Chapter 735 Flaws Everywhere
Jiang Fenghua never expected that the Fourth Princess Consort would teach her child in this way. She was a talented woman in Shengjing, but after what happened in the Plum Garden that day, it was really questionable whether Zhang Yurou was truly a talented woman.
“The beads in the little princess’s hand are so beautiful, red and shiny, just as beautiful as the little princess’s pretty face,” Jiang Fenghua praised. “How about the little princess gives them to Fifth Aunt?”
When Xie Ruoyi heard that someone had praised her for being beautiful, she immediately became happy. She said, "These are my mother's earrings. I can't give them away. I'll return them after playing with them for a while."
"Auntie Wu was just teasing you. With so many beautiful pieces of jewelry, how could Auntie Wu possibly steal Yi'er's treasures?" The ornaments on Jiang Fenghua's hair were indeed exquisite and dazzling, and her earrings were also quite valuable.
Xie Ruoyi wanted all the jewelry Jiang Fenghua was wearing as soon as she saw it. Pointing to the phoenix hairpin in Jiang Fenghua's hair, she said, "This is so pretty, is it a phoenix?"
Jiang Fenghua took off the phoenix hairpin. "Does Yi'er like it?"
She nodded, and Jiang Fenghua put the phoenix hairpin back into her hair. "When Yi'er grows up, your fifth aunt will give you an even better one."
Jiang Fenghua never expected that the other ruby bead would be in Xie Ruoyi's hands. How could such an important thing be in Xie Ruoyi's hands? Did Zhang Yurou not know that she had already lost one of her earrings?
Her thoughts were racing. Since Xie Ruoyi had taken this earring from the Fourth Prince's mansion to play with, it meant that the one in Shu Xue's belly had also been lost from the Fourth Prince's mansion. Shu Xue had gone to the Fourth Prince's mansion before she died, or the Fourth Prince's mansion was the place that killed her, and her body was moved to the Fulai Inn.
Jin Ji left the city on the second day of the Lantern Festival to buy silk thread. He wanted to transport Shu Xue's body out of the city to Fu Lai Inn, and a day was more than enough time.
Jiang Fenghua did not make things difficult for Xie Ruoyi. Instead, she led her directly towards the Golden Palace and sent someone out of the palace to invite the Fourth Princess Consort to the palace. The reason given was that Xie Ruoyi did not like studying and she wanted to communicate with the Fourth Princess Consort.
The Golden Palace.
Zhang Anyu said, "According to the coroner's examination of the body, Madam Li's time of death was one day earlier. That is to say, Jin Ji was not at the Fulai Inn at that time. The day before was the Lantern Festival, and Jin Ji was at home. Besides the Jin family, there are many other people who can testify that he went out of the city early the next morning to buy silk thread. He left the village and didn't return until evening. He brought his goods and his assistants to the Fulai Inn for dinner. It wasn't until the next morning that Li Cheng found Shu Xue's body in the room and Jin Ji was found unconscious. What's more suspicious is that Jin Ji's two assistants have disappeared, and the goods have also disappeared."
One minister asked doubtfully, "Could it be that the accomplice murdered Jin Ji, framed him, and then stole the goods to divide the spoils? Jin Ji is their boss, so it's possible that he stole the money and ran away."
Zhang Anyu laughed and said, "That's even more impossible. No matter how bold the shop assistant is, he wouldn't kill Minister Li's daughter-in-law and frame the boss for such a small amount of silk thread. Besides, they are innocent people with parents and brothers. An investigation would easily lead back to their family. Aren't they afraid of implicating their families? The shop assistant hasn't been found yet. I suspect they may have already been murdered. Someone framed Jin Ji and took away his shop assistant."
"These are just Lord Zhang's deductions, aren't they?"
Zhang Anyu presented witness testimonies, saying, "Your Majesty, I have invited Li Cheng and Madam Li to the palace. They are Shu Xue's husband and mother-in-law. Their statements and testimonies have been recorded. There is no need for anyone to doubt that the testimonies are fake. They bear the signatures of myself, His Highness Prince Qi, and Minister Tang of the Ministry of Justice. We interrogated the case together. If anyone dares to falsify anything, I will lose my head."
Upon hearing this, no one dared to doubt it anymore. The Emperor then said in a deep voice, "Summon Li Cheng and Lady Li to the palace to see me!"
When Li Cheng and his wife were brought to the Golden Palace, his face and brows were full of anger, because he and his mother had been questioned and investigated in the Jingzhao Prefecture since yesterday.
Unfortunately, the King of Qi was also present, so they didn't dare to cause trouble and leave. They were "invited" into the palace before dawn this morning.
Normally, Li Cheng and Madam Li would have cried and complained about how tragically Shu Xue died and demanded that the murderer pay with his life, but now they had no energy left and just wanted to doze off.
Minister Li only learned of what had happened at the Li family after returning home. There was a hint of worry in his eyes, as it was his wife who had strongly urged them to arrange the marriage with the Shu family.
Minister Li didn't concern himself with such trivial matters; finding a wife for his son was originally the women's business in the family.
The two women slowly knelt down and listlessly bowed to the emperor: "Your Majesty, we pay our respects. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Xie Shang said, "Stand up and answer." Out of respect for Minister Li, he did not make things difficult for them.
The two thanked him again.
Xie Shang said, "In front of me and all the ministers, what does Lord Zhang wish to ask?"
Zhang Anyu was the presiding judge, so the task of showing off and giving speeches in front of the emperor naturally fell to him.
He said, "I would like to ask Young Master Li and Madam Li, regarding the transcript of your interrogation at the Jingzhao Prefecture yesterday, did I deceive or coerce you? Did I conduct the interrogation in accordance with the laws and procedures of the Great Zhou Dynasty?"
Both of them were stunned. Madam Li was about to get angry. What kind of ridiculous procedure was this that kept her from going home all night, and she kept asking about everything over and over again.
How could she dare to vent her anger on the Prefect of the Capital in front of the Emperor? So, Madam Li could only say, "Yes!" In any case, the questions were just trivial matters such as where Shu Xue was before and after her disappearance.
Seeing that his mother had already said this, Li Cheng had even less courage to say anything else. He said, "Prefect Zhang did indeed conduct the interrogation according to procedure."
"So you also acknowledge my interrogation process." Zhang Anyu really wanted to ask Li Cheng, since he was the first eyewitness to the case.
He took out the transcripts and said, "These are the transcripts of my questioning of Young Master Li and Madam Li. Please take a look, Your Majesty."
Xie Shang had already read it, but he pretended not to have read it. While reading, he asked, "Before Madam Li died, she was always with Li Cheng. You didn't know that your wife suddenly disappeared. You don't know any of the questions that Magistrate Zhang asked, let alone how your wife entered Jin Ji's room and how she was killed by him."
"Yes," Li Cheng said. "I was just taking my wife out for a walk to relax. I never expected something like this to happen. Xue'er's death was too tragic. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for me."
Zhang Anyu suddenly bowed in the direction of Minister Li, saying, "I have never had the chance to see Minister Li before, but I have finally seen him in the Golden Palace."
Minister Li was very wary. He asked, "I wonder what business Prefect Zhang has with me?"
Zhang Anyu smiled slightly, "Before the incident, did Minister Li see Shu Xue and Young Master Li leave together in the mansion?"
Minister Li thought for a moment and then said, "I have been working in the yamen and do not know when Li Cheng and his wife went out."
Zhang Anyu said nothing; Minister Li's words were enough.
Li Cheng never expected that his testimony was precisely a trap set by Zhang Anyu and the Prince of Qi. The more precise his lies were, the more it proved that he was lying.
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