Wang Linlang and Grandma Lu, who were kneeling aside, also had pain in their knees, but they could no longer care about it.
Wang Linlang looked up at Zhan Feiyu who stood up, with twisted resentment on his slightly childish face. She was about to leave Shangsi County and go home, but it was Zhan Feiyu who stopped the carriage! She was the one who wouldn't let her go.
, I just made a false confession in court!
Grandma Lu's heart also sank to the bottom. She had no intention of going out in person to frame Zhan Feiyu and Mrs. Lin, but now that she was in court, Grandma Lu wanted to seize the opportunity.
Everyone who had spread the rumors knew that as long as he and the young lady exchanged a few words, Zhan Feiyu and Mrs. Lin could be found guilty of being cowardly, and the matter could be settled once and for all.
"Sir, a civilian woman... a civilian woman..." Little Yao finally realized that she was afraid, and fell to the ground, with only fear and uneasiness on her face covered with bloodstains, "I remembered it wrong... There were no marks on Xiaoyu's body.
…”
Since the rumors were spread by people who received money, then the previous confessions made by Xiao Yao and the others were naturally false. They only framed Zhan Feiyu. Although the name of the child prodigy sounds good, it is of little use.
But Mrs. Lin has a reputation as a scholar, so it's no wonder that a few people are afraid of him.
In the teahouse, Zhang Xiucai was in a good mood and poured a cup of tea for Mr. Xie who was sitting across from him. "The tea is crude. I have half a catty of Yuqian Longjing here. Please taste it someday, Mr. Xie."
"I'm just a rough man. No matter what kind of tea I drink, it tastes the same." Mr. Xie is in his fifties. He smiles like Maitreya Buddha. He doesn't have the philistine of a businessman, but there is a twinkle in his eyes.
"Sir, it's not good..." There was an urgent cry outside the door, and the door of the private room was pushed open with a bang. The boy who reported the news gasped, "Sir, County Magistrate Chen arrested many people, and they all confessed.
Got it!"
Zhang Xiucai's face suddenly darkened, and Mr. Xie also put down his tea cup.
They have been sending people to keep an eye on the activities at the county government. After the rumors spread, Chief Fei personally led the government's detectives to investigate, but the effect was very little. Rumors spread in the streets and alleys, and arresting people was useless.
Easily prone to public anger.
Furthermore, County Magistrate Chen also has to take into account his official reputation. As an official of the imperial court, why does he value Zhan Feiyu so much? If any more unsavory rumors spread, Magistrate Chen's official career will come to an end.
"What's going on? Please tell me in detail!" Zhang Xiucai suppressed his anger.
The servant quickly recounted the scene in the courtroom...
"The plank road was repaired secretly to Chen Cang! Mr. Chen was so smart that he actually asked people from the Nanxuan Guards Station to investigate this matter." Mr. Xie let out a long sigh and shook his head helplessly, "You and I have been deceived."
Zhang Xiucai's eyes were gloomy and scary. He originally thought everything was going to be perfect, but who would have thought that his success would fall short.
Magistrate Chen was still reviewing the case in the courtroom, and people were already gathering on the three floors outside the courtroom.
"Isn't that Mrs. Zeng?" Someone with sharp eyes recognized the woman with a big belly.
After taking off the silk and satin and wearing a coarse cloth dress, Mrs. Zeng was extremely thin, and her eight-month-old belly was as big as a ball.
"Ms. Zeng, the sinful woman, pays homage to your lord." Mrs. Zeng slowly knelt down with her big belly in one hand, raised her head, her pale and thin face was numb, "This matter was ordered by the sinful woman, and Aunt Qian was just following orders."
"Miss, this old slave is just a cheap man." Mother Qian, who was kneeling next to Mrs. Zeng, had tears in her eyes, and then looked at Zhan Feiyu with hatred, "If it weren't for her, how could the young lady have fallen into such a situation?
The old slave only wishes he had not killed her to avenge his uncle!"
The accused Zhan Feiyu looked cold. The Zeng family not only trafficked girls, but Hou Fei, the jade-faced man, used Zhu Youshu to manipulate the trafficked girls, and then sold them to the capital, waiting for opportunities to steal confidential information, and even assassinate them.
Assassination.
Zeng Yuquan and other people involved in the case were escorted back to Beijing by Tao Baihu, but according to the "Daqing Law", pregnant women who commit crimes must wait a hundred days after giving birth before being tortured.
Mrs. Zeng was unaware of what Zeng Yuquan had committed and had never participated in it, so she stayed in Shangsi County and was imprisoned in solitary confinement. Unexpectedly, she would take revenge on Zhan Feiyu.
"Sir, this is the money this mother-in-law gave me! Please spare my life, sir!" Wang Ping, who was kneeling on the ground, saw the mother-in-law supporting Mrs. Zeng and accused him angrily, then kowtowed and begged for mercy.
"Sir, I know I'm wrong. I shouldn't be greedy for money."
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurdute;
"Zhan Xiaomengtong, I'm kowtowing to you, please spare me this time." Wang Ping is a waiter at Taifu Restaurant, and he has some experience. He knows that County Magistrate Chen is selfless, so he turns to
Zhan Feiyu kowtowed and begged for mercy.
Others begged for mercy in the same way.
Looking at Wang Ping and others who were kowtowing, Zhan Feiyu's calm face looked so cold that he didn't look like a child.
Perhaps she sympathized with the weak. Outside the court, a woman couldn't help but said: "This little girl is too heartless. She is a scholar and so cruel."
"Wang Ping has an elder and a younger one. If he goes to prison, how will the whole family live?"
"They are still poor. Even if these women return to the village, they will probably get divorce papers. Is this forcing people to die?"
Hearing the discussion outside, several women felt sad in their hearts, and their shrill cries were unbearable.
Ignoring the resentful looks of Wang Ping and others begging for mercy, Zhan Feiyu ignored the sarcastic words outside the court and said to County Magistrate Chen: "Sir, there is no rule without rules. Only when the sages rule the country by legislation can the emperor break the law and harm the common people.
It's the same crime. If the law is changed at will, who will abide by the law? The student begs adults to investigate and deal with it strictly to serve as a warning to others!"
"This county knows, please step aside." County Magistrate Chen nodded, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Confucianism prevailed inside and outside the court, but County Magistrate Chen believed that Legalism should not be discarded. Many years ago, he offended his master, not because he was unkind and did not show respect to his fellow disciples, so he was demoted to Shangsi County.
, which lasted seven years.
…
Mrs. Zeng and Aunt Qian confessed to their crimes, and coupled with the confessions of Wang Ping and others, the rumor became clear. The signing was postponed, and those who should be slapped were slapped, and those who should be jailed were jailed.
Little Yao, Wang Linlang, and Grandma Lu were still kneeling in the courtroom, as if a guillotine was hanging above their heads, and the three of them were even more frightened.
As soon as the tree was struck, Magistrate Chen's voice was majestic, "Little Yao from Jinlin Village falsely accused Mrs. Lin and will be punished by fifty floggings!"
"Mighty!" the Yamen servant shouted again.
Little Yao's face turned pale and he suddenly fell to the ground. However, looking at the serious and cold-faced Magistrate Chen, he did not dare to cry out and beg for mercy.
Compared with the cane punishments of several talkative women, the flogging of little Yao was already light. This made Wang Linlang and Grandma Lu look a little lighter. They were all false accusations like little Yao.
, an old person will definitely receive a lighter punishment.
"Sir, the students are suing Wang Linlang and Mrs. Lu for poisoning my wife. This is the complaint." Zhan Feiyu knelt down and took out a piece of paper that he had prepared.
Hoo! The people watching outside the courtroom were in an uproar. They thought the case had been cleared up, but they didn't expect that Zhan Feiyu suddenly handed over the complaint.
As the rumors said, Mrs. Lin was really poisoned to death, but the murderer was not Mrs. Lin, the person she slept with, but Wang Linlang and Aunt Lu.
Master Lin and Lin Xiuyuan who were standing aside were also shocked and stunned. The father and son looked at Zhan Feiyu in a daze. If they were to suspect them, they also suspected Aunt Lu. However, there was no evidence. Unexpectedly, Zhan Feiyu went beyond the father and son to file a complaint.
.
"You're talking nonsense!" Wang Linlang screamed when she came back to her senses, her face turned pale, and she didn't know whether she was scared or angry.
Grandma Lu thought of Wang Ping and others who had been taken to court before, and her hands kept shaking at her side. Do County Magistrate Chen and Zhan Feiyu have evidence?
"Is there a mistake? Why did Mrs. Lin's niece poison her own aunt?" Passerby A asked in confusion.
Passerby Yi immediately took over, "Maybe there is some grudge. Without evidence, Xiao Mengtong dares to submit a complaint? Besides, there is no need for her to falsely accuse Wang Linlang, master and servant."
"That's right. Even if there is no grievance or enmity, false accusations will be punished."
Doctor Ji and Doctor Xu of Jishitang were both brought to court.
Doctor Ji said: "Sir, Mrs. Lin died of death caused by excessive consumption of this kind of mushroom."
Agent Zhao took a few brightly colored mushrooms from the small tray and brought them to Magistrate Chen.
"The color is so bright, it must be a poisonous mushroom!" the onlookers couldn't help but say.
Everyone knows some of the commonly eaten mushrooms. The brightly colored mushrooms are obviously inedible. If they cannot tell whether they are toxic, most people will choose to discard them and not eat them.
Wu Zuo also went to court and said, "Reporting to your lord, I have experienced my humiliation. Lin's death was caused by suffocation, and eating this poisonous mushroom can cause a person's throat to swell and eventually block the trachea."
"Wang Linlang, the Lu family still hasn't recruited you!" With a start, County Magistrate Chen looked at the master and servant with sharp eyes, "Do you want this county to use severe punishment before you are willing to confess!"
"I didn't, it wasn't me..." Wang Linlang seemed to be frightened so much that she burst into tears. Her delicate body couldn't bear the shock, as if she could pass away at any time.
"I am unjustly accusing you! Your Majesty, please be more careful!" Aunt Lu kowtowed desperately, but refused to plead guilty. "Replying to your lord, this mushroom is poisonous and brightly colored. How could my aunt eat a large amount of it? This old slave is unjustly accused.
…”
The old man and the young man were crying and complaining. If Magistrate Chen really used severe punishment, he would inevitably be suspected of subjugation.
Outside the court, passerby A nodded in agreement, "What the old lady said is not bad. Mrs. Lin is not a three-year-old. She knew it was poisonous but still ate it in large quantities."
"Zhan Xiaomengtong, my lady had a quarrel with you, but it was just a quarrel between little girls. How could you wrongly accuse us!" Aunt Lu asked in a hoarse voice, as if she couldn't believe that Zhan Feiyu was eight years old.
The children were so cruel that they falsely accused them of poisoning Mrs. Lin just because of a few words.
"Sister Zhan, I was wrong. I shouldn't be jealous that my aunt and uncle prefer you, but I didn't harm my aunt... I didn't, that was my aunt..." Wang Linlang cried so hard that she couldn't breathe, and her tears were streaming down her face.
With her small face and her white undershirt, she doesn't look like a murderer.
"I asked Doctor Ji and also asked Doctor Xu for confirmation." Zhan Feiyu looked coldly at the two masters and servants who were still acting, and continued: "Dry the mushrooms and then grind them into powder, so that the wife can
I can’t find out that, Aunt Lu, you are responsible for three meals a day, so you can do all this without others."
Although Mr. Dong made a false confession because he received money, he was indeed innocent in the case of poisoning Mrs. Lin.
In the entire Lin family private school, except for Wang Linlang and Grandma Lu, it is impossible for anyone else to go to the kitchen to dry mushrooms without being discovered.
Captain Fei said in a deep voice: "Reporting to your lord, I found more than twenty mushroom stalks on the mountain behind Lin's private school. According to the number of mushrooms picked, drying them and grinding them into powder can definitely cause death."
"Is it really the two of them?" Hearing this, the onlookers outside the court looked at Wang Linlang and Grandma Lu suspiciously. All the evidence pointed to these two people.
"Sir." Mother Lu wiped away her tears and looked at Doctor Ji and Doctor Xu, "May I ask these two doctors, if these mushrooms are ground into powder and put into water or eaten, will it change the taste of the food?"
This is like good medicine that tastes bitter. Since mushrooms are poisonous and the dose that can cause death is large, if it is put into food or tea, wouldn't Mrs. Lin be able to detect it?
"After inspection, the powder tastes bitter and slightly astringent. It is not easy to detect in small amounts, but if it is in large amounts, it will definitely taste bitter." Doctor Ji's answer made Grandma Lu very satisfied.
"Sir, the old slave is indeed unjust. According to what Doctor Ji said, if the old slave puts the powder into his food, my aunt will definitely notice it, unless he feeds it forcefully. But the old slave is old and weak, and my aunt will definitely notice it."
As long as you shout louder, other people in the private school may be able to hear you."
After Mother Lu finished speaking, she kowtowed three times and said nothing. However, her words could already prove her innocence.
Seeing that the situation was in her favor, Wang Linlang choked with sobs and her delicate body knelt straight, "Sir, although Linlang is the daughter of a merchant, her family also hired a female concubine to teach her. I dare to ask Zhan Xiaomeng, a commoner girl was poisoned to death
What was the motive of my biological aunt? And how did you poison your aunt?"
Zhan Feiyu was favored by Magistrate Chen because of his status as a child prodigy, so standing in the courtroom, Wang Linlang seemed to be a pitiful bully who could only kneel down for trial.
"Miss Wang Liu." Although Zhan Feiyu wanted to question Wang Linlang condescendingly, but others were much shorter than her when they were kneeling, so Zhan Feiyu could only take two steps forward, "Let's talk about the killing method first."
"You offended Magistrate Zhao's nephew Zhao San in Huai County, so you came to the Lin family to seek refuge." When Zhan Feiyu spoke, the courtroom was quiet inside and outside. Even Magistrate Chen didn't know the inside story.
"You want to marry my senior brother, and you may have tried it with words, but my wife will never give my senior brother, who is a scholar, a wife from a foreign wife."
"You..." Wang Linlang's eyes were full of anger, and she wanted to say that Zhan Feiyu was talking nonsense, but the Wang family did not do this secretly. If they inquired a little, they would know that her mother was a brothel girl and could not enter the Wang family.
Being able to be kept outside by Mr. Wang as an outhouse.
There was a hint of chill in Zhan Feiyu Qingling's eyes, "Scholars, farmers, and merchants! You thought that your wife was opposed to you because you were a merchant, so you put a little bit of poisonous mushroom powder in the food of your wife and senior brother. After eating a small amount, they were poisoned.
The symptoms are like wind and cold, and you can take the opportunity to take care of your senior brother and win the favor of your master's mother."
Zhan Feiyu's inference was reasonable. Wang Linlang might have panicked, so he couldn't say anything to refute and could only listen to her continue.
"Even though you took care of your senior brother with all your clothes on, my wife's attitude has not changed. She even noticed your thoughts and planned to send you back to the Wang family in Huai County. But you were anxious and afraid that Zhao San would still pester you after you went back, so you could only
He poisoned his wife in the hope that she would also fall ill, thus delaying time."
Zhan Feiyu also later learned from Mrs. Lin's conversation that Mrs. Lin planned to send Wang Linlang away. She was a concubine and a merchant, so Mrs. Lin probably wouldn't marry Wang Linlang even if Lin Xiuyuan never got married.
"Wang Linlang, you put mushroom powder in Mistress's food, but you never wanted to kill Mistress!" Zhan Feiyu's voice was cold, and he stared at Wang Linlang with sharp eyes, "Mrs. passed away, but you realized after being panicked and frightened
Now that your opportunity has come, it will be much easier for you to marry your senior brother without the obstruction of your master's wife!"
This is also the reason why Wang Linlang did not leave Shangsi County immediately after Mrs. Lin's death and continued to stay in the Lin family private school.
"You're talking nonsense, it's all your nonsense." Wang Linlang retorted, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that she was already panicking.
"Later, Mrs. Zeng asked Aunt Qian to spread rumors in Shangsi County. Aunt Qian should also have looked for you. You took the opportunity to say some specious things, just to confirm the rumors, cover up the truth that the master's wife was poisoned, and put the blame on the master.
Take revenge on me." Zhan Feiyu's words were already true, after all, Wang Linlang had just made a false confession in the same room.
It doesn't matter whether Wang Linlang is recruited or not. As long as Granny Qian is interrogated, she will know whether she has approached Wang Linlang.
Perhaps her mood collapsed, Wang Linlang suddenly screamed, "I was about to leave, but you stopped me at the city gate! It's all your fault! My aunt would rather choose you, a country girl, than me. Why don't you choose me?"
What? Do I want to be a merchant? I don’t want to be a housewife either!"
Using all his strength, Wang Linlang threw herself on the ground and cried, "I never thought of killing my aunt... I just put a little bit of mushroom powder... How did I know that my aunt would die... It wasn't me...
"
"Miss?" Grandma Lu hugged the wailing Wang Linlang and held her tightly in distress, "My miserable young lady, why does God treat you like this!"
If she had not been forced by Zhao San, Wang Linlang would not have wanted to marry Lin Xiuyuan. If she had been from a better background, Mrs. Lin might have agreed to the marriage, and Wang Linlang would not have poisoned Mrs. Lin to delay her life, which ultimately killed her.
.
Everyone thought that the case of Mrs. Lin's poisoning and murder had come to light at this point. Although Wang Linlang was young, she still could not erase her crime of poisoning and killing.
"I don't want to die, Nanny, I don't want to die..." Wang Linlang repeated blankly, pleading with County Magistrate Chen who was sitting in the lobby through tears, "I'm still young, I can't die, I didn't mean to kill anyone.
It’s my aunt’s, I’m not…”
"Yes, it was not you who killed my wife!" As soon as Zhan Feiyu said these words, there was a deathly silence inside and outside the courtroom. Magistrate Chen, who was about to take a slap in the face, shook his hand and almost shook the gavel away.