Chapter 24
Four constables, two in a row, subdued the man.
Qian and Zhao stood there dumbfounded, only realizing what had happened when they felt the pain from their twisted shoulders.
Qian Jindai cried out in a fawning tone, "Gentlemen, you've misunderstood. I am Qian Jindai, the owner of Fumanju Restaurant. Why are you arresting me?"
The constables did not answer; they simply did their duty.
Qian Jindai was good at reading people, so he immediately realized that they were acting on orders from Jin Yifei, and turned to him to beg for mercy.
"Young Master Jin, is there some misunderstanding here? I am a law-abiding citizen. I even hosted a family banquet for the magistrate on New Year's Eve. You personally sought me out, have you forgotten?"
Jin Yifei's handsome face was devoid of its usual smile; he gave him a cold glance.
"Mr. Qian, if you have anything to say, you should go and say it to the magistrate yourself. Take them all away!"
Qian Jindai looked flustered, as if he had figured something out, and glanced back at Yu Wan.
At this moment, Jin Yifei took out the cell key, opened the door, and gestured for him to enter.
"Madam Yu, you've suffered these past few days."
Yu Wan smiled faintly and gave him a slight bow:
"Thank you, Young Master Jin."
I'm finally out. I spent a few days in jail, and it was really boring. It hurt to think about how much money the restaurant lost.
As she walked, she silently watched the constables binding Qian and Zhao, feeling a mix of emotions.
It's said that no matter how times change, cannibalism will always exist, only the forms may differ. After spending time in ancient times, I've finally witnessed it firsthand.
She had witnessed murders, nearly been swallowed by wolves, and uncovered conspiracies and schemes that required considerable effort to uncover.
She knew all too well that no one could be completely trusted, and she shouldn't expect others to believe her unconditionally.
If she had revealed all her suspicions that day, Lord Zhu and the others probably wouldn't have believed her, since there were no witnesses, no physical evidence, and no confessions.
So this was the only way she could think of: to persuade Lord Zhu to give her a chance and a few days to prove her deduction.
Lord Zhu agreed because he had no other choice at the moment and could only give it a try.
Now that the truth is finally coming out, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Inner hall.
Mr. Zhu's eyes are dark and he looks exhausted. His daughter has been poisoned for several days and is still unconscious. He is very worried. However, he has been posting notices seeking medical help for several days and has seen many doctors, but no one can cure her.
His wife is emotionally unstable and often throws a tantrum. All sorts of things are disrupting his thoughts, and he hasn't had a good night's sleep for several days.
Now that he saw everyone coming to him, especially Yu Wan, his eyes lit up.
Yu Wan gave him a look, signaling him to stay calm.
Lord Zhu had no choice but to put on a stern face and ask in a deep voice, "What is it?"
Qian Jindai knelt down with a thud, "Your Excellency, I have been wronged!"
The divine physician Zhao beside him also knelt down, saying, "My lord, this humble citizen Zhao Gu is also innocent."
Lord Zhu asked coldly, "What exactly happened?"
Just as Qian Jindai was about to begin his lengthy presentation, Yu Wan interrupted him with a shout.
"Wait!"
Qian Jindai glared at her through gritted teeth, "You brat, what do you think you're doing? What a vicious woman, daring to scheme against me! I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!"
Yu Wan gave him a sweet smile, "That depends on whether you have a future."
Qian Jindai was stunned. "What...what did you say? You dare! You're framing me without any evidence. You're asking for death!"
Snap!
Lord Zhu slammed his hand on the table. "Quiet! What are you two whispering about? What's going on? Madam Yu, what were you trying to say?"
Yu Wan knelt down, "Your Honor, I request that this humble woman be put in court for a public trial."
Lord Zhu's pupils contracted slightly. "What did you say? Court is in session?"
Yu Wan wouldn't fight a battle she wasn't sure of winning. In the past two months, besides earning money at the restaurant, she also inquired about the local customs and gossip of the county.
She knew that since Lord Zhu arrived here and took office as the county magistrate, he had never formally held court, because he usually dealt with trivial matters concerning families and relatives, and resolved conflicts by offering private advice.
As for murder cases, most of them are accidents or suicides, and they are quickly closed without needing to be heard in court. He is probably no longer used to hearing cases in court.
Yu Wan's eyes were firm, and her voice was clear, "That's right! Boss Qian and this Doctor Zhao both claim innocence. Coincidentally, I was brought here a few nights ago, and my first words to you, sir, were also to claim innocence. So what is the truth? Everyone wants a result, right? I don't care about others; I just want to walk out of the county government office with a clear conscience! How can I clear my conscience? Of course, it's through a court hearing, so that everyone can see you, sir, give me justice in court!"
Qian Jindai glared at her resentfully, gritting his teeth and muttering curses under his breath.
"What are you so smug about? You really think you can walk out of here cleanly? Let me warn you, don't try to steal a chicken and end up losing the rice instead!"
Yu Wan responded with a provocative laugh: "That's what I wanted to say to you too. Boss Qian, do you know that I've missed several days of business just to play this game with you? I'm going to fight you, and I'll ruin your reputation!"
Qian Jindai didn't believe that a young girl like her could do anything to him, and scoffed, "You? Bah! What else can you do besides cooking? You want to kill me? Who gave you the guts? Do you believe I can crush you with a single word?"
Yu Wan was determined to go along with him, saying, "We'll see."
In the courtroom, the bailiffs, dragging their fire and water sticks, stood in two rows, yawning.
"What's going on? Why are they suddenly taking over the court?"
"That's right, it's been eight hundred years since the court has held a session. I was just dozing off and dreaming that I made a fortune, and then I was woken up."
"You didn't know that? I heard there's been some progress on your daughter's affairs. Let me tell you, there's going to be a good show today."
I wish Your Excellency would don your official robes and hat, and stand majestically beneath the plaque with the bright mirror hanging high above.
"Smack!"
The gavel struck, and everyone's spirits lifted.
Lord Zhu shouted, "Court is now in session!"
The constables: "Majesty!"
Lord Zhu said, "Bring the person up."
At this time, there were many people outside the government office, men, women, young and old, all of whom thought this was a strange thing.
"I've lived for decades and this is the first time I've ever seen a county magistrate preside over a case. Today is truly an eye-opener."
"That's right. In our remote little town, there aren't many cases. Petty theft is usually not brought to court. Besides, the wars these past few years have caused widespread panic, and people who couldn't afford to eat have all moved away. There are fewer and fewer people here, and even fewer cases."
"Yes, Magistrate Zhu has been here for over ten years and is considered a capable administrator. He usually resolves neighborhood disputes privately, so there's no need for such a big fuss. It's quite frightening. What happened?"
"Hey, hey, hey! Look, aren't those the young lady from Yu Family Restaurant and Boss Qian from Fu Man Ju? These two shouldn't have any connection whatsoever, what grudge could they possibly have?"
"I don't know the specifics of the feud. But you've probably heard that two months ago, on New Year's Eve, the magistrate's wife's nephew invited Boss Qian to cook the New Year's Eve dinner at a high price, and also invited Madam Yu to grill skewers. Since then, Yu's restaurant has become very popular. I guess that's where the feud started."
"I have heard about this, but Yu Family Restaurant is just a small shop in town, while Fu Man Ju is such a big restaurant. The difference in strength is too great, isn't it? This Boss Qian is too petty. He just lost face over a meal. It didn't affect his restaurant's reputation. Why is he getting angry with that young lady?"
"That's right. The food at his restaurant is really just average. It's just that the place is big and impressive, so it's a good place to entertain guests. The other restaurant's barbecue skewers are affordable and delicious, which doesn't conflict with his big restaurant's development strategy. Why are you targeting and suppressing them? That's all he has. Let him challenge Zuixianlou and see if he's willing to."
The news spread like wildfire, attracting a growing number of onlookers.
Yu Wan noticed that her mother and younger brother had also arrived, and the two were looking at her with concern.
Yu's mother's eyes were full of heartache, and she waved to her while wiping away her tears.
Yu Cheng clung to his mother's leg, pouting, on the verge of tears.
Yu Wan felt a lump in her throat. She had missed them quite a bit after not seeing them for several days and was worried that they weren't taking good care of themselves. Now that she saw that they were all well, she felt relieved.
Just wait a little longer, it'll be over soon.
At this point, Qian Jindai had already launched into a tirade, turning the tables and claiming that he genuinely admired her culinary skills and believed she wouldn't poison Zhu Zhifeng. He had come to the prison to find Yu Wan only for the purpose of a collaboration. If his friend, a renowned physician, could cure the poison, it would clear her name and Yu Wan would owe him a favor. However, he never expected to be framed by her.
"Lord Zhu, you must do justice for me. I was indeed immoral, harboring thoughts of taking advantage of someone in distress. Who knew she would be so vicious, trying to shift the blame onto me in order to extricate herself? In my opinion, she is the one who poisoned Miss Zhu!"
Yu Wan smiled. Ever since she walked out of the prison cell, she hadn't publicly accused him of poisoning her. This man had confessed without being asked, showing that he had already planned to use this excuse if the plan changed.
"Mr. Qian, you said you wanted to make a deal with me, so could you take out that contract and show it to Lord Zhu and everyone else?"
Qian Jindai's eyes darted around in a panic, as if he had realized something.
"You...you..." Could it be that this little girl can read?
Yu Wan pointed to his embroidered gold pouch, "Lord Zhu, the contract is right here! This man doesn't want to discuss any cooperation with me at all; it's a contract of servitude! He not only wants me to sell myself, but he also wants to trick me into selling my brother. Tell me, if he were sincerely cooperating, why would he deceive me like this?"
Lord Zhu was very cooperative and casually pointed to a yamen runner, saying, "Go and fetch it so I can examine it."
Qian Jindai tried to cover his money bag, but with so many people watching, he knew he would be punished if he resisted, so he had no choice but to let the constables take it away.
After reading it, Lord Zhu didn't say much, but snorted heavily, "Qian Jindai, how dare you try to abduct someone!"
Qian Jindai knelt on the ground, trembling with fear. "My lord, I know I was wrong. It's all my fault for being blinded by greed. I swear I will never do such a thing again. But Miss Zhu's poisoning really has nothing to do with me. Please don't be fooled by this little girl."
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