Chapter 114: The Notorious Shrew
"It's nothing, let's go take a look." Jingwu covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief as he walked out, saying this.
Seeing her insistence, the magistrate didn't say anything more and directly ordered people to prepare a carriage, and the group headed to Lu Sheng's house.
Although Lu Sheng's family had fallen on hard times, they still lived on the most bustling street.
The carriage stopped in front of a dilapidated house. Jingwu got out of the carriage and was greeted by a scene of utter devastation.
The gate was rickety and overgrown with weeds, which could be seen through the cracks.
Just as Jingwu was about to step forward and push the door open, he saw his cousin and Yue Huai step forward at the same time and push the door open.
She looked at the two of them with suspicion, and keenly sensed that the atmosphere between them was not right. Just as she was about to speak, she heard her cousin speak.
"Awu, slow down. The grass is too thick. There might be some stones that you could trip over." Shao Chengrui said as he walked inside first, reaching out to help her.
Jingwu nodded and followed him inside, saying, "It's alright, cousin, no need to help me."
Shao Chengrui stopped insisting and went ahead to clear the way.
Meanwhile, Yue Huai walked behind Jing Wu, protecting him.
Yan Shengming looked at this and then at that, and with a keen eye, he noticed something. He then put his hands behind his back, gave a knowing smile, and walked at the very back.
As soon as the group entered the house, several beggars heard the commotion and came out of the house.
Upon seeing that they were a few unfamiliar young people, they assumed they were new buyers and immediately began to threaten them.
"Where did these people come from, daring to occupy our territory? Don't they know the difference between first come, first served?" The leader of the beggars had a long scar on his face and a very fierce look in his eyes.
Upon hearing this, the magistrate immediately stepped out from behind them, pointing at the beggars and cursing.
“This is no place for you! You’ve been occupying our territory for years, and you still dare to delay the county government’s investigation?! I’ll have you all arrested and given a good beating.”
Upon seeing that it was the county magistrate, the lead beggar immediately changed his expression, forcing a smile and saying, "I didn't know it was you. I was just afraid someone would break in and erase all the evidence."
"Bullshit! I know exactly what you're thinking. Get out of here now." The magistrate said coldly, shooing the people out.
After seeing that the beggars had all left, he turned around and said to the girl with a smile, "Master, please come in."
Jingwu nodded, looked around, and walked towards the main house.
She pushed open the creaking door and went inside, only to find that there were only a few broken pieces of furniture left in the room.
After looking around, she asked in confusion, "Sir, this courtyard has a main house, east and west wing rooms, and a wall. How did his neighbors see him walking towards my mother with a knife?"
The magistrate hesitated for a moment, then coughed and said, "That man was a voyeur. Although Madam Lu was in her forties at the time, she was plump and very beautiful, so he set his sights on her. Every night he would climb over the wall and hide under that tree to watch Madam Lu bathe. That night, he had just climbed over when he saw Lu Sheng walking into the main room with a knife. He was afraid of being discovered, so he immediately climbed over the wall and ran away."
Jingwu twitched the corner of his mouth, somewhat speechless.
"But don't worry, Master, I have punished him according to the law."
Jingwu looked down at the dried bloodstains on the ground. She followed the footprints and walked into the east wing, stopping by the bed.
She frowned slightly, and looking down, she saw the paper that had fallen into the crack of the bed.
"Your Excellency, there is something in here."
"What?" Upon hearing this, the county magistrate immediately went over and looked down to examine it. Sure enough, he saw a piece of paper and reached out to take it.
Jingwu took two steps back, holding a handkerchief to her mouth and nose to prevent dust from entering.
The magistrate couldn't reach the paper even with his hand, so he ordered his men to dismantle the bed boards before he could get the paper.
He opened it and found it was a letter.
It's been so long that it's covered in dust, and many of the words are illegible.
The magistrate could only vaguely make out a few words, which looked like a nauseating love letter.
"This love letter must have been written by some girl to Lu Sheng. What does it say at the end?"
Jingwu took it and saw the densely written characters. He promptly handed it to his cousin beside him.
"Cousin, take a look, can you recognize the words on it?"
Shao Chengrui took it and carefully examined it from top to bottom, his brows furrowing more and more as he looked.
"This isn't a love letter. What girl would write 'Don't complain, don't search' in a love letter? This signature, is it Lou something Zhao?"
"Lou Xuezhao?" The magistrate blurted out the name, then his face turned very ugly: "Young master, take another look, isn't the middle character the same as the character for 'snow'?"
Jingwu raised an eyebrow, looking at the person in front of him with a leisurely air.
"It's completely obscured; I can't see it clearly," Shao Chengrui argued carefully before speaking.
"Who is Lou Xuezhao?" Jingwu asked.
"Yes, she is the daughter of the Lou family." The magistrate hesitated for a moment, then made up his mind and said, "The Lou family is the wealthiest merchant family in our area. They only have one daughter, Lou Xuezhao, who is a well-known shrew in our area. Within a month of her marriage, she had her husband's family completely under her thumb. If she says go east, her husband's family would never dare to go west."
He then said, "There must be a mistake. Miss Lou wasn't here more than ten years ago. She grew up at her maternal grandparents' house. She only came back when she was getting married. At that time, Lu Sheng had already been in prison for two years. How could she possibly know Lu Sheng?"
Jingwu took the paper, examined it carefully, and then asked, "Where is Lou Xuezhao now?"
The magistrate paused for a moment, as if recalling the location.
After a long pause, she finally spoke, "She married a merchant and seems to live in a villa not far from here."
"Let's go take a look."
The magistrate hesitated before saying, "Master, if you really want to go, then be prepared, she might chase you away with a broom."
Jingwu raised an eyebrow, showing some interest: "Alright, let's go."
The magistrate had no choice but to leave with his men.
As soon as Jingwu stepped out, he was stopped by a luxurious carriage.
She was displeased, but her eyes remained calm as she watched the woman alight from the carriage.
The woman, with her chin held high, wearing a brocade dress adorned with a hundred flowers and a head full of crimson and jade ornaments, swayed as she walked toward them.
"Your Excellency, it's been over ten years, and you're still investigating this case?"
She spoke with a raised tone, quite disdainfully.
The magistrate forced a smile and said, "Madam Du, the truth of this case will eventually come to light."
The person in front of her was Du Baizhi, who was a perfect match for Lu Sheng and almost became his wife. After the incident at Lu Sheng's family, she recruited a son-in-law to live with them within two months.
"cut."
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