Family matters
"etc."
Xu Lanxin spoke up to stop her.
But then he saw the man being held captive's eyes shift from joy to tension, as if he wanted to speak but held back.
"Sir, are you arresting someone? Do you already have witnesses and testimonies?"
“Where did this woman come from? If she obstructs our investigation, arrest her as well.”
The leading officer was already showing signs of impatience, and half-drawn the sword from his waist.
"Cousin, my cousin"
The man's eyes were filled with caution, and he called out uncertainly. Seeing that Lan Xin did not refute him, he continued:
"Cousin, you should go back to Kyoto and leave me alone."
The officers' laughter reached her ears, accompanied by somewhat ambiguous glances, as they escorted Lin Yun'an away from her.
Lin Zian turned his head and looked over, a smile on his face, his eyes filled with joy and worry.
Xu Lanxin watched their departing figures and instructed, "Qingkui, Qingwu, you two take our people and go with Granny to protect the crime scene. No one is allowed to approach the body."
"Be quick!"
"Qingyu, you go too, find out what happened, and then find someone who can write a complaint, write a complaint, and have the plaintiff sign my name."
"Xiao Xi, let's go to the yamen."
Seeing that she hesitated and did not make a move, Xu Lanxin continued:
"Don't worry, I won't go in rashly before you arrive. I'll just wait at the entrance of the government office."
Granny Li led a group of people into the mansion, quickly learned the details from the maids, and then led Kui Wu and the other two to Aunt Yao's courtyard.
Before even entering the door, the sound of crying could be heard from inside. The woman, surnamed Zhang, was crying her heart out, muttering to herself.
Kuiwu and his companion, taking advantage of the fact that the people inside were not reacting, dragged all the unrelated people out.
"Hey, hey, who are you, daring to trespass into the Lin residence? Guards, guards!"
Zhang screamed in panic, but inadvertently saw Granny Li.
"You old hag, how dare you bring people to cause trouble at the master's house! Quick, someone, go report to the authorities, the house has been robbed!"
As she roared, she plummeted downwards, trying to slide out, but Qingkui caught her under her armpits, lifted her high, and threw her out.
Kui Wu and his companion stood with their arms clasped at the entrance of the courtyard, while the rest of their men formed a semi-circle around them.
Seeing their posture, Zhang was both intimidated and grimacing, and she didn't forget to spit a spit as she left.
He whispered a few words to the maid beside him, and the maid ran away.
Xu Lanxin looked out from outside the yamen, and Qingyu emerged from the crowd.
The two smiled at each other, and Lanxin took the petition from her and went to the county government office to hand it over to the yamen runner.
But the bailiff went in, and not long after, he threw the petition at her.
"The magistrate said that the evidence in this case is complete, so it will not be accepted. Let's go."
Xu Lanxin took the petition unexpectedly, her eyes slightly cold. To the untrained eye, her expression was quite similar to Cen Yan's.
She calmly took a letter out of her pouch and handed it over.
"Then please give this seal to the master."
Lan Xin's tone was harsh and cold. Seeing the disdain in his eyes, she continued:
"I advise you to hand it over to your parents as soon as possible, otherwise you'll risk your parents' job. Let's see if you can bear the consequences."
A flicker of panic crossed the man's eyes. He immediately took the letter and ran inside.
A short while later, Xu Lanxin was invited inside.
The county magistrate, with a fawning smile, strode forward to greet him.
"Madam Cen has come from afar; I have failed to greet you properly. I did not know that you were from Lord Cen's family."
The county magistrate asked tentatively.
"Oh, Lord Cen will arrive in a few days. The magistrate here only needs to handle matters impartially and without favoritism."
How could her man possibly come? Let's use this as an excuse to stall for a few days and overturn the case as soon as possible.
"As you know from what was mentioned in the letter, I can assist you in solving the case."
To ease her tension, Lan Xin picked up her teacup, took a sip, and continued:
"I will find the evidence in Lin Yun'an's case. Now I need to trouble you, Magistrate, for another case."
At her prompting glance, Qingyu handed over the petition.
"May I ask, Madam, who is this Lin Yun'an?"
The magistrate of Qingyang County inquired cautiously.
"My cousin."
A yamen runner entered through the door and said, "Sir, someone from the Lin family has come to report that a thief has broken into their home."
With a thud, Lan Xin put down her teacup, startling the magistrate who was lost in thought.
"Oh, that might be one of my men. Since the complaint has been handed over to the magistrate, I'll take my leave and await your summons."
As she spoke, Xu Lanxin rose, bowed to the county magistrate, and then looked at the gatekeeper and continued:
"Let's go, I'll go back to the Lin residence with you."
The yamen runner hesitated and looked at the county magistrate.
"What are you looking at? Come with the lady."
After saying this, the magistrate of Qingyang smiled obsequiously and respectfully handed over the official seal to Xu Lanxin.
It seems that relying on one's master's power is really effective. Look at that county magistrate, he was completely intimidated. Fortunately, Cen Yan was well-prepared and gave her the official seal.
After seeing Lanxin leave, the clerk was puzzled and asked the magistrate.
But the county magistrate, who was reading the complaint, spat at him:
"You dare mess with someone from the capital? I'd better protect my official hat."
After leaving the yamen, Xu Lanxin whispered a few words to Qingyu and Xiaoxi, and then they went their separate ways.
Upon entering the Lin residence, officials cleared the way, and the journey was smooth with no one stopping them.
Zhang must have heard the commotion and came out to intercept them on the way; he was quite quick.
"Sir, how come you came alone? There are too many thieves, I'm afraid it won't be enough."
As Zhang spoke to the official, his eyes darted toward her, filled with curiosity.
"I'll bring Madam back. You can talk to her about what you need to say."
After the official finished speaking, he left without turning his head.
"Hey, hey, officer!"
Zhang's words were cut short as the officials had already gone far away.
Finally, he looked at Xu Lanxin, his attitude not friendly, and asked arrogantly:
"Who are you, and what brings you to my Lin residence?"
Xu Lanxin smiled sarcastically. She would never believe that this seemingly shrewish, common woman was her maternal grandfather's concubine.
"Your Lin residence? It won't be for long."
After Lanxin finished speaking, she asked the maid from the Lin family to continue taking her to find Granny Li.
Zhang followed behind, but she couldn't be bothered to pay her any attention.
They soon arrived at Aunt Yao's courtyard, where Granny Li quickly came out to greet her.
"girl,"
Granny Li stepped forward, took her hand, and asked with reddened eyes:
"How is Brother An?"
"Don't worry, Granny, I sent Qingyu to see my cousin."
At this moment, Zhang interrupted, saying in a sarcastic tone:
"Girl, what kind of girl are you? You old woman, where did you find this girl? What, you want to rescue that murderer? Don't even think about it."
"Pah, don't think no one knows about your filthy thoughts."
Granny Li seemed to have found a pillar, and she perked up.
"Don't be angry, Granny. Go and invite all the clan elders here."
After she left, Li Lanxin ignored Zhang Shi and went inside.
Zhang could only stand outside the house, anxiously watching Kui and Wu at the door.
Yao was lying on the bed, her clothes disheveled, her belly swollen.
There were faint strangulation marks on her neck, and a dark bruise on the left side of her neck. Her fingers were bent, and there was some skin and flesh under her nails.
There were definitely no scratches on An's hands when he passed by in the blink of an eye.
A frame-up riddled with flaws.
Inside the prison, Lin Yun'an sat against the corner of the wall, his head bowed, his thin shoulders slumped.
Hearing the sound, he raised his head, his expression somewhat gloomy, but upon seeing Qingyu, a bitter smile appeared on his lips.
Did your cousin send you?
His voice was filled with sorrow but also a hint of joy, both for his own misfortune and for the fact that he still had the care of his family in this world.
Qingyu remained expressionless, only noticing that the man before her was too thin.
"The young lady asked me to come and understand the case."
After his initial shock, Lin Zi'an rushed over, grabbed the cell bars, and said excitedly:
"Please tell my cousin not to worry about me or toil for me. If she gets hurt, how can I face my aunt in the afterlife?"
After saying that, he lowered his eyes and looked at the ground, his expression conveying a sense of parting from life and death.
"Please let my cousin go back to Kyoto!"
Even the cold-hearted and aloof Qingyu wanted to roll her eyes and dawdle.
“If you don’t want to trouble the young lady and implicate her, you should tell me the whole story so that she can solve the case. The sooner you are released from prison, the sooner we can return to the capital.”
The man slowly raised his head, looking at Qingyu, or perhaps looking past her and into the distance.
After waiting a while, he slowly began to speak.
"On the day my father passed away, Zhang brought a man to my door, claiming he was my grandfather's child. She was my grandfather's concubine, and with the clan elders as witnesses, I had no way to refute her claim with the marriage certificate she presented."
She also took advantage of being my elder to demand that I hand over the family seal, and several elders in the clan supported her. I refused, so she placed me under house arrest.
A few days ago, she let me out, and her attitude was extremely good. Yesterday, she even cooked a delicious meal, saying she supported me in becoming the head of the household and would have my uncle assist me.
He suddenly shouted excitedly, "But when I woke up the next day, I was in Aunt Yao's bed. Aunt Yao was dead, and she was carrying my father's child. I was about to call for help when Zhang Shi barged in with the officials."
Before he could finish speaking, he seemed to have lost all his strength, or perhaps he had finally released the pent-up emotions in his heart, and he slumped down.
"The girl said that no matter what the crime is, you are not allowed to sign or put your fingerprint on anything. She will get you out of here."
After Qingyu finished giving her instructions, she left without looking back. Even the mournful sounds of crying and laughing that came from behind her could not stir a ripple in her heart.
Inside the Lin residence, Granny Li invited the clan elders. The clan head, who was leading the group, had white hair and beard but was in high spirits and sat in the first seat on the left.
After entering the front hall, Xu Lanxin glanced at Zhang Shi, who was sitting on the left side of the main hall, and then sat down on the right side of the main hall without any politeness.
The elders on both sides exchanged glances, and the clan leader politely asked Lan Xin:
Who is this?
Standing beside Lanxin, Granny Li spoke up for her:
“This is my great-aunt’s daughter, Xu Lanxin.”
Before the elders could speak, Zhang, standing nearby, began to mock them: "Oh, I thought you were some distinguished guest, but it turns out you're just an outsider. What right do you have to interfere in the Lin family's affairs?"
"Don't even mention you. Your mother is just a married-out daughter; she has no right to interfere in her own family's affairs."
After saying that, she stood up excitedly and shouted:
"Men, throw her out of here!"
"I bet no one dares!"
Granny Li stepped forward and shouted sternly!
"Since when has the Lin family become the domain of a married woman from another family and a servant?"
A deep, resonant male voice came through the room; the voice preceded the person.
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