After being restrained and pushed to the ground, panic flashed across the man's face, but he quickly pretended to be calm and shouted his injustice: "Cousin, what crime did I commit? Why did you arrest me?
"
"Where did you go after lights out tonight?"
The servant rolled his eyes and said, "The little one has been sleeping in the house..."
Before he finished speaking, Liu Xiang interrupted sharply: "Liar, if you really have been sleeping in the house, then where did the mud on the soles of your shoes come from?"
The servant was shocked, and immediately looked down at his boots, and sure enough he saw a lot of mud mixed with the soles.
"Little... I just remembered. In the middle of the night, I had an urgent need to urinate. I got up and went to the latrine once. Maybe I accidentally stepped on the soil at that time."
Liu Xiang sneered, "It's normal for the Hou Mansion to have mud, but the mud you step on is nowhere to be found. This is what our girl developed herself.
Once you step on it, it's impossible to wash it off immediately. You can only wait a month for it to slowly fall off. And the girl asked me to scatter the dirt near the back door when the lights were about to go out."
Butler Li was the first to understand, "These special soils are only found near the back door, and there are no latrines along the road to the back door. If you really went to the latrines, how could you step on the special soil that is only available at the back door?"
There was more and more cold sweat on his forehead. He hesitated for a long time, but he didn't know how to make up a lie.
Yan Mingzhu then said calmly: "Let me tell you, after turning off the lights, you left the house, went directly to the back door, opened the door, and let an assassin in."
"I...I didn't. Cousin, you can't slander me indiscriminately just because my soles accidentally stepped on the mud. I...I was asleep at the time. After going to the hut, I accidentally got lost.
Went to the back door,
After realizing that I was going in the wrong direction, I quickly returned the same way I came, and then went back to the house to rest. When cousin, you asked us to gather here, I was in the house, and everyone sleeping next to me can attest to that."
Others standing next to this servant did not believe that he would let the assassin in. "Cousin, Xiaojie was indeed there when we woke up. Is there any misunderstanding?"
"Yes, Xiaojie has been in the house for several years. When cousin, you asked us to leave voluntarily, Xiaojie stayed without hesitation. He didn't care about life and death to stay, so how could he lure a wolf into the house?
What's going on?"
Several servants began to speak for the servant named Xiaojie, but before Xiaojie could rejoice for two seconds, Yan Mingzhu spoke again: "Who told you that those who were willing to stay in the Hou Mansion were loyal to the Hou Mansion.
And for no other purpose?"
"Your brother is addicted to gambling and owes a lot of money outside. With your monthly salary in the Hou Mansion, you can barely support the family. But not long ago, you asked someone to send a box of money for you.
Your brother has paid off all his gambling debts, so where did you get such a large sum of money?"
Xiaojie never dreamed that Yan Mingzhu would investigate his family background so clearly, and he suddenly panicked.
"I...I borrowed it from someone..."
Hearing this lame answer, Yan Mingzhu even laughed, "You have no power, you are just a handyman in the house. Where do you know someone who is willing to lend you such a large sum of money?
If I were you, I would say that I stole or robbed. This excuse sounds more reasonable than your borrowing. You can’t even lie, and you still need me to teach you step by step. You are quite courageous. How dare you
Join forces with outsiders in an attempt to frame the Yuan family!"
Xiaojie was already panicking, but because Yan Mingzhu did not provide any substantial evidence, he still slapped someone in the face and pretended to be fat: "I...I have never done those things. Cousin, you are unjustly accusing me.
I will never admit anything I haven’t done before!”
"Who said I want you to admit it?"
Yan Mingzhu's light question made Xiaojie freeze on the spot.
Yan Mingzhu seemed to have lost his patience, so he only raised his hand and said: "I have never been very patient. What's more, the Hou Mansion is now in a precarious situation and cannot withstand any risks. As for me, I would rather kill a thousand people by mistake."
, and never let one go,
Don't worry, you can go with peace of mind. If I find out that you are really innocent in the future, I will definitely give your family a generous pension so that they will have no worries for the rest of their lives."
A finger as white as jade moved lightly, "Drag him down and beat him to death with a stick."
Xiaojie was completely panicked now. He wanted to run but was held down by two burly servants and dragged down.
In front of all the servants, the cane punishment was carried out, accompanied by screams, which made people's hair stand on end. However, Yan Mingzhu stood high on the steps, his expression indifferent, not affected at all.
Until, Xiaojie spoke tremblingly again: "I can attack, I... I can attack anything, don't fight, don't fight..."
There was no surprise on Yan Mingzhu's face, she just raised her hand, and the two servants immediately picked up Xiaojie, carried him over, and threw him on the ground.
"Yes... it was a forbidden soldier guarding the Hou's Mansion. He suddenly came to me and said that as long as I told him all the happenings in the Hou's Mansion, he would give me a generous reward.
Cousin, I am absolutely loyal to the Hou family, but... I really have no choice. Debt collectors come to my door every day. A few days ago, they even cut off one of my brother's fingers, saying that if he doesn't pay back,
If I want to pay off the debt, I will behead my brother. I...I am desperate..."
Before he finished speaking, he was coldly interrupted by Yan Mingzhu: "It is a fact that you betrayed the master's family. No matter what your reasons were, could you risk destroying the entire Yuan family just because of your leak? Not only the Yuan family, but
My family and all the servants of the Yuan family cannot escape death."
Xiaojie lay on the ground with dull eyes, "I...I didn't mean it, I just wanted to save my brother. I only have one brother..."
"Okay, there's no need to elaborate on the other reasons. What's the name of the Imperial Guard who contacted you? If you answer truthfully, I will spare your life."
Xiaojie shook his head, "I...I don't know, but...but I know what he looks like!"
"Bring him to the house."
After giving the instructions, Yan Mingzhu turned around and entered the house.
Inside the room, Liu Xiang had already prepared pen and paper. Yan Mingzhu sat down and picked up the langhao, "Tell me, what does that person look like and what are his facial features?"
Xiaojie answered truthfully based on his memories, and soon, a fresh portrait painting came out.
Yan Mingzhu picked it up and showed it, "Does it look like this?"
"Yes, yes, that's the person. It's the person who came to me and forced me to do what I did. I know I was wrong. I beg my cousin to spare my life. I have an old man and a little one to support me.