Chapter 14: Confession 2
Rebirth Grand Marshal's Wilful Fiancée-Chapter 14: Confession 2
The yamen runners hesitated, their loyalty divided. As natives of Tan Yang, they knew the formidable status the Jia Family commanded in the region. They cast doubtful glances at Ling Yuanling, could such a delicate young woman truly withstand the harsh punishment of slaps? Yet when they looked upon Tao Feng's terrible countenance, they realized his authority in this moment far outweighed even the Jia Family's influence. After only a moment's hesitation, they approached Ling Yuanling and administered the ordered slaps.
"Ah!" Ling Yuanling cried out in pain as the first blow landed across her face.
These men were not ordinary servants but strong, muscular enforcers whose hands carried significant power. While a single slap might have been bearable, the accumulating blows quickly took their toll. By the third strike, blood streamed from Ling Yuanling's split lip, staining her once-pristine robes.
The butler of the Ling family, who had loyally followed his young mistress to the proceedings, fell to his knees in terror. "Please, your honor! Show mercy!" he begged, kowtowing frantically, his forehead repeatedly striking the cold stone floor.
Wang shi, the primary wife of the Long family, arrived moments later, pushing through the crowd with desperate energy. When her eyes fell upon her daughter, face swollen, streaked with tears and blood, her legs nearly gave way beneath her. "My dear child!" she wailed, her voice breaking with maternal anguish.
Tao Feng raised his hand in a crisp gesture, signaling the yamen runner to cease. The man obediently retreated to his position in the queue, his hands stained with Ling Yuanling's blood.
Jiang Feng Jia observed the scene with calculated satisfaction: Ling Yuanling slumped weakly against the men restraining her, her once-proud face now a canvas of blood and tears; Wang shi collapsed in grief, her dignified composure shattered by loud, bitter sobs. These sights brought a wave of vindication washing through Jiang Feng Jia's heart.
"Silence!" Tao Feng commanded, his voice slicing through the commotion like a blade.
Wang shi's eyes widened at Tao's sharp glare. Her sobbing caught in her throat, strangled into sudden quiet. After several moments of struggling to compose herself, she finally found her voice again. "Your honor," she managed to ask, "what crime justifies such cruel torture upon my innocent daughter?"
"She disturbed my court," Tao responded, his tone hardening with each stated offense. "She brazenly threatened witnesses, showed contempt for my authority, and refused to acknowledge her guilt. These transgressions more than warrant the punishment she received." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Wang shi, you have repeatedly questioned and attempted to obstruct my official duties. I begin to wonder if Miss Jiang Feng Jia speaks truly, have you indeed grown so unbridled in your privilege that you hold our nation's laws in contempt?"
The blood drained from Wang shi's face, leaving her complexion ghostly pale.
Inwardly, Jiang Feng Jia nearly applauded Tao Feng's performance. The evidence she had provided him was being wielded with greater skill than she herself could have managed.
"I harbor no disrespect for the law," Wang shi hastily replied, her earlier aggression melting away as she adopted a more vulnerable demeanor. Dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve, she continued, "Your honor, please do not misinterpret my actions. I acted only from a mother's instinct to protect her child. Forgive my impulsive behavior, it stemmed solely from maternal love."
The butler, still kneeling, added his pleas. "Your honor, my lady meant no offense. I beg you to show clemency."
"My daughter was momentarily confused," Wang shi insisted, tears flowing freely. "She never intended to slander Miss Jiang. I implore you to exercise careful judgment in this matter."
"The four witnesses have already confessed," Jiang Feng Jia interjected firmly. "It was Ling Yuanling who instigated them to fabricate the adulterous affair between the concubine and myself. Wang shi, cease these futile attempts to excuse your daughter's actions."
Wang shi's tears abruptly stopped, shock replacing her grief as her gaze fixed upon the four young women who had testified. They lowered their heads, unwilling to meet her piercing stare.
Wang shi's expression hardened as she ground her teeth in barely contained rage. "They are lying," she declared flatly.
"I shall determine the truth of their statements," Tao Feng interrupted coldly. "Unless directly addressed, Wang shi, you will remain silent. Speak out of turn again, and you will be charged with disrupting court proceedings."
Turning his attention to the four trembling witnesses, Tao continued, "You four will now confess honestly. Detail how Ling Yuanling persuaded you to slander Jiang Feng Jia. Explain the entire process."
The four young women exchanged nervous glances, their earlier boldness evaporating under Wang shi's intimidating presence. Their hesitation was palpable, they clearly feared the consequences of speaking against the powerful family.
Jiang Feng Jia frowned with concern. The confession of these four witnesses was crucial to her case. If they reversed their testimony now, her carefully constructed plan would crumble.
She caught Tao's eye, and he returned a subtle, reassuring look. Then, slamming his gavel with thunderous force, he shouted, "Refuse to confess, and each of you will receive twenty strikes with the punishment rod!"
"Your honor," Jiang Feng Jia quickly added, seizing the opportunity, "perhaps they weren't merely instigated but acted as willing accomplices alongside Ling Yuanling. If they refuse to speak now, it suggests their guilt equals hers. I respectfully request they face the same severe consequences, twenty years' imprisonment and exile of three thousand Li, should they maintain their silence."
At Tao's signal, the yamen runners lining the court struck their rods against the floor in perfect unison. The ominous sound reverberated through the chamber, a physical manifestation of the threat hanging over the witnesses.
Under this overwhelming pressure, the four young women visibly paled. One among them, her resolve finally breaking, cried out, "I'll confess everything! It was Ling Yuanling who devised the plan! She told us she would put poison in Jiang Feng Jia's sobering-up soup. Once unconscious, she intended to remove Jiang Feng Jia's clothing and place her beside the concubine, creating the appearance of impropriety!"
The court fell into stunned silence as the true depth of Ling Yuanling's plot was revealed. All eyes turned to the accused woman, whose face now showed not only the marks of physical punishment but the unmistakable expression of someone whose carefully constructed scheme had finally collapsed around her.
Wang shi swayed unsteadily, the revelation striking her like a physical blow. Her daughter's machinations had been far more calculated and malicious than even the most severe accusations had suggested. The poison, the deliberate staging, these were not the impulsive actions of a jealous rival but the calculated steps of someone intent on destruction.
Jiang Feng Jia maintained her composure, though inwardly she felt a surge of triumph. Justice was unfolding exactly as she had orchestrated, the truth emerging strand by strand like a complex tapestry finally revealing its pattern.
Tao Feng leaned forward on his bench, his expression grave as he prepared to hear the full confession that would seal Ling Yuanling's fate.