Marquis Dingyuan sent people to the place where Yunying buried the drug residue and dug out the drug residue and the medicine list. Without the need for others to identify it, Zhao Jingping recognized it as Qin Wanru's handwriting at a glance.
He could not believe that the slender hand that had written countless passionate poems with him could actually write a recipe to kill someone, and the person to kill was his own wife.
"Wanru, how could you do this? You've disappointed me so much..." he repeated heartbrokenly.
The evidence was irrefutable, and Qin Wanru's crimes were exposed. In despair, she thought of her aunt again, and rushed over to pull Qin's sleeve and begged, "Aunt, save me, Aunt, save me..."
Qin looked at her as if she had just met her for the first time. She stared at her straightly and tears started to flow as she stared at her.
This was the niece on whom she had placed all her hopes, and now, her hopes were completely shattered.
"Capture him!" Marquis Dingyuan sighed and waved his hand to order the guards.
"Father, please don't kill mother. Please spare her. How can I live without her?" Zhao Lanya and Zhao Lanshu knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Dingyuan Hou. Zhao Jingping also reacted and stopped talking about Qin Wanru. He and his sister pleaded for their mother.
Zhao Lanshu crawled to the old lady again, hugged her legs and cried: "Grandma, Grandma, please have mercy on me and spare my mother this time. We can't live without my mother..."
As he spoke, he kowtowed to the old lady, hitting his forehead on the ground again and again, making the old lady's heart tremble.
After all, she is her own granddaughter, how could she not feel sorry for her? But Qin was too confused. If she had admitted her mistake at the beginning, how could she have uncovered all the things that happened later? Now that the two sisters of the Sheng family are here, and there are a room full of victims, she will not be let off no matter what!
"Don't beg me, go ask the general's wife!" She shook her head and sighed.
Zhao Lanshu got the advice from her grandmother and was about to crawl to Sheng Qingluan. Sheng Qingluan stopped her in a deep voice: "Don't beg me. I won't be soft-hearted even if you smash your head. You lost your mother in pain, and I lost my daughter in pain. You have no right to ask me to let her go."
Zhao Lanshu froze in place, tears welling up in her eyes as she said, “Sister-in-law Nan Jia was not killed by my mother.”
"But your mother is an accomplice. In order to cover up the crime for her niece, she killed half of the servants in the Marquis' Mansion. Do you dare to say that she is innocent?" Sheng Qingluan said.
"I am different..." Zhao Lanshu was still trying hard.
"Why are they different? Am I not born by my father and raised by my mother?" Sheng Qingluan said solemnly, "According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, beating or killing a servant is also a crime. You can say such things, which shows how your mother taught you. If you imitate your mother in the future, you will end up like her. I hope you will learn from this!"
The arrogance of the past disappeared from Zhao Lanshu's face, and only a look of confusion remained.
The three brothers were unable to save their mother and could only watch as she was tied up by the guards.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the matter was finally settled, but unexpectedly someone else suddenly came outside.
"Wait!" The man hurried into the hall and said loudly, "My Lord, please listen to me."
“Uncle, uncle…” The three siblings shouted in surprise when they saw the person coming.
Qin Wanru was crying her heart out. When she heard the three men calling her uncle, she suddenly raised her head and looked at the man in a daze. She cried out, "Father, father, save me, father, save me!"
Then another woman came in accompanied by Madam Cao. She looked around anxiously and ran straight to Qin Wanru crying, "Wanru, my child, mother is here, mother is here!"
When Qin saw her brother and sister-in-law, a glimmer of light suddenly flashed in her desperate eyes. Yes, she had forgotten that her brother still had a life-saving talisman in his hand!
Sure enough, after Qin Chuan, the head of the Qin family, comforted his daughter, he greeted the old lady first, then bowed deeply to Marquis Dingyuan, and said with a guilty look on his face: "My Lord, I have heard outside the door just now that my sister and daughter have committed unforgivable crimes. According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, they should be beheaded, but people are all made of flesh and blood. Even if they are extremely evil, they are still my flesh and blood. Therefore, I ask the Lord to spare my sister and daughter this time for the sake of the red book and iron certificate that the late emperor gave to my father!"
As he spoke, he took out a sign from his arms and held it above his head with both hands.
When Marquis Dingyuan saw the sign, he gasped, lifted his clothes, knelt on the ground, and shouted "Long live the emperor".
The rest of the people also knelt down and shouted long live the emperor.
Back then, Prime Minister Qin assisted the late emperor in establishing the country. He devoted his life to the cause and made great contributions. The late emperor was grateful for his loyalty and granted him a red-lettered iron certificate as a reward to show his great grace. On the certificate was engraved with cinnabar the imperial edict "You shall be pardoned nine times of death, your descendants shall be pardoned three times of death, or if they commit ordinary crimes, the officials shall not impose additional penalties."
This means that if Prime Minister Qin himself breaks the law, he can be exempted from the death penalty nine times, and his descendants can be exempted from the death penalty three times. If the crime he commits is not serious, the relevant government offices cannot sentence him.
As soon as the iron certificate came out, Sheng Qingluan's heart sank. So many people went through so much trouble to convict the Qin aunt and nephew, but in the end, it was no match for a golden medal of immunity.
Where is justice? Where is justice
Qin survived the disaster and felt as if she had walked through the underworld. She hugged her three children and shed tears of joy.
Qin Wanru also hugged her mother and cried with joy.
The others had mixed feelings in their hearts, and they couldn't tell what they were feeling. Yunying and the old people from Yaoyueju all hung their heads in frustration.
Sheng Qingyun was indignant on behalf of her sister, but faced with the late emperor's edict, she dared not speak out.
Marquis Dingyuan was also quite helpless. The emperor's order was above everything else, and he had no choice but to obey.
Xie Nanjia, on the other hand, was not angry at all, and even smiled secretly.
Zhao Jingyu was watching from the side and smiled along with her.
After a whole day of fussing, it ended like this. It was really depressing. Finally, the old lady spoke up and said that the Qin aunt and niece had indeed committed a heinous crime. Even if the death penalty could be spared, it was hard to tolerate according to the family rules. She punished them to go to the ancestral hall to repent first, and the specific punishment would be decided after she discussed it with the marquis.
Qin Chuan could save the lives of his daughter and sister, but he could not ask others not to enforce the family rules. He had to return home with his wife and find another solution.
As Qin's confidants, Yun Yan and Madam Cao had no imperial edict to save their lives, and were eventually beaten with forty sticks and handed over to the government for punishment.
Although Yunying's crime as Qin Wanru's accomplice was unforgivable, she was spared from caning because of her sincere repentance and meritorious reporting. She was sent to the government together with Feng Qisan's brothers and the man who spread the false information.
The servants of Yixinyuan and Nuanyuge were implicated by their mistress, and all of them were sold off without leaving a single one alive to serve as a warning to others.
There was no need for the Sheng Qingluan sisters to stay any longer, so they said goodbye with anger in their hearts.
Sheng Qingyun wanted to take Xie Nanjia directly back to the Duke's Mansion, but was politely rejected by Xie Nanjia.
"It happened too suddenly, and I can't accept it for the time being. Let me take it easy first!" said Xie Nanjia.
She still had things to do and couldn't leave now.
The old lady also said that because she didn't know Xiu'er's identity, she had suffered a lot in the mansion. It would be too unfair to her to take her away quietly like this. It would be better for the Duke's Mansion to bring a sedan chair and servants to pick her up formally another day, so that she wouldn't have to go there with improper reasons.
Sheng Qingyun thought it made sense, so she asked the old lady and the marquis to help look after her daughter first, and she would come back to pick her up after she had discussed it with her family.
After what happened between the Qin aunt and niece, Marquis Dingyuan felt completely humiliated and ashamed, so he reluctantly agreed to Sheng Qingyun's request and personally sent the two sisters out the door.
Xie Nanjia was very calm at this time. She sent her mother and aunt to the carriage. Before leaving, she whispered to her mother, "Don't worry, aunt. God will not let them go."
Sheng Qingluan was very sad and didn't pay attention to her words. It was not until the carriage had gone a long way that she slowly understood her meaning and asked Sheng Qingyun, "Did you leave your secret guard with Xiu'er?"
"Don't worry, we'll stay there." Sheng Qingyun said, "The secret guards won't withdraw until we find out who was the mastermind behind the theft of the child."
Xie Nanjia sent her mother and aunt away and returned to the mansion. In just a moment, everything was different. Every servant who saw her knelt down to greet her. Although they still called her Xiu'er, their attitude was very respectful.
Xie Nanjia found it funny, but accepted it calmly and didn't feel awkward at all.
As she was walking towards Yilan Courtyard, someone threw a stone from behind, hitting her right on the back with just the right amount of force, so it didn't hurt at all.
Xie Nanjia knew it was Zhao Jingyu. When she turned around, she saw him hiding behind a tree. Unfortunately, only his face was covered, but not his bright red clothes.
"Why are you hiding?" Xie Nanjia walked over and asked him.
Zhao Jingyu touched his nose and smacked his lips worriedly: "I don't know what identity I should have when meeting you, and I don't know how to address you."
Xie Nanjia was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "You are still the Second Young Master, and I am still Xiu'er, there is nothing to be entangled about."
"Really?" Zhao Jingyu's eyes lit up, "Then can I still ask you to cook for me?"
Xie Nanjia: “…”
A guy who is pushing his luck!
"I'm very tired today," she said.
"Then go to my place and rest for a while." Zhao Jingyu said, "You won't be able to rest if you go back to Yilan Courtyard."
Xie Nanjia thought about it and realized that she would be questioned by the maids when she returned, so she nodded and said, "Okay, I just have something to tell you."
After saying that, he told Huangfu without even turning his head: "Go tell the fourth young lady that I won't be going back for the time being."
Huangfu: “…”
I'm not hers, how can she order me around so naturally
"What are you standing there for? Go!" Zhao Jingyu urged, and then turned to Xie Nanjia and smiled brightly, "You can use my people as you like, including myself."
Wei Jun: “…”
Huangfu: “…”
Xie Nanjia: “…”
…
It was late at night and everything was quiet.
In the Zhao family ancestral hall, Qin's aunt and nephew endured the biting cold and knelt side by side on a cushion. On the altar in front of them were placed the tablets of Zhao's ancestors, and on the walls around them hung portraits of successive family heads and mistresses. In the dim candlelight, it looked eerie and terrifying.
What’s even more terrifying is that there is also a portrait of Xie Nanjia, which was painted by Zhao Jingping himself. The painting is lifelike, especially the pair of phoenix eyes, which are extremely vivid. No matter from which angle you look at it, it seems as if it is looking directly into people’s eyes.
Qin Wanru had a guilty conscience and didn't dare to look over there, but even if she didn't look, she seemed to be able to feel those eyes staring at her.
"Aunt, I'm scared." She moved closer to Qin tremblingly, trying to seek comfort.
Qin subconsciously moved aside and said calmly, "Just bear with it, it will be fine in the morning."
Qin Wanru froze and sobbed softly, "Aunt, I was wrong. I was in a hurry at the time and said something I didn't think of..."
"No, you are right." Qin said sarcastically, "You only have one life. What's wrong with wanting to live? It's me who is too stupid. I always want to protect this and that, but in the end I found that I can't even protect myself."
Qin Wanru burst into tears with shame: "Aunt, don't say that, I really know I was wrong, don't worry, when we get out, I will definitely kill Xiu'er to vent your anger!"
"Ah!"
Suddenly, a sneer came from somewhere, and the aunt and nephew were so frightened that their hearts trembled, and they shouted at the same time: "Who?"
It was quiet all around and no one answered them.
"Aunt!" Qin Wanru no longer cared whether Qin disliked her or not. She shouted and rushed over to hug her.
Qin was also feeling uneasy and did not push her away.
"Don't be afraid, it might be the wind." She said, as if she was comforting Qin Wanru, or as if she was comforting herself.
Just as I said it was the wind, a gust of wind suddenly came, causing the candle flame to jump wildly, and the portrait on the wall also fluttered, as if the soul in the painting was about to appear.
Qin Wanru's face turned pale with horror, and she buried her head in Qin's arms and cried out in surprise.
Qin's heartbeat also quickened, and she closed her eyes to deceive herself.
Slowly, the wind seemed to stop and the light stopped swaying.
The aunt and niece slowly raised their heads and opened their eyes, only to find that Xie Nanjia's portrait was gone. Instead, a woman was standing upright where the portrait had been hung. She was dressed exactly like in the portrait, with the only difference being that her face was covered with a veil, revealing only a pair of sparkling black and white phoenix eyes.
"Ah~" Qin Wanru screamed, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted in Qin's arms.
"You, are you a human or a ghost?" Qin supported her niece and asked in a trembling voice.
"Madam, do you think I am a human or a ghost?" The woman chuckled and walked towards her with light lotus steps.
"Don't come over here, don't come over here!" Qin was horrified. She was dragged down by Qin Wanru and wanted to run away but couldn't.
"So the lady can also be afraid." The woman stopped.
Qin frantically pinched Qin Wanru's philtrum and shook her hard to wake her up.
Qin Wanru was choked awake, and when she saw the woman, she almost fainted again.
Qin raised her hand and slapped her: "Wake up!"
Qin Wanru woke up and stared at the woman opposite her, trembling: "Xie Nanjia, you are Xie Nanjia..."
"Yes, I am Xie Nanjia." Xie Nanjia said.
"You, what do you want to do? Are you here to take my life?" Qin Wanru said in a trembling voice, and suddenly pushed Qin forward, "If you want to find someone, go find her. She ordered me to do it. She hates your mother for taking away General Wu'an, so she wants to kill you to vent her anger..."
“Qin Wanru!” Qin’s heart was stabbed once again, and she pointed at Qin Wanru and cursed, “You are such a heartless little beast!”
Xie Nanjia taunted, "Madam, you just found out now, don't you think it's too late?"
Qin was slightly startled, and blurted out: "It's Xiu'er's voice, you are not Xie Nanjia, you are Xiu'er!"
Sleeves? Qin Wanru was startled and stepped forward to pull off Xie Nanjia's veil.
"Xiu'er, is it really you?" she exclaimed, "You've already pushed me to this point, and you're still trying to scare me by pretending to be a ghost. What's the grudge between us?"
"Do you want to know?" Xie Nanjia sneered, took out a piece of paper and threw it to her: "Read what it says, and you will know!"
Qin Wanru picked up the paper with shaking hands and read in the dim light: "Xie Nanjia, you are the daughter of a general, the wife of a marquis, you are the most noble and talented person in the capital, but you still died in my hands..."
She stopped reading halfway through, staring at Xie Nanjia with wide eyes in horror: "I said this to Xie Nanjia when she was dying, standing by her bed. No one else knew about this except me and her. How did you know?"
Xie Nanjia finally confirmed who had spoken the words that had lingered in his ears like a curse day and night. He was overwhelmed with emotions and hatred surged in his chest. He looked up to the sky, took a deep breath, forced back the tears in his eyes, drew the dagger from his sleeve, and with a clang, the blade came out of the sheath and stabbed into Qin Wanru's chest with overwhelming hatred.
"Because I am Xie Nanjia!" She gritted her teeth and said, "I have climbed out of hell to take your life!"
She pulled out the knife, and blood spurted out, splashing all over her. With her hideous expression of hatred, she looked like a devil.
Qin was so frightened that she couldn't scream and collapsed to the ground, holding her chest.
Qin Wanru looked at the blood spurting out of her chest in horror, and a gurgling sound came from her throat.
Xie Nanjia stabbed him again with his backhand: "This knife is for my son!"
"This knife is from my mother!"
"This knife was from my father!"
"This knife was from my brother!"
"This knife is from Lvliu!"
"This knife is from Hualou!"
"You killed me, which was equivalent to taking their lives. Now I will take it all back for them!"
"This knife was sent by God. Thank God for allowing me to be reborn and avenge myself. Qin Wanru, go to hell!!!"
(End of this chapter)