After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

……

twenty years ago.

Ning Guangshao, the third master of the Ning family in the capital, had an affair with the wife of a general under the command of the Marquis of Jingbei. When the Marquis of Jingbei's only son, Ning Beiyue, learned of this, he was furious.

War is dangerous and perilous; a large army is pressing in.

The two northern cities were already unstable, and morale on the front lines was low.

It's not uncommon for generals to defect to the Northern Dynasty and turn against them; they might even take the head of their superior as a pledge of allegiance.

If anything goes wrong at the front, the Southern Dynasty's years of planning could be destroyed in an instant!

With the sudden loss of two northern cities, my father's life is in danger, and Nanjing will once again be directly exposed to the enemy's advance!

Ning Beiyue was deeply worried. On the one hand, he blocked the news, and on the other hand, he arrested Ning Guangshao, whipped him in private, and wanted to imprison and execute him!

Ning Guangshao was covered in blood and cried out for mercy, saying he would never dare to do it again.

The Ning family in the capital also pleaded desperately for mercy.

Ning Guangtiao, as the head of the Ning family, even knelt down in private to his nephew Ning Beiyue.

Back then, when Beining crossed the river, it would not be where it is today if it had not received assistance from the Ning family in the capital.

With such a huge debt of gratitude weighing on him, Ning Beiyue had no choice but to let Ning Guangshao off the hook for the time being, even though he was extremely anxious. He planned to wait for his father to return and then let his father deal with the matter.

After Ning Guangshao left, he said that he had broken off contact with the woman. In addition, the Ning family in the capital had given away all their wealth to help the wounded and disabled veterans under the command of Marquis Jingbei. As a result, he gained Ning Beiyue's understanding to a certain extent.

But in reality, Ning Guangshao was terrified.

At that time, most of the servants in the Jingbei Marquis's mansion were former servants of the Ning family. Ning Guangshao bribed one of the servants and even took the servant's daughter as a concubine. He then instructed the servant to secretly poison the food of the Marquis's heir every day. The dosage was small and difficult to detect. The heir's health deteriorated day by day, and he died of hemoptysis a month later.

When Ning Guangtiao learned of this, Ning Beiyue's health was beyond saving. At this point, he could only let his younger brother go and decide to go all the way.

Then, something unexpected happened to Ning Guangtiao.

At Ning Beiyue's funeral, Ning Zhiyuan, who was only five years old at the time, took the hand of the grief-stricken Marquis Jingbei and said, "Uncle, don't be sad anymore." The Marquis Jingbei responded gently.

It was this ordinary yet heartwarming scene that sparked a unique thought in Ning Guangtiao's mind.

Marquis Jingbei's first wife died early, and now his only son has also passed away. He has not yet remarried, so he proposed to adopt Ning Zhiyuan to Marquis Jingbei, so that Ning Zhiyuan could fulfill his filial duties on behalf of Beiyue. Marquis Jingbei agreed almost without hesitation.

The Ning family had already found Ning Changping's family, intending to use them as a trump card to control Marquis Jingbei.

But now that Guangtiao is planning to take a different path, this trump card is no longer needed...

……

This is roughly what Ning Nan gleaned from Ning Zhiyuan's suicide note...

He stopped and looked up.

The courtroom is just ahead.

There were some people around the courtroom, probably ordinary citizens, and from inside, one could hear a woman's slow, leisurely voice asking questions.

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Ning Nan felt much relieved.

Before returning to Lijia Village this morning, I went home and gave the gold medal bestowed by His Highness Prince Xin to Cui Cui's wife.

Tell her to slip the gold medal to Qin Yuanyao and ask the female commander to help him delay the court proceedings.

The scholar, lacking official rank, cannot remain idle for long and will require the assistance of the female commander.

Without the Prince Xin's gold medal, the female commander's position would be illegitimate, and that County Commandant Lin was not someone to be trifled with; he was someone that ordinary people couldn't control. With the Prince Xin's gold medal, no matter what, he couldn't afford to break off relations.

But having a gold medal isn't enough; one also needs an official position. If Qian Sijin were to do this, he would probably be put in an awkward position by Lin Tao in just a few words... If one's official position is too small, one cannot stand tall and will not have the confidence to fight against civil officials who have passed the imperial examinations twice.

Xiuxiu, this high-ranking official, is still investigating the Northern Dynasty's line of inquiry, and she's not even in the capital. Qin Yuanyao is the most suitable person among the people I know.

After leisurely questioning the sixth witness.

Qin Yuanyao's expression remained cold, showing no sign of impatience whatsoever.

Whether it was Li Yi and the other villagers from Li Family Village, or the onlookers outside, everyone knew that this woman was a high-ranking official, or even a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They were asking such detailed questions in order to investigate the case. So, although everyone was yawning and feeling annoyed, they dared not urge her on.

Magistrate Lou Jizuo sat calmly behind his desk, his face serious. He nodded repeatedly at Qin Yuanyao's tedious and useless questions. If the villagers below the stage were slow to answer, he would glare at them and roar authoritatively, "Answer quickly! Don't waste court time!" This would frighten the villagers so much that their legs would go weak.

The veins on Lin Tao's forehead were already throbbing and twitching.

After the sixth witness stepped down.

He seized the opportunity to step forward and said, "Lord Qin!" The Jiangning County Lieutenant, his eyes filled with anger, replied, "Forgive my bluntness, but Lord Qin's question has absolutely nothing to do with this case! I don't understand why Lord Qin is so insistent on it?"

"Furthermore, His Highness Prince Xin sent Lord Qin here to observe the proceedings, not to preside over the trial! I was ordered by Magistrate Lou to preside over this case. Just now, Lord Qin questioned my evidence collection and questioned the witnesses... Now, the witnesses have been almost completely questioned by you, and it is getting late. I don't know what you—"

Lin Tao gritted his teeth and said, "Are you here to observe the proceedings or to preside over the trial? If you're here to preside over the trial, I request that, in addition to the imperial edict from Prince Xin, you also present the Ministry of Justice's approval document!"

Qin Yuanyao's wheat-colored face revealed a pair of indifferent eyes, too lazy to pay attention to the county magistrate.

She thought of an excuse and was about to postpone the case until tomorrow when she suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure squeezing in from outside.

The female commander withdrew her gaze, a smile playing on her lips. "Lord Lin, you're treating me like a treacherous monk... The Jinyiwei's investigative skills are known throughout the land. I originally intended to assist the Jiangning County government in investigating a case, but I didn't expect Lord Lin to be so ungrateful... Well then, so be it—"

"Lord Lin, please proceed with the trial if you wish," the female commander said calmly.

A dog bites Lü Dongbin, not recognizing a kind heart... I, an official, consider you to be Lü Dongbin?

Lin Tao looked at the sharp-tongued female guard with a gloomy expression, and snorted, "I thank Lord Qin for his understanding. Let's settle this case first, and then I'll impeach you Jinyiwei!"

Thump! Just as Lin Tao turned around...

A figure dressed in a loose-fitting robe entered the courtroom and bowed to the county magistrate and the female commander, saying, "This humble subject greets Your Excellency and Lord Qin. I am here to provide important evidence in this case."

*Bang!* Magistrate Lou slammed his hand on the table, his eyes widening. "How dare you! Who are you? I haven't summoned you, yet you dare to barge into the court! Guards! Give him twenty strokes of the cane!"

Qin Yuanyao seemed quite pleased with the other party's etiquette, and smiled as she raised her hand, saying, "Lord Lou, please wait—"

Magistrate Lou immediately stopped.

Qin Yuanyao said, "Prince Xin said that this case is of great importance, concerning the Northern Dynasty. The Jiangning County government must handle it impartially, without favoritism or coercion. Since this person claims to have important evidence, why not let him come forward? Just give him a beating. If he holds a grudge and refuses to provide evidence... the county magistrate might not be able to bear the consequences."

Magistrate Lou shook his head and said seriously, "Commander Qin, you are mistaken. These commoners often claim to have evidence and make wild accusations, but in reality, they are disrupting the law. They come to the county office to demand benefits over trivial matters. They won't behave unless they are given a beating to set an example..."

"However... what Commander Qin said is indeed to the point. It concerns the Northern Dynasty. Even the most trivial matter is of paramount importance. Furthermore," he turned to Ning Nan, looked him up and down, and nodded repeatedly, "I see that this man has a dignified appearance and must have read the classics. Indeed, considering his status as a disciple of the sages, we can temporarily spare him this beating."

"Hmm... I thank Your Excellency." Ning Nan bowed.

"Ningnan—" County Lieutenant Lin Tao seemed to have completely ignored the county magistrate's words, and gritted his teeth as he spoke, "You still dare to come to court?"

Upon hearing this name, the county magistrate's heart skipped a beat... Ning Nan... the suspect protected by the Embroidered Uniform Guard? He secretly glanced at Qin Yuanyao, whose smile had vanished... Sigh... No wonder this woman was protecting him...

Lin Tao slightly raised his chin and said, "But you've come at just the right time. This case has just been solved. The case of Li Erlai murdering Li Baoxin, the village head of Lijia Village, has both witnesses and physical evidence. You've come just in time to hear that Li Erlai has been sentenced to immediate execution!"

Thump, thump, thump, Ning Nan took a few steps forward and stood next to Er Laizi, who was kneeling on the ground. He smiled at the county magistrate, who was dressed in a blue official robe, and said, "County Magistrate Lin, I know you certainly have witnesses, but what about physical evidence?"