Chapter Thirty-One: This character is something no one can imitate!

Exoneration?

Liu Debao was visibly stunned, clearly not expecting Ye Yuan to utter such a statement. A moment later, he let out a cold laugh, utterly disbelieving what he had heard.

"How laughable. Old Hero Ye, are you clutching at straws in your desperation?" Liu Debao stood with his hands on his hips, eyeing Ye Yuan with profound disdain. "If you had truly been exonerated, how could it not be recorded in your official files? Who are you trying to fool with this talk? Do you think everyone here is so easily deceived?"

"What are you saying!" Zhang Qun erupted in fury. Ye Yuan had always been the person he admired most, and seeing Liu Debao slander him so viciously, he nearly rolled up his sleeves to charge at him.

"Is there something wrong with what I said?" Although Liu Debao was somewhat intimidated by Zhang Qun, he gritted his teeth and pressed on, determined to crush Ye Yuan completely. "He says he’s been exonerated, so he has. I could just as easily say he hasn’t. So, who is telling the truth?"

"We are all adults here. Whatever we say or do, we must rely on evidence. While I also respect the character of Old Hero Ye, asking me to believe him just because he says so with empty words is far too childish."

Liu Debao’s words were logical and well-reasoned, leaving little room for rebuttal. All eyes turned to Ye Yuan. As Liu Debao had pointed out, everything requires proof. If Ye Yuan could produce evidence, he could certainly substantiate his claim and clear his name of the injustice.

Liu Debao looked at Ye Yuan with a smug smile. "Old Hero Ye, go ahead and show us the evidence. If you want everyone to believe you, you must have some proof, right?" He was certain that Ye Yuan had nothing. If such evidence truly existed, the incident would never have been recorded in the files in the first place.

However, Ye Yuan’s eyes were deep and inscrutable as he spoke calmly, "Who said I don't have evidence?"

At these words, everyone’s eyes burned with anticipation. They watched Ye Yuan, eager to see him produce the smoking gun that would slap Liu Debao hard across the face.

Liu Debao suddenly felt a flicker of panic. Seeing Ye Yuan’s confident demeanor, he truly did not know what kind of evidence Ye Yuan could possibly possess.

Ye Yuan reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a palm-sized notebook.

"It’s this notebook..." Ye Yan’an murmured. Cong Gui, sitting beside him, had seen this notebook before and whispered, "Yan’an, what is the story behind this notebook?"

Ye Yan’an shook his head slightly. "This notebook is Grandfather's most precious possession. He never lets me look at it, and he never lets it leave his side."

Hearing this, Cong Gui’s curiosity about the notebook grew even stronger. What could possibly be recorded inside that made Ye Yuan treasure it so deeply?

Ye Yuan carefully opened the notebook. Because it was so old, it was in a state of disrepair. As he opened it, several yellowed sheets of paper slipped out like fallen leaves.

Sun Ting was quick-witted; she bent down and picked up the papers. Her eyes subconsciously scanned them, catching sight of dense, yet incredibly neat handwriting. She had only glanced at it briefly, so she couldn't see it clearly, but she vaguely caught the words "Pingdingshan."

"Grandpa Ye, here you go." Sun Ting handed the papers to Ye Yuan.

Ye Yuan tucked the papers back into the notebook and then retrieved a folded letter from within. He held the letter carefully between his fingers and waved it toward Liu Debao. "This... is the evidence."

"What evidence? Let me see." As Liu Debao spoke, he reached out to take the letter from Ye Yuan’s hand, but he was shoved aside, stumbling back.

"What are you? Do you think you’re worthy of looking at this?" Zhang Qun glared coldly at Liu Debao before turning to Ye Yuan with a look of utmost reverence. "Old Regiment Commander, let me read it for you."

Ye Yuan nodded and handed the letter to Zhang Qun. Zhang Qun took it and scrutinized the handwriting, his shock growing with every word.

"This... this... Old Regiment Commander... this..." Zhang Qun was nearly incoherent. He recognized this handwriting!

"Read it," Ye Yuan instructed softly.

Zhang Qun nodded, turned to face the camera, and began to read the text on the letter.

"The actions of Comrade Ye Hengzhi, while lacking in justice, were born of necessity. Merits offset faults; reinstate him to his original rank. This matter shall not be recorded in his file."

There were very few words on the letter, but those few lines were enough to prove Ye Yuan’s innocence.

"Nonsense!" Liu Debao’s face turned ugly. "Who can prove this letter is real? For all we know, Old Hero Ye wrote it himself back in the day!"

"The most important thing is, even if this were real, I ask you: why would the murder of prisoners of war still be recorded in your file?"

"You! I—!" Zhang Qun was so angry he couldn't even speak. "No one can imitate this handwriting! You couldn't learn to do it in a lifetime! How could anyone possibly forge this?"

Zhang Qun’s reaction was broadcast live into households across the country. In countless chat rooms, the discussion turned heated.

"Hahaha... this little old man is hilarious! You can tell he truly supports Old Hero Ye!"

"Who is he? He must have entered after the show started, but he seems quite important."

"This person... I think I've seen him on television before..."

"He... he is the Commander of the Southern Theater Command!"

As someone revealed Zhang Qun’s identity, the chat rooms exploded. No one could believe that the supreme commander of the Southern Theater Command would appear on a show in such an impoverished county! Especially since... the way Zhang Qun treated Ye Yuan made it clear that Ye Yuan was his former superior!

If even a subordinate could become the supreme commander of a major military region, how could Ye Yuan just be an ordinary commoner?

In the studio, Liu Debao gritted his teeth. "Handwriting is something that can be mastered with diligent practice; anyone can imitate it. It cannot serve as evidence!"

"We can submit it for forensic verification," Ye Yuan said calmly. "After all, there have only been a few true calligraphers throughout history, and in the modern era—especially during the war years—there were not many."

At this, Liu Debao fell silent. Since Ye Yuan was willing to go that far, it was clear he could no longer harp on this point.

Ye Yuan continued in a measured tone, "Earlier, you asked why, if I had this document, the matter of the prisoners of war remained in my file. I can answer that for you."

"Because before I could deliver this to the headquarters, a battle broke out."

"I never had the chance."