Chapter 90 "The two princes are protecting him so much..."
"Isn't it a bit lawless for the two princes to be protecting a suspect like this?"
As soon as Luo Chier opened his mouth, he threw a accusation at me. His slender neck was raised high, making him look even more like a sinister, hissing venomous snake.
He deliberately raised his voice, making sure every word could be clearly heard: "If this world is full of officials protecting each other, how can our patrol bureau handle cases? Who will uphold justice for the deceased?"
The voice carried a deliberately somber tone, as if it were a genuine expression of injustice.
He continued to persuade her insincerely, "It's just a matter of going to the patrol office. If the investigation finds that Madam Zhe is innocent, I will naturally send her back to her residence unharmed."
As he spoke, his sharp gaze swept over Baili Xunzhou and Feng Mian, then his tone suddenly became meaningful: "But the way Your Highnesses are stopping us is as if they're afraid we'll find out something. How can this kind of behavior convince the public?"
He delivered his last sentence with such force that it resonated deeply among the onlookers. After saying it, he subtly curled one corner of his lips, waiting for the anticipated commotion to begin.
As expected, the people outside also began to angrily denounce it.
"How dare they attack the county magistrate? It's outrageous!" a gruff male voice shouted in condemnation.
"If our young master hadn't arrived in time, wouldn't the princess have been injured?" the woman echoed worriedly.
“The princess spoke to them politely, explaining that there was something to hide. Why did this inspector surnamed Luo try to take action right away? Is he feeling guilty?” someone said bluntly.
Luo Chier: "..."
This isn't right! They're just a bunch of ignorant people. Shouldn't they be easily swayed by his words and unite in condemnation of the Crown Prince and Princess for abusing their power and obstructing official business? Why are the people of Yunzhong County turning around and criticizing him? Shouldn't they be the ones who despise high-ranking officials the most?
The smug smile on Luo Chier's lips froze, his face turning from red to green. His lips, which had been about to curl into a smile, twitched slightly, making him look rather strange.
Feng Mian pressed her lips tightly together, buried her head in the back of Baili Xun's boat, and chuckled softly.
A little heat and the vibrations from suppressing laughter traveled through the thin fabric to his skin, making Baili Xunzhou instinctively want to dodge, but he was also thinking about covering Feng Mian, so he could only stand there, awkwardly moving his shoulders.
Hiding Feng Mian behind him, Baili Xunzhou immediately looked at Luo Chier impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense. You're not taking him away. I don't see any need for the Labor Inspection Bureau to investigate this case."
"Let the officials take this so-called adulterer..." Baili Xunzhou glanced at the disheveled young shaman, "and that so-called accomplice singer to the yamen for questioning."
He deliberately slowed his speech, "After all, you and I both know the cause of Chairman Chen's death. I wonder what kind of means would be needed to accomplish such a murder?"
Luo Chier's face darkened completely, his clenched knuckles turned slightly white, and he showed no intention of backing down. "I am afraid I cannot comply."
At his command, the guards he had brought rushed forward to protect him, their tense demeanor causing the air in the courtyard to freeze for a moment.
The official was sweating profusely, thinking that officials with connections were indeed tough. Judging from this, they were determined to stand their ground to the end. He wondered when the prefect would arrive, and he couldn't bear this situation...
"Lord Luo! Your Highness, Princess, please don't be angry. We can talk this over!"
The prefect arrived late, almost stumbling as he squeezed into the tense encirclement. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but he didn't bother to wipe it away, only bowing repeatedly, his heart already filled with unspeakable bitterness.
Although he was nominally the Prince of Qin's brother-in-law, he was actually just one of the many illegitimate sons in the family, with a status as insignificant as a feather. He dared not offend the Crown Prince of Dingbei Army or the Princess of the Imperial Family, but he couldn't afford to offend Inspector Luo either, since the Luo family was backing him up.
Inspector Luo glanced at him coldly, his tone laced with a sinister pressure as he gritted his teeth: "Your Excellency, what are your thoughts?"
The prefect raised his sleeve and vigorously wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. If he had a choice, he really didn't want to see these people. He wished he could faint immediately, rather than suffer this indignity.
His lips trembled: "This...that..."
"How about this?" Feng Mian suddenly took a step outward, shifting her position and emerging from Baili Xunzhou's shadow. Her voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, instantly attracting all attention.
"Lord Luo is worried that Chairman Chen has died unjustly," she said calmly, her gaze sweeping over Luo Chier before turning to the Prefect, "and His Highness the Heir Apparent and I are also concerned that Madam Zhe has suffered an injustice. Since we each hold our own version of events and cannot reach a consensus..."
She paused slightly, and the sunlight fell precisely on her clear and serene brows. She frowned slightly, startled by the glare, and turned to avoid the direct sunlight.
"Then let it be examined and judged in public."
The prefect looked at her as if she were a goddess descended from the heavens, and slapped his thigh: "Very well, then let's examine her in public and judge her in public!"
As the sun grew increasingly scorching, Baili Xunzhou turned his head to signal, and Shanyi cleverly presented him with a green bamboo oil-paper umbrella.
He took the umbrella and steadily held it up over Feng Mian's head, creating a cool shade that blocked the sunlight from shining on her. He himself, however, didn't care that most of his body was still exposed to the blazing sun.
Feng Mian looked up and saw that one of his cheeks was red from the sun. She then placed her hand on the back of his hand holding the umbrella and pushed the umbrella towards him. Seeing that the shade covered his sunburnt face, she let go of his hand with peace of mind.
As soon as she lowered her hand, she felt Baili Xunzhou's hand holding the umbrella shift slightly towards her. This time, without raising her head, she stretched out a finger and poked the back of his hand, pushing his hand back with a slight force.
A few moments later, his hand holding the umbrella began to itch again.
Unable to contain himself any longer, Shan Yi, standing between the two, murmured, "Your Highness, I have another umbrella here..."
Before he finished speaking, Baili Xunzhou took a small half-step towards Feng Mian, overlapping his sleeves with hers to completely eliminate the small gap between them, and also completely shielding Shan Yi behind him.
Shanyi pouted, and Madam Zhe, who was initially in a slightly somber mood, couldn't help but turn her head and smile at the sight. Shanyi quickly handed another umbrella to the nanny beside Madam Zhe, asking her to shield Madam Zhe from the sun.
The old woman cast a grateful glance at her and whispered to her mistress, "Madam, you've truly met a benefactor this time."
Madam Zhe glanced at Feng Mian with a complicated expression. "Yes, I really didn't expect this..."
Regardless of the outcome, she must repay this kindness.
A moment later, in the courtyard in front of the Chen residence’s wide-open gate, the scene of the prefect taking the stage was set up on the spot.
Chairman Chen's body was carried to the side corridor, where, in full view of everyone, three coroners conducted a very detailed examination of it.
In the courtyard, the young shaman knelt on the ground, his face drained of color. Under the murderous gaze of Master Chen, he trembled violently, his voice hoarse as he confessed, "It was Madam who seduced me first..."
His voice was hoarse, and he dared not look up at anyone.
Master Chen was extremely pleased with himself: "Now what do you have to say?"
Madam Zhe coldly observed the kneeling young man, without uttering a word.
The singer who had fled the scene was also brought back. Her body was so weak that she could barely stand. She knelt on the ground, her makeup on her face smudged with tears.
"This humble woman...this humble woman did indeed go to see Madam Zhe..." Her voice was barely audible, and she only raised it after the prefect struck the gavel once, "It was because my mother was seriously ill and I had nowhere else to turn that I went to beg for Madam's charity...Madam is kind-hearted and immediately summoned a doctor to treat my mother..."
She raised her tearful eyes and looked anxiously at Madam Zhe, who sat upright to the side: "Besides that, Madam has not promised me anything else! I... I did indeed harbor thoughts of currying favor with her. Chairman Chen... he promised before that he would redeem me from my servitude and take me into his household..."
"Madam Zhe said that the matter of taking a concubine required Chairman Chen's approval, and that I had to bring it up with her personally. So the next day, I...I made an appointment with Chairman Chen to go on a trip, hoping to take the opportunity to get his approval, but who knew...who knew that such a thing would happen!"
She suddenly became agitated and kowtowed sharply forward: "Your Honor, please see the truth! How could I have conspired with Madam to murder Chairman Chen? I was still waiting for him to keep his promise and welcome me into his mansion in style..."
“I am a weak woman. Even if I were to receive a large sum of money, I would not be able to keep it. I would rather leave my profession and enter the inner quarters than do such a foolish thing!”
Madam Zhe sighed softly, "Silly girl. Even if he hadn't had an accident yesterday, you wouldn't have been able to wait for him to come and get you."
“Over the years, I’ve seen no fewer than ten girls like you, crying and pleading, coming to me. But… he’s never mentioned it to me once. He gets tired of them after a few months, sometimes six months to a year, and then he wants to find someone new…”
Upon hearing this, the singer wept even more bitterly.
By this time, the three coroners had completed their examination and reached a clear and consistent conclusion.
"President Chen had no fatal external injuries, nor any traces of inhaling or taking any suspicious drugs. He simply died of exhaustion, also known as a sudden stroke."
An eerie silence fell over the courtyard. The cause of Chairman Chen's death was clear, with no signs of foul play, seemingly confirming Madam Zhe's innocence.
At this moment, Liu Jixue arrived in a hurry with a man, who was a traveling doctor dressed in a plain cloth robe and carrying a medicine box.
"This humble servant...this humble servant once privately treated Chairman Chen for some...well, some hidden ailments." The doctor appeared somewhat nervous under the gaze of everyone, but encouraged by Liu Jixue's gaze, he mustered his courage and said, "Mainly, I helped Chairman Chen to regulate...regulate his kidney essence and restore his virility. Chairman Chen has long been outwardly strong but inwardly weak, severely depleted internally. This humble servant repeatedly advised him to rest and recuperate, to strengthen his foundation and cultivate his vitality, but he...alas, he just wouldn't listen! Such unrestrained indulgence in sensual pleasures is beyond the help of even a celestial being!"
He spread his hands, a helpless expression on his face, tinged with the heartache of a doctor: "This body has long been drained, showing signs of exhaustion. Now, with this sudden collapse... we can only say that the body has reached its limit. How can we say that it was murdered?"
The servants and stewards around Chairman Chen all confessed to seeing this itinerant doctor secretly entering and leaving the Chen residence to treat Chairman Chen. It was only because Chairman Chen was concerned about his reputation and did not want the doctors in Yunzhong County to know about his illness, and also because he had heard that this itinerant doctor was quite experienced in men's private matters, that he frequently asked him to treat him.
Liu Jixue stood in the shadows of the corridor, exchanging a glance with Feng Mian from afar. She had previously practiced medicine in secret and had gotten to know many itinerant doctors. She had overheard a story about this doctor in the courtyard privately treating Chairman Chen. Upon hearing this today, she immediately went to find this doctor and asked him to testify that Chairman Chen was inherently weak and had died from exhaustion, which was not unexpected and could also serve as a reason for Madam Zhe to exonerate herself.
At this point, the suspicion that Madam Zhe had deliberately murdered her has been cleared.
Luo Chier glared menacingly at the two masters of the Chen family.
Just as the prefect was about to announce that the matter was a misunderstanding and dismiss everyone, Master Chen suddenly jumped out, pointed at Madam Zhe, and roared fiercely, "Even if my brother wasn't murdered by her, it's an undeniable fact that she committed adultery and was morally corrupt! How can such a shameless woman remain a wife of the Chen family? Today, the Chen family will divorce her, drive her out of the mansion, and leave her penniless!"
The true intentions are now laid bare; their desire to seize the family fortune is no longer concealed.
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