Chapter 29 Turning the Tables
Madam Qian was already beaten so badly that her skin was torn and she was in excruciating pain. When she heard the bailiffs shout that Manager Liu and Zhang Jiulang had both confessed, she was immediately terrified.
"He lied. The method of falsifying accounts was suggested by Manager Liu, and he usually took the lion's share."
These words confirmed all of Song Yi's accusations.
Although she had already heard her daughter say it once and was somewhat prepared, hearing Qian's mother say it aloud still caused Song Yi a heart-wrenching pain.
It turns out she really had been fooled by the people she trusted and was close to for so many years.
She's the biggest idiot in the world.
"Why? Madam Qian, I have always treated you well. I have never lacked food, clothing, or other necessities, and I have never shortchanged you on money."
Song Yi looked at Qian's mother with teary eyes.
Mrs. Qian avoided eye contact, not daring to meet her gaze.
No matter how good Song Yi was to her, it couldn't compare to the fact that her whole family's indentures were in Madam Zhang's hands.
The temptation of Madam Zhang promising to restore her status as a free person was too great.
Song Yi didn't get an answer and wanted to ask more, but was interrupted by Lord Wei's light cough.
"Drag Qian away first, and bring Manager Liu up."
The same method was used on Manager Liu and Zhang Jiulang, and in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, all three of them confessed.
Lord Wei ordered his men to bring all three of them up.
"Now I'm giving the three of you only one chance to tell me how the embezzled funds have been distributed and where they've gone over the years."
Whoever confesses first will have their punishment reduced. I'll count to three, and whoever speaks first will get their sentence reduced.
Having said that, he held up one finger.
"three."
Then he held up another finger, "Two."
Li Nanke looked at Lord Wei stretching out his fingers one by one and felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Where have I seen this before?
Before Lord Wei could even utter a shout, Madam Qian struggled to crawl forward one step.
He shouted loudly, "I confess!"
Not to be outdone, Manager Liu spoke first.
"They were all given to Madam Zhang."
Mrs. Qian looked displeased and quickly agreed.
"Yes, yes, they were all given to Madam Zhang of the Song family."
Lord Wei frowned.
Who is Madam Zhang?
Slow to react, Zhang Jiulang cried out, "Madam Zhang is my aunt, the wife of Minister Song, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites."
These words from the three people were undoubtedly adding insult to injury for Song Yi.
She had just accepted the painful truth that Manager Liu and Aunt Qian had conspired to swindle her out of money when she was told that the mastermind behind the fraud was her stepmother, Madam Zhang.
For a moment, Song Yi felt as if the sky was about to fall. Her body trembled violently, and she suddenly hunched over.
It's like a person suddenly losing all the bones that support her.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out; it sounded like thunder was constantly booming in her ears.
Every thunderclap is a testament to that one sentence.
"The money was all given to Mrs. Zhang."
"It was Madam Zhang who ordered us to do this."
It turns out that the so-called "treating each other like family" and the deep mother-daughter bond were nothing but a superficial joke.
Her stepmother not only fooled her with her clothes and appearance, but also secretly plotted to take her money.
This was the only dowry her biological mother left her.
Did the stepmother swindle the dowry away in an attempt to drive the entire family of three to their deaths?
Song Yi covered her mouth and sobbed, almost collapsing to the ground. She felt an indescribable chill that made her shiver.
Just then, two chubby little hands tightly gripped her arm.
Li Nanke's youthful and crisp voice rang out.
"Mother, don't cry, Ke'er is here."
Song Yi looked over with teary eyes and met her daughter's bright, clear eyes.
With a serious look on her round face, she held her tightly in her little arms, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "With Ke'er here, everything will be alright, Mother, don't be afraid."
"If we get our maternal grandmother to confront us, we can get our family's money back and save Father."
Warm breath flowed into my ears, like a ray of light dispelling the rumbling thunder in them.
The warmth reached her heart and dispelled all the coldness from her body.
Yes, Ke'er received guidance from the fairy godmother. With Ke'er around, everything will be alright.
Didn't they survive the dangerous crisis of having their homes raided and being exiled safely?
In an instant, Song Yi seemed to regain her strength from her very bones and blood, and she wiped away her tears with trembling lips.
Unfortunately, as soon as I wiped it off, it was smeared all over my face again, as if it could never be cleaned.
She stopped wiping altogether and sobbed, "Please, Your Excellency... I want... a confrontation with Madam Zhang."
Lord Wei took a deep look at the mother and daughter who were leaning against each other, nodded and gave instructions to the yamen runners.
"Go to the Song family immediately and ask Madam Zhang to come for a confrontation."
When Madam Zhang received the notice from the yamen runners of Bianjing Prefecture, she was completely bewildered, not understanding how she could be facing a lawsuit while sitting peacefully at home.
Thinking of how Qian Mama and Manager Liu had tricked Song Yi into selling the shop with Zhang Jiulang earlier that day, a chill ran down her spine.
He slipped some money to the yamen runners in Bianjing Prefecture, hoping to get some information.
The yamen runners of Bianjing Prefecture resolutely refused to accept the money, saying, "Lord Wei is a strict ruler; please don't harm us, Madam."
Madam Zhang looked embarrassed and could only follow him to Bianjing Prefecture with trepidation.
Upon arriving at the courtroom, they saw Mama Qian, Manager Liu, and Zhang Jiulang kneeling on the ground, with Song Yi standing beside them, her face pale and her eyes swollen like peaches.
I had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
Instead of directly paying his respects to Lord Wei, he first pulled Song Yi aside with a look of heartache.
“My son, why did you end up in the yamen? Who bullied you? Tell your mother, and I will stand up for you.”
Song Yi stared blankly at her stepmother, who always looked at her with a loving smile, and couldn't help but shiver with cold again.
How can someone hide their true nature so well, completely concealing a vicious and wicked heart with their usual kind smile?
She instinctively pushed her hand away, took a step back, and pursed her lips, refusing to speak to Madam Zhang.
Madam Zhang frowned almost imperceptibly.
Lord Wei, who was sitting in the hall, said, "We invited Madam Zhang here for a confrontation."
These two embezzled money from Lady Song's shop and colluded with Zhang Jiulang to engage in forced buying and selling. All three confessed that everything was done under your orders, and that the money was given to you. Is this true?
Madam Zhang's expression changed slightly, and she naturally denied it outright.
"...You can inquire about my character. I raised my stepdaughter from a young age and have always treated her with utmost care and kindness, never mistreating her in the slightest."
If I wanted to take her dowry, I could have simply refused to give her the dowry shop when she got married. Why resort to such despicable means to fight for it?
That makes some sense.
Lord Wei raised an eyebrow.
"So, you're saying that the Qian family and Manager Liu framed you?"
Madam Zhang pressed a handkerchief to the corner of her eye, her eyes red and swollen, and looked at Song Yi with a sad expression.
He spoke as calmly and unhurriedly as usual, but then immediately turned the tables and accused the culprit.
"Aunt Qian and Manager Liu are both your people, I don't know why they would say that. Is it because your son-in-law was punished and you urgently need to pay the fine?"
Good child, if you don't have enough money, just come to your mother. I will do everything I can to raise the money for you, even if it means selling everything I own.
Why make things difficult for Aunt Qian and Manager Liu, making them help you lie?
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