Ji Shisu also hoped for a son.
He wasn't a man who favored sons over daughters, nor did he hold the idea of passing on family businesses only to sons.
He just thought that a son would take after him while a daughter would resemble Zhao Luoning.
A son could be trained at will so that he could take over the businesses in his and Zhao Luoning's hands earlier.
Then, he and Luoning would have plenty of time to travel and enjoy the scenery.
If it were a daughter, she would be another little Zhao Luoning, and he would have to hold her in the palm of his hand.
Ye Hua was quite efficient. In less than five days, the case was solved.
By this time, Zhao Luoning and Ji Shisu had moved to Tianchang Town next door. Since their new house was still under renovation, they temporarily stayed in the Shus' other courtyard.
Ye Hua was on his way to the capital with his wife. When they passed by Tianchang Town, Ye Hua went to attend some social events while Lady Ye came to see Zhao Luoning and brought her the news by the way.
"Madam Jiang killed Zhao Luoyue? How could that be?!" Zhao Luoning was shocked when she heard this conclusion.
"We have both witnesses and physical evidence. It's a sure - fire case." Lady Ye was also quite surprised when she first heard this judgment. She couldn't believe that a noble lady from a prominent family could act so recklessly.
"How did Lord Ye find out?"
"Actually, my husband suspected Madam Jiang long ago. Since Madam Jiang got her information from Zhao Luoyue, even if she wasn't the murderer, she couldn't be absolved of responsibility for Zhao Luoyue's accident. My husband started with the servants around Madam Jiang and Zhao Luoyue and found the personal maid of Zhao Luoyue who had managed to escape, and only then did he learn the truth."
"Why on earth did Madam Jiang want to kill Zhao Luoyue?"
"Zhao Luoyue's personal maid said that Madam Jiang learned from Zhao Luoyue that you were the second young mistress of the Ji family. To prevent Zhao Luoyue from revealing this secret, she knocked them both unconscious. Maybe she thought they were dead after knocking them out, so she simply buried them. That maid was lucky. She woke up earlier and managed to escape, but Zhao Luoyue wasn't so fortunate."
Considering that Zhao Luoning was pregnant, Lady Ye downplayed the gory details.
In fact, Madam Jiang's motive for killing Zhao Luoyue wasn't just to keep the secret.
More importantly, Zhao Luoyue had become a hindrance to her.
Zhao Luoyue had a very bad reputation. After the incident with Song Jin, she had been laughed at by many people.
Madam Jiang, who used to be close to Zhao Luoyue, regretted it deeply.
Because of this, Madam Jiang's well - bred daughter was also looked down upon. She had long passed the marriageable age but still remained unmarried. Most of the eligible young talents in the city were already engaged. Madam Jiang was extremely anxious.
Yet, Zhao Luoyue had no sense of propriety and visited the Jiang family every now and then, ruining Miss Jiang's blind dates time and time again. Matchmakers would shake their heads as soon as they saw Zhao Luoyue.
Madam Jiang had long hated Zhao Luoyue.
So, originally, Madam Jiang just wanted to knock Zhao Luoyue unconscious and tie her up, planning to release her after her daughter married Zhao Luojing. But after her servants accidentally beat Zhao Luoyue into a state of apparent death, she didn't even bother to confirm one more time and directly ordered them to bury Zhao Luoyue and her maid.
Of course, although Madam Jiang was the primary culprit, it was actually the wild wolves that took Zhao Luoyue's life.
Actually, there was another person present when the wild wolves devoured Zhao Luoyue.
It was Zhao Luoyue's personal maid.
The maid and Zhao Luoyue were knocked unconscious by Madam Jiang and buried in the ground.
At first, the maid was quite loyal. She woke up after being dug out by the wild wolves and tried desperately to pull her mistress out. But as more and more wild wolves came, she couldn't carry the unconscious and heavy Zhao Luoyue far.
When the hungry wolves pounced, the maid had to use Zhao Luoyue as a shield to save her own life.
Taking advantage of the time when the wild wolves were devouring Zhao Luoyue, she ran away.
When Madam Jiang was arrested, she was still dreaming of becoming in - laws with the imperial - order - honored lady. When the yamen runners came to arrest her, she shouted, "I want to see the imperial - order - honored lady!"
Hearing this news, Zhao Luoning sighed.
"Did Madam Jiang plead guilty so easily?"
When Zhao Luoning asked this question, Lady Ye's eyes glanced at Ji Shisu intentionally or unintentionally.
How could Madam Jiang not plead guilty?
Not to mention that Ye Hua had already made it clear to Madam Jiang in the prison that the emperor knew about this matter, and the imperial edict given to General Ji was a blank one with the name to be filled in by the couple.
In other words, Madam Jiang's threats were completely meaningless.
Because the person she was threatening wasn't Zhao Luoning or Ji Shisu, but the emperor.
If the emperor wanted her dead at the third watch, who would dare to keep her alive until the fifth watch?
And Ji Shisu was even more ruthless. He directly blocked the Jiang family.
If Madam Jiang didn't plead guilty, the Jiang family would be in a living hell.
Both Lord Jiang and Miss Jiang came out to persuade Madam Jiang to plead guilty quickly.
Only when she died could the Jiang family survive.
Her husband and daughter both advised her to die quickly.
It didn't make much sense for her to live anymore.
At this point, no matter how much Madam Jiang wanted to cause trouble, she couldn't do much.
So, the case was quickly closed. Three days after the case was closed, Madam Jiang was beheaded in the vegetable market as a public warning.
To prevent Madam Jiang from talking nonsense, her tongue was cut out before she was taken to the execution ground.
Madam Jiang had seemed prosperous over the years, but she had climbed up the social ladder by fawning on the powerful and bullying the weak. There were many people who disliked her. On the way to the execution ground, she was pelted with countless rotten eggs and vegetable leaves.
She didn't even have a chance to beg for mercy.
Of course, it was the emperor's order to make her unable to speak.
The emperor was so harsh on Madam Jiang for a reason.
In Huangcheng, anyone who had seen Zhao Luoning without makeup could recognize her as Jun Zhifou.
No matter how they tried to prevent it, this was a time - bomb waiting to explode.
Ji Shisu knew this, Zhao Luoning knew this, and the emperor who had issued the imperial edict to Zhao Luoning also knew this.
In the end, the emperor himself didn't think there was anything wrong with Ji Shisu and Zhao Luoning's actions. If others made a fuss about this, they were just deliberately embarrassing the emperor.
The emperor needed to make an example of someone to warn those who knew the real identity of the imperial - order - honored lady.
It was okay to know, but don't talk nonsense.
If you couldn't keep your mouth shut, you would lose your head.
Then, Madam Jiang came along.
Madam Jiang not only offered herself up but also prepared the reason.
Wasn't this like the chicken for the warning - the chicken not only walked into the slaughterhouse on its own but also prepared the knife?
The faster and more miserably Madam Jiang died, and the more destitute the Jiang family became, the more in awe the common people would be.
Now, Zhao Luoning and Ji Shisu had left Huangcheng, and not many people knew them.
Coupled with the fact that the case of Madam Jiang's murder was judged and executed extremely quickly, those who didn't know the truth just thought that she had committed the murder right after the imperial - order - honored lady was conferred, and the victim was the younger cousin related to the imperial - order - honored lady.
Those who knew the truth knew that there was not only Ji Shisu but also the emperor standing behind Zhao Luoning. They could only pretend to be ignorant and keep their mouths shut from then on, as if Zhao Luoning didn't exist.
This head of Madam Jiang was offered so well!