Liu Baishi immediately denied it, stating that he had not visited Baohetang that year, nor had he bought medicine there. He had only heard that the old doctor at Baohetang was highly skilled.
"With witnesses and physical evidence, it seems you won't confess without some torture. Come, twenty heavy planks first." As soon as the county magistrate finished speaking, yamen runners stepped forward. Seeing their murderous intent, Liu Baishi couldn't help but panic. He knew the magistrate's principle in handling cases: if he determined that a person committed the crime, he would beat them until they confessed.
Seeing that the situation was developing unfavorably for him, he quickly raised his head and shouted, "My lord, I'll talk, I'll talk..."
The county magistrate waved his hand and looked at him with a stern expression. Liu Baishi hesitated for a moment, then pointed at the shocked Ren Jiajia, "It was her, it was all her doing."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Ren Jiajia could hardly believe her ears. Before the county magistrate had even resorted to torture, he had pushed her out. They had shared a bed for so many years and had two children. Did he not know that the future of a child whose mother was a murderer would be ruined? Su Dan Novel Network.
"I'm not talking nonsense, it was all this woman's doing. We've known each other since we were young and have been in contact ever since. Back then, she was unmarried and I was unmarried. I once thought of marrying her, but she felt our family was too poor and was unwilling. Later, she married into the Ouyang family through Master Li, and I, under her arrangement, successfully entered the Li family and eventually became the Li family's son-in-law.
Originally, I had a happy family, with sensible parents-in-law, a gentle and virtuous wife, and a lovely daughter. It was this woman who kept sending me letters." Liu Baishi had been regretting it recently, already harboring dissatisfaction with her. If she hadn't kept in touch with him after her marriage, perhaps he wouldn't have made those mistakes. Li Shiqin wouldn't be causing him trouble now, and he would still be the master of the Li family, living a leisurely life.
"I kept in touch with you? I don't know who kept complaining to me that Li Jinyu was too domineering and never let you manage the shop. Don't think I don't know that you killed all the members of the Li family.
Why is Li Siqin always targeting you? You and Chunlan kept it a secret, but I've guessed most of it. Back then, you sent someone to fetch her, but unexpectedly, news of her death arrived. If my guess is correct, you probably wanted to kill her back then, but unexpectedly, she's now retaliating." Ren Jiajia didn't expect that the man who claimed to care for her would be the first to betray her. Knowing she wouldn't have a good outcome, she didn't hide anything for him, deciding they would go to hell together.
"My lord, I am wronged. These are all her speculations. Seeing that I exposed her crimes, she decided to drag me down with her. Her husband was clearly fine back then. It was she who threw off his quilt in the middle of the night, causing him to catch a cold after freezing all night. She then ordered her personal maid to buy medicine from the pharmacy and personally added it to his cold medicine before giving it to him to drink." Recalling these events, Liu Baishi felt a sense of pride. Back then, she had repeatedly said she was afraid and dared not administer the poison, asking him to do it. At that time, he had considered that if things went wrong, he would be the culprit. Using the excuse that it was inconvenient to enter the manor, he had declined. Now, he couldn't help but feel fortunate.
What he could figure out, Ren Jiajia also understood, and couldn't help but feel a chill in her heart. She hadn't expected this man to be so calculating. Back then, they were both young, yet he had already considered this scenario. She blamed herself for being infatuated, for not being content with a husband who deeply loved her and instead following him.
Was it because in her youth she was jealous that Li Jinyu could effortlessly have everything, while she, even living in the Li family, was not a legitimate young lady and had to be cautious in everything she did, living under someone else's roof? This made her desperately want to snatch everything that belonged to her. Come to think of it, this was indeed her thought back then.
"Back then, Liu Baishi was just a small shop assistant in the Li family. For him to be favored by the Li family couple was entirely his scheme. He had his heart set on me, yet he courted the Li family's young lady, making people mistakenly believe he was deeply in love with the Li family's young lady. When he came to Yangcheng, he incited me to harm my husband, saying he would marry me soon. At that time, my cousin was still alive. Why was he so certain? There must be something hidden. I implore your lordship to investigate thoroughly."
With Liu Baishi's astuteness, he might have already destroyed the evidence, but she knew that Li Siqin was watching this situation intently. Upon hearing this news, Liu Baishi would surely not have a good life. Ren Jiajia was never one to be trifled with. Back when she lived in the Li mansion, she was jealous that the Li couple always favored their biological daughter. So she poisoned Li Jinyu's tea.
Eventually, it was discovered. Although she wasn't expelled, she was hastily married off to the Ouyang family. For so many years, she had harbored resentment towards the Li family couple. Now, looking back, they had actually treated her well. Although she wasn't as favored as her cousin, for an orphan like her, who had lost her parents' protection, she at least didn't have to worry about food or clothing, and she learned everything she needed to.
On the contrary, following Liu Baishi, although outwardly glorious, the internal situation was clear to both of them. Liu Baishi appeared gentle, but in reality, he was the most selfish, just like this time, when faced with trouble, he pushed her out first.
Anyway, the Liu family was about to fall. With Liu Baishi's exposure, she wouldn't be able to survive either, so she decided to go all out. Did he think he could live well without her? He was too naive.
The crowd outside erupted in discussion. They hadn't expected there to be a hidden story behind the deaths of the Li family couple and Li Jinyu. Back then, they had thought Liu Baishi's luck was too good. Not only did he marry a renowned beauty in Yangcheng, but after the beauty's death, he smoothly inherited the Li family, then married a beautiful wife and concubines, with sons and daughters. They never imagined it was filled with schemes and wicked hearts.
The county magistrate also didn't expect the matter to be so heinous. He thought Liu Baishi was merely ungrateful, but he never expected him to be so ambitious.
Naturally, the couple never returned to the Liu family. Liu Baishi vehemently denied everything, confident that Ren Jiajia had no evidence and the county magistrate couldn't convict him. However, Wu Caiwei was very helpful and directly presented the evidence in court.
With the evidence laid out, Liu Baishi finally gave up his struggle. His thoughts flashed back twenty years, to when everyone assumed the Li family couple had died suddenly. In reality, he had been plotting for several years.
Every day, he personally served the couple a bowl of soup. Although it appeared he hadn't tampered with it, his hands had already been stained with some colorless and odorless medicinal powder. While serving the soup, he subtly touched the soup with his finger when no one was looking, and then calmly served it to them. Under the nourishment of his slow-acting poison, the couple's health quickly deteriorated.