Everyone knows that the prison in Anyang County is a place where once you go in, you never get out. No matter what crime you commit, once you go in, you can forget about coming out alive.
Xiao Wu was terrified when he heard that he was to be thrown into prison.
His eyes widened in horror. "Shopkeeper, I really didn't know! I just gave her a few pills. I never expected this to happen! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
Chen Qingqing frowned, her tone becoming urgent, "Xiao Wu, if you don't want to die, quickly explain what happened. Did Hu Yuniang set a trap for you?"
"I don't know, I really don't know what happened, please don't ask anymore." Xiao Wu's eyes were vacant. He had suffered a tremendous blow to his spirit at Hu Yuniang's death, feeling both fear and regret.
He shouldn't have given Hu Yuniang the wrong medicine; otherwise, she wouldn't have died, and he wouldn't have been imprisoned...
Seeing Xiao Wu's cowardly appearance, Qin Shousheng sneered inwardly. With such a spineless witness, even if the emperor himself came, he couldn't save Chen Qingqing.
He slammed his hand on the table.
“The criminal Chen Qingqing treated other people’s lives as a joke, sold fake medicine for profit, and committed murder for money. If such a black-hearted businessman is not sentenced to death, how can the people feel at ease?”
Today, I, the official, will rid the people of this scourge! Guards, take this unscrupulous merchant to jail and keep him under strict guard. No one else is allowed to visit him.
Wang Xiaowu, lacking proper medical skills, prescribed medicine without authorization, resulting in someone's death. He is also guilty of murder and will be detained. Court adjourned!
Chen Qingqing didn't say anything more. She knew that since she had been convicted, there was no turning back, and it would be a waste of effort to cry out for justice.
The county magistrate was like a local emperor who ruled over the entire area. Once he made a decision, even if it was a wrongful conviction, there was no way to overturn it.
It seems the person behind this is determined to kill her.
Waiting to die is out of the question. A mere county government office can't hold her back at all. If she wants to leave, she can do it in no time.
But not now. I've been in this body for over a year now, and I've already developed a deep bond with her family.
If I just leave, what will happen to our parents? Brother, what about Chen Han?
She couldn't abandon them; she couldn't leave her family behind.
Going to jail might be another opportunity for her. Now all she needs to do is conserve her energy and wait for the person behind the scenes to come forward.
Just then, two bailiffs approached menacingly, one of them sneer.
"Miss Chen, now that we have witnesses and evidence, don't expect anyone to save you. If you don't want to suffer physical pain, I advise you to cooperate obediently, otherwise don't blame us for using force."
"Let's go!" Chen Qingqing said calmly, and without the yamen runners urging her, she strode outside.
Such a cooperative attitude left the yamen runners bewildered.
This girl is incredibly bold. Does she think going to jail is just a casual visit?
Xiao Wu, however, was not so calm.
He cried and howled, shouting that he was innocent, but no one paid any attention to him. Two burly yamen runners came up and roughly grabbed him, dragging him away.
The main hall and the back courtyard.
Chen Ruolan paced anxiously back and forth in the room, her heart filled with anticipation and unease.
That brat is full of tricks. If she can prove her innocence, then all my efforts will have been in vain.
Probably not. With such a flawless scheme, she couldn't possibly find any evidence. She's doomed this time...
Just as she was lost in thought, the little maid Cuixi rushed in.
"Madam, the Lord has left court and is on his way to the backyard."
"Okay, go and brew the tea quickly."
As soon as Chen Ruolan finished speaking, Qin Shousheng walked in with a happy expression.
"Master, how is it? Is everything going smoothly?" Chen Ruolan hurriedly went up to ask.
Qin Shousheng chuckled and raised his hand to lift her chin. "Don't worry, Madam. I've already locked him up in jail and ordered that no one is allowed to visit him."
"Good, that's wonderful." Chen Ruolan raised the corners of her lips slightly, a ruthless glint flashing in her eyes. "Master, now that the evidence is conclusive and the truth of the case has come to light, such a scoundrel who harms others should be sentenced to death in court. Why put him in jail? In my opinion, it would be better to carry out the execution immediately to prevent any further trouble."
Qin Shousheng waved his hand, "Madam, you are mistaken. Although the evidence is conclusive, the criminal has not yet signed and sealed the document, and the case has not yet been reported. How can he be executed immediately?"
"When can we cut off her head?"
"Madam, please don't be anxious. Some things don't happen as quickly as you think. Although Chen Qingqing has been imprisoned and sentenced to death, there is a strict review system for the execution of a death sentence. It must be reviewed three times."
This meant that after a local official sentenced someone to death, the sentence had to be reported to the Ministry of Justice, which in turn had to submit it to the emperor for approval before execution. Local officials were not allowed to carry out executions on their own; violating this rule was a capital offense!
"Why is it so troublesome? It takes more than two months to travel from Anyang to Kyoto and back. What if something goes wrong? Wouldn't we be wasting our time?"
When Chen Ruolan recalled the torment she suffered in the Fan family, her heart ached.
She blamed everything on Chen Qingqing and wished she could kill her immediately.
Qin Shousheng vaguely sensed the resentment in Chen Ruolan's words. He looked up at her and saw her sinister expression. He asked, "It seems that Madam has a grudge against Chen Qingqing. Is she not here to help me in my urgent situation?"
Chen Ruolan's heart trembled, but she quickly regained her composure and knelt down in front of Qin Shousheng with a thud. "Master, please do justice for me."
"Madam, please get up quickly. Tell me what happened," Qin Shousheng hurriedly helped Chen Ruolan up.
Chen Ruolan feigned a sorrowful expression and began to recount her prepared explanation, "Master, I actually lied to you. I am not Shen Yuanze's distant cousin..."
Upon hearing this, Qin Shousheng let out a soft snort. "Then what is your relationship with him? Why have you repeatedly asked me to hand over the lucrative salt transport business to him?"
"Please calm down, sir, and let me explain slowly."
Chen Ruolan's eyes welled up with tears, making her look pitiful.
"I am originally from Nanshan Village. Chen Qingqing is my cousin. She knows some medicine and happened to cure Fan Tong's chronic illness in Qingshui Town."
She was a greedy woman who craved wealth and status; seeing the Fan family's wealth and power, she wanted to marry into it.
She tried every means to seduce Fan Tong into her home for an affair, but I never expected to catch her in the act.
To shut me up, he resorted to a despicable method, drugging me and creating the illusion that Fan Tong and I were having an affair, attracting a crowd of villagers to watch.
I lost all face and was forced to marry Fan Tong as a concubine.
But ever since he married Fan Tong, he has contracted a strange illness that renders him unable to have sexual relations.
Fan Tong then blamed all of this on me, calling me a jinx, and subjected me to all sorts of abuse, constantly beating and verbally abusing me.
I never had a good day or a good night's sleep in the Fan family.
I served Fan Tong with utmost care, but even so, he was still not satisfied and wanted to sell me to a slave trader.
Shen Yuanze happened to see me, and seeing my pitiful state, he took me in as his adopted sister and brought me back to Anyang, where I was renamed Shen Ruolan. Later, I fell in love with the master at first sight. To repay Shen Yuanze for saving me from the fire, I asked the master to entrust him with the lucrative salt transport business...
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