Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

Seeing Shi Chengliang's ignorant and fearless expression, Chen Shao asked, "Does Shi Xing know that your father is Gao Han?"

Shi Chengliang laughed strangely and said, "How could he not know? My mother is Madam Gao's niece. If it wasn't for Gao Shanzhang not wanting to be criticized, how could he have married her?"

Chen Shao looked at his twisted face and asked, "Where is Shi Chengan? Whose child is Shi Chengan?"

"Him?" Shi Chengliang laughed even louder. "That little slut Wu Tao has been with at least five people, if not eight. I'm afraid she herself doesn't know whose child that little bastard is, so how would I know? But speaking of it, although that little slut Wu Tao doesn't look that good, she's quite good at seducing people. When the adults are free someday, why not..."

Chen Shao asked calmly, "What's wrong?"

Shi Chengliang winked and said, "We are all men, why do you have to act stupid?"

"You're right." Chen Shao laughed twice and asked him, "Since your father is not Shi Xing, there is no need to cover up for him. Tell me, how did you cooperate with him to go out and kill people?"

"He killed someone?" Shi Chengliang laughed unscrupulously at Shi Chengguang as if he had heard a huge joke, "That old guy killed someone? Hahahaha, if he had the guts to kill someone, the first person he would kill would be us, right?"

Chen Shao was still self-aware. He knocked on the gavel and said, "In recent years, all the murders that have been going on outside were committed by him. You live in the same yard with him. It is impossible for you not to know when he is at home and when he is not."

"You must be mistaken. He couldn't possibly kill anyone." Shi Chengliang swore, "It's better to say that I killed someone than to say that he killed someone."

"So, you killed that person?" Chen Shao asked.

"Why would I kill someone?" Shi Chengliang laughed disapprovingly. "Okay, if there's nothing else, we'll leave first."

The Yulin Guards blocked their way.

Shi Chengliang pushed them in dissatisfaction: "What are you doing!"

The Yulin Guards were not good-tempered people. They kicked him to his knees and then drew their swords to his neck. Shi Chengliang was so scared that he dared not move, but he kept talking, "Are you tired of living? My father is the head of Gaoshan!"

"Your father is Gao Shanchang, I know." Chen Shao said calmly, "If you don't reply well, I will send your head to Gao Shanchang and let him bury you properly, don't worry."

The blade pressed against his neck, and the cold touch finally frightened Shi Chengliang. This time, without Chen Shao asking again, he answered honestly: "In order to improve the food for those untouchables, the old man often worked outside and didn't go home. If you don't believe me, you can go and confront those untouchables."

Chen Shao asked: "Where does he do odd jobs?"

Shi Chengliang wanted to answer that he didn't know, but when he felt the sword blade seem to have cut his skin, he hurriedly shouted, "Cargo company, he often moves goods for the cargo company at the dock."

"Take them away." Chen Shao ordered, "Lock them up with Gao Shanchang and let them reunite properly."

"Principal Gao was also arrested? Impossible, he is the principal of the Imperial College..."

"What's impossible? Even Lord Zhang was thrown into jail, so what's Lord Gao Shanzhang?" The bailiffs came forward and dragged them away without caring about their identities.

"This is outrageous!" Chan Yi said angrily as she watched Shi Chengliang walk away. "They are just a small head of a mountain, but they are so arrogant in front of the young master. They don't even know how to be arrogant when facing the common people on weekdays!"

"He is not just a small headmaster," Li Tianliu said slowly, "He controls the future of all the students in the county."

Chan Yi said, "So what?"

"It's nothing," Li Tianliu said in a leisurely tone, "I just want to remind you that all students in Hongyuan County who want to take the imperial examinations and become officials must go through him. And don't forget..."

Li Tianliu's eyes fell on the jade pendants on the table, "Who did he buy these jade pendants from?"

Fu Jiu said solemnly: "I have already said that Mr. Zhang does not look like a good person."

Chan Yi snorted coldly and stopped talking.

Chen Shao did not participate in their argument. The second person she interrogated was the current Mrs. Shi, Wu Tao, and her son Shi Cheng'an.

Wu Tao's appearance was not outstanding, but her natural charm made her very attractive just kneeling there. Shi Chengan leaned against her side. Although he was only six years old, his eyebrows and eyes were full of fierceness.

Looking at Liu Deming who came back one after another and the Yulin Guards who went to the horse farm to investigate, Chen Shao said straight to the point: "Madam Shi, do you know why I invited you to the prefectural governor's mansion?"

Wu Tao hadn't heard anyone call her Madam Shi for many years. She was stunned for a moment before she kowtowed respectfully and replied, "I... am a simpleton, I hope you can tell me."

"Then let me ask you," Chen Shao said, "which street and lane is the house you and Master Shi bought on?"

"Mansion, he bought a mansion?" Wu Tao laughed at himself, "He really didn't open up to me."

Listening to her sad cry, Chen Shao asked slowly, "So you didn't know about his purchase of the house?"

Wu Tao shook his head, "I don't know."

"But according to the confessions of Jiang Zilin and others," Chen Shao paused before saying, "Mr. Shi's monthly salary was all given to you. If you didn't know, where did he get the money to buy the house?"

Wu Tao's fingertips curled slightly, and after a long while he said, "I haven't received his monthly salary for a long time."

Even though he knew the answer, Chen Shao still asked, "If you don't take his monthly salary, what will you use?"

Wu Tao curled her fingertips again, and after a long while, she slowly said, "I know I am not a good person, and I will not defend myself, but I am just a woman. My father died early, and my mother cried until she went blind. My brother was born with illness, and the burden of the family is all on me, a weak woman. No matter how hard I work, I can only barely make ends meet. I dare not even think about seeing a doctor or taking medicine for my mother and brother.

"After I was married to Master Shi by Brother Jiang, I also thought about living a good life. He had a monthly salary of one or two taels of silver, which was barely enough if he spent sparingly. But he had two sons who drank and had fun every day. The monthly salary of one or two taels of silver would be snatched away by them in less than half a day after it fell into my hands. I cried to Master Shi, but he would only tell me to bear it. I could bear it, but what about my mother and brother? They had no money to see a doctor, so they could only wait to die.

"I married Master Shi to pay for my mother and brother's medical treatment and medicine, so I am naturally willing to do other things for them. So I don't blame Brother Jiang, I did everything willingly."

Chen Shao sighed in his heart, but said calmly: "You and Master Shi are husband and wife after all. It is impossible for him to kill people outside without leaving any traces, and it is impossible for you not to find out anything. As long as you tell the truth, I can ignore your actions."

"Master Shi killed someone?" Wu Tao raised his head in surprise, then shook his head and said, "Impossible, he couldn't have killed anyone."

Chen Shao asked: "Why is it impossible?"

Wu Tao said sadly: "If he dared to kill someone, how could he bear to see us treat him like that?"

Chen Shao looked at her and said, "Don't you know that Gao Shanzhang and Luo Jianyuan threatened him?"

Wu Tao was stunned for a moment and then fell silent.

Just when Chen Shao thought she would not speak again, she shed two lines of tears and spoke slowly.