Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

"Whether before or after the young master came to Hongyuan County, I never thought of harming him." In the face of life and death, Zhao Lin's reaction was much faster than usual. Before Ding Lisheng could finish his words, he quickly retorted, "On the contrary, you, after receiving the news that the young master might come to Hongyuan County, have been planning to harm him! After Du Zhong got into trouble, I expected that it was you who did it. When I ran to ask you, you told me that it was you who asked Du Zhong to poison the young master."

"Now that the truth has been revealed, don't even think about framing me!"

"You didn't think of harming the young master?" Ding Lisheng shot back, "The night when the young master put the bodies of the boys and girls who were killed in the garden into the ice cellar and asked you to find out their identities, you dare to say that you didn't say that you wanted to get rid of the young master to prevent future troubles!"

Seeing that the two were about to bite each other again, Chen Shao picked up the gavel and knocked it twice, then said coldly: "Let's talk about the past later. Let's make the poisoning clear first."

"He was the one who ordered Du Zhong to poison him!" Zhao Lin said first, "He was also the one who sent someone to kill Du Zhong!"

Ding Lisheng had already admitted to poisoning, so it was difficult for him to refute it. When Chen Shao looked over, he cried hurriedly, "Sir, I know my mistake. I will never be deceived by others again."

Chen Shao was too lazy to listen to his nonsense: "Who killed Du Zhong?"

"I didn't kill Du Zhong!" Ding Lisheng denied it flatly. Knowing that she didn't believe him, he moved uneasily and explained, "I did send someone to kill him, but when the people I sent arrived at his rented house, he was already dead. I didn't mean to kill him. He was immoral and wanted to threaten me with poisoning. I had no choice but to send someone to kill him."

Du Zhong's death had been clearly investigated earlier. Qi Gao killed him in a fit of rage. Chen Shao asked Ding Lisheng at this moment, not to overturn his previous judgment, but to ask, "Where did the jade chess piece in Du Zhong's arms come from?"

"That jade chess piece..." Ding Lisheng glanced at Zhao Lin quickly and answered hesitantly, "I don't know."

Chen Shao looked at Zhao Lin, who avoided her gaze, lowered his eyebrows, and replied guiltily: "Your subordinate, I don't know either."

Chen Shao said calmly: "Do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know?"

Ding Lisheng glanced at Zhao Lin again and said hesitantly, "My lord, I know very well. I really don't know. I don't like pretentious things like music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but Lord Zhang seems to like them very much. Lord Zhang has asked me to collect these things for him many times."

Ding Lisheng's voice became lower and lower, and in the end, he almost spoke to himself.

Chen Shao did not comment on whether it was true or not, but turned around and looked at Zhao Lin again.

Zhao Lin hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Lord Zhang also ordered me to collect these for him."

"You mean that the jade chess piece in Du Zhong's arms belongs to Zhang Boshan?" Chen Shao asked sarcastically, "Or do you want to tell me that if I search Zhang Boshan's residence now, I will definitely find the remaining chess pieces, huh?"

Ding Lisheng and Zhao Lin's faces changed at the same time, and Ding Lisheng quickly denied: "My lord, I have no such intention."

Zhao Lin echoed: "This humble official has absolutely no such intention."

Chen Shao said calmly, "That's not my intention. Well, then tell me, is the jade chess piece in Du Zhong's arms something you have collected for Zhang Boshan?"

Ding Lisheng said hurriedly: "I have never collected this for Master Zhang."

Zhao Lin also echoed again: "I have never collected this for Master Zhang."

Seeing the two men swearing to the sky, Chen Shao smiled slowly, "Ding Lisheng, Zhao Lin... not bad. Originally, I didn't plan to punish you, or rather, I didn't plan to punish you now. I assigned you tasks to give you a chance to reform. Although I'm not very satisfied with your recent performance, it's generally acceptable. I didn't expect that when I gave you a chance to reform, you treated me like a fool. Well, since you are all smart, then..."

"Sir, you have misunderstood me," Ding Lisheng said with a sad face, looking aggrieved. "How to sympathize with the people, how to think for the people, how to investigate and solve cases, I learned it from you. I admire you so much, how could I fool you?"

Chen Shao mocked: "Since I misunderstood, then tell me, where did the jade chess piece in Du Zhong's arms come from?"

"Sir, I know clearly. I really don't know." Ding Lisheng cried, "But rest assured, I will find out as soon as possible."

"You really don't know? Okay." Chen Shao looked at him quietly for a moment. "Since you don't know anything, let's settle other accounts. Fu Jiu, go and bring the evidence from the Ding and Zhao families over!"

The excuse is that they are not pretentious.

The excuse is that only Zhang Boshan is good at this.

It was nothing more than leading her to search Zhang Boshan's residence.

She believed that the remaining chess pieces must be hidden in Zhang Boshan's residence.

There may even be other criminal evidence hidden inside.

But among the various criminal evidences collected by Luo Ye based on those gardens, Zhang Boshan was not mentioned. In the early stage, all the people who were interrogated with the gardens as the core did not mention Zhang Boshan. It can be basically concluded that Zhang Boshan had nothing to do with those garden cases.

She came to Hongyuan County, and they poisoned her simply because they were afraid that their crimes would be exposed.

She asked about the jade chess piece in Du Zhong's arms simply because she wanted to find out more clues about the jade.

Since they insist on not knowing, there is no need to keep them any longer.

Even if there is no one available, you must never hire someone who is dishonest and stubborn.

Ding Lisheng shuddered and raised his head carefully. Seeing her cold face, he knew she was telling the truth. He immediately stabbed her thigh hard, then knelt forward crying and kowtowed, shouting, "Master, please spare me. I know I was wrong. The jade chess piece was originally a gift to Master Zhang as a new concubine. I don't know when Du Zhong stole one. It was only when you asked me about the origin of the jade chess piece that I realized I had lost one. I was bewildered and afraid of your scolding, so I dare not admit it. Please spare me!"

Seeing him like this, Zhao Lin followed suit and said, "I can testify that the jade chess piece was indeed a gift that he had received and intended to give to Lord Zhang."

Chen Shao looked at the two of them and taunted: "Then tell me, where are the remaining chess pieces now?"

Ding Lisheng tightened his fingertips and slowly shrank them into fists: "Now, now in Master Zhang's study."

Chen Shao pressed, "Why are you in Lord Zhang's study?"

Ding Lisheng opened his mouth but couldn't answer.

Zhao Lin didn't dare to answer.

The two were silent until Fu Jiu brought the evidence of the Ding and Zhao families over. Seeing the boxes that were exactly the same as the ones that contained the evidence of the Wen, Zhu, Gu, Fan, and Qi families, panic instantly hit Ding Lisheng like a wave. He knelt and walked forward a few steps, shouting in fear, "Sir, I know I was wrong. I really know I was wrong. I will definitely listen to you in the future. Please, please give me another chance."

The sound of kowtows was like hammers hitting stone slabs, and in just a moment, bloodstains appeared.

Zhao Lin had not participated in the confiscation of the Wen, Zhu, and Gu families' properties, so he did not have any direct feelings about it, but he knew Ding Lisheng well enough. Seeing Ding Lisheng so terrified, he could not help but kowtow in fear and beg for mercy.

Chen Shao was unmoved. She had given them the chance, more than once. Since they were unwilling to seize it, they should bear all the consequences themselves. With a sullen face, Chen Shao ordered Li Tianliu: "Take people to surround the Ding and Zhao families. Like the Gu, Fan and Qi families, they have never committed a capital crime. As long as they are willing to report and blame themselves, I will not care about the past!"

Li Tianliu turned and left.

Ding Lisheng wanted to stop him, but was really afraid of him. Looking at his gradually receding back, he called out "Young Master" with a broken heart and then fainted.