Chapter 21 — The Poor Bridegroom Is the Supreme One

The hall was silent. Quách Bá Ninh lightly tapped the wooden card. The trial begins.

Outside the Yamen gate, the crowd crowded since early morning. The street vendor dropped his entire load to come in and take a look. Children are carried on their parents' shoulders, trying to look over the adults' heads. Rumors have spread far beyond the capital - the most prestigious lady of Dai Liang, who once rejected wealth to choose poverty, now faces a death sentence.

Inside, the air was as tense as a string about to break. Every throat clearing, every rustling of robes echoed clearly in the almost absolute silence.

"Defendant Ngân Khinh Vy," he said, "you are accused of two crimes. One, stealing the Hộ Bộ seal. Two, killing A Loc's servant to silence the public. The accusing party, please present evidence."

Âu Vĩnh Phát stepped out, with the leisurely appearance of an experienced rich businessman. "Sir, we have eye witnesses."

The whole hall was buzzing. Khinh Vy clasped her hands tightly, her eyes still calm.

"Invite witness A Loc." The name being announced made Khinh Vy's heart skip a beat. A Loc is still alive. That's good news. But why did the accuser call him out first? She glanced at Vân Nhi standing in the corner and saw that her face had also changed color.

A thin man was led out, his clothes were cleaner than the time Bạt Sương found them, but his eyes were flickering and his hands were shaking. That's right, A Loc.

"A Loc," Âu Vĩnh Phát asked, his voice artificially gentle, "tell me, the night you disappeared, who took you away?"

A Loc bowed his head, his lips moved, then blurted out a sentence that shocked the entire hall. "Master Bam... is Lady Ngân Khinh Vy's person. They said, if I don't cooperate to hide the story of stealing the seal, my whole family will be killed."

Khinh Vy stood still. This is not the testimony that Bạt Sương recorded on the deserted island. Quite the opposite.

"No way," she thought, but on the outside remained calm. She understood immediately - the opponent had found A Loc's hiding place after Bạt Sương rescued him, threatened his family, and forced him to backtrack on his testimony right before the trial.

Quách Bá Ninh frowned, his eyes looked at Khinh Vy. "Do you have any comments?"

"Your Majesty," Khinh Vy spoke up, her voice still steady even though her heart was churning, "I would like to ask witness A Loc only one question. Before being kidnapped this second time, have you ever been rescued from a deserted island by anyone?"

The whole hall was silent. A Loc turned pale and did not answer.

"Sir," Khinh Vy continued, "I confirm that this witness was threatened for the second time, last night, to force him to change his testimony. I ask you to let me examine his body to see if there are any signs of recent coercion or detention."

A sailor stepped forward and lifted A Loc's sleeve as ordered by Quách Bá Ninh. On his wrists were clearly visible fresh rope marks, still red.

"This wound is only a day or two old," the officer reported.

The hall was once again buzzing. Quách Bá Ninh looked at A Loc with a stern voice. "Were you threatened by anyone before testifying today? Honestly, I will protect you."

A Loc trembled, tears rolled down, but still shook his head. "No... no one threatened me. I'm telling the truth."

The fear in his eyes was so obvious that everyone realized he was lying, but did not dare admit the truth. Khinh Vy understood that A Loc's family must be detained somewhere, he had no other choice.

She looked straight at him, her eyes held no blame, only deep sympathy. She understood that A Loc was just another victim, like Kỳ Bá Thành, like herself in her previous life - a person who was put in a position where she had no choice, forced to choose between her conscience and the lives of her loved ones.

"You don't need to apologize to me," she said softly, loud enough for A Loc to hear, "I understand your situation." That sentence made A Loc suddenly look up, his red eyes looked at her for a moment, then quickly bent down, his shoulders shaking with emotion.

A few mandarins sat in the back row whispering and chatting. "It seems that the defendant is really clever, knowing how to please even the witnesses accusing him." Someone else said, with a more skeptical tone. "But if the witness was really forced to confess, then who would have the guts to do this right in front of Dai Ly Temple's door?" No one can answer that question, but that very question has planted a new seed of doubt in the hearts of many people.

The situation turned unfavorable. Đại Lý Tự had "eyewitness" witnesses confirming the accusation, while Khinh Vy's strongest counter-evidence — A Loc's real testimony — was now neutralized on the spot.

"Your Excellency," Âu Vĩnh Phát continued, his voice hard to conceal. "The witness has confirmed. Together with the evidence collected at the scene, I think there is enough evidence to convict."

Quách Bá Ninh pondered, his eyes glanced at the ministers who pressured him last night, then looked at Khinh Vy. He is a fair-minded person, but being fair does not mean not being under pressure. An "eyewitness" statement, even if questionable, is still an official statement that has been recorded.

"Do you have any other evidence?" He asked, his voice softened somewhat, as if giving Khinh Vy one last chance.

Khinh Vy stood straight, her eyes quickly glanced towards the corner of the hall where Vân Nhi and Bạt Sương were standing, still clutching the wooden box. She knew, this was the moment to decide - release all the evidence now, when the situation was critical, or wait a little longer.

"My lord," she said, her voice echoing clearly throughout the hall, "I have proof, but I need time for my family to bring it to the court. Please give me a moment."

"It's not necessary," Âu Vĩnh Phát interrupted, his voice harsh. "The witness has confirmed, there is enough evidence. I think the defendant is just deliberately buying time because there is nothing left to defend."

Murmurs spread throughout the hall, most of them inclined to suspect Khinh Vy. Ngân Bá Viễn sat in the front row, his face pale, his hands clasped tightly on the chair. Khinh Tuyết sat opposite, the corner of her lips curled up in a fleeting triumphant smile, so fast that only Khinh Vy could recognize it.

Quách Bá Ninh hesitated, his eyes scanned the hall, weighing the political pressure and his professional intuition that told him there was something wrong with A Loc's testimony. Finally, he nodded, his voice heavy. "Okay, I'll give the defendant a moment. But if time runs out without solid evidence, the trial will continue in a direction unfavorable to the defendant."

One moment. Time is breathtakingly short. Khinh Vy turned to look at Vân Nhi, her eyes sent an urgent signal. Vân Nhi understood, quickly crept out of the hall, and ran as fast as she could towards the gate, where Kỳ Bá Thành had promised to wait with all the documents.

In the heart of the hall, Khinh Vy stood alone amid the eyes of scrutiny, suspicion, and pity pouring towards her. She took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure. She knew that this was just the first knot in a long series of challenges ahead, and she could not let herself fall right here.

Each moment passed as heavy as a century. She counted her heartbeat to stay calm, trying not to look at the water clock placed next to the dripping dragon pedestal, measuring her remaining time. In her mind, the image of Dịch Thần appeared again - his steadfast eyes when being escorted in another direction, the silent promise he had sent. "If this path ends in failure," she thought, "at least I have tried my best, and not died in resignation like in my previous life," Ngân Bá Viễn, from the front row, suddenly spoke up, his voice hoarse with emotion that even he did not expect. "Sir, please give my daughter more time. She... she has never been a liar." That was the first time, since the day of the Great Wedding, he publicly stood on Khinh Vy's side, even with just a short, shaky sentence.

Khinh Vy turned to look at her father, a complex emotion that was difficult to name arose in her heart. Even though it was late, even if it was just a small word amidst hundreds of strange eyes, it was still something she had never had in her previous life.

"Thank you, father," she said softly, her voice shaking but her eyes still steady. That's all she can say at this moment, when every moment that passes is more precious than gold and silver, when both her future and Dịch Thần's are depending on the running speed of a little maid out there.