As if this chorus of support wasn't enough, Gu Tingye even pretended to help his wife sit down. Minglan leaned against the armrest, looking delicate and frivolous. Old Lady Wang turned her head and tried not to look at their behavior. She finally suppressed her anger and was about to speak when Changbai spoke first, "A daughter-in-law plotting to murder her mother-in-law is one of the ten unforgivable crimes. According to the law, the punishment is beheading at the least and lingchi at the worst."
Wang was so scared that she almost jumped up. Her son asked, "What are you doing?"
Old Lady Wang was stunned for a moment and smiled insincerely: "You have been working outside for a few years, and your mother hasn't seen you for a long time. She must miss you a lot. Why are you talking about this now?" Looking closely at the grandson who looked most like her late husband, she found that his fair face was a little tanned and not as handsome as before, but he was in very good spirits. He must have been on his own for a few years, and there was a natural sense of authority in his glance as he was the boss.
Changbai said, "Oh, didn't grandma just tell father that if this gets out, my aunt might have a chance of survival, but my mother would be doomed? I'll explain the rules to mother first so she has a clearer idea."
Madam Wang's expression changed. She clutched her son's sleeve tightly, "...You, you know everything...?"
Changbai glanced at his mother and said calmly, "I know everything."
Minglan was very surprised. She had kept the news secret quite well. How could her elder brother know it so quickly?
As she pondered this, her palms itched slightly. Then, Gu Tingye, sitting beside her, nodded and silently uttered the word "Gongsun." Minglan paused for a moment, then understood. The guards she had used to seal the mansion, arrest people, and even torture them were all previously employed by Mr. Gongsun. The results of the interrogation might be unknown to others, but Gongsun Baishi knew it all. He sent someone to find Gu Tingye and told him everything. On the way to the Sheng Mansion, his brother-in-law ran into his eldest brother-in-law, and Changbai himself knew everything.
Old Lady Wang's eyes fell on where Gu Tingye was sitting. She felt uneasy and said with a smile, "You've traveled a long way, and it's only been a short while. I'm afraid some of what you heard might be untrue."
Changbai uttered a soft "oh," "Grandma's words are not entirely true. Does she mean that my aunt hired someone to make the poison, or that she tricked my mother into poisoning me?"
Madam Wang's smile froze. "Your aunt and your mother were foolish enough to cause such a terrible disaster."
Changbai shook his head. "My mother was indeed confused. She thought that close relatives could always be trusted. Who could have imagined that my own sister would deceive and harm her? As for my aunt... every step was correct. Now, doesn't my mother still have the support? I think she is very clear-headed. How could she be confused?"
Madam Wang was displeased and patted the armrest lightly: "You are getting older and have your own ideas. You don't need to listen to the elders anymore."
Changbai looked up and asked, "Grandma, what do you want me to hear?"
Old Lady Wang was choked for a moment by the stern look in his eyes, which resembled that of her late husband.
"My aunt poisoned my grandmother and deceived my mother, turning our once happy family upside down. Grandmother, do you still hope I won't pursue the matter?" Changbai said in a deep voice, standing in the middle of the hall. "My father refused to let my aunt go, and my grandmother actually threatened my mother and me to force my father to submit. Aren't my mother and I flesh and blood of the Wang family?"
Old Madam Wang's face flushed as she spoke with difficulty, "My dear child, you don't understand. If this gets out, it will be especially bad for you. Your father is afraid of delaying you..."
"Then don't make a scene." Changbai looked at her coldly. "Even if the national law can tolerate this matter, the family law cannot. Either tell my uncle and ask the Kang Family Ancestral Hall to handle it, or ask my grandmother to give an explanation. If we handle it behind closed doors, no one will know."
Mrs. Wang's forehead was covered with sweat. "What are you going to do?"
Changbai said without hesitation: "Killing someone means paying with one's life. This is only natural."
Old Lady Wang covered her chest and sobbed, "She is my biological aunt! You two are related by blood..." She suddenly stopped talking.
Minglan knew what she was going to say and felt extremely angry.
Changbai turned to look at Sheng Hong, who was barely concealing his anxiety, Wang, who looked guilty and ashamed, and his uncle and his wife. Then he turned back and said leisurely, "It's hard to say whether one is related or not in this world. The master wasn't my grandmother's biological son, and my siblings and I have no blood relationship with the old lady. Yet, over the years, the old lady has devoted all her energy to this family, with a love that is pure and heartfelt. As for my aunt, she and my mother are born of the same mother, but over the years, she has only undermined the Sheng family and shown no concern for my mother. Knowing that this was an appalling act, she still instigated my mother to drug my grandmother. What's more, she even tried to use my mother as a scapegoat? Is this something that blood relatives would do?"
Old Lady Wang was speechless and could only say, "...your aunt was forced into a desperate situation and dragged your mother into this."
Changbai snorted softly, a hint of sarcasm on his face. "Grandmother is a sensible person, why bother saying such foolish things? Auntie didn't act like this out of panic. She had been laying an ambush from the beginning, so that if anything were to happen, my mother would take the blame."
Old Lady Wang knew that Changbai was the most intelligent of her grandchildren. How could such a thing be hidden from him? She had no choice but to keep her mouth shut.
Changbai said slowly, "My aunt has so viciously plotted against my mother. How can I still regard her as my own flesh and blood? Therefore..." He paused, then said emphatically, "From today on, my siblings and I no longer have any kinship with the Kang Wang family! Regardless of national law or family law, the Kang Wang family must be punished! If my grandmother insists on protecting my aunt, we can take her to court."
Old Lady Wang's heart sank. She knew Changbai's character well; once he made up his mind, it was impossible to change it. Her heart was in turmoil, and she shouted, "What a filial grandson! He wants to go to court right away. Don't you care whether your mother lives or dies?"
Changbai turned to Wang and said, "Mother, judging by what Sixth Sister has in her hand, you were indeed deceived and didn't know it was poison. If you really see the judge, it will probably be a crime of disobedience, but neither beheading nor lingchi will be imposed."
Wang sobbed and said, "...But that's quite a lot of punishment."
Changbai was not moved at all, and said calmly: "Mother was indeed disrespectful to the old lady, and she deserves to suffer some living punishment."
Wang threw herself on the table and cried even louder. She thought her son would help her, but she didn't expect him to be so stubborn that he wanted to punish even his own mother.
Old Lady Wang's chest heaved with rage as she sneered, "What a filial grandson who sacrifices his own family for the sake of justice! Your mother has committed the grave crime of disobedience. I want to see if you, as her son, can remain unscathed!"
This was a very harsh remark, but Changbai's next words were, "Of course not. I've already drafted a letter of resignation on the way, and will submit it on the day of my report."
Minglan's heart tightened, and then she heard a gasp. Sheng Hong's neck straightened in shock, veins popping out. Wang Shi immediately stopped crying and stared at her son in a daze. Changbai looked at Wang Shi, his gentle voice tinged with sorrow. "After mother did such a thing, how can I have the face to stay in the officialdom? I talk about morality and loyalty and filial piety. Once this matter is resolved, I will resign."
The room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Uncle Wang looked ashamed and kept shaking his head and sighing. Aunt Wang seemed very touched and glanced at her mother-in-law with dissatisfaction.
After a long while, Wang stood up and threw herself on her son, pulling him while crying and wailing: "You can't resign your office, you can't resign! ... My dear child, you started your education at the age of four. From the south to the north, every teacher praised your intelligence and diligence. You worked hard day and night, never stopping for a single day! You refused to move even when you got prickly heat in the hottest days of summer. You refused to write even a single word when you got chilblains on your hands in the coldest days of winter. Your heart aches for you... You have worked hard for more than ten years to earn your fame. Now you have a bright future. You can't let me harm you!"
These words were spoken with a mother's tender heart, and everyone who heard them was moved. Aunt Wang and Liu Kun's wife turned around and wiped their tears, Minglan felt heartbroken; Changbai, who was supporting Wang, could not help but have tears in his eyes.
Wang was extremely emotional, wiping her tears with her sleeves, disregarding her dignity. "It's all mother's fault, mother's fault, mother has a black heart! I'm going to confess my crime, I'm going to accept the punishment..." She sneered at Old Lady Wang, who was sitting at the top of the table, "From now on, mother only has one daughter! Since you don't care about my life or death... Let's go to court. I'll accept it if you want to kill me or cut me into pieces!"
Madam Wang's heart ached, but she forced herself to hold on. She wept and said to Wang, "You foolish thing! I carried you for ten months and gave birth to you. How could I not care about your life or death?"
Wang snorted coldly, "To protect my sister, Mother threatened to make this matter public. She completely disregarded my brother's official reputation, the Wang family's dignity, and even the lives of my two nieces in their husband's families! What more could she do about me?"
Hearing her own daughter's sarcastic remarks, Mrs. Wang's eyes went dark and she almost fainted. She slapped her thigh and cried, "Do you really want me to die? You want me to pay for your old lady's life!"
Changbai helped Wang sit down and turned to say, "How can this be compared? My old lady is now unknown whether she is alive or dead. She was poisoned by a wicked person. If anything happened to my grandmother, it was because of the anger of my unfilial aunt."
Minglan lowered her head to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and the corners of her mouth curled up - her eldest brother had never been emotionally blackmailed in his life, and women's tricks like "If you dare to do this and that, I will jump into the river and hit my head against the wall" were completely useless to him.
Madam Wang refused to give up and cried, "It's my mother's fault for not raising me well. I'll die for her. Just spare that fool!"
Changbai said, "If it can be a substitute for death, why did the dynasties strictly prohibit the use of human ducks?"
Madam Wang wept for a long time, and was about to plead again when she heard a loud slam on the table. Sheng Hong stood up with a sullen face and said in a deep voice, "There's no need to say more. Lady Kang must be punished! If mother-in-law insists on making a big deal out of this to save my eldest aunt's life, then so be it. The Sheng family is not to be trifled with!"
The more he listened to what his wife and children had just said, the angrier he became. His face turned blue and red, and black energy filled his forehead.
He has been an official of great integrity throughout his life, and has basically managed his inner household. Most of his children are outstanding. He has never exploited or oppressed the people, nor has he participated in the party's fight for the throne, and he never offends anyone easily. He has been so cautious for decades and has finally made it to where he is today. When the Sheng family seemed to be on the verge of prosperity, such a thing happened, which is about to ruin the career of his most trusted eldest son. This is really intolerable!
Who did he offend?! He was wronged! He didn't do this evil thing!
"I believe I have been very kind to my brother-in-law in the Kang family. Whether it's money or lawsuits, I have tried my best to help him!" Sheng Hong said angrily, "This is how my aunt repays me?! My mother doesn't like her, and she wants to kill her. May I ask, mother-in-law, what does my aunt think of the Sheng family?! She poisons and frames people whenever she wants, so unscrupulously, does she think the Sheng family is easy to bully?"
Old Lady Wang's face turned pale. She had never been ridiculed like this in her life, and at that by her second son-in-law, who was originally the most flattering and filial to her.
Taking a deep breath, Sheng Hong sneered, "My aunt is so confident. I only now understand that it's because my mother-in-law Qingtian is protecting her! It seems that my mother-in-law looks down on me! She thinks I'm weak and can be bullied. Seeing that the Sheng family is of humble origin, she threatens me with my son's career and the reputation of the Sheng family. Fine, fine, if you want to go to court, then go ahead!"
He suddenly pointed at Uncle Wang, his beard blowing high. "Over the years, my aunt has probably taken more than two or three lives. Uncle has covered up so many of them for her and silenced so many people. Let's lay it all out in court. I want to see if my aunt can still escape punishment for all her crimes!"
At these words, Aunt Wang's face suddenly changed. She tugged at her husband's sleeve and gave him a stern look. Uncle Wang sweated profusely. Sheng Hong was as shrewd as a glass ball. Although he had helped with some of those shady matters, he mostly provided money and said good things, staying out of the way. Yet, he himself was deeply involved. If all those old stories were revealed, not only would the Kang Wang family be finished, but he was also afraid that his own official position would be in jeopardy. Thinking of this, he hurried to see Old Lady Wang: "Mother..."
How could Old Lady Wang not see the pleading in her son's eyes? Her heart was cold and sad. She leaned back dejectedly, her arms holding onto the chair shaking violently. There was nothing more to say at this point. She was completely defeated.
Minglan secretly observed her expression and knew that the old man had already made up his mind, so she couldn't help but feel secretly happy.
——She was looking at others, but Gu Tingye was always looking at her, paying close attention to her every frown and cry, every smile and cry.
At this moment, a daughter-in-law hurried in from outside. Minglan was slightly surprised: "Cui Ping, why are you here?"
Cuiping's face was filled with tears of joy, and she fell to her knees: "The old lady has woken up! ... Madam Fang asked me to come and report quickly, the old lady has woken up!"
These words were like tears on a clear sky, and everyone stood up suddenly.
Sheng Hong breathed a sigh of relief: No need to observe mourning period anymore.
Wang felt weak all over: No need to behead or tortured.
Old Lady Wang straightened up from her chair: At least I don’t have to pay with my life.
Minglan laughed so hard she started crying. She clasped her hands together and bowed to the heavens several times, muttering to herself, "Thank you, God, Buddha, and Guanyin Bodhisattva! I will eat more vegetables in the future and won't be picky! I won't eat anything that's been slaughtered alive...I won't eat pig's trotters either!"
Gu Tingye who was standing beside him: ...
The whole room was full with only one exception.
Changbai still had no expression on his face. Seeing that there were no empty tea bowls on the table, he picked up the teapot and poured a big gulp directly into his mouth - he came on horseback, then started quarreling, and his throat was smoking with thirst... The death penalty was spared, but how should the living punishment be sentenced?
This county magistrate had been judging cases for the common people for more than two years, and his job was not in vain. Putting down the teapot, he quickly came up with an idea.
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