Chapter 95 Doctor Liu
The emperor's question was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating a ripple in Zhou Yan'an's heart but no waves.
He was still kneeling on the ground, his voice clear and calm, without the slightest panic:
"Reporting to the Emperor."
"After the fire at Renxinzhai, the Ministry of Justice intervened to investigate the owner's death."
"I was ordered to investigate the fire scene. I was lucky enough to find some remaining items in a secret compartment that was mostly burned."
As Zhou Yan'an spoke, he calmly and carefully took out a booklet wrapped in blue cloth from the bosom of his robe, which had been washed to a pale color.
"I have brought the relevant evidence."
He held the cloth bag high in both hands.
The young eunuch next to him hurried forward, took the cloth bag, and quickly presented it to the imperial desk in front of the emperor.
The emperor signaled the eunuch to unfold it.
Under the cloth was an account book with burnt edges and yellowed and brittle paper, but the handwriting was still vaguely recognizable!
The emperor reached out and picked up the account book, flipping through two pages.
The queen was standing not far from the emperor, and she subconsciously glanced over out of the corner of her eye!
When she saw clearly that it was an account book, and the three charred words "Ren Xin Zhai" could be vaguely seen on the cover, her heart suddenly skipped a beat!
A strong sense of uneasiness instantly gripped her!
Her expression changed slightly, and she almost couldn't control herself as her sharp eyes suddenly turned to Doctor Liu who was standing in the crowd of people watching the prince!
Doctor Liu was already uneasy because of Zhou Yan'an's appearance, and now when she received the Queen's warning and suspicious look, she was even more frightened!
Her face turned pale as paper, her lips trembled, and her eyes were filled with unconcealable fear and panic. She subconsciously glanced back at the queen, then lowered her head in fear, not daring to look again!
The emperor saw it all and remained calm.
He looked at Zhou Yan'an, waiting for his next words.
Zhou Yan'an raised his head, his eyes as calm as water, and reported in a steady voice:
"Your Majesty, this account book is the internal account of Renxinzhai, which secretly records some special transactions."
"I have carefully checked and found several purchase records of 'Blood Jade Musk'."
He leaned slightly sideways and pointed to a page in the account book in the emperor's hand:
"I have marked the relevant entries with a red line."
"Your Majesty, please look! Beside each record of Blood Jade Musk receipt is a clear private seal."
"The seal has the character 'Liu' on it."
Zhou Yan'an paused, as if giving everyone time to digest his thoughts, before throwing out more crucial information:
"After multiple inspections and careful comparison with the household registration seal files retained by the Jingzhao Yin Mansion..."
"It is confirmed that the owner of this private seal with the character 'Liu' is—"
He raised his eyes, his gaze as sharp as a torch, and looked straight at the pale-faced Doctor Liu:
"The daughter of the Imperial Hospital doctor, Liu's younger brother, Liu San!"
As soon as these words were spoken, a low gasp sounded in the side hall!
Everyone's eyes were focused on the crumbling Doctor Liu!
Zhou Yan'an continued, his tone still as calm as usual:
"The accounts only record these blood jade musk, which was purchased by Liu San for Renxinzhai."
"As for these extremely rare blood jade musk, where did they end up after they were purchased..."
He shook his head slightly:
"There is no record in the account book. The clue ends here."
The emperor held the burnt-yellow account book and tapped the cover lightly with his fingertips.
Zhou Yan'an only presented objective facts, and only talked about facts related to the jade bracelet case and blood jade musk.
As for the account books, anyone who paid close attention could see that someone was using the Imperial Hospital to smuggle drugs and make huge profits, but it was not pointed out.
The emperor saw through it!
This guy is not only good at investigating cases, but also knows how to be an official! He only says what needs to be said and avoids touching hot potatoes. He handed over the knife and saved himself! He knows when to advance and when to retreat, and knows the limits!
The emperor nodded silently in his heart.
He is a useful talent.
At this moment, Doctor Liu could no longer bear the tremendous pressure and fear, and fell heavily to her knees with a "thump"!
With tears streaming down her face, she kowtowed desperately to the Emperor and Empress, crying out in a shrill voice:
"Your Majesty, please spare my life! Your Majesty, please understand!"
"This subject is wronged! This is a huge injustice!"
"I have lived in the deep palace for a long time, serving my masters and majesties with all my heart and soul every day. I really don't know anything about what's going on outside!"
She cried and pointed at the account book, as if to put all the blame on the person who never showed up:
"My good-for-nothing brother... He's just a jerk!"
"He did something evil behind my back. I, your humble servant, really don't know anything!"
"I beg the Emperor to look into this matter! I beg the Empress to make the decision for me!"
Faced with Dr. Liu's tearful performance, Zhou Yan'an's face remained expressionless.
He seemed to have expected this to happen.
Without waiting for the emperor to ask, he bowed again and spoke calmly:
"Doctor Liu, don't rush to cry out for justice."
"I have a document here that may be able to prove Doctor Liu's innocence."
As he spoke, he took out another file from his bosom and presented it with both hands.
The eunuch took it again and handed it to the emperor.
Zhou Yan'an explained loudly:
"Your Majesty."
"This is a detailed list of all the land, shops, and property deeds currently owned by Dr. Liu and her brother, Liu San, which I have compiled overnight after checking."
As soon as these words came out, Doctor Liu's crying suddenly stopped! A trace of despair flashed in her eyes!
Zhou Yan'an's voice echoed clearly in the side hall, and every word was like a hammer hitting Doctor Liu's heart:
"As far as I know, Doctor Liu has been a doctor in the palace for fifteen years. According to her rank in the palace, her annual salary is about twenty taels of silver. Adding to this the various rewards she receives on a daily basis, even if she saves them all, the amount is still limited."
"As for his younger brother Liu San, according to investigation, he has no legitimate business. He spends his days idle and is a well-known idler in the capital, with no stable source of income."
Zhou Yan'an raised his head, his eyes calm but with an invisible pressure, staring directly at the kneeling Doctor Liu:
"Then I dare to ask Dr. Liu a question—"
"You and your brother own a multitude of properties, including several mansions throughout the capital, dozens of acres of fertile land, and several primely located shops... A rough estimate puts the total value at nearly ten thousand taels!"
"This huge fortune that is completely disproportionate to your income, what on earth is it..."
“Where did it come from?!”
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