Chapter 46
Inside the main courtyard of the Li Mansion, Wang paced back and forth in the hall, feeling restless. Although she had sent her maid to wait in the front yard, she could not help but glance toward the gate repeatedly.
"Madam, the master has returned home!"
As soon as the maid's report came, Wang's expression changed and she hurried out to meet her.
Seeing that she had lost her usual composure and actually came down the stairs to greet him personally, Li Shufeng couldn't help but frown.
Could something have happened in the mansion?
"Master, you are finally back!"
Only when he got closer did Li Shufeng see his wife's haggard face. As one gets older, even after a sleepless night, the look of fatigue is especially obvious.
Before he could even ask about the family situation, Madam Jiang asked impatiently, "Master, I heard that Qianyuan Palace was struck by lightning. Is this true?"
Li Shufeng's brows knitted together, his heart skipped a beat, but he managed to keep his composure: "Is this just a small matter worth keeping you on edge?"
He really couldn't understand why his usually steady wife became so impatient just to listen to something exciting.
"Master, you don't know, this matter is not that simple!"
Wang recalled the Taoist's words and became increasingly nervous. Her fingertips unconsciously twisted the handkerchief tightly. "Yesterday at noon, a wandering Taoist priest came..."
Wang told Li Shufeng what happened yesterday and what the Taoist said.
After hearing this, Li Shufeng's face suddenly changed.
That Taoist priest could actually predict the future and assert that disaster was going to happen in Qianyuan Palace!
What is even more shocking is that the other party actually said that the source of the disaster was in the second son’s yard!
"Why didn't you send someone to the palace to inform me in advance about such an urgent matter?" Li Shufeng asked in a cold voice with anger in his eyes.
Wang's expression froze.
"I never expected the master to stay out all night, and I never thought it would come true."
Moreover, this fulfillment is so remarkable that it cannot be ignored!
Only when this incident actually happened did her husband feel anxious; if Qianyuan Palace was safe and sound, he would definitely scold her for not knowing the seriousness of the matter - such a small matter was not worth alarming him; now that Lin'an's incident was at hand, she was not afraid of attracting attention.
She had long seen through the man's two-faced nature.
Li Shufeng also knew that it was useless to dwell on this matter, so he just said it later and immediately changed the subject, "Where is Lin An?"
Today should be Lin'an's day off.
"We haven't told Lin An about what happened yesterday," Wang said anxiously. "Someone just came from Fengtian Prefecture and said Zhao Tinglan has new clues and wants to reopen the case a day earlier."
Early retrial?
Li Shufeng's eyes darkened: "Did he agree?"
The five-day deadline is the deadline for retrial, and there is precedent for hearing a case earlier than scheduled. However, if there is insufficient evidence, the defendant's consent is required.
"Master, don't you know Lin An's character? He's the most upright and honest person, so he'll naturally follow those yamen runners!"
Wang's voice became increasingly hurried as she spoke, "In the past, I wouldn't have been too worried... but this Qianyuan Palace..."
Having said this, she looked at her husband in confusion.
There's something fishy about this matter.
If it was a human behind the scenes, she wouldn't be so frightened. But behind this... it might not be a "human"!
What kind of person can attract thunder from heaven?
Who can resist it?
"Master, do you think there really is something evil in Lin'an's yard?"
Seeing her husband remained silent, Wang said, "If there really is something, why don't we ask that Taoist priest to help cover it up?"
She was extremely scared at this moment. If the matter of Qianyuan Palace implicated Lin An, it would be a real disaster.
The gleam in Li Shufeng's eyes dimmed, and his expression was difficult to discern.
He thought of the emperor's meaningful words, and his thoughts surged and his heart became heavier.
Just when Wang Shi couldn't help but urge him again, he said in a deep voice: "Let the Taoist come to see me first."
He wanted to see who on earth was able to possess such extraordinary abilities.
Upon hearing this, Wang immediately ordered someone to summon him.
…
Suifeng had arrived at the government office early in the morning and was now standing in the front row of the crowd. Looking at the red-faced civilians behind him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of superiority.
The review was originally scheduled for tomorrow, and many people were planning to arrive before dawn to secure a good seat. Who would have thought that the review would begin a day earlier?
As the Crown Prince's confidant, he had every advantage. Not only was he the first to learn the news, but he was also ordered to come and observe the trial.
"quiet!"
The gavel slammed down and the noise in the courtroom gradually subsided.
Zhao Tinglan had arrived in the hall, still dressed in a plain gray cloth. The scars on her face had scabbed over and faded, and she looked much better than she had at the initial trial.
Looking at the woman in front of him.
Li Linan narrowed his eyes.
In the mansion, Zhao Tinglan always has new injuries before his old ones heal. Now he looks so unpleasant no matter how you look at him.
Still unwilling to give in.
It’s really itchy!
His fingers curled slightly in his sleeves.
Next time, she will have no way to escape.
He had thousands of ways to make her admit her mistakes and stay with him willingly.
Sensing the chill in Li Lin'an's eyes, Li Yin raised a sarcastic sneer at the corner of his lips.
If Li Linan still cannot be brought to justice this time, she will personally avenge this blood debt for Zhao Wuyou and herself!
Li Lin'an looked at her expression with interest, and his gaze finally fell on the silver hairpin in her hair.
He was curious about what new evidence this woman could produce.
Could it be that he got something out of Wei?
However, he was not worried at all.
Even if Zhao Tinglan really got something out of that idiot and got some clues, it would be in vain.
Not to mention that she couldn't produce any decent evidence.
Even if there is——
What can I do?
It's just a futile struggle.
Just let her make a fuss for a while longer.
Thinking of this, Li Lin'an gently waved his folding fan and stood in the hall with a calm expression.
He Jizhong looked at Zhao Tinglan and said, "Miss Zhao claimed to have found new evidence, so she called for an early review. I wonder what this new evidence is?"
Zhao Tinglan bowed and replied, "Your Excellency, this evidence is not new evidence of Li Lin'an's abuse of a common woman, but rather relates to another old case."
"An old case?" He Jizhong was puzzled.
How did this old case come up again?
Li Linan sneered inwardly.
It's really not surprising.
"Four years ago, in early June, my sister went out to buy something and never returned. I reported it to the police, but with no leads, there was no progress."
He Jizhong sighed softly. The files on missing persons in the capital were piling up like mountains, but only a few people were ever found. These cases were always more difficult to investigate than homicides.
He suppressed his pity and said, "Miss Zhao, if you have any clues, please tell me."
"My sister's disappearance wasn't accidental, nor did she encounter kidnappers. She was abducted by Li Lin'an's men." Zhao Tinglan's eyes flushed slightly as she stared directly at Li Lin'an. "Li Lin'an himself admitted this to me."
There was an uproar in the hall.
"So, the Zhao sisters were all murdered by Li Lin'an?"
"How can it be such a coincidence?"
"Exactly... if this really happened, why didn't she mention it during the initial trial, but only today?" someone in the crowd shouted, "This woman has gone completely mad in her quest to frame Master Li!"
This made sense and attracted many people to agree with it.
"This big brother~"
Suifeng poked the man's arm with a smile.
The man turned around with a puzzled look on his face.
Suifeng immediately leaned closer: "Brother, you're talking so hard, you must have received a lot of benefits, right? Let's make money together! How about taking my little brother with you? I'm an experienced hand!"
The man's face changed when he heard this. Seeing everyone's eyes gathered around him, he said in shame, "Stop talking nonsense!"
Suifeng grinned and said no more.
The man had no more words to say and could only stand there with a gloomy face.
Li Lin'an remained calm and said, "Sir, I have no knowledge of this matter, and I have never said those words."
These words were completely expected by everyone.
He Jizhong looked at Zhao Tinglan and asked, "Miss Zhao, do you have any other evidence?"
Just saying "he admitted it himself" is meaningless.
"I do have other evidence..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd outside the hall suddenly became agitated.
"Someone's coming from the palace!"
The crowd hurriedly made way.
Someone is coming from the palace?
He Ji's heart tightened - why didn't anyone inform him in advance?
He subconsciously looked at Li Linan and wondered: Could it be that the emperor thinks he has no vision in handling cases and sent someone to keep an eye on him?
The imperial guards led the way, followed closely by a group of eunuchs. The one leading the way was Jiang He, the chief eunuch. He Jizhong's expression suddenly changed.
This Jiang He is the eunuch that Your Majesty relies on most. No matter how much the court officials despise this "eunuch" in private, they must respectfully address him as "Lord Jiang" in person.
"I'm here to listen in on the imperial decree." Jiang He bowed forward, his voice shrill.
He Jizhong quickly returned the greeting and ordered someone to bring a chair and place it on the side of the hall.
Jiang He sat down and said, "Master He, please judge the case according to the rules. I am just following your orders to attend the trial."
He Jizhong responded respectfully, his back already covered in cold sweat.
He said he would just listen, but once this big Buddha sat in the hall, he had to think twice about every word he said, otherwise he would be finished if he was not careful.
The enthusiasm of the people in the hall was instantly ignited again.
The palace sent people to attend the trial, a scene only seen in major cases heard by the three courts. It seemed that the Second Young Master Li's case had alarmed the Sage.
"After all, he is a favorite of His Majesty. The treatment that Second Young Master Li receives is extraordinary." Someone in the crowd said.
Listening to these discussions, the clerk couldn't help but sigh. Sometimes being too well-informed takes away from the fun of watching the action. However, Li Lin'an's next reaction was worth anticipating.
Li Linan was also startled when he saw Jiang He suddenly appear.
Is it father's idea that Jiang He come here?
After the lightning struck Qianyuan Hall yesterday, my father lay awake all night. Logically, he should have been cleared of the charges after the retrial, so why did my father go to all the trouble of asking Jiang He for help?
Things don't seem that simple.
Could it be that something unexpected happened while he was unaware?
Li Lin'an frowned slightly.
Even if something unexpected happened, my father, who had been prepared for this, would have noticed it. How could he allow the situation to deteriorate? With my father behind the scenes, this matter would definitely not cause any trouble.
No matter who is behind the scenes, the Li family has the final say in the capital.
Thinking of this, the ripples in his heart quickly calmed down.
"Ms. Zhao, please tell me in detail about the evidence in your sister's case." He Jizhong looked at Zhao Tinglan again.
But this time, he felt a surge of powerlessness in his heart.
etc.
Why is Miss Zhao, who has always been strong, crying?
Did you feel that there was no hope of overturning the verdict as soon as you heard that someone from the palace had come?
He Jizhong sighed secretly.
Zhao Tinglan wept and kowtowed, his forehead touching the ground.
"The night before yesterday, my deceased sister appeared in my dream. She said she was kidnapped four years ago and suffered terribly."
Li Linan showed an incredible look.
A dream?
Is this Zhao Tinglan crazy or stupid?
The onlookers also had strange expressions on their faces.
Can words like "dreams" be considered as evidence?
Is this Miss Zhao really crazy?
"She also told me that someone had sealed her eyes with evil magic, preventing her from reincarnating," Zhao Tinglan said word by word, looking at Li Lin'an. "She wanted me to seek justice for her and bring the wicked to justice!"
After saying this, she noticed that Li Linan's eyes changed slightly.
Under everyone's burning gaze, she continued, "My sister's remains are buried beneath the rockery in his courtyard."
Li Lin'an's fingers tightened unconsciously.
He Jizhong was stunned.
Jiang He showed a surprised expression and raised his eyebrows slightly.
This is really weird, I have to believe it.
Zhao Tinglan kowtowed deeply to He Jizhong again and said, "If you don't believe what I said, you can go to the place I mentioned and dig there. The truth will be revealed immediately."
"this……"
He Jizhong was speechless for a moment.
It's not impossible to dig...
But Miss Zhao should at least come up with a decent excuse, at least saying someone saw it with their own eyes. The idea of a dream being sent to her is really hard to believe.
Honestly, dreams are often based on what you think about during the day. Back before he passed the imperial examination, he dreamed of an ancestor who told him there was gold buried beneath their old house. Without hesitation, he dug and nearly destroyed the house, leaving his wife so angry she wanted to return home. He never had that dream again.
Just thinking about this past event made it difficult for him to nod in agreement.
What's more, this is the residence of the current prime minister. How can we just dig it up?
Besides, there are other people sitting next to him.
Not only He Jizhong thought so, the onlookers also found it ridiculous.
But strangely enough, the more bizarre the story, the more people wanted to find out. While the people cried out, "Ridiculous!", their hearts were filled with eager anticipation: "Dig it up! Dig it out and show it to us."
He Jizhong secretly glanced at Jiang He beside him.
Now, with just one word from this person, the matter can be settled.
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