The witness is the son of the manor manager. There are both human and material evidence. 

People are mostly talking about the young lady who killed the maid and how the maid offended the young lady. Some people also say that the young lady lowered her status and treated a maid so fussing, not hesitating to take her life. They wonder which young lady is so arrogant.

In the centre of the yamen, a middle-aged man with a big belly is sitting at the moment. He is wearing a lake green silk robe with brocade patterns. The jade belt around his waist is a little tight because it can't cover his fat body. This man is white and fat, and wears a jade ring inlaid with gold on his thumb. 

He is the prefect Qian Wanli.

The person sitting on the left side of the most central seat was not as wealthy as Qian Wanli. On the contrary, the material of his clothes was extremely simple, even rough, and he looked shabby, which was out of place in this rich and noble lobby.

Qian Wanli was very respectful to this poorly dressed guest, even flattering him. He ordered his men to pour him a cup of hot tea and smiled: "Sir Wang, this case, what do you think..."

Sir Wang glanced at him and said indifferently: "You can try it, I'll just watch."

"Yes, yes." Qian Wanli quietly took out a handkerchief from his arms and wiped his sweat. He glanced at his men and slammed the gavel: "Bring the prisoner up!"

When Jiang Ruan was taken out of the cell by Li Mi, Shufen grabbed her hand anxiously: "Nothing will happen, right?"

"Nothing." Jiang Ruan patted her hand: "My father is here to pick me up. Remember what I said, don't worry, everything will be fine soon."

Shufen then let go of her hand, and Li Mi looked at Jiang Ruan with some pity. In fact, it was not Jiang Ruan's father who came to pick her up, and no one pleaded for her. 

Today is not just a trial. Now all the accusations are directed at Jiang Ruan, and there is no one who can speak for Jiang Ruan. Even if he wants to help, he is powerless. Besides, as the case handler, he has to avoid suspicion. Li Mi sighed in his heart, thinking that Jiang Ruan will not escape this time, and this crime is fixed. 

Thinking of Jiang Ruan's miserable situation in the future, Li Mi's attitude became much gentler.

In the court, when Jiang Ruan was brought up, the crowd watching the excitement outside the hall was a little surprised. They thought that the lady who had the courage to kill must be a fierce and vulgar woman. After all, the appearance is determined by the heart. 

Who knew that the one brought up was a beautiful girl, with gentle eyebrows and gentle eyes, no terrifying appearance at all. People are easy to believe their own eyes, and for a while they did not believe that Jiang Ruan was the mastermind of the murder.

Qian Wanli was also surprised in his heart. He did not expect that the main person was a delicate little beauty. In this way, it seemed that he did not have sympathy for women. But... he glanced at the person sitting next to him, coughed, slammed the gavel, and shouted: "Bold criminal, why don't you kneel down!"

Jiang Ruan lowered her eyebrows and knelt quietly, then raised her head, revealing a clean and delicate little face, and asked in confusion: "I don't know, sir, what crime have I committed?"

Her eyebrows and eyes were clear, and her voice was extremely soft and pleasant. For a moment, she was like a beautiful picture, and every move made people appreciate it involuntarily. The tone of her speech was very puzzled, as if she really didn't understand. There was an uproar around her again, and the initially determined crowd gradually began to waver.

Qian Wanli frowned and slammed the gavel: "Silence! The criminal Jiang Ruan killed the maid Chunying and threw her body into a dry well. There are witnesses and evidence. Let's see how you can deny it!" 

After that, he shouted to the outside: "Bring the witness!"

Lord Wang, who was sitting next to him, had a flash of dissatisfaction in his eyes. This method of trial was like torture to get a confession. It didn't give people any chance to speak. It was tough and rude, as if they were in a hurry to accuse the criminal of a crime and couldn't wait to convict her.

The ‘witness’ was brought up soon. Chen Zhao changed into a white dress today and cleaned it up very cleanly. He bowed to Qian Wanli when he entered the court.

Qian Wanli asked: "Chen Zhao, did you see Jiang Ruan kill someone with your own eyes?"

"To answer your Excellency, yes." Chen Zhao replied, glancing at Jiang Ruan: "I saw Miss Jiang kill Chunying with my own eyes and drag her into the well."

There was another round of discussion in the crowd. With such solid evidence, it seemed that Jiang Ruan had indeed killed someone.

Jiang Ruan looked up at Chen Zhao: "I have a few questions, sir, can you allow me to ask him?"

Qian Wanli looked at Lord Wang beside him, Lord Wang waved his hand, Qian Wanli said: "Ask."

Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: "Thank you, sir, I want to ask Chen Zhao, did you see me kill someone?"

"Yes." Chen Zhao said: "I was outside the house at the time, and I saw the young lady kill Chunying in the house with my own eyes."

"Chen Zhao, let alone how you, a foreign man, can enter my yard at will without reporting. Since you saw me kill someone, but did not come in to stop me, but watched me kill and throw the body away, do you count as aiding and abetting the evil? If I really have to be convicted, should you also be punished?"

Chen Zhao was stunned, and subconsciously said: "No, no, she was already dead when I saw her."

"So," Jiang Ruan said calmly, "You mean Chunying was already dead when you saw her. How did she die? Why did she die? Why are you sure that I killed her? You just saw a corpse, but didn't see me killing anyone, right?"

Chen Zhao reacted and shook his head immediately, "No, there were only you and her at the time, and your actions were also killing people."

Qian Wanli clenched his handkerchief nervously, his face not very good. 

Jiang Ruan said again, "Okay, even if you saw me killing someone, according to what you said, there was no one around me at the time, but I am only twelve years old now, and Chunying is already eighteen. I am not as tall as Chunying, and how did I carry Chunying's body for such a long distance and throw her into the dry well? Can you explain it more clearly?"

"You, you dragged her." Chen Zhao stuttered a little, and beads of sweat appeared faintly on his forehead.

"Lying," Jiang Ruan shook her head: "Chen Zhao, maybe you should think about it before you lie. Chunying and I are too different in size, and I don't have that much strength. Chunying is taller and stronger than me, and her reaction is even more agile. How could I stab her in the heart with a knife?"

"What knife? She was strangled to death!" Chen Zhao yelled.

Jiang Ruan looked at him with a smile: "Oh, really? The coroner hasn't performed the autopsy yet, how do you know she was strangled to death? Didn't you say that when you saw her, she was already dead?"

Chen Zhao was sweating coldly, and Qian Wanli was also pale. 

The testimony full of loopholes was already clear to the crowd. 

Jiang Ruan played with the ends of her hair as if nothing had happened: "Sir, do you want to continue the trial?"

(End of this chapter)

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