Chapter 204 He was both annoyed by her cold-heartedness and unable to let go.

After the midwife finished her examination, it was Magpie's turn, a third-class maid from Mulan Courtyard.

The magpie cried and wailed, and soon confessed everything.

After Yao Qingling gave birth, her head maid had too many things to do, so she promoted several maids.

She wasn't among the maids who were promoted.

The magpie was very unhappy.

At this moment, Sujuan, the sister beside Yao Qingqi, gave her a bag of silver, saying that as long as she put something in Yao Qingling's incense, she would not only get silver, but also be able to get her indenture back in the future.

Magpie thought that once she had the money, she could retrieve her indenture, take the money back to her hometown, and get married.

"...My lord, my lady, I was bewitched! I didn't know the powder they added was harmful. Sujuan told me it was just a drowsy drug, and I thought it wouldn't be too serious. I didn't know!"

The magpie realized the seriousness of the situation and cried and begged for mercy, its face covered in snot and tears.

Yao Qingling sat in the chair, coldly watching the magpie kowtow to her, admitting her mistake and begging for forgiveness.

She gently pulled her foot back so the magpie wouldn't touch her shoe.

How could you think that she was kind, soft-hearted, and easy to talk to, and that if you cried and admitted your mistake, she would forgive and forget about it?

Qingling believed she had always treated her servants well. Since she became able to make decisions, the servants who followed her received more monthly pay than those in other courtyards.

Not long ago, she even increased their silver.

But Magpie, for a hundred taels of silver, did something to murder her master. How can such a person be forgiven? Do you really think she's a bodhisattva?

The two constables forcibly dragged the magpie away.

Qingling lowered her eyes, looking calmly at the tips of her shoes. The magpie's screeching faded into the distance, and her expression remained serene.

It was as if that person had nothing to do with her.

Zhan Xingzhuo observed her from the side.

The magpie had followed her for many years and had done its best, but once she deemed it a betrayal, she wouldn't even glance at it, and she felt it was dirty to even touch it.

He couldn't help but think of himself.

Despite her intense dislike for him, Yao Qingling refused to even glance at him, and even in the most critical moments, she would rather beg others than utter a single word to him.

In her eyes, was he also such a filthy person?

But...but...

The man's eyebrows furrowed tightly.

Yao Qingling was asking for too much and lacked common sense.

Apart from Zhou Zhining, no other woman could receive the same level of care from him, yet she was still not satisfied and instead harmed him.

How is she any different from that magpie?

Thinking of this, a fire ignited in the man's heart.

I despise her indifference, her ungratefulness, and her heartlessness.

If he hadn't arrived in time, who knows how many corpses would be lying in this courtyard, and it would be questionable whether she could even sit here safely.

She showed him no gratitude whatsoever, not even a thank you.

It was as if he owed her something, and everything he did was what he was supposed to do.

Zhan Xingzhuo's chest heaved, just like his mood at that moment, rising and falling, thinking one thing one moment and another the next.

But after thinking it over, he felt both annoyed by her coldness and indifference, and unable to let go of her.

The man seemed tired and rubbed his temples.

He tried to concentrate on listening to Magistrate Gao's trial, but he couldn't help but glance at Yao Qingling out of the corner of his eye.

Ah, what about Lin Shiyuan?

Doesn't she think he's a good person?

Isn't it true that she values ​​him, but her eyes are only on that other man?

Oh, that pretty boy was just using her. Once he had another chance to be an official, he would immediately part ways with her.

The Prince of Xin wrote that Lin Shiyuan is now a senior official in the Ministry of War.

Naturally, he looked down on her, a divorced woman.

Yao Qingling felt a gaze following her like a shadow, like a fly staring at her.

It annoyed her to no end.

She didn't understand.

Zhan Xingzhuo should have gone to see Zhou Zhining as soon as he returned to Beijing. Why is he here?

She didn't need him to save her at all.

Even if he doesn't show up, she will.

His stare made it hard for her to concentrate, and she had something else on her mind to think about.

Fortunately, it was Magistrate Gao who was handling the case, and the maids Taoye, Louyue, and Xiachan were all articulate and explained the whole story clearly.

At this moment, Xia Chan was explaining how she discovered that blood-activating drugs had been added to the incense.

"...When I'm on night duty, I like to do some needlework. One night, I accidentally cut my finger with scissors, but I didn't pay much attention to it at the time. However, my wound has been slow to heal. I've always been healthy, so this little cut should have healed long ago."

"Then I consulted the physician He Yin. He Yin suspected that I might have taken any blood-activating medicine, but I hadn't. He Yin then thought of Miss Qing Ling."

"She nearly suffered a postpartum hemorrhage during childbirth, but the doctors managed to stop the bleeding in time. In the following days, her body recovered. But suddenly, the bleeding started again."

"He Yin suspected that her mistress's medicine had been tampered with because of the maid's wound. From this, she discovered the incense in the incense burner."

"The incense was mixed by He Yin. It was supposed to dispel the smell of blood in the room and clean the air, but she added blood-activating powder. Since the room was closed, prolonged exposure to the incense made the wounds unable to heal..."

With witnesses and physical evidence readily available, the case quickly came to an end.

Prefect Gao slammed his gavel and asked Yao Qingqi if she pleaded guilty. Yao Qingqi was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground and could only cry.

"Madam Yao, Yao Qingqi, I ask you two, why did you want to kill Yao Qingling? She was your closest relative, how could you do something like killing your own flesh and blood?"

Holding Yao Qingqi in her arms, tears streaming down her face, Ma glared at Yao Qingling with hatred: "You ask me why?"

"Yao Qingling gave birth to an illegitimate child, ruining the reputation of the Marquis's mansion. A woman who returned to the mansion after a divorce should have died the moment she arrived. As the wife of the Marquis, what's wrong with me cleaning up the house and protecting the mansion's honor?"

"Lord Gao, if your daughter did such a thing, would you allow her to live and act so ostentatiously? Do you think it would bring you honor?"

"Now that the scandals within my manor have been laid bare before the world, how can I bear this?"

Madam Ma insisted that she was acting for the sake of the Marquis's reputation, not to seize Yao Qingling's valuables.

As long as she sticks to this point, the old lady and the Marquis of Zhongyong will plead with the prefect for her sake, considering everything she does for the Marquis's mansion.

Prefect Gao glanced at Yao Qingling and saw that her face was cold and her lips were tightly pursed. He then looked at Zhan Xingzhuo and his expression became even more unpleasant.

It was obvious at a glance that Zhan Xingzhuo had been misled by Ma's words and thought the child wasn't his.

At this moment, Zhan Xingzhuo felt as if he had been on a sea of ​​fire one moment and on a glacier the next. A surge of anger rushed to his head, making his head feel like it was about to explode.

A bastard?

He glared at Yao Qingling.

After that night at Yongning Temple, she disappeared for more than ten days, leading him to believe she was dead. He even set up a mourning hall for her!

Zhan Xingzhuo could no longer bear it. If that child was truly an illegitimate child, then he would truly regret coming to save her.

She and that child would be better off dead!

"Yao Qingling!" he shouted, glaring at her intently. He was so angry that his body was tense and trembling slightly, as if he wanted to tear her to pieces.

Yao Qingling finally turned her gaze to him, but only said the calmest sentence: "Minister Zhan, Prefect Gao is currently handling a case, so no loud noise is allowed."

Zhan Xingzhuo was so angry he almost fainted. He jumped up and took a few steps to Qing Ling, but before he could get close to her, Nie Yun blocked him.

Zhan Xingzhuo's personal guards also stepped forward, and the two sides confronted each other, with war about to break out.

Prefect Gao cleared his throat and said to Madam Ma, "As far as I know, the child born to Yao Qingling is the second son of the Duke's mansion. This has also been acknowledged by the Grand Princess of Deyang. With the Grand Princess's wisdom, she would never acknowledge a bloodline that does not belong to the Duke's mansion, much less protect it."

"Madam Yao, stop talking nonsense. Otherwise, I will add another charge of defamation to your list!"