Chapter 164 The Midwife from Back Then Suffered Severe Punishment
After several days of turmoil, the Li family finally managed to escape from the crisis that had tarnished their reputation.
Everyone in the room was trembling with fear and dared not go out casually.
After attending court for two days, Li Chaojing returned with a still grim expression, but he didn't throw a tantrum or cause any more trouble. Li Qingluo knew that revealing the truth about Li Qingzhu's background and expelling her from the General's Mansion had indeed helped the Li family temporarily escape this quagmire.
However, no matter how hard I try, I can't get my body clean.
Li Qingluo was very satisfied with the result.
It's snowing again.
This snow felt very familiar to Li Qingluo.
She stood under the eaves of the Red Maple Pavilion, watching the snow-covered scene, and recalled this time in her previous life, when she had been locked in a dilapidated house next to the stable by Li Kechuan because of a broken teacup.
In this life, Li Qingzhu will never return.
And I will live past today, and from this day forward, I will live a long and healthy life until the end of my days.
According to Granny Deng, Li Yunchu has disappeared.
Li Qingluo: "What do you mean by 'disappeared'?"
Granny Deng lowered her head in shame: "The two nannies who took care of her died at the entrance of the inn. And she... disappeared without a trace."
Li Qingluo: "Was she kidnapped, or did she leave on her own?"
Granny Deng shook her head: "I can't be sure."
Li Qingluo's expression turned solemn: "Whichever it is, doesn't it prove that she is indeed as I suspected, and that there is no ordinary person behind her?"
Granny Deng agreed: "If Li Yunchu lets the tiger return to the mountain, then we must take precautions as soon as possible!"
Li Qingluo: "Let's keep a closer eye on Aunt Deng."
Granny Deng: "Don't worry, young lady. This old servant has sent people to follow her closely. She won't be able to escape from Baiyi Nunnery even if she has wings."
After what happened with Li Yunchu, Granny Deng naturally became even more attentive.
In the afternoon, news came from the Jinling Prefecture government that all members of the Liu family, except for Zhao, had been released.
"Miss, it seems that Prince Yun's side has intervened in this matter..."
Li Qingluo: "Liu Qingzhu will naturally ask Prince Yun to help her rescue her relatives. I had already guessed that this would be the result."
So, when she sent these people in, besides making things difficult for Liu Qingzhu, she also wanted to let the Liu family members experience the hardships of imprisonment.
She knew they wouldn't be locked up for long, so Li Qingluo wasn't disappointed when she heard the news.
Granny Deng sighed, "So, those who bullied the young lady will get off easy?"
Li Qingluo: "They followed Liu Qingzhu, hoping to live a life of instant success. They've been dreaming about it for years, but it's not going to be that easy to achieve. Don't worry, just wait and see."
"By the way, what about the Zhao family?"
Granny Deng: "I heard that those who have been severely tortured may not survive."
"She confessed it herself in front of the people at the General's Mansion. Back then, she was bewitched and switched the identities of the girl and her granddaughter, which caused the girl to suffer all this. Now that she's in prison, how can she deny it?"
Li Qingluo: "Even if we kill her as an example to warn others, it would be too good for her to die like this, since she confessed her sins to the whole world."
"Moreover, all the prominent families in Jinling City are watching this matter now."
“Prince Yun naturally couldn’t risk getting her out of there as well.”
Li Qinglu went to ask Que'er to bring some silver over.
Then he put on a cloak made entirely of fur.
Seeing this, Granny Deng was terrified and exclaimed in surprise, "Miss, where are you going? It's still snowing outside!"
Li Qingluo took the silver and put it in her pocket.
"I need to see Zhao Shi. Granny, please come with me."
Granny Deng: "But it's already past 3:45 PM, and dusk is approaching. Why don't you wait until tomorrow to go, Miss? Let this old servant make the arrangements first."
Li Qingluo looked at the quietly falling snow outside and said, "I'm afraid we can't wait any longer."
The deeper meaning in her words startled even Granny Deng.
Miss, do you mean... that you're afraid that Zhao won't live past tonight?
Li Qingluo only brought one old woman, Deng, with her. The two hitched up a carriage and went to the prison outside the Jinling City government office.
Granny Deng took the silver and met a steward on the way. The two of them were now working together at the prison gate to negotiate and make exceptions.
Li Qingluo lifted the curtain and looked over there, waiting quietly.
Night had fallen, but the snow still illuminated the world brightly.
Li Qingluo breathed warm air into her palm.
She suddenly recalled that at this time in her previous life, she was in that drafty little room, begging the servants of the general's mansion to give her a quilt.
In her previous life, she lost all her dignity.
In this life, she no longer longed for family affection, but unexpectedly received a trace of pity from her grandmother.
Now, she was wrapped in the fur her grandmother had given her, holding a hand warmer in her hand, and her whole body was warm and cozy.
Has the anger in your heart subsided?
No, she hasn't been able to get revenge on all the people who bullied her in her previous life.
How can we say it's over?
Granny Deng came over and said, "Miss, I'm afraid we'll have to wait a while. They need to go inside and ask for some leniency."
Li Qingluo handed the hand warmer she was holding to Granny Deng.
"You've worked hard. It's alright, I'm not in a hurry, I'll just wait patiently."
Granny Deng refused to accept the heater no matter what, and as the two were arguing, the sound of horses' hooves came rapidly from behind.
Granny Deng immediately closed the carriage window and watched nervously as a group of fast horses braved the wind and snow to arrive.
The three people were all wearing black fur cloaks. When the veil was lifted, Granny Deng could see that it was actually His Highness Prince Su.
She was so frightened that she immediately knelt down and lowered her head: "This old servant greets Your Highness, Prince Su. May Your Highness be well."
Upon hearing the sound, Li Qingluo immediately pushed open the door and crawled out.
She looked at Duan Rongshi, who appeared in the snowy night, in surprise: "Your Highness? What brings you here?"
Duan Rongshi sat on his tall horse, seemingly unsurprised to see her, as if he already knew she was there.
He stared intently at the woman who was wearing a red cloak with a white fur trim on her hood, and said, "Come with me."
Li Qingluo had no suspicions and immediately jumped off the carriage with the help of Granny Deng.
She slipped when she landed, but quickly regained her footing, which made the three men on horseback tense up at the same time.
Duan Rongshi dismounted from his horse. Today, Sha Lei and Leng Dian accompanied him.
The two men dismounted at the same time and took the reins that the prince threw to them.
Upon arriving at the prison gate, Leng Dian stepped forward and displayed his Dali Temple token. The yamen runners dared not utter a word and immediately opened the gate in fear, making way for him.
The streetlights flickered, and in the pitch-black prison, rats scurried past my feet, chattering.
A filthy, foul stench, thick with the smell of blood, filled the air, making one want to vomit at first whiff.
Duan Rongshi looked down at the woman beside him and saw no disgust or discomfort on her face.
As expected, she was a woman who dared to wander around the mortuary without changing her expression.
In the entire city of Jinling, she is probably the only noble lady with such a bold and courageous spirit.
A series of wails could be heard along the way.
When they saw someone coming, they even reached their hands out of the fence and cried for help.
"Please save me, I'm innocent..."
"My lord, spare me! Spare me..."
"This humble citizen will never dare to do it again..."
"Sir, could you please give me some water?"
"I'm so hungry..."
There were also madmen who, upon seeing people, would excitedly jump up and dance in circles, muttering, "Sir, do you think I'm beautiful..."
Anyone who accidentally touched the hem of Prince Su's robe was immediately cut off by Sha Lei with a 'whoosh' of his curved sword.
"roll!"
Upon seeing this, the other prisoners immediately shrank back in fear and obediently stayed in the darkness, no longer daring to show their faces.
Amidst the screams, Li Qingluo glanced down at Granny Deng, who patted her hand as if to comfort her.
Prince Su has always acted in this way.
I've heard that his methods of interrogating prisoners at the Dali Temple are hundreds of times more cruel and bloody than those in the government prisons.
He wanted someone to die at midnight, but that person wouldn't live past midnight.
But if he wanted to make someone wish they were dead, that person would be powerless even to bite their tongue and commit suicide.
Li Qingluo knew that Prince Su was cruel and ruthless, but for some reason, she was not afraid of him.
But what had just happened still served as a reminder to her.
What is the purpose of Prince Su's visit tonight?
Finally, they arrived at the prison gate where Zhao was being held.
There were three women imprisoned in this cell.
Two women were lying on a thick pile of straw, still wearing the clothes they had taken from Zhao.
Upon seeing the person arrive, the two immediately sat up, staring at the doorway in terror.
As for Zhao, she lay on the muddy ground, covered in blood and only wearing her undergarments, groaning and talking nonsense. It was clear that she would not live past the night.
Sha Lei: "Someone, open the door!"
After the cell was opened, the two women were temporarily taken out.
Li Qingluo looked at Prince Su, and Duan Rongshi nodded to her: "Go in, no one will come."
Without further ado, Li Qingluo gave a slight bow to Prince Su, and then went inside with Granny Deng.
"Granny, give her the medicine."
Li Qingluo knew that Zhao Shi probably wouldn't be able to say anything at this point, so she had Deng Mama make preparations in advance.
This potion is said to be able to give even a dying person a brief moment of lucidity.
Fifteen minutes is enough.
Duan Rongshi led Leng Dian into the darkness on the other side, while Sha Lei waited outside with his sword.
Half an incense stick later, Zhao slowly woke up.
Upon seeing Li Qingluo in the cell, she screamed in fright, "It's you!"
Li Qingluo looked down at Zhao Shi on the ground with an expressionless expression, as if looking at a dead person: "Naturally, it's me."
In just a few days, Zhao's appearance had completely changed, as if she had become a completely different person.
She was so thin she was skin and bones, and her body was covered in wounds and bloodstains.
Her collarbone looked as if it had been pierced, her hands were also pierced by iron nails, and her mouth was slit open, with blood flowing down into her mouth and onto her neck.
The other wounds were countless and indescribably horrific.
Li Qingluo squatted down and asked her, "Are you in pain, Zhao Shi?"
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