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

After Tao Yao said this, the yamen runners stopped blocking them and made way for them.

The leading yamen runner took the initiative to step forward to lead the way. Shi Yiqian, who was usually taciturn, started chatting with the yamen runner who was leading the way for the first time today. He even secretly stuffed a purse into the yamen runner's hand. The yamen runner kept refusing and was in great pain.

"General Shi, Lord Song's study is not far ahead. It's not good for others to see you and me pushing and pulling like this," said the bailiff.

After the yamen runner reminded him, Shi Yiqian realized that many servants were staring at his movements along the way. He immediately felt a little embarrassed and put the purse into his sleeve, restraining himself a little.

Tao Yao was a little surprised. She had thought that Shi Yiqian would not care about her life or death, but now she saw that he was trying his best to deal with things for her. He would rather put aside his usually noble attitude and ask a small yamen runner for help, just to buy her some room for maneuver.

Just as she was feeling touched, Lan Xin, who was walking in front of her, suddenly turned around and gave her a glare that was like a basin of ice water poured in her face.

Shi Lanxin lowered her voice, but Taoyao still heard every word clearly: "Shi Taoyao, what is not yours will eventually be returned. You have been a young lady of the Shi family for eighteen years. You have already got a great deal. Do you still want more?"

Tao Yao looked up at Shi Lanxin, puzzled. Shi Lanxin was dressed up beautifully today, as if she had some great event.

Although Tao Yao was furious, she couldn't vent her anger at the moment. She simply took bigger steps and kicked a stone. The stone hit Shi Lanxin's ankle, causing her to scream.

"Ouch! It hurts so much!"

Shi Lanxin bent down in annoyance to check her painful ankle. Tao Yao seized the opportunity and kicked her again in the direction of her raised hips - a bigger stone flew out like a missile and hit the bull's eye.

Shi Lanxin fell to the ground holding her hips in pain, crying, "Hey! What's going on! There's an ambush here!"

The yamen runner leading the way reacted quickly and interrupted her immediately, saying, "Miss Shi, the government office has strict rules and regulations. How could there be an ambush? Please be cautious, Miss Shi."

At this time, Shi Yiqian also turned around and criticized Shi Lanxin.

Although Shi Lanxin had a hot temper, she was very thin-skinned. She blushed and broke out in sweat. She got up from the ground with a red face and ran to the front quickly.

The joy brought by doing evil suddenly relaxed Tao Yao's long-tense nerves, and even the two stinky-faced men beside him looked a lot more pleasing to the eye.

The group walked along the winding path to the end, where they saw a narrow courtyard gate. Pushing it open, they entered a square courtyard. The courtyard was bare, without any trees, flowers or plants, only a wide field of corn drying on it.

Looking closely, I saw four or five raccoons lying or sitting on the golden cornfield. Some had orange tiger stripes, some were as dark as snow, and some were as round and fat as a ball. They were lazily lying in the sun among the corns; some were thin, slender and agile, catching butterflies on the cornfield.

Directly opposite the corn field, there is a tiled house of medium size. This is the study of Mr. Song mentioned by the yamen runner.

Logically, Tao Yao should be extremely nervous at this moment, but Gu Ping and the kitten in the courtyard, which are full of sunshine, are so cute that her attention seems to be distracted, and she is not as anxious as before.

The bailiff walked to the door of the small house in front and knocked three times. Immediately, an impatient voice came from the room: "Didn't I tell you?! I've been extremely busy these past few days. Don't bother me unless it's something important!"

The bailiff was obviously accustomed to the gentleman's temper. Without saying anything, he took out the key from his pocket and opened the door.

When the door opened, everyone was surprised by the scene inside.

It was a shabby hut, as simple as a pigsty or a stable, with cracks in the brickwork on all four walls, leaking air. Inside, there was only a table, a long bench, and a pile of dried straw piled haphazardly in the corner with a pillow on top. This must have been where the owner of the house slept.

Two strong men hurriedly pushed Tao Yao into the house. Tao Yao stumbled and nearly fell, but was suddenly supported by a warm hand. She looked up and saw a pair of clear eyes staring at her.

"Wow, there are so many people here—Hey, General Shi is here too, what do you want?"

The owner of the eyes spoke. Tao Yao suddenly came to his senses, remembering that he was now a criminal who was about to turn himself in, and took three steps back with self-awareness.

The yamen runner came up, clasped his fists, and reported, "Sir Song, the general came here today with Zhou Yan's family. It's about Zhou Yan's case."

Tao Yao was a little surprised. She didn't expect that Lord Song was not an old man in his seventies or eighties, but was very young.

He was dressed casually, wearing only a coarse linen shorts. If the yamen runner next to him had not repeatedly called him Sir Song, Tao Yao would have thought he was a farmer busy with farming.

When he heard the name Zhou Yan, Song Zhishou's eyes lit up immediately. He quickly dragged out the long bench behind him and asked everyone to sit down.

"My hut is humble, so please don't mind it," Song Zhishou said as he took a few teacups from the table. "I don't have any good tea here, so I can only ask you to drink plain water to quench your thirst."

Shi Lanxin, who was always particular about her manners, was unusually easy to deal with today. She took the teacup with a warm and polite expression and quickly replied, "Sir Song, we didn't come here for tea today. Let's get down to business."

When Lanxin, Xingfang, and Zhou Yan's family finished talking about the whole story, the gloom on Song Zhishou's face became deeper and deeper.

Shi Lanxin turned her gaze towards Taoyao: "Shi Taoyao, why don't you hand over that button?"

Tao Yao had no ulterior motive, so she immediately walked forward and placed the button she had been holding in her hand on the table in front of Song Zhishou.

"Sir Song, this button was found by my maid on Mr. Zhou Yan's body that night." Shi Lanxin thought.

Song Zhishou picked up the button, held it before his eyes, and examined it carefully for a long time, muttering, "This button style is indeed unusual... But even if, as you say, it belongs to Miss Shi Er, it doesn't mean she was the murderer of Zhou Yan."

He exhaled deeply and continued, "When Zhou Yan died, there were many people present, and anyone could have been the murderer. The button and handkerchief you found are indeed very valuable evidence, so I'll keep them for now. However, the government won't make a final decision until the case is fully investigated."

After hearing these words, Tao Yao felt relieved. Sure enough, there were still reasonable people in this world who wouldn't let her die in vain.