Case One: Double Corpse in the Flowerbed
"What does Zhong SIZheng mean by that?" Madam Song's face stiffened at Zhong Li's words, and she reached out to snatch the jade pendant from her hand.
Zhong Li's reaction was naturally quicker than Madam Song's. Before her hand could touch it, she had already dodged.
Seeing that her attempt to snatch it had failed, Madam Song lifted her skirt and stepped forward a few paces, saying, "What does Zhong SIZheng intend by this? The case has already been solved. What does the authenticity of the jade pendant have to do with this case? Moreover, how can this jade be fake? Return it to me quickly!"
"This young lord will take a look."
As the two were quarreling, Lu Wu Xie, who had come to Zhong Li's side at some point, took the jade pendant from her hand and examined it carefully.
He compared it with Miao Feng Hua's jade pendant in his hand, occasionally glancing at Madam Song opposite him.
Madam Song, under his gaze, felt guilty and dared not look up to meet his eyes.
After a while, Lu Wu Xie spoke, "This jade is real."
Upon hearing this, Madam Song's joy had not yet surfaced when Lu Wu Xie's next words almost made her fall to the ground.
"However, this is not the other half of the original mandarin duck jade pendant. It is made of the lowest quality jadeite, crafted to pass off inferior goods as superior."
"How is that possible? Madam Song, isn't this the mandarin duck pendant from your and Ah Hu's wedding?" Madam Lin, who had been standing by Madam Song's side, seemingly the wife of Yue Tian Nan, asked with a frown.
Madam Song lowered her eyes and remained silent.
Lu Wu Xie continued, "The original jade pendant was made of top-grade Hetian jade. Regardless of its transparency or craftsmanship, its value would be around twenty taels of silver. As for the one in Madam Song's hand, it's not even worth a string of coins."
Madam Lin frowned so deeply that her eyebrows were almost twisted together. She took Madam Song's hand and said, "But the jade pendant was lost? Or was it stolen by someone with ulterior motives? Just say it, and the yamen officials will uphold justice for you."
How could Madam Song not know who Madam Lin's "someone with ulterior motives" referred to? She furrowed her willow brows, her words almost reaching her lips, when Zhong Li, who had arrived beside her at some unknown time, grabbed her fair wrist.
"What are you doing..." Madam Song's words were cut short.
Zhong Li revealed a knowing expression and quickly interrupted, "If my guess is correct, Madam Song, you are already five months pregnant."
What?
Everyone in the main hall, except for Madam Song, wore expressions of astonishment.
After all, Miao Feng Hua had stated in her testimony earlier that Yue Tian Hu had been in Jinzhou for the past six months. Unless she was lying, but for someone who was about to die, what benefit would there be in lying?
Madam Song swallowed several times, realizing that her secret could no longer be hidden. She flung off Madam Lin, who was trying to help her up, and slumped to the ground in despair, saying, "I didn't want to, I didn't want to! Woo woo..."
She cradled her face, sobbing for a long time. When her emotions had somewhat calmed, she said, "In a fit of anger, I threw the jade pendant into the lake in the southern suburbs and it disappeared. The one I have now is indeed fake."
"You!" Madam Lin knew that by saying this, Madam Song was confirming Zhong Li's words.
"I already knew about Ah Hu and Miao Feng Hua's affair, but what could I do? The Song family was in decline, and all our financial resources depended on the Yue family. At first, I said nothing, even when I knew Ah Hu had rented a house in the city with Miao Feng Hua in Jinzhou using Han Dong's identity and started a life together.
Only when Ah Hu actually gave the mandarin duck pendant from our wedding to Miao Feng Hua did I start to fear. I knew Ah Hu had true feelings for Miao Feng Hua. If this were the case, and Ah Hu divorced me and married Miao Feng Hua, what would happen to the Song family behind me?"
Madam Song's eyes were filled with helplessness as she spoke of her plight.
Zhong Li looked at her with some emotion. Most ancient women married through their parents' orders and matchmakers' introductions, especially those from prominent families. Those they managed to marry into were often for ulterior motives, and Madam Song was a typical example.
"What did you do after that?" Zhong Li asked.
Madam Song smiled sadly, shook her head, "I truly had feelings for Ah Hu. Thinking that I would be abandoned, I went to a restaurant to drown my sorrows in a fit of anger, and then went to the southern suburbs of Yongcheng to throw the mandarin duck pendant into the lake. On the way back to Yongcheng, I saw Nan Feng Guan, and so..."
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone understood where Madam Song's child came from.
Madam Lin had spent a long time with Madam Song, and having both lost their husbands, they were like sisters who had shared hardships. She pulled Madam Song closer and asked, "Why didn't you drink the contraceptives?"
"Sister Lin, at that time I thought it wouldn't be so coincidental. Moreover, you know the Yue family. The old madam was very strict, and even the soups and medicines brought into each courtyard had to be inquired about by the old madam. I was afraid of the family law... Woo woo..." Madam Song now regretted it so much she wished she could crash into a wall.
"So you hated Miao Feng Hua to the bone, didn't you?" Zhong Li asked casually. She had a rough idea why Yue Tian Hu refused to take Miao Feng Hua into his household and why he had deceived Miao Feng Hua using Han Dong's identity. It was probably because the Yue family had an old madam whom everyone feared, and Yue Tian Hu was afraid of his secret being exposed and being punished by the family law.
Madam Song glanced at Zhong Li. Although her secrets had been discovered by her, it didn't mean she was foolish. She thought for a moment and said, "Zhong SIZheng, I do hate Miao Feng Hua, but this is my fate. I can't help it. Miao Feng Hua's current situation is all her own doing."
After speaking, Madam Song seemed unwilling to linger. She bowed to Zhong Li and then looked at Ren Zhong in the hall, "Ren Zhizhou, since Ah Hu's case is solved, can I take Ah Hu's body back to Yongcheng?"
Madam Lin also stepped forward and said, "And my Ah Nan."
Ren Zhong glanced at Zhong Li. Seeing that she had no further questions, he waved his hand.
At the same time, four constables came out, carrying stretchers.
Madam Song looked at the body that was clearly taller among them and stepped forward. After taking several deep breaths, she mustered the courage to pull open the sheet.
When she saw Yue Tian Hu's face, which should have been smashed to pieces, appearing before her as if he were asleep, she quickly recoiled several steps, her eyes showing disbelief.
"This..."
Madam Lin, seeing this, rushed to Yue Tian Nan's body and quickly pulled open the sheet. Yue Tian Nan's eyes were also closed, as if he were asleep.
Madam Lin's eyes instantly reddened, and she tightly embraced Yue Tian Nan's body, crying, "Woo woo... Ah Nan, I miss you so much!"
Zhong Li stood still, observing the starkly different reactions of the two women. The suspicion she had harbored towards Madam Song was further confirmed.
If Madam Song had not secretly done anything to frame or indirectly cause Yue Tian Hu's death, such as secretly meeting Miao Feng Hua and verbally provoking her to strengthen Miao Feng Hua's resolve to kill Yue Tian Hu, Madam Song's reaction should have been the same as Madam Lin's. However, Zhong Li had no evidence, and Miao Feng Hua was unwilling to say more.