After a moment's hesitation, weighing matters in his heart, he stroked the wooden gavel in his hand, and after a long while, he spoke, "Feng Ruoyan, you are yelling in the court and disregarding this official. You are hereby ordered to be punished with ten boards!"
"Let me go, let me go... my father will kill you, kill you..."
Feng Ruoyan was dragged onto the plank, her hands and feet bound. She panicked, her words nonsensical.
"Bastard, you are so ungrateful, add another five boards!"
Lord Wang, after all, was the Grand Master of the Court of Judicial Review. How could he be insulted by a woman who threatened to kill him?
"Ah!"
The solid boards fell upon Feng Ruoyan. Her delicate skin could not withstand the punishment. With each blow, her skin split open, and Feng Ruoyan was in so much pain that she almost fainted.
"Ah!"
Feng Ruoyan cried out in pain, cold sweat beading on her forehead, her whole body trembling.
The guard raised the board high, about to strike, when a voice from outside the hall stopped him.
"Stop!"
Feng Yuanping shouted anxiously. Sun Shi, behind him, seeing her daughter, whom she hadn't seen in days, beaten until her skin was torn, felt a sharp pain in her heart and rushed to Feng Ruoyan's side to check on her.
"Yan'er, Yan'er, how are you..."
"Mother... Mother..." Feng Ruoyan called out weakly, lacking even the strength to cry out loudly. Her breath was faint.
Feng Jin watched everyone with cold eyes. She took a pill from her embrace and placed it in Feng Ruoyan's mouth. She couldn't let her die so easily; that would be too kind.
She would use the pill to preserve her life for now, as the real show was yet to come.
"What do you want? You want to harm my Yan'er!"
Sun Shi immediately accused Feng Jin of intending harm and was on the verge of cursing her.
"Those with malicious hearts see malice in everyone. I am not you, and I disdains to do such shameless things!"
Feng Jin taunted Sun Shi before rising and sitting in a chair. "What I gave her is a Nine Revolutions Pill, a life-saving medicine. One pill is worth three hundred gold."
After giving it to Feng Ruoyan, Feng Jin regretted it. She had used dozens of precious medicinal herbs to produce only three Nine Revolutions Pills, and today she had impulsively given one to Feng Ruoyan.
Feng Jin's heart was filled with regret and hatred.
Alas, it was done. She could not retrieve the Nine Revolutions Pill from Feng Ruoyan's mouth now.
"Lu Shi, after the trial concludes, don't forget to collect the cost of the medicine from the Prime Minister."
This unprofitable business could not be endured. She had to get the cost of the medicine back.
"Yes, Young Madam."
Lu Shi was loyal. After the trial, he went to the Prime Minister's mansion every day for several days to demand the cost of the medicine.
He annoyed Prime Minister Feng to the point of helplessness. He paid double the cost of the medicine before he could send Lu Shi away. Of course, that was a story for another time.
"Lord Wang, what mistake did my daughter commit to deserve such punishment? She is a weak woman. Isn't this going to kill her!"
Sun Shi, weeping, pointed at Lord Wang and began to scold him.
"You, a mere woman, illegally entering the court is a serious offense. This official, out of consideration for Prime Minister Feng, did not hold you accountable. Yet, you dare to scold this official without discerning right from wrong. How audacious! Guards, remove this woman from here!"
Lord Wang, his face flushed red with anger, directly ordered Sun Shi to be removed.
"Lord Wang, my wife is ill-mannered. She saw Yan'er's serious injuries just now and was momentarily agitated, which led to her rash words. I beg Lord Wang to spare my wife this once, for my sake."
Feng Yuanping held the position of Prime Minister, second only to the emperor. He had never begged anyone so humbly before. This act of showing weakness was giving Lord Wang ample face.
Lord Wang was also astute. Seeing Feng Yuanping bow his head and give him such respect, he did not press the matter further.
They were all officials in the court, and in terms of rank, Feng Yuanping was above him. If he were to thoroughly offend Feng Yuanping now, it would not be beneficial for his future career.
"Prime Minister, you are too kind. Since the Prime Minister has spoken, this official will sell you this favor!"
Lord Wang beckoned, and his guards dragged Sun Shi back from outside the hall.
Sun Shi dared not cause any more trouble and stayed obediently by Feng Yuanping's side, fearing being thrown out again.
"The case will continue. Anyone who dares to roar in the court again will not be pardoned."
"Yan Yu, you said that Feng Ruoyan poisoned you. Do you have any evidence?"
"Reporting to Your Lordship, I have a witness. The woman who poisoned me with Feng Ruoyan is outside the hall. She can testify for me."
"Bring the woman in."
Lord Wang gave an order, and the woman outside the hall was brought in by the guards.
Upon seeing the person, Sun Shi's expression immediately panicked. She stared intently at the woman, her eyes full of warning.
"Greetings, Your Lordship." The woman knelt below the hall, timidly lowering her head.
"Do you know about Feng Ruoyan poisoning Yan Yu?"
The woman was silent for a moment, then said timidly, "Reporting to Your Lordship..."
"Granny Wang, you have been with me for so many years, and I have treated you well. Don't let a little profit from others make you lose your conscience and frame your mistress?"
Sun Shi, worried that Granny Wang would say something unfavorable to her, quickly warned her.
Feng Jin sipped her tea, her voice light and airy. "Aunt Sun, Lord Wang always presides over trials justly and strictly. Why do you need to interfere? Or are you worried that Lord Wang will bend the law and pass an unjust sentence?"
"One more word and you will be expelled!" Lord Wang's tone was slightly displeased.
"You, shut up!" Feng Yuanping had never been so embarrassed. He warned Sun Shi.
Sun Shi, her face lost, nodded feebly and took a step back.
"Reporting to Your Lordship, the Eldest Young Lady did indeed verbally abuse and beat her servants. The poison was also administered by the Eldest Young Lady, with the intention of framing Madam Ling for reckless disregard for human life and selling fake medicine. To prevent Yan Yu from revealing the matter, she also gave Yan Yu a哑药 (muting medicine), not expecting Madam Ling to see through it..."
Her scheme exposed, Feng Ruoyan's face turned a mottled green and purple. She struggled with all her might and lunged at Granny Wang, her hands choking Granny Wang's neck, wishing she could strangle her to death and leave no witnesses.
"Here they come, quickly let them go!" Lord Wang said urgently.
Seeing this, Feng Yuanping quickly gestured to Sun Shi, asking her to help Feng Ruoyan.
Without a witness, even if there were accusations, he could find a way to get Feng Ruoyan off the hook.
"Yan'er..." Sun Shi cried out and joined the fray. Ostensibly to break them apart, she was secretly exerting force.
Feng Jin saw through the ruse. With a slight twist of her hand, a flash of silver was seen, and two silver needles were inserted into the necks of Sun Shi and her daughter.