Rebirth, guarding the mute at the tip of my heart

The malice in Jiang Xingyu's eyes was so obvious that Jiang Xin and Jiang Liangcai naturally noticed it, but neither of them paid any attention to him.

For Jiang Xin, he had no idea how many times he had experienced the same difficulties and ridicule that Jiang Xingyu was facing now since he was a child.

Dumb, fool, disaster star, waste... These titles were given to him innumerable times, and even Jiang Xingyu himself was one of those who laughed at him.

If Fu Xuerong had not made him mute, he would not have to go through all this.

Jiang Xingyu received all kinds of benefits from Fu Xuerong after she hurt Jiang Xin. Naturally, he also had to bear the consequences after her crimes were exposed.

The person he should hate was never Jiang Xin.

Jiang Liangcai seemed a little embarrassed. After all, the days when he followed Jiang Xingyu around and fawned on her seemed like just last month. He drew a line between himself and Jiang Xingyu so quickly and wanted to jump onto Jiang Xin's boat, which really made him look like a fence-sitter.

However, fence-sitters also have their own logic.

As the saying goes, a wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in. He followed Jiang Xingyu out of interest. Now that Jiang Xingyu himself has fallen into such a state, he can't just go down with him, right?

There wasn't much brotherhood between them. Jiang Xingyu and Jiang Xin didn't get along, so he was usually nice to him just to get him to help deal with Jiang Xin.

There is also Fu Xuerong. Since he is the only illegitimate son in the family, his mother has been targeted a lot over the years.

Jiang Liangcai felt a pang of fear when he thought of the way this woman dealt with Jiang Xin.

If his mother had not been timid and weak, and had not always been a humble child at home, and if he had not been aware of the times, he would probably not have lived to adulthood.

Thinking of this, Jiang Liangcai quickly put aside the embarrassment just now and started to follow Jiang Xin to continue telling tales. The look as if he had found a backer really made Jiang Xingyu angry.

But he soon ran out of time to be angry about such a small matter, because something more angry and embarrassing was yet to come.

The investigation of Fu Xuerong's case went smoothly. Although it was an old case from more than ten years ago, Fu Xuerong had done a relatively clean job of cleaning up the mess back then. However, Xie Ze's people would find even the smallest loophole and investigate it relentlessly.

Fu Xuerong was only a teenager at the time. No matter how meticulous she was, it would be impossible to be foolproof even with the help of the Su family to cover it up.

With the evidence provided by Xie Ze's people, Zuo Xiangyang found it easy to investigate.

First of all, the doctor who prescribed the pregnancy-preserving medicine for Fu Xuerong and the confessions of the Su family's servants confirmed that Jiang Zhengchu had indeed had an affair with Fu Xuerong, who was living in the Su family at the time, while his wife was pregnant.

In addition, based on the testimonies of Xu and relevant insiders, it can be confirmed that after marrying into the Jiang family, Fu Xuerong did everything she could to bribe Xu, and had Xu lock up Jiang Xin, who was still a baby at the time, in the house every day, not allowing anyone to contact him or have any chance to communicate with anyone.

In order to convict Fu Xuerong, Zuo Xiangyang specially invited several reputable doctors in the capital to determine that it is indeed possible to turn a normal child into a mute by cutting off the child's channels of communication with the outside world during infancy and using suppression and intimidation when the child has the intention to speak.

Fu Xuerong's father was a playboy with many wives and concubines. Her mother had used similar methods to drive many children born to other concubines crazy.

When she arrived at the Jiang family, in order to pave the way for her own children, she naturally followed suit and bribed Xu with the promise of freeing her son from slavery, and raised Jiang Xin into a useless person with a "congenital" muteness.

Later, the servants who knew about this were naturally secretly executed by the Su family and Fu Xuerong.

Only Xu, because she was Jiang Xin's wet nurse, if she died shortly after being sent back to the Su Mansion, if someone with ulterior motives noticed it, some clues would inevitably be discovered.

Fu Xuerong felt guilty, and she also thought that with Xu's identity, she might be able to make some plans in the future.

Anyway, her indenture was in her hands, and the Su family also paid tuition for her son. After her son finished his studies, he was arranged to work in the Su family's shop. This meant that their whole family was tied to the Su family and Fu Xuerong. They were not afraid that she would betray them, so they kept her.

This is indeed the case. Who could have known that many years later, the dumb and useless guy would unexpectedly get close to the most powerful man in the capital, the wise king.

That day, Fu Xuerong's initiative to bring Jiang Xin's wet nurse back to take care of him was definitely not a spur of the moment idea.

Xu was her person, but she was deeply trusted by Jiang Xin. She saw that Jiang Xin's life was getting better and better, and even his muteness was slowly recovering. She was worried that Jiang Xin would endanger her son's status one day, so she took the initiative to transfer her back to Jiang Xin's side.

Just so that one day he could repeat the same trick, and when Jiang Xin was most relaxed, let his closest wet nurse deliver a fatal blow, turning him into that disgusting mute, or even fool again.

Zuo Xiangyang held the gavel in his hand, and looked at Fu Xuerong with cold and sharp eyes, and said in a serious tone: "Fu Xuerong, you have harmed the eldest son of your family once, but now that the eldest son has grown up, you want to repeat the old thing and secretly plan to let Xu continue to harm Jiang Xin and make Jiang Xin completely dumb.

Xu has already confessed everything about this matter, do you admit it or not?"

Fu Xuerong sneered, still stubborn until now: "I just asked Xu to lock him up at home, not letting him see anyone, not letting him disturb others. It's Jiang Xin himself who is fragile and has a shadow in his heart. He dare not speak. What does it have to do with me?

As for asking Xu to harm Jiang Xin, it was just the one-sided words of this slutty maid. I didn't do anything, and Jiang Xin was fine. Why did they throw all the dirty water on me? ! "

"You are simply stubborn!" Zuo Xiangyang slammed the gavel and scolded with a gloomy face.

Fu Xuerong laughed even crazier. If her leg hadn't been broken, she would have stood up and yelled at Zuo Xiangyang. Even so, her momentum didn't diminish at all. She said arrogantly, "As for the rumor that Jiang Zhengchu and I had an affair, that's even funnier.

I am a woman, originally staying at the Su family temporarily. I have little influence and rarely go out. I have rarely seen the men of the Su family, let alone Lord Jiang.

It's obvious that the Su family had evil intentions and wanted to use me to win over Jiang Zhengchu. They set me up to lose my innocence and I had no choice but to submit to Lord Jiang. What have I done wrong?!"

"You! You!" The Su family was also involved in the incident. The two elders of the Su family, who were fully aware of it and were accomplices, were naturally arrested. When they heard Fu Xuerong shifting the blame, they immediately covered their chests in anger, pointed at her and said angrily, trembling:

"It was obviously you who said Zhengchu was a handsome man with great achievements at a young age and that you admired him, so I tried to create opportunities for you. You vicious woman, you lied to me and you have no shame!"

The old lady of the Su family was not an easy person to deal with. She immediately knelt down and cried, "Sir! I am innocent! The master and I were really unaware of the affair between Fu Xuerong and Lord Jiang!

However, later, Fu Xuerong became pregnant. I was worried that if the matter was exposed, the reputation of the Su family would be ruined, and the several unmarried children in the family would no longer be able to find good marriages. So I compromised under Fu Xuerong's coercion and inducement and helped her conceal the matter.

Later, she asked Xu to do something without consulting me, and she also threatened me, saying that if I didn't help her clean up the mess, she would drag the entire Su family into trouble once the truth was revealed!

I have no choice! This Xu is a servant of my Su family. If I don't help Fu Xuerong to clean up the mess, who will believe that I am innocent when the truth is revealed? I was forced to do this! Please, sir, please look into this matter! Please, sir! "

Madam Su was already in her sixties. It looked really miserable to see such an old lady kneeling in the court with her head broken and bleeding.

But unfortunately, the presiding judge she faced today was a cold-blooded and ruthless judge. Lord Zuo's principle in adjudicating cases was to look at the evidence and never be influenced by any sentimental emotions.

Therefore, the attempt of the two elders of the Su family to play the victim was ultimately ineffective.

The two elders of the Su family and Fu Xuerong are fighting each other fiercely at the moment, but Zuo Xiangyang has already investigated everything clearly and can only say that this family are birds of a feather.

Fu Xuerong wanted to marry into a wealthy family with the help of the Su family, and the Su family also wanted to use Fu Xuerong to win over Jiang Zhengchu's heart. Both parties were just taking advantage of each other.

As for the fact that Fu Xuerong caused Jiang Xin to become mute, the two elders of the Su family might not have known about it at the beginning, but they helped to cover up the truth afterwards, and they quickly showed goodwill after discovering that Fu Xuerong had established a foothold, and even helped to arrange everything for the Xu family. It is also a fact that they cannot escape the charge of being an accomplice.

Seeing that these people still refused to admit their mistakes, Zuo Xiangyang no longer had the patience to play around with them. He threw out the evidence one by one with a cold face, and then he was too lazy to listen to their excuses and made a swift and decisive judgment.

Fu Xuerong committed adultery before marriage and intentionally caused Jiang family's eldest son Jiang Xin to suffer from muteness for several years. She has not repented so far. She was punished for both crimes and was sentenced to 50 strokes of the cane, forced into slavery, and exiled to the frontier, never to return to Beijing for the rest of her life.

Xu was an accomplice and was also exiled to the frontier. His son was the direct beneficiary of the case and was made a slave, and could not be redeemed within three generations. For Xu, who was eager for his son to bring honor to the family, there was probably no heavier punishment than this.

The two elders of the Su family were accomplices in the adultery between Fu Xuerong and Jiang Zhengchu, and they also covered up Fu Xuerong's murder of his legitimate son. They should have been exiled together, but considering their old age, they were only fined with confiscation of additional food and each was sentenced to 30 strokes of the cane.

The Su family had a corrupt family tradition, so all their descendants were stripped of their titles and honors, and were not allowed to enter officialdom within three generations.

As for Jiang Zhengchu, he has only been suspended and has not been completely dismissed. Zuo Xiangyang can only submit the evidence to the emperor for judgment.

According to the laws of the Dali Dynasty, officials who committed adultery were punished with a higher level of crime, and would not only be dismissed from their posts, but also be caned 70 times and banned from employment again for life. However, the final decision would be made by His Majesty, and it was none of his business.

The Su couple were secretly delighted to hear that they would not be exiled and the case would not be investigated, but they were disappointed to hear that the titles of all the members of their family would be revoked and they would not be able to take the imperial examinations for three generations.

Madam Su even rushed forward and hugged Zuo Xiangyang's thighs, wailing: "My Lord! Please forgive me, my Lord! Everything is my fault. I was confused for a moment! The other children in the Su family didn't know anything at all. If you want to punish me, please punish me, my Lord!"

Zuo Xiangyang's face darkened, and he had the old lady pulled away. He said coldly and expressionlessly, "Su is disturbing the court. If you dare to raise any objections again, I will punish you for contempt of the court and give you another twenty strokes of the cane!"

Old Madam Su fell silent immediately and dared not say another word.

Thirty strokes of the cane would be enough to take away half of their lives. If another twenty strokes were added, she would really go to see the King of Hell.

The caning was carried out immediately. The bailiffs quickly brought a wooden stool, dragged the men onto it, and beat them mercilessly regardless of their pleas and cries.

The wailing sound suddenly resounded throughout the court. Jiang Liangcai was a little distracted as he watched Fu Xuerong being beaten and crying bitterly. He then recalled the scene of his eldest brother being beaten in the ancestral hall at home a few days ago, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Perhaps there really is such a thing as cause and effect in this world.

If my father and Fu Xuerong had known that this would happen, I wonder if they would regret not treating my eldest brother well...

The Su couple fainted before they finished being caned, and were eventually carried back home by their family members.

But Fu Xuerong, who always said that she was weak and sickly, unexpectedly managed to withstand the fifty boards. But looking at her bloody lower body, I'm afraid she will never be able to stand up again.

Being exiled in such a state, one can imagine what kind of ending awaits her.

Fu Xuerong didn't want to die. She still had a breath left and placed all her hopes on Jiang Xingyu. She looked at Jiang Xingyu's son with her last breath: "Xing'er, save me, save mother. Everything I did was for you..."

However, Jiang Xingyu just turned his eyes away in embarrassment and didn't look at Fu Xuerong again.

As a son, he did not want to bear the stigma of being unfilial, so he came to the trial with a humiliating mood.

But he also didn't want to have a mother who was full of sin or even a slave.

Only when Fu Xuerong died could he keep his fame and reputation, and he could continue to be a student of Baishan Academy cleanly...

Thinking of this, Jiang Xingyu finally let go of the guilt in his heart. No matter how loud the crying in his ears was, he did not look back.

"Xing'er, Xing'er!"

Fu Xuerong never thought that her wholehearted devotion would eventually lead to such a cold-blooded ungrateful person. She even desperately reached out to Jiang Xingyu at the last moment when she was dragged away...

In the Dali Dynasty, if a criminal was exiled, he could pay money to reduce or even waive his sentence.

The amount of silver required would vary depending on the time of exile. For someone like her who was exiled for life, she would naturally have to spend a huge amount of silver, tens of thousands of silver, to have a chance.

She knew it was difficult, but she had saved a lot of money for Xing'er and Yu'er over the years. Yu'er had such a large dowry, and the two children should be able to make up the difference if they combined.

What she didn't know was that even if Jiang Xingyu had so much money, he didn't intend to redeem her sins.

He prayed that she would die on the way to the frontier.