Chapter 199: Chapter 199: Evidence

Xiao Chengyu and Gu Yunze, having promised Mrs. Lin to spare Lin Qingqing’s life, naturally would not go back on their word.

Now, with Chang Tai’s testimony, all the blame has essentially been placed on Xiao Fengxing.

However, Xiao Chengyu and Gu Yunze wouldn’t let Lin Qingqing escape entirely unscathed either.

Lin Qingqing has never been innocent, just that her actions were not as numerous as Xiao Fengxing’s.

Thus, when Chang Tai spoke, he also implicated Lin Qingqing.

But it only placed Lin Qingqing in a position of collaborating with Xiao Fengxing in wrongdoing, albeit to a lesser extent.

“Chang Tai!” Xiao Fengxing shouted in fury, “Why do you falsely accuse me?”

“I don’t dare, my words are all the truth.” Chang Tai avoided looking at Xiao Fengxing, and instead kowtowed to Lord Tao, “Please, my Lord, you must discern the truth!”

“Do you realize that what you say today is entirely different from what you said last time in court?” Lord Tao remarked, “Last time you said you were acting under Lin Qingqing’s orders, and that Xiao Fengxing was completely unaware.”

“Whether you lied then or now, it’s a grave crime.”

“My Lord, I know, no matter what, I cannot escape this.” Chang Tai replied, “The reason I lied last time was because the Second Young Master promised to save me.”

“Compared to the Second Lady, I naturally have more faith in the Second Young Master’s abilities.” Chang Tai continued.

“But now, even the Second Young Master has been imprisoned.” Chang Tai said, “How can I believe that the Second Young Master can rescue me?”

“It would be fortunate if the Second Young Master could save himself.” Chang Tai stated, “All I seek is to preserve my own life.”

“I know I cannot escape, I only hope to cling to life.” Chang Tai said, “That’s why I chose to reveal everything the Second Young Master has done in the past, hoping my Lord will consider the fact that I’m trying to redeem myself and spare my life.”

Xiao Fengxing immediately said, “Since you’re doing this to save your own life, how can you prove you’re not falsely accusing me just to survive?”

“Perhaps someone has promised you something, as long as you place all the blame on me, then you’ll be spared.” Xiao Fengxing finished speaking and glanced at Xiao Chengyu.

Chang Tai did not look at Xiao Fengxing, continuing to address Lord Tao: “My Lord, I have evidence.”

The advisor presented a stack of papers.

“These were tasks the Second Young Master ordered me to perform, and herbs he requested to be bought.” Chang Tai said, “The Second Young Master rarely writes things down, fearing that it would leave evidence. But some tasks were too complicated and had to be documented, instructing me to burn the papers once completed.”

“But I kept a foresight and preserved them.” Chang Tai said.

“You schemed against me?” Xiao Fengxing said deeply.

“I wouldn’t dare.” Chang Tai said, “It’s just that my life is cheap, and a single word from someone of high status could end my life. But I cherish my life, and I wanted to survive, so I had to leave a backup for myself. Hoping that in desperate times, I could fight for a chance.”

“If the Second Young Master didn’t plan to sacrifice my life to save his own, I naturally wouldn’t bring these out.” Chang Tai finally looked at Xiao Fengxing, “I thought that as long as the Second Young Master didn’t treat me as a scapegoat, I wouldn’t betray him.”

Xiao Fengxing gritted his teeth and said, “Who said I was treating you as a scapegoat?”

“The Second Young Master.” Chang Tai replied, “Previously, I was ignorant and didn’t know that a convicted person sent into exile could not be bought back to the capital unless there was a general amnesty. If someone suggests such a thing, there must be something fishy.”

“After being ’bought back’, not only would there be no freedom for life, but I’d also be a lowly servant, always hiding from people, unable to be discovered. If discovered, only death would follow.”

“At that point, my life would be completely in the Second Young Master’s hands. If I didn’t want to die, and to survive, I would have to continue serving him. At that time, he might ask me to do even more fatal tasks.”

Chang Tai continued, “Before this, I was a good person and didn’t need to call myself a servant.”

“If I had to choose this path, I’d rather get branded and be exiled, struggling there, creating a future for myself, than with my survival being controlled by the Young Master, utterly involuntary.”

“Young Master, ever since I was young, I have followed you, daring not to claim a brotherly bond with you, but I thought that at least I held some significance in your heart. I did so many things for you, regarding these, you should not have the intention of undermining me.”

“But who knew, you intended to undermine me from the start.”

“I have mentioned more than once that when the Young Master does things, he always has multiple plans to ensure nothing goes wrong. But didn’t expect that this time, I would become one of the Young Master’s preparations, the Young Master planned so far ahead, even calculating how to handle me in the future.”

“I’m fearful and can’t help but think about the past tasks when the Young Master instructed me during the night, whenever the Young Master tasked me with shady or harmful things, it seemed he was prepared to discard me at any moment.”

“I obviously grew more terrified as I thought about it.” Chang Tai said, “Just like while swearing eternal love to the Second Lady, you could sell her in the next moment, letting her take the blame for you.”

“Treating your genuine love so callously, how can I expect you, Young Master, to save me?” Chang Tai said, “The Young Master made me realize self-rescue is better than relying on others.”

“All I request is for my own life.” Chang Tai stated.

“Xiao Fengxing, you truly are despicable!” Lin Qingqing, upon hearing Chang Tai’s words, said, “Even Chang Tai realizes that having your beloved take the blame for you is excessive, are you even human?”

“You are destined to be betrayed and abandoned by everyone, with no one by your side!” Lin Qingqing said through gritted teeth, “At crucial moments, you might even sell out your concubine!”

“Shut up!” Xiao Fengxing shouted in panic and rage, “You all are falsely accusing me!”

“It’s you conspiring to falsely accuse me. To save yourselves, you’re trying to harm me! You are colluding with Xiao Chengyu to frame me!”

“Now, you four with four mouths are all trying to harm me, leaving me defenseless!” Xiao Fengxing anxiously exclaimed.

“My Lord.” Chang Tai addressed Lord Tao, “These letters contain the Second Young Master’s handwriting; they only need to be compared.”

“Additionally, from the color of the ink and the paper, we can roughly determine the time. Even if we can’t pinpoint a specific year or month, it can be judged that these are not recent events.”

“It’s enough to prove that the Second Young Master started these actions long ago, which at least have nothing to do with the Second Lady.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep