After wiping away her tears, putting on new clothes and going outside, Mrs. Du realized that it was already daybreak.
She was brought to the court by two yamen runners and made to kneel on the ground.
The outside was already full of people, pointing and cursing at her, with words like "evil woman", "bitch", "deserve to be killed" coming from her continuously.
So, those three noble men I saw in the cell just now were indeed dreaming, right?
Mrs. Du looked at everything around her in a daze.
She soon spotted her parents and their two children standing at the front of the crowd. Their eyes brimmed with tears, their faces filled with sorrow and despair, yet they repeatedly shouted to those around them, "My mother (my daughter) is innocent! She didn't kill anyone!"
No one believed them.
The louder they shouted, the more people demanded severe punishment for Du. In this era where patriarchy was paramount, a man could still live by killing his wife, but a woman who killed her husband was unforgivable!
Mrs. Du shook her head at her family and slowly knelt on the ground.
Now she was just barely surviving. In that case, she would rather go to the guillotine as soon as possible.
When her spine was about to be crushed by despair, footsteps were heard in the hall. It was the official coming.
The yamen runners standing on both sides held their clubs and shouted, "The court is open."
The crowds that had packed the yamen gate immediately quieted down, with one occasionally muttering in surprise, "This official is so young and handsome! It's so bright sitting up there."
Young and handsome? For some reason, Du Shi suddenly thought of the radiant face she had seen in the cell in the early morning under the orange light.
So she quietly looked up and then opened her eyes wide in surprise.
This person is the noble man I met in the cell! Could it be that I am not dreaming?
When she was stunned, the young and handsome official slammed the gavel and ordered: "Bring the prisoner up!"
Isn't she the criminal? Who else should she take with her? Mrs. Du looked left and right, her expression becoming increasingly bewildered.
At this moment, she gasped. Many of her neighbors, who were standing outside watching the excitement and were very familiar with her family, shouted in surprise, "Chen Sheng! It's Chen Sheng! Isn't he dead?"
"Dad!" Du's two children screamed in surprise.
The deceased, Chen Sheng, was seen limping to the front of the hall in handcuffs and shackles, accompanied by six beggars and a young man. Shortly thereafter, the peddler who had accused Du was also escorted up by two yamen runners and forced to kneel on the ground. Behind him followed a pregnant woman, Chen Sheng's mistress.
At this point, all the prisoners have finally arrived.
Du's parents tightly grabbed their grandson and granddaughter who wanted to rush forward to recognize Chen Sheng, and a look of resentment gradually appeared on their faces.
They are old and experienced and have already guessed some of the truth.
Mrs. Du pointed at the tip of Chen Sheng's nose, her lips trembling slightly, and tears rolling down her face.
Seeing this man come back to life and brought to court with the peddler, she suddenly understood everything. The torture and even the beheading she had endured these days were all orchestrated by this man!
Great! Really great! After years of marriage, this is what she gets!
The people standing outside the door also erupted in shock. The dead came back to life. This case was too bizarre!
However, no matter how complicated the case was, under the arrangement of the young and handsome official, the truth soon became clear to everyone.
It turns out the real victim of this case, from beginning to end, was Mrs. Du. She was the one who would ultimately be killed. Her husband, Chen Sheng, wanted to seize the Du family fortune while also wanting his mistress to become his principal wife. He and his good friend, Zhuang Yuqing, hatched this diabolical scheme.
He first asked Mrs. Du out and confessed that he had a mistress, in order to anger Mrs. Du and make her leave him first. He then behaved abnormally in the next few days, arousing suspicion from others.
Afterwards, he bribed a few beggars to find a corpse similar in size to his own and burn it, leaving behind the ring and jade pendant for Du to identify.
After finishing the job, he bribed the peddler to report Du.
He hid in the mountains, and waited until Mrs. Du was beheaded before running out in a swagger, inheriting the Du family's immense wealth and welcoming his mistress into the house in a grand ceremony.
In addition, he would pretend to be extremely sad and run to beat the drum to sue the corrupt official who accidentally killed his wife, and make this official pay for his wife's life!
He only needed to say that he had lost his way in the mountains and had recently been brought back by hunters to cover up the suspicion. As for the true identity of the deceased, since no one cared and there was no way to find out, the officials investigating the case would simply let it go.
Killing Mrs. Du, seizing the family property, marrying a beautiful woman, and harming Zhuang Li was a lucrative chain of schemes, and every step was very well thought out.
It’s a pity that Chen Sheng never expected that Zhuang Li could see through the truth at just one glance.
Zhuang Yuqing clearly said at the beginning that this plan would definitely work!
Chen Sheng looked at Zhuang Yuqing who was kneeling beside him, with regret and ferocity in his eyes.
Zhuang Yuqing knelt on the ground and confessed all the charges, even saying that everything was his idea and had nothing to do with anyone else. His purpose was to kill Zhuang Li by borrowing a knife.
Zhuang Li just smiled, not angry at all. He threw down a torture stick and said in a cold tone, "If he refuses to confess honestly, beat him until he reveals the real mastermind behind this."
Zhuang Yuqing suddenly looked up, his expression twisted as he gazed towards the hall. He realized that Zhuang Li knew everything!
Several yamen runners immediately came over and pinned Zhuang Yuqing down, spanking him with a stick. Chen Sheng, the peddler, and the beggar were also punished with a caning.
For a moment, screams were heard in the hall, but the people standing outside cheered loudly.
This case vividly reveals the wickedness of human nature, sending chills down everyone's spine and filling them with indignation. If Du was truly murdered, was she wronged? Were her father, her mother, her children wronged? Were the officials who investigated the case wronged?
Chen Sheng harmed so many people in one breath, he deserves to die!
Someone shouted, "Chop off his head!"
Then all the onlookers started waving their fists and shouting.
Mrs. Du quickly turned around to look at her two children, only to see them gritting their teeth and crying silently. Although they didn't shout, there was hatred in their eyes.
Mr. and Mrs. Du clenched their fists tightly, as if suppressing the urge to beat Chen Sheng up personally. They couldn't forgive this beast! He was so cruel!
If it weren’t for the Du family’s help, Chen Sheng, who had no parents, would have starved to death long ago!
After the beatings were over, Judge Zhuang slowly pronounced the verdicts: "Chen Sheng, death penalty; Zhuang Yuqing, death penalty; the six of you, death penalty; the two of you, ten years in prison. Court adjourned."
He stood up and waved to Mrs. Du: "You, go home."
Chen Sheng and Zhuang Yuqing both collapsed to the ground.
Mrs. Du kowtowed vigorously, crying tears of joy, "Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir! In my next life, I will serve you like a slave to repay your kindness today."
Before she could stand up, her two children rushed forward and hugged her tightly. Mr. Du and Mrs. Du also gathered around her, crying inconsolably.
The sight of their family reunited so resonated with Chen Sheng that he pulled his hair and cried heartbreakingly. He didn't want to die. Everything in the Du family had originally belonged to him. He didn't want to die!
Zhuang Yuqing's soul had already been lost. Several yamen runners wanted to drag him up and take him away, but he lay on the ground like a dead dog.
---
Zhuang Xiaohui was staying in a carriage opposite the yamen, looking at Mrs. Du who was surrounded by her family with a smile.
The crowd outside the yamen gradually dispersed, but this strange case became a hot topic of conversation for everyone.
Wan Jun, sitting on the shaft of the carriage, whispered, "Master Zhuang is truly a master at solving cases. He can unravel a case like this one and find the truth."
"Of course, my brother is so awesome!" Zhuang Xiaohui raised her head proudly.
Wan Jun looked back at her happy smile and felt quite satisfied. Lately, he had slowly figured out the secret to subtly currying favor with his boss: working diligently was one thing, and the other was flattering Master Zhuang as much as possible.
The boss will definitely be happy to hear this.
Zhuang Xiaohui was boasting non-stop, "Let me tell you, my brother is a genius! Do you know how he found out the identity of the deceased? He took the skull home, examined it, measured it, and then drew a picture of the deceased's appearance..."
Wan Jun listened with utter fascination, his heart churning with turmoil. He had never known a case could be investigated this way!
As the two were talking, Zhuang Li walked out of the government office opposite. He had changed into a gorgeous robe and looked like a rich young man, not an official at all.
He boarded the carriage and said lazily, "Just take me to the palace gate. I won't go home to sleep tonight."
"Has the emperor also heard about this case?" Zhuang Xiaohui guessed.
"Yes, I'm going back to the palace to report to him. After that, I'm going to find your sister-in-law and stay with her." Zhuang Li held his forehead and chuckled, looking very happy. He still had the note for today in his arms and hadn't given it to her yet. The person must be waiting anxiously.
Feng Ming would make a fuss if he didn't receive a note one day.
"You have no official relationship with my sister-in-law, so it's inappropriate for you to sleep at her place every day, right?" Zhuang Xiaohui said in a troubled tone.
"What's inappropriate about that? If you fall in love with someone in the future and want to go out and sleep with that person every day, I won't stop you." Zhuang Li said casually.
Hearing this, Zhuang Xiaohui's cheeks flushed, but she subconsciously looked at Wanjun, her eyes lingering on his strong chest and sturdy arms.
Wan Jun, who was always paying attention to her, immediately received the fiery look and his face turned red.
Zhuang Li looked back and forth at the two of them, then pointed at Wan Junlang and laughed: "Xiao Hui, do you want to eat him?"
"Bah! You're talking nonsense!" Zhuang Xiaohui denied it fiercely.
Wan Jun was originally full of anticipation, but when he saw her panicked reaction, the light in his eyes was completely extinguished.
"Why are you shy?" Zhuang Li scratched his sister's red nose.
Zhuang Xiaohui waved his hand away and abruptly changed the subject: "Brother, why did Master Du want to hand over the family business to his son-in-law? He knows that Chen Sheng is a hopeless case. Is a man's status so important? Are men the only ones worthy of owning the family property?"
Zhuang Li rubbed her head and promised, "I can't control what others think, but I'll leave our family business to you. Do whatever you want. Like I said before, even if you run out every day to hang out with other men, as long as you don't get hurt, don't hurt others, and have no regrets, I won't stop you. You are completely free, and your choice is my choice."
Zhuang Xiaohui, who originally just wanted to ease the embarrassment, now has tears in her eyes.
She threw herself into Zhuang Li's arms, choking with sobs, "Brother, I'm so happy. Why do I have such a good brother like you? I'm really afraid that this is all a dream, and everything will be gone when I wake up."
Zhuang Li pinched her tender cheek fiercely and asked, "Do you still feel like you're dreaming?"
Zhuang Xiaohui screamed in pain, then covered her mouth and laughed happily.
Seeing her so happy, Wanjun's empty heart slowly became full. He quietly buried the delusion deep in his heart, never daring to show up again.
Zhuang Li got off the carriage at the palace gate.
Seeing his back disappear around the corner, Zhuang Xiaohui waved her hand listlessly: "Go home."
Wanjun responded softly and slowly turned the carriage around.
Zhuang Xiaohui suddenly threw herself on his back, placed her hands on his shoulders, and whispered in his ear, "If I really wanted to eat you, would you be happy?"
Wan Jun: “!!!”
Opportunities are rare and never come again! Wanjun immediately replied, "With pleasure!"
Zhuang Xiaohui smiled softly in his ear, then very slowly touched his broad back and thin waist.
Wanjun: “…” This is really fatal!
---
At the same time, upon learning that Zhuang Yuqing had been sentenced to death, Feng Yu simply shook his head and sneered. "It's no pity if this kind of waste dies."
He cared more about another piece of news.
"Your Highness, we've investigated Zhuang Xiaohui's source of goods. She produces all her own cloth, using a spinning machine. While regular spinning machines only have one or two spindles, hers has sixteen, and they've reportedly been improved recently, increasing the number to sixty. She has thirty machines in total, equivalent to 1,800 people spinning simultaneously. How do you think she'll ever sell all the cloth in her shop? Each of her machines is a goose that lays golden eggs!"
A spy said excitedly.
"Thirty machines are equivalent to 1,800 people. No wonder Zhuang Xiaohui's cloth sells like water." Feng Yu decisively ordered, "Go! Help me find out the design of that machine."
Winning over court officials, bribing the army, and manufacturing weapons—which of these things doesn't cost money? And what Feng Yu lacks most is money.
He had his eyes on Zhuang Xiaohui's property. Even if Feng Yi was standing behind him, he would still grab it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
