Master Lin looked at Zhan Feiyu in astonishment.
"Who? Who harmed mother, Xiao Yu?" Lin Xiuyuan's eyes reddened. He had thought that the murderer was found and could finally bring peace to his mother's spirit, only to discover there were hidden circumstances.
Signaling Master Lin and his senior brother not to worry, Zhan Feiyu bowed to the solemn Magistrate Chen and said, "Your Excellency, after the news of my teacher's wife's death spread, Madam Zeng bribed people to spread rumors. Her sole purpose was to retaliate against me."
"And she was inspired to use this method by the matter of Old Master Zhang from Sanjing Lane." When Zhan Feiyu said this, the onlookers outside the court nodded in agreement.
Old Master Zhang's affair had also been widely discussed. He was over eighty years old, yet he had behaved improperly with a young maid at his great-grandson's full moon banquet and was caught in the act.
The news spread that day, and the storyteller at Taifu Restaurant even narrated it for three consecutive sessions, satisfying many people's curiosity. However, since the young maid was a servant with a signed contract of indenture to the Zhang family, it was at most considered a scandalous and absurd affair.
"Silence!" Magistrate Chen struck the gavel, and the murmuring crowd outside the court dared not speak further.
Magistrate Chen asked, "What is the connection between what you said and the poisoning of Madam Lin?"
"Replying to Your Excellency, the matter of Old Master Zhang was also deliberately spread by someone, with the intention of informing Madam Zeng, who was imprisoned." Zhan Feiyu had been surprised that day that Taifu Restaurant would let a storyteller discuss such a matter, thinking it was merely a tactic to attract customers.
"Constable Ma, take your men and bring the storyteller from Taifu Restaurant here." Magistrate Chen dropped two order tokens and then said, "Constable Zhao, bring the two wet nurses responsible for supervising Madam Zeng to the court."
The crowd outside the court immediately made way, allowing Constable Ma and his men to leave.
A moment later, Constable Ma not only brought back the storyteller but also two women: Granny Ma from the Zhang family opposite Sanjing Lane, and Madam Hu, who had a stall selling flatbreads at the entrance of the alley.
"Majestic!" The yamen runner's voice was loud, and the court staves in his hands pounded rhythmically, making the kneeling individuals turn pale. They were already terrified before being interrogated.
"Your humble subject He Chang pays his respects to Your Excellency." The storyteller's voice trembled, especially when he saw Wang Ping and Zhu Dahai, who had already been caned. Their flesh was torn, and their trousers were stained with blood.
"This humble subject Madam Hu... pays her respects to Your Excellency..." Madam Hu already knew why she was arrested. Before Magistrate Chen could speak, she confessed everything in fear, "This humble subject received five taels of silver from the second master of the Zhang family..."
Granny Ma also received five taels of silver from a follower of the second master of the Zhang family, asking her to spread the word about the old master.
Everyone in Sanjing Lane knew that the old master of the Zhang family favored his eldest son. Even though the eldest master of the Zhang family was incompetent, he would still inherit seventy percent of the family's wealth after the old master's death.
The second master of the Zhang family managed the Zhang family's business. He was at odds with his elder brother and hated the old master's favoritism. The second master of the Zhang family was capable of doing such a thing to spite the old master.
The two wet nurses supervising Madam Zeng were also brought to court by Constable Zhao. They both knelt with a thud, kowtowing like pounding garlic, "Your Excellency, spare us."
After receiving the silver, the two wet nurses deliberately spoke of Old Master Zhang's affair in front of Madam Zeng.
That day, the plump wet nurse cracked melon seeds and said disdainfully, "At his age, he's still messing with young maids. What a lecher."
"What's the big deal? The young maid was bought by the Zhang family. It's not just about taking her to bed; even if she died from abuse, she'd just be wrapped in a straw mat and thrown into a mass grave," the thin wet nurse replied indifferently.
"Alas, let's not talk about this messy business. Do you know which private school in the county is good? My grand-nephew was supposed to go to the Lin family's private school, but who knew Madam Lin would suddenly fall ill and die. The private school won't be open anytime soon." The plump wet nurse brought up the main topic. "I heard Master Lin teaches well, and the little prodigy Zhan is his student."
Madam Zeng, who was confined in the room, hadn't paid attention at first. After being imprisoned for so long, the chatter of the two gossipy wet nurses at least helped her pass the time.
With the incident of Old Master Zhang as a prelude, upon hearing the news of Madam Lin's sudden death, Madam Zeng's expression gradually changed.
She was currently safe only because of the child in her womb. After giving birth, the child would be sent to the Foundling Hospital, and she would be exiled.
Madam Zeng hated Zhan Feiyu the most. That's why she spent money to find Granny Qian through the plump wet nurse, which later led to the rumors.
A quarter of an hour later, the second master of the Zhang family was brought to the court.
"Your Excellency, I bribed Granny Ma and Madam Hu merely to spite my father and elder brother. Other matters have nothing to do with me. I implore Your Excellency to investigate clearly." The second master of the Zhang family was clearly more composed.
The plump wet nurse and the thin wet nurse had received money, but it was dark at the time. A man wearing a bamboo hat stood outside the door, and after giving instructions, he left in a hurry after giving twenty taels of silver.
It was too dark, and neither of the wet nurses could see the man's face clearly. But it wasn't a big deal; it was just a few words of gossip. Money could move people, and the two wet nurses agreed without thinking.
At this moment, in the court, the two wet nurses looked at the second master of the Zhang family, who was over sixty years old, and listened carefully to his voice. Then they weakly said, "Your Excellency, the one who gave the silver was not the second master of the Zhang family, but a young man. Judging by his build and voice, he was only in his thirties."
The second master of the Zhang family admitted to spreading rumors about the old master due to family grievances but refused to admit to bribing the two wet nurses to instigate Madam Zeng. Without evidence, unless Magistrate Chen resorted to torture for confession.
However, Magistrate Chen agreed with the strict laws of the Legalists, but he was not a corrupt official who extorted confessions through torture.
"Your Excellency." Looking at the pensive Magistrate Chen, Zhan Feiyu said crisply, "Putting aside the matter of the second master of the Zhang family for now, it can at least be determined that the two wet nurses accepted silver and intentionally misled Madam Zeng. This means that the mastermind was already planning all of this before my teacher's wife died."
Using the absurd affair of Old Master Zhang as a prelude, then instigating Madam Zeng to spread rumors to slander Zhan Feiyu and Master Lin, the scheme came first, followed by Madam Lin's poisoning.
Zhan Feiyu didn't need to say anything more. Wang Linlang, who understood, felt like she had grasped a lifeline.
She knelt on the ground, and Wang Linlang cried out hoarsely, begging for mercy, "Your Excellency, I am innocent. I don't know any second master Zhang, nor Madam Zeng. This has nothing to do with me. I didn't kill my aunt. Your Excellency, I don't want to die..."
"Madam Lu, are you still not confessing?" Magistrate Chen's face was stern. The only person who could frame Wang Linlang for poisoning Madam Lin was Madam Lu!
"Grandmother, was it you?" Turning around abruptly, Wang Linlang looked at Madam Lu, who was kneeling beside her, in shock. If she hadn't been so scared before, Wang Linlang would have thought of Madam Lu.
"You old slut, how dare you frame me!" As if finding an outlet for her anger, Wang Linlang screamed and pounced on Madam Lu, hitting her. "I'll beat you to death, you old bitch! How dare you slander me... May you die a terrible death..."
Madam Lu's eyes were cold. She pushed Wang Linlang away and said, "Your Excellency, all of this is just Zhan Feiyu's nonsense. She is an eight-year-old girl, slandering this old servant in court without any evidence. Doesn't Your Excellency care? Or is the court of Shangsi County a one-girl show for this little girl! Letting her act wildly, slandering anyone she pleases with just a few words."
Just like the second master of the Zhang family's denial, without evidence, Madam Lu also denied poisoning Madam Lin and framing Wang Linlang.
"Miss Zhan, you say I poisoned Auntie. How did I poison her?" Madam Lu looked directly at Zhan Feiyu, pressing her, "Young Miss Six ate all her meals with Auntie to gain her favor. That mushroom powder was put into Auntie's chicken soup by Miss that day. I had no opportunity to poison Auntie."
Madam Lin, worried about her father and son who had caught a "cold," had little appetite. She ate only a few bites at each meal and didn't have any snacks in between. She only drank a couple of sips of tea to moisten her throat.
Wang Linlang sat on the ground, recalling the situation on the day Madam Lin died. Perhaps it was because she added mushroom powder to the chicken soup at noon, but she remembered that day clearly.
Moreover, from noon onwards, she had been by Madam Lin's side, serving her and trying to gain her favor when she felt unwell.
Wang Linlang only left after Madam Lin returned to her bedroom that evening. Madam Lu indeed had no opportunity to poison her, especially with such a large dose of mushroom powder.
Madam Lu looked at the pale and flustered Wang Linlang mockingly and retorted, "Miss, am I right? Did this old servant deliver any pastries or tea to Auntie on the day of Auntie's death?"
"I..." Wang Linlang really wanted to say yes, but after opening her mouth, she couldn't speak. On that day, except for the evening, she and her aunt had never been separated.
Seeing Madam Lu, who seemed to have the upper hand, Zhan Feiyu suddenly said, "Madam Lu, who said the mushroom powder was put into the food?"
"Does Madam Lu recognize this?" Zhan Feiyu finished speaking, and Constable Chen Fei entered the court, bowed to Magistrate Chen, and handed over the evidence.
Everyone craned their necks to see. It was a small bundle of fine hemp thread and about a dozen zongzi.
The zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival had been eaten by ordinary families, but with Madam Lin's sudden death and the subsequent mourning, the Lin family's zongzi were left in a basket in the kitchen, unattended.
Madam Lu's face suddenly changed. She looked at Zhan Feiyu in disbelief and asked stubbornly, "Are you saying I put the mushroom powder into the zongzi? But the yamen officers inspected it that day. There were leftover zongzi and dishes in the kitchen, and even a cup of water from the water缸 was taken away."
As she spoke, Madam Lu's voice grew steadier and louder, "Furthermore, the zongzi were cooked in the same pot. How could I guarantee that Auntie ate the poisoned zongzi and not someone else? Besides, this old servant remembers that Auntie didn't eat zongzi that day."
"Grind the poisonous mushrooms and squeeze out the poisonous juice, then soak the hemp thread until it absorbs it dry, and then dry it. When my teacher's wife wraps zongzi, she uses her teeth to bite the hemp thread to tie them. The poisonous thing is not the zongzi, but these hemp threads!" Zhan Feiyu looked coldly at Madam Lu, who refused to confess even when facing death. Truly, she wouldn't shed tears until she saw the coffin!
When eating zongzi, the hemp threads are cut, and the leaves are peeled. Even if there was diluted mushroom powder in the water, others would not be poisoned, and even if they were affected, the symptoms would be mild.
But Madam Lin was different. She had ingested the poison through the hemp threads, and Wang Linlang had added mushroom powder to the chicken soup, which led to her death.
"Doctor Xu, please examine the hemp threads for poison in court." Magistrate Chen said in a deep voice. Even he had not expected Madam Lu to have poisoned Madam Lin in this way, which could be described as undetectable.
If it hadn't been discovered, it would have been best. Even if it was found that Madam Lin died of poisoning, there was Wang Linlang, the scapegoat. She said she added a little mushroom powder to the chicken soup, which would not be fatal. But who would believe the words of a twelve-year-old girl who dared to poison someone?
With her situation hopeless, Madam Lu knelt dumbfounded in the court, her head lowered so that her expression could not be seen.
When the constables put shackles on her, Madam Lu suddenly pulled out the silver hairpin from her head and stabbed herself fiercely in the chest, dying on the spot.
Half an hour later.
After signing and stamping, those who were to be imprisoned were imprisoned, and those who were to be caned were caned. The second master of the Zhang family insisted that he had not bribed the two wet nurses, so Magistrate Chen gave him ten caning strokes.
...
Leshanshu.
"Master, my teacher's wife is gone. I implore Master and senior brother to take care of yourselves." Zhan Feiyu bowed deeply to Master Lin. Her face, still with baby fat, showed the most sincere concern.
"As for my path, now that the case has been cleared, I assume you can go to the county school to study. However, this matter will ultimately affect your reputation. It is I who have implicated you." Perhaps because the true culprit was found, the gloom and grief in Master Lin's brows had dissipated a lot. Now, there was only concern and guilt for Zhan Feiyu.
Many people would not care about the truth. They only wanted to hear what they wanted to hear. Otherwise, even if someone manipulated it, these rumors would not spread so widely. In the end, they preferred to hear vulgar gossip than the truth.
Watching Master Lin and Lin Xiuyuan leave in the carriage, Zhan Feiyu's expression became more solemn. It was fine for her; she was studying and participating in the imperial examinations as a woman, which would naturally attract trouble. One more or one less made no difference.
"Why are you frowning at such a young age? After this incident, Shangsi County will surely be peaceful for a while." Doctor Ji couldn't stand Zhan Feiyu's worried look and said grumpily, "Do you think Magistrate Chen is a vegetarian?"
Chen Weibin had been the magistrate of Shangsi County for seven years. First, he was negligent in the Zeng family's affairs, and now a murder case had occurred, and the victim was the wife of a scholar. Magistrate Chen had no hope for this year's evaluation.
And this anger would naturally be directed at the mastermind. At this time, anyone who dared to make any moves would definitely be sending their heads to Magistrate Chen.
"The person who has a grudge against Master is Scholar Zhang. The eldest grandson of the second master of the Zhang family studies at the Zhang family's private school, and Master Xie of Taifu Restaurant is a close friend of Scholar Zhang." Zhan Feiyu believed that not only she, but Magistrate Chen also knew who the mastermind was, but there was no evidence, and Scholar Zhang also had a scholarly title.
Moreover, the Zeng family was sealed off, and Master Xie was also implicated. The two had cooperated in business. Master Xie had no time to recover his losses when the Zeng family's property was sealed by Commander Tao and his men. He also didn't have the courage, so this grudge was naturally directed at Zhan Feiyu.
Seeing that Zhan Feiyu thought things through, Doctor Ji asked, "Then why are you looking so glum?"
Although the little girl had offended Scholar Zhang and Master Xie, she also had a backer. If Scholar Zhang dared to make a move, Magistrate Chen would skin him alive to vent his anger.
"I'm worried that Master's private school will not be able to enroll many students in the future." Zhan Feiyu sighed.
Seeing Doctor Ji's shocked expression, Zhan Feiyu pouted, "A penny can stump a hero. If my elder brother hadn't given me a few hundred taels of silver, I would probably still have to rely on copying books to buy rice to eat."
The Lin family's private school enrolled young boys, but with the poisoning of Madam Lin and the scandalous rumors, if Scholar Zhang and others incited them slightly, ordinary families would not send their children to study.
Doctor Ji looked at the "meddling" Zhan Feiyu with disdain. "You're not old, but you think so much. Your master is a scholar, and your senior brother is also a man. Can the father and son starve themselves?"
This is worrying about unnecessary things! Doctor Ji picked up a cup of tea and drank it, too lazy to bother with the self-troubled Zhan Feiyu.
"Doctor Ji, you don't understand!" Zhan Feiyu glared at the disbelieving Doctor Ji and retorted righteously, "Master and senior brother are gentle in nature, and senior brother is frail and needs medicinal treatment for his body all year round. If the private school cannot enroll students, it will be a gradual depletion of resources. In a few years, senior brother will get engaged and married, and there will be too many places where money is needed. Not to mention Scholar Zhang is waiting to strike."
Doctor Ji was speechless. He sarcastically retorted, "What kind of sage books are you still reading? You might as well become a matchmaker, find a good wife for your senior brother, and then ensure he has sons and grandsons, endlessly. It's enough for you to worry about."
"Why not eat meat porridge! Doctor Ji, you are not short of money, so you don't understand!" Zhan Feiyu glared with her big eyes and shot back, then looked at Chen Fei, who was sitting at the next table, "Can you understand, Constable Chen?"
Uh... Meeting Zhan Feiyu's clear gaze, Chen Fei was about to nod.
Doctor Ji snorted coldly and said sinisterly, "Constable Chen, think carefully before you answer. Commander Tao and Magistrate Chen both respectfully call me Doctor Ji!"
Caught in the middle, Chen Fei was overwhelmed and chuckled awkwardly, "Actually, Little Scholar Zhan's worries are not unreasonable. Scholar Zhang is deep in schemes and ruthless in his methods. Master Lin narrowly escaped, but who knows if he will be targeted next time."
After speaking, he ignored Doctor Ji's fierce gaze and lowered his head to drink tea, preferring to offend a villain rather than a gentleman. Isn't that the principle?
"Alas." Zhan Feiyu sighed again and stopped arguing with Doctor Ji.
"My senior brother's medicinal ingredients include ginseng. If Scholar Zhang plays any tricks, a ginseng worth fifty taels can be sold to my master at several times the price in urgent need! Or he could find an old, weak, sick, or disabled person, and if by chance my master's carriage accidentally injures or cripples them, a hundred taels of silver would be paid out."
"Perhaps the simplest and most brutal method is to find a young girl to seduce my senior brother. Then, not only will his reputation be ruined, but he will also have to pay money. If he is even more ruthless and uses some vulgar drugs, he could ruin my senior brother's health."
The more Zhan Feiyu thought about it, the more dangerous it felt. She pondered with a small, chubby face.
In fact, the simplest way was for her to pass the imperial examinations and thus deter Scholar Zhang, but this would take time, at least three to five years.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her. Zhan Feiyu abruptly stood up, "Doctor Ji, I'm going to the county school. Constable Chen, thank you for today."
With her short legs, Zhan Feiyu ran out with a thud, thud, thud. Her speed was definitely that of a nimble little胖子.
Doctor Ji thought of Zhan Feiyu's hypothetical scenarios, and his face twitched. "She should write story scripts. They would surely become popular all over the country!"
"Little Scholar Zhan is preventing future troubles." Chen Fei said with a dry laugh. The eight-year-old girl thought so much. No wonder she was called a prodigy; her mind worked faster than ordinary people.
"Why bother with so much trouble? Just kill Scholar Zhang directly." Doctor Ji made a throat-slitting gesture and mockingly said leisurely, "Indeed, she's still a child."
Chen Fei stared at Doctor Ji in a daze. Compared to the cunning Zhan Feiyu, Doctor Ji seemed even more abnormal.
"I'm Going to Ancient Imperial Examinations" uncensored chapters will continue to be updated on the website. There are no advertisements on the site. Please bookmark and hand-type it!
(