Wang Linlang and wet nurse Lu, kneeling beside them, felt their knees ache, but they could no longer pay attention to it.
Wang Linlang looked up at Zhan Feiyu, who had stood up. Her slightly immature face was contorted with resentment. She had already decided to leave Shangsi County and return home. It was Zhan Feiyu who had stopped the carriage! It was Zhan Feiyu who wouldn't let her go, and that's why she had given false testimony in court!
Wet nurse Lu's heart also sank to the bottom. She hadn't intended to personally frame Zhan Feiyu and Master Lin, but since she was in court, wet nurse Lu thought she should seize the opportunity.
The rumors had already spread far and wide. If she and her young lady said a few words, they could solidify the crime of Zhan Feiyu and Master Lin being illicit, and settle the matter completely.
"Your Honor, this commoner... this commoner..." Madam Xiao Yao finally knew fear. She collapsed onto the ground, her face covered in bloodstains, filled only with panic and unease. "I remembered wrong... Little Yu has no marks on her body..."
Since the rumors were spread by people who had received money, the previous testimonies given by Madam Xiao Yao and the others were naturally false. It was one thing to frame Zhan Feiyu; the title of prodigy, while nice, was not very useful.
However, Master Lin held the title of Xiucai, which was no wonder they were afraid.
In the tea house, Scholar Zhang was in a good mood. He poured a cup of tea for Master Xie, who was sitting opposite him. "This tea is crude. I have half a catty of pre-Qingming Longjing at my place. I'll invite Master Xie to taste it another day."
"I am just a rough man; all tea tastes the same to me." Master Xie, over fifty years old, smiled like a Maitreya Buddha. He had none of the vulgarity of a merchant, but there was a glint of shrewdness in his eyes.
"Master, something bad has happened..." A hurried cry came from outside the door. The door to the private room was pushed open with a bang, and the reporting young servant gasped for breath. "Master, Magistrate Chen has arrested many people, and they have all confessed!"
Scholar Zhang's face suddenly turned grim, and Master Xie also put down his teacup.
They had been keeping an eye on the county yamen's movements. Since the rumors started spreading, Constable Fei had personally led the yamen's constables to investigate, but the effect was minimal. The rumors were everywhere, and arresting people was useless and likely to incite public anger.
Furthermore, Magistrate Chen also had to consider his reputation. As an official appointed by the court, why did he care so much about Zhan Feiyu? If any more unsavory rumors were to spread, Magistrate Chen's official career would be over.
"What's going on? Tell me in detail!" Scholar Zhang suppressed his anger.
The young servant quickly recounted the scene in the court...
"Secretly repairing the plank roads while crossing the Chencang!" Magistrate Chen is a master strategist. He actually sent people from the Southern Xuan Guard to investigate this matter." Master Xie sighed and shook his head helplessly. "We were both deceived."
Scholar Zhang's eyes were terrifyingly dark. He had thought it was foolproof, but he never expected it to fail at the last moment.
Magistrate Chen was still presiding over the trial in the court, while outside the court, people were packed in layers upon layers.
"Isn't that Madam Zeng?" Someone with sharp eyes recognized the woman with a bulging belly.
Having shed her fine silks and wearing a coarse cloth dress, Madam Zeng was exceptionally thin, making her eight-month pregnant belly look like a ball.
"This guilty woman, Zeng, pays her respects to Your Honor." Madam Zeng, supporting her large belly with one hand, slowly knelt down. She raised her head, her pale and gaunt face filled with numbness. "This matter was instigated by this guilty woman. Wet nurse Qian was merely following orders."
"Miss, this old servant is just a lowly life." Wet nurse Qian, kneeling beside Madam Zeng, had tears in her eyes, and then her gaze turned hateful towards Zhan Feiyu. "If it weren't for her, how would Miss have ended up in such a predicament? This old servant only regrets not killing her to avenge the young master!"
Zhan Feiyu, who was accused, had a cold expression. The Zeng family not only trafficked in young girls, but also the Jade-Faced Gentleman Hou Fei used the Chu You technique to control these trafficked young girls, and then sold them to the capital, where they were used to steal confidential information and even carry out assassinations.
Zeng Yuquan and others involved were escorted back to the capital by Commander Tao. However, according to the Great Qing Law, pregnant women who committed crimes were to be interrogated only after giving birth and a hundred days had passed.
Madam Zeng was unaware of Zeng Yuquan's crimes and had not participated in them, which was why she remained in Shangsi County and was imprisoned separately. She never expected to seek revenge on Zhan Feiyu.
"Your Honor, it was this old woman who gave me money! Your Honor, spare my life!" Wang Ping, kneeling on the ground, pointed angrily at the old woman who was supporting Madam Zeng, and then kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy.
"Your Honor, this junior knows his mistake. This junior should not have been greedy for money."
"Wuwu... This commoner is innocent. It was this old woman who instigated me. You wicked woman!"
"Little prodigy Zhan, this junior kowtows to you. Please spare this junior this time." Wang Ping was a waiter at the Taifu Restaurant and had some experience. He knew that Magistrate Chen was impartial and turned to kowtow to Zhan Feiyu, begging for mercy.
Others followed suit, begging for mercy.
Looking at Wang Ping and the others kowtowing, Zhan Feiyu's expressionless face was as cold as if she were not a child.
Perhaps out of sympathy for the weak, a woman outside the court couldn't help but say, "This little girl is too heartless. She's a scholar, yet so cruel."
"Wang Ping has elders and young children. If he's sent to prison, how will his whole family survive?"
"It's all because of poverty. Even if these women return to the village, they'll likely be divorced. Are they driving people to their deaths?"
Hearing the discussions outside, several women felt a pang of sorrow, and their mournful cries made people feel unbearable.
Ignoring the resentful glances of Wang Ping and the others who failed to beg for mercy, Zhan Feiyu also paid no attention to the sarcastic remarks outside the court. She said to Magistrate Chen, "Replying to Your Honor, without rules, there can be no order. The sages established laws to govern the country, so that even the emperor is subject to the same law as commoners. If the laws are changed arbitrarily, who will abide by them? This student implores Your Honor to investigate and handle this matter strictly, as a warning to others!"
"This county is aware. You may step aside." Magistrate Chen nodded, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
Confucianism was prevalent in the court and outside, but Magistrate Chen believed that Legalism could not be discarded. Many years ago, he had offended his master, not because he was inhumole, but because he had not shown leniency to the younger generation of his master's clan, which led to his demotion to Shangsi County, where he had been for seven years.
...
Madam Zeng and wet nurse Qian confessed their crimes without reservation. Coupled with the testimonies of Wang Ping and others, the matter of the rumors was clear. After signing and fingerprinting, those who deserved to be beaten were beaten, and those who deserved to be imprisoned were imprisoned.
Madam Xiao Yao, Wang Linlang, and wet nurse Lu were still kneeling in the court, with a guillotine hanging over their heads, making the three of them even more terrified.
With a clap of the gavel, Magistrate Chen's voice was stern, "Madam Xiao Yao of Jinlin Village falsely accused Master Lin, fifty strokes of the rod!"
"Majestic!" The yamen runners shouted their authority again.
Madam Xiao Yao's face turned ashen, and she softened onto the ground. However, looking at the stern and cold Magistrate Chen, she did not dare to cry out in injustice or beg for mercy.
Compared to the caning of a few gossipy women, Madam Xiao Yao's rod punishment was considered light, which made Wang Linlang and wet nurse Lu feel a bit relieved. They, like Madam Xiao Yao, had also falsely accused. One was young, and the other was old, so their punishments would definitely be lighter.
"Your Honor, this student accuses Wang Linlang and Madam Lu of poisoning my adoptive mother to death. This is the indictment." Zhan Feiyu knelt down and presented a prepared indictment.
Heh! A commotion erupted among the onlookers outside the court. They thought the case had been cleared up, but who would have thought that Zhan Feiyu would suddenly submit an indictment?
And Madam Lin was indeed poisoned to death as the rumors said, but the murderer was not her husband, Master Lin, but Wang Linlang and wet nurse Lu.
Master Lin and Lin Xiuyuan, who were standing by, were also stunned. The father and son looked at Zhan Feiyu blankly. They had suspected wet nurse Lu, but they lacked evidence. They never expected Zhan Feiyu to sue them directly.
"You're talking nonsense!" Wang Linlang shrieked, her face pale, whether from fear or anger.
Wet nurse Lu thought of Wang Ping and the others who had been brought to court earlier. Her hands, placed by her side, trembled incessantly. Could Magistrate Chen and Zhan Feiyu have evidence?
"Is there a mistake? Why would Madam Lin's niece poison her aunt to death?" a passerby asked, confused.
Passerby B immediately chimed in, "Perhaps there's some grudge. Would Little Prodigy Zhan dare to submit an indictment without evidence? Besides, she has no reason to falsely accuse Wang Linlang and her servant."
"That's true. If there's no grudge, falsely accusing someone also leads to punishment."
Doctor Ji and Doctor Xu from Jishi Tang were summoned to the court.
Doctor Ji said, "Replying to Your Honor, Madam Lin died from this type of mushroom due to excessive consumption."
Constable Zhao took the few brightly colored mushrooms on the small tray and presented them to Magistrate Chen.
"They are so brightly colored, they must be poisonous mushrooms!" the onlookers exclaimed.
Everyone recognized the common types of mushrooms. Brightly colored ones were clearly inedible. If one couldn't distinguish whether they were poisonous, most people would choose to discard them.
The coroner also stepped onto the court. "Reporting to Your Honor, this subordinate has examined the body. Madam Lin died of suffocation, and consuming this type of poisonous mushroom causes the throat to swell and eventually block the trachea."
"Wang Linlang, Madam Lu, confess your crimes!" With a clap of the gavel, Magistrate Chen's sharp gaze fell on the two of them. "Do you want this county to use torture to make you confess!"
"I didn't, it wasn't me..." Wang Linlang seemed terrified. She burst into tears, her delicate body unable to withstand the shock, as if she could faint at any moment.
"This old servant is innocent! I implore Your Honor to investigate clearly!" Wet nurse Lu kowtowed desperately, but refused to admit guilt. "Replying to Your Honor, this mushroom is poisonous and brightly colored. How could my madam have consumed a large amount? This old servant is innocent..."
As the old and young cried out their innocence, if Magistrate Chen were to use torture, it would be suspected of coercing a confession.
Outside the court, Passerby A nodded in agreement. "What this old wet nurse said is also reasonable. Madam Lin is not a three-year-old child; she knew it was poisonous and consumed a large amount."
"Little Prodigy Zhan, my young lady and you had a disagreement, but it was just a quarrel between young girls. How can you falsely accuse us!" Wet nurse Lu questioned in a hoarse voice, seemingly unable to believe that an eight-year-old child like Zhan Feiyu could be so heartless. Because of a few words, she falsely accused them of poisoning Madam Lin to death.
"Zhan sister, I was wrong. I shouldn't have been jealous that aunt and uncle favored you more, but I didn't harm aunt... I didn't, she's my aunt..." Wang Linlang cried uncontrollably, her tear-streaked, delicate face, coupled with her white ruqun, made her look nothing like a murderer.
"I asked Doctor Ji and confirmed with Doctor Xu." Zhan Feiyu looked coldly at the two performing servants and continued, "If you dry the mushrooms and grind them into powder, Madam won't be able to discover it. Wet nurse Lu, you are responsible for all three meals, so you can completely avoid others and do this."
Although Old Man Dong had also given false testimony after receiving money, he was indeed innocent in the case of Madam Lin's poisoning.
In the entire Lin family private school, apart from Wang Linlang and wet nurse Lu, it was impossible for anyone else to dry mushrooms in the kitchen without being discovered.
Constable Fei said in a deep voice, "Replying to Your Honor, this subordinate found more than twenty mushroom stems on the mountain behind the Lin family private school. Calculated according to the number of mushrooms picked, drying and grinding them into powder is enough to cause death."
"Could it really be them?" Hearing this, the onlookers outside the court looked at Wang Linlang and wet nurse Lu with suspicion. All this evidence pointed to the two of them.
"Your Honor." Wet nurse Lu wiped her tears and looked at Doctor Ji and Doctor Xu. "May I ask the two doctors, if this mushroom is ground into powder and put into water or food, will it change the taste of the food?"
This was like medicine being bitter to the taste. Since the mushroom was poisonous and the lethal dose was large, if it were put into food or tea, wouldn't Madam Lin have discovered it?
"According to this old man's examination, the powder is bitter and slightly astringent. A small amount is difficult to detect, but if it's a large amount, the taste will definitely be bitter and astringent." Doctor Ji's answer greatly satisfied wet nurse Lu.
"Your Honor, this old servant is indeed innocent. According to Doctor Ji, if this old servant were to put the powder into food, Madam would definitely notice it. Unless this old servant forcibly fed it to her, but this old servant is old and weak. If Madam Lin cried out loudly, others in the private school might hear."
After wet nurse Lu finished speaking, she kowtowed three times and remained silent. However, her words were enough to prove her innocence.
Seeing that the situation was turning in her favor, Wang Linlang choked back her sobs, her frail body kneeling upright. "Your Honor, although Linlang is the daughter of a merchant, my family also hired a female tutor to teach me. May I ask Little Prodigy Zhan, what is Linlang's motive for poisoning her aunt to death, and by what method did she poison her aunt?"
Because of her prodigy status, Zhan Feiyu was favored by Magistrate Chen, so she stood in the court. Wang Linlang, like a wronged little pitiful thing, could only kneel and be interrogated.
"Young Lady Wang Liu." Although Zhan Feiyu wanted to question Wang Linlang from a superior position, Wang Linlang, kneeling, was not much shorter than her. Zhan Feiyu could only take two steps forward. "Let's first discuss the method of murder."
"You offended Magistrate Zhao's nephew, Zhao San, in Huaixian, so you came to Lin family for refuge." As Zhan Feiyu spoke, there was silence both inside and outside the court. Even Magistrate Chen was unaware of the inside story.
"You wanted to marry my senior brother, and you might have probed him verbally, but Madam would never allow her son, a scholar, to marry an illegitimate daughter."
"You..." Wang Linlang's eyes were filled with anger, and she wanted to say that Zhan Feiyu was talking nonsense, but the Wang family's actions were not secret. A little inquiry would reveal that her mother was a courtesan, who could not enter the Wang family, and could only be kept outside by Master Wang as an illegitimate concubine.
Zhan Feiyu's clear eyes showed a hint of coldness. "Scholars, peasants, artisans, and merchants! You thought Madam opposed you because of your merchant background, so you put a little poisonous mushroom powder in the food and drinks of Master and your senior brother. The poisoning symptoms after a small amount of consumption resembled a cold, and you could take this opportunity to take care of your senior brother to gain Madam's favor."
Zhan Feiyu's deduction was logical. Wang Linlang was perhaps flustered, so she couldn't refute, and could only listen to her continue.
"Even though you took care of your senior brother day and night, Madam's attitude did not change. She even noticed your intentions and planned to send you back to the Wang family in Huaixian. You became anxious and afraid that Zhao San would continue to pester you after returning, so you could only poison Madam, hoping that Madam would also fall ill, thus delaying the time."
Zhan Feiyu later learned from Master Lin's conversation that Madam Lin planned to send Wang Linlang away. As an illegitimate daughter and from a merchant background, she had both disadvantages. Madam Lin probably would not have allowed Lin Xiuyuan to marry Wang Linlang even if he remained unmarried for life.
"Wang Linlang, you put mushroom powder in Madam's food, but you never expected to kill Madam!" Zhan Feiyu's voice was icy, and her sharp gaze fixed on Wang Linlang. "After Madam's death, you were panicked and frightened, but then you realized your opportunity had arrived. Without Madam's obstruction, it would be much easier for you to marry your senior brother!"
This was also why Wang Linlang did not leave Shangsi County immediately after Madam Lin's death and continued to stay at the Lin family private school.
"You're talking nonsense, it's all your nonsense." Wang Linlang retorted, but anyone with discerning eyes could see that she was flustered.
"Later, Madam Zeng asked wet nurse Qian to spread rumors in Shangsi County. Wet nurse Qian must have also approached you. You took the opportunity to say some ambiguous words, but it was all to solidify the rumors, frame the Master, and incidentally take revenge on me." Zhan Feiyu's words were already conclusive, as Wang Linlang had already given false testimony in court earlier.
Whether Wang Linlang confessed or not was irrelevant. As long as wet nurse Qian was interrogated, it would be known if she had approached Wang Linlang.
Perhaps her emotions had collapsed, Wang Linlang suddenly shrieked, "I was already leaving, and you stopped me at the city gate! It's all your fault! Aunt preferred you, a country girl, over me, why? Do you think I wanted to be from a merchant family? I don't want to be an illegitimate concubine!"
Using all her strength, Wang Linlang threw herself on the ground and wailed, "I never meant to harm Aunt... I only put a little mushroom powder... How could I have known Aunt would die... It wasn't me who harmed her..."
"Miss?" Wet nurse Lu hugged the wailing Wang Linlang, holding her tightly with affection. "My unfortunate miss, why would heaven treat you like this!"
If she hadn't been forced by Zhao San, Wang Linlang wouldn't have wanted to marry Lin Xiuyuan. If she had a better background, Madam Lin might have agreed to the marriage, and Wang Linlang wouldn't have poisoned Madam Lin to delay the time, ultimately causing her death.
Everyone thought that the case of Madam Lin's poisoning had been solved. Although Wang Linlang was young, she could not escape the crime of poisoning and killing.
"I don't want to die, wet nurse, I don't want to die..." Wang Linlang repeated blankly, her tear-blurred eyes pleading with Magistrate Chen, who was seated in the hall. "I'm still young, I can't die. I didn't intend to harm Aunt, I didn't..."
"Yes, Madam was not harmed by you!" As soon as Zhan Feiyu said this, there was a deathly silence inside and outside the court. Magistrate Chen, who was about to clap the gavel, trembled and almost dropped it.