Chuanwen thought about it and didn't expect Zheng San to confess so quickly, but she smiled, which made Zheng San feel a chill down his spine.
"I suspect that the wounds on your body were not caused by a kitchen knife. Take off your clothes and let us examine them."
Zheng San immediately said, "Miss, I was slashed more than a year ago, and the wound has long since healed. How can you still examine me?"
This isn't like when it was first attacked; someone with experience could tell whether it was a cleaver or a butcher's knife.
Chuanwen's smile deepened. "Then let's open up the wound again and take a look."
They looked as if they wanted to take a knife and cut Zheng San's skin open right now, which scared Zheng San so much that he jumped in fright.
The little girl in front of me looked clean and rosy-cheeked, with an innocent look in her eyes that seemed to have been well protected from the ways of the world. She looked like a pure yet foolish young lady from a wealthy family, but why were the words she spoke so chilling!
While Zheng San was stunned into silence by Chuanwen's idea, Chuanwen had already reached for Zhang De's knife!
Zheng San panicked. Well... anyone would probably panic. Zheng San hurriedly cried out, "Sir! You can't do this! The scab from my wound has completely healed, so I can't pick at it!"
Ha! Even though a year has passed, how could such a long wound not have left a scar!
Is Zheng San... perhaps a little guilty?
Zhang De was quite shrewd at this point, shouting, "Guards! Bring me a knife!"
It was that same constable again. He drew his sword from his waist and came to Zheng San's side, ready to strike at any moment.
Zheng San was so frightened that he could barely kneel, his eyes fixed on the gleaming blade, his legs trembling.
The onlookers were stunned. Although full of doubts, no one dared to utter a sound since a knife had been drawn. However, the neighbor who had brought Zheng San along stammered, "Sir, you must be mistaken. Zheng San was indeed killed by Tu Sandao, and Tu Sandao has already admitted it!"
"It wasn't me!"
Tu Sandao finally understood. Li Feng had said so harshly that he wanted to sever ties with their family, but he was still on his side. Otherwise, why would they all be making Zheng San confess honestly if he had already agreed?
He was overjoyed, and his face showed a comical mix of crying and laughing.
Zhang De: "But he hasn't admitted it!"
Tu Sandao was overjoyed. "See? See? The county magistrate is on his side. Besides, he really didn't kill anyone!"
"I didn't cut him, Your Honor, I'm innocent! I didn't cut anyone!"
Tu Sandao got excited.
Zheng San panicked even more. Just as he was panicking, he met Chuan Wen's gaze and saw the eagerness in Chuan Wen's eyes, which made him even more panicked!
"Sir, I'm mistaken. He didn't use a kitchen knife to cut me; he used a butcher's knife!"
To avoid getting his skin ripped open, Zheng San quickly changed his story, but still insisted that it was Tu Sandao who had slashed him.
But his change of tune raised some questions among many people. Why did he change his tune? Besides, it happened so long ago, and it was pitch black at night. When you were being stabbed, were you even paying attention to what kind of knife they used? You were in so much pain, who had the energy to notice that?
Zheng San panicked even more under everyone's questioning gaze, but he knew he absolutely could not expose his murder, or he would face imprisonment! So, although he was flustered, he remained defiant and stopped talking after saying that.
"I suspect that it wasn't Tu Sandao who killed you, but you yourself. The murder weapon is definitely still in your house!"
The post featured a random reply after being read, leaving everyone bewildered. Who would be so foolish as to cut themselves? Zheng San thought the same thing and scoffed, "Girl, what are you meddling in here for? Who would cut themselves? That's just asking for trouble!"
"Whether it is or not, we can find out by having someone search it up."
Chuanwen turned to look at Zhang De, who sat up straight. "Someone, go to Zheng San's house and search for the murder weapon!"
Everyone thought the county magistrate would ignore the girl's ridiculous words, but to their surprise, he obeyed her every command!
Zheng San's face, which had been red from the beating, paled slightly. As the constables left with their orders, Li Feng added, "Search thoroughly. Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground and break down walls, you have to find it!"
Li Feng hadn't originally planned to speak up, but seeing that Zhang De didn't seem inclined to remind him, he worried that the constables might not know what to search and would just search Zheng San's house haphazardly without finding anything, thus wasting the purpose of sending the messenger to search. So he spoke up to remind them.
Sure enough, his words made Tu Sandao extremely excited, and the onlookers looked at him with suspicion. Officials protecting each other! Officials protecting each other!
What Lord Li just said sounded so high-sounding, but wasn't he just protecting Tu Sandao? His words were clearly an implication that even if Zheng San's house didn't have the murder weapon, they would still find a butcher knife and claim that Zheng San killed himself!
How awful! Absolutely awful!
And Zheng San, so pitiful! So pitiful!
Especially that neighbor who brought Zheng San here. He thought he was helping Zheng San get justice, but he ended up harming Zheng San instead!
Several constables searched the place, but the crowd of onlookers focused their attention on Chuanwen in the courtroom, their faces full of indignation!
Just moments ago, they were indignant that Tu Sandao had cheated this girl, but now this girl, without distinguishing right from wrong, is joining the county magistrate in falsely accusing Zheng San and exonerating Tu Sandao!
They looked at Chuanwen's clothes and saw that she was a girl from a wealthy family. They thought that she might have some connection with the Li family, otherwise why would she stand on the Li family's side?
They couldn't help but feel indignant and regretful. Such a beautiful and intelligent girl, how could she not have a kind heart!
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