Chapter 148 – Bai Mingyue Vindicated
As the young woman stepped into the court, she urgently asked the widow, and it was an inquiry filled with apparent confusion and ignorance.
The widow gave her a disappointed glance and shifted her gaze to her deceased husband.
Good people don’t have good fortune.
Out of fraternal love, her husband had invited his young sister and her husband to live with them, not realizing he had, in fact, invited two thankless wretches.
Seeing her brother’s body lying in the courtroom, the young woman showed no sign of remorse.
“Sister-in-law, brother-in-law, there’s no point in putting up this act any longer. The county magistrate has already found that there’s ‘niu jian zi’ in the medicine residue.”
Upon hearing the term ‘niu jian zi’, both their faces revealed guilt.
Trying to defend herself with a nervous smile, the young woman said, “Sister-in-law, what medicine residue, what ‘niu jian zi’? I don’t understand.”
After every medicine preparation, she had always discarded the residue far from home where she believed no one would find it.
Seeing her continue to feign ignorance, the widow coldly said, “Every time you finish preparing the medicine, you dump the residue under a distant bridge. I accidentally saw it. Fortunately, there wasn’t much water under the bridge, so the residue wasn’t washed away. After your brother’s death, I collected some of the residue from there to argue with Jiren Hall. Within the residue was ‘niu jian zi’. The doctor from Jiren Hall had prescribed ‘niu bang zi’, which looks very similar to ‘niu jian zi’. While ‘niu bang zi’ is medicinal, ‘niu jian zi’ is a lethal poison.”
“So, my brother was actually poisoned?”
Upon hearing the widow’s words, the young woman feigned surprise and then hid her face with her sleeve, weeping.
“Brother, how could anyone want to poison such a good person like you? Sister-in-law, it must have been someone from Jiren Hall who replaced the ‘niu bang zi’ that Dr. Bai prescribed with ‘niu jian zi’.”
The widow’s brother-in-law, in a heartbroken voice, chimed in, “It must be so! Oh, God above, my kind-hearted brother never offended Jiren Hall, but he was plotted against by them. Please, seek justice for him!”
Yan Xiaosi watched the couple’s heart-wrenching act, thinking they deserved applause for such a realistic performance. If they were in the entertainment industry, they would surely win an Oscar.
Their act made the widow tremble with anger. “You two heartless animals! You poisoned your brother with ‘niu jian zi’, and now you’re trying to frame Jiren Hall!”
“Sister-in-law, I did not, I did not poison my brother,” the young aunt said with teary eyes, feigning innocence. “He was so good to me. How could I do such a thing?”
Suddenly, applause echoed throughout the hall.
Yan Xiaosi looked and saw Murong Qinjian clapping, his gaze fixed on the widow’s brother-in-law.
After finishing his applause, he said, “Over the years, I’ve traveled far and wide, met many shameless people, but I’ve never encountered someone as shameless as you. If I were your brother, I’d come back to life just to strangle you.”
This sharp retort amused Yan Xiaosi. It was the first time she had encountered someone with such a biting wit in the Great Chu Dynasty.
Long Yu’s gaze unintentionally lingered on Yan Xiaosi, and he happened to see her smiling at Murong Qinjian, which instantly displeased him.
“Yao Jin, is this the extent of your case-solving abilities?”
Named by the War King, Yao Jin’s entire body tensed. He quickly struck the alarm gavel to assert his authority.
“I’ve already investigated Jiren Hall and Bai Mingyue. The prescription Bai Mingyue provided had no issues, and the herbs from Jiren Hall were also fine. It’s definitely you, this shrewish woman, who swapped the burdock root for the poisonous root during the brewing process.”
The gavel sounded, causing the woman’s sister-in-law and her husband to kneel, trembling in fear.
The sister-in-law defended herself nervously, “Honorable lord, I did not use ‘niu jian zi’ to poison my elder brother.”
Not wanting his abilities to be doubted by Long Yu again, Yao Jin gritted his teeth and said coldly, “How dare you, insolent woman! All the evidence is right in front of us, and you still dare to argue? Guards, drag this shrew out and whip her until she confesses.”
“Yes, my lord.”
At Yao Jin’s command, two constables immediately approached the sister-in-law.
Soon, the sound of whipping and the sister-in-law’s screams echoed from outside the courtroom.
“Stop hitting me! I confess! I confess!”
The whipping sounds ceased.
The two constables quickly dragged the sister-in-law back into the courtroom.
“My lord, it was me. I swapped the burdock root with poison.” Hearing the sister-in-law’s confession, the woman asked emotionally, “Why did you do this? Didn’t your elder brother and I treat you well? Considering your family’s poverty, we brought both of you into our home and never mistreated you. Why are you so cruel?”
The sister-in-law, with her buttocks bruised from the beating, laid on the ground. Challenged by her sister-in-law, she slowly pointed towards her husband.
“My lord, it was his idea. He told me that if we poisoned my elder brother, we could inherit my family’s property. In a moment of folly, I listened to him.”
With the case resolved, Yao Jin ordered the couple to be detained and scheduled their execution for ten days after.
“Doctor Bai, I wronged you. I apologize.”
Outside the court, the widow apologized to Bai Mingyue. Afterward, she left with hired workers, carrying away the body.
Bai Mingyue didn’t blame the woman. Watching her departing figure, a smile appeared on his lips.
Yan Xiaosi, standing beside him, looked puzzled at his smile.
“Doctor Bai, you were wronged. Why are you still so cheerful?”
Bai Mingyue turned his gaze, smiling gently at Yan Xiaosi, “There’s a saying: ‘Misfortune might be a blessing in disguise.’ Being falsely accused this time, I’ve seen many people’s true colors. And I didn’t lose anything.”
“You sure are optimistic, Doctor Bai. Are you going back to Jiren Hall?”
“What do you think?”
Yan Xiaosi chuckled, “The boss of Jiren Hall indeed lacks interpersonal skills. He abandoned you to maintain the reputation of Jiren Hall. Going back to work there will definitely feel uncomfortable.”
