Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

This is because she was afraid that Gao Han would come and confess before her, and she would have no way to escape the blame. It was really true that everyone fled when disaster struck. Chen Shao asked sarcastically, "What kind of poison did you give Xue Meilan?"

"The golden silkworm poison was given to me by Luo Jianyuan." Madam Gao answered quickly and said again, "Sir, I know who often goes to those gardens."

Chen Shao continued to ask: "Since it was Gao Han who asked you to poison Xue Meilan, why did Supervisor Luo give you the poison?"

Mrs. Gao was so anxious that tears came out. "Because Supervisor Luo once said that disobedient people are best used as fertilizer for flowers. My lord, I really..."

Chen Shao interrupted her, "Were the first two Mrs. Luo poisoned to death by him and used as fertilizer for the flowers?"

"No, he is the dean of the academy. There are too many students watching him. He dare not touch their bodies. He also wants to gain sympathy by their death." Madam Gao kowtowed repeatedly and said, "Sir, I know I was wrong. I really know I was wrong."

Chen Shao said unconcernedly: "Since you know you are wrong, then tell me who often goes to those gardens."

Just as Mrs. Gao was about to answer, Li Tianliu brought Gao Han into the second hall.

Gao Han had been imprisoned with Shi Chengliang and Shi Chengguang these days, and was overwhelmed by the quarrels between the two brothers. In addition, the prison was guarded by the Yulin Army, and Madam Gao was not imprisoned with them, so he did not know that Madam Gao had been arrested. When he entered the second hall and saw Madam Gao kneeling on the ground, he did not recognize her for a while. It was not until he walked into the hall and knelt down, and heard Madam Gao's rapid barking, that he recognized her. It would have been fine if he hadn't recognized her, but once he recognized her, his heart sank.

During the days he was in prison, he had been waiting for Mrs. Gao to find someone to rescue him.

Madam Gao didn't care what he thought. Seeing him coming, she was afraid that he would snatch the chance to escape, so she hurriedly said, "The people who often go to those gardens to play are the second master, the third master, the fourth son, and the seventh son of the Wen family; the third master, the fourth master, the second son, and the fourth son of the Ren family; the first master, the second master, the third master, the eldest son, the third son, and the fourth son of the Gu family; the second master, the fourth master, the eldest son, the second son, and the fifth son of the Zhu family; the second master of the Fan family...; the first master of the Qi family...; the second master of the Zhou family...; the second master of the Zhao family...; the second master of the Ding family...; the second master of the Hu family..., and Luo Jianyuan and his two sons."

As she spoke, Chen Shao also opened the papers that Xu Guang had given her.

There were twelve large aristocratic families in Hongyuan County.

Among them, the Gu, Zhu, Fan, and Qi families were all in Jiangnan East Road. However, the Gu and Zhu families were branches of the Wu County family; the Fan and Qi families were branches of the Yuhang County family. The Wen and Ren families were in Shu County, which belonged to Jiannan Road like Hongyuan County, and the two families were also branches of the family. The remaining Zhou, Zhao, Ding, Hu, Gao, Luo, etc. were local noble families in Hongyuan County.

There were also many small aristocratic families who depended on the Twelve Families for their survival. Xu Guang only wrote their names without going into detail.

It just so happened that the names mentioned by Mrs. Gao were all within the scope of the twelve major aristocratic families, so Chen Shao temporarily ignored those small aristocratic families.

Mrs. Gao mentioned fifty people in total.

After Chen Shao used a pen to outline the names one by one on the yellow paper, he looked at the Gao family, the only one who was innocent, and asked casually, "Is there no one in your family involved?"

Madam Gao was silent for a long time before she blushed and said, "There are four people, Gao Wu, Gao Wen, Gao Ping and Gao Zhang."

Gao Han was a little confused when he heard her mention so many names. Only when he heard her mention Gao Wu and Gao Wen did he realize what she was talking about. His old face turned blue and red, and he was so embarrassed that he didn't dare to raise his head.

Chen Shao raised his eyelids to look at him, and continued to ask Mrs. Gao: "What is the relationship between them and you?"

Madam Gao said faintly, "Gao Wu, Gao Wen, and Gao Ping are our sons. Gao Zhang is Gao Wu's son and our eldest grandson."

Chen Shao looked at Gao Han again, "Where's he?"

Madam Gao then looked at Gao Han and said with some disdain, "Him? He is afraid of tarnishing his reputation, so he doesn't dare to go."

Chen Shao laughed, "You are afraid of tarnishing your reputation, so you dare not go to these places, but you dare to hang out with a married woman?"

Gao Han's face turned pale as he defended himself: "It was this bitch who schemed against me!"

Madam Gao retorted: "I did scheme against you, but do you dare to say that you didn't enjoy it?"

Gao Han wanted to refute, but he opened his mouth several times and swallowed the words back.

Madam Gao turned around and met Chen Shao's gaze, saying indignantly, "If he hadn't pretended to be noble and disdained to rent a few shops to earn some money to supplement the family income, I wouldn't have been deceived by Luo Jianyuan and ended up in this situation step by step."

Chen Shao became interested. "Tell me, how did Supervisor Luo deceive you?"

"He first said that there were two shops that needed people to take care of them, but he couldn't find a suitable person. If I was willing to go, he could give me half of the profits. Of course, I wouldn't refuse such a good thing." Mrs. Gao said angrily, "After I managed the two shops with all my heart and soul, they began to make profits, and then Abbot Luo asked me to rent a few more shops in partnership. When these shops were also on the right track, Abbot Luo asked me to discuss renting new shops. When I was choosing a shop, Mrs. Luo suddenly told me not to continue. Before I could figure out what she meant, she fell ill. When she died, Abbot Luo said that for useless people, it is better to die than to live, and I..."

Gao Han suddenly interrupted, "You are just obsessed with money!"

Madam Gao scolded him for a few words before continuing, "I didn't understand what he said at the time. It was not until I rented a few more shops from him and started to make money that he asked me to manage Luoyanju. Only then did I slowly see his true colors, but it was too late to withdraw. Later, when the newly married Madam Luo also fell ill, he said the same thing to me, and then I understood what he meant. I was afraid that I would fall ill like the two Madam Luos for no apparent reason, so I had to follow his arrangements in everything."

Gao Han interrupted again, "That's how she teamed up with Luo Jianyuan to plot against me!"

It was rare that Mrs. Gao didn't choke him again.

Chen Shao glanced at the two of them, and after asking Li Tianliu to bring Luo Zhengxin up, he asked Gao Han, "Since you hate her for scheming against you, what about those jade pendants and hairpins?"

Gao Han said awkwardly, "The children are not good learners because of her. I have to consider their future."

"Your consideration is to curry favor with Zhang Boshan?" Still in such a tactful way, Chen Shao was incredulous.

Gao Han lowered his head and did not answer.

Chen Shao suddenly remembered that when she was still investigating Shi Xing's case, he had tried every possible means to ask someone to pass her a visiting card, and couldn't help asking, "Is that why you kept passing me visiting cards?"

Gao Han looked at Mrs. Gao: "What visiting card?"

Madam Gao avoided his gaze guiltily, "Superintendent Luo said that the Lord has come to Hongyuan County. As the head of the Imperial College, you should go to see him. It will also provide you with a way out. I knew you would definitely not agree, so I gave him your private seal."

Gao Han looked at her with his mouth open, "I, you..."

Madam Gao was so angry that she said, "Alright, stop talking about you and me. Didn't the master not see you? Besides, what have you eaten and worn over the years? Which one of them didn't cost the money I earned?"

Gao Han was so angry that he didn't know what to say.

Chen Shao replied at the right time: "Xue Meilan was plotted against you by them, and Wu Tao was also plotted against by Jiang Zilin. In short, it was all their fault, not yours. Then let's talk about Xue Meilan's death. Madam Gao said that you asked her to poison Xue Meilan to death. Is that true?"