Chapter 51 The Sudden Death of the Servant
Madam Chang smiled through her tears, looking at her daughter with tender and loving eyes: "Mother doesn't ask for anything, I just hope that you children are all safe and sound. Your younger brother went to Songbai Academy and has already passed the exam. He will take it again next year. He is using your missing cousin's household registration. Your uncle handled the paperwork. From now on, he will be surnamed Chang and called Zhiyuan. Next time we meet, you will have to call him cousin."
"Cousin?"
Madam Chang nodded: "It's that cousin who went to sea. He hasn't returned home for four years. Your younger brother entered the academy under his name. Apart from your uncle and maternal grandparents, no one else knows about this. Your aunt has been ill for many years and is in poor health. She is often delirious and not very clear-headed. If your cousin were to come back, he would be eighteen or nineteen years old this year. It's a pity that there has been no news of him for so many years."
Lin Changning nodded and took out the silver he had saved: "I have saved a lot of money. I thought that my younger brother's schooling would also cost money, and my second brother's legs were not convenient, so he would have to take medicine for one or two years. So I brought it all back. Every few months, I will ask someone to bring some money home. Mother, please keep it safe."
Thinking of Erlang's leg, Changshi did not refuse this time. She took the cloth bag from Lin Changning and was about to say something when suddenly the neighing of horses and the screams of Wangshi and Niushi came from outside.
Lin Changning stood up abruptly and ran outside. For some reason, the horse went berserk, leaping high and trying to break free of the reins tied to the millstone. Er Ya and San Ya happened to be sitting in the carriage, and they screamed in fright, their little faces turning pale. Wang Shi and Niu Shi seemed to have pulled on the reins and were pulled to the ground.
Just as the horse's raised hooves were about to trample Niu Shi, Lin Changning quickly ran over, rescued his two sisters-in-law from under the hooves, and then grabbed the reins to restrain the horse, but the restless horse continued to go berserk.
Lin Changning slammed the horse to the ground, but the horse seemed to have gone completely mad, its hooves kicking wildly in the air.
Sensing that the horse was in a truly abnormal state, Lin Changning punched it on the head, and within moments, the horse was lifeless.
After letting go, the two guards in the east room also came out upon hearing the noise, rushing out without even properly putting on their clothes.
Lin Changning carried his two still-shaken nieces down from the carriage. His two sisters-in-law took the children, still somewhat frightened. Lin Changning glanced at Wan Jin.
"Sister-in-law, take Er Ya and San Ya to rest first. You were frightened today, so rest early to recover your strength."
"Oh dear, let's go now. Sixth Brother, are you alright?" Madam Niu asked, somewhat apprehensive.
Wang looked at the horse that Lin Changning had punched to death on the ground, and then looked at her.
Lin Changning shook his head: "I'm fine, sisters-in-law, don't worry, go and rest."
After he finished speaking and the others left, he and Wan Jin squatted down to examine the horse's condition.
Having spent a year at the horse farm, Wan Jin naturally knew how to spot abnormalities and illnesses in horses.
Wan Jin examined the horse's eyelids, then looked at the feed at home and scratched his head: "It doesn't seem like it's sick. Its eyes aren't red, and the feed is clean, so it doesn't seem like it accidentally ate hay. Strange, how could a perfectly healthy horse suddenly go crazy?"
Lin Changning looked at the horse with some uncertainty, then looked around to make sure there was nothing unusual before thoughtfully looking in the direction of Lin Erniu's house.
"Perhaps it's just a coincidence. Let's go back and rest. It's so late, and you've all been following me for days and you must be tired."
Upon hearing this, Wan Jin yawned and took Liu Zhuang back to the house. After several days of travel, he was indeed very tired.
The next day at noon
The sun was high in the sky, but Lin Changning was still lazing in bed. Er Ya and San Ya were also late getting up today because they had been frightened yesterday. Wan Jin and Liu Zhuang, on the other hand, got up early and helped with everything, such as fetching water and doing chores. Their two sisters-in-law were overjoyed and praised the two for being so diligent.
Lunch was ready. Sister-in-law Niu Er happily opened the curtain and called Lin Changning to eat: "Lunch is ready, Liu Lang. I made roast pork for lunch. Hurry up and wash up before eating."
Lin Changning changed into the blue robe left by her younger brother, woke up her two little nieces, and replied, "Get up, sister-in-law."
I had just finished dressing and was about to wash up when I heard the sound of horses galloping outside the courtyard.
"Giddy up! Whoa!"
A constable dressed in a dark blue, narrow-sleeved short-sleeved shirt rode his horse to a stop in front of Lin Changning's house. A long, slender goose-wing knife was clipped to his belt. He dismounted and entered the courtyard in a fluster.
"Commander Lin is here."
Lin Changning counted his mouthfuls and looked up: "I am Lin Changping, what is it?"
The constable bowed and stood up, looking somewhat anxious: "The constable you interrogated the day before yesterday died suddenly in prison yesterday. The magistrate sent me to inform you."
Lin Changning looked up, his gaze cold and stern: "Is the coroner here? Has the body been examined?"
The constable shook his head: "No, the magistrate sent me to ask you if you need to go to the county office."
Lin Changning nodded, took Mo Yun's hand, and said coldly, "Of course we have to go. Wan Jin, you come with me to the county government. Liu Zhuang, you stay home and take care of my mother and brother."
Upon hearing this, Wan Jin immediately followed, mounted his horse, and Liu Zhuang clasped his hands in greeting: "Yes, Commander."
The three men rode their horses and arrived at the county government office in less than half an hour. Lin Changning went directly to the prison with the men. When they arrived at the cell, the bailiffs who had been interrogated a few days earlier were lying in a pile of straw, their faces ashen and their bodies stiff. They had probably been dead for half a day.
Lin Changning frowned and asked the jailer, "When did the person die?"
The standing jailer pondered for a moment and said somewhat uncertainly, "He probably died last night, but I don't know the exact time. We finished our shifts at 5 PM yesterday and went home. When we came in this morning, we found that he was already dead. When we opened the door, the body was already stiff."
A coroner carrying a box walked up to Lin Changning from behind: "Sir, the magistrate has sent me to examine the body."
Lin Changning nodded, stepped aside to avoid the question, and asked after the body examination was completed, "When did you die?"
The coroner bowed and said, "He probably died suddenly around midnight last night."
Lin Changning frowned: "Is it poisoning or something else?"
The coroner shook his head: "His lips were bluish-black and there was white foam around his lips, but his limbs were upright. He should not have struggled before he died. We have already tried the silver needles and found no poisoning. He must have died suddenly."
Lin Changning looked at the jailer: "Did anyone come to visit yesterday?"
The jailer shook his head: "Apart from the people on duty, no one has come to visit for almost half a month."
The coroner examined the body again, hesitated for a moment, and then said to Lin Changning, "Sir, it may have been a sudden death caused by a stroke."
Lin Changning looked at the constable, who appeared to be around thirty years old, with disbelief. It seemed strange that someone around thirty years old would die suddenly from a brain hemorrhage after being locked up in prison for a few days.
With this person dead, the chain of evidence is broken, making it difficult to find evidence of those who colluded with the remnants.
Lin Erniu probably can't be suppressed to death. The key witness is gone, and there is no evidence of collusion with the enemy. At most, he can be punished with seventy strokes of the cane for accepting bribes.
Lin Erniu, a perfectly healthy man, suddenly died the day before his trial. The more I thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed, but there was no concrete evidence.
That's truly hateful!
Lin Erniu's house —
Lin Changxiao got up very early today, prepared the meal, called people to eat, and after they finished eating, he prepared to go to the prison to visit Lin Erniu.
After calling out a few times, Liu and Lin Changqing came out, but Fu Bao still didn't respond. Feeling something was wrong, Lin Changxiao went into his sister's room and was startled as soon as he entered.
Fu Bao lay on the bed, her fair face flushed, her face and body covered in sweat, which had already soaked the pillow.
Lin Changxiao was startled. He touched his sister's forehead and shouted, "Mother! Fu Bao has a fever! Quickly, go and get a doctor!!!"
After saying that, he prepared to go out and ask for help. These days, it's hard to raise children. A cold can be fatal, let alone a fever. Some people even become mentally disabled from the fever.
Hearing her brother's voice, Fu Bao opened her eyes groggily. She tried to speak but found that her throat seemed to be blocked. She tried to get up, but her whole body felt weak and sore.
Fu Bao, still wanting to say something, struggled to open her eyes, looking at her brother through teary eyes. Suddenly, the world spun around her, and she slowly closed her eyes, fainting...
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