The voice was gentle yet carried a youthful clarity, echoing like a breeze in the dim, oppressive cell, revitalizing the spirit.
Old Lady Fang not only felt her spirit renewed but her whole body trembled. She wanted to say something, but her lips quivered soundlessly.
"Little brother!" Fang Yuxiu had already shouted, looking at the young man who had somehow approached and stood behind them.
The cell was dim, and though she had already adjusted to the light, she still couldn't clearly see the young man's face.
This young man was both familiar and unfamiliar.
Familiar was the voice, unfamiliar was the appearance.
She had never seen her little brother standing.
In the dim cell, she couldn't discern his clothing, but merely seeing him stand there quietly made four words come to mind.
Graceful and striking.
Her brother was indeed graceful and striking, the finest and most beautiful under the heavens.
Fang Yuxiu, having only managed to call out the words "little brother," found tears streaming down her face, choking her voice.
Luckily, Fang Yuxiu had called out "little brother," otherwise the two Fang women—one old and one young—would not have spoken, leaving the accompanying officials unaware of who had arrived.
So this was the young master of the Fang Family.
All the officials and attendants present scrutinized him.
Indeed, he was better, just thin and small, appearing more delicate than children of his age, after all, he had been ill for ten years.
"Second sister." Fang Chengyu looked toward Fang Yuxiu and called, "Help Grandmother sit down."
Fang Yuxiu wiped her tears, nodded, and supported Old Lady Fang.
Old Lady Fang was like a child who couldn't walk, complying more than she had ever before, allowing herself to be helped to a seat without protest.
"Chengyu." She finally spoke in a raspy voice, "You're back."
Fang Chengyu responded with a smile.
"The matters over there are resolved, so I hurried back." He said, "Grandmother, second sister, you rest a bit, leave it to me."
Fang Yuxiu's eyes, just dried, blurred again with tears.
Old Lady Fang also felt her throat burn.
So many years had passed, she never thought she'd hear these words again.
You rest, leave it to me.
For this Fang Family, she had held on firmly, planning to hand it over to her daughter-in-law and granddaughter to continue when she passed away.
No matter the hardships, she never dared to think or hope for rest.
She thought she'd never hear those words again in her lifetime.
Never imagined she'd hear them so soon.
"Yes." She said, "You go ahead."
Fang Chengyu assented and did not immediately walk into the cell but first respectfully saluted the officials sitting aside.
The officials said nothing, and Fang Chengyu didn't express any polite gratitude. Once the salute was complete, he turned to enter the cell.
The bars of the cell had been removed, and the previously narrow space was now slightly more open.
At this moment, two people were bound to the torture rack, none other than County Magistrate Li and Song Yunping.
The two of them had been feigning death with half-closed eyes, but upon Fang Chengyu's entrance, they opened their eyes. Since they already knew Fang Chengyu had recovered, there was no shock in their expressions; instead, they sneered several times and closed their eyes again.
Fang Chengyu stopped in front of County Magistrate Li.
"You don't plan to say nothing, waiting for someone to speak for you, do you?" He said.
County Magistrate Li merely smiled without lifting his eyelids.
"I don't know how I have offended you, for your Fang Family to harm me so." He said, "Whatever you say is whatever it is, I have nothing to say."
Fang Chengyu looked at him and nodded.
"Yes, what we say goes, so we intend to charge you with treason." He said.
County Magistrate Li's eyes opened slightly wider.
Fang Chengyu didn't give him a chance to speak.
"Lord Li, you entered the imperial palace civil service examination at twenty, serving as an official for over twenty years now," he said warmly, "certainly, you know the meaning of treason."
He pointed in a direction.
"You will be publicly beheaded at the East Street Entrance of Yangcheng, no need for escort to the capital or a retrial."
He then smiled.
"In other words, we won't give you a chance to see others or speak."
A trace of a cold smile flashed in County Magistrate Li's eyes.
"Since when did Yangcheng gain a King of Shanxi?" He spoke softly.
These words caused some discontent among the officials seated around, their expressions had not been good to begin with, just as the officials waiting outside had said; the third generation of victims had almost been destroyed by this man, understanding a detailed inquiry was understandable.
But questioning was one thing, how could they exceed their authority?
Even verdict and execution were mentioned.
The crowd's gaze drifted toward one man among them, this man, around fifty, was lean and austere, showing no emotion.
This was Prefectural Magistrate Ma Shengzhi of Taiyuan.
He led the investigation this time, but since entering the cell, he had not spoken.
Nor did he now, neither coughing nor advising caution.
As he stayed silent, the other officials ceased their glances and stayed put.
Fang Chengyu's expression remained unchanged, as if he didn't feel he was speaking anything inappropriate.
"You don't need to worry about whether what I say is appropriate or not." He smiled slightly, looking at County Magistrate Li, "You just need to know whether we can make it happen, that's enough. Up to now, you have some idea in your heart, considering how much we've done."
Saying that, he took a few steps back.
"Let's skip the idle talk, Lord Li, are you saying you began eyeing our Fang Family over twenty years ago and started planning?"
Hearing this, Old Lady Fang sat up straight in her chair.
"Say what you want." County Magistrate Li replied indifferently.
Fang Chengyu paid no mind to his pretense.
"I have acquired your résumé." He said, as if pondering, as if narrating, "You entered the imperial palace civil service examination at twenty, served successively as Lu Ting Chief Clerk, Assistant Military Officer of Taizhou, Qingyang County Magistrate, Anyang County Magistrate, Deng County Magistrate, Wei Hui Circuit Judge."
He spoke fluently, lightly tapping in front of him, pausing with a final tap.
"And now the magistrate of Yangcheng County."
One could hold a position for three to five years; rotating through these posts took over twenty years.
"Moreover, upon close examination, all the places you have served are in this area of Henan Province and Shanxi."
Fang Chengyu made a gesture.
"Thus, you became acquainted with Henan General Wang Caijun, also Wang Jiang's uncle."
At this, County Magistrate Li laughed.
"You've studied my résumé thoroughly, but so what? I only got to know your Fang Family after coming to Yangcheng. As you said, I've served in many places, met countless people, both civil and military, thugs and ruffians among them. Is this a problem? Ask any of the officials here, who doesn't know some generals?" He said.
Fang Chengyu shook his head at him.
"No, no, these aren't problems. If there is a problem, it's that while everyone else is striving for promotions, for so many years, you have been striving to remain in this region."
He gestured a circle with his hand.
"Nearby our Fang Family, you served for over twenty years without change."
County Magistrate Li smiled, ready to speak, but Fang Chengyu gestured to stop him.
"I know, these aren't problems." He said, still looking at County Magistrate Li, "For twenty years, you've never had any dealings with our Fang Family, except for one year."
One year?
Everyone present looked toward Fang Chengyu.
"You had a cousin-in-law who served as the Dongping County Magistrate from the third to the sixth year of the Yongxian era, during which you served as the Assistant Military Officer of Taizhou, coinciding with your mourning period."
He looked at County Magistrate Li.
"That's when you started eyeing my great-grandfather, isn't it?"
Fang Chengyu's great-grandfather was from Dongping County, leaving his hometown for Shanxi at the age of thirty.
County Magistrate Li laughed heartily.
"What does this have to do with me? Just because my cousin-in-law served as a magistrate in your Fang Family's ancestral county, I must have deep animosity with you?" He said, "Does your Fang Family have paranoia, seeing everyone as enemies? Ask the officials here, or their relatives and friends, have any of them had connections to Dongping County?"
Indeed, this was absurd; low murmurs of discussion arose among the attending officials.
Old Lady Fang looked at Fang Chengyu with some worry and unease.
Fang Chengyu remained gentle in demeanor, looking at the laughing County Magistrate Li.
"In the fifth year of the Yongxian era, you visited Dongping County." He said.
"Ridiculous, can't I go there?" County Magistrate Li sneered.
"On September 18, you were at Funiu Mountain." Fang Chengyu said, "You saw it, didn't you?"
At these words, Old Lady Fang abruptly stood up, and County Magistrate Li's expression finally changed.