Chapter 69 Gathering Together
Tao Tao suddenly stood up, walked to Butler Wang who hadn't had a chance to speak yet, and said, "You can continue now."
Butler Wang glanced up to observe the expressions of the people behind her, especially His Highness the Crown Prince.
After realizing they had no objections, he hurriedly said, "It was Liang Yongsheng, who runs a funeral shop on West Street. He's the one who collected our Madam's body."
"Therefore, paper figures are funeral items. Liang Yongsheng happened to be here, so I asked him to help identify which family made the paper figure. He said it was made by Tao Tao, the young lady of the Tao family."
"This has absolutely nothing to do with me, Your Excellency. Please see the truth."
After saying this, Steward Wang began to kowtow, afraid that they would suspect him.
Tao Tao stroked her chin thoughtfully. How did he know that she made this paper figure?
By the way, many people saw her carrying the paper doll lantern that night, so it's not surprising that he knew. But West Street and South Street are in two different directions, so he wouldn't pass through South Street no matter what.
So how did he find out? Or was he intentionally trying to find out about me?
Thinking back on the things that happened with Liang Yongsheng before.
Previously at the Chen residence, he spoke extremely rudely, as if he hadn't brought his brain with him when he went out, and some friction occurred between him and this idiot.
Another matter is the matter of Liu Niangzi. She clearly promised to properly prepare Liu Niangzi's body for burial without charging any money, but later she broke up with Liu Niangzi because of Liu Rong's mistress.
Based on distance, Liu Rong should have invited the restaurant in the north of the city, but he chose the one in the far west of the city instead. Liang Yongsheng definitely gave up his offer.
This time, the Yang family in the north of the city did not choose Yongxiang Pavilion because of Liang Yongsheng.
The Yang family is wealthy, and given that it is the funeral of the First Madam, they should have held a grand and lavish ceremony, and there would have been no possibility of any sloppiness.
So why did they choose Leung Wing-sing?
Gao Shaoguang said, "Go and bring Liang Yongsheng from the funeral shop on West City Street."
The bailiff accepted the order and turned to take two more of his men with him, in case the suspect resisted.
Just as everyone was waiting, another person arrived at the door, surprising everyone present: Duan Gan, the current Chief of the Privy Council.
"This humble official greets Your Excellency, the General."
Gao Shaoguang went over to pay his respects again, looking rather miserable.
The man was dressed in a low-key black falcon-patterned casual suit. He was tall and slender, and his face was so handsome that it seemed to be smiling but not smiling. His phoenix eyes were large and black, with narrow, slightly upturned corners, giving him an elegant yet enigmatic look.
"What a coincidence that I'm meeting His Highness the Crown Prince here."
"Your subject, Duan Gan, greets Your Highness."
He clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and stood up abruptly before Qi Heng could speak.
Qi Heng smiled faintly: "Lord Duan is so busy with state affairs, yet he still has time to pay attention to such a small case. It is truly a blessing for our celestial dynasty to have such a loyal minister."
Tao Tao secretly glanced back and forth between the two of them, sensing a strange and unsettling atmosphere between them.
His Highness the Crown Prince's words were also somewhat sarcastic.
Duan Gan turned around and sat down on the right opposite him: "On my way here, I heard that the eldest daughter of the Sun family was murdered by her husband's family. Her death was tragic, and the reason was actually because of a concubine."
“In the Celestial Empire, favoring a concubine over one’s wife is a grave crime. I cannot bear to do it, so I have sent the Sun family here to face the Yang family in court and to properly explain the grievances of the Sun family’s eldest daughter.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than the guards of the Privy Council led the Sun family out.
As soon as Sun Lanci saw the Crown Prince, she quickly walked up to him, knelt down with a thud, and cried out, "Your Highness, please do justice for me!"
Qi Heng frowned slightly, her smile fading: "Get up quickly, just say what's on your mind."
Sun Lanci slowly stood up and began to recount the grievances her sister had suffered in the Yang family.
Seeing this, Tao Tao figured that it probably wouldn't concern her much afterward. Once Liang Yongsheng arrived and understood the situation, she would be able to leave.
Suddenly, she felt a cool gaze. She turned her head and saw that it was Duan Gan. She blinked at him.
Seeing that his expression seemed somewhat reproachful, she looked at him with a puzzled expression.
But not long after, he lowered his eyes and looked away.
This left her completely bewildered.
Qi Heng, standing to the side, took in the entire scene of the two men's actions. Listening to Sun Lanci's incessant chatter, he knew that the Sun family, from humble origins, were among those who supported him.
If that's the case, then it wouldn't hurt to punish the eldest daughter of the Sun family for dying because of a concubine.
He raised his hand, and Gao Shaoguang immediately stepped forward.
"Yang Zhengxian of the Yang family favored his concubine over his wife, violating the laws of the Celestial Empire. He was punished with ninety strokes of the cane. His concubine, Ye, did not distinguish between superior and inferior, which led to the unfortunate death of the matriarch of the Yang family. She was also beaten to death."
Yang Zhengxian looked up at the Crown Prince and Gao Shaoguang in shock.
Aunt Ye suddenly rushed out, crying and shouting, "Have mercy, Your Highness! The death of the First Madam really has nothing to do with me!"
"It's the paper figures causing trouble! It really is the paper figures causing trouble!"
Yang Zhengxian also hurriedly climbed out and said in a panic, "My lord! Your Highness, Ye Shi was with me that night, and she was pregnant. She would never have killed Madam Ye."
Just then, the guards from the Privy Council arrived with Liang Yongsheng.
Upon seeing this, he turned to look at Aunt Ye, who was kneeling on the ground crying incessantly, and a hint of pity flashed in his eyes.
Turning around, he found Tao Tao there as well, and immediately frowned.
"What are you staring at? Haven't you greeted His Highness the Crown Prince yet?"
Shen Lin stared at him solemnly, clearly displeased with his wandering gaze.
Liang Yongsheng snapped out of his daze and hurriedly knelt down, bowing his head in a flustered manner. "This humble subject, Liang Yongsheng, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince and all the officials."
Gao Shaoguang glanced back at Qi Heng, then stepped forward and asked, "How do you know that Tao Tao made the paper figures used in the Yang family's crime?"
“On the day of the Ghost Festival, I saw her walking on the street with a paper effigy. Paper effigies are the most taboo thing in funerals, so how could I let her use them like that? She was the only one doing so that night.”
“I took one look and remembered it well. Moreover, the people on the street have all seen it. You can summon him and ask him.”
Upon hearing this, Gao Shaoguang looked at Qi Heng.
"Just as Tao Tao herself said, she did indeed walk around the street with the paper figure that night."
Tao Tao stepped forward and looked into Liang Yongsheng's eyes, but for some reason he lowered his head and avoided her gaze.
"I have a solution. To be honest, the face powder on my paper effigy is not ordinary powder; it is specially made for the deceased and contains ingredients that prevent decay."
"But this cosmetic has a very pungent smell that even the strongest fragrances can't mask."
"Once someone has been in contact with it, their hands will definitely have that smell. Not only that, this cosmetic is also flammable. Once it gets on their clothes, the air around them can be ignited by following the scent."
As he listened to her, his eyelids twitched slightly, a very subtle movement.
If Tao Tao hadn't been staring at him, she wouldn't have noticed.
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