Ning Zhiwei was completely unafraid. She held her head high and puffed out her chest. "I, Ning Zhiwei of the Great General’s Estate, cry out against the injustice done to the Ning clan…"
Gasps rang out one after another. There was actually a survivor of the Ning family who had escaped the net?
The commoners pointed and gestured, whispering among themselves, "What? Didn't the Ning family commit treason? The members of the Ning family are all in prison."
"Heh, they caused the deaths of the people in six cities, and yet they still cry for justice? Shameless."
Ning Zhiwei acted as if she did not hear the anger of the people, her expression remaining stern and awe-inspiring.
"My Ning clan followed the Taizu Emperor in his uprising and was granted the rank of Duke for our military merits. For two hundred years, we have guarded the northwest. The first phrase a child of the Ning clan learns is 'serve the country with utmost loyalty.' We have carved this into our very bones; it has become the core belief of the Ning clan."
"The children of my Ning clan practice martial arts from the age of five and head to the battlefield at fifteen. Without exception, generation after generation has shed their blood and sacrificed their lives. Every inch of the borderlands is stained with the blood of the Ning clan's children. We have used our lives to defend the Da Qi Dynasty."
She passionately recounted the loyalty and bravery of the Ning family, seeking to clear their name.
"To this day, a total of sixty-three members of the Ning clan have died on the battlefield. The youngest was only sixteen, and the eldest was seventy-eight. They fought for their sovereign and for the people. They died glorious and great deaths. Our Ning ancestral hall is filled with the memorial tablets of these martyrs. We are proud; we are honored!"
As she spoke, the clamor gradually died down. The expressions of the commoners became increasingly complex.
The guards were stunned as they listened, forgetting to stop her. Among those who practiced martial arts, who didn't idolize the War Gods of the Ning family?
Rong Jing's eyes darkened, his mind in a state of flux. This girl was not simple. Every word she spoke was full of deep meaning and perfectly timed. She had successfully suppressed the rumors, as well as the resentment and curses directed at the Ning family, turning the tide of public opinion.
With such methods and such calculation, what would happen once she fully grew up?
"For two hundred years, my Ning clan has not failed our sovereign, has not failed Da Qi, and has not failed the people." Ning Zhiwei's firm tone possessed a heart-shaking power. "But in the end, we are left only with the charge of treason. I refuse to accept this!"
She cried out loudly, "I appeal for justice for the Ning clan! I implore His Majesty to return justice to the Ning family and not let the hearts of those soldiers who fight for the country grow cold."
Boom! It was as if a bolt of thunder had struck the hearts of everyone present.
The grand case of the Ning family began just like this, also marking the start of Ning Zhiwei's legendary life…
Yu Yushi sneered, "That sounds nice, but wasn't the fall of the six cities caused by the Ning Family Army? The Ning family must bear all the responsibility."
Hearing this, the commoners felt conflicted. It was true that the Ning Family Army had always guarded the border. But it was also the Ning family that had led to the slaughter of the six cities.
Ning Zhiwei let out a cold laugh, her tone extremely sorrowful. "How did Old General Ning die? He was wounded by a cold arrow from behind—the arrow was poisoned, and he died from the toxin!"
She hadn't been able to stop it in time; only she knew the pain in her heart.
Everyone gasped. What? There was such a hidden story? What exactly had happened at the border? This was their War God, yet he had died such a miserable death.
Anger, sadness, and pain all rushed into their hearts.
Ning Zhiwei did not give the other side a chance to speak. "Great General Ning Guangzhi led a team to rescue Yumen Guan but was ambushed halfway. He suffered twelve blade wounds and fought until his last breath. Even as he died, he regretted that he could no longer fulfill his loyalty to his sovereign."
Her voice choked up, her eyes turning red. Tears welled up but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
"General Ning Guangpo was killed by a single arrow to the throat before he could leave a single word behind."
"Ning Xiuyao was thirty years old and spent half his life bathing in blood to kill the enemy on the battlefield, shedding his last drop of blood for the country. He had only one five-year-old child, but that child will never see his father return."
"Ning Xiuyue was twenty years old. He just got married last year and died on the battlefield before he could have any children, ending his lineage."
"Ning Xiurui and Ning Xiuyuan are missing on the battlefield, their fates unknown."
Every word was written in blood, reaching everyone's ears and piercing countless hearts.
These were things the common people did not know.
This was the Ning Family Army—the army that defended the Da Qi Dynasty with their blood and lives! This was the Ning Family Army that had guarded the borders for two hundred years!
Ning Zhiwei's eyes were bloodshot, filled with indignation. She roared frantically, "The Ning clan committed treason? For what? For all the men of our Ning clan to die on the battlefield? For our entire family to be executed?"
Was this logical? Was this normal?
Could it be that the civil and military officials couldn't see this logic? Did the Emperor not understand?
No, they all understood. But they needed a scapegoat to appease the anger of the people under heaven.
Then, she would tear away this veil and let the whole world see the truth behind it.
Why should the Ning clan be forced to shoulder everything?
She bowed deeply. "I beg the Emperor to strictly investigate this case and restore the innocence of the Ning clan."
A commoner followed suit and bowed. "I beg the Emperor to strictly investigate this case."
With the first, there were countless more. The commoners knelt, the bailiffs knelt, the guards knelt, and after a moment of hesitation, the civil and military officials knelt as well.
The Emperor looked at the mass of people kneeling on the ground; this was the direction the people's hearts were leaning.
He took a deep look at Ning Zhiwei. Was this a coincidence? Or was it intentional?
"Ordered: the Dali Temple…" He paused. He had almost forgotten that he had sent the Chief Minister of the Dali Temple, Rong Jing, out of the capital to investigate a case more than a month ago, and he had not yet returned.
Chief Minister of the Dali Temple Rong Jing stepped out from the crowd and walked forward quickly. "Your servant is here."
The Emperor nodded slightly and continued appointing officials. "A joint trial shall be held by the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice, with the Jinyiwei assisting. It must be investigated clearly and thoroughly."
With three major departments working together and the assistance of the Jinyiwei with their mysterious and unpredictable methods, this was the highest level of investigation in the Da Qi Dynasty.
"Yes."
Everything was exactly as Ning Zhiwei had expected. "I thank Your Majesty for your great grace."
Standing at the very front, the Minister of Rites narrowed his eyes. He suddenly stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, rites cannot be discarded, and rules even less so."
He pointed at the slender figure. "One who strikes the Dengwen Drum must first be flogged thirty times. This is the rule."
As soon as he finished speaking, commoners immediately shouted their opposition. "We beg for Your Majesty's mercy! Miss Ning is so fragile; never mind thirty strikes, even ten would take her life."
The Minister of Rites stood his ground, shouting sternly, "If this precedent is broken and everyone comes to strike the Dengwen Drum, wouldn't everything fall into chaos?"
Ning Zhiwei raised her head. Her snowy white face, pointed chin, and frail figure inspired pity in everyone.
But her expression was resolute. "A person must die, but some deaths are as heavy as Mount Tai, while others are as light as a feather. As long as the Ning clan's innocence can be restored and Old General Ning and the others can rest in peace, then I will not have died in vain."
Her words were powerful and her spirit unyielding, fully displaying the character of a general's daughter.
As soon as these words were spoken, some commoners could not help but cry.
In this instant, the hearts of the people and public opinion were entirely on Ning Zhiwei's side, on the side of the Ning family.
This was exactly the result Ning Zhiwei wanted.
The people's will could be utilized.
Even as an exalted Emperor, one could not act against the will of the people. "Flog her five times first. The rest shall be completed within a month."
The ministers exchanged meaningful glances. To be beaten again once the wounds had healed, over and over—that was even more deadly and more miserable than death.
As expected, the authority of the sovereign was not to be shaken!
Rong Jing's heart felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
Ning Zhiwei felt a chill in her heart. Was this what it meant by 'accompanying a monarch is like accompanying a tiger'? The rise or fall of a family depended entirely on a single thought from the Emperor.
Her eyes flickered as she thought of a way to break this situation…