With her deceased husband as her dowry, would Your Highness dare to marry her?

As "Zhao Fugui" walked, he kept wiping away tears with his sleeve. His forehead was wrapped in gauze, and there was a bloodstain on the gauze, probably from when he bumped into the stone lion. As soon as he entered the hall, he knelt down on the ground with a thud, prostrating himself.

"My lords, please do justice for this humble subject!!"

Zhao Fugui's voice trembled, with a sob in it, his throat sounding as if it had been rubbed by sand and gravel, slightly different from before.

Pei Jinxuan carefully examined the person in front of her. His height, face shape, and clothing were exactly the same as the real Zhao Fugui. What was even more shocking was that even the burn scars on his face were exactly the same.

If the real Zhao Fugui hadn't already been defeated by him, Pei Jinxuan would hardly believe that this person was an imposter.

Lin Ci had already walked behind the screen when she heard the noise and stopped. After a slight hesitation, she went around to the side of the screen and peeked out a few more times.

Is it really Zhao Fugui?!

If that's the case, what does Pei Jinxuan mean by saying "buried"?

Lost in thought, Xuanjing, leaning on his monk's staff, moved to her side, bent down, and whispered in her ear, "Does this humble monk's skill in creating such a lifelike illusion still meet Lady Lin's standards?"

A fake that's indistinguishable from the real thing?

Lin Ci's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly turned around.

Xuanjing lowered his eyes, the smile on his lips remaining unchanged, just like the Buddha high above in the hall.

"Even if Prince Jing'an captures Zhao Fugui, this humble monk can create another one. How do you think Prince Jing'an will respond? Will he admit to killing Zhao Fugui in front of these officials?"

He spoke so softly that only the two of them could hear him.

The fox's tail has finally been revealed.

Lin Ci stared at his confident demeanor and couldn't help but sneer, "I knew it. Why would a monk kindly give me a golden kingfisher?"

"As the Buddha said, karma is a cycle. It is an indisputable fact that Madam Lin has five lives on her hands. It is only right that the victims come to seek retribution."

Lin Ci remained silent.

She did start the fire, and that indelible stain can't be washed away. Over the years, she has suffered inner torment and has prayed for forgiveness before Buddha.

"Master Xuanjing is absolutely right." Her tone softened involuntarily.

Xuan Jing curled his lips into a mocking smile.

"However..." Lin Ci raised his eyes, his expression natural, his voice extremely cold, "I don't understand a word of what you said, Master. Since the three of you are here, you might as well tell them what you just said and let them decide."

After saying that, she turned and went to the back room.

Xuan Jing paused for a moment, then came to his senses and let out a cold laugh.

I really underestimated her.

Xuanjing, leaning on his monk's staff, followed behind him. Just as he was about to step through the door, the steward stopped him.

"Honored guest, this is the inner courtyard, and men are not allowed to enter. Please come to the Plum Garden, where tea and refreshments have been prepared for you," the steward said politely.

Xuanjing's empty eyes turned to him, and the corners of her lips turned up slightly.

"Excuse me." With that, he turned and went to the side courtyard.

In the courtroom, "Zhao Fugui" remained kneeling on the ground, weeping and wailing, repeating the contents of his petition over and over again: how the doctor had ruined his father's health, how his brothers had come to seek justice, and how a fire had broken out in the middle of the night. When he got emotional, he even lay on the ground and wailed, his shoulders heaving, looking more real than the real Zhao Fugui.

Prince Liang held his teacup but didn't drink. His dark blue eyes were fixed on Pei Jinxuan, a faint smile playing on his lips, as if to say: Will you accept this move or not?

Pei Jinxuan took a sip of tea, her peach blossom eyes curving slightly, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

Prince Liang played this game brilliantly. He had already guessed that Zhao Fugui, this thorn in his side, had been completely removed, but so what? To Prince Liang's mansion, Zhao Fugui was nothing more than a pawn; if one pawn was lost, another could simply take its place. No one knew whether the pawn had been replaced, and no one would care. The pieces were unimportant; the game itself was what mattered.

The most distressed of all was Sun Huaiyi. He sat in his chair, feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles. He had only come to the Jing'an Prince's residence today on the orders of Prince Liang to clarify that long-forgotten case; he knew nothing else. Now, the aggrieved party was kneeling in the center of the hall, with Prince Jing'an on his right and Prince Liang on his left. He was caught in the middle, feeling utterly helpless.

Actually, this case itself isn't difficult to judge; there are witnesses and physical evidence, and the case file has been retrieved. But today, it's been singled out and placed in this trap, so there must be something involved. Even if he's confused, he can sense something. If he makes a wrong judgment, he'll offend both sides, a thankless task.

Sun Huaiyi cursed inwardly, but outwardly maintained the dignity of the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He slammed his hand on the armrest and asked in a stern voice, "Your Excellency, explain the whole story in detail. Think it through before you speak, or you'll create a mess!"

Zhao Fugui immediately kowtowed and said, "I am Zhao Fugui, a native of Shengzhou, and I have been in the capital for over a month. I submitted my complaint to Your Excellency a few days ago, and Your Excellency should be aware of it."

He hunched his shoulders and shrugged when he spoke, just like Zhao Fugui in his roguish manner.

Pei Jinxuan watched, his sword-like eyebrows slightly raised, a hint of interest appearing in his eyes. If it weren't for the presence of Prince Liang, he would have loved to clap his hands and exclaim, "Wonderful!"

Sun Huaiyi then asked, "I have accepted your petition. But where have you been these past few days? Why can't I find you anywhere?"

Zhao Fugui said with a mournful face, "Lord Sun, you don't know! I have no relatives or friends in the capital. That day, I had just come out of the inn when I was ambushed in an alley by several strong men who took turns beating me. They... they clearly wanted to kill me! I fought my way out of their clutches and dared not go back to the inn. I had no choice but to hide in a dilapidated temple on the outskirts of the city. I haven't even celebrated the New Year yet."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Duan of the Censorate glared and shouted, "In broad daylight, under the clear sky, such a thing has happened right under the Emperor's nose! Absurd, utterly absurd!"

"Zhao Fugui" tilted his head, looking like he had nowhere to turn for help, and said with a mournful face, "This humble commoner doesn't know who he offended, that they insist on putting me to death. I was thinking of just letting it go, but five lives—my father, brother, and sister-in-law! I can't swallow this... Five lives, sir, five lives!"

He held up five fingers, his whole body trembling with excitement.

King Liang slowly put down his teacup and asked, "This case has been going on for so many years, and it's an unsolved case. Finding the arsonist is like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Not hard to find! Not hard to find at all!" Zhao Fugui crawled forward a few steps, his expression suddenly becoming excited, his eyes shining. "I recognize that thug; she's a woman from out of town. When she first came to Shengzhou, she stayed in a room lent to her by my second aunt. Her surname is Lin, and her given name is Ci!"

King Liang frowned, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice: "What did you say that person's name was?"

"His surname was Lin, his given name was Ci, and he was called Lin Ci. He was about twenty years old, fair-skinned, and practiced medicine and medicine everywhere. Who would have thought that he was as venomous as a snake and burned my father, brother, sister-in-law and three other people alive."

As he spoke, "Zhao Fugui" covered his face with his sleeve again and burst into tears, "For so many years, I've traveled all over the country, just to find her and avenge my family. I've saved up for over a year just to earn enough money for the journey. I finally made it to the capital, thinking that this would be a place where justice could be served. My lord, please do justice for me!"

He kowtowed three times, his forehead hitting the brick floor with a loud thud.

The hall fell silent, and none of the three officials appointed by the imperial court remained unmoved.

After pondering for a moment, Zhao Duan of the Censorate suddenly said, "Lin Ci, that name sounds somewhat familiar."

He looked at Zhou Jin of the Ministry of Revenue. Zhou Jin then turned to look at Sun Huaiyi. Sun Huaiyi's heart pounded. Lin Ci, wasn't that the physician who had just competed with Xuan Jing in acupuncture?

He subconsciously looked at King Liang.

The King of Liang's lips curled upwards, his smile somewhat cold.