Chapter One Hundred and Eight: The Truth Revealed

But no one paid her any heed.

Lin Sangqian, Magistrate Chen, and the other coroner reacted differently. They walked up to the coffin, and Lin Sangqian patted Zhao Lan'er on the shoulder, signaling for her to wait off to the side.

Zhao Lan'er wiped away her tears and nodded.

"Look here," Lin Sangqian said, pointing to one spot. "This place has already turned completely black."

Magistrate Chen stroked his beard and nodded, then glanced at Lin Sangqian again.

An ordinary little girl, upon seeing such a sight, would likely have been terrified senseless long ago, or else already retching in the corner.

Yet this little girl showed no reaction at all, and could still stare at the corpse so calmly...

She looked no older than ten. Just how many corpses had she seen?

Still, Magistrate Chen soon put the thought aside and attended to business.

The three of them examined the body with the utmost care. At last, they reached their conclusion.

After the coffin was sealed and buried again, Magistrate Chen said, "This deceased indeed died of poisoning."

"What poison? Can you tell?" Di Qing asked hurriedly.

"Arsenic."

If the magistrate from the capital said so, naturally no one dared question it.

Moreover, Lin Sangqian and the other coroner also agreed with Magistrate Chen's judgment.

Taken together with the date of Lin Sangqian's mother's death and the day Madam Gao had gone to buy arsenic, Madam Gao now had no way to wriggle free.

Zhao Lan'er fixed her eyes fiercely on Madam Gao, who was still unconscious on the ground. At last, unable to restrain herself any longer, she rushed forward and beat and kicked at her.

"Why did you kill my mother? Why!"

After all, she was only a girl, and the constables could hardly step in to pull her away.

Madam Gao felt a burst of pain; at last, she was jolted awake by the blows. The first thing she saw was Zhao Lan'er's frenzied face, and she startled violently, crying out at once, "Miss, what are you doing? I'm innocent!"

"You killed my mother. I want you to pay with your life!" Zhao Lan'er said, and fiercely clutched at Madam Gao's throat.

Madam Gao had little strength left at the moment, and naturally could not break free from Zhao Lan'er's wild grip.

Seeing this, Lin Sangqian hurried over and pulled Zhao Lan'er away.

It was all right for her to give Madam Gao a good thrashing, but if blood were spilled and a life lost, it would no longer be worth it.

In any case, Madam Gao could no longer escape the law's punishment.

"Madam Gao, we have already examined the body and confirmed that Zhao Lan'er's mother died of poisoning, and that the poison was arsenic," Lin Sangqian said coldly. "Everyone present is witness. Tell me, what is left for you to argue?"

Her icy tone left Madam Gao instantly dumbfounded.

She had bought arsenic. Zhao Lan'er's mother had died of arsenic poisoning, and the time between the two had not even been long.

How could she still quibble? Would anyone still believe her?

Madam Gao wiped her mud-caked hand across her face, then suddenly changed posture and dropped to her knees, trembling as she said, "I-it wasn't my doing. I was ordered to do it!"

Hearing this, Lin Sangqian let out a long breath.

It was over.

Madam Gao spilled out the whole truth of the matter, from the moment Zhao Xuwei and Xue Meier came looking for her, to the poisoning of Zhao Lan'er's mother. She left nothing out, telling everything in minute detail.

Di Qing and the others took her back to the yamen and sent men to arrest Zhao Xuwei and Xue Meier as well.

Of course the two refused to admit it, insisting that Madam Gao was slandering them.

But Madam Gao had been clever enough to keep a safeguard.

Fearing that one day the truth might come out and they would pin everything on her, she had made Zhao Xuwei and Xue Meier sign a written confession at the time.

It clearly stated that Zhao Xuwei and Xue Meier had ordered her to administer the poison and had given her two hundred taels of silver.

It bore all three of their handprints.

With that, the truth was laid bare.

Zhao Lan'er's mother's soul could at last rest in peace.

But the town had always been peaceful, with murder cases rare; the last one seemed to have been ten years ago.

Their town belonged to Peaceful Mercy Prefecture, and because this case was so serious, the local yamen had to report it to the prefect.

What could be determined, however, was that Zhao Xuwei and Xue Meier would certainly not keep their heads.

Xue Meier was pregnant, and according to their laws, she might have to wait until after giving birth before being executed.

As for Madam Gao, she would surely face imprisonment as well.

After leaving the yamen, Lin Sangqian stretched, feeling her whole body grow light and easy.

The great matter that had hung over her heart had finally been resolved, and at last she could devote herself fully to her milk tea shop!

Seeing that wealth was now another step closer, Lin Sangqian smiled brightly.

Magistrate Chen had come out together with them and was walking behind them.

"Miss Lin," he could not help calling out.

"Hm?" Lin Sangqian turned around and smiled courteously. "Magistrate Chen."

Magistrate Chen looked at her with a complicated expression, and after a long pause asked, "Just who are you?"

"I'm merely a little country girl," Lin Sangqian said. "I opened a fried chicken shop in town, and I'm about to open a milk tea shop as well. If the magistrate is interested, you're welcome to come support us."

"Was McKenji opened by you?" Magistrate Chen asked in surprise.

He had heard of it before, but he was old now and had little interest in such fried foods.

"Yes." Lin Sangqian nodded.

"I will come," Magistrate Chen said. Before leaving, he gave Lin Sangqian a deep look.

No wonder Young Master Guan had specially sent people to find him and bring him over to perform the autopsy.

If he had not guessed wrong, it must have been for this little girl, yes?

After Magistrate Chen left, Lin Sangqian saw that Zhao Lan'er beside her still looked somewhat dazed, so she asked, "Are you all right, Lan'er?"

Zhao Lan'er came back to herself and said, "I'm fine. I just... still feel a little upset inside."

Lin Sangqian could understand.

Though the murderer had been brought to justice, one of the culprits was Zhao Lan'er's own father.

Whoever it was, it would be hard to feel at ease.

"Cheer up," Lin Sangqian said, taking her hand. "All the Zhao family property now belongs to you. The things your grandfather left to your mother have come back into your hands. The two of them would surely be very happy as well."

"Mm!"

...

Ru Wen Academy.

It was dinner time, and Lin Shuimei's younger brother, Lin Xiong, was heading toward the dining hall.

"Lin Xiong!" a page called after him. "You still haven't paid this month's fee."

Lin Xiong stopped and glared at the page. "What do you know? I don't have to pay anymore. The tutor himself said so!"

"You don't have to pay? Why?" the page asked, puzzled.

"Why do you care? If you don't believe me, go ask the tutor yourself!"

With that, Lin Xiong swaggered off.

The page watched his back in confusion and had no choice but to head toward Tutor Hou's room.

Just as he reached the doorway, he heard from inside sounds that made his face burn and his pulse race.