Chapter 159: Framing? Wu Xiqing stands firm against the Mingjing Si

"Interesting things?"

"What did you find?"

A bad premonition surfaced in Wu Xiqing's heart, and on top of that, this young man in front of her had a bulging chest, as if it were stuffed with something...

A woman's intuition was also constantly sounding alarms at this moment.

"Nothing much..."

Li Tan shrugged, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, smiling lightly as he said, "Just some evidence of corruption, bribery, and embezzlement of military pay!"

"And a very thick stack of letters criticizing the Grand Chancellor, harboring treacherous intentions, and plotting rebellion!"

As he spoke, his movements did not stop.

From his bulging chest, he pulled out an account book and more than a dozen letters.

"This is impossible!"

"Absolutely impossible!"

"My Master has always walked the straight and narrow, conducting himself with integrity!"

"How could he do such a thing!"

Wu Xiqing stared straight at those items, her expression changing suddenly as she retorted sternly.

Don't look at this General's wife speaking so eloquently and decisively; in reality, she had no bottom line in her heart either...

Shangguan Jun never talked about those things...

"His true intention was not the wine!"

Liu Bingzhong, watching from the side and taking everything in, felt his pupils shrink. He suddenly realized the truth, looking at Li Tan in disbelief, exclaiming in his heart.

It wasn't until this Xuanwu Mirror Master took out those things that Liu Bingzhong connected everything...

The purpose of coming here from the beginning wasn't to investigate the case at all, but to collect "evidence."

It was all to retaliate against what the Old Zhao Lord had done in the court today...

The Grand Chancellor's revenge truly did not wait until the next day, and it was incredibly fierce!

Even if they couldn't find "evidence," it didn't matter; they could forge it. There were always ways to hammer the Right General Shangguan Jun to death...

"Whether it's true or not, won't Lady Shangguan know as soon as she looks?"

"This Mirror Master believes that after so many years as husband and wife, you still recognize his handwriting, right?"

Hearing this, Li Tan casually pulled out a few letters, threw them in front of Wu Xiqing, and said with a mocking smile.

What does it mean to be well-prepared?

This is it.

Since his Mingjing Si dared to do it, they were naturally prepared in every aspect...

"This really is the Master's handwriting?!"

Steward Zheng picked up the letters and handed one to Wu Xiqing. As soon as her gaze touched the handwriting, she was stunned, her eyes full of shock. "Why would it be like this?"

A heart that had been hanging finally died...

Even if Shangguan Jun's handwriting turned to ash, she would recognize it. It was real; this was absolutely real.

"Seeing this ironclad evidence with your own eyes, you should finally give up, right?" Li Tan handed the remaining "evidence" in his hand to the Embroidered Attire Envoy beside him, looked at Wu Xiqing, and asked with a smile.

"Wrong!"

"Something is wrong!"

"You must have forged this!"

Wu Xiqing seemed to realize something, suddenly crumpling the letter with Shangguan Jun's handwriting into a ball, glaring at Li Tan, and screaming hysterically, "You must be trying to frame us!"

"Trying to dump the blame on my Master's head!"

Wu Xiqing was not a foolish woman of the inner chambers.

Admitting to this kind of thing was absolutely impossible!

Once admitted, what awaited them was the destruction of their family and death...

As the saying goes, confess and sit in prison, resist and go home for the New Year.

Even if it was truly written by Shangguan Jun, it was forged by the Xuanwu Mirror Master!

"Lady Shangguan, this is not something you can change or erase just by denying it..."

Facing the woman's roar and accusation, Li Tan remained calm, smiling, "The evidence was all searched from your Right General's mansion. The evidence is conclusive; you cannot deny it in the slightest!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and lightly patted the account book held at the very top by the Embroidered Attire Envoy.

"Li Tan!"

"I will absolutely not allow you to wantonly slander and smear my Master's reputation after his death!"

Wu Xiqing's expression was extremely gloomy. She stared coldly at Li Tan, pointing her finger as she spoke.

Wu Xiqing knew very well that in this situation, she absolutely could not swallow her anger.

Only by standing firm against the Mingjing Si would there be a glimmer of hope...

"Oh?"

"Is that so?"

"This Mirror Master would like to see how Lady Shangguan intends to not allow it!"

Li Tan held his head high, not caring at all, meeting Wu Xiqing's gaze directly with his hands behind his back, arrogant and provocative, "In this vast Chang'an City, no one can shake the will of my Mingjing Si!"

The Mingjing Si represents the Grand Chancellor; it is imperial power!

The Grand Chancellor is even before imperial power...

Does a mere widow of a Right General have the qualifications to say such things?

This gentleman was clearly deliberately stoking the fire, intentionally catalyzing the conflict... Amidst the tension, Liu Bingzhong, hiding on the side, saw Li Tan's intention at a glance.

This gentleman wasn't afraid of things getting big; he was afraid they wouldn't be big enough, afraid the fire wouldn't burn fiercely enough!

He just didn't know if Lady Shangguan saw it.

But unfortunately, Wu Xiqing was already overwhelmed; her reason was suppressed by anger, and she shouted sternly, "Someone come!"

"Where are the General's mansion personal guards!"

"Here."

The personal guards of the General's Mansion, who had been keeping watch outside, arrived at the sound of the commotion, surrounding everyone in the room and exuding an air of murderous intent.

One look at these men was enough to tell they were old veterans who had retired after years of fighting on the battlefield.

"Lady Shangguan, what are you trying to do?"

Li Tan scanned them from left to right with a sidelong glance, gave a contemptuous smile, and asked a question he already knew the answer to.

"Li Tan, don't think that just because you are the grandson of Old Pillar of State Li and a Mirror Master of the Mingjing Si, you can act recklessly. Do you really think my General's Mansion has no one left?" Wu Xiqing stepped forward, a cold sneer curling the corner of her mouth as she retorted.

Did he think that because a tiger wasn't showing its claws, it was a soft persimmon anyone could squeeze?

This was the General's Mansion, not the residence of some civil official!

"Lady Shangguan, calm down!"

"Think twice before you act, be careful!"

"Please, don't be impulsive, let's talk this over properly!"

Seeing the situation on the verge of exploding, Liu Bingzhong hurried forward to advise them.

If they really started fighting, it would be a grave crime indeed...

"Lord Liu, this has nothing to do with you; we won't accidentally harm your Jingzhao Prefecture men!" Wu Xiqing could no longer hear anything and pushed aside Liu Bingzhong, who was trying to dissuade her.

"Old Liu, did you hear that?"

"She's telling you to shut your mouth and step aside!"

Li Tan raised an eyebrow and teased.

His words were full of mockery.

"Li Tan, with just those few Embroidered Attire Envoys behind you, do you think you can walk out of the General's Mansion today?" Wu Xiqing looked at Li Tan with disdain, feeling that victory was in her grasp, and asked coldly.

"Hahahaha!"

Li Tan laughed, couldn't help but shake his head, and said with great interest, "Lady Shangguan, do you know that acting this way is tantamount to confirming Shangguan Jun's guilt?"

"Attacking the Mingjing Si is an even greater crime, you know!"

Resisting arrest and attacking law enforcement officers would thoroughly cement the charges, even if the evidence wasn't conclusive.

Besides, what kind of organization was the Mingjing Si?

Daring to attack them openly—was she in such a hurry to die?

"And so what?"

Wu Xiqing chuckled, completely unconcerned, and pointed her finger, arguing forcefully: "You, Li Tan, led men disguised as Embroidered Attire Envoys to sneak into my mansion to commit illicit acts. What is wrong with arresting all of you and handing you over to Old Pillar of State Zhao for disposal?"

"I now suspect that it was you, Li Tan, who poisoned my husband!"

"You poisoned the Right General and the Grand Minister of Justice!"

Wu Xiqing appeared to have lost her head, but in reality, she was exceptionally clear-headed.

She knew well that whoever made the first move and handed the other over to the powerful figures behind them would be the one in the right...

The Mingjing Si could claim they had found evidence, so she could just as easily accuse them of being the ones who administered the poison!

Using their own methods against them.

"Very well!"

"Then let's see if the guards in your General's Mansion have the ability to do it!"

Even though his side had only a handful of men and was outnumbered, Li Tan remained completely unfazed.