Two constables from the Ministry of Justice stepped forward and dragged the old lady, who had collapsed into a limp mess, out.
The old lady had just been dragged out of the house when a torrential downpour began.
The constables simply dragged the old lady away in the rain.
When the maids and servants of Qinghui Courtyard saw this scene, they felt as if the sky had fallen.
They all knew that the Marquis no longer respected the old lady as much as before, but at most he would only confine her to her quarters. This time, it was the Minister of Justice who took the old lady away.
The Ministry of Justice handles major cases of murder and arson.
The maids and servants were trembling with fear.
The Minister of Justice didn't know how to comfort Shen Jing. For over thirty years, Shen Jing had been forced to accept a traitor as his mother, which was too cruel for him. He couldn't offer any advice. "My lord, please don't upset yourself. I'll head back now."
The Minister of Justice bowed to Xie Jingyan and Shen Wan, and Xie Jingyan said, "Thank you for your trouble, Minister of Justice."
The Minister of Justice hurriedly replied, "I dare not accept such praise; this is a matter within the Ministry of Justice's jurisdiction."
As night deepened and the rain intensified, the Minister of Justice wrapped himself in a raincoat, opened an umbrella, and left.
Shen Wan looked at the silent Shen Jing and called out, "Father..."
With red eyes and a choked voice, Shen Jing asked, "When did you discover that the late Madam had been murdered?"
This was a huge blow to him.
Shen Wan hadn't revealed a single word to Shen Jing beforehand, so he was completely unprepared and heard the truth directly.
Shen Wan said, "The day Princess Huai'an sprained her ankle, I came back to see her. When I left, I happened to run into Old Madam Wang coming to the Marquis's residence. My daughter was afraid that they were plotting something again, so she asked Chen Feng to eavesdrop..."
Although Chen Feng heard it, he believed in catching adulterers in the act and catching thieves red-handed.
Killing the old lady is easy; getting her to confess is difficult.
This happened more than 30 years ago. In such a large mansion, it was difficult to find many people who had stayed there for more than 30 years, let alone know these secrets.
The truth can only come from the old lady or Madam Wang.
With Madam Wang staying at the Wang family home, it would be difficult for Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan, no matter how capable they were, to infiltrate the family in a short time. They could only start by working with Madam Wang.
Having spent several years in the palace, Shen Wan had witnessed many dirty tricks and knew that there were medicines that could cause insomnia and nightmares, so she sought help from Doctor Tao.
At first, Doctor Tao refused, since this medicine was mostly used to harm people. However, knowing that Shen Wan was using it to force the old lady to tell the truth, Doctor Tao made an exception and prescribed the medicine for Shen Wan.
That very night, the powder was added to the old lady's tea.
For four consecutive days, the old lady suffered from insomnia every night, and whenever she tried to sleep, she would have nightmares.
Having too many nightmares can bring out the deepest fears in one's heart. With the weather cooperating, the storm set the mood, and the old lady was so confused that she couldn't distinguish between reality and dreams. In addition, Shen Wan asked her elder brother Shen Du for help and obtained the portrait of the late old lady hidden in the secret room of Shen Jing's study. She disguised herself according to the portrait, which made the old lady feel scared, thinking that the late old lady had come to take her life.
From the time Shen Wan learned of this matter to the time the old lady personally revealed the truth, only five days had passed.
After Shen Wan finished speaking, Shen Jing stepped down the steps and left.
I walked in the rain without wearing a raincoat or carrying an umbrella.
"Father……"
"Shen Wan shouted."
No one answered her.
Manager Li quickly caught up with Chen Jing and held up an umbrella for him.
Shen Du watched Shen Jing walk away. Seeing Shen Wan's worry, Shen Du said, "Father is a martial artist. Getting a little rain won't hurt him."
"But you guys, the rain is too heavy and there's a curfew on the streets, you definitely won't be able to go home tonight."
The current city patrol bureau is not the same as the one of the past.
The Ministry of Justice can ignore the curfew when handling cases, and anyone else who wanders the streets, regardless of who they are, must spend the night at the City Patrol Division.
Xie Jingyan said, "I'll stay at the Marquis of Pingyang's residence tonight and go back tomorrow."
Yinshuang brought a cloak, and Xie Jingyan helped Shen Wan put it on. Then he picked her up and carried her in his arms. Chen Feng held an umbrella and they went to Qinglan Garden, where Shen Wan lived before her marriage.
The rain was heavy, and Xie Jingyan was soaked to the bone, but Shen Wan only had a few drops of rain falling on her face, and her body was completely dry.
After returning to her room, Shen Wan instructed her maid to prepare hot water for Xie Jingyan to take a hot bath.
While Xie Jingyan was undressing and taking a bath, in the south courtyard, the second master was getting intimate with his concubine, Liu, when the door was suddenly knocked on.
The good thing was interrupted, and the second master angrily said, "What is it?!"
The maidservant said urgently, "Something has happened at Qinghui Courtyard. The old lady has been taken away by the Minister of Justice."
The second master's expression changed drastically.
Why would the Minister of Justice come to the Marquis of Pingyang's residence so late at night, and take the old lady away?
The second master immediately got off Aunt Liu and left without even putting on his clothes properly.
Taking the umbrella from the maid, the Second Master hurried down the steps, intending to ask Minister Shen Jing why he wanted the Old Madam.
However, the Second Master couldn't even enter the courtyard of Chenjing's study. The guards stopped him. The Second Master was furious and tried to force his way in. In the past, the guards would never have dared to lay a hand on the Second Master, but things were different now. The Marquis had no interest in seeing the son of his enemy. The Second Master wouldn't listen to reason, and the guards didn't hesitate. With a swift movement, they kicked the Second Master away.
The second master did not expect the guards to dare to attack him. Without any rebuttal, he was kicked away and rolled several times on the ground.
As the rain lashed down, the second master's heart sank to the bottom.
The guard had kicked with force, and the Second Master fell to the ground, unable to get up for a long time. Steward Li called two servants to take the Second Master back to the South Courtyard.
That night, very few people in the entire Pingyang Marquis's residence were able to sleep.
Firstly, the rain was too heavy, making the windows and trees rattle and even causing roof tiles to fall off, waking people up even when they were asleep. Secondly, they were uneasy about the fact that the old lady had been taken away by the Minister of Justice. This was a big deal, and even though it was raining heavily, the news had spread throughout the entire Marquis's mansion.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
