Chapter 7: Evidence?!
Nanny Li is Liu Shi’s wet nurse, and also her most important confidante.
For handling this kind of affair for Liu Shi, of course, one should find a confidante like Nanny Li.
But Nanny Li was very busy, and somehow, the rumor of ghosts in the mansion spread rapidly. The maidservants spread it vividly, saying that while walking at night, a ghost would block the way.
They also said there were often crying sounds from the main chamber side.
What a joke! Isn’t that Madam’s crying voice? Who else could it be?
But they said there was also a shadow, the kind that flits past in the blink of an eye!
Nanny Li felt uneasy hearing it, but right now was a critical time for Madam to rise to power. She absolutely could not let these rumors spread and cause trouble for Liu Shi, who had just taken over household management!
So she inquired one by one about the source of the rumors until she caught that little maidservant and beat her before coming over.
She, who had just asserted her authority, smiled insincerely at Yue Tang: “Lin Niangzi has such good fortune!”
Yue Tang curved her lips: “Not as fortunate as Nanny.”
Nanny Li was smug and led her eastward.
The study was in a small courtyard on the east side of the second house.
Once inside the door, Nanny Li sinisterly curled the corner of her mouth: “In the future, this He Family will be under Second Mistress’s control.
“Grandmother is promoting Niangzi by having you serve Second Master. This is a blessing that so many in the mansion yearn for but cannot obtain. You must not disappoint Grandmother!”
The He Family was originally a small household and had never produced a scholar. He Hui’s so-called study was just in name only.
The furnishings inside the room were complete, but the shelves held antiques that were not very old. A few weapons hung on the walls, and two pots of orchids stood in the corner of the room.
Under the lattice screen, a curio shelf held a few exquisite items, but in the middle was a teacup the size of a goose egg, which seemed somewhat out of place.
Seeing her staring fixedly, Nanny Li pursed her lips and said: “You’ve come from the countryside and have no experience with fine things. This is a gift from Prince Jingyang. Second Master treasures it daily. You can look, but absolutely do not touch it!
“If you damage it, even chopping off your head wouldn’t compensate!”
Hearing the three words “Prince Jingyang,” Yue Tang’s eyes suddenly shone like stars.
Prince Jingyang’s Mansion is the top founding merit vassal, with hereditary princely title.
After being enfeoffed, the old Prince proactively requested to move to the Northern Lands to guard the border, pledging a pledge of military service, vowing to protect Great Ning’s borders for generations.
Later, the Founding Emperor decreed to build another prince’s mansion for them in the Border Region.
This one in the Capital City is still preserved. It is only occupied when returning to the capital to report for duty or summoned back.
The second-generation Prince’s age is between the Former Emperor and Prince Duan. By custom, he lived in the capital for a few years as a child and was constant companions with the Former Emperor and Prince Duan.
Later, when he succeeded to the title, he continued guarding the border. Upon returning to the capital, besides the imperial palace hosting a banquet according to palace protocol, the Former Emperor would personally visit Prince Duan’s Mansion, ordering Prince Duan to hold a family banquet for grand reception.
According to people from the prince’s mansion, every time they would gather through the night, not dispersing until dawn.
This shows how deep the friendship of the previous generation was.
But now things have changed.
The second-generation Prince Jingyang passed away two years before the Former Emperor. The current Prince Jingyang who succeeded to the title is his son.
A new emperor now sits on the throne.
And Prince Duan’s Mansion is deserted, with the Imperial City Department Envoy’s great power falling into the hands of the Marquis of Guangling.
Prince Jingyang’s mother and the Marquis of Guangling’s mother are cousins.
Their mothers share the same maternal grandmother.
The Marquis of Guangling, having obtained power, now has Prince Jingyang as an additional backer.
The greatest benefit the Marquis of Guangling gained after the incident three years ago was successfully becoming the Imperial City Department Envoy as desired.
To fear retaliation from Prince Duan’s daughter after killing Prince Duan, he killed her too, which seemed reasonable.
But the marquis’s mansion had already declined. The large sum of reward money obtained by the Zhang Family and He Family— the Zhang Family alone got thirty thousand taels of silver, and the He Family must have gotten no less. Plus more for Liu Shi.
How did the Marquis of Guangling quietly cover up this large sum?
……
When Liu Shi arrived at the main house, people from the government officials, the Zhang Family, and the He Family came in droves, crowding the entire main house.
The on-site inspection was handled by the government officials’ people. He Jianzhong and Zhang Shaode each controlled one end of the courtyard, both with red eyes and grim faces.
In-laws turned into enemies, with the courtyard still filled with the smell of blood. Except for Liu Shi, no one’s face was not distorted.
“After a thorough search, no evidence of crimes was found in the main house! According to information obtained this morning from various pharmacies in the city, someone from the He Family did purchase arsenic. The poison in He Xu was indeed arsenic. Based on the dosage sold by the pharmacy, there should still be a considerable amount left. However, no traces of poison were found in Zhang Shi’s residence, including all the servants’ rooms.”
The constable reported to the leading tongzhi.
He Jianzhong disagreed: “Not finding it doesn’t prove the killer isn’t her. Perhaps she transferred the evidence long ago!”
The He Family could only insist that Zhang Shi was the killer and define her death as suicide out of guilt to gain the upper hand against the Zhang Family.
Zhang Shaode naturally refused: “Then search the entire mansion! Even if we turn the He Family upside down, search until evidence is found!”
After being entangled all night, the government officials could not refuse such a reasonable demand.
So they began searching.
Liu Shi, suppressed since entering the family, finally had power in hand. Thinking of Zhang Shi still lying on the government officials’ floor, she felt extremely pleased.
Seeing He Hui who came with her, and thinking of Yue Tang who had been sent to the study and was about to become her knife, she was so delighted that her steps felt light, bustling about nimbly.
Leading the way to the second house, she found a moment to ask He Hui: “Second Master has been busy all night. Why not return to your room to rest first? I can watch the outside affairs.”
He Hui ignored her.
Liu Shi was not discouraged and spoke even more attentively: “The new medical woman’s acupuncture and massage techniques are quite good. Mother greatly approves of her. I just sent her to the study. By now, she must have prepared the tea.”
He Hui stopped and looked at her.
Liu Shi knew he was tempted. Her heart itched with hatred, but her face remained calm: “If Second Master were the only son in the mansion, the future burdens would be heavy, and his health even more important.”
He Hui narrowed his eyes slightly, the corner of his mouth hooking up. He looked at her again: “When did you become so considerate?”
Liu Shi smiled lightly: “I manage inside and outside for you, always with utmost care. When have you ever noticed?”
He Hui’s smile deepened. Just as he was about to say some soft words, shouts from the constables came from the side courtyard: “Quickly report to the lord!”
The couple simultaneously looked toward the sound.
Liu Shi’s maidservant, who had been following the government officials, ran out quickly: “Madam! Something bad! They, they found evidence!”
Liu Shi’s heart stuttered: “What evidence?”
What evidence could their second house have?
The maidservant gasped: “In Nanny Li’s residence, they found a package of poison! The constables said the paper wrapping the poison matches exactly the paper they saw at the pharmacy! The accompanying coroner also verified that the poison is exactly the one that killed Eldest Young Master!
“Now, now they’ve taken it to inform the tongzhi lord!”
“What!”
Before the words were finished, Liu Shi was struck as if by lightning.
Nanny Li was her confidante, and the constables found the arsenic that killed He Xu in her residence?!
“This is impossible!”
She pushed He Hui aside and rushed in!
