The daily life of a peasant girl taking the imperial examination

Zhao Lan's family is a possibility. Although she has a child of about four years old, he has reportedly been staying at his parents' home for the past few days. In that case, Zhang Zhong could secretly come over to discuss this matter.

However, there is a logical inconsistency here. Liu Cuihua discovered that her husband, with whom she shared a bed, had suddenly left and disappeared. Why would she go to her best friend's house to look for him, especially so late at night? Zhao Lan is a widow, and the two of them were alone in a room. As a fellow villager who had always taken care of her, why would she go to her house to look for her?

Zhuge Yunshu recalled the conversation between Zhang Yi, Wu Xiaocao, Zhang Zhong, and Zhao Lan in the main hall of the government office earlier that day.

The younger brother Zhang Yi's family often mocked the older brother Zhang Zhong for having no children, even though Zhang Zhong was a well-known good husband who doted on his wife in the surrounding villages.

But let me ask you this: a man who has been married for many years without children cheats on his wife in order to have a child, and the other woman happens to be pregnant.

Is it possible for a man like this to be so guilty as to be completely submissive to his short-tempered wife?

Zhuge Yunshu recalled what Wu Xiaocao had said: Liu Cuihua's temper used to be quite mild; it was only in recent years that she had become irritable...

Therefore, there is only one answer: Liu Cuihua knew that her husband was having an affair with her best friend, and she might even have been the one who orchestrated it...

Married for over ten years without conceiving a child, she felt pressured and, coupled with her husband's manipulative tactics, decided to ask her best friend to help her have a child with her husband's bloodline. They would then pretend to adopt the child and raise it in their own home...

Zhuge Yunshu, recalling the few words Wu Xiaocao and Zhao Lan had exchanged, felt that this guess was the closest to the truth.

As for why she ran over and grabbed Zhao Lan's neck despite knowing about her husband and Zhao Lan, it's possible that she overheard the two plotting to divorce her and lost her temper, which led to her action.

However, why did Zhang Zhong's attitude towards Zhao Lan in front of the government office today not seem like that of a close friend in private, and why did Zhao Lan subconsciously try to avoid him...?

Thinking of this, Zhuge Yunshu scratched his head in frustration. Even if he guessed who the murderer was, figuring out the cause and effect was really not an easy task.

As soon as Zhuge Laifu and Lin Si Niang entered the house, they saw Zhuge Yunshu standing alone in the courtyard, lost in thought.

Zhuge Laifu, feeling mischievous, tiptoed carefully behind Zhuge Yunshu and, taking him by surprise, smacked him on the back of the head.

"What are you thinking about, so lost in thought?"

Zhuge Yunshu was suddenly hit and was stunned for a moment. He covered the back of his head with his hand and looked at Zhuge Laifu with an innocent expression.

But soon, as if she had thought of something, she ran away from Zhuge Laifu and Lin Siniang with a happy expression on her face.

Zhuge Laifu: "..."

Lin Si Niang: "..."

Is their daughter mentally challenged?

Why are you so happy even after being beaten?

Zhuge Yunshu had no idea what her parents were thinking about her. At that moment, she was in her cousins' room, being put on a show by them.

Third cousin Zhuge Yunqiu was choking fourth cousin Zhuge Yundong by the neck, while the strongest eldest cousin was behind her with a stick, ready to hit Zhuge Yunqiu.

Zhuge Yunshu incorporated Zhang Zhong, Liu Cuihua, and Zhao Lan into his character.

Liu Cuihua is about 1.68 meters tall, while Zhao Lan is relatively thin and short, probably only about 1.58 meters tall.

Given the significant difference in strength, Zhao Lan simply didn't have the power to deliver a powerful blow to Liu Cuihua's right temple with her left hand.

Standing behind, Zhang Zhong, in a state of extreme tension, could only instinctively slap the back of Liu Cuihua's head.

Zhuge Yunshu pondered what circumstances Zhang Zhong could have suddenly deflected the attack and just happened to hit Liu Cuihua's right temple.

They made many guesses and then conducted experiments continuously.

However, perseverance pays off, and Zhuge Yunshu finally uncovered the truth.

......

The next day, Zhuge Yunshu, Zhuge Yunchu, Wang Yi, and Zhang Hao handed over the 1000-word case reasoning and conclusion they had written the night before to Master Wang, and then hurriedly ran to the government office.

Today is the day the case will be resolved, and the four of them are still thinking about whether their guesses are correct.

Zhang Hao, in particular, was the only one among the four who was certain that the murderer was the widow Zhao Lan.

He felt that, according to his reasoning, it was simply perfect.

Zhuge Yunshu, Zhuge Yunchu, and Wang Yi were already used to seeing Zhang Hao's confidence.

In any case, the final result is always the same—they win.

Zhuge Yunshu and the other three arrived at just the right time. At that moment, Prefect Wei had already sent people to bring Zhang Zhong, Zhao Lan, Zhang Yi and Wu Xiaocao to the main hall.

The prefect, Wei, seated at the head of the table, picked up the gavel on his right and struck it hard, shouting:

"You audacious Zhao Lan, you betrayed your years of friendship and had an affair with your best friend's husband. After becoming pregnant, you even tried to use her to climb the social ladder. In the end, you killed Liu Cuihua and attempted to frame Zhang Yi's family. Do you plead guilty?"

Since it wasn't Zhao Lan who did it, she naturally couldn't confess, so she stubbornly refused to admit it.

Upon seeing this, Prefect Wei angrily said:

"There are four or five meters between your yard and Zhang Yi's yard. How could you have clearly seen a small bruise on Liu Cuihua's right forehead? Also, yesterday, when our officials sent people to your house, they found a bloodstain on the wall inside your house that hadn't been wiped clean..."

He paused, took a bloodstained wooden stick from the constable, and continued:

"This murder weapon was dug out of your yard. Even after all this, you still won't confess?"

Hearing Prefect Wei's words, and especially upon seeing the wooden stick, Zhao Lan subconsciously glanced at Zhang Zhong, then, as if realizing something, quickly shook her head in denial:

"My lord, I am innocent. Liu Cuihua's body was clearly found at Zhang Yi's house. They must have framed me."

Seeing that Zhao Lan still refused to reveal the truth despite everything, Prefect Wei decided to deliver the fatal blow:

"Liu Cuihua's clothes were neat and tidy. If she had argued with Zhang Yi and Wu Xiaocao over the silver earrings, there would definitely be signs of a fight. However, yesterday, I checked the soles of her shoes and there wasn't a speck of mud on them. You know, there was a light rain outside just before dawn the day before yesterday. Even with normal walking, the soles of shoes wouldn't be this clean. This means that after you killed someone, you moved the body to Zhang Yi's doorstep..."

But with your frail frame, you certainly couldn't move a woman of Liu Cuihua's stature. Tell me, who is your accomplice?

Although it was a question, Prefect Wei looked at Zhang Zhong with unwavering eyes.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Zhong was already so frightened that he lay prostrate on the ground. Just as he was about to say something, Zhao Lan interrupted him:

"It was Zhang Zhong who killed Liu Cuihua. I beg Your Honor to see the truth. Zhang Zhong somehow learned that I was pregnant, so he came to my house late at night and told me that he wanted to divorce Liu Cuihua, who couldn't bear him children, and marry me instead. Liu Cuihua, who arrived shortly after, overheard everything..."

Liu Cuihua thought I had secretly instigated her husband to do this, so she rushed over and grabbed my neck. Seeing this, Zhang Zhong, in an attempt to save me, picked up a wooden stick and struck Liu Cuihua hard on the right forehead, killing her instantly.

"You're talking nonsense. I originally intended to hit the back of Liu Cuihua's head to knock her unconscious first. If you hadn't kicked the stool in your panic, would I have missed?" In his anxiety, Zhang Zhong blurted out the truth.

The entire lobby fell silent for a moment, then erupted in an uproar.