Sensing someone eavesdropping outside, and with such a lack of discipline in the entire Jiao family, it was obvious it had to be the good-for-nothing eldest son.
Recalling that Jiao Lianping had just fainted from the whip lashes, Prefect Jiao's voice, laced with worry, carried a hint of anger, "Why are you standing outside? Get in here!"
Jiao Lianping allowed Madam Chen to help him in. Meeting Prefect Jiao's furious gaze from the main seat, he couldn't help but sneer, "Father regrets not beating me to death, so you intend to add a few more lashes?"
"You..." Prefect Jiao was so enraged that his vision darkened. He had personally tutored his eldest son in his youth. That innocent child of yesteryear had now become such a scoundrel.
Prefect Jiao's face was ashen. Yet, looking at the defiant Jiao Lianping, at the whip marks on his face where the skin was torn, disappointment and anger mingled, finally transforming into a sigh of helplessness.
"Ping'er, sit down and talk!" Madam Jiao said with concern. In the past, if she saw the father and son clashing like this, Madam Jiao would always mediate, more often scolding her son.
But after Prefect Jiao had almost beaten Jiao Lianping to death today, Madam Jiao suddenly had a change of heart. What if Ping'er was not favored? At most, she would take Ping'er and his family away from the Jiao residence, saving Jiao Lianyu the trouble of plotting against them repeatedly and changing Ping'er's disposition.
Madam Chen quickly helped Jiao Lianping to a chair. "Father, please calm your anger. My husband only came to the front hall despite his injuries because he was worried."
Compared to Madam Jiao's disheartened resignation, Madam Chen still hoped to mend the father-son relationship between Prefect Jiao and Jiao Lianping, which was as irreconcilable as fire and water. Why should the vast Jiao family fortune be inherited by a lowly illegitimate son?
Her husband was the legitimate son and the eldest son, and he also had scholarly achievements. As long as his father provided more support, there would be no lack of prospects.
Madam Chen's family, the Chen family, was also an official family. It was just that the Chen family had declined many years ago, and now only an elder brother served as a magistrate in another prefecture.
Having witnessed the glory of the Chen family in her childhood, Madam Chen was even more unwilling to let Jiao Lianping give up the family fortune. It was a pity that, as a wife and daughter-in-law, her words carried little weight. No matter how she persuaded her husband, he refused to yield, speaking frankly to his second brother, unwilling even to feign brotherly affection.
Thinking of this, Madam Chen cast a resentful glance at Madam Jiao. Her mother-in-law was also like this. Knowing that Concubine Huang was gentle and considerate, her mother-in-law should have selected a few young and beautiful concubines to present to the Prefect. Once the Prefect was won over, with a word in his ear, why would she worry about the Prefect not grooming her husband?
The room was filled with the servants of the Jiao residence. Zhan Feiyu, being short, was completely blocked from view at the back, so neither Prefect Jiao nor Madam Jiao noticed her.
Although her son's face was pale, he seemed to be in good spirits. Madam Jiao was relieved and said to Prefect Jiao with a stern face, "Since everyone has been brought here, Master, you can interrogate them yourself."
Prefect Jiao looked coldly at his stubborn wife and son. Fine, since they didn't believe him, he would continue the interrogation. When the truth was revealed, his wife and Ping'er would surely realize they had misunderstood Lianyu.
"Ping'er, you were eavesdropping outside just now. Do you also believe Lianyu sent people to the yamen to deliberately instigate me to return and lay hands on you?" Prefect Jiao looked at Jiao Lianping, who was seated below. For years, Lianyu, as the younger brother, had always been yielding.
Previously, he had deliberately concealed his talents in his studies to save face for his elder brother, even intending to fail the imperial examinations. Prefect Jiao was fortunate that he had accidentally learned of this and had even severely reprimanded his second son, otherwise the Jiao family would not have this "Little Triple Champion."
Prefect Jiao recalled that at that time, he had told his wife and Ping'er about this matter, wanting them to know Lianyu's pure kindness. However, they not only did not appreciate it but mocked it as Lianyu's tactic to win favor.
It was after that incident that Prefect Jiao completely lost hope in his eldest son, Jiao Lianping, and gave up on them repairing their relationship. Who knew that after a few years, the brothers would reach a point of no return?
If not for his sheer willpower, Jiao Lianping would have already collapsed. Hearing Prefect Jiao's question, Jiao Lianping's face showed a mocking cold smile again. "Now that there are witnesses and physical evidence, Father still wants to be biased towards Jiao Lianyu? Is it that if I were to die at Jiao Lianyu's hands one day, Father would still consider it an accident?"
Prefect Jiao, being contradicted, turned ashen. He wanted to reprimand his ignorant eldest son, but seeing the whip marks on his face, he could only suppress his anger and said with a stern face, "If that is the case, Madam, please continue!"
"Mother, Eldest Brother, I have never thought of framing Eldest Brother all these years," Jiao Lianyu's clear voice rang out. He was a handsome young man with scholarly demeanor, his brows filled with openness and composure, earning him praise as a gentleman of integrity from anyone who met him.
As for the physical evidence, the sachet, Nanny Niu handed it to Hehua, who was kneeling on the ground. "Is this your sachet?"
"Yes." Hehua recognized it at a glance, not just the embroidered pattern, but also the needlework. Her fellow maidservants all knew it was Hehua's.
Nanny Niu opened the sachet, revealing a strip of paper folded inside. "Tian Zhong, did you go to the yamen and hand this note to Lin Feng?"
Tian Zhong was a young servant in the front courtyard of the Jiao residence, usually responsible for purchasing miscellaneous items, so his going out would not arouse suspicion from others.
Tian Zhong was illiterate. He was also kneeling on the ground at this moment. He looked at the unfolded note in Nanny Niu's hand and confessed after a careful look, "Young master, I didn't make it in time for lunch, so I went to the kitchen to get two vegetable cakes to fill my stomach. Xiao Ding suddenly came looking for me and asked me to deliver the note in the sachet to Steward Lin at the yamen. I left without even wiping my hands."
Upon arriving at the prefectural yamen, the gatekeeper also recognized Tian Zhong and naturally let him in. However, Tian Zhong was merely a servant and could not see Prefect Jiao. Instead, Lin Feng, Prefect Jiao's attendant, came out.
Tian Zhong continued to confess tremblingly, "The escort who led the way was standing not far away. I was worried that if Steward Lin saw the sachet, I took the note out of the sachet and handed it to Steward Lin. The note was stained with oily fingerprints."
Madam Jiao and Jiao Lianping remained silent. Even if the truth was revealed, what of it? Prefect Jiao would at most reprimand Jiao Lianyu, but he would not be seriously harmed, nor would he abandon this illegitimate son with scholarly talent!
Prefect Jiao frowned upon hearing this. "Lin Feng, what is your defense?"
Lin Feng was deeply trusted by Prefect Jiao. All the miscellaneous affairs around Prefect Jiao were managed by him. Lin Feng represented Prefect Jiao outside, and only he had the ability to arrange matters in the yamen to inform Lord Hu about the news of the Wei family's young master causing trouble, and then report it to Prefect Jiao.
Lin Feng, who was questioned, stepped forward. "Reporting to my lord, Tian Zhong did indeed hand a note to your subordinate. Your subordinate read it at the time, but due to the current tense atmosphere, for safety, your subordinate returned the note to Tian Zhong and asked him to burn it after returning to the residence."
Since Prefect Cai Zhiyuan was imprisoned by Lord Qiu, various forces trying to gather information had made their moves. The Qianzhong Prefecture Yamen was filled with the eyes of these forces, all watching every move of the yamen.
Not only was it like this within the yamen, but outside the yamen, there were also many people gathering information, and even some highly skilled martial artists.
At this time, if Lin Feng, as Prefect Jiao's most trusted subordinate, were to burn the note in the yamen or tear it up and discard it, it would inevitably lead to misunderstandings, making people think that Prefect Jiao was passing information to outsiders.
"Your subordinate was just about to report to you, my lord, when Lord Hu arrived." Lin Feng did not need to say anything further. The furious Prefect Jiao returned to the Jiao residence and severely whipped Jiao Lianping. The last lash slipped, hitting Jiao Lianping's face and almost disfiguring him.
"It has been half a quarter of an hour since you returned from the yamen, Steward Lin. Why have you not mentioned the matter of the note?" Madam Chen couldn't help but interject. This was clearly Lin Feng's nonsensical excuse.
The truth must be that after Steward Lin saw the note, he arranged for someone to report to Lord Wei. Lord Wei, knowing that the Wei family's young master had caused great trouble, would certainly ask Lord Hu for leave.
Lord Hu knew that her husband was also at Yipin Tower at the time and had also caused trouble, which was why he informed her father, leading to the subsequent events.
"Enough, bring the note here," Prefect Jiao said in a deep voice. He trusted Lin Feng, but his daughter-in-law's words were not without merit. Regardless of what was written on the note, Lin Feng should have informed him.