Hearing this, Qin Qing understood everything and was even less inclined to waste time with them!
Meanwhile, two women in the crowd had witnessed everything. One of them turned and reported everything to the woman in the sedan chair not far away…
"Pfft! She really said that? Haha! This woman is indeed interesting! What she said makes perfect sense! In that case, I'm even more interested!"
Qin Qing had no idea that she was being watched. She looked at the prefect, her gaze gradually becoming serious.
"She said it was poisonous, but why are the people who bought the same bag of rice from her unharmed? I even suspect she poisoned it later, then drank it herself and framed me! Anyway, nobody knows which is true, so I can countersue her for deliberately framing me, right?!"
Upon hearing this, the woman on the ground immediately looked guilty and looked at the prefect in a fluster. The prefect was also surprised, staring at Qin Qing, but wondering how she knew.
Seeing this, Qin Qing didn't bother to say anything more.
"Don't even think about framing me later, saying that maybe there was something wrong with my rice, which is why you got poisoned?"
Before she could finish speaking, the woman on the ground's eyes lit up with joy! She shouted.
"My lord, listen! She herself admitted that there was something wrong with her rice! That's what caused my poisoning! My lord, please see the truth!!"
Seeing this, Qin Qing couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Seeing that the prefect also looked excited, she couldn't help but complain, "How come all the prefects are such idiots? Is there no one else in the court?"
However, she certainly couldn't say that directly.
"You audacious criminal! You..."
"Ahem! Don't be so happy, sir! I haven't finished yet!"
Just as the prefect was about to convict her, Qin Qing immediately interrupted him.
"You probably don't know where our rice comes from, do you?"
Where did the rice come from? The prefect looked at her disdainfully; no matter where it came from, she was doomed!
Qin Qing, however, remained calm and composed...
"The rice in my Qin family rice shop comes directly from the military camp. Three months ago, the soldiers worked hard in the fields during their breaks from training. Although the yield was not high, it was bought by a woman at a high price. If there is anything wrong with the rice, then you would probably arrest those soldiers in the camp..."
Upon hearing this, everyone gasped in shock, staring incredulously at the composed woman in the center of the hall. Even the prefect was stunned; he hadn't expected this woman to have connections with the military camp!
Thinking of this, he was about to ask to see the evidence when he saw Qin Qing take a ledger from the boy next to him, unfold it, and point it at the onlookers outside.
"Please look, everyone. This is the transaction record between me and the logistics battalion in the military camp. It clearly states that the military camp purchased one hundred shi of rice from the Qin family's rice shop! The fingerprints and seals are clearly visible!"
This has really stirred up a hornet's nest! The prefect jumped up from his chair, completely dumbfounded...
The woman on the ground paled, and the people began to discuss the matter with astonishment.
Seeing this, Qin Qing casually handed the account book to Qin Zifeng and looked up at the prefect with a smile.
The prefect's face darkened, but he didn't know how to speak. After a moment, he finally sat down angrily in his chair and roared!
"Outrageous! Zhu, how dare you report a false official and frame others! Guards, give him fifty strokes of the cane as a warning to others!"
The woman on the ground finally came to her senses and looked at the prefect in disbelief. Just as she was about to speak, the head constable next to her covered her mouth and dragged her outside!
Even though the woman struggled desperately, she couldn't overcome the head constable's strength, and she was dragged out with her eyes wide open. A moment later, heavy thuds and heart-wrenching screams came from outside, making everyone feel a pang of pain.
Before the prefect could continue to say that the child was innocent and released, Qin Qing calmly walked out of the hall with her granddaughter in tow!
The prefect was so angry that he sat in the courtroom with a contorted expression.
The crowd's attention was mostly drawn to the woman being beaten outside, and few noticed Qin Qing's departure...
Not far from the government office...
"Master! That old lady is out!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the woman in the sedan chair lifted the curtain and looked curiously at the three children and one adult not far away!
The woman was dressed in a gentle blue dress with a white belt around her waist. She had a shapely figure, fair and radiant skin, and a firm and kind gaze. She didn't look like someone who was almost forty years old as rumored!
In particular, her ordinary and calm demeanor set her apart from the other mistresses and ladies of high society in the capital.
Thinking of this, Princess Fuqu smiled and said.
"This person is quite interesting..."
As she was talking, her gaze inadvertently fell on the little girl Qin Qing was holding hands with. She looked to be about five or six years old, with a plump and chubby little body, and seemed to be well-fed!
The delicate and adorable little face showed no trace of the panic of surviving a disaster. Instead, it was filled with curiosity and exaggerated glances at the woman being beaten. The woman had two large buns tied up on her head, which looked quite festive...
In short, if the grandmothers hadn't spoken, they would probably have been mistaken for mother and daughter! She wasn't exaggerating at all; the woman looked so young, no one knew how she maintained her youth.
Even though she was the Emperor's own elder sister, forty-seven years old, only a few years younger than the woman, she looked much older...
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh! As she grew older, she felt increasingly powerless…
Just as she was about to lower the curtain with one hand, her eyes inadvertently caught sight of a very familiar, youthful face, which startled her! Her eyes widened slightly as she stared in astonishment at the fleeting face.
Then, she frowned, watching the boy's back as he turned and left. Her gaze gradually became serious, and her face was filled with solemnity!
No! Impossible! It must be her imagination, right? The world is so big, it's normal for people to look alike. Maybe she's just overthinking it.
Thinking about it, she unconsciously clenched her fist, lowered the curtain, and her expression gradually calmed down.
"Return to the manor!"
A deep command rang out, and Momo, who was standing to the side, immediately responded and waved her hand to let the sedan chair bearers carry the sedan chair, but she was very puzzled.
The princess had been praising the woman in her words, and she had just seemed to be in a very good mood, but suddenly she showed that expression, even a hint of fear. Had she seen something?
Then, Hongluan Momo couldn't help but turn her head to look at Qin Qing's receding figure, her eyes full of doubt.
Qin Qing, who was in the distance, also felt that someone was watching her, which made her feel very uncomfortable. She subconsciously turned around, but saw nothing. Just as she was wondering if Bai Lianhua was observing her from the shadows, the little girl next to her was startled by the woman's exclamation. Without thinking about anything else, she pulled the three little ones away in a hurry.
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