Chapter 539 All crows are black
Chen Ruolan completely collapsed, panicked and at a loss. She felt as if a bucket of cold water was poured over her head, making her shiver.
She once again realized how powerful Chen Qingqing was. In order to survive, she didn't care about anything else. She crawled to her knees with all her strength, kowtowed and begged for mercy.
"Sister Qingqing, I was wrong. It's all my fault for being so competitive, so stupid, so petty, and so self-righteous. I shouldn't have taken advantage of your misfortune to kick you when you're down.
But you have to believe me, I never meant to kill you, I just wanted to show off in front of you and regain the face I lost before.
Please don't let them kill me, just spare my life and I will be willing to serve you like a slave."
Seeing her miserable appearance, Chen Qingqing snorted and said, "You don't deserve it. You brought this upon yourself. You will suffer the consequences if you bring trouble upon yourself. Just wait for your death!"
"No, Sister Qingqing, I really know I was wrong. Please forgive me this time..." Chen Ruolan held Chen Qingqing's hand, tears streaming down her face.
Chen Qingqing frowned and coldly shook off her hand. "Chen Ruolan, you've plotted against me time and time again. If I hadn't discovered your scheme in time, I would have been the one defiled by Fan Tong. And after you became the county magistrate's wife, you took advantage of your power and tried to seize my property and even my life. Now that the truth has been revealed, you want me to spare you. Do you think that's possible?"
Chen Ruolan's face was pale. She knew that Qin Shousheng had abandoned her, but she didn't want to die yet. Her eyes suddenly fell on the stunned Miao Hong, pointed at him, and accused loudly,
"Sister Qingqing, it's not me who wants to harm you. It's Miao Hong. He can't stand your clinic's good business and got jealous, so he came up with this insidious plan. He did all this and it has nothing to do with me."
Miao Hong suddenly came to his senses. He knew that he was doomed. In order to survive, he could only shirk responsibility to reduce his guilt. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed for mercy.
"Miss Chen, please spare my life. I don't mean to harm you. Even if you gave us the courage, I wouldn't dare to plot against you!"
He begged, pointing at Chen Rulan, "It was her. She was the one who came up with the idea of framing me."
"Bullshit! When have I ever given you any advice?" Chen Ruolan glared at Miao Hong angrily, wishing she could pounce on him and strangle him to death.
Miao Hong spat at her in anger, "Bah! You vicious woman! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in jail right now."
After saying this, he kowtowed to Chen Qingqing again.
"Miss Chen, it was this bitch who asked me to find a way to get the magic pills from you and then tamper with them. She said that as long as it can poison someone, it can kill you. What I said is absolutely true. Please help me plead for mercy. It doesn't matter if you fine me more, as long as you don't kill me."
Chen Qingqing's eyes were cold, and she was just biting each other, both with fur in their mouths!
Birds of a feather, none of them are good!
She looked at Miao Hong with murderous eyes, "Miao Hong, a doctor should be kind-hearted. You are not well-trained and your business is not doing well. You actually colluded with Chen Ruolan to kill people for your own selfish desires. You both deserve to die!"
Qin Shousheng saw that he had successfully diverted the hatred and naturally thought that he was safe. He was busy flattering Chen Qingqing.
"Yes, yes, Miss Chen is absolutely right. These two colluded to commit such evil deeds. They should be executed immediately to pay for the deceased's death."
After saying that, he looked at Chu Jiuqing with a relieved smile.
"Your Highness, Prince Ning, you must be exhausted after traveling all day and night. I will leave this matter to your humble servants. Please go to the county government office and rest. I will immediately send orders for a good banquet to welcome your Highness."
Zhuifeng shouted, "How dare you! Who told you to get up? Get down on your knees!"
"This...this...this..." Qin Shousheng was so frightened that his legs went limp and he knelt down again. "Your Highness, although I was negligent in my judgment and wronged Miss Chen, I already know my mistake. Please forgive me and don't punish me any further."
Chu Jiuqing glanced at him with disdain, "Qin Shousheng, I can let this murder case go, but shouldn't you give me an explanation for your corruption, bribery, and embezzlement of salt taxes?"
Qin Shousheng shuddered all over. What he feared came true. King Ning really came here to smuggle salt. No, he was cautious in his actions and no one would get any evidence. King Ning was just trying to trick him.
Thinking of this, Qin Shousheng pretended to be calm and said, "Your Highness, I have always been an honest official and have never accepted any money or property. As for the salt tax and smuggling of private salt you mentioned, they are all handled by the county magistrate. I am not responsible for this and I don't know how it works. I hope Prince Ning will understand."
Chu Jiuqing already knew that Qin Shousheng had abused his position to embezzle salt taxes, but he just wanted to hear Qin Shousheng personally admit the interest transactions between him and the prince.
"Since Lord Qin doesn't remember, come and give each of them thirty strokes of the cane to refresh their minds and help them recall the past."
Shen Yuanze was dumbfounded and looked at Qin Shousheng for help. Qin Shousheng didn't care about him at all and had already collapsed on the ground in fear.
"Yes, Your Highness." The guards received the order and dragged Qin Shousheng, who was like a dead dog, and Shen Yuanze began to execute him.
Qin Shousheng and Shen Yuanze were beaten to a pulp, their skin torn and blood gushing out.
The two had never been subjected to such torture since they were born, and they were beaten so hard that they cried for their parents.
Even so, Qin Shousheng did not dare to beg for mercy. He knew that if he didn't say anything, he might still have a chance of survival. But if he really gave the prince away, he would die faster.
He could endure it, but Shen Yuanze couldn't bear it anymore. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.
"Please spare my life, Prince Ning. I'll tell you everything. Qin Shousheng has been enriching himself to the point of lawlessness over the years. He openly solicited and accepted bribes, deliberately falsified expenses, levied additional taxes, embezzled and withheld funds, and so on. Last year, when collecting public grain, he added an extra 1.5 cents to every tael of silver, which amounted to over 20,000 taels of silver, all of which went into his pocket. Although I was in charge of the salt business, those salt merchants only gave gifts to Qin Shousheng, and I didn't get any benefits at all!..."
Qin Shousheng turned pale with fear when he heard these words. He stared at Shen Yuanze with resentful and hateful eyes, "Shut your stinking mouth! If you dare to slander me again, I will kill your whole family!"
All crows are black; when disaster strikes, they all fly away.
Shen Yuanze knew that the situation was hopeless and he had to confess, so he actively exposed Qin Shousheng, trying to gain merit and atone for his crime.
He ignored Qin Shousheng and swore to the sky, "Prince Ning, everything I said is the truth. Just arrest all the salt merchants in Anyang and we'll know the truth after one trial."
Qin Shousheng also knelt on the ground and tried to defend himself, "Prince Ning, please don't listen to this villain's nonsense. Although I like money, I have never collected extra taxes behind the back of the court. This is all fabricated nonsense!"
......
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
