Chapter 258 Trial 2
Xuan Bing glanced at the trembling servant sandwiched between two guards and slowly spoke:
"It seems that Madam Tian wants to see our methods. The old man probably can't withstand torture, so we'll use the son instead. We'll start with the fingers, breaking them off one by one. After that, we'll cut them off. Then we'll do the toes. If he still doesn't tell the truth, we'll gouge out his eyes. We'll gouge them out one by one in a hurry. Be gentle, don't kill him."
Before Xuanbing could finish speaking, several more people fainted from fright.
Tian Niangzi was also terrified. When she came to her senses, she cried and tried to rush over to save her son, but she was held back by the guards and could not move at all.
Xuanbing frowned and said with a reluctant expression, "Isn't this too bloody? How about we drag him inside and do it, so as not to frighten innocent people."
Several guards immediately dragged the terrified servant into a side room next door.
Xuan Bing stared coldly at Tian Niangzi, not in a hurry to ask any questions.
Granny Wu watched Tian Niangzi nervously from the side.
Soon, the servant's heart-wrenching screams came from inside.
Finally, Madam Tian couldn't bear it any longer and shouted hoarsely, "Don't do it! Don't hurt my son! I'll confess, I'll confess everything! It was... it was Granny Wu from Madam Qiao's side!"
"Madam Tian! I treated you well before, but don't forget that your two daughters' marriages were arranged by our madam. If you've done anything shameful, don't try to pin it on others."
If you keep talking nonsense here, not only will your wife not let your son off the hook, but your two sons-in-law will not let him off the hook either!
Yes, and your two daughters too. You should think about your children's future and not let your mistakes drag them down with you.
Granny Wu interrupted Madam Tian's words sternly, and Madam Tian naturally understood.
Granny Wu chose Lady Tian because she was greedy for money, and most importantly, she genuinely loved her children. She had a weakness that made her easy to manipulate.
But Wu Mama never expected that the people from the General's Mansion would also target her weakness. Seeing her own flesh and blood being crippled, how could a mother remain calm?
In desperation, Granny Wu could only secretly remind Madam Tian.
Xuanbing could easily understand the implication in Granny Wu's words. However, he was not in a hurry. He ordered his men to keep an eye on these people and then turned and left the courtyard.
After leaving Mingyue Residence, Lu Yunqi went to the outer courtyard, where a subordinate returned to report:
"General, we have already sent someone on horseback to deliver the message overnight. According to the news that Lord Bo sent back yesterday, the disaster relief in Qi County has begun to come to an end. As long as Lord Bo receives our message, he can ride back as fast as he can."
Lu Yunqi nodded in satisfaction, then asked another subordinate:
"Did you bring Granny Wu's two sons?"
The subordinate replied, "General, they have been brought here. As you instructed, we disguised ourselves as servants of the Earl's mansion and said that Granny Wu had asked the two brothers to come to the mansion for a meeting. We didn't say anything about the matter. When no one was around, those two foolishly asked, 'Is the lady in your mansion dying?'"
Lu Yunqi's lips curled into a cold smile: "What did you reply?"
Subordinate: "I told them I was working in the outer courtyard and didn't know what was going on inside, but Granny Wu didn't seem upset. Those two seemed quite happy after hearing that, so they came along, and now they're pressing down on Steward Lu."
Lu Yunqi: "Interrogate directly; if they don't confess, use torture."
By the time Xuanbing arrived, Lu Yunqi had already finished interrogating them. He ordered his men to escort the two men into the inner courtyard.
Without Granny Wu by her side, Madam Qiao felt lost and anxious, as if she had lost her backbone. She wanted to send someone out to deliver the message, but her people couldn't even leave the main gate of the Earl's mansion. She was helpless, as if trapped in a cage. This made her somewhat numb when she saw Lu Yunqi carrying two bloodied people over.
Lu Yunqi walked up to Madam Qiao and said, "Madam Qiao, would you like to come in and take a look together?"
Mrs. Qiao hurriedly followed them inside.
In the courtyard, the servants saw a group of soldiers striding in and thought they were about to be whipped again, so they started to stir in fear. Some of them recognized the leader as Lu Yunqi, the third son-in-law, and wanted to cry out for justice, but they opened their mouths but dared not speak.
Lu Yunqi ordered his men to put down Wu Mama's two sons. Wu Mama first saw Qiao Shi and was about to rush over in grief and anger when she saw the two blood-soaked figures thrown on the ground. They seemed familiar, and after staring at them for a long time, she finally recognized them as her two sons, Shengcai and Shengwang. She was completely dumbfounded.
She screamed and lunged forward, but was stopped by the guards beside her.
Xuanbing took out the testimonies that the Shengcai and Shengwang brothers had just given and read them aloud to everyone. Neither of them were tough, and they quickly confessed everything they knew, including the fact that Qiao had said more than once at her parents' home that she wanted to kill Su.
Wu Mama tried to argue, but Xuanbing used the same trick again, continuing to torture her two sons in front of Wu Mama. The two sons, who had just been whipped, still had the strength to howl loudly.
Hearing her two sons' piercing cries, Granny Wu could no longer hold back and shouted:
"I confess! It was me, I did it all by myself!"
I am my wife's wet nurse. I accompanied my wife into this manor. For so many years, the master has been away for most of the year. My wife has managed the entire manor by herself, raising the children and taking care of the old lady. She has worked hard, if not meritorious. Why is it that as soon as Su Shi comes back, my good wife is demoted to a secondary wife and is always inferior to Su Shi?
This old servant couldn't bear to see my lady suffer so much, so I secretly bribed Madam Tian and arranged for her to work as a handyman at Mingyue Residence, so that I could find an opportunity to sabotage Su's food.
Hehehe! Come at me with whatever you want, it was all my doing, it has nothing to do with anyone else!
After Wu Mama finished speaking, the servants in the courtyard fell silent. Although Lu Yunqi had already guessed what had happened, hearing Wu Mama say it herself still made him so angry that he wanted to immediately order someone to drag this old hag to his mother-in-law and kill her.
Granny Wu, on the contrary, was not so afraid. She glanced coldly at the people in the courtyard, then looked at Madam Qiao, who was crying her eyes out, and couldn't help but feel a surge of sorrow:
"Madam, everything was done on my own initiative and has nothing to do with you. I can no longer accompany you. You will have to live your own life from now on. As for my two good-for-nothing sons, I beg you to take care of them in the future, for the sake of our past relationship. I will be eternally grateful."
After saying that, Granny Wu rushed towards the pillar next to her without hesitation, her speed so fast that no one could react.
Unfortunately, the person standing next to her was not an ordinary person, but a well-trained guard from the general's mansion, who instantly blocked her from the pillar.
Granny Wu felt a buzzing in her head, as if she had hit a springy pillar and been bounced back instantly. She fell to the ground in a disheveled state, clutching her buttocks and wincing in pain.
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