Chapter 813 Confession 1 (Happy Birthday to Book Friend "Mo Yan")
Everyone looked at County Magistrate Tang. Old Madam Liu also sat up straight and looked at County Magistrate Tang and said, "Sir Tang, didn't you come to the temple fair this time to ask us something?"
County Magistrate Tang raised his eyebrows and glanced back and forth between her and the Zhou couple.
Old Zhou and Mrs. Qian also looked confused.
Madam Liu asked, "Are you looking for Zhou Yin, sir?"
Old Zhou and Qian immediately turned to look at Old Madam Liu, and then couldn't help but look at Mr. Bai, suspecting that he had told Old Madam Liu.
Mr. Bai sighed and said nothing.
Manbao and Bai Shan looked confused, not understanding why the host had become Old Lady Liu. After all, this matter had nothing to do with her, right?
County Magistrate Tang took in the expressions of everyone in the room, then gave up on Old Zhou and Mrs. Qian and focused his attention on Old Madam Liu. "Madam, do you recognize Zhou Yin?"
"Although I've never seen it, I've heard for a long time that every year on Qingming Festival and the eighth day of the fifth lunar month, they hold private memorial services."
Bai Shan was surprised and couldn't help asking, "Grandma, isn't the eighth day of the fifth lunar month the anniversary of my father's death?"
Qian couldn't help but tighten her grip on Manbao's hand. Manbao didn't feel it, but looked at Bai Shan and said, "Every year on the eighth day of the fifth lunar month, I also go to the cemetery to burn incense for my grandparents."
Of course, I also had to burn incense at the lonely grave next to it, and later I also had to burn incense for my uncle.
Manbao turned his head to look at his parents, then looked at Old Madam Liu.
County Magistrate Tang glanced at the crowd, then retracted his gaze and said to Madam Liu, "Yes, this county is looking for Zhou Yin. Initially, we suspected him of committing a crime, but later I learned that he was dead, and it was an unnatural death. So this is considered a murder, so this county is investigating. From what you said, Madam, you know the inside story?"
"That's right," Old Madam Liu said, sitting upright in her chair. "Besides me, the only person in the world who knows this inside story best is Lord Wei in the capital. Even though the Zhou family is the victim, they don't know as much as I do."
County Magistrate Tang pondered for a moment and asked, "Could the Lord Wei the old lady was referring to be the Secretary General Wei Zhi?"
"It's Wei Jianzheng."
County Magistrate Tang's heart tightened, and he clenched his fists. He looked at Old Madam Liu for a long time without saying anything. After a long while, he couldn't help but chuckle and said, "So that's how it is. It seems that the old lady has been waiting for me here for a long time."
Madam Liu immediately stood up and saluted him. "Since Lord Tang didn't turn around and leave, he has obviously taken on this case. I beg you to clear our grievances and give justice to the deceased."
After saying that, he knelt down.
Qian stood up and pulled Manbao to kneel down. Although Old Zhou was confused, seeing that his wife had knelt down, he knelt down too.
Bai Shan also knelt on the ground with a thud. Like Manbao, he looked confused. Various thoughts flashed through his mind, and finally he slowly calmed down. He looked up at his grandmother and mother kneeling in front of him, and lowered his head.
County Magistrate Tang sighed, reached out his hand to help Madam Liu up, and said with a wry smile, "Even Lord Wei can't do it, how can this county do it?"
Madam Liu was about to speak when Magistrate Tang reached out and held her back, saying, "Although it's difficult, since we know about this, we will do our best to try."
And he really wanted to know, and wanted to investigate this case that had been concealed by so many people for more than ten years from the very beginning.
County Magistrate Tang helped Madam Liu sit down on a chair and said, "Madam, please tell me. I think everyone is eager to know."
After saying that, he gestured for her to look at the Zhou couple.
Madam Liu took two steps forward and bowed solemnly to the Zhou couple. Old Zhou quickly moved away. Qian supported Madam Liu, her lips trembling, "Madam, what are you doing?"
Madam Liu held her hand and said, "I should have performed this ceremony long ago. Zhou Yin's death was due to my son. It's also because of this that you've been frightened all these years. I, I feel guilty."
Qian trembled her lips and said nothing, because she really didn't know what to say.
It has been almost twelve years since Zhou Yin died. For twelve years, they have racked their brains to figure out why he was killed and who killed him. But it turns out that the person who knew the truth has been by their side all along?
Madam Liu patted her hands, then turned back to look at County Magistrate Tang and said, "Sir Tang, this matter has to start from the second year of Dazhen."
County Magistrate Tang pretended to listen attentively.
"My son Bai Qi was a Jinshi in the first year of the Dazhen reign. In the second year of the Dazhen reign, he was appointed by the Ministry of Personnel from the Hanlin Academy to serve as the magistrate of Shu County in Yizhou."
"Shu County?" County Magistrate Tang couldn't help but ask, "Isn't that Huayang County?"
Yizhou Chengguo County was formerly called Shu County, but in the eighth year of Dazhen, the emperor changed the name of Shu County to Huayang County, and narrowed the jurisdiction of Huayang County, allocating part of the area to other counties.
County Magistrate Tang touched his chin. This was his predecessor.
"That's right, but Shu County used to be in charge of the Jianwei Weir area, which was a much larger area."
When County Magistrate Tang heard about the Jianwei Weir, his scalp went numb and he vaguely guessed something.
"When my son took office, my daughter-in-law had just given birth and couldn't bear the arduous journey with him, so we stayed in the capital, planning to wait until the child was older and he had established himself there before moving our family there. But near the end of the year, he sent back a letter saying that Shu County was busy with affairs and the various forces were intertwined and difficult to untangle. If we went there, he would find it difficult to accommodate us. He asked us to return to our hometown in Longzhou first and send someone to pick us up after he had taken charge of Shu County affairs." Old Lady Liu said, "After receiving the letter, my mother-in-law and I returned to Longzhou from the capital."
"Your Excellency knows that officials need families to take care of the household and socialize when they're away. That's why I kept urging him to send someone to take my daughter-in-law over, but he kept making excuses. In April of the third year of Dazhen, he suddenly sent a letter saying that Yizhou was in danger, and so was he. He didn't dare leave our family in Shu County. He only hoped that I would take good care of the family and that he would take leave to come and take us over in person once he had dealt with the county affairs."
Old Madam Liu was heartbroken every time she thought of it. She wiped her tears and said, "But less than two months after we received the letter, news of his death arrived. The county magistrate said that he had taken the county magistrate out of the city to suppress bandits and died at their hands. Half of the people in the Shu County magistrate's office were gone."
County Magistrate Tang couldn't help but open his mouth wide and asked, "The third year of Dazhen?"
"yes."
Magistrate Tang couldn't help but stand up and walk around, saying, "I've looked through the case files in the yamen, all the way back to the 15th year of Dade, and there's no mention of this case."
Madam Liu wiped her tears and continued, "At first, I had no doubts. I endured the grief and went to Yizhou City to attend his funeral. However, I found that Erji, who had always served him personally, was missing. When I asked the officials in charge of the case, they just said that he had gone with them to suppress bandits and disappeared. It is likely that he was killed and his body was not intact and could not be found. They..."
The next update will be around 8pm
(End of this chapter)
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