She immediately ordered Pei Wuwang to investigate Zhou Wangcai's background, while she herself rushed to the county government office with a large amount of silver.
“Your Honor, my elder brother has been wronged. Please be lenient and allow us to visit him in prison.”
Shen Qingtang handed a silver ingot to Zhou Wangcai, her tone calm yet threatening.
Zhou Wangcai glanced at the silver, then scoffed and pushed it away: "Hmph, a life for a life, that's only right! Your brother committed murder intentionally, the evidence is conclusive, and you still want to visit him in prison? No way!"
A fierce glint flashed in Shen Qingtang's eyes. Just as she was about to lash out, Pei Wuwang strode in.
Holding a stack of papers, he threw them in front of Zhou Wangcai: "Lord Zhou, this is evidence of your embezzlement, bribery, and disregard for human life during your three years in office. Do you want me to read it to you?"
Zhou Wangcai picked up the paper and looked at it. His face turned deathly pale instantly, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead.
The document clearly records how many bribes he accepted, how many cases he wrongly convicted, and even evidence of his embezzlement of disaster relief grain.
"What...what do you want to do?" Zhou Wangcai's voice trembled, his previous arrogance completely gone.
“It’s very simple,” Shen Qingtang stepped forward, her eyes sharp as knives. “Release my elder brother, find out the cause of Li Laoshi’s death, and clear his name. Otherwise, this evidence will be on the prefect’s desk tomorrow.”
Zhou Wangcai was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost knelt on the ground. He knew that if this evidence were exposed, he would not only lose his official position but also his head.
He nodded quickly: "Okay! Okay! I'll release him! I'll release him right away! I'll send someone to reinvestigate the case!"
As he spoke, he immediately ordered someone to bring Shen Minglan to the jail, and personally led the yamen runners to Luanshi Village to re-examine the scene.
Shen Qingtang looked at his panicked appearance, her eyes devoid of any warmth, daring not to harm her family.
There will be a price to pay.
When the bailiffs opened the prison door, Shen Minglan was leaning against the cold wall. Although the jailer hadn't killed him, he was still covered in dust, and his face was pale from days of frustration and worry.
Upon seeing Shen Qingtang and Pei Wuwang standing outside the prison gate, he suddenly stood up, his eyes instantly reddening.
"Qingtang..." Her voice trembled as soon as she uttered those two words.
Shen Qingtang strode into the cell, looked him up and down, and seeing that apart from being a little weak, he had no obvious new injuries, her heart finally settled down. "Big brother, it's alright now, we'll take you home."
Shen Minglan followed the two out of the prison. The sunlight shone on him, but it couldn't warm the guilt in his heart.
He stopped and bowed deeply to Shen Qingtang, his voice filled with self-reproach: "Qingtang, I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I acted impulsively and caused such a big problem, making you go through so much trouble to save me..."
As he spoke, his eyes reddened further, his voice filled with remorse: "I shouldn't have fought with Li Laoshi, and I shouldn't have let the rumors cloud my judgment. Now I'm not only in jail, but I almost dragged Wanqing down with me, and even caused such a huge disaster for my family..."
Shen Qingtang quickly helped him up, gently patting his arm, her tone gentle yet firm: "Brother, don't say that. This isn't your fault, and it's not trouble at all. You're my family, and it's only right that I save you. Besides, this wasn't an accident at all. From the moment Fang Yun started spreading rumors, it was a conspiracy against our family."
Shen Minglan paused, the self-reproach on her face gradually fading, replaced by a hint of confusion: "A conspiracy? You mean..."
"Don't ask any questions yet. Let's go see Li Laoshi's body, and everything will be clear then." Shen Qingtang said, leading Shen Minglan and Pei Wuwang toward the mortuary where Li Laoshi's body was kept.
The mortuary was cold and damp, and Li Laoshi's body was covered with a white sheet and placed on the mortuary board.
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