Nanny Li was not only Qin Wanshan's wet nurse but also the dowry maid of Lady Qin the Younger. She had been by Lady Qin the Younger's side even before her marriage. She knew far more than Yu Zhu.
Apart from exposing Lady Qin the Younger's poisoning scheme, she also revealed a truth that shocked everyone present and enraged Qin Hao to the extreme.
"Sir, the death of the late mistress was no accident. It was deliberately arranged by Lady Qin," she said.
It turned out that Lady Qin the Younger had set her sights on Qin Hao a long time ago and was determined to marry him. Therefore, she often showed up in front of Qin Hao during festivals when the main and side branches of the family visited each other.
Unfortunately, her feelings were unrequited. Qin Hao and Zhao Shi, Qin Wanrong's mother, were childhood sweethearts from well - matched families. He had eyes only for Zhao Shi and never even glanced at Lady Qin the Younger.
After he married Zhao Shi, they were deeply in love. However, Zhao Shi was in poor health and didn't conceive for a long time after marriage. Lady Qin the Younger thought her chance had come. She tried to persuade Qin Hao to take concubines through the help of Old Lady Qin. But Qin Hao was reluctant to take concubines, and when Zhao Shi was found to be pregnant, the matter was dropped.
Filled with jealousy and hatred, Lady Qin the Younger bribed a maid in the Qin Mansion to poison Zhao Shi, hoping to kill both her and the unborn child.
Sure enough, Zhao Shi died during a difficult labor. The baby she gave birth to had no breath at first but miraculously survived. Qin Hao loved Zhao Shi deeply. After losing his wife, he poured all his love into this child, wanting to give her all the best things in the world.
However, the Qin family started to arrange another marriage for him. Lady Qin the Younger knew how much Qin Hao cared about Qin Wanrong. It was her feigned mother - daughter affection for Qin Wanrong that caught Qin Hao's eye.
But from the moment she married Qin Hao, she had been thinking about how to get rid of Qin Wanrong, who she regarded as a thorn in her side.
Lady Qin the Younger originally wanted Qin Wanrong to die of poisoning naturally. However, when Qin Wanrong was accidentally granted the title of a country - lady by the emperor, Lady Qin the Younger was extremely unbalanced. She then decided to accelerate Qin Wanrong's death and increased the dosage of the poison.
Even though Qin Wanrong lived in the Prince Qing's Mansion for a while, Lady Qin the Younger never gave up the opportunity to poison her.
Since she didn't wait for the news of Qin Wanrong's death and learned that Qin Wanrong was going to the Fuxing Temple to pay respects to the Buddha with Su Yuanyuan, she set up a trap. She bribed the thugs from a gambling house to pretend to be bandits and had her distant cousin, Qin Yuanshan, show up to rescue them in an attempt to get in touch with the Prince Qing's Mansion.
This was the shocking truth behind the farce of the bandit attack today.
After hearing this story, although there were many people in the courtroom, it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Whether it was the yamen runners, the on - looking commoners outside, or others, their looks at Lady Qin the Younger were like looking at a venomous snake spitting its forked tongue—filled with disgust, nausea, fear, coldness, and contempt.
Lady Qin the Younger's face turned ashen. She knew that this time she was truly finished.
Everyone was looking at Qin Hao at this moment.
They were waiting for Qin Hao's reaction.
Although Zhao Shi was the woman Qin Hao loved, she had been dead for fifteen years. Although Lady Qin the Younger was vicious, she had given birth to children for Qin Hao and managed the family business. Whether he would seek justice for his late wife and beloved daughter or forgive Lady Qin the Younger lightly to maintain the harmony of the mansion would determine what others thought of him.
As the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, he had failed to see the venomous heart of his wife. As a result, his first wife and eldest daughter had been harmed, and he had tolerated the murderer by his side for more than a decade without noticing. This was his dereliction of duty.
If he decided to forgive Lady Qin the Younger, Cang Xuan would probably impeach him in the court the next morning.
However, Qin Hao didn't keep everyone waiting long.
He made his choice without even thinking.
"This case is of great significance and involves many aspects. It should be handled by the Court of Judicial Review. However, the suspects are my second wife and second daughter, and it also involves my first wife and eldest daughter. According to the laws of the Great Chu, I should recuse myself to avoid unfairness in the trial. Lord Zhang, as the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, I would like to hand this case over to you for trial. I hope you won't decline."
Zhang Wentao, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, was also in the courtroom. Hearing this, he stood up, clasped his hands in front of him, and said, "Sir Qin, rest assured. I will handle this case impartially."
Then, he looked at Su Qing, who was sitting beside the prefect, and said, "Prince Qing, may I borrow some imperial guards?"
Su Qing waved his hand, and several armored imperial guards came in from outside.
Zhang Wentao said, "Arrest all the criminals and send them to the prison of the Ministry of Justice!"
Ignoring the cries of Lady Qin the Younger and Qin Wanshan, the imperial guards grabbed their arms and dragged them out forcefully. Qin Yuanshan and the other thugs who pretended to be bandits were also taken away.
Listening to their cries, Qin Hao didn't even frown. Only the fist beside him, with white - knuckled fingers, showed that his emotions were still in turmoil.
But this emotion had nothing to do with Lady Qin the Younger and Qin Wanshan. It was for his late wife and the "dead" Qin Wanrong.
Fifteen years ago, his negligence had cost him the life of his beloved wife. Fifteen years later, his negligence had cost him the life of his daughter, the child he had with his beloved wife.
He had climbed from a small registrar to the position of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, but he couldn't even protect his wife and children. What kind of man was he? What right did he have to live?
No, even if he died, he would be too ashamed to see his wife and daughter.
After the criminals and witnesses were taken away, the courtroom of the prefectural yamen became quiet again.
Qin Hao came to his senses and noticed that Su Yuanyuan and the others were still there. He stepped forward and took the prescription and medicinal materials that Yu Zhu had taken out. He said hoarsely to Su Yuanyuan, "Thank you, Princess, for taking care of Rong'er these days. She rarely interacted with others because of her poor health, but she was willing to stay in your mansion. I'm sure she had a great time there. As long as she showed a smile in her life, it's worth her coming to this world."
Qin Hao's decisive handling of Lady Qin the Younger and Qin Wanshan won him the favor of Su Yuanyuan. Therefore, she nodded slightly and said, "Uncle Qin, don't worry. During these days, I've always regarded Sister Wanrong as my own sister."
Then, her eyes fell on the "corpse" covered with a white cloth on the ground. Qin Hao could no longer control his grief. He knelt on his knees, and two lines of tears slid down from the corners of his eyes. He said tremblingly, "Rong'er, don't be afraid. Daddy's here. Daddy's taking you home."
He reached out his hand towards the "corpse". Just as his fingertips were about to touch the white cloth, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.
"Daddy."
Qin Hao was stunned, and his eyes widened slightly. Was it a hallucination caused by his extreme grief? Why did he seem to hear Qin Wanrong's voice?
"Daddy." The voice sounded again. This time, Qin Hao realized that the voice was coming from behind him. He suddenly stood up and turned around. Before his eyes, a figure rushed into his arms and hugged his waist tightly, sobbing.
Looking down, he saw that it was really Qin Wanrong!
"Rong'er, you're not dead?" Qin Hao was extremely shocked and even dared not reach out to touch his daughter in his arms. But her strength and tears were so real.
Su Yuanyuan smiled and said, "Uncle Qin, congratulations. You've passed Sister Wanrong's test."
Cang Xuan stood up and walked behind Su Yuanyuan. He said meaningfully, "Sir Qin is willing to enforce justice impartially even at the cost of family ties. This truly makes this prince admire you."