On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2154 He stubbornly denied it

Madam Ding's voice was tinged with sobs.

"That winter was exceptionally cold. The snow at the city gate was half a foot deep. My husband went to inspect outside the city and found him huddled in the gate opening, wearing only a tattered burlap garment. His lips were so cold that he couldn't even speak."

My husband is kind-hearted. Seeing his pitiful state, he took him home, found him clean clothes, served him hot porridge, and even hired him as a servant in the household, hoping to give him a way to survive.

"But who could have imagined that we would be inviting a wolf into our house!" Madam Ding's voice suddenly rose as she finished speaking, filled with endless despair and hatred, and tears welled up in her eyes again.

“He’s an ungrateful wretch! My husband treated him like a brother, gave him opportunities, let him stay in the household, gave him a job to make a living, and even taught him to write, but he…”

At this point, it was as if something had blocked her throat, and she could no longer speak. She could only cover her mouth, her shoulders trembling violently, and suppressed sobs rose again, which were even more heart-wrenching than her previous cries.

Upon hearing these words, the people in the courtyard looked at the fake governor with a different expression, one of disdain, anger, and disbelief.

The flickering torchlight illuminated the fake governor's face, which was deathly pale, with beads of cold sweat beading on his forehead. He unconsciously shuffled backward, as if trying to hide in the shadows of the corridor to avoid the gaze of the crowd.

Yan Ruyu's brows furrowed even more. She looked at the fake governor, her tone no longer as indifferent as before, but rather cold: "Governor Ding, do you have anything to say about what the lady said?"

The fake governor gritted his teeth, his neck stiff, and continued to insist: "She's talking nonsense! It's all fabricated lies! I don't know any beggar in the city gate at all. I am Ding Hengshou, I am the governor of Rongzhou!"

"Is that so?" Yan Ruyu raised an eyebrow slightly, her gaze sweeping over his trembling legs. "Then why didn't you dare to swear an oath before the corpse when Madam asked you to? Also, Madam Ding said that Governor Ding had a bone injury on his arm. How do you explain that?"

Upon hearing the mention of his injury, the fake governor stiffened abruptly, a look of panic flashing in his eyes.

Su Zhenhai took a step forward, tilting the torch in his hand towards the fake governor. The torchlight cast his shadow on the wall, making him look particularly disheveled: "Even now, you still want to argue?"

Huo Changhe, standing under the eaves, slowly drew his sword from his waist. The blade gleamed with a cold light, its sharp gleam dazzling in the torchlight. His voice remained as cold as ice: "If you don't speak now, then there's no need to speak at all."

Governor Ding paused for a moment, his neck slightly stiff: "Utter nonsense!"

"You say his arm was broken, and that's it? Anyone can make things up. I, the governor, have served in Rongzhou for many years. How could you, a woman of unknown origin, slander me with just a few fabricated words?"

He glanced at the corpse wrapped in oilcloth in the center of the courtyard: "Besides, this person has long since lost his face, and his identity is still uncertain. You keep calling him 'husband,' who knows if you have already colluded with others to set up such a clumsy trap to frame this governor?"

As Ding Hengshou spoke, he turned to Su Zhenhai, his tone suddenly becoming more urgent, even carrying a hint of grievance: "Envoy Su, you must investigate this thoroughly!"

I am the Prefect of Rongzhou, appointed by the imperial court. My identity is evidenced by my official document and can be verified in the Ministry of Personnel's register. Besides, don't you recognize this face?

"How can she, a mere woman, without any evidence, convict an official based solely on a few conjectured words? On what grounds? Does she think the laws of Rongzhou can be swayed by the wailing of such a woman?"

He sneered inwardly. The body had been buried for so long; even if it hadn't completely decomposed, the flesh must have been mangled beyond recognition. Moreover, the dead cannot speak. As long as he stubbornly denied it, this situation of having no one to testify would ultimately be to his advantage.

Madam Ding stood beside the corpse and slowly straightened up.

Her face still bore traces of tears, and the corners of her eyes were terribly red, yet her gaze was unusually resolute.

She turned around and bowed deeply to Su Zhenhai: "Envoy Su, I know that my words alone are not enough to prove anything."

But the old wound on my husband's arm was inflicted while saving our young son; it's a mark of a broken bone, which the coroner will surely be able to detect.

Although the body is no longer recognizable, the bones are still intact. Examining the bones will reveal the truth of my words and clear my husband's name.

Upon hearing this, Su Zhenhai's pupils suddenly contracted.

He never expected that a woman could have such a resolute mind.

To exhume bones for verification is already a great disrespect to the deceased, let alone her husband.

"Have you thought this through?" Su Zhenhai's voice deepened, the night wind carrying his words through the firelight. "The matter of bone examination is no small thing. If..."

“I’ve thought it through clearly.” Before he could finish speaking, Madam Ding raised her head and interrupted him, tears welling up in her eyes once again. “When my husband was alive, the thing he valued least was fame. He always said, ‘Heaven and earth know my sincere heart, and the people know it.’”

But over the years, this imposter, using his identity, has colluded with the Liu family, extorting and plundering Rongzhou, imposing heavy taxes that have suffocated the people, causing countless families to be ruined and destroyed. This is absolutely not what my husband wanted!

Her voice gradually rose, filled with years of suppressed grief and indignation, and with the warmth of blood: "In order for him to find peace in the afterlife, and in order for the people of Rongzhou to seek justice, I must examine this body!"

I must seek justice for him, and for the millions of people of Rongzhou!

The torchlight danced on her face, reflecting her resolute expression and the solitary courage in her eyes.

The people around listened quietly, with only the crackling of the burning torches and the soft rustling of the wind through the treetops.

Su Zhenhai looked at her, remained silent for a moment, then solemnly cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his tone now tinged with reverence: "Very well, since you have such determination, then I will..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yan Ruyu suddenly said, "No need to rush."

She walked slowly to Madam Ding, nodded slightly to her, and then turned to Governor Ding: "I haven't finished reading yet, no need to rush, take your time."

Ding Hengshou's heart skipped a beat, and a strange unease welled up inside him again.

Yan Ruyu looked up and gazed in the direction of the courtyard gate.

As soon as she finished speaking, the courtyard gate was pushed open from the outside, and then two figures appeared one after the other at the door. They were Wu Liang and Sun Qing.

Behind the two were many people, who worked together in pairs to carry the corpses, which were also covered with white cloths, into the courtyard with steady steps.

No one spoke.

The number of corpses was simply increasing.

Until there were more than a dozen corpses, almost filling the entire courtyard.

Governor Ding's face was ashen.

Yan Ruyu's gaze was sharp and icy: "You say you are Governor Ding, then explain how the corpse dug out of your residence came about?"