Madam Lu had barely processed the news that "Jiang Ming, the eldest son of the Jiang family, had been arrested" when she was further startled to hear that her second brother was also involved. "Why is Xu Yuejia at the Capital Prefecture Office during an arrest?" she wondered aloud.
Qingxue replied, "This servant couldn't find out."
"An arrest requiring both the Ministry of Justice and the Capital Prefecture Office must involve a serious crime," Madam Lu remarked casually, not expecting an immediate explanation. "It's normal that you couldn't gather more details."
However, the fact that it was Jiang Ming who had been arrested...
Madam Lu glanced back at Wen Ye, who had leaned closer, her expression unreadable.
Wen Ye: "..."
The scene outside was chaotic. The criminal had resisted arrest, causing a commotion that blocked the street. It was clear they wouldn't be moving anytime soon. Madam Lu instructed Qingxue to return to the sedan chair behind them and then lowered the curtain, shielding them from the curious gazes peering into the carriage.
"Today is Cheng'er's full moon celebration. As the cousin of the family, this Jiang Ming should have been attending the banquet at the Changnan Marquis Mansion. Instead, he's been arrested on the street by the Capital Prefecture Office on suspicion of a crime. When Aunt Xu and Lady Li find out, there will be quite a stir," Madam Lu sighed.
Wen Ye remembered that Jiang Ming's father held a fourth-rank official position. How could the Capital Prefecture Office dare to arrest him so brazenly?
Madam Lu noticed Wen Ye's confusion and explained, "The Capital Prefecture Office wouldn't dare on its own, but Xu Yuejia now effectively controls the Ministry of Justice. All cases from the Capital Prefecture Office eventually end up there. While Magistrate Wang might not fear offending the Jiang family, he wouldn't dare challenge Xu Yuejia."
Wen Ye remarked flatly, "Xu Yuejia is quite impressive then."
Her words were truthful, but something about the way she said them felt off.
Perhaps she was overthinking it.
The chatter of the common folk on the street reached Madam Lu's ears, and she couldn't help but feel frustrated. "It's been years since His Majesty ascended the throne, yet the sons of these noble families still act so recklessly, disregarding the law."
Wen Ye knew a bit about this.
In the later years of the previous emperor's reign, chaos reigned as his sons, the princes, vied for power. The current emperor, though the legitimate heir, was treated no differently from his half-brothers and was also granted the title of prince.
During that decade, Sheng Jing City was a mess, filled with corruption and disorder.
Wen Ye recalled how her father often warned Lady Li to instruct the young masters and ladies of the household to avoid unnecessary outings.
Back then, the most favored was the Ninth Prince, born to Consort Cai. The Third, Fourth, and Seventh Princes were equally influential, while the current emperor, the Sixth Prince, was the least favored.
Many officials, willingly or not, had chosen sides during that time, with nearly seventy to eighty percent aligning themselves with one faction or another.
The nobility and officials, following the example of the princes, began to abuse their power, and a culture of corruption took root.
Wen Ye estimated that it was only in the last two or three years that things had started to improve.
It was clear that the current emperor had been genuinely dedicated to governing since his ascension. His reputation as a virtuous prince during his father's reign had not been unfounded.
Otherwise, even with Xu Yuejia's exceptional talent and the backing of the Ding'an Marquis Manor, how could he have surpassed the overwhelming authority of the imperial family in this era?
Meanwhile, Magistrate Wang had waited until Xu Yuejia arrived before ordering his men to make the arrest.
This Jiang Ming was somewhat connected to the Ding'an Marquis Manor—his aunt was from the manor. Without certainty, Magistrate Wang wouldn't have dared to act.
He had been scarred by past experiences.
But with Xu Yuejia present, Magistrate Wang had no reservations. Xu Yuejia was known for his impartiality in handling cases. Even if others in the Ding'an Marquis Manor wanted to help the Jiang family, as long as Xu Yuejia stood firm, no one could interfere with the Capital Prefecture Office's affairs.
Magistrate Wang, who appeared to be in his forties, glared at the criminal, who was still struggling despite being restrained by the officers.
This troublemaker had finally fallen into his hands.
Who would have thought that the son of an official family, after losing a bet due to a poorly performing hunting dog, would resort to murder?
The poor vendor, who had an elderly parent and young children to support, had lost his life simply because he sold a dog.
Magistrate Wang sighed inwardly, then turned to Xu Yuejia and bowed. "Thank you for your assistance this time, Lord Xu."
Xu Yuejia, dressed in his crimson official robe, exuded an air of elegance and indifference. "Magistrate Wang, ensure that justice is served impartially," he said coldly.
Magistrate Wang straightened up and assured him, "This official will certainly do so."
If given the choice, who wouldn't want to remain an upright official? He had been fortunate to be promoted to the capital only after the current emperor ascended the throne.
He had heard that the previous Capital Prefecture magistrate had accepted bribes amounting to tens of thousands of taels of silver during his tenure, accumulating hundreds, if not thousands, of wrongful cases.
After the emperor's ascension, the man had been swiftly arrested, tried, and his family's assets confiscated.
Magistrate Wang bid farewell to Xu Yuejia and personally escorted the criminal back to the prefecture office. The onlookers, seeing that the excitement was over, gradually dispersed.
With the street cleared, the carriages that had been stuck began to move.
It was then that Xu Yuejia noticed the carriage bearing the emblem of the Ding'an Marquis Manor among them.
The carriage came to a gentle stop before him, and the curtain was lifted from within. Madam Lu, seeing that it was indeed Xu Yuejia, asked, "Second brother, will you be returning to the manor with us?"
Wen Ye, hiding inside the carriage, remained indifferent, quietly nibbling on the pastries laid out on the small tea table.
Xu Yuejia caught a glimpse of the hem of a dress behind Madam Lu and spoke in a tone less cold than before, "Zitan still has official duties to attend to."
Madam Lu had anticipated this and did not press further, simply saying, "Your wife is also in the carriage."
As she turned to make way for Wen Ye, allowing the couple to exchange a few words, she noticed Wen Ye sneakily eating some pastries.
Madam Lu paused for a moment before saying, "Sister-in-law, your husband is right outside."
Wen Ye wanted to retort that it wasn't as if they wouldn't see each other again, so why bother meeting on the street?
Fortunately, reason prevailed, and under Madam Lu's increasingly exasperated gaze, Wen Ye scooted closer to the carriage door.
She leaned her head out and peeked outside.
Standing alone, dressed in a crimson official robe, Xu Yuejia appeared calm and composed, catching Wen Ye's eye.
Wen Ye's eyes immediately lit up. It was the first time she had seen Xu Yuejia in his official attire.
The crimson color truly suited him.
"What a coincidence, my dear husband," Wen Ye said. "Meeting you on the street like this. Would you like to return to the manor together?"
Madam Lu: "..." What nonsense was this?
Xu Yuejia's gaze lingered on the corner of her mouth for a moment before he looked away and replied, "No, I still have official duties."
Wen Ye: "Oh, then Sister-in-law and I will head back first."
Perhaps out of appreciation for how handsome he looked in that robe, Wen Ye reluctantly added, "It's quite cold today. Make sure to keep warm."
Xu Yuejia: "Thank you for your concern."
Wen Ye: "No need to thank me." It was just a sentence; it didn't take much effort.
She then signaled the coachman to move on and promptly lowered the carriage curtain.
Having listened to the entire exchange, Madam Lu: "..." For the first time, she felt the frustration of "wishing iron could turn into steel."
*
It wasn't until an hour after Wen Ye and Madam Lu returned to the Duke's mansion that they learned the details of what had happened with the eldest son of the Jiang family.
Aunt Xu had come to the mansion to share the news. Wen Ye was seated in the main hall, listening to Aunt Xu repeatedly curse, "That Jiang Ming is nothing but bad luck!"
Aunt Xu fumed, "No wonder I didn't see Jiang Ming at the banquet. He went gambling again! And now, he's gone and killed someone. Let's see how Lady Li deals with this mess!"
To commit murder on the day of her grandson's full-month celebration—what terrible luck!
Madam Lu comforted Aunt Xu with a few words before firmly stating, "Aunt, you must understand that the Duke's mansion will not get involved in this matter."
Aunt Xu glared at Madam Lu and retorted, "What do you take me for? I couldn't vent my anger at the Marquis Mansion, so I came back to my family to complain. Is that not allowed?"
Who knew if that meddlesome Lady Li had planted spies in the Marquis Mansion?
Wen Ye couldn't help but smile. Aunt Xu had quite a way with words.
Madam Lu sighed. She knew her aunt's temperament well, but she was worried that Uncle-in-law Jiang might succumb to pressure from his elder brother, putting Aunt Xu in a difficult position.
Madam Lu softened her tone and said, "You know Zitan's personality. I just hope you can explain things clearly to Uncle when you return. The Changnan Marquis Mansion should stay out of this case."
Aunt Xu nodded confidently. "Don't worry. Your uncle isn't foolish enough to meddle in this."
If someone else were handling the case, Uncle-in-law Jiang might have tried to pull some strings for his nephew, at least to spare his life.
But this was Xu Yuejia.
Aunt Xu was absolutely certain that her husband would steer clear of the matter.
With Aunt Xu's assurance, Madam Lu felt much more at ease.
The Duke's mansion had two reasons for staying out of this. First, Jiang Ming was indeed guilty, with solid evidence against him. No one had framed him.
Pleading for a murderer would only tarnish the Duke's reputation.
Second, while Xu Yuejia appeared to rely on the Duke's mansion, Madam Lu knew that his true support came from the Emperor himself.
Without the Emperor's backing, even the combined influence of several Duke's mansions wouldn't be enough to shield him from the threats coming from all sides.
At a time like this, the Duke's mansion couldn't afford to drag Xu Yuejia down by getting involved in this mess.
Madam Lu then added, "I almost forgot to ask. Do you know which young master was gambling with Jiang Ming?"
Aunt Xu answered without hesitation, "Who else could it be? It was those good-for-nothing sons of Lady Li's brother."
During the previous Emperor's reign, Lady Li's brother had risen to a high-ranking position through flattery, and his sons had developed a gambling habit, riding on their father's coattails.
Aunt Xu had thought that after Lady Li's brother was demoted to a low-ranking position, his sons would reform. But it seemed they remained as disgraceful as ever.
"Before I came here, I had my maids investigate. I heard that the Li family is demanding an explanation from Lady Li," Aunt Xu said. "Although Jiang Ming was the one who killed someone, the Li family's sons are suspected of instigating the crime. The officials didn't say a word when they came to arrest them."
Madam Lu frowned upon hearing this. "Your sister-in-law has always favored her family. If the Li family begs hard enough, she might shamelessly go to the Marquis Mansion and plead with your husband. Aunt, you should have Uncle feign illness for a few days and only recover after the case is settled."