Chapter 71: Baffling and Convoluted (Happy New Year's Eve)

The moment Li Ruzhen's words fell, the great hall fell so silent that a dropped needle could be heard—no one had expected Li Ruzhen to say such a thing.

Everyone's gaze involuntarily turned to Yang Lian—some gloating, some suspicious, some pitying.

At this moment, Yang Lian's face was pale as paper.

He naturally knew that this time he had been tricked.

The entire affair had been a conspiracy from the very start. This was a trap set by Wei Zhongxian for revenge! The original case of Xiong Tingbi's false accusation had been fabricated single-handedly by Wei Zhongxian.

From beginning to end, Wei Zhongxian had never intended to clear Xiong Tingbi's name—he only wanted revenge for everyone's impeachment of him. Although everyone knew this, they still underestimated Wei Zhongxian.

Wei Zhongxian had never been seeking revenge against Yao Zongwen and the others for impeaching him; his ultimate target was Yang Lian himself and the gentlemen of the Donglin Faction.

Therefore, everything he had brought out during the earlier interrogation was nothing but a smokescreen. Its purpose was to lure him and the people of the Censorate in.

And that was exactly what happened—whether it was himself, Gao Panlong, or Zou Yuanbiao, all of them had fallen for it.

From the moment his interrogation began, the entire affair had been within Wei Zhongxian's expectations. Everything was developing according to his plan.

Things having reached this point was precisely what Wei Zhongxian wanted to see.

Now Li Ruzhen's words had become an arrow shot at old Yang!

Yang Lian wanted to refute, yet he didn't know where to begin. The towering waves surging in his heart could not subside for a long time.

The key question was—who would believe what he said?

Yang Lian knew that among those who believed him, the Emperor was certainly not included. The Emperor would not trust him, because from the moment he had submitted the trial records, he had completely lost His Majesty's trust.

Yang Lian couldn't help but turn his head toward Zou Yuanbiao, hoping Zou Yuanbiao would say something.

But Zou Yuanbiao showed no intention of speaking.

No one expected that at this moment, Wei Zhongxian would speak up.

His eyes blazing with fury, he slammed the gavel hard and bellowed: "Li Ruzhen! How dare you spout nonsense and slander Lord Yang! Do you know what crime this is? What evidence do you have to prove that Lord Yang instructed you to retract your confession? If you have no evidence, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"If you do have evidence, then produce it. I will report it to His Majesty on your behalf. I will surely see justice done for you!"

Wei Zhongxian's words were simple, seemingly a rebuke of Li Ruzhen, but in truth everyone could hear that Wei Zhongxian was encouraging Li Ruzhen to continue testifying against Yang Lian.

Yang Lian naturally heard it too. He immediately glared at Wei Zhongxian and said loudly: "Wei Zhongxian, what do you mean by this? You've colluded with Li Ruzhen to frame me! I will submit a memorial impeaching you! Do you think you can cover the sky with one hand? People's eyes are all sharp! His Majesty's gaze is like a torch—he will absolutely not allow you to do as you please!"

Wei Zhongxian glanced at Yang Lian and said with a smile: "Lord Yang, rest assured. I am interrogating this case on His Majesty's orders, so naturally I will not wrong a single good person. Of course, neither will I let a single villain off."

"Since Lord Yang serves as an official at court, you should naturally know that everything must be based on evidence. Since Li Ruzhen has spoken thus, I should have him produce his evidence. If he truly has evidence, then naturally I will report it to His Majesty; if he has none, then naturally he will be charged with the crime of false accusation. The court has its own laws and regulations—why is Lord Yang in such a hurry?"

With just a few words, Wei Zhongxian rendered Yang Lian speechless.

But Wei Zhongxian did not stop there—he continued: "Could Lord Yang's eager obstruction be because his conscience is guilty?"

After saying this, Wei Zhongxian smiled at Yang Lian, with an expression that said: I'm framing you, and what can you do about it?

Yang Lian was now so angry his whole body trembled, his fists clenched, wishing he could punch this eunuch dog Wei!

But he knew he could not lose his temper in the courtroom—he could only endure!

If he truly made a scene in the courtroom, it would make him look guilty, and the matter would truly be beyond redemption.

Yang Lian couldn't help but turn his head toward Zou Yuanbiao. He hoped that his immediate superior, who was also the mastermind behind this entire affair, would say something or do something at this moment.

Unfortunately, Yang Lian was disappointed.

Zou Yuanbiao still sat there quietly just as he had upon arrival, paying no heed to Yang Lian's gaze, as if the farce in the courtroom had nothing to do with him.

No one knew that at this moment, Zou Yuanbiao's heart was also unsettled.

He knew that Li Ruzhen's attack on Yang Lian was merely the beginning—Wei Zhongxian would absolutely not be satisfied with toppling just one Yang Lian.

If it were only for the sake of one Yang Lian, Wei Zhongxian would not have gone to such great lengths.

As it stood now, Wei Zhongxian's ambitions were far greater.

It was just unexpected that he had actually managed to make Li Ruzhen retract his confession.

Zou Yuanbiao still couldn't figure out to this very moment—what exactly had made Li Ruzhen willing to follow Wei Zhongxian's orders?

One had to understand—this was an admission of guilt, and a major crime at that! Once confessed, death was extremely likely!

At this moment, Wei Zhongxian spoke.

He looked at Li Ruzhen and asked loudly: "Li Ruzhen, do you have evidence?"

"Eunuch Wei, this guilty official naturally has evidence. Last night, the jailer of the Court of Judicial Review came to me. He said that Lord Yang Lian had asked him to pass along a message: 'Today in the great hall, you must keep your mouth shut tight—you must insist to the death that it was Eunuch Wei Zhongxian who framed me.' On this matter, Eunuch Wei can interrogate that jailer—I believe that once asked, he will speak."

"Additionally, when I had just been thrown into prison, it was also this same jailer who came to me. He also said it was Lord Yang Lian who asked him to pass along a message—that during the interrogation, I must say it was Wei Zhongxian who framed me. That I knew nothing, that I had never signed any confession, and that my fingerprint had been pressed after Wei Zhongxian knocked me unconscious. On this matter, Eunuch Wei can also interrogate that jailer. As long as that jailer is questioned, everything will come to light."

"Moreover, I believe Lord Yang Lian absolutely did not have this jailer pass messages only to me alone. The rest of us should all have received such messages. It's just that they chose to do as Lord Yang said, while I did not."

Everyone listening to Li Ruzhen's words wore expressions of utter astonishment. All eyes converged on Yang Lian's face.

If what Li Ruzhen said was true, then the matter was grave indeed; if what Li Ruzhen said was false, then Yang Lian would need to clear his own name.

But how could that be easy?

Everyone knew what Yang Lian had said in the routine memorial he had sent into the palace—he had said it was Wei Zhongxian who had framed them.

What was Yang Lian's basis?

It was precisely the testimony of Li Ruzhen and the others—they had retracted their confessions. They had said it was Wei Zhongxian who framed them.

If the situation were now reversed, then the entire affair had been orchestrated by Yang Lian. Then what was his purpose?

For the sake of that memorial, for the sake of impeaching Wei Zhongxian. This was seeking fame! Or rather, Yang Lian himself had also been involved in this case!

The more one thought about it, the more terrifying it became!

Zou Yuanbiao raised his head and looked at Yang Lian. Now he too dared not be certain whether things were as Li Ruzhen had said. If it truly was as Li Ruzhen had described, then he himself might have been used by Yang Lian as well.

The entire affair had become utterly baffling and convoluted.