"You knew that dish served to the Tao clan had peanut butter on it. Unable to state it directly, you thought to have her switch dishes, even reminding her, 'It is not appropriate for her to start eating before Chang Yanzhi has arrived.'
Your actions were for two reasons: first, to give the Tao clan a way out, to save her face in front of others. Second, you understood the Marquis of Anping's temper; you were reminding the Marquis that the family head had not yet dined, and a concubine could not eat first, so he could quickly knock the dish from the Tao clan's hand.
But you never expected that the Tao clan would not follow your advice, and the Marquis of Anping's move would be a step too slow. Is that not so?
Afterwards, the Marquis of Anping prepared to punish the kitchen servants. You wanted to take the blame but were unable to. Is that not so?" Zhong Li asked.
Zhao Qiu gave a哑然失笑, shaking his head in a helpless manner and said, "Yes, I knew that when my brother made a move against the Tao clan, that dish had already been served. He worked as a gardener in the back courtyard, close to the kitchen. It was easy for him to act if he wasn't careful.
He had already killed one person. My mother and I just wished for him to live, not for hatred to fill his heart. That is why my mother changed the name on my father's tomb to his, so he could live incognito and have a peaceful life.
Even if he was willing to stay in the Marquis of Anping's mansion, guarding an empty courtyard, as long as he was happy, anything was fine. I entered the Marquis of Anping's mansion five years ago because I was worried he would be bullied in his current state, so I came to take care of him.
It's just... it was only an anonymous letter that reignited his anger, leading to the tragedy in the Marquis's mansion today."
As Zhao Qiu spoke, he covered his eyes with his hands and began to sob.
Zhong Li looked at the man lying on the stone bed, recalling the painting hanging in the Zhao family's home. Although Zhao Min and Zhao Qiu had never spoken of it, based on that poem, she could imagine how good their relationship was as children. Otherwise, Zhao Qiu wouldn't have risked his life to save Zhao Min from the fire.
However, Zhao Min's obsession with Chang Sun Tang was too deep, making him easily misguided.
"By the way, do you know who sent that letter to Zhao Min?" Zhong Li asked.
Zhao Qiu shook his head, "I don't know."
Zhong Li took a deep breath and said nothing more, busying herself with bandaging Zhao Qiu's wound.
After she finished, while packing her medical kit, she said, "You and your brother come from a scholarly family. You are surely aware of the laws of the Southern Yue Kingdom.
I don't need to tell you what will happen to Zhao Min. As for you...
She looked up at Zhao Qiu and said, "Even if you felt pity for the people who died in the Marquis of Anping's mansion at the time, you cannot escape the crime of knowingly concealing information. As for the sentence, it could be four or five years at most, or one or two years at least. Your mother, I will arrange for some silver and food to be sent to her. I hope you will reform yourself in prison and strive to be released as soon as possible."
With that, Zhong Li no longer looked at Zhao Qiu and rose to leave the prison cell.
At that moment, the Marquis of Anping stood anxiously outside the cell, awaiting Zhong Li.
"Temple Official Zhong," Chang Ji said, rushing to greet Zhong Li as soon as he saw her.
"My Lord," Zhong Li bowed and said, "Zhao Min has confessed everything. As for Zhao Qiu..."
She said this, glancing back behind her, "I am not pleading for him. I only hope that Your Lordship will not impose heavier charges upon him."
The Marquis of Anping did not expect her to say this and looked at her with a frown.
Zhong Li took a deep breath and said, "My Lord, I have something I wish to ask you."
The Marquis of Anping pursed his lips and remained silent.
Zhong Li knew he wanted her to continue. After contemplating for a while, she said, "I want to ask about Chang Sun Tang. How did you meet her back then?"
Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Anping slowly closed his eyes, his entire being sinking into memory.
"Ten years ago, I was returning to Jin Cheng from Liao Cheng. On the road, I encountered Tang'er, who was planning to jump into a lake. That was the first time I saw her – pure, gentle, with a faint ethereal quality, like a fairy from this lake. At that moment, I was already developing feelings for her.
After saving her from drowning, I discovered she suffered from a persistent illness and found physicians to treat her. The illness was difficult to cure and required strict environmental conditions. She refused to say where she was from, and I couldn't rest assured leaving her alone, so I brought her back to my mansion.
Initially, I could control my feelings for her, until..." The Marquis of Anping opened his eyes at this point and sighed.
"Temple Official Zhong has also seen the principal wife and concubines in my mansion. They are either simple farmers or willful and capricious. A woman like Tang'er, who is knowledgeable and understands how to comfort others, would be admired by anyone."
"So, Your Lordship decided to marry her?" Zhong Li asked.
The Marquis of Anping first nodded, then thought of something and shook his head, "I did not at first, until I saw her worrying day and night. Upon inquiry, I learned that she was already pregnant and ashamed to face others, so I decided to take her as a concubine."
"There was another reason, wasn't there?" Zhong Li looked at the Marquis of Anping and said word for word, "Her illness never really recovered, did it?"
The Marquis of Anping was stunned and looked at Zhong Li with surprise. He didn't understand how she knew.
"Not to mention what Madam Qian told me, but Chang Sun Tang's feelings for Zhao Min were as steadfast as Zhao Min's for her. If she had recovered from her illness, even owing the Marquis of Anping a great favor, she would not have chosen to marry Your Lordship. By doing this, there is only one conclusion: Chang Sun Tang never recovered, and her unborn child was also lost due to this illness.
Her marrying you was merely to make Zhao Min give up on her and not hinder his official career. More importantly..." Zhong Li hesitated on whether to continue.
"More importantly, she wanted to take some dowry from the Marquis's mansion to her family, as Madam Qian had already bankrupted herself treating her, right?" Chang Ji sneered.
Zhong Li raised an eyebrow, quite surprised by Chang Ji's words. However, she quickly understood; Chang Ji had been in court for so long that he possessed some ability to discern people.
As for Chang Sun Tang, no matter how perfect she seemed, she was still human, and humans have their own selfish desires.
Zhong Li offered no comment on her personal motives.
"I love Tang'er. Even if I had to give half of the Marquis's mansion to her, I would be willing. After all, in this life, I have never felt this way about any woman. It's just..." He took a deep breath, looked up at the pale white of the sky, and said, "I couldn't protect her, couldn't let her live a little longer."
Zhong Li lowered her eyes and said nothing more.
After an unknown period, he suddenly said, "Temple Official Zhong, please rest assured. As long as it concerns Tang'er, I will be somewhat lenient. After all, the Zhao family was almost her in-laws. I also took her from Zhao Min. I will not pursue the matter with Zhao Qiu any further."
With that, the Marquis of Anping quickly walked towards his waiting carriage at the entrance.
"Li'er," Hua Yao said after the Marquis of Anping left, quietly emerging from a side room. She did not want to be pressured by the Marquis about her marriage with Chang Yanzhi again.
Zhong Li looked up at Hua Yao and asked, "What is it?"
"You said, does the Marquis of Anping know about his own son..."
"He should know," Zhong Li replied after thinking for a moment. "Otherwise, given his personality, how could he have allowed the young Marquis to travel outside for eight years?"
"Hmph!" Hua Yao wrinkled her nose upon hearing this. "He knows his son has someone in his heart, yet he still wants to discuss my marriage with me, humph!"
Zhong Li heard this and playfully pinched Hua Yao's nose, saying, "Then you also have someone else in your heart. We are equally matched."
Hua Yao pouted, linked her arm with Zhong Li's, and walked outside. Suddenly, she remembered something and took a painting from her embrace, handing it over.
"Look at this!"
Zhong Li took it and unfolded it. It was a painting of the Marquis of Anping's mansion, which she had previously asked Hua Yao to paint while standing on the rockery. However, Hua Yao had altered the painting, adding clusters of vibrant crabapple flowers to the detached courtyard on the left side of the painting.
"It's beautiful," she nodded, genuinely admiring it.
"I painted it right after you solved the case. It's such a pity those crabapple flowers died. I thought if someone took good care of them, it would be a beautiful scene like in the painting," Hua Yao pointed at the painting.
Zhong Li nodded and handed the painting to A Wu, who was waiting behind her, saying, "Give this to Zhao Min."
"Yes!" A Wu took it upon hearing this and quickly turned back.
"Yao'er," Zhong Li turned back to Hua Yao and asked, "Do you agree?"
"It was meant for Zhao Min anyway. Such a devoted person, he would want Chang Sun Tang's residence to be filled with blooming flowers before he died, as if she were still alive," Hua Yao said.
Zhong Li smiled and gently ruffled Hua Yao's hair, saying, "I didn't realize you were quite so sentimental."
Hua Yao hummed twice and linked Zhong Li's arm even tighter, acting spoiled. "Li'er, I'm hungry. I want to eat hot pot."
Zhong Li raised her eyebrows, about to agree, when A Wu's voice came from behind her.
She turned back, and A Wu was already standing before her, holding a letter in his hand.
"What is this..." Zhong Li asked, puzzled.
"Temple Official Zhong, after I gave the painting to Zhao Min, he gave me this. He said he didn't want to owe you a favor."