The bailiff took a deep look at Su Xiuer, seeing her sincere gaze, which didn't seem fake.
But then he remembered that Su Xiuer had cooperated with him, making the act so realistic, and knew she wasn't someone without depth.
He recalled the words "secretly go easy" spoken by the Drum Court Envoy and, with a flash of inspiration, guessed that Su Xiuer was definitely trying to bluff him.
Otherwise, she wasn't foolish; with the Princess's Mansion and the First Prince behind her, wouldn't she know that herself?
Don't worry, my lips are sealed.
The bailiff forced a smile, "Miss, you jest. How could I be a benefactor? The planks you received were real, so much so that you can't even walk steadily now?"
Su Xiuer: ...
She thought that the person protecting her like this, without revealing their name, must undoubtedly be a political enemy of Minister Duan's estate.
Su Xiuer nodded with understanding in her eyes and replied, "Big Brother Bailiff, you speak the truth."
The bailiff let out a long sigh in his heart.
He thought to himself how clever he was, that this "young lady with an impressive background" was even praising him with her eyes.
The bailiff then led Su Xiuer, who was "unable to move," to meet the Drum Court Envoy.
After the Drum Court Envoy confirmed the authenticity of the marriage-in-law document Su Xiuer presented, and combined with the evidence collected by the bailiff, he wrote a preliminary review memorial without daring to delay for a moment.
Then, he personally accompanied her, having people carry Su Xiuer towards the Imperial Palace.
It was a joke; this was someone the Princess's Mansion and the First Prince had specifically shown concern for. It was best for him to send her away as soon as possible, otherwise, he couldn't bear any unexpected incidents along the way.
"Miss Su, does it hurt?"
Su Xiuer was startled and blinked her eyes.
She thought that Minister Duan's political enemy had an impressive background, to the point that even the Drum Court Envoy was so obedient.
Su Xiuer immediately nodded in cooperation, and when she was carried out of the Dengwen Drum Academy again, she started crying out.
"Oh dear... my back... Alas... My dear mother..."
The Drum Court Envoy's face was cold as he looked at the crowd of common people still gathered at the entrance and said sternly, "This is the price you pay for striking the Dengwen Drum!"
"Oh dear... Oh dear..."
Su Xiuer was carried towards the palace, crying out non-stop.
Everyone who saw Su Xiuer's "miserable state" worried for her.
"This woman is truly pitiful. Those thirty heavy planks before the Emperor, I fear she won't survive them no matter what."
"It's a pity that once the Dengwen Drum is struck, there's no way to stop it midway."
"If this woman dies, all will be in vain, and Miss Duan and Scholar Wei can safely escape this ordeal. After all, if the common people don't accuse, the officials don't investigate. Alas..."
The carriage from the Duan Mansion was parked near the Dengwen Drum Academy; Duan Zhenzhu and Wei Mingze had not yet returned.
Duan Zhenzhu leaned into Wei Mingze's embrace, looking at Su Xiuer's utterly disheveled appearance from afar. Hearing the surrounding discussions, she triumphantly kissed Wei Mingze's cheek and lightly caressed his chest with her finger.
"Wei Lang, look at that Su Xiuer, she's so pitiful. You won't feel sorry for her, will you?"
Wei Mingze admitted that he did feel a bit of pity and reluctance.
But more than that, he silently blamed Su Xiuer in his heart for not knowing her place.
Why did she have to be so stubborn?
Wouldn't it have been better to return to the countryside and continue being his wife?
A commoner insisting on contending with nobles.
Wei Mingze pursed his lips and held Duan Zhenzhu tighter, "Zhenzhu, my heart only holds you."
Outside the Imperial Palace.
Chun Tao was preparing to enter the palace.
She had received news from Dong Mei that Su Xiuer had been found and was striking the Dengwen Drum, so she rushed to the palace without daring to delay.
Back then, the Eldest Princess suddenly disappeared, and no one knew why.
They, her subordinates, searched frantically. After failing to find her, they even began to have dark thoughts.
Perhaps the Emperor, while outwardly respecting the Eldest Princess, secretly feared her power and prestige and had her assassinated.
After all, it was always like this: when the bow is put away, the arrows are discarded.
Therefore, this time, having finally found a clue about the Eldest Princess, she told no one except the core members of the Eldest Princess's Mansion.
Even now, if she was going to the palace to ask the Commander of the Imperial Guard to save Su Xiuer's life, it would be under the pretense of meeting the Empress Dowager.
She thought that even if the Emperor found out she had asked the Commander of the Imperial Guard to go easy, she could find other excuses to fob him off if questioned.
Chun Tao was searched by the guards at the palace gate for a routine check and walked in. She heard a sound first, then looked up to see Dong Song galloping on horseback.
"Aunt Chun Tao."
Chun Tao stopped and turned to meet him.
Dong Song whispered a few words into her ear.
Chun Tao frowned, thinking that this young lady wasn't a butcher, so how could she be so weak?
Could it be that she was injured while confronting the Duan family?
Even so, her body was frail.
If the Eldest Princess could charge in and out of the Yan Kingdom's hundred thousand troops three times, then her disciple or successor shouldn't be this weak.
Chun Tao muttered to herself, but still nodded to Dong Song, "I understand. I will ask someone to help reduce the force by half during the execution."
After entering the palace, Chun Tao, as planned, first went to Cining Palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, and then took the opportunity to leave and go to the Commander of the Imperial Guard.
Meanwhile, after Su Jinghan left, Zhou Chang sat on his chair, contemplating how to balance the conflicting instructions from Duan Gehong and the First Prince.
If he didn't help Duan Gehong, it would be ungrateful.
But disobeying the First Prince's order could very well cost him his official position.
A village woman from the countryside had actually made him troubled.
What was the background of this village woman that she could make the First Prince help her?
Zhou Chang sighed heavily and looked up to see Chun Tao walking in, holding up her skirt.
Chun Tao was the Eldest Princess's chief maid, who had once fought alongside the Eldest Princess in battle and entered the Imperial Palace, moving freely in court.
Even though she hadn't been active outside for nearly a decade, Zhou Chang, as the Commander of the Imperial Guard, recognized her at first glance.
Zhou Chang, not daring to delay, was about to rise.
Chun Tao gripped the jade token from the Eldest Princess's Mansion and held it up to Zhou Chang, "Commander Zhou, I want to protect this Su Xiuer. Please be lenient during the execution before the Emperor; reduce the force... by half, then by half again."
Zhou Chang's eyes widened, then he lowered his gaze and nodded, "Miss, rest assured, your subordinate will certainly comply."
If Su Jinghan's instructions had only made Zhou Chang hesitant, then Chun Tao's arrival made him give up struggling without hesitation.
He had been an official for decades, and when he was still in a low official rank, he had been promoted by the Eldest Princess. Although the Eldest Princess was no longer in court, her prestige remained.
Who wouldn't be convinced by someone as stunning as the Eldest Princess?
He knew the Eldest Princess had been missing for a long time, and saving Su Xiuer was probably Chun Tao's intention. But even if it was Chun Tao's intention, he would obey.
It was just that he truly couldn't understand.
What kind of ability did Su Xiuer, a mere village woman, possess to have both the First Prince and the Princess's Mansion vouch for her consecutively?
Before leaving, Chun Tao put away the jade token and reminded him again, "Regarding today's matter, I ask Commander Zhou to keep it confidential."
After Chun Tao left, Zhou Chang's confidant beside him smacked his lips enviously and said, "Commander, who on earth is this Su Xiuer? With both the First Prince and the Princess's Mansion intervening to protect her, even a prince or noble lady wouldn't have such influence, would they?"
Zhou Chang swept his gaze sternly at his confidant and scolded, "Don't be curious about things you shouldn't be."
In his heart, however, he cried out bitterly; he also wanted to know.
The confidant smiled obsequiously and changed the subject, "Then Commander, when the execution happens later, how should we strike?"
Zhou Chang lightly tapped his right hand's back with his left-hand fingers. After weighing the options, he said, "I cannot repay Duan Gehong's kindness, nor can I fall out with him. But I also cannot disobey the orders of the First Prince and Miss Chun Tao."
"Later, you go find some black dog blood and tie it to the execution bench beforehand. Then you will personally carry out the execution. Remember the force... reduce it by half... by half... and then by half again."
Zhou Chang's confidant was a burly man, eight feet tall, with a broad back and a strong physique, weighing two hundred pounds, and with a full beard.
Zhou Chang having his confidant carry out the execution clearly indicated his intention to appease Duan Gehong while secretly carrying out the orders of the First Prince and Chun Tao.
He intended to offend neither side.
The confidant didn't think that far. At this moment, he was dizzy from Zhou Chang's repeated "reduce by half" and was mentally calculating how he should strike the planks.
Reducing by half three times... lighter than a tickle, might as well not hit at all.
The key was to make outsiders think it was a heavy blow, which was truly a challenge.
"Commander, what if Lord Duan sees through it?"
They could fool him on the spot, but eventually, if the person didn't die, the truth would be revealed.
Zhou Chang narrowed his eyes, actually having a plan in mind, "We'll deal with it when the time comes..."
✦✦✦