Forced to marry, I picked up a young powerful official

As he spoke, tears welled up in Gong Tao's eyes and his voice was slightly choked.

"I didn't expect that the governor would actually believe me. I immediately knelt down and begged him to make the decision for me. The governor helped me up and said that when the case was reported to Yongzhou, he sent people to investigate me and felt that I was not someone who would do such a thing. He also suspected that there might be other conspiracies behind the murder of the magistrate of Han County. He had only guessed about this matter, but after seeing me, his thoughts were confirmed."

"He personally took my confession, and then arranged a secluded residence for me in the city, and then he began to investigate the matter. Thirteen lives were involved, including an official appointed by the court. This matter was of great importance, and I knew that I couldn't rush it. However, with the promise of the governor, I was relieved. I followed the governor's instructions and stayed at home every day, rarely showing up in the city."

"I originally thought that as long as the governor found out the truth, I would be able to clear my name and clear my name. But I didn't expect that less than a month later, news broke that the governor had died at home, and the murderer I was accused of was me again?"

Gong Tao clenched his fists and pounded the quilt twice, his tone full of resentment and anger.

"I just can't figure it out. Who did I offend that he wanted to harm me like this? It's not enough that he framed me for the murder of the magistrate of Han County, but now he's even putting the blame on me for the death of the state lord?"

He sighed deeply, looking sad.

"You all know what happened next."

Gong Tao let out a cold smile. "In order to catch me, they pretended to be bandits and used my name to cause chaos in the city. I have never heard of such a thing."

"So many things have happened in the past six months. I have vaguely guessed that there must be something fishy behind this. Zhou Zun secretly investigated the case and perhaps discovered something, so he was silenced. Knowing that Zhou Zun was related to this matter, I naturally became a thorn in the eyes of those people. That's why they want to find me at all costs."

When Shen Nankui heard this, there was a look of deep horror in his eyes.

"You are the key figure in connecting the two cases. Only by finding you and putting an end to you can we perhaps completely cover up the secrets behind these things. But... two court officials died in succession. Who on earth has the courage and means to do this?"

Even in her previous life, she had never heard of such a shocking thing.

Gong Tao smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Who knows? Maybe it's because I'm unlucky that I was dragged here to be a scapegoat?"

Cai Ling sneered, "These official affairs are more dangerous and unbearable than the underworld."

All three were silent.

After a long while, Gong Tao said, "Now that even the state governor is dead, I'm afraid I really have nowhere to seek justice."

Shen Nankui sighed, shook his head and said, "Master Gong, don't think like that. The law is strict and there is no loophole. The state government can't solve these problems. There is still the prefectural government, and then there is Jingzhao Prefecture. Even if the person behind this matter has all the means, it is hard to say whether he can kill all the officials. As long as you persist, you will have a chance to clear your grievances."

Gong Tao had already lost confidence and said indifferently, "I hope so..."

The three of them fell into silence for a long time, obviously thinking about these things.

The sun shines into the room from the window, illuminating tense and complex faces. Time seems to freeze in this silent air, and every passing moment carries an indescribable weight.

Finally, after this suffocating silence, Gong Tao's slightly hoarse voice broke the silence.

"Mrs. Shen, Mr. Cai," he spoke slowly, each word struggling out from the bottom of his heart, with a barely perceptible tremor, "I, Gong Tao, have told you everything I know without reservation. Those hidden secrets, those intricate entanglements, are like peeled fruits, nakedly displayed in front of you. At this moment, my mood is both relieved from the past and uneasy about the future. I wonder how the two of you will judge my fate in response to my confession?"

Mrs. Shen's eyes were as deep as a pool. She gently stroked the teacup in her hand. The subtle sound of porcelain colliding was particularly clear in the quiet night. She did not speak immediately, but slowly swept across Gong Tao's face with a scrutinizing gaze, as if to penetrate his soul and understand every subtle fluctuation of his emotions. Finally, she smiled slightly, and there was both relief and determination in that smile: "Gong Tao, we see your honesty. But the world is like a chess game. Once a piece is placed, you must bear the consequences. We cannot change your past, but your future is in our hands and your own."

Mr. Cai, who was standing by, had a serious look on his face. He stood up, walked to the window, and stared at the dark night sky outside, as if thinking about some important decision. After a moment, he turned around and said in a steady and powerful voice: "Gong Tao, your story has shown us the complexity and multifaceted nature of human nature. But justice and fairness cannot be easily trampled upon by anyone. However, we also believe that everyone has the opportunity to reform. Your fate will depend on your next actions. Whether to continue to sink or choose redemption is entirely up to you."

Gong Tao's body trembled slightly when he heard this. He looked up at Madam Shen and Mr. Cai, his eyes flashing with an unprecedented light. It was a desire for the unknown and an expectation of rebirth. He took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind: "Madam Shen, Mr. Cai, I, Gong Tao, am willing to spend the rest of my life to make up for the mistakes I have made. No matter how difficult the road ahead is, I will move forward bravely, just to seek inner peace and redemption."

At this moment, the atmosphere in the mansion seems to have subtly changed, and a power called "hope" quietly takes root in everyone's heart. And this story about fate, redemption and choice has just begun...

"We can't just hand him over to the government so easily," Shen Nankui said.

“Although he is in adversity, he has unknown secrets and difficulties. If we push him into that cold cage based on what we see on the surface, wouldn’t we be accomplices of that cruel world?” Shen Nankui’s voice gradually became louder, with a hint of anger and unwillingness, her eyes flashing with a desire for justice and sympathy for the weak.

"Some of us may have suffered unfair treatment and know the feeling of helplessness and despair. Now, facing him who is in the same predicament, how can we stand by and let the wheel of fate ruthlessly crush us?"