funbook-pk Chapter 116 First Meeting with Zhang Ping
Chapter 116 First Meeting with Zhang Ping
Before long, Chu Ci's gaze was drawn to Shi An's cherry-red lips as if by a magnet.
Everything around her seemed to have disappeared, and only that touch of red remained in her entire world.
So much so that she didn't hear a single word of what Shi An said.
The next moment, Chu Ci followed his body's most primal instincts and kissed Shi An's lips without hesitation.
At first, she only gently licked the other person's lips with the tip of her tongue, cautiously probing.
When she realized that Shi An was not resisting at all, she began to deepen the kiss.
Just as the two were getting into the swing of things, a light yet clearly audible sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.
Chu Ci immediately opened her eyes and pulled Shi An into her arms.
Her husband's handsome face was already flushed red, like a ripe apple, and she didn't want anyone else to see it.
The next second, the door was pushed open, and Song Yin walked in carrying a plate of steaming rice porridge.
When he saw that Chu Ci had woken up, a joyful smile immediately appeared on his face: "Little sister Chu, you've finally woken up! Shi An was worried about you all night long, he didn't even close his eyes."
As he spoke, he glanced at Shi An, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, still somewhat lost in thought.
Upon hearing Song Yin's words, Chu Ci subconsciously lowered her head and looked at Fan Fulang beside her.
The moment their eyes met, she smiled slightly, reached out her hands, and firmly embraced Shi An tightly.
Feeling each other's warm embrace, an indescribable emotion welled up in my heart.
After a brief pause, Song Yin seemed to remember something important and quickly said, "Oh, right, I have some good news to tell you. Zhang Ping has now been promoted to Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and is currently in charge of investigating matters related to the cheating in the military examinations. Now that you've regained consciousness, Sister Chu, why don't you come with me to the Court of Judicial Review later and describe the specific details of what happened to her? This will help her solve the case more quickly."
Chu Ci nodded without hesitation and replied, "Okay, no problem. As long as we can find out the truth as soon as possible and bring those who abuse their power to justice, I'm willing to go."
Shi An looked disapproving, his brows furrowed slightly, and he said softly, "My lady, you are still injured..."
His gaze fell on Chu Ci's bandaged wound, his expression full of concern.
Chu Ci smiled slightly and comforted her, "Don't worry, I'll eat some rice porridge and I'll be fine. It's nothing serious." After saying that, she gently patted Shi An's hand.
"Don't worry too much, I know my physical condition."
"But..." Shi An was still worried.
Seeing this, Chu Ci took his hand and patiently explained, "I spent the whole night in bed last night, and my injuries have indeed improved a lot. Believe me, I wouldn't joke around with my own body."
Her gaze was firm yet gentle, which eased Shi An's worries somewhat.
The man bit his lip, remained silent for a moment, and finally nodded. Although he was still a little uneasy, he chose to trust Chu Ci's judgment.
After Chu Ci finished drinking the rice porridge and rested for a while, he went to Dali Temple with Song Yin.
Along the way, Chu Ci's pace was slightly slow, but his spirits were still quite good.
Upon arriving at Dali Temple, the two found the atmosphere unusually tense and busy.
After making some inquiries, I learned that the case was nearing its end.
It turned out that last night, Grand Tutor Song had informed Zhang Ping that he would soon be taking over as Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
Zhang Ping knew that the cheating incident in the imperial examination had a huge impact. After learning the names of the two examiners, he immediately led his trusted subordinates to their residence overnight to secretly stake out the place.
As expected, the two examiners, seeing that things were not going well, attempted to sneak out of the city and leave the capital in the middle of the night.
Fortunately, Zhang Ping was prepared and successfully intercepted the two after they left the capital, uncovering the mastermind behind the case and leading to a major breakthrough.
When Nie Xianzhu was escorted to the Dali Temple by the guards, her expression remained as calm as ever, so composed that she seemed out of place in the tense and serious atmosphere around her.
At the beginning, when faced with the interrogator's questioning about the cheating case, Nie Xianzhu denied it outright and appeared extremely firm.
After all, she believed she had arranged everything flawlessly. The two examiners involved in the cheating had been secretly sent out of the city last night. As long as no witnesses or evidence could be found, with the powerful family influence behind her, she would be able to leave the Dali Temple unscathed in no time.
However, to Nie Xianzhu's utter surprise, Zhang Ping secretly brought the two examiners to her.
The moment she saw those two familiar faces, Nie Xianzhu's composure crumbled instantly and vanished without a trace.
Her eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief, "You..."
Immediately afterwards, a flood of evidence came in: first, the two examiners confessed to cheating and detailed how Nie Xianzhu instructed them to do so.
Subsequently, Zhang Ping's subordinates also found a large number of land deeds that Nie Xianzhu had used to bribe them in the examiners' residence.
Finally, Zhu Mei and Chu Ci also came forward to provide their testimonies.
Faced with overwhelming evidence, the truth of this case, which had once been thought to be able to be concealed, has finally come to light.
Chu Ci stood quietly to the side, his gaze fixed on the woman sitting high in the hall.
Although her appearance was ordinary, her sharp eyes seemed to see through everything and understand people's hearts.
Chu Ci couldn't help but admire Zhang Ping's reaction speed in his heart. If she hadn't successfully captured those two key figures beforehand, the case would probably have been stuck in a stalemate and difficult to investigate thoroughly.
At this moment, Nie Xianzhu could no longer maintain her composure, and tears streamed down her face like a burst dam.
Weeping, she kept confessing, "I only wanted to seize the position of family head. I was too impatient and didn't mean it. Please, Your Excellency, have mercy! It's all my fault. I was blinded by greed and made such a terrible mistake! Please forgive me, Your Excellency. I really know I was wrong!"
Looking at his younger sister kneeling on the ground, crying uncontrollably, Nie Shengtao sighed, feeling a deep sadness in his heart. How had things come to this?
Zhu Mei, standing to the side, also felt a pang of regret. Nie Xianzhu was indeed capable, but her mind was not on the right path.
Zhang Ping slowly stood up, slightly raised her chin, and coldly stared at Nie Xianzhu with a condescending attitude.
A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You're not really aware of your mistakes; you're just putting on this pitiful act to try and gain sympathy and lessen your guilt. I've met plenty of people like you."
Some people are born evil and do not deserve to be human.
Zhang Ping's merciless words were like a sharp sword, piercing straight into Nie Xianzhu's heart.
In an instant, Nie Xianzhu, who had been crying pitifully with tears streaming down her face, suddenly stopped crying, as if she had been frozen in place by a spell.
She lowered her head deeply, her long, beautiful hair cascading down like a waterfall, completely obscuring her face and making it impossible to see her expression.
Seeing this scene, Chu Ci couldn't help but smile faintly.
He thought to himself, Zhang Ping is indeed a remarkable person. Not only is he meticulous and insightful, but he is also sharp-tongued, ruthless, and decisive. He is indeed very suitable for the important position of Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
With the case closed, those who committed heinous crimes will naturally face severe punishment.
Those who were to be beheaded and displayed in public were taken to the execution ground and executed; those who were to be imprisoned were also imprisoned to await further trial and punishment.
Besides the two examiners, five other officials were also implicated in the case and had accepted bribes from Nie Xianzhu; all of them were dealt with together.
After everything settled down, Chu Ci walked out of the gate of Dali Temple with light steps.
I had only taken a few steps out the door when a figure hurriedly came to greet me.
"Oh dear, Madam Chu! I really owe you a debt of gratitude this time! If you hadn't sent me a timely telepathic reminder, I would have been completely panicked and wouldn't have known how to handle the situation at all! I have no way to repay this kindness, please accept my bow!"
As she spoke, Zhu Mei was about to curtsy.
Chu Ci quickly reached out to support her, "It's nothing, nothing to mention. Helping you is helping myself too."
After straightening up, Zhu Mei continued, "Madam Chu, you have such a kind heart! Do you have a moment now? Would you mind having a cup of tea to express my gratitude?"
Chu Ci waved her hand, politely declining, "There's no need to be so polite. I appreciate your kindness, young lady. However, I have other matters to attend to. Let's meet again another time. By the way, how are you feeling these days, young lady?"
Hearing Chu Ci's concerned inquiry, Zhu Mei felt a surge of warmth in her heart, her eyes reddened slightly, and she answered with a slightly choked voice.
"Thank you for your concern, Madam Chu. My health has improved a lot, but I still need to recuperate for a few more days to fully recover."
Chu Ci nodded, having a better understanding of the injury. "That's good. Please take good care of yourself, young lady, and don't overexert yourself."
After saying goodbye to Zhu Mei, she turned and left, leaving only a graceful figure gradually disappearing into the crowd...
After watching Chu Ci leave, Zhu Mei sighed with emotion, "Such a woman should only exist in heaven..."