Lady Hou is reborn and, by pampering her illegitimate son, reclaims her life of wealth and privilege

He looked up at Yao Dingtian and cried out in a hoarse voice, "My lord, I have been wronged!"

Xie Yushen slowly explained, "Among this batch of embezzled funds, there has never been a silver note with a face value of ten thousand taels; the largest one is only five thousand taels. This shows that Mai Yufeng deliberately framed him."

Upon hearing this, Mai Yufeng broke out in a cold sweat, feeling as if he had fallen into an icy abyss. He had indeed secretly taken out four five-thousand-tael silver notes, but because they were too thick when folded, he feared Wei Fengyun would notice, so he exchanged them for two ten-thousand-tael silver notes instead. The reason he insisted on choosing twenty thousand taels was because, according to the laws of Western Wei, officials who embezzled more than twenty thousand taels would face the death penalty.

This tiny change unexpectedly became the key clue to revealing the truth. Mai Yufeng's legs went weak, and he knelt down on the ground, knowing in his heart that he had no way to escape this time.

Yao Dingtian's eyes widened in anger, and he questioned sharply, "Mai Yufeng, what else do you have to say? If it weren't for Xie Baihu's timely report, Wei Xiaowei would have suffered an injustice, and your conspiracy would have succeeded!" As soon as he finished speaking, he turned to face Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Justice beside him, "Minister Zhang, the truth has come to light. Now, please determine the punishment according to the law."

Lord Zhang spoke solemnly, his voice carrying an undeniable authority: "Indeed." "Mai Yufeng embezzled 20,000 taels of silver, and cleverly framed the heir of the Marquis of Jiaxing, committing a capital crime, and is scheduled to be executed in three days. Liang Mo and Cao Wei, having accepted bribes, colluded with Mai Yufeng in this case, and are each sentenced to thirty strokes of the cane and ten years in prison."

As soon as he finished speaking, he casually tossed out a command arrow, which streaked through the air like a bolt of lightning.

Several constables immediately stepped forward and dragged the three away like wolves among sheep.

Mai Yufeng's face was as pale as paper, and his whole body was as weak as a lump of mud. He had lost all strength to plead and could not utter a sound.

In comparison, Cao Wei and Liang Mo were relatively lucky, at least they survived. They cried, their voices filled with regret and fear.

Jiang Huaiyu understood that Qi Ziming had most likely intervened this time, and Xie Yushen was probably a member of the Siming Tower. He hadn't sought Yao Dingtian's help before because the case was being handled by the Ministry of Justice, and it wasn't appropriate for him to interfere too much. If there was solid evidence, Wei Fengyun's innocence could naturally be cleared; otherwise, even Yao Dingtian wouldn't be able to offer any assistance.

As expected, after receiving Qi Ziming's secret report, Xie Yushen quickly launched an investigation, discovered loopholes in the case, and promptly reported it to Yao Dingtian. The two came together to this place to clear Wei Fengyun's name.

Jiang Huaiyu bowed deeply to Xie Yushen and Yao Dingtian, saying, "Thank you, Commander Yao and Commander Xie, for upholding justice for my son. I will never forget your kindness and virtue."

Yao Dingtian waved his hand lightly, his tone indifferent, "No need for thanks, it's all what I should do. If it weren't for Commander Xie's keen insight in discovering the crucial clue, I wouldn't have been able to accomplish anything."

Xie Yushen bowed slightly, his expression resolute. "Madam Hou, you flatter me. Eliminating evil and upholding justice is the duty of my Fujian Division. As the Crown Prince is my subordinate, protecting him from injustice is my inescapable responsibility. As for the likes of Mai Yufeng, they must not be allowed to escape the punishment of the law."

Jiang Huaiyu exclaimed, "Commander Xie is wise and brave, and has a kind heart. He is truly admirable. In the future, if my son Fengyun suffers any misfortune, I hope Commander Xie will take good care of him. This child is kind-hearted, but easily bullied by others."

Xie Baihu declared righteously and solemnly: "The Marquis of Jiaxing sacrificed his life for the country, and his heir deserves to be treated with respect. I will take good care of him from now on."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huaiyu felt a surge of warmth in his heart and respectfully thanked him, saying, "Then I'll leave it to Commander Xie."

Jiang Huaiyu bid farewell to everyone and returned to the Marquis's residence with Wei Fengyun.

Steward Zheng led Jiaoyue to Feng Sangli, who had already prepared a carriage. Steward Zheng also gave Jiaoyue an extra 500 taels of silver as compensation for her hand injury.

Upon seeing this, Feng Sangli hurriedly accepted the silver note and, with Jiaoyue in tow, slowly drove the carriage away from the capital.

As Steward Zheng watched the carriage disappear into the distance, a deep worry crept into his heart, fearing that Jiaoyue had entrusted the wrong person to.

Inside the Marquis's residence, Jiang Huaiyu held Wei Fengyun tightly, tears welling in her eyes. If it weren't for the strong support of Qi Ziming and Commander Xie, Wei Fengyun probably wouldn't have been able to return safely.

The mastermind behind this conspiracy, Mai Yufeng, will be beheaded in three days. However, Jiang Huaiyu knows that his family has no connection with Mai Yufeng, and that Mai Yufeng's actions must be at the behest of the Marquis of Jing'an.

As for whether Marquis Changtai was involved, Jiang Huaiyu had no idea, given the close relationship between the two families' wives. A gentleman doesn't leave a grudge unavenged, and for Jiang Huaiyu, who was known for her vengeful nature, the repeated attacks on her son had become unbearable.

Jiang Huaiyu announced that Wei Fengyun would be given a month's leave to recuperate at home. She even considered preventing him from returning to the Fujian Division; today's framing was just the beginning, and who knew what else might happen next. Even if Wei Fengyun was idle at home, it was better than him going out and suffering all sorts of grievances.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the Jing'an Marquis's residence, Marquis Mai Zhenxi, enraged, slapped Lady Pei, the wife of Marquis Jing'an, to the ground with a resounding slap.

Amidst the angry shouts, Mai Zhenxi roared through gritted teeth, "You foolish woman, you caused Mai Yufeng to suffer a terrible misfortune and ruined his future!"

Madam Pei covered her face with her hands, tears dripping through her fingers. She sobbed, "My lord, I really didn't expect things to develop to this point, and I never thought my actions would be exposed."

Mai Zhenxi was consumed by rage and his emotions ran high. Mai Yufeng, his cousin's only son, was a bright spot in the Pei family's gradual decline. He was young and promising, holding an important position in the Fujian Division, and was a backbone of the Great Liang. However, now everything had vanished, all because of the Pei family's momentary folly.

In a fit of rage, Mai Zhenxi kicked Pei several times and demanded, "Was it the Lady of Changtai Marquis who secretly instigated you to do such a stupid thing? Speak up!"

With tears blurring her vision, Madam Pei nodded slightly, acknowledging the fact.

Mai Zhenxi's eyes blazed with fury as he said angrily, "This matter cannot be let off easily. I must make the Marquis of Changtai's mansion give a reasonable explanation. Their own son lost a leg and begged us to help, but in the end, our people were sacrificed. They suffered no loss whatsoever. How can we tolerate such a thing? Tell her that if it is not properly resolved, I will report this matter to the Emperor. Even if it results in mutual destruction, the Marquis of Changtai's mansion will pay the price."

Madam Pei remained curled up on the ground, sobbing as she asked, "My lord, what should we do next?"

Mai Zhenxi's eyes flashed with a sharp glint as a plan formed in his mind: "Isn't the elder brother of the Lady of Changtai Marquis the commander of the Fujian Division? I want him to at least provide my son with the position of captain."

Upon hearing this, Lady Pei stopped crying abruptly and hurriedly flattered him, saying, "My lord, you are truly a man of exceptional wisdom."

He was secretly delighted. His nephew, who was only a minor officer, had died, but his son had been promoted two ranks. This deal was really worthwhile.