Chapter 28 How could the young marquis be bullied like this?
Luo Wan arranged for Platycodon to stay outside the capital, to prevent Feng Yuyun from finding out and to monitor Xu Xuan.
Xu Xuan had been tied to the bed for the past few days and couldn't make any big movements, which made him look very miserable. However, when he heard some noise outside, he still moved and looked towards the door.
The first time Kikyo saw Xu Xuan, she rushed over and slapped him.
The slap was so quick that even Luo Wan didn't react, let alone Xu Xuan who was tied to the bed.
When the sound of the slap resounded throughout the house, Xu Xuan realized that half of his face was burning with pain.
Kikyo's hand went numb instantly, and the finger pointing at Xu Xuan trembled non-stop, "You beast! My wife trusted you so much, and you actually colluded with Feng to poison her!"
Luo Wan tilted his head slightly to signal Tangli, and Tangli understood and stood outside the door.
Xu Xuan was already resentful of being tied up for the past few days, and this sudden slap made him furious. He retorted, "Why are you pretending to be so affectionate with your master and servant? Ye has been dead for so many years, and you haven't done anything! You even had a young lady kicked out of the mansion. This is a first in the capital. If your wife knew about this, she would probably hate you to death!"
Kikyo angrily said, "If you hadn't colluded with Feng to kill Madam, how could the young lady be left alone in the Chi Mansion?"
Although Xu Xuan's posture was awkward, he didn't lose any momentum. "I'm in cahoots? You brewed the medicine yourself, gave it to Ye, and watched her drink it. If we're to say who is the murderer of Ye, you seem to be more responsible!"
Kikyo said, "You took advantage of us because we didn't understand pharmacology. Who knew that every packet of your pregnancy-preserving medicine was actually a deadly, chronic poison?"
Xu Xuan laughed in anger, "You don't understand pharmacology? Wasn't that old lady Li next to you married into the Chi Mansion because she was proficient in pharmacology? I remember that in the early years, she often discussed medical skills and pharmacology with me."
Kikyo paused and said calmly, "So you admit that in what happened back then, besides you and Feng Yuyun, Nanny Li also had a hand in it."
Luo Wan sat aside, supporting his chin with his hand, with a slight curve at the corner of his mouth.
Only then did Xu Xuan realize that he was being tricked.
Luo Wan stood up and walked closer: "I know that Doctor Xu has never told the truth from the beginning, why did you lie to me?"
The reason Xu Xuan dared to yell at Jie Geng was because he knew that Jie Geng was a maid, and the reason she slapped him was only because she was tied up.
But Xu Xuan was terrified at heart about Luo Wan who was approaching him step by step. He still remembered vividly the scene and pain when the little girl stabbed him in the shoulder with a dagger that day.
In short, they bully the weak and fear the strong.
Luo Wan said slowly: "I hate it most when people lie to me."
Xu Xuan stammered: "I...I I I..."
Luo Wan said, "I gave Doctor Xu a chance. The first time Doctor Xu lied to me, I let it go. But Doctor Xu lied again. If your tongue can't tell the truth, then it's better not to use it."
Xu Xuan's face suddenly turned pale, and he explained weakly, "I forgot... I forgot... After so many years, it's normal that I can't remember some details clearly. It's normal!"
He confirmed what he said over and over again, trying to make Luo Wan believe him.
Luo Wan asked, "Doctor Xu, do you remember now? Do you want Wanwan to help you?"
"No need!" Xu Xuan shouted, "I remember everything, I remember everything! Nanny Li and I were bribed by the Feng family. The prescription for the chronic poison was written by me, not by them. Nanny Li was responsible for making sure that Ye drank all the medicine."
Luo Wan asked Kikyo, "Do you know where Nanny Li's hometown is?"
Kikyo, who had been staring at Xu Xuan fiercely, came to his senses and said, "Remember, Kantang County."
Luo Wan said, "I'm not here for a few days, don't let Xu Xuan get away."
Xu Xuan repeatedly refused to tell the truth, but he was just trying to blame himself. He first pretended that he knew nothing, and then created the illusion that he was coerced and the prescription had nothing to do with him.
When Luo Wan left the capital, she asked Tang Li not to leave the West Courtyard unless necessary, so as to prevent Feng Yuyun and Madam Liu from causing trouble for Tang Li, and she should try to go and come back early.
Luo Wan went to Kantang County that night. That night, it rained despite the usually dry winter weather.
Kantang County is neither too close nor too far from the capital. It was already daybreak and the rain had stopped when we arrived in Kantang County.
There was no tranquility in the early morning, but instead the crowd was chattering and gathered together.
"This old woman has a bad fate, alas..."
"That's right! You finally have the chance to enjoy life, why are you so depressed?"
"I've been a slave for most of my life, childless and without any hope for life!"
Luo Wan had a bad premonition in her heart. When she squeezed into the crowd and saw the person lying on the ground, she frowned.
The person lying on the ground was none other than Nanny Li who had retired and returned home!
There was a clear blood mark on the neck.
Everyone was at the gate of the county government office. A murder had occurred, but the county government office had not yet opened for the day. It was because it was not yet the time for the county magistrate to take up his post.
Taking advantage of this break, Luo Wan went to the residence of Li Ma, as the villagers said. There was a locust tree in front of the door. According to insiders, Li Ma was hanged to death with a straw rope on this tree.
After Luo Wan finished his investigation and returned to the gate of the county government office, the county magistrate yawned and ordered the servants to go to the court.
Nanny Li's body was placed in the courtyard of the yamen, and the witness was a short middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man said, "I was working in the fields when I saw Aunt Li standing by the locust tree. I greeted her, but she ignored me. I thought she was old and her hearing wasn't working well, so I didn't think much of it. Then, when I squinted, I saw that Aunt Li's feet were dangling in the air. I was shocked. When I got closer, I almost peed myself. Aunt Li... Aunt Li hanged herself!"
The county magistrate asked, "Have you ever heard of this hanged man? Did he have any enemies?"
The onlookers answered one after another: "No, Aunt Li just returned to her hometown not long ago, and she treats people very well."
The county magistrate waved his hand and said, "Since there are no enemies, we can rule out homicide and rule it out as suicide. Come, take this man's body away and cremate it."
"Wait." Luo Wan interrupted and stepped forward to remove the white cloth covering Nanny Li.
The county magistrate saw this and said angrily, "Where did this little girl come from?"
Luo Wan said, "He said Aunt Li hanged herself from the locust tree in front of her house. I went to visit Aunt Li's house. There was mud in front of her house. It rained last night, and the ground was already muddy. However, there was not a single muddy spot on the soles of Aunt Li's shoes. I wonder how she managed to hang herself from the locust tree in front of her house without getting her feet dirty?"
The magistrate paused and said, "You mean someone killed Aunt Li and disguised it as homicide?"
Everyone stretched their heads to look, and sure enough, the soles of Li Ma's shoes were as clean as new.
"That's you!" The county magistrate suddenly pointed at the middle-aged man. "You stole from the company. You killed Aunt Li and tried to clear yourself of suspicion by reporting the crime."
The middle-aged man fell to his knees with a thud. "Your Majesty, I'm telling you this. Even if you gave me a hundred guts, I wouldn't do such a thing as murder! Besides... Besides, Aunt Li and I have no grudges against each other. I have no reason to kill her!"
The county magistrate asked, "Can anyone prove that you didn't kill anyone?"
Luo Wan secretly complained: What a dog official.
Nanny Li died suddenly. In the whole world, there were only two people who had reason to kill Nanny Li: Chi Wanwan and Feng Yuyun.
No matter what, Luo Wan could not separate this matter from Feng Yuyun.
Xu Xuan was locked in the house by Luo Wan and couldn't get out. People who had contact with him couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. Feng Yuyun must have heard some rumors, which led her to rashly send people to get rid of Li Ma.
The situation at Xu Xuan's place was unclear, and there might be traps waiting for her to fall into, so she chose to go the long way around and get rid of Nanny Li.
"This, this, this..." The middle-aged man was so anxious that he couldn't speak.
The county magistrate said, "Come here, take this murderer away!"
Luo Wan said, "Without any witnesses or physical evidence, how dare the county magistrate let this matter go so hastily?"
The magistrate asked, "I ruled out suicide as you said and apprehended the murderer. How can that be considered a hasty decision?"
Luo Wan said: "Without any witnesses or physical evidence, how can we convict him?"
The county magistrate turned a deaf ear to him and said, "In Kantang County, my word is final. If you cause trouble again, we'll throw you into jail!"
Under the plaque of Mingjing Gaotang, Luo Wan felt it was extremely ironic. It was a pipe dream to rely on the local government to find any clues about Li Ma's death.
Then she used an extremely clear voice and coldly uttered two words: "Dog official."
The county magistrate had never been so humiliated before, especially in front of the villagers. He felt embarrassed and shouted angrily, "Take this murderer and the madman who caused the trouble away and bring them to trial another day!"
Luo Wan looked at the yamen runner who came forward and said coldly, "I am the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Rites in the capital. Are you going to detain the daughter of an imperial official?"
The yamen runners looked at each other, then all looked at the county magistrate sitting on the official seat.
Sir, it seems that his official position is higher than yours.
The county magistrate sneered, "You little girl, you dare to pretend to be the daughter of an imperial official? Your crime is even more serious!" He urged the bailiff who was standing there in a daze, "What are you still standing there for? You can't even control a little girl? Do you want to keep your job?"
The bailiffs dared not disobey. Two of them held down the middle-aged man who was kneeling on the ground, while the other two stepped forward to hold Luo Wan's shoulders.
And one of them had three fingers cut off by a flying dagger at the moment when his hand was about to touch Luo Wan's shoulder!
Chen Nanyuan outside the hall smiled and said, "Ah! Swords have no eyes, you can't blame me."
Luo Wan suddenly turned around, his eyes passing Chen Nanyuan and falling directly on the young man standing behind him with a sword in his arms.
The young man was dressed in dark blue clothes, with stern eyebrows and dark pupils reflecting her figure.
Luo Wan silently recited this person's name in his heart: "Jiang Cichen."
Chen Nanyuan walked into the hall, gave Luo Wan a silly smile, squatted down close to the yamen runner with the severed finger, and whispered something amid his wailing.
Jiang Cichen said: "Chen Nanyuan."
Chen Nanyuan immediately stood up: "Yes, I'm here!"
The scene of blood splattering everywhere is rare here for the county magistrate who only eats and does nothing.
He paused for a moment before saying, "Who are you? How dare you act so presumptuously in the government office?!"
Chen Nanyuan displayed the token and said loudly, "My son was personally conferred the title of Champion Marquis by His Majesty!"
Seeing this, the onlookers knelt down and kowtowed.
The magistrate was stunned for a moment, then swiftly rolled off his chair and said flatteringly, "I was blind and didn't know that the Marquis had come. Please take a seat, take a seat."
Jiang Cichen didn't even glance at the county magistrate. He just walked slowly to Luo Wan's side and said, "How could you be bullied like this in Kantang County?"
Luo Wan faced the provocation head-on and looked up at him: "Of course, I am not as majestic as the young marquis. Breaking three of his fingers with one strike is a bit too cruel."
Jiang Cichen said calmly, "He should be thankful that I only broke three of his roots."
The county magistrate knelt on the ground, sweat dripping from his face. Seeing the two of them chatting as if no one was around, he became even more terrified. He kowtowed quickly and said, "My Lord, please forgive me! My Lord, please forgive me! I have been blind and have offended this young lady. I truly deserve death!"
Jiang Cichen said, "Where did I ever say that she was related to me?"
The county magistrate was stunned.
Chen Nanyuan patted the county magistrate on the shoulder and said, "I would like to ask the officials in Kantang County for advice on the smuggling activities in the capital."
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The author has something to say: I will make an appearance for a limited time as Lord Jiang Xiaohou (a title I created lately, please use it~~
I think I'll use Major General later (⊙o⊙)
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