In the early winter, Prince Zhenbei's Estate was shrouded in leaden clouds. The snow atop the glazed tiles cast a cold sheen, yet inside the main hall, the air felt stiflingly dry due to the roaring charcoal fire. Prince Zhenbei sat upright on a sandalwood chair, his right hand slowly stroking a jade paperweight on the desk. The faint, rhythmic clicks of the jade against the wood echoed through the hall, each strike like a blow to Liu Shiyao’s heart. She huddled on a small embroidered stool in the corner, her plain-colored gown washed clean of its former splendor. A simple wooden hairpin held her hair, the tip still stained with a drop of ink from when she had been transcribing scriptures the night before.
"Jingyuan," the Prince finally spoke, his voice like silk soaked in ice water, "is there a shred of falsehood in what you’ve reported?"
Lu Jingyuan presented a gilded evidence box with both hands. As he lifted the lid, the cold glint of silver ingots made his expression appear even more severe. "My respects, Uncle. These ingots came from the pawnshop in West City. The wax seal on the secret letter matches that of the Liu Mansion, and the pawn ticket date aligns perfectly with the time of Miss Jiang’s attack." He paused, his gaze sweeping over Liu Shiyao’s suddenly bloodless face. "The witnesses, Wang Bao and Xiaocham, have been detained, and their confessions are all here."
Chapter 113