Prince! The political conspiracy is not a play, the show is real

Before Tao Yao could react, a group of women's screams suddenly erupted behind her.

She turned her head and saw several women in mourning clothes coming out from behind the screen - they were Zhou Yan's concubines, now all widows. They stared at Tao Yao with ferocious expressions, as if they wanted to eat her alive.

Tao Yao quickly recognized Zhou Yan's wife standing in the middle. She had been distraught since Zhou Yan's death, but today she had completely changed her dejected dejection. Perhaps she was finally getting closer to the truth behind her husband's sudden death, and she had to pull herself together.

Everyone's eyes were on Tao Yao. Tao Yao felt the hairs on her body stand on end, as if each of their gazes was like a nail, shooting straight at her, ready to kill her right there.

Tao Yao rarely saw Mrs. Zhou speak, and it seemed that today was the first time.

"Shi Taoyao, if you don't want to marry him, then don't marry him... I know you cherish your youth and don't want to marry a businessman so early. But now, you can't escape imprisonment. Isn't this just a waste of your best years?"

Madam Zhou looked down at Tao Yao, her cold white fingers slowly climbing up Tao Yao's cheek, caressing it very gently, her voice icy: "I have been married to Zhou Yan for ten years now, and have raised two children for him, a boy and a girl.

I know you look down on him and this marriage, but why do you want to ruin my marriage and my life?!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Mrs. Zhou raised her five fingers and slapped Tao Yao hard.

Tao Yao subconsciously covered her face, which was burning with pain. Looking at the grief-stricken Madam Zhou in front of her, Tao Yao suddenly felt a surge of sadness in her heart, and some sympathy for this widow who had just lost her husband.

Several wives and concubines who were originally standing around watching the fun immediately rushed over to stop Madam Zhou and prevent her from slapping her again.

Mrs. Zhou looked sad and shed two lines of hot tears. She covered her face and turned away, not wanting to look at Tao Yao again.

After a long silence, Zhou Yiqian finally spoke: "Taoyao, the Shi family has raised you for eighteen years, and I believe I have never wronged you. If you have truly done something wrong, then admit it. I also admit that I failed to discipline you well enough, and that I allowed you to fall into this situation."

Shi Lanxin quickly interrupted him and said, "Father, Shi Taoyao was originally a bastard that no one wanted. The Shi family took her in and raised her out of kindness. Now that she has committed a crime, how can we let our benefactor bear the consequences for her?"

After she finished speaking, she turned her gaze towards Tao Yao and hurled a harsh remark: "Shi Tao Yao, stop playing dumb! Do you want your father to take the blame for you? Heaven has eyes, aren't you afraid of divine punishment? Confess your guilt now!"

Tao Yao suppressed the anger within her, feeling powerless all over. Ten or so people in the room had all condemned her. How could someone already deemed guilty prove their innocence?

"I've already said that I had nothing to do with Mr. Zhou Yan's death—I have no way of proving this myself. The real murderer hasn't been apprehended yet, and you can't prove I'm the real murderer based solely on a button, a handkerchief, and your own assumptions about me.

The laws of the Great Chu Kingdom are ironclad. Wrong is wrong, right is right. If I were truly the murderer, I would certainly not be able to hide it from the sharp eyes of the officials."

Tao Yao didn't want to argue with them anymore, and she knew it was useless.

Compared with the current situation, Tao Yao felt that staying in that prison would be more peaceful and comfortable than staying here.

If God has mercy on her, her innocence will be proven; if she is really unlucky and becomes a scapegoat, then so be it, it won’t be a big deal if she dies anyway.

Shi Lanxin shouted impatiently, "Daddy! There's no time to lose. She still refuses to confess. Let's quickly take her to the government office to surrender, so she won't burden you. Daddy has made many achievements in recent years. How can we let this bastard ruin our future?"

Shi Yiqian sighed deeply again, with his hands tied tightly behind his back. He turned around four or five times, and finally hardened his heart. He ordered several servants to go down and prepare the carriage.

So, the group of people came to the yamen in four carriages.

As soon as the yamen runners guarding the door saw Zhou Yan's wives and concubines get off the carriage, they immediately came forward to greet them.

When Yi Qian lifted the car door curtain and got out, the yamen runners were all stunned and looked at each other.

One of the fearless yamen runners came forward, bowed, and asked, "General Shi, why are you here today?"

Shi Yiqian didn't really want to answer, but he just waved his hand with a gloomy face, stopping the bailiff aside.

At this moment, Shi Lanxin swiftly jumped down from the carriage, grabbed Shi Yiqian's arm, and said unhappily, "My father is here today to help the county magistrate solve a case."

Tao Yao was locked up alone in the last carriage. In order to prevent her from escaping, Shi Yiqian arranged for two burly men to accompany her.

As soon as the carriage stopped, one of the big men took out a hemp rope as thick as Taoyao's wrist from his pocket and tied Taoyao's hands tightly, using it as handcuffs.

"go!"

The big man ordered Tao Yao around like a prisoner, as if he didn't consider her a human being at all. He pulled Tao Yao away from the carriage with brute force using the hemp rope.

The yamen runners, still unable to grasp what was happening, immediately stopped him and sternly said, "General Shi, we have been overwhelmed with cases lately, and the officials in the yamen are overwhelmed. Visitors from outside the yamen must be notified in advance. I wonder if you have informed any of the officials in advance?"

Shi Lanxin couldn't help but spit at the feet of the yamen runner who spoke, and said harshly, "You blind bastard! It's okay for others, but you dare to stop General Shi?"

The yamen runner was upright and unafraid of the unruly young lady. He continued to speak sternly, "Young lady, the government has its own laws, and I am acting in accordance with them. Please forgive me if I have offended you."

"You!..." Shi Lanxin glared at him angrily, but there was nothing she could do.

Shi Yiqian rubbed his brows with a headache and said, "This... I was indeed negligent today and forgot to inform Lord Song in advance. I wonder if you could be flexible and help me inform Lord Song now that I have something important to tell you."

The yamen runner looked them over hesitantly and asked, "General Shi, is this about the Zhou Yan case?"

When he heard the name "Zhou Yan," Shi Yiqian's expression changed immediately. He quickly winked at the yamen runner, signaling him to lower his voice.

"Uh... exactly..."

Shi Yiqian's face was hesitant, and the corners of his mouth twitched as if he wanted to say something else, but he was silent for a long time, and in the end, his Adam's apple just rolled up and down twice, as if he had swallowed a very large date pit, which made his face full of pain and sorrow.

"Yes. They have witnesses and evidence, and now they want to prove that I am the murderer. Please, sir, let us in immediately."

Tao Yao's clear voice suddenly rang out, startling everyone.

In fact, Shi Yiqian was still thinking about how to help Tao Yao, but he didn't expect that she would confess like this.

Shi Lanxin looked back at Tao Yao in disbelief, unable to believe that she could be so open-minded and not afraid of death.