"Li'er!" Hua Yao cried out in alarm at the scene before her.
Zhong Li released her grip on Chang Ji and quickly walked over to Madam Tao, intending to check her pulse.
However, Madam Tao struggled so violently that Zhong Li couldn't restrain her.
"Someone, come and hold her down!"
As soon as she spoke, Xu Qiu, Hua Yao, and Madam Tao's maidservant Xia Ju rushed forward.
Zhong Li took Madam Tao's wrist and felt it for a moment, then quickly pried open her eyes. She frowned and said, "She's going into shock!"
"What?" Hua Yao didn't understand Zhong Li's words.
Zhong Li had no time to explain. She pressed her hand to Madam Tao's philtrum in an attempt to revive her.
"No... I only kicked her once. How could she be like this? Impossible, impossible!" Marquis Anping recoiled in shock at the sight.
Zhong Li cast a cold glance at him. As expected, men who liked domestic violence were all the same, only brave at home and utterly irresponsible when faced with a crisis.
"I didn't say it was your fault. Her symptoms are more like an allergic reaction to something. Do you have any soapwort water? Hurry and fetch some." She said.
Madam Lei, the fourth wife, who had been standing by watching everything, reacted. She instructed Dong Mei beside her, "Go, hurry and find some."
As soon as Madam Lei finished speaking, Madam Tao's body convulsed again, and more foam gushed from her mouth. In an instant, Madam Tao's body stiffened, and she collapsed limply to the ground.
Hua Yao stumbled back, looking at the scene before her. "She's... dead!"
Zhong Li released the hand she had placed on Madam Tao's arm and closed her eyes, remaining silent.
At the same time, wails erupted from the reception hall. Xia Ju, Madam Tao's maidservant, crawled over her body, crying hysterically.
Chang Ji sat on his chair, sweating profusely, his eyes darting around aimlessly.
"How could this happen?" Xu Qiu was perhaps the calmest. He looked at Madam Tao on the ground with an expression of disbelief.
Zhong Li slowly opened her eyes and her gaze fell on the table laden with dishes. She began to recall.
She remembered that no one had touched their chopsticks yet, only Madam Tao had taken a bite of the dish before her.
As she thought, she walked to where Madam Tao had been sitting, picked up the chopsticks, and sniffed the dish. "It's a sauce-mixed dish. The vegetables are common spinach, and the sauce should be peanut."
"What? Peanut sauce?" Xu Qiu's expression turned fearful upon hearing this, while Chang Ji and Madam Lei also looked surprised.
Zhong Li knew the problem likely lay with the peanut sauce.
"Is Second Madam allergic to peanut sauce?"
Xu Qiu nodded.
"Then why did the kitchen serve this dish?"
"Guards! Bring those lowly wretches from the kitchen here!" As soon as Zhong Li spoke, Chang Ji roared at the guards outside.
A moment later, three or four men and women knelt in the reception hall.
The man of slightly older age at the front frantically kowtowed to Chang Ji. "My Lord, we truly didn't! Second Madam is allergic to peanuts. There isn't even a peanut shell to be found in the manor, so how could there be peanut sauce? We truly didn't know about this dish."
Chang Ji then shifted his gaze to the woman beside the man.
The woman shivered. "My Lord, this old servant didn't either. I've been in this manor for over ten years. I remember clearly what each Madam likes to eat. How could I possibly put this in Second Madam's food?"
"Master, I don't know either. This dish was prepared by me, but I remember I prepared sesame sauce, not peanut sauce!" Another man, slightly younger, quickly explained, afraid of getting into trouble.
"Hmph, whether you say it's sesame or peanut, it's because your kitchen made a mistake!" Chang Ji cared only about the outcome, not the process. Since Madam Tao had died from peanut sauce, someone had to take responsibility.
Upon hearing this, the elder chef who had spoken first couldn't sit still and kowtowed repeatedly. "My Lord, we truly didn't, truly didn't..."
"My Lord!" Seeing the situation like this, Xu Qiu swept up his robe and knelt on the ground. "The affairs of the back courtyard have always been managed by the First Madam. Currently, I am temporarily in charge. Second Madam's matter is due to my lack of supervision. All responsibility lies with me, and no one else. I am willing to accept punishment, even to confess at Dali Temple."
Chang Ji glanced at Xu Qiu and stood up, walking towards him.
Xu Qiu quickly lowered his head, not daring to speak.
"Xu Qiu, do you remember what you promised this Lord five years ago when you came to the Marquis Anping's manor?" Chang Ji asked.
Xu Qiu swallowed a few times. "I remember. No one would die unjustly in the Marquis Anping's manor from now on."
"Did you achieve it?" Chang Ji asked again.
Xu Qiu fell silent.
Chang Ji sneered. "You were recommended by her. Otherwise, I wouldn't even want a dog!"
Xu Qiu lowered his head.
Zhong Li watched this entire farce unfold. She did not interfere with the Marquis Anping's handling of his household affairs. As for anything else...
Her gaze fell on Madam Tao's corpse. The cause of death had been determined, and dissection could be omitted. The remaining question was how the killer had swapped the sesame sauce for peanut sauce.
As Zhong Li mused, she casually picked up Madam Tao's wooden chopsticks and flipped over the dish of food in front of her. It was an unintentional act, but when she saw a burnt begonia flower at the bottom of the plate, she froze.
Was this a coincidence?
With this thought, she ignored the untouched dishes and flipped over all the remaining dishes. When she discovered that only the plate of the dish that had poisoned Madam Tao bore this pattern, she turned and gave Xu Qiu a deep look.
-------------------------------------
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
"Speak! Who swapped the food for peanuts?"
In the courtyard of Marquis Anping, the sound of whips lashing flesh echoed, accompanied by the screams of the three people responsible for the manor's meals, kneeling on the ground.
Flesh and blood, mixed with dirt, stained the barbed whip.
The three of them huddled together, their backs bleeding from the lashing, begging the Marquis Anping, who sat in a high-backed chair. "My Lord, this truly wasn't done by us. Please spare us."
"Not you? Who else? Say it or not!" Marquis Anping frowned and sneered.
"My Lord, we truly don't know."
"You don't know? Then keep beating! Continue beating until they die."
As Marquis Anping spoke, the sound of the whip sounded again.
"Stop!" Zhong Li, after inspecting all the food in the reception hall and arranging for the Dali Temple constables to take away Madam Tao's body, was about to leave the Marquis Anping's manor when she heard this increasingly loud cry of agony. She couldn't help but rush into the courtyard.
Marquis Anping turned to look at Zhong Li upon hearing the commotion.
He gestured for his men to stop.
"Why is Temple Judge Zhong not returning to Dali Temple, but instead meddling in this Lord's family affairs?" Marquis Anping looked at Zhong Li, his intention to dismiss her clear.
Zhong Li glanced at the servants in the courtyard, their faces bruised and swollen from beatings. "My Lord, are you trying to force a confession by doing this?"
"Otherwise?" Marquis Anping looked at her. "Does Temple Judge Zhong have another method? This accident must be explained to the Tao family."
"Does my Lord believe Madam Tao's death was an accident?" Zhong Li finally understood. So Marquis Anping already considered Madam Tao's death to be an unintentional mistake by someone. His reprimanding in the courtyard was merely to appease the Tao family if he could beat one of them to death.
She suppressed her anger and asked, "May I ask my Lord, if these three are beaten to death by you, and the Tao family ceases to pursue the matter, but someone else dies in the manor, what will my Lord do?"
Upon hearing this, Marquis Anping's narrowed eyes widened. "What does Temple Judge Zhong mean?"
"I mean, if the case is not thoroughly investigated, not only will more people die in the manor, but their vengeful spirits will likely haunt your nightmares daily!"
"Insolence!" Marquis Anping, enraged, raised his whip and lashed out at Zhong Li.