Chapter 7: Evidence?!

Mama Li was Lady Liu’s wet nurse and her most trusted confidante.

To carry out such dirty business for Lady Liu, it was only natural to rely on a trusted aide like Mama Li.

But Mama Li was very busy. From somewhere unknown, rumors that the manor was haunted had spread like wildfire. The maidservants described it vividly, claiming that ghosts would block their path as they walked at night.

They also said there was constant weeping coming from the main wing.

Ridiculous! That was clearly the sound of the mistress weeping—who else could it be?

But they insisted there were shadows, too—shadows that would drift past in the blink of an eye!

Mama Li felt a tremor of unease herself, but this was a critical period for the mistress to solidify her position. She absolutely could not allow these rumors to run rampant and cause trouble for Lady Liu, who had only just taken charge of the household affairs.

Thus, she investigated the source of the rumors one by one, until she finally caught the young maid responsible and gave her a beating.

Having just flexed her authority, she wore a cold, insincere smile as she looked at Yuetang. "Lady Lin is truly blessed!"

Yuetang curled her lips. "Not as blessed as you, Mama."

Mama Li, feeling smug, led her toward the east.

The study was located in a small courtyard to the east of the second branch.

Once inside, Mama Li curled her lips in a sinister manner. "From now on, in this He household, it is the Second Grandmother who calls the shots.

"The Grandmother has favored you by allowing you to serve the Second Master. This is a blessing that many in this manor could only dream of; you must not let the Grandmother down!"

The He family had originally been a humble household and had never produced a scholar. This so-called study of He Hui’s was merely for show.

The room was fully furnished, but the items on the shelves were cheap, modern imitations. Several weapons hung on the walls, and two pots of orchids sat in the corners.

On the antique shelf beneath the partition, there were a few refined items, though a teacup the size of a goose egg in the center looked somewhat out of place.

Seeing her staring intently, Mama Li curled her lip and said, "You’re from the countryside and haven't seen real treasures. This is a gift from His Highness, the Prince of Jingyang. The Second Master treats it as a precious treasure; just look at it, but don't you dare touch it!

"If you chip or break it, even cutting off your head wouldn't be enough to pay for it!"

Upon hearing the name "Prince of Jingyang," Yuetang’s eyes suddenly shone like stars.

The Prince of Jingyang’s estate was ranked first among the founding meritorious officials, holding a hereditary title.

After receiving his title, the old Prince had voluntarily requested to move to the northern frontier to guard the borders, swearing a military oath to protect the territory of Great Ning for generations.

Later, Emperor Gaozu decreed that a separate palace be built for them at the frontier.

The residence in the capital was still maintained, used only when they returned to the capital to report on their duties or were summoned by the Emperor.

The second-generation Prince was of an age between the late Emperor and Prince Duan. By custom, he had lived in the capital for several years during his youth and had frequent dealings with the late Emperor and Prince Duan.

Later, after inheriting the title and continuing to guard the border, whenever he returned to the capital, the late Emperor would not only host banquets according to palace protocol but would also personally visit the Prince Duan’s residence, ordering Prince Duan to hold a grand family banquet in his honor.

According to those in the Prince’s household, every time they met, they would stay up all night, not parting until dawn.

From this, one could see how deep the friendship between the previous generation had been.

But now, things had changed.

The second Prince of Jingyang had passed away two years before the late Emperor, and the current Prince of Jingyang was his son.

A new person sat on the throne.

The Prince Duan’s residence was now empty, and the great power of the Imperial City Guard had fallen into the hands of the Marquis of Guangling.

The mother of the Prince of Jingyang and the mother of the Marquis of Guangling were cousins.

Their mothers shared the same maternal grandmother.

Having gained power, the Marquis of Guangling now had the Prince of Jingyang as his backer.

The greatest benefit the Marquis of Guangling had gained after the incident three years ago was successfully becoming the Commander of the Imperial City Guard.

Fearing that the daughter of Prince Duan would seek revenge after he murdered her father, it had seemed reasonable and logical to kill her as well.

However, the Marquis’s estate had already been in decline. The large sum of reward money obtained by the Zhang and He families—the Zhang family alone received thirty thousand taels of silver, and the He family certainly would not have received less—plus the additional amount given to Lady Liu...

How did the Marquis of Guangling quietly cover up such a massive sum?

...

When Lady Liu arrived at the main branch, a large group of officials and people from the Zhang and He families had already crowded into the entire courtyard.

The inspection of the scene was being managed by the officials. He Jianzhong and Zhang Shaode stood at opposite ends of the courtyard, both with bloodshot eyes and dark expressions.

In-laws had become enemies, and the smell of blood hung in the air. Aside from Lady Liu, everyone’s face was twisted with rage.

"After a thorough search, no evidence of the crime was found in the main branch! According to information gathered this morning from various pharmacies in the city, someone from the He family did indeed purchase arsenic, and the poison that killed He Xu was indeed arsenic. Based on the dosage sold by the pharmacy, there should theoretically be a significant amount of the drug remaining. However, there is no trace of poison in the entire Zhang residence, including the servants' quarters."

The head constable walked up to the Vice Prefect leading the team to report.

He Jianzhong disagreed: "Just because you didn't find it doesn't mean she isn't the killer. Perhaps she disposed of the evidence long ago!"

The He family had to insist that Lady Zhang was the killer and frame her death as a suicide out of fear of punishment in order to gain the upper hand against the Zhang family.

Zhang Shaode naturally refused: "Then search the entire manor! Even if you have to turn the He household upside down, search until you find the evidence!"

Having been pestered all night, the officials could not refuse such a reasonable request.

And so, the search began.

Lady Liu, who had been suppressed since she married into the family, finally had power in her hands. Thinking of Lady Zhang lying on the government floor, she felt a surge of joy.

Seeing He Hui nearby and thinking of Yuetang, who had already been sent to the study and was about to become her blade, she felt so light-hearted that she moved about with unprecedented efficiency.

Leading the way to the second branch, she seized a moment to ask He Hui: "Second Master, you have been busy all night. Why not return to your room to rest? I can handle the matters outside."

He Hui ignored her.

Lady Liu was not discouraged, her voice becoming even more attentive: "The new medical maid is quite skilled at acupuncture and massage. Mother thinks very highly of her. I just sent her to the study, and by now, I expect she has already prepared tea for you."

He Hui stopped and looked at her.

Lady Liu knew she had piqued his interest. Feeling both hatred and desire in her heart, she remained calm on the surface: "You are the only son in the manor now. Your burden will be heavy in the future, so your health is of the utmost importance."

He Hui narrowed his eyes slightly, the corners of his mouth curling up. He looked at her again: "When did you become so considerate?"

Lady Liu sneered softly: "I manage everything inside and out for you, never once slacking. When have you ever noticed?"

He Hui’s smile deepened, and just as he was about to say something soft, shouts from the constables came from the direction of the side courtyard: "Quick, report to the Magistrate!"

The couple looked toward the sound simultaneously.

They saw Lady Liu’s maid, who had been following the officials, running out quickly: "Grandmother! It’s bad! They... they found the evidence!"

Lady Liu’s heart skipped a beat: "What evidence?"

What evidence could there possibly be in their second branch?

The maid was out of breath: "They found a packet of poison in Mama Li’s room! The constables identified the paper it was wrapped in as identical to the paper they saw at the pharmacy! The accompanying coroner also examined it and confirmed that the poison is exactly the same as the one that killed the Young Master!

"Now... now they are taking it to inform the Vice Prefect!"

"What!"

Before the words were even finished, Lady Liu felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

Mama Li was her confidante, and the constables had found the arsenic that killed He Xu in her room?!

"That’s impossible!"

She pushed He Hui aside and rushed in!