Jiang Jiaojiao: "..."
The old doctor is still as sharp as ever, so vigorous!
The rioting crowd: "..."
This scene doesn't seem quite right, but... Ouch! Good for you! Wasn't it this big idiot who jumped out and caused trouble just now?
Causing trouble at your own clinic? Serves you right!
The big, clumsy guy was grabbed by the ear and given a good beating by the old doctor.
The terrified big guy was beaten so badly he jumped up and down, but dared not fight back, and could only run away with his head in his hands.
"Tell me! Who sent you to cause trouble! If you don't tell me today, I'll beat you to death!"
"Ahhh—"
"Speak quickly!"
"Ahhh—Dad, I was wrong! Don't pull down my pants! I'm all grown up now! I'm not a little kid anymore! Ahhh—I'll talk, I'll talk, it was the third brother next door who sent me!"
"Tell me! What are you after?!"
"Ahhh—Dad! Dad! I was wrong! I was wrong! It was the third brother next door who said that if I made a scene and got Miss Jiang to confess, he would let me become the Third Prince's bodyguard!"
"Ahhh—Father! I confess! I've confessed everything!"
The big, clumsy guy was clutching his belt tightly, screaming in agony!
The old man finally stopped, threw the person in front of Jiang Jiaojiao, and looked at him with a disappointed expression. "My unfilial son may be stupid and clumsy, but he would never dare to lie to me! Nor would he dare to poison anyone!"
Having said that, he then shouted to the crowd, "What happened today was all nonsense from this unfilial son! 'Miss Jiang's medical skills are superb; she saved the children!'"
These words resounded like a thunderclap among the crowd.
So... the rumor was true?
Was the person who saved people and had medical skills really Miss Jiang?
The old doctor patted his chest and said, "I can guarantee you all that the poison was definitely not administered by Miss Jiang!"
"I am willing to become Miss Jiang's apprentice. If she poisons me, I will share the blame!"
He couldn't believe that a doctor who would casually offer miraculous pain-relieving remedies and antidotes could be the one who poisoned people.
The crowd fell silent instantly.
The old doctor came from a family of doctors, and he treated patients regardless of their social status or wealth, earning him a great reputation among the people.
He actually wants to become Miss Jiang's disciple?
Are you still willing to vouch for me with your own body?
Could it be... that Miss Jiang really wasn't the one who poisoned him?
Just then.
The boy suddenly pointed to a bearded man in the crowd, "I've seen you before!"
"You loitered around the entrance of Jinyoufang three times, and you—"
The boy fixed his gaze on the scholar. "Three days ago, you set up a letter-writing stall on the street in front of Jinyoufang."
One stone stirs up a thousand waves.
The onlookers finally regained their senses, especially the few scholars and women in the crowd. They looked at the well-behaved little girl in the boy's arms, and then at the big, silly guy squatting on the ground crying loudly.
They finally realized that they had been used.
Seeing that the people's expressions had wavered and their anger had subsided, Jiang Jiaojiao knew this was the opportune moment. She suddenly spoke up, "You want justice, don't you? I'll bring everything! We'll go to the government office! I'll give the children justice!"
The guards, who had been watching closely and ready to act, swarmed forward and dragged out all the troublemakers.
And there was the scholar and the bearded man.
Even the old doctor's unfilial son, the big, simple-minded fellow, was brought along.
The crowd was in an uproar. They had been instigated and wronged Miss Jiang. Not only did Miss Jiang not make things difficult for them, but she also wanted to seek justice for the children.
We absolutely have to go and cheer on Miss Jiang!
So, a large group of people headed towards the government office.
In front of the government office.
People surrounded it, layer upon layer.
The people were outraged, and the prefect, under pressure from public anger, held a public trial.
There are simply too many children who have been victimized in this case.
Dozens of living children, even if they were homeless orphans, would be enough to cause a sensation, let alone the fact that it was said that two of them were missing persons.
The parents of the two children had gone through so much trouble to find them, only to be met with such devastating news. Unable to bear it any longer, they struck the grievance drum in front of the government office.
Those from Jinyoufang must pay with their lives for the child!
"That's too cruel! They don't treat children like human beings!"
"I heard that those children were living peacefully in the orphanage before being taken to the 'golden orphanage' where they suffered all kinds of torture, and now they've all been killed with poison! They're worse than animals!"
"The Jin family, for the sake of their reputation, disregarded human life! They must pay with their lives!"
"The orphanage is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites. So many lives have been lost; the Ministry of Rites must give the children an explanation!"
"The Ministry of Rites is under the jurisdiction of the Seventh Prince, and the Jin family is related to the Seventh Prince by marriage. They are in cahoots, birds of a feather!"
The crowd was outraged and furious.
In the main hall, the prefect pounded his fist repeatedly in alarm, shouting, "Silence! Silence!"
The enraged crowd simply couldn't calm down.
Xiangling, kneeling below the platform, was deathly pale and kept crying out her innocence, "I am innocent! I did not poison her!"
Xiangling kept repeating it, her whole body trembling.
She tasted every meal that passed through her hands, so there was no way it could be poisonous!
But the prefect wouldn't listen to her explanation at all.
He slammed his fist on the table repeatedly, demanding that she confess the truth!
If the enraged crowd hadn't been held back by the yamen runners, they would have loved to rush in and tear her to pieces.
Xiangling cried uncontrollably.
She genuinely loves those children and enjoys cooking for them; how could she possibly poison their food?
"Sir, this little wench is very stubborn; she won't confess without torture!"
"With so many people watching, the lord cannot be manipulated by a mere wench!"
The advisor leaned close to the official's ear and whispered, "The maids working at the restaurant are the most sharp-tongued. Only by getting them to talk can we catch the real culprit! His Highness... has high hopes for you, sir!"
The moment the words "Your Highness" were uttered, the prefect broke out in a cold sweat.
Good heavens!
Everyone says the prefect of Kyoto is three ranks higher than the governor, but! He's risking his life for this job!
If you just throw down a sign on the street, you could hit someone powerful or influential, and there are countless imperial relatives and nobles among them. What can a mere prefect of the capital do?
The prefect of Kyoto gritted his teeth and said, "I see you won't confess without torture! Guards—bring on the finger-crushing torture!"
"yes--"
The torture of finger-crushing involves clamping the ten fingers together with a bamboo rack and applying force. In mild cases, it causes physical pain, while in severe cases, the fingers can be crushed on the spot!
Fingers are connected to the heart; few prisoners can survive that.
Especially young girls like Xiangling.
Even an innocent person can utter ten sins!
Xiangling was filled with horror and struggled desperately, but this small woman couldn't break free. Her fingers were tightly gripped, awaiting only the order...
"I'm innocent!"
Xiangling continued to protest her innocence.
"Stubborn to the end! Use torture!"
At her command, the pain from her fingers, which were connected to her heart, caused Xiangling to let out a heart-wrenching scream.
"Ahhh—"
Amidst screams, an angry shout rang out from outside the hall, "Stop—"
A figure burst in from outside, kicking the executioner one after the other, and shouted angrily, "Does Your Excellency intend to extract a confession through torture?!"
Li Yunxuan held Xiangling tightly in his arms.
The prefect was so frightened he almost fell off his chair. Seeing Li Yunxuan in his military uniform, he shouted, "Who goes there?! How dare you trespass into the court!"
"I am General Weiyuan..."
With a "plop," the prefect fell flat on his backside. Only after he got up did he hear the second half of the sentence: "The... centurion under his command."
"You—you you you—"
The prefect was so angry that his beard trembled.
It scared him to death!
I thought he was the only son of General Weiyuan, the thirteenth young master, but he's just a centurion! How dare he break into the court and injure the yamen runners!
"Smack—"
The prefect steadied his official hat with one hand and slammed his gavel on the other, shouting, "Trespassing in the courtroom is a serious crime! Give him twenty strokes of the cane first!"
Li Yunxuan was not afraid at all.
"stop--"
Another shout rang out from outside the hall!
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