A quarter of an hour later, the medicine was brewed. Su Ya wanted to feed it, but Fan Zehao intercepted, and with great care, administered the dose.
Xiao Ce arrived and saw the prince feeding medicine to the princess. He stood silently to the side, observing the prince with keen attention.
For so many years, the prince's feelings for the princess had remained unchanged. He had forcefully missed his true love for the sake of his family's ducal position, and his heart was filled with sorrow.
"How is it?"
In the silent room, Fan Zehao suddenly spoke. Su Ya and Xiao Ce looked at him simultaneously.
Seeing the medicine bowl he offered, Su Ya stepped forward to take it and turned to leave, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.
Xiao Ce cupped his hands and reported, "Liu Qian's maternal family is the Heng Prince's Mansion!"
The Heng Prince's Mansion?
The capital was truly a tangled web. A member of the Heng Prince's family could be so audacious!
He had openly threatened to kill him and sleep with the princess. This Heng Prince's heir had not yet been officially appointed, yet his extended family was already so arrogant. How could this be tolerated!
Fan Zehao: "Tell me about Liu Qian's family background."
Xiao Ce, having grown up in the capital, was quite familiar with these aristocratic young masters.
"Liu Qian is the only legitimate son of Duke Liu. Duke Liu was a veteran of the previous dynasty and once went through life and death with the late emperor. Grateful for Duke Liu's loyalty, the late emperor bestowed upon him a hereditary ducal title!"
"Duke Liu has one legitimate daughter, who is the Princess of Heng. Liu Qian is a late-born child, doted upon within the ducal mansion. He is unrestrained and known as a notorious little tyrant in the capital, yet no one dares to provoke him!"
Fan Zehao frowned. "Why dare not provoke him? As far as I know, this duke is only a first-rank duke. There are many meritorious officials in the capital, as well as royal princes. How is it that his family is so special?"
Xiao Ce pondered for a moment and then recalled something else. "My father mentioned that Duke Liu possesses a 'Wang-Whipper' that can strike down a corrupt emperor and officials, and also a 'Death-Exempting Talisman'!"
So that was it!
Now, Fan Zehao understood why Liu Qian, this brute, was so arrogant and defiant. Even when being apprehended, he dared to struggle so much!
A Wang-Whipper?
A Death-Exempting Talisman?
They might be effective against royalty, but against someone named Fan, they were useless!
A life for a life was only natural justice. Even if his father came from the grave to stop him, it would not work!
With the Lunar New Year less than a month away, since Liu Qian was so pampered, it was time to give him a little taste of fire.
"Let the prefect conduct the trial normally, in accordance with the laws of Yun Kingdom. Deal with him as he should be dealt with. No favoritism or dereliction of duty is allowed!"
Xiao Ce had also anticipated this outcome and could not help but advise, "Your Highness, Liu Qian is Duke Liu's precious son. If you..."
"If he dares to cover up his son's crimes, I, the Grand Emperor, will still deal with him!"
Once Fan Zehao's stubbornness kicked in, not even ten bulls could pull him back.
Meanwhile, the prefect of the inner city sat in his hall. The person kneeling below was a notorious troublemaker of the capital. Although he wasn't present, his reputation was known to all officials in the Yun Kingdom!
Soon, Xiao Ce relayed Fan Zehao's words. Upon hearing this, the prefect made up his mind and immediately proceeded with the public trial.
Regarding the murder case, Liu Qian readily admitted his crime in the inner city without any hesitation or torture. He even confessed to why he killed the madam.
The prefect saw that the case was simple. With swift and decisive action, he sentenced Liu Qian to death. His three followers were sentenced to five, eight, and ten years respectively.
"Liu Qian will be beheaded after the New Year. He is to be sent to the death row prison immediately."
"The other three will be exiled to the coldest borderlands to perform hard labor! Escort them away immediately, without delay!"
As soon as the prefect's words fell, a mighty roar echoed in the hall. Outside, the common people clapped and cheered.
The case was solved and punishment was meted out in less than a day.
News of this quickly reached Fan Zehao. He was moderately satisfied with the outcome.
What he was not satisfied with was that the prefect had deliberately delayed Liu Qian's execution, seemingly trying to avoid offending both his side and Duke Liu's. Hence, the "beheading after the New Year."
Fine. This time, he wanted to see what kind of influential figure this Duke Liu was. He would meet him and see how he dealt with his arrogant son.
That evening, the prince's mansion was brightly lit.
Servants and maids guarded the Peony Garden, all worried about the princess's condition. Fortunately, in the latter half of the night, she awoke from her confused and nightmarish state, her strength completely depleted, as if she had experienced a long, terrible dream.
Fan Zehao fed her some thin porridge while carefully observing her complexion. "Next time, if you encounter such a situation, stay far away. Don't rush forward when you see a dead person!"
Normal people would want to flee three miles away from a violent death. She, on the other hand, eagerly rushed forward. What kind of person was she!
Zhao Jiaqi, who was being reprimanded, pouted silently. "I was just startled then, but it wasn't a true fright. Who knew I would get sick when I came back? I didn't want to!"
Stubborn.
"You were only focused on finding the murderer then, of course, you forgot to be scared. When you relaxed and your mind returned to that moment, you were naturally startled!"
Zhao Jiaqi did not argue, accepting all his words as truth.
After dinner and rinsing her mouth, she heard about Liu Qian's case. Zhao Jiaqi was full of curiosity. "Really? No wonder Liu Qian spoke so boldly. So, that's what was behind it all!"
After she finished speaking, her mind raced, and she raised her eyebrows at him with a hint of schadenfreude. "He's to be executed after the New Year, at least after the first month. There are still two months in between. Whether the murderer will receive his just deserts is still unknown. You'll have quite a bit to deal with then!"
Fan Zehao chuckled. Seeing her playful spirit return, he knew she was largely recovered, and his heart eased.
As for Liu Qian's matter, he did not take it to heart at all. Since a punishment had been decided, there was only one objective: he must die!
The saying "a life for a life, a debt for a debt" was the natural order of things, and no one could obstruct it!
"Liu Qian will pay with his life for the madam. Even if the Jade Emperor himself came, I would still execute him. Are you at ease now?"
Zhao Jiaqi, seeing her thoughts exposed, did not pretend. She nodded. "I was just testing whether you would consider Duke Liu's feelings or show Liu Qian any leniency. After hearing your words, I am relieved. However, the consequence of this action might be that Duke Liu will harbor resentment towards you. You must be careful."
He gently rubbed his wife's soft long hair, gazing at her affectionately, and nodded silently.
"I want to grow old with you, holding your hand to watch the sunset. My life is very precious now, so I will naturally be more careful!"
In this life, the only one who could take his life was his wife.
The guards who accompanied Liu Qian quickly sent a secret message via carrier pigeon to the capital regarding the crimes he committed in the inner city.