Liu Qiao's testimony made Yu Hanjiang immediately alert. He asked Long Sen to guard the door to prevent others from approaching. He took Liu Qiao to the side and asked in a low voice: "Miss Fourth usually covers her face with white gauze, so she is easily
Pretend, are you sure the person you saw is Miss Fourth?"
"Confirmed. There is a very small red mole above the right eyebrow of the Fourth Miss. I was suspicious and put on an invisibility cloak to get closer. That person was the Fourth Miss Qi Yiwei. Her dress and voice were also similar to the Fourth Miss.
Same." Liu Qiao said firmly.
"Have you seen clearly the person who had a private meeting with the Fourth Miss?" Yu Hanjiang asked.
"Look clearly, he must be a young master from a wealthy family. He is very well-dressed. He also gave Miss Fourth a round jade pendant. Although I don't understand jade, the jade pendant is crystal clear and should be quite valuable." Liu
Qiao recalled carefully and said, "In ancient times, giving a jade pendant was a token of love, right?"
"According to the customs here in Jiangzhou, a man giving a woman a jade pendant does have the meaning of confirming his love." Lao Mo said.
Yu Hanjiang turned back to look at Xiao Lou, and met his gaze when he looked up from the desk. The two of them thought of a possibility at the same time.
Xiao Lou asked: "Is that rich young man wearing a dark blue gown, black boots embroidered with silver thread, and his hair tied up with a blue headband? His skin is very white, and he also wears
Got an emerald ring?”
Liu Qiao was startled and said, "It's absolutely true, all the details are correct."
Old Mo came back to his senses and exclaimed: "Isn't that the eldest young master of the Lin family - Lin Shaobo?"
Yu Hanjiang folded his arms thoughtfully: "I remember that when the prince was assassinated, Lin Shaobo was not at the scene at all." He turned his attention to Xiao Lou again and asked: "How long has Master Lin been away?"
During the dinner, Yu Hanjiang kept watching the guests on the left, while Xiao Lou was responsible for observing the guests on the right.
Lin Shaobo happened to be sitting on the right side, at the same table as Shao Qingge.
Xiao Lou was very attentive, so he noticed when Lin Shaobo got up and left.
When Captain Yu asked, he explained in detail: "When Ye Qi came out, Lin Shaobo excused himself to go to the toilet and left. Ye Qi played the piano to accompany him, and five women danced sword dances. The performance lasted about 10 minutes. The assassin suddenly assassinated the prince.
, the prince fought with the assassin, the assassin failed in the assassination attempt and escaped, plus the maid came to report the news...all this time added up to about 20 minutes."
Yu Hanjiang said: "In other words, Lin Shaobo disappeared for 20 minutes. Such a long time was enough for him to go to the backyard and hang the eldest lady on a tree to fake a suicide scene."
Xiao Lou looked at Liu Qiao and asked, "About what time did you see Fourth Miss and Lin Shaobo dating?"
There were no watches in ancient times, and Liu Qiao could not determine the time clearly. She guessed based on the position of the sun in the sky: "It should be around five o'clock in the evening. The sun had not yet set. There was a fragrance coming from the kitchen, and they were preparing dinner."
Xiao Lou touched his chin and analyzed: "The time of the eldest lady's death was six o'clock, the time when Master Lin appeared in the backyard was five o'clock, and the time when he left the banquet was eight o'clock. Doesn't it match the time of the eldest lady's death?"
Yu Hanjiang said: "There is a possibility that if the eldest lady was brutally murdered because she witnessed the affair between her fiancé and her sister, then Master Lin and the fourth lady can collude to poison her food in advance.
Zuo himself accidentally ingested toxin while eating snacks in his room and was poisoned to death. Around eight o'clock, Master Lin excused himself from the party, went back to the backyard and hung her from a tree, pretending that she had committed suicide by hanging. In this way, time passed.
Totally right."
Lin Shaobo had the time and motive to commit the crime.
If the eldest lady found out about his secret meeting with the fourth lady, he would indeed have the motive to kill and silence him. Moreover, by disguising the crime scene as a suicide, once the prince also believed that his daughter had committed suicide, the prince's palace had already accepted the betrothal gift from the Lin family.
It can be returned. At this time, Lin Shaobo can think of a way to ask the prince to betroth the fourth lady to him.
In ancient times, it was not uncommon for a sister to commit suicide if she couldn't bear to think about it, and it was not uncommon for a sister to marry on her behalf.
This way you get the best of both worlds.
Listening to Yu Hanjiang's analysis, everyone felt that it was very likely that Lin Shaobo and the fourth lady would join forces to kill the eldest lady and silence her.
However, there are frequent reversals in the Chamber of Hearts, and pure reasoning cannot make a final decision. Before finding definite evidence, Yu Hanjiang will not easily draw a conclusion - this is only a possibility, and there may be other possibilities.
Yu Hanjiang looked at Liu Qiao: "You have been very close to the Fourth Miss these days. In your opinion, what kind of person is the Fourth Miss?"
Liu Qiao said: "The fourth lady Qi Yiwei's personality is somewhat similar to that of her mother, Mrs. Han. They are both gentle and considerate, soft-spoken, and love to laugh. I have never seen her angry."
Xiao Lou thought for a while and said: "She has medical skills, so she can naturally prepare medicine that is enough to poison people, right?"
Liu Qiao suddenly thought of something and said: "By the way, she invited me to the palace today. The reason is that she has been feeling unwell recently and asked me to bring some medicinal materials for her recovery. There are several medicines among them. According to the records in Master's medical books, once
Exceeding the dose will turn it into a deadly poison."
Xiao Lou said: "Perhaps she secretly added these medicines into the young lady's diet or tea?"
At present, all evidence points to Miss Fourth and Master Lin.
Yu Hanjiang said simply and honestly: "Liu Qiao, you first go to the magistrate's prison to meet with Mr. Shao. I will ask someone to ask Miss Fourth for questioning later."
Liu Qiao nodded, went out through the back door, and quickly disappeared into the night.
Long Sen went out and took a look. In the hall next to him, the three girls had already called everyone in the palace according to the prince's instructions. They were waiting for Master Yu to question. Yu Hanjiang interrogated the other two ladies in order.
Mrs. Qing has been cleaning up the yard this afternoon. Several of her maids can testify to this.
Mrs. Qing said very bluntly: "My family accidentally cut down a tree during martial arts practice yesterday, leaving a mess in the yard with mud and leaves everywhere. I have been watching the maids cleaning up my clothes this afternoon.
Feng Pavilion, it was not until dinner time that the prince sent someone to deliver the message, and then I changed my clothes and went to attend the banquet."
During the entire banquet, she stayed with the prince and did not leave.
The boy who sent the message also confirmed what Mrs. Qing said, saying that when he went to Tingfeng Pavilion, a group of people were indeed cleaning the yard.
Yu Hanjiang called the most favored Mrs. Han over again
Mrs. Han said softly: "I have been resting in the Hongmei Garden in the afternoon. I have been weak recently and I feel sleepy in the afternoon. I slept until someone came from the front yard to send a message, and then I woke up to wash up, change clothes and go to the prince's birthday dinner."
Yu Hanjiang said: "Can anyone prove that Madam slept in the room all afternoon?"
Mrs. Han frowned and thought for a while, then said: "I sleep in the inner room, because I am drowsy when sleeping and often wake up and want to drink water, so my two maids, Xiaoxue and Xiaoshuang, have been in the outer room.
Wait, they can prove that I haven't gone out all afternoon."
Yu Hanjiang called the two maids in separately to ask.
Xiaoxue said that her wife had been feeling unwell recently and would go to bed every afternoon, and today was no exception. She took a rest after lunch and woke up three times in a daze. It was not until dinner time that someone was sent to the front yard to send a message, and she woke her up and gave her a message.
Make up and dress up.
Xiaoshuang's testimony was consistent with that of her companions. She also added that Madam has always had little appetite recently. She only ate a small bowl of porridge for one meal. When she woke up today, she looked pale and had cold sweat on her forehead. She wanted to attend a dinner party and couldn't let the guests
Seeing that she was sick, the two maids specially put a lot of rouge on her, drew her eyebrows carefully, and dressed her up to improve her complexion.
Both ladies have perfect alibi.
In comparison, Mrs. Qing's testimony is more credible, because the tree in her yard was indeed cut down by the third lady, and other maids passing by could hear the sound of cleaning the yard, and the boy who sent the message also saw her with his own eyes.
Sitting in the courtyard and giving directions.
Mrs. Han, only the maid testified.
This Xiaoxue and Xiaoshuang are the personal maids who married into the palace with her. These slaves in ancient times were usually extremely loyal to their masters. Some maids were even willing to die for their masters. Therefore, it is also okay to give perjury at the request of their masters.
Very common.
Mrs. Han's testimony cannot be 100% certain, but her body cannot deceive others.
Xiao Lou is a medical student, and he can always tell the difference between a real illness and a feigned illness. Mrs. Han's illness is quite serious. Even though she put makeup on her face to improve her complexion, she still looks very lethargic. Xiao Lou observed her carefully.
Her fingernails, the half-moons at the base of her fingernails, were almost completely faded. The maid said that she only ate one bowl of porridge for each meal recently, which was obviously caused by a weak stomach and long-term malnutrition.
She may have a gastrointestinal disease and her appetite has been severely reduced. With her current physical condition, it is impossible to have the strength to carry the eldest lady to a tree and hang her... Looking at her frail appearance, she even hung a piece of white silk to her body.
There are some difficulties on the trees.
Xiao Lou told Yu Hanjiang his conclusion: "Mrs. Han is not pretending to be ill, her health is indeed not good."
Yu Hanjiang touched his chin: "It seems that the focus is still on these ladies."
At this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door, and Long Sen reported in a low voice: "It's the Ninth Princess."
Yu Hanjiang raised his eyebrows: "What is she here for?"
Xiao Lou smiled and said: "Let her come in. I remember she said that she had sent letters to the eldest lady before, maybe she would have clues."
Seeing that Xiao Lou didn't mind, Yu Hanjiang felt relieved and motioned to Long Sen to open the door.
The Ninth Princess wore men's clothes and took Qu Wanyue into the house. She said bluntly: "I know who the murderer is!"
Yu Hanjiang was quite surprised: "Oh? What did the princess say?"
The Ninth Princess looked indignant: "Qi Yiwei must have done it! Ayao wrote to me before and mentioned something in the letter. Master Yu, please read it yourself!"
She took out a letter from her arms and handed it to Yu Hanjiang.
Yu Hanjiang took the letter and walked to Xiao Lou's side. Xiao Lou also leaned over to read together. Every word in the eldest lady's hand was written squarely, as if it had been printed. The letter read -
"Ninth Princess:
Good luck with the letter.
My wedding to the eldest young master of the Lin family is scheduled for the 15th of next month. The wedding is approaching, but I am terrified inside.
Rumor has it that the eldest young master of the Lin family spends his days drinking and drinking, hanging out in brothels, and making friends with many brothel girls in Jiangzhou. His mother said that it is very common for men to have three wives and four concubines. The Lin family promised that he will not take concubines after marriage, and will only pamper me. As long as he
I don't mind his temporary indulgence if he can change his past after marriage. Besides, when it comes to marriage matters, I can only follow the orders of my parents and the advice of my matchmaker.
However, a few days ago I went to burn incense outside the city and accidentally met Mr. Lin and his little sister in the mountains. The little sister gave Mr. Lin a blue handkerchief embroidered by her own hands. Mr. Lin looked gentle and said to the little sister, she just
She is the love of his life, and the person he wants to marry is Yiwei, not Yiyao.
In recent days, I have been suffering internally and don’t know how to deal with myself.
I want to tell my mother about this, but my mother and Mrs. Han have always been at odds with each other. Once the matter gets serious, I'm afraid it won't be able to end.
The Ninth Princess and I have known each other since childhood, and she is my father's favorite royal sister. If you come forward, things may turn around.
I have only met Master Lin twice and have no feelings at all. Since he is obsessed with the fourth sister, I want to make them happy. However, there are already rumors in Jiangzhou that I have an engagement with Master Lin, so it is not easy for the fourth sister to marry him directly.
Lin Mansion.
To get the best of both worlds, I decided to become a monk.
As long as I become a nun, the marriage contract between the Lin family and the royal family does not have to be terminated, and the fourth sister can take my place and marry into the Lin family legitimately.
I grew up in the Qingyou Ancient Temple since I was a child. I no longer miss all the things in the world. It would be better to spend the rest of my life with the Green Lantern and Ancient Buddha.
My father will not allow me to become a monk, and I hope that the Ninth Princess can give me good advice and help me realize this wish.
Written by Yiyao himself."
****
【Chapter 165, War in Troubled Times 15】
After reading the letter, Xiao Lou felt mixed.
His first feeling was indeed correct. This eldest lady was indeed indifferent and indifferent to worldly affairs. She had seen through the world and decided to become a monk, so she was indifferent to the fact that the eldest son of the Lin family was hanging out in a brothel, and she was also indifferent to her father's birthday party.
This afternoon, she was still banging wooden fish and reading scriptures in the Buddhist hall. Probably in her opinion, being accompanied by the ancient Buddha with green lanterns all her life was the best destination for her. Unfortunately, she failed to do so - she intended to help others, and others
But you may not necessarily have this kindness.
Yu Hanjiang frowned after reading the letter: "Ninth Princess, how is your relationship with Miss Yi Yao?"
The Ninth Princess said: "In terms of seniority, I am her imperial aunt, but I am only four years older than her. She has been in poor health since she was a child. She fell ill again after she was brought home at the age of ten. Brother Huang
I sent her to Kyoto for treatment for a period of time, and she lived in my princess's house that year, so she is familiar with me, but this is the first time she has written to me."
The princess paused and then said: "I rushed to Jiangzhou this time because of this incident." At this point, she couldn't help but look away with a guilty conscience.
Yu Hanjiang has interrogated countless prisoners, so he naturally noticed that her expression was abnormal. Not only was this princess bad at acting, but she was also very bad at pretending to be a man. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that she was a woman, and there was no way she could compete with Qu Wanyue's men's clothing.
compared to.
Yu Hanjiang then asked: "Has the princess ever seen the eldest lady since she came to the palace?"
The Ninth Princess shook her head: "No, I went directly to the side hall to wait for the dinner to start. I didn't expect that Yiyao would be murdered." She frowned and said angrily: "It must have been the Fourth Miss! She and Young Master Lin.
If the affair is exposed, maybe she wants to kill Ayao to silence her!"
Seeing the princess's excitement, Yu Hanjiang immediately interrupted her: "There is no direct evidence that the fourth lady is the murderer. Princess, please go back first. Wei Chen will definitely investigate this case."
The Ninth Princess warned seriously: "You must catch the murderer, and you can't let A Yao die in vain!"
Yu Hanjiang said: "Don't worry."
The ninth princess turned to leave, but Yu Hanjiang suddenly said: "Please stay here, the maid next to the princess. I have something to ask her."
The Ninth Princess wondered: "What are you asking her for?! Didn't I give you the letter? How can I still lie?"
Yu Hanjiang said calmly: "Interrogating the maids and guards is a necessary step in investigating the case. Please cooperate with the princess."
The Ninth Princess nodded, leaned into Qu Wanyue's ear, and lowered her voice: "Don't say anything you shouldn't say."
Qu Wanyue smiled: "Don't worry, princess." I will definitely say it.
The ninth princess left with peace of mind.
Long Sen closed the door, looked at his wife in men's clothing with a complicated expression, and whispered: "You are quite handsome in men's clothing, aren't you?"
Qu Wanyue looked at him with a smile and joked: "Then I will keep dressing up as a man from now on, and how about wearing a suit at the wedding?"
Long Sen touched his nose awkwardly: "I still don't want it anymore..."
Qu Wanyue walked up to Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou and said seriously: "Captain Yu, the ninth princess is lying."
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "I can see that she came to Jiangzhou this time not just because of the eldest lady, right?"
Qu Wanyue said: "The reason why she hurriedly fled Kyoto was because the emperor wanted to marry her."
Xiao Lou said with interest: "Oh? What is the specific situation?"
Qu Wanyue explained in detail: "The Ninth Princess is the youngest daughter of the late emperor. The late emperor had a daughter when he was old. He loved her very much and developed her arrogant and overbearing character. The late emperor once arranged for her to marry. This matter
Mr. Yu should be aware. Later, the former emperor passed away and the new emperor ascended the throne. Now His Majesty is very worried about this little aunt and wants her to get married as soon as possible. This time he has found a general for her. The Ninth Princess heard the news in advance.
Before His Majesty could say anything, he took me and ran away."
Yu Hanjiang said clearly: "It seems that she escaped from marriage and fled to Jiangzhou?"
Qu Wanyue nodded: "I'll take care of the eldest lady's affairs by the way."
Xiao Lou pondered for a moment and asked, "Teacher Qu, did you get any clues at the Princess Mansion?"
Qu Wanyue said: "Princess talks to me about the gossip in the palace every day. It is said that your Majesty's mother-in-law was poisoned to death by Concubine Shu. Later, Concubine Ming killed Concubine Shu. The women in the harem fought with each other. First, Concubine Ming killed Concubine Shu.
When the emperor passed away, an imperial edict was issued for them to be buried together, but in the end they fought to no avail. The princess said that she did not want to be born into a royal family in her next life, and she preferred to be a free folk woman who could choose her own husband."
After listening to Qu Wanyue's description, Xiao Lou slightly changed his view of the Ninth Princess. She actually had no feelings for Yu Hanjiang. It was just that the late emperor proposed marriage and Yu Hanjiang declined, which made it difficult for her to live up to her reputation.
The letters brought by Qu Wanyue and Ninth Princess pointed the finger directly at Miss Fourth and Lin Shaobo.
After Yu Hanjiang analyzed it carefully, he called the servants of the palace over for questioning.
The maids, the servants, the cooks, no one was left out.
Yu Hanjiang asked in detail, and Xiao Lou took very detailed notes beside him.
Master Yu and his wife cooperated tacitly and handled the case together, which opened the eyes of the servants in the palace. After going out, they all commented: "I have never seen a woman follow her husband to handle a case!" "This Mrs. Yu is not simple. I heard that she is also
She knows how to do autopsies!" "She is not afraid of corpses at all. She is really a strange woman. No wonder Master Yu loves her so much."
Long Sen listened to the gossips of the servants and was really dumbfounded.
Our Professor Xiao’s major is forensic medicine, so what’s a corpse? He’s not afraid of a morgue.
Inside the room, Xiao Lou showed the compiled transcripts to Yu Hanjiang for analysis.
The servants mentioned two points:
First, Mrs. Qing, Mrs. Han and Mrs. Yun are at odds with each other. Since the position of the concubine is vacant, the three of them usually fight a lot openly and secretly.
Mrs. Yun is the oldest person in the palace and has given birth to the eldest son Qi Fenghua and the eldest daughter Qi Yiyao. She is the most likely candidate to become the princess. Mrs. Qing and Mrs. Han have always been unconvinced. Mrs. Qing is quick to talk and has quarreled with Mrs. Yun many times in the backyard.
Conflicts; Mrs. Han often competed for favor in front of the prince, and her illness has only subsided a little recently.
Secondly, the eldest lady is taciturn and likes to stay in the Buddhist hall. She has never had an open conflict with anyone in the palace.
From this point of view, Mrs. Qing and Mrs. Han both have alibis. Although they have deep grudges with Mrs. Yun, they have no conflict with the eldest lady. If it was for the position of princess, they would kill Mrs. Yun instead of the eldest lady.
, the suspicion of the two ladies should be eliminated.
The second young lady, the third young lady and the fourth young lady have not been interrogated yet.
Yu Hanjiang invited the second young lady over first.
Qi Yi'an, the legitimate daughter of the royal family, the princess of Shu'an who was personally conferred by the emperor.
Among the four girls, she is the only one who deserves the title of "every lady". The first time Xiao Lou saw her, he felt that this girl had bright eyes, white teeth, dignified appearance, elegant manners, and full aura. She was a princess like her.
Marrying to Zhao Guo can indeed support the situation.
Qi Yi'an was very polite to Yu Hanjiang. She said: "My wedding to the third prince of Zhao is scheduled for the end of the year. Today is my father's birthday. To show his sincerity, the prince of Zhao sent an envoy to wish his father a birthday. A minister of etiquette from Zhao also came.
The officials explained to me some customs that need to be paid attention to on the day of the wedding banquet, and I followed them in the post house where they were received, and then returned to the palace at Xu."
She paused and said: "After returning to the house, I started writing a letter. Before I finished writing the letter, I heard someone screaming outside. The third sister came to me and told me that something happened to my eldest sister and asked me to come over."
Yu Hanjiang looked at Long Sen: "Is there an envoy from Zhao State visiting today?"
Long Sen nodded: "Yes, I came over in the afternoon to give the prince a gift, but it was not convenient for them to attend the dinner. The second lady did follow them to the post house specially designed to receive guests from Zhao State."
The second lady is a princess conferred by the emperor himself. The customs of Zhao State and Qi State are different. She wants to marry to Zhao State. There are many details that need to be paid attention to. She said that Xu Shi did not return to the palace until around 20 o'clock. If she is the murderer, in terms of time
It was too late. Moreover, she had no grudges with the eldest lady, and she was about to marry to the Kingdom of Zhao as the crown princess, so she had no motive for committing the crime.
Yu Hanjiang said: "Princess, do you and the eldest lady have much contact with each other?"
Qi Yi'an smiled slightly and said: "Sister often stays in the Buddhist hall and copies scriptures. I don't like to go out. I usually like to practice piano at Xiushuixuan. I don't see her a few times a month."
Yu Hanjiang then asked: "Do you know the relationship between the eldest lady and the other sisters?"
Qi Yi'an shook his head: "I don't know. I don't have much contact with the third sister and the fourth sister. The third sister likes to practice martial arts, carries a sword every day, likes to run out of the palace to play, and is not close to me. The fourth sister always thinks
She covered her face with white gauze, and every time she saw me, she would only call me Princess and be very polite and distant to me." She paused and said calmly: "I don't know what the relationship between the three of them is, and I have no interest in knowing."
She was about to be sent to Zhao State for marriage. She would probably never have the chance to return to her hometown again. In addition, her sisters were not born from the same mother. These sisters were dispensable to her.
As the legitimate daughter, she only needs to take care of herself. It is the wisest thing to not get involved in the fights between the wives of the palace.
The second lady couldn't ask anything here, but the third lady gave Yu Hanjiang a clue——
Qi Yiru said: "When I went to the toilet in the evening, I saw my fourth sister hurriedly passing by the rockery, turning around and walking in the direction of Hongmei Garden. I ran over and asked her what was wrong. She kept evading her eyes, saying that she was not feeling well and wanted to go."
Go back and take medicine."
Yu Hanjiang said: "Do you have a good relationship with Miss Fourth?"
Qi Yiru nodded: "Yes, among the sisters in the palace, the eldest sister hides in the Buddhist hall and knocks wooden fish every day, and the second sister sits in the attic of Xiu Shuixuan and plays the piano every day. I have nothing to talk to them. I usually like to practice martial arts, but I accidentally fell
, it’s a bruise. It’s too troublesome to go to the hospital for treatment. My fourth sister knows medical skills, so I will go to her and she will help me bandage the wound.”
She paused and then added: "The murderer can't be the fourth sister! She is usually soft and weak, how could she have the courage to kill someone?! I think she might have seen the murderer, so she ran away from the rockery in a hurry!
"
Yu Hanjiang called the key suspect Qi Yiwei over.
She still covered her face with white gauze and lowered her eyes timidly, not daring to look at them.
Yu Hanjiang asked directly: "Fourth Miss, has your eldest sister already known about your affair with Mr. Lin?"
Qi Yiwei: "………………"
Xiao Lou looked at Captain Yu helplessly from the side.
This habit of playing straight has not changed. The fourth girl probably did not expect that the other party would ask this question, and she was so frightened that her whole body trembled.
A layer of cold sweat immediately broke out on her uncovered forehead. She clenched her fingers tightly and said, "I, I don't know what Mr. Yu is talking about. Please don't slander a woman's innocence."
Yu Hanjiang simply handed her the letter given by the Ninth Princess: "Fourth Miss, please take a look at this."
Qi Yiwei looked at it with wide eyes. After seeing the part "I want to help them become a nun", her eyes suddenly turned red.
She covered her face and cried intermittently: "Sister...she originally wanted to help us...I'm sorry for her...wuwuwu...I'm sorry for my sister..."
Seeing that she couldn't stop crying, Xiao Lou said warmly: "Miss Fourth, why do you cover your face with a white gauze?"
Qi Yiwei was silent for a long time before gently taking off her veil.
The right side of her face looks beautiful and refined, with fair and smooth skin. She is definitely a beauty. However, there is a long birthmark about the size of a thumb on the left cheek, which ruins her appearance.
It's like a piece of crystal clear jade with obvious cracks, which makes people feel regretful.
Qi Yiwei put on the veil tremblingly and said: "My face was born like this. I didn't want to be criticized, so I covered my face with a white gauze. In fact, Mr. Lin and I did not have an affair. As early as he
We knew each other before we made an engagement with my sister..."
Xiao Lou wrote down this key point in his notebook, and then said: "You and Mr. Lin have promised each other for life?"
Qi Yiwei nodded: "A year ago, Mr. Lin accidentally broke his leg on the mountain outside Jiangzhou City. I happened to save him when I passed by. He saw my appearance and didn't mind that I was ugly. He said he would marry me as his wife...
…He treated me sincerely, and I fell in love with him at first sight. We…often used excuses to go outside the city and meet in private.”
"A few months later, the Lin family brought the betrothal gift as a matchmaker. I was so happy at the time that I thought he was here to propose marriage to me. But in the end, the final decision was actually for him to marry my eldest sister!"
Speaking of this, Qi Yiwei's nails couldn't help but pierce deeply into her palms. The shock and grievance at that time were beyond words.
Yu Hanjiang said coldly: "After you made the engagement, you didn't dare to resist your parents' orders, so you kept having secret meetings? Did you happen to meet each other secretly in the backyard today and was caught by the eldest lady?"
Qi Yiwei's body trembled slightly and she didn't reply. It was obvious that Yu Hanjiang was right.
Yu Hanjiang's sharp gaze glanced straight at the piece of jade on her waist: "The jade pendant was given by Mr. Lin?"
Qi Yiwei didn't expect that even this matter would be mentioned. She was stunned and her face instantly turned extremely pale.
Yu Hanjiang said calmly: "Tell me, how did you and Master Lin conspire to kill the eldest lady?"
Qi Yiwei's eyes widened and she shook her head hastily: "It wasn't me... I didn't kill the eldest sister! After the eldest sister saw her, I ran away in a hurry. I really don't know what happened to her!"
Yu Hanjiang asked sharply: "You ran away in a hurry, what about Master Lin?"
"Master Lin?" Qi Yiwei was suddenly startled. Apparently, she hurriedly fled back to Hongmei Garden and bumped into the third lady on the way. She used the excuse that she was in poor health and wanted to go back to take medicine. She didn't know where Master Lin had gone.
Yu Hanjiang asked Long Sen: "Have you found Master Lin?"
Long Sen shook his head: "I asked all the guards and found no trace of Master Lin in the courtyard of the palace. He was not found among the guests leaving the front door of the palace. On the contrary, there were a few broken tiles on the wall at the back door. He might be
He escaped by climbing over the wall through the back door."
Yu Hanjiang said coldly: "Apprehend Lin Shaobo immediately!"