Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

"Mr. Feng, who has offended you again?" The prefect of Jingzhao, accompanied by four yamen runners, shouted as they arrived at the gate of the courtyard.

"Why did Lord Wang come so late? I'm afraid he's tired of sitting on the position of Jingzhao Prefecture Governor." Feng Yucai said with disdain.

"Master Feng, what are you talking about? As soon as I heard you were looking for me, I came here without stopping."

Feng Yucai looked at the beads of sweat on Lord Wang's forehead and said, "I'll let you go for now."

"A concubine ran away from the master's house. Someone saw her running here, and now they have found some jewelry in the house."

Lord Wang gestured to the yamen runners, and immediately two yamen runners came forward, grabbed Xiangxue, and snatched the jewelry box from her hands.

"That's mine, that's mine." Xiangxue struggled hard to break free from the yamen runners.

"It's yours. Can you afford it? It's yours." Lord Wang spat at her and handed the box to Feng Yucai with a flattering smile, "Master Feng, this is for you."

"Take everyone in this yard to the government office." Lord Wang waved his hand, and immediately the bailiffs came up and took Xiangxue, Shen Jingwan and Fuzi out.

At this time, Mrs. Liu, who was hiding in the crowd outside the yard, became panicked.

Just now Xiangxue asked her to go to the Shen Mansion, but she didn't go. Aunt Gui, who was beside Old Madam Shen, told her not to go to the Shen Mansion unless it was something serious, so as not to let people know the relationship between Ganhua Hutong and the Shen Mansion. So for the sake of a few hairpins, she didn't dare to go to the Shen Mansion to cause trouble.

But seeing that the person was about to be taken to the government office, Mrs. Liu had no other choice but to run to the Shen Mansion to report the news.

……

The three of them were brought to the government office and made to kneel in a row. There was a throne next to Lord Wang's seat, and Feng Yucai sat on the throne with his legs crossed.

The area outside the yamen was filled with people who had seen the yamen runners escorting people back to Jingzhao Prefecture and followed to watch the fun.

I don't know whether Lord Wang did it intentionally or unintentionally, but when he returned to Jingzhao Prefecture, he deliberately took a detour and walked through the downtown area.

So now the yamen is surrounded by people.

Lord Wang slammed the gavel and said, "Who is here? Please state your name."

"Common woman Xiangxue."

"My humble daughter Shen Jingwan."

"Slave Fuzi."

Lord Wang: "You three helped the concubine of the Feng Mansion escape secretly. Tell the truth. Where did you hide her?"

Xiangxue kowtowed while crying, "Your Excellency, I really don't know where the concubine of the Feng Mansion is. Today, I was staying at home peacefully when a group of people broke in, saying they were looking for her. They searched everywhere but couldn't find her. They also stole my jewelry. Please help me, Your Excellency."

Lord Wang: "You bold and cunning woman, this is clearly something from the Feng Mansion."

Xiangxue knelt straight, "This is clearly a commoner's thing. Is there any evidence to prove that it belongs to the Feng family?"

"Master Feng." Lord Wang called softly.

Feng Yucai yawned slowly, took out a hairpin from the box, and pointed it at Xiangxue, "Look carefully, this style is only used by people of noble titles. Are you worthy of it?"

Feng Yucai turned to Lord Wang and said, "Lord Wang, you know, I am the brother-in-law of Prince Ning. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law often give me gifts. It's not surprising that I have these at home."

Lord Wang nodded. "Indeed, the facts are now clear. Come, take these three troublemakers to jail."

Xiangxue became anxious, "I am innocent, sir. This jewelry was indeed given to me by my husband."

Lord Wang waved his hand, signaling the bailiff to stop. "Oh? You have an accomplice? Did your husband steal all this? Or is your husband some young marquis?"

When the people outside the yamen heard what Lord Wang said, they burst into laughter. "Hahahaha, which young marquis lives in Ganhua Hutong? Now he doesn't even need to draft his lies?"

"My husband is... is..." Xiangxue hesitated whether she should say Shen Qingjiang's name. If she said it at this time, her plan to become a concubine in the Shen Mansion might be in vain. But if she didn't say it, she would be thrown into prison, and no one in the Shen Mansion would come out to take care of her.

Seeing that she was hesitant and unable to say anything, Lord Wang spoke directly, "Come here, take him away."

Xiangxue became anxious and shouted, "I'm telling you, sir, my husband is..."

"Wait a minute—" Xiangxue was interrupted before she could finish her words.

She looked in the direction of the sound and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The person who came was Shen Shenzong, the chief steward of the Shen Mansion.

Shen Zong walked to Xiangxue's side, clasped his fists and bowed, "Sir Wang, this old servant is Shen Zong, the steward of the residence of Lord Shen Huaizhong, the Minister of Revenue. The people kneeling in the hall are distant relatives of our old lady. There may be some misunderstanding."

After Shen Zong finished speaking, he handed over his Shen Mansion badge. A yamen runner took the badge from him and presented it to Lord Wang.

Lord Wang took the badge and looked at it, then quickly put on a smile and said, "There must be some misunderstanding."

Shen Zong: "Then can this old slave take the person away?"

Lord Wang nodded immediately, and said with a flattering smile, "Yes, yes. I hope you can explain it to Lord Shen. It's all a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding."

Xiangxue and Shen Jingwan were just about to stand up when they heard Feng Yucai say, "Wait a minute, you stole my things and you're just walking away like that? That's too good of a deal for you. So what if you're Madam Shen's relative? Even if it was Madam Shen who stole my things, she can't just walk away like that."

Shen Zong said seriously, "Mr. Feng, please be careful with your words and actions."

Lord Wang wiped the sweat from his forehead. It would be bad to offend either of these two families, so he could only mediate and let them solve the problem themselves.

"Butler Shen, what do you think about this matter..." Lord Wang said in embarrassment.

"I wonder what the people in the hall stole from Master Shen. Do you have any evidence?" Shen Zong asked.

"Here." Feng Yucai handed the box on the table to Shen Zong.

When Shen Zong saw what was in the box, he felt a panic in his heart.

Nanny Gui, who was beside the old lady, only said that the old lady's distant relative was wrongly arrested by Jingzhao Prefecture and asked him to help get the person out, but she did not say that the matter was so difficult.

"Butler Shen, these jewels have strict hierarchical standards and are probably not suitable for ordinary people to wear." Lord Wang said tactfully.

"It has a standard design, but my Shen family is not an ordinary family. We are relatives of the old lady, so we can afford such jewelry. Since Mr. Feng wants it, then let's give it to him." Shen Zong felt that this matter was not that simple and wanted to put it behind him as soon as possible. It's just a box of jewelry. He had to get the person out first.

"Don't worry, my Feng family isn't the kind of family that likes to take advantage of others. What do you mean by giving it to me? Do I need your box of junk? I just want an explanation."

Shen Zong didn't want to argue with him any further. "Mr. Feng, there's no name written on this jewelry, and no one can prove who it belongs to. Please, for the sake of our old man and your father's colleagues, don't make any more fuss about it."

"Why can't anyone prove it?"